"I'm not so sure this is a good idea."
"What about you talking about? This is my idea."
"I know. That's why I said it."
"Jerk."
It was the weekend. While life had settled down, Naruto had decided that it was time to do something that he hadn't been able to do in awhile: Train. Even before his kidnapping, Naruto had been so busy training everyone else that he rarely got the chance to train himself.
After speaking about it with Rias and Srizechs, they had allowed him to use one of the Gremory Estates in the Underworld. The place they'd sent him to was far from any civilization, and it was separated from the rest of the Underworld by a barrier similar to ones used in Rating Games. Sirzechs had told Naruto that he would be able to go all out in here and not worry about anyone noticing, which was good, because Naruto intended to push the limits of his power.
The area he'd chosen was far from the mansion proper. It was a desolate place that he stood in, a craggy desert situated next to a gigantic mountain range. Rocks and trenches filled his vision. There was nothing here for miles. It was the perfect place for him and Kurama to go wild.
"Look, we've already been over this. I need to see what we can do. No more surprises, no more fluctuations."
"All right, fine, but don't blame me if you accidentally get yourself killed."
"I won't. Now let's start."
Naruto steadied his breathing and slowly synced with Kurama. He felt the familiar energy flowing into him, and he knew that, should he open his eyes, he would be surrounded by the Ten-tailed chakra cloak. He didn't feel any strain yet. Good.
"How much chakra are you using?"
"About point-five percent."
"S-seriously?! Just point-five percent? Well, whatever, let's up the dosage."
"I have a feeling we're going to regret this."
"Just do it."
Naruto felt the power inside of him increase, and suddenly, the air itself seemed to become denser. It wasn't, not really, but his perceptions had shifted to make him think that the air had become dense. In truth, it was simply Kurama's power surrounding him.
"Should we stop?"
"N-no, keep going. I'll let you know when it's too much."
Kurama did keep going. Naruto felt the power encasing him like a suffocating bubble increase further, and along with the increase in chakra, the Underworld's gravity seemed to increase with it.
Naruto struggled to keep himself upright, but as Kurama's power levels surged, he fell onto a knee. His chest compressed like a bijuu was sitting on it. Breathing was becoming difficult. His brain felt fuzzy, like static electricity was running electrical interference on his ability to think logically. Everything was blurring out. He couldn't… couldn't…
"S-stop! Kurama! Back up!"
The power ceased flowing. Naruto gasped as oxygen flowed back into his brain. Only when he'd regained his breath did he speak to his partner.
"H-how much power was that?"
"About five percent."
Naruto flinched.
"It was only that little? I thought it would be more."
"You're forgetting that my power has grown immensely since we lived in our original world. I've gained the powers of nine bijuu and a goddess with near-infinite chakra. That's not the kind of power that can be mastered so easily."
"Y-yeah, but still…"
"Besides that, I have a theory about why you can't use anymore of my power?"
"I'm listening."
"It's because you're a devil now."
Naruto blinked. What?
"I'm not sure I understand."
"Naruto, have you ever wondered why you can no longer go into your Six Paths Sage Mode anymore?"
Opening his mouth to respond, Naruto snapped it shut when he quickly realized that Kurama was right. Ever since he'd regained his chakra, he hadn't been able to enter his Sixs Path Sage Mode once, only the regular Sage Mode and Kurama's Tailed-Beast Mode. Although that still didn't explain why he could use the Truth-Seeking Balls, or was that the result of Kurama absorbing the other eight Bijuu and Ootsutsuki Kaguya?
"That is because you are no longer fully human. With the metamorphosis your body has undergone, your chakra has been diluted, or rather, because you are half devil, the chakra that you inherited from Asura is only half as strong as it once was."
Frowning as he thought about Kurama's words, Naruto tried to think this through logically. It didn't really make sense. His new status as a devil shouldn't have interfered with his powers as a human. If that was the case, then people like Koneko and Kuroka wouldn't have been able to wield their yokai powers because they were only half-yokai, unless…
"Are you saying that being a devil has made me incompatible with my own chakra?"
