Chapter 25
Chapter 25: Robbery Arc Part 2
The curtains in the room drew back with a soft wirr as the sunlight filtered in, casting a warm glow over the room. Stargazer, ever punctual, had pulled them open, its mechanical arms humming as it did so. Morgana stirred to life, stretching her arms above her head before slipping out of bed. A quick glance at the time told her it was time for her morning routine. The small device floated toward the kitchen, its metallic hum filling the air as it activated the coffee machine. Intelligent devices are so useful, Morgana thought to herself with a grin, admiring the convenience of modern technology.
“Good morning, Sir!” Stargazer greeted brightly, its voice always chipper.
“Morning, Stargazer,” Morgana replied, rolling out of bed with practiced ease. “Don’t mind me; I need to do my morning exercises. Hup!”
With a burst of energy, Morgana flipped into a handstand, immediately starting her push-ups. Her body was fluid and precise in motion, each movement sharp and deliberate. She’d mastered this routine over the past year, and it had become second nature to her.
Avalon, still wrapped snugly in the blankets, floated over to her with a soft hum. “Morning, Captain,” Avalon greeted in its calm, pleasant voice as if the world were still half asleep.
Morgana nodded without breaking her form. “How many exercises left?” she asked a hint of strain in her voice but not letting it show.
A holographic screen flickered into existence before her, displaying her progress and vital stats. “Twenty handstand push-ups, thirty sit-ups, and then stretches,” Avalon replied, its tone as cool and composed as ever.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Ellen entered with a loud yawn, her usually neat hair now tousled from sleep. She shuffled to the counter, where Stargazer poured her a warm cup of coffee. The rich aroma filled the room, making Ellen’s sleepy eyes brighten just slightly. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, still half-dazed as she busied herself with breakfast.
Today, she’d be taking Naruto along with her relic-hunting team for some research. Afterward, they’d be going shopping in the massive mall of Milchidan. At least it’s not a mission today, Ellen mused. Though the ninja girl wasn’t particularly fond of shopping, she had agreed to go along if it meant she could pick up souvenirs for her friends back in her ninja village. At least she didn’t argue too much today, Ellen thought, a small pang of relief settling in her chest.
She watched Morgana with a soft smile as the girl continued her routine. The young ninja was relentless in her discipline, always pushing herself. She’s such a hard worker, Ellen mused fondly. She couldn’t help but think of the little moments they’d shared. Just yesterday, Morgan had called her ‘Mom’...
Her heart warmed at the thought. Their fateful meeting a year ago had changed everything for both of them. Morgan had become like a daughter to Ellen. The bond they had formed, unexpectedly but undeniably, filled Ellen with pride.
Wasn’t Morgan sweet? she thought with a chuckle, flipping the eggs in the pan. Stargazer buzzed around the kitchen, checking on the toast with its usual precision.
Ellen’s smile faded slightly as she thought about Morgan’s past. She couldn’t help but wonder if there were any adults back in Konhaggure—the village of ninjas where Morgan had come from—who worried about her. Does she have anyone there who looks out for her? Ellen wondered, stirring her coffee absently. There were things Morgan hadn’t shared with her, things that seemed to weigh heavy on the girl’s mind. Why had Morgan changed her name from Naruto to Morgan? Why did her hair change to red? Ellen had heard the explanation about her Uzumaki blood, but something about it felt… off.
Back in Konohagure
Hayate groaned as he sat down to review the test papers of his ninja academy students. He sighed and dropped Morgana’s paper onto the desk. She’s still got so much potential, he thought. But her low self-esteem keeps holding her back. She’s always putting others first, neglecting her own needs. He wished the red-haired, purple-eyed girl would value herself more.
“Oi, Hayate! Enjoy the festival!” Genma called as he dropped down beside him, a little more than tipsy.
“I will, just need to get through some paperwork first,” Hayate replied with a chuckle. “And worry about my favorite student,” he added, his tone light, though there was a flicker of concern behind his eyes.
