Sage of Hearts

Disclaimer: I certainly don't own Naruto, Disney or any of its affiliated properties. If I did, I wouldn't be writing this now would I?

"The connection of our hearts…" : Speech (Bold for yelling ,Bijuu, or massive creatures)

'The connection of our hearts…' : Thought

Early morning, Naruto and co's new home…

Ever since Naruto and the ladies had entered this new world, they had some issues integrating into this relatively more advanced time period. Particularly Naruto and Ella had some trouble having to accept that people in this time didn't have to fight to survive, either through slaving away for their daily bread or going out into the wild and foraging for vittles or tradeable items. One thing that bothered Naruto more than the others was also the fact that being an early riser was no longer a requirement and for someone who spent most of his life rising with the sun, Naruto didn't really appreciate the lack of respect for the time in a day (especially considering Oxford was pretty bare of nature – this really bothered Naruto since the city felt 'cold' to him and he relied on human companionship to curb that…).

After the group retired for the night the previous day, Naruto went to bed, idly thinking that they had spent quite a lot of time in this new world without really knowing what he was supposed to change in the flow of fate. His sleep was fitful, filled with strange feverish dreams of the magical nexus they traveled to and surprisingly Alice as she was trapped in a strange land, calling his name. As one might expect, he woke up early the next day more than a little rattled. Unfortunately, no one else was up yet, meaning he only had his own thoughts for company for at least two more hours (Ella and Grimhilde got up earlier than the others and both of them had the right grounded mindset to calm him down…).

"Sigh…that was a strange dream. I wonder why Alice popped up near the end though – she looked like she was in an enchanted forest but I know for a fact that there's nothing like that around here. Maybe I am over thinking my position here…" Naruto grumbled as he went to the balcony to watch the gray city slowly get illuminated by the sunrise, the quiet atmosphere lending it a tranquil feeling.

"I should probably start getting breakfast ready – I know the ladies have nothing planned out for the day so I should get some food before I have to go to the park to meet the sisters. Hmmm…what to make though? I am in the mood for some spicy scrambled eggs with toast, god forbid I actually consume the traditional English breakfast…it's like these people have never heard of spices before…" He mumbled as he entered the pantry to pull out the required ingredients for his meal before entering the kitchen to start cooking.

After setting up his cooking implements and starting to cook his meal, his anxious heart was calmed by the familiar and reassuring aroma of eggs, onions and tomatoes, his earlier misgivings about his nightmares vanishing in the delicious aroma wafting off his breakfast. His cooking done, he put his food down on the kitchen table and helped himself to the food, happily munching away – so absorbed in his activity that he didn't notice Grimhilde sneaking over to him until she came up right behind him to steal his fork and take a bit of his eggs for herself.

"Oh Naruto darling~ this food is just divine! Why are you here in the kitchen all by your lonesome? Don't you want to enjoy a lazy weekend morning before you have to leave? I went to your chambers and missed you…" She said as she put the fork in her mouth, slowly savoring the food before pulling out the implement while wrapping her tongue around it for a second. She smirked at Naruto's faint blush before she yelped in surprise when he smacked her generous derriere gently.

"Calm down there you insatiable succubus – I have an appointment in an hour. We can have some private time when I return and I can show you just how much of me you can handle before you're reduced to a hot mess…" Naruto growled as he took his fork back and continued to eat while groping her butt, enjoying the way her cool expression melted into a helplessly amorous look.

"Ooooh~ I love it when you get so assertive! Alright, I'll leave you be for now but do return swiftly – I can't bear to hear Snow recount her own experiences with you anymore…" Grimhilde said as she turned to face Naruto, cupping his cheek with one hand while the other groped his 'equipment' fleetingly before she sauntered away, making sure to emphasize the sway of her hips as she did.

'What a minx of a woman…looks like I am going to have a great night though!' Naruto mused as he enjoyed his meal while enjoying the sight of Grimhilde's svelte body as she ascended to her bedroom.