"Not necessarily. I'm merely saying that your chakra has been diluted. You're not as powerful as you once were. It is possible that the reason for this is because you were nearly dead upon arriving in this world. Your coils were all but destroyed, and so when you were resurrected as a devil, Asura's chakra didn't have time to replenish. Perhaps if your coils had been healed, this wouldn't have happened, or perhaps becoming a devil has simply weakened your human powers. There's no way for us to know for sure. Either way, it only feels like half your chakra is even with you."
Naruto thought about Kurama's explanation. While it made sense, in a way, there were key components missing. Asura's chakra was a part of Naruto. It shouldn't have been possible for that chakra to not replenish after his coils had healed.
What's more, Kurama was going off the idea that this had happened as a result of his coils being destroyed, then his body being changed into that of a devil, and Asura's chakra not being compatible with his new status, which also didn't make sense. If that was the case, then any human who had a Sacred Gear would've lost that Sacred Gear upon being resurrected as a devil…
"I know what you're thinking Naruto, but I believe the Sacred Gears staying with humans after they're resurrected is the result of God's death. Your problem is another matter entirely."
"I suppose…"
Naruto sighed. Thinking about this wasn't getting him anywhere. Instead of thinking about how he, for whatever reason, didn't have his original power, he should have been thinking about how to regain it.
Unfortunately, Naruto couldn't even begin to figure out what it would take to regain his lost power. If Kurama was correct, then his problem was that he'd become a devil. If that truly was the case, then nothing he did would change that, unless he somehow managed to become human again.
As these thoughts ran through his head, Naruto finally realized something. He was lying in a crater.
A really big crater.
A really, really, really big crater.
"Kurama?"
"Yes?"
"Wasn't there supposed to be a mountain range nearby?"
"… Yes."
"I thought so. The mountain range is gone."
There was a moment of silence as the two friends thought about the implications of that.
"Well, shit."
"I couldn't have put it better myself."
~Devil Ninja~
Rias stared uncomprehendingly at Naruto, who could only look sheepish under the incredulous expression she sent him.
They were in their bedroom. Rias sat in front of him, while Naruto opted to stand.
"So, let me get this straight," she started, rubbing her forehead. "You not only demolished the barrier that my brother had personally set up, but you also destroyed an entire mountain range?"
"Uh, yes?"
"You know that's coming out of your paycheck, right?"
Naruto winced, then blinked when he realized what she'd said. "We get a paycheck?"
"No."
Naruto and Rias stared at each other. Rias's lips twitched. Naruto grinned. Soon enough, the two were smiling at each other. However, the mood quickly dispersed, and Rias's mirthful appearance was replaced with a frown.
"In all seriousness, I'm not sure what to think about this," Rias admitted.
"Are you… upset?"
Rias shook her head. "No, I'm not upset. Concerned, I think, is a more apt word for how I'm feeling. The power that your… friend has, is rather astounding. I'm afraid of what it could mean for us."
Naruto didn't need her to elaborate. The power at Kurama's disposal was dangerous, and not just because others would come seeking that power.
I wonder what she would think if she knew that, before coming to this world, I was nearly that powerful myself?
"I know. Using this power is a double-bladed sword. It's just as likely to slay my allies as it is my enemies."
"Is that why you've never used your full power?"
"No." Naruto sighed as he sat next to Rias. "The truth is, even if I wanted to, I couldn't use my full power."
Naruto explained his problems to Rias as best he could. Unfortunately, neither he nor Kurama were even sure if their guess was right. It wasn't like they had anything to go off of. All Naruto knew was that, even though his chakra coils had fully recovered, his power wasn't where it should have been.
"That does sound like a problem," Rias murmured, her eyebrows furrowing.
"I thought that I'd be back at full power once I regained all of my chakra," Naruto finished. "However, it seems that my chakra is weaker than it should be. Do you know if becoming a devil changes a person's nature?"
"I… it shouldn't. When a human becomes a devil, all that happens is they gain a devil's affinity for darkness and an increased lifespan. I've never heard of anything like this happening before."
As Rias bit her thumb, Naruto's attention went toward her lips. They glistened a light, lush pink that made him want to push her onto the bed and claim those lips with his own. He shook his head, chiding himself.
Now's not the time for that.
"Could it have something to do with me being from another world?"