“Teachers are supposed to be unbiased, you know!” Genma scolded, shaking his head with a grin.
Hayate shrugged nonchalantly, clearly not bothered. “I’m allowed to care for my students,” he said.
Minato, disguised as Arashi, wondered aloud from across the room, “I still can’t figure out what that strange attack yesterday was... but I hope Morgan wasn’t caught up in it. I wonder if she’s in the village.”
Hayate perked up at the mention of her name. “I overheard her talking to some classmates. She left the village to visit some friends.”
Arashi/Minato raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “So, she has friends outside the village... Interesting.”
At Milchidan Mall
After spending the day helping Ellen with her relic-hunting team’s research, Morgana followed her mentor to the massive shopping mall. Morgana couldn’t help but facepalm at the enthusiasm Ellen displayed when she excitedly explained her love for shopping. I never knew you had a side like this, Morgana thought, though it was kind of cute.
The two girls wandered through the sleek, brightly lit corridors of the mall. Suddenly, Morgana spotted Vivio and Einhard.
“Oh hey!” Morgana waved, and her friends immediately ran up to them.
“Morgan, you here to do some shopping?” Vivio asked, grinning widely. “Einhard needs a new training suit. Her old one got ripped during a sparring match again.”
Morgana groaned, already knowing where this was going. Right, my combat-obsessed friends, she thought with a small laugh. “Then let’s shop together, right, Mom?” Morgana said to Ellen, who laughed in response.
The shopping trip was a blast. Morgana found some cool items for Han and Hanabi, excited to surprise them later. She was just about to leave when the mall suddenly trembled, a low rumble shaking the entire building.
Ellen grabbed her device, Stargazer, instinctively. “What’s going on?” she muttered.
Then, a group of masked thugs burst into the mall, causing chaos as they shot their guns into the air.
“EVERYONE GET DOWN! BRING US TO THE BANK’S TREASURY!” one of them shouted.
Morgan froze, eyes widening. The mall has a bank at the back. She looked at Ellen, who had already contacted law enforcement through her device.
“Naruto,” Ellen asked, her tone serious, “Do you think you can take them down? How many are there?”
Morgan closed her eyes, enhancing her sensor abilities. “Sixteen hostile robbers. They seem to be about B-rank mages,” she murmured. “I think I can take them, but the problem is the innocent bystanders.”
Vivio spoke up. “I can use a barrier and guide the civilians out of harm’s way. Einhard and I will work on getting them to safety while you handle the robbers until law enforcement arrives.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Morgana felt the familiar rush of adrenaline course through her. It was time to act.
“Equip!” Einhard shouted, her device sparking to life. Her weapon, a unique Balkan-type device, required a special password.
“Set up!”Vivio, Ellen, and Morgan all said in unison as their devices transformed.
Morgana chose not to go into adult mode like Vivio and Einhard; she felt more comfortable in her usual form. Vivio and Einhard immediately began ushering the civilians to safety, while Ellen and Morgana prepared to engage the robbers.
Dashing around the mall, They took down the robbers silently, bit by bit. Morgan expertly took down one thug after another, disarming them and knocking them out with swift precision. Ellen was right behind her, cutting through the enemies with her fist, she opted not to use her spear or lance skating on her unique magical skates. Her purple eyes darted around, and the Uzumaki was thinking, in a peaceful world, even Milchidan had to deal with crimes huh?
“These guys are bad news,” Ellen muttered under her breath. “They’ve been hijacking different worlds and stealing gold all over the place! Ah, I was brief about them they had a name. Kara! Thier name is Kara the organization.”
Morgan’s mind flashed back to a conversation she’d overheard Ellen having with Nanoha just the day before. Is this the same group? she thought, her determination hardening. I’m not letting them get away with this.
" Kara? That means empty...", Morgan whispered confused as she went to the next target.