One hour later, Oxford Christ Church Meadow…

Alice and Audrey were waiting in the park for Naruto and the sisters were passing the time by talking together. Audrey was reciting a history lesson to Alice, who had, in her boredom, climbed up into a tree with her pet kitten Dinah. Both sisters weren't really paying attention to what they were doing because they were a little preoccupied with looking around to see if Naruto arrived or not.

"Alice, please pay attention – I know you are excited to meet Naruto but he did say he'd arrive by eight thirty and it is just five minutes away…" Audrey said as Alice huffed from her position in the tree while stroking Dinah's fur, the cat purring pleasantly to ease her mistress's agitation.

"I know when he'll be here! I am just tired of this history lesson Audrey – the book you're reading is just so boring! There's nothing interesting going on and there aren't even any pictures in it…" She said as Audrey smiled amused at her sister's pouting face.

"Oh? Did you expect a history textbook to be structured like one of your fairy tales? How would you like your books then your Majesty?" She said teasingly since Alice's complaints sounded more than a little unrealistic.

"Well, if I was in charge, the books would be filled with nothing but pictures and even if that wasn't possible, I would at least make them more interesting with exciting conversations and climaxes! This world is just so bland and boring at times – I yearn for some nonsense to break the monotony…ah, listen to me rue my life! I am just a child!" Alice said as she put a hand to her forehead, dramatically posing as Audrey rolled her eyes at her theatrics.

While the sisters were talking though, Naruto entered the park and was looking for them. After about two minutes of blindly rushing through the place, he found them sitting under a tree close to a warbling brook.

"Hey there! Sorry for my tardiness, I got turned around in this park and couldn't find you guys…" Naruto said as he scratched the back of his head embarrassedly before sitting next to Audrey under the tree Alice was in. The sisters just looked at him mirthfully before Alice giggled a little at him before Audrey started to speak.

"Oh Naruto you silly man – we never really elaborated on where we would be in the park. We just told you we would meet up at the park and nothing else so the fault is ours I believe…" Audrey said, watching Alice leap off her perch holding Dinah in her hands to land his shoulders as Naruto let out a quiet grunt before lifting Alice to place her on the grass, his arm wrapping around her as she leaned into his side.

"Alright, let's just say that we're both at fault – now what were you guys doing?" Naruto said as the sisters explained the situation before the group settled down, Naruto watching Audrey try to teach Alice while Alice valiantly tried to keep her eyes open during her sister's boring lecture.

Two hours into Audrey's lecture, Naruto had to interrupt her since he could clearly see that Alice was at her breaking point and was ready to slip away from her sister.

"Hey Audrey, maybe we could take a short break? It's almost noon and Alice looks like she could use some time to stretch her legs a bit." Naruto said as Alice looked at him gratefully while Audrey looked a bit taken aback before she relented with a sigh.

"Okay, I do suppose she has earned a little reprieve for listening to me this long. Go on Alice, frolic to your heart's content but remember to return in twenty minutes to resume your studies. Naruto and I will converse until you return." Audrey said as she shuffled over to Naruto's side to hold his hand and lean hear head on his shoulder as Alice leaped to her feet, holding Dinah to her chest – her previous lethargy all but forgotten.

"Oh thank you Audrey – and thank you Naruto for letting me get a break. I was but a step away from falling asleep from that interminable lecture!" She said as Audrey looked a little cross but settled for nuzzling her head into Naruto's broad shoulders while Alice looked on with a small pout before she schooled her expression and ran off into the park, leaving the two adults alone.

Now that her sister had left, Audrey turned to regard Naruto. In her time since making an acquaintance of the man (roughly around two months) she had grown quite fond of him as he seemed to smoothen the tensions between her and her little sister, especially since the two of them lived alone in their mansion (their older brother was in the military overseas and their parents long deceased). He was also quite the handsome fellow and good with children so one couldn't blame her for trying to woo the man(sure he lived with four women but so long as he wasn't wearing a ring then he was fair game).

"So Naruto, now that we're all alone, what should we get up to? Perhaps we could have our own little jaunt in the park – there's this little copse hidden away that I've been dying to show you." Audrey said as she leaned up to look into Naruto's eyes while her hands wrapped themselves around one of his.