Naruto had never really thought about it, but surely, being from another world meant that things worked differently for him than they would for someone else. Different worlds followed different rules, and they weren't supposed to mingle. Perhaps simply being here, in this world, had caused his own existence to become unstable.
"That could be it," Kurama admitted. "However, I don't think that's the true cause—or rather, that might what caused your problem, but it isn't the problem itself."
"Perhaps we shouldn't think of this for right now," Rias suggested, standing up and stretching her arms above her head. Naruto felt a different sort of hunger as Rias's breasts pop out of her shirt. She wasn't wearing a bra. "We don't really have any information to go on, so all we can do right now is speculate. I'll have my brother introduce you to Ajuka Beelzebulb some time. He was the creator of the Evil Piece system, so he might be able to help."
"Right…"
Rias frowned. "Are you paying attention?"
"Not really."
Her frown growing deeper, Rias opened her mouth to say something, probably an admonishment. She would never get the chance, however, because Naruto placed his hands onto her shoulders, then pushed her onto the bed. She gave a startled yelp as he placed his hands on either side of her head, pinning her to the mattress.
"I don't think we should talk about this anymore," he told her.
Rias's cheeks turned pink. She turned her head. "I just said that."
"In fact," Naruto began again, staring at her lips, "I don't think we should talk at all."
Looking back at him, Rias suddenly gave him a shy yet coy smile. "Then what do you think we should be doing?"
Naruto didn't answer her with words.
He simply kissed her.
~Devil Ninja~
The days passed by simply. Naruto spent much of his time training, hanging out with his friends, or spending time with Rias.
His training wasn't going too well, unfortunately. He seemed to have hit a stump, a roadblock in his path. While he polished all of the skills currently in his arsenal, some of his old attacks were simply out of his reach.
There appeared to be something wrong with his chakra. It wasn't unstable, but the more he exercised his control, the more he noticed it. He was missing something. He didn't know what, and even Kurama seemed to be at a loss, but some core component of his chakra appeared to be gone. It felt like he was missing half of himself.
At least his relationship with Rias had been mended. In fact, he would say that his relationship with her was better than before. There was apparently some truth to what people said, that old saying about how disputes between loved ones brought them closer together. That being said, he really hoped that they never had a disagreement like this one ever again.
They spent a lot more time together, him and Rias. It was more than just sleeping together and occasionally going out. While Naruto spent a lot of time training, he spent just as much time trying to be a good boyfriend. They would go out on dates, spend time wandering the city, going to anime/video game stores incognito because Rias didn't want people to know about her Japanese culture fetish. He didn't really get that last part. Why hide the fact that you like something? Still, he didn't question her desire to keep that part of her life secret—even if he didn't see much point since Koneko, Ravel, and now Irina, Metatron and Ophis all knew about it, but that was just him.
His new house guests seemed to have grown accustomed to living with him and the others. Metatron was a bit… bothersome, but he seemed to be a well-meaning individual. He really liked Irina, though. She was so respectful, always bowing and speaking politely. She was a bit fanatical when it came to her religion, but she never pushed it on him. She also seemed curious about his origins, as she would always ask questions about where he came from. Being the somewhat boastful person that he was, Naruto had no trouble telling her all the stories of his heroic actions in his old world.
Ravel didn't seem to like Irina very well. She never acted outright hostile, but Naruto thought he could sense a sort of tension between them, though it only appeared to go one way. He sincerely hoped that Ravel would eventually get over her hang ups and accept Irina as a new member of their family.
That morning, Naruto took a shower alone. After washing up and drying off, he wandered back into his bedroom. Rias was already dressed, wearing her school uniform. She stood beside the bed, packing items into a large briefcase. Naruto saw everything from wigs to wings to sailor fuku uniforms getting stuffed into it.
He sweatdropped.
"Uh… do you really need all those costumes?"
"Of course I do," Rias answered decisively. "I'm not sure what I want to dress up as yet, so I need to make sure I'm prepared. I've packed cosplay for you, too."
"Great," he sighed.
"Problem?"
"Nope."
Chuckling, Naruto walked up behind Rias and wrapped her in his arms, pulling her against his chest.
"Naruto?"
Naruto grinned. "Yes?"
"Could you let go, please? I need to finish packing."
"So, packing is more important than me?"
