(NARUTO, THE DEMON HUNTER) A DECIDEDLY SHORT DISCUSSION

Naruto had settled onto the floor near what remained of the couch, folding his legs beneath him in a relaxed cross-legged position that suggested he was far more comfortable with patience than most people would have been in the same situation. The posture looked strangely natural on him, the kind of effortless stillness that did not come from laziness but from long familiarity with waiting, as though years of disciplined training had made quiet observation just as instinctive to him as movement and combat. 

Every so often, his eyes wandered through the apartment with open curiosity, occasionally lingering on small details that most visitors would have overlooked entirely, such as the framed awards near the hallway or the scattered practice equipment that hinted at the strange dual life the Huntrix lived. Despite that curiosity, however, he refrained from speaking again, apparently recognizing that whatever decision the three women were about to make carried more weight for them than it did for him.

Across the room, the Huntrix stood together in a loose triangle, their attention fixed on him even when they were technically speaking only among themselves.

The problem, unfortunately, was that none of the obvious solutions felt acceptable.

On one hand, the simplest course of action would have been to send him away and allow him to fend for himself. At first glance the idea carried a certain appeal, because it would remove the problem from their apartment and restore the sense of normalcy they had been trying to reclaim after dealing with Gwi-Ma and the Golden Honmoon. Yet, the longer Rumi allowed herself to consider that possibility, the more its flaws began to surface.

Naruto knew almost nothing about their world beyond what little they had already explained, and even that information had barely begun to scratch the surface. Releasing him into the city without guidance would not simply be irresponsible, it would border on reckless negligence.

The man could move faster than anything they had ever encountered and carried a presence that felt disturbingly similar to a demon’s malevolent aura. If someone with that kind of power wandered blindly through a world he did not understand, the consequences would be unpredictable at best and catastrophic at worst.

On the other hand, allowing him to remain here created an entirely different set of problems.

The Huntrix were public figures, whether they liked it or not, and their lives existed under constant observation from fans, critics, entertainment reporters, and an endless swarm of opportunistic paparazzi who were always eager to turn the smallest rumor into a headline. The presence of a strange man living inside their apartment would not remain secret for long if anyone happened to glimpse him entering or leaving the building, and even a single photograph would be more than enough to unleash a storm of speculation that tabloids would eagerly exploit.

Speculation alone could damage everything they had worked so hard to build.

Beyond that practical concern was the simpler and far more personal reality that none of them had ever planned to share their home with a man at all, especially not one who carried an aura that felt uncomfortably close to demonic power.

Which meant neither option was acceptable.

They could not send him away.

Yet they could not keep him here.

The impasse lingered between them for several long moments, leaving the three of them staring at the floor, the walls, or occasionally at Naruto himself, as though the answer might appear if they looked long enough.

Eventually Mira and Zoe turned toward Rumi.

Neither of them said a word, yet the silent question was unmistakable.

Rumi was their leader, both on stage and in battle, and when decisions grew complicated enough that instinct alone could not resolve them, it always fell to her to find a path forward.

She noticed the shift in their attention immediately and let out a quiet breath.

Her gaze drifted briefly toward Naruto, who remained seated on the floor with the same patience he had maintained since the conversation ended, then returned to her teammates as she weighed the possibilities one final time.

One option invited chaos through ignorance. The other invited scrutiny through proximity.

Neither outcome was ideal, but only one allowed them to keep the situation contained long enough to deal with any potential fallout.

After several long seconds of consideration, she finally spoke.

“We let him stay with us.”