"That's fine with me – I always enjoy untouched sites of nature. Let's go then!" He said as he pulled Audrey to her feet and the two made their way through the park, the woman leaning on his arm as the two of them made their way to the isolated grove.

When they arrived, Naruto was pleasantly surprised to see the place – tucked away in a bend of the brook in the park was a stately copse of oak and pine trees. The air was cool and undisturbed, lending the place a romantic atmosphere.

"You know, Naruto, while I did want to show you this place for its natural beauty, I must confess that there was another reason for it. You see, in the time I have gotten to know you and your lady friends, I have grown to like all of you. You in particular have managed to breathe new life into my relationship with my sister and she has benefitted a lot from your help at the school, along with her new teachers." Audrey said as she placed a hand on Naruto's cheek, her lips pursed as she looked surprisingly demure for a strict older sister type of woman.

"That's alright Audrey – you and your sister are great too! Alice actually reminds me of myself at that sage so we get along quite famously. You are also an admirable individual since you take such pains to raise your sibling even if your parents are no longer around – that takes a lot of effort and perseverance." He said as Audrey's eyes sparkled in joy before she moved closer to him, her hands resting on his chest while Naruto's arms wrapped around her waist.

"That's sweet of you to say and it makes what I am about to do even easier…" She said as she leaned forward, stealing a quick kiss from Naruto as he gasped in surprise before looking at her regretfully.

"Oh! That was unexpected – do you know about my situation with the ladies in my home however? I don't know if you want to join such a complex relationship…" Naruto said as he blushed faintly at Audrey's resolute face.

"I had my suspicions but since I don't see any rings or marriage papers, I believe that you are fair game. When you escort us to your home for that luncheon, I think I can talk to the girls about my situation as well." She said as she pulled Naruto back to the tree where she was tutoring Alice, only to find that Alice hadn't returned yet.

"That's odd – I thought we agreed on a twenty minute break…perhaps she got lost somewhere in the park…"Audrey said, biting her lip in consternation as Naruto looked around before turning to her with a serious look.

"Don't worry, I'll look for her and if she's lost, bring her back to you." He said, reassuring her as she flashed him a grateful smile.

"I appreciate that. Do try to make it back on time however – we are losing valuable time here…" She said, watching as Naruto nodded and ran off into the park to look for Alice.

In a remote area of the park, where Alice fell asleep dreaming of Wonderland…

Naruto didn't have to search for long as he quickly found Alice sleeping under a tree in the gentle breeze, with Dinah on her lap(the cat was having the time of life charging up her tummy's solar cells).

"Ah, so there you are – you had me and your sister worried there for a moment. Anyway, it's time to get up…" He said as he moved closer to her to wake her up.

However, that was not meant to be.

As soon as his hands touched Alice's shoulder, Naruto felt his chakra flaring out of control – particularly his Yin chakra (which was why he didn't blow the entire park up) before he felt his consciousness being pulled from his body. After that, all he could see was darkness.

When he finally came to, he found himself in a strange world resembling the one he came from. Boundless forests stretched for as far as the eye could see and in the distance, he could barely make out a castle overlooking a small town. Upon standing upright to regain his bearings, he also came to another shocking realization. He was no longer a human but rather an anthropomorphic fox with yellow fur and blue eyes and a faded white underbelly.

"What in blazes is this?! This place feels like a very strong illusion but I can't break out of it…how did Alice even get mixed up in all of this? The girl must have one hell of an imagination to cause my powers to react like this…wait – perhaps she is the one that fate revolves around in this world! I have to find her quickly!" He said as he quickly loped away on all fours trying to catch her scent.

It took a while but he found her just as she fell into a giant rabbit hole, the flash of her skirts being the last thing he saw before she disappeared into the abyss.

"Alice! Don't worry, I am coming for you!" Naruto said as he rushed over to the hole before leaping into it, heedless of where it might take him.

 That wraps up chapter 20! Naruto will journey with Alice in Wonderland and finish the adventure in one chapter and we'll have an interlude after that. It appears as though Alice's imagination reacted with Naruto's Yin chakra, yielding interesting results. What they are have yet to be explored however…

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