"At the moment? Yes."
"Owch. That's harsh."
Her eyes dancing with mischief, Rias spun around and kissed him on the lips. "You know I love you, but this is important to me. It's the first time I've ever done this, and it's going to be with you. I need to make sure we have a good time."
"You do realize that we're not leaving until this weekend, right? We still have one more day of school."
"I know, but it never hurts to be prepared."
"If you say so." Naruto shrugged. "I'm pretty sure I'll have a good time regardless, but I know how you get about these things. Anyway, I'm gonna make us some breakfast."
"Thank you!"
Rias kissed him one more time before she went back to backing. Naruto shook his head and left the room. Once Rias was set on something, not even moving Heaven and Hell would be enough to stop her.
He traveled into the kitchen to make some grub, but the scent of something baking told him that someone had beat him to it. Entering the room, Naruto was greeted by Ravel. She stood by the stove, dressed in a pink apron, flipping what appeared to be pancakes.
"Ravel?"
"Eep!" Ravel nearly dropped her spatula. Spinning around, she raised a hand to her heart. Her cheeks were an adorable shade of pink. "N-Naruto-sama! Um, g-good morning."
"Good morning," Naruto greeted, eying Ravel. She wore no shoes that morning, and her cute toes wiggled against the tiled floor. Shapely calves and curvy thighs disappeared into her apron, which covered her stomach and chest.
"U-um, N-Naruto-sama?" she said, squirming under his gaze. "C-could you please not look at me so intensely…?"
"Why are you wearing an apron?"
"Eh? I-it's because I'm cooking."
"Sorry, let me rephrase that. Why are you wearing nothing but an apron."
Indeed, Ravel was wearing nothing but an apron. The curve of her bare bottom revealed itself in all its splendors. Her breasts, quite large for her tiny frame, strained against the apron, spilling out and granting him a generous glimpse of her sideboob. Naruto didn't want to admit it, but her body, the way she embarrassingly tried to cover herself, and the pink flush of her cheeks, was all rather fetching.
While he was dedicated to Rias, Naruto was still a guy, and as a hot-blooded male, he really liked what he saw.
"W-why?!" Ravel squeaked. "It's—I'm only wearing this because this is what people wear when they cook breakfast! I-I'm certainly not wearing it for you or anything!"
"Uh huh…"
Under the heavy weight of Naruto's stare, Ravel crumbled like a stack of cards.
"K-Koneko told me I should wear this…" Her cheeks became more inflamed. "Is this… do people not wear this when they make breakfast?"
"Well, no," Naruto answered. Ravel became even more embarrassed. "But don't worry." He gave her a thumbs up. "You look really good in that! I have to admit, I'm gonna be jealous of whoever marries you!"
Poof!
Naruto blinked when Ravel's head lit on fire. "Are you okay?"
"F-f-f-f-fine! I'm fine! I'm just fine, okay? Stop asking me that!" Squeaking like a mouse, the blond girl turned around and tried to busy herself with her cooking. She seemed to have forgotten that she wasn't wearing anything but an apron, so Naruto was given an unfettered glimpse of her backside.
Damn, she really is sexy. My Sexy Jutsu has nothing on her.
Readjusting himself, Naruto sat down at the table, where a bored looking Ophis was reading from a book. Upon sitting down, Ophis vacated her seat and sat in his lap. Her eyes never left the page, and Naruto peered over her head to see what she was reading.
"… Is that a dirty magazine?"
"Yes."
"Why are you reading it?"
"Research," Ophis said, flipping a page.
"Uh huh…" Naruto felt tempted to ask what she meant by "research," but another part was afraid of the answer. In the end, he decided not to ask.
Several minutes later, Irina wandered into the room, her cheerful smile illuminating the area. "Good morning, everyone—why in the name of our Holy Father are you naked?!"
"S-s-shut up! I don't wanna hear any of your self-righteous talk right now!" a blushing Ravel shouted.
"Erm…" Irina looked at Naruto, who could only shrug helplessly. "O-okay. I'm sorry." As Ravel huffed and returned to her cooking, Irina sat down next to Naruto and leaned over. "Is there any reason that Ravel-san is, um…"
"Naked?" Naruto asked softly.
"Yes."
"Koneko told her that's how people dress when cooking."
"Uh huh…"
"I had the same reaction," Naruto said to Irina's incredulous gaze.
Ophis flipped a page in her book. Her eyes never left it.
Rias wandered into the kitchen next. "Good morning every… one…" she trailed off…
… and stared.
"P-please don't look at me like that, Rias-sama," Ravel said, squirming in place.
"Why are you naked?" Rias asked, her tone deadpan.
"Ah, um, n-no reason…"
She glanced at Naruto, Irina, and then Ophis. "So I see." Apparently not finding the answers she sought from them, she sat down. Looking at the three others, she asked, "Why is Ravel…?"
"We don't know," Irina and Naruto said at the same time. Ophis flipped another page.
"… Right." Rias blinked when she looked at what Ophis was reading. "Is that a dirty magazine?"
"Yes," Ophis said.
"Why are you reading that?"
"Research."
"Re… search?" Rias looked at Naruto, who could only shrug.
Naruto felt her chakra before she entered. He looked up just as she walked into the room, Koneko, dressed in her school uniform, her cat ears twitching and her tail waving behind her. She stopped upon entering and, after pouting upon seeing where Ophis was sitting, turned to Ravel, who was glaring at her.
She smirked.
"Nice outfit, Cacciatore."
"You… THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"
Ravel stopped cooking and chased Koneko around the room, waving her arms furiously back and forth. Fire erupted around her hands. Naruto thought she would start throwing fireballs, and he was prepared to step in should they get out of hand. He hoped it wouldn't come to that, however. He rather liked watching the way Ravel ran around.
Ugh… I really am a pervert. I don't know what's worse; that I've been corrupted, or that I can't blame it on Ero-Sennin…
"Shouldn't we stop them?" Irina asked as Naruto made a clone to serve them breakfast.
"Naw," Naruto said, "this is just how they are sometimes. Let the two have their fun."
"O-okay."
Rias offered her a kind smile. "I know it may seem weird, but this is actually how they work. They're both really good friends."
Crash!
"You stupid cat!"
Bang!
"Stop running and let me murder you!"
Boom!
"I'm going to kill you!"
"Well," Rias amended, "sometimes, they're really good friends."
"R-right," Irina muttered, eying the pair warily.
It was at this time that Metatron walked in. No longer wearing his armor, he wore a sharp business suit… and a headband with a blank metal plate on it, which served to keep his long hair out of his face. Naruto sighed.
An angel with a ninja obsession. I really don't know what to think about that.
"Good morning, Ninja-samaAAAHHHH! MY HAIR! MY HAIR IS ON FIRE!"
Everyone watched in mute silence as Metatron, his hair now lit ablaze like a raging bonfire, ran around the room, adding to the chaos. Meanwhile, Ravel had resorted to tossing fireballs at Koneko, though none of them seemed to hit.
"So," Naruto smiled as his clone set down the tray of pancakes, "who wants breakfast?"
~Devil Ninja~
"I can't believe you!"
Ravel scowled furiously at Koneko. They were walking to school. Ahead of them, Naruto, Rias and Irina chatted. It sounded like Rias was talking to Irina, asking the girl how she was settling in. Metatron had left earlier, stating something about how it's always proper to arrive early.
"I can't believe you did this to me! Do you know how embarrassing that was?!" Ravel held a hand to her face and bemoaned her fate. "And now Naruto-sama and Rias-sama have seen me in such an unseemly manner. I'm sure they hate me now!"
That morning she had wanted to impress Naruto with some more of her cooking. N-not that she actually liked him or anything. Well, no, that wasn't true. She did like him, but it was only because she respected and admired his determination. She also enjoyed it when he complimented her. However, because of Koneko's suggestion, she'd not been able to receive her due praise, and instead she'd embarrassed herself in front of the two people she admired most!
"Neither Naruto or Rias would hate you over something like this," Koneko reassured her.
"You be quiet!" Ravel spat. "It's your fault I'm in this situation!"
"That is true, and I do feel bad for you," Koneko confessed. "That's why I'm going to help you."
"Really?" Ravel eyed her frenemy with suspicion. She'd already been fooled once. She wouldn't be tricked like that again.
Koneko, her expression serious, nodded. "Yes."
"How?"
"By giving you these?"
Koneko handed something to Ravel; two small slips of paper, which she realized were actually tickets.
"Two free passes for three hours of karaoke at Tamomo's Karaoke Bar?" Ravel looked at Koneko. "What are these?"
"Just what they look like," Koneko said. "I was originally going to ask Naruto if he wanted to sing karaoke with me this weekend, but I'm giving them to you instead."
"You're… giving these to me?"
"Yes."
"B-but don't you want to spend time with Naruto?"
Ravel was shocked. She knew that Koneko loved Naruto. The girl spent all her waking time with him whenever he wasn't with Rias. Ravel would often catch them taking cat naps together, meditating under the waterfall in the second garden near the back, or sparring in the underground training room. For Koneko to give up a chance to spend quality alone time with Naruto, well, it flabbergasted Ravel.
"I do, but I can spend time with him doing anything." Koneko gave Ravel a knowing look. "You actually need an excuse to spend time with him."
Ravel didn't know whether to cry or hug Koneko. Her heart felt fit to burst. With these tickets, she could actually spend time with Naruto-sama! And it would be just the two of them! And they would sing together, and eat together and as the day wore on, Naruto would rest his head in her… lap… and…
Poof!
Smoke burst from Ravel's ears as her mind quickly went down the gutter.
"Perv," Koneko muttered.
"I-I am not," Ravel muttered weakly.
"Super perv."
"T-that's not true. I just… Naruto-sama…"
"I understand. You like him."
"I—" Ravel started, only to stop when she saw the look in Koneko's eyes. Her shoulders slumped. "I like Naruto-sama."
"I like him, too."
"Then why are you giving these to me?"
Koneko paused before answering. "Because Naruto-sama is dating Rias, and he's serious about it. Serious enough that we'll never have a chance with him if we don't work together."
"Y-you mean polygamy?!"
Polygamy wasn't really an accepted practice in the Underworld. On the other hand, it wasn't an unaccepted practice either. It was something of an open secret that many devils made their servants members of their harem. She knew of this one woman nicknamed the Black Widow, who had numerous male servants at her beck and call, and many male devils resurrected beautiful human females to become members of their harem. Still…
"But, for two members of a noble house to become part of a harem is…"
She and Rias were nobles. Both of them were members of the 72 Pillars, and with the recent decrease in the pureblood devil population, it was important for them to marry a pureblood devil. Rias was clearly not going to be doing that, which meant it was doubly important for Ravel, as a pureblood, to marry another pureblood and sire an heir. To do anything less was to bring shame upon her family.
Koneko nodded. "I understand, but you need to ask yourself what's more important: Your status or the person you love."
"L-l-l-l-love?!" Ravel squeaked. "W-who said anything about love?! I-I don't love Naruto-sama!"
"Haven't we already been over this?" Koneko asked. "In any case, you now have those tickets. All you need to do is find him during lunch, ask for a moment of his time, and then present him with the tickets and say you want to go out with him. Naruto likes you. He's going to say yes."
"W-would he really say yes?"
"Of course he would. Naruto isn't the type of person who would deny one of his 'precious people' a chance to spend time with him. He's selfless like that."
Ravel's heart wavered. Even if she had trouble saying it out loud, she did love Naruto, and she wanted him to love her back. Of course, she respected Rias too much to try and usurp the redhead's position as Naruto's foremost lover, but she still wanted him to see her, to acknowledge her, and to return her feelings.
"I… I'll do it." She swallowed. Her throat felt dry. "I'll a-ask him to go sing Karaoke with me during lunch time today."
"That's the spirit!" Koneko slapped Ravel on the back, sending the girl stumbling with her rook strength.
"Owch!" Ravel rubbed her back and glared. "That really hurt."
Koneko actually looked sheepish. "Sorry, I used too much strength."
"I don't believe you."
Despite her words, Ravel smiled at Koneko, whose expression mirrored her own. She really was glad that she had such a good friend.
"Hey, you two!" Naruto called. While they'd been talking, Naruto, Rias, and Irina had pulled ahead of them. "What are you doing all the way back there? Come on, hurry up or we'll be late for class!"
"We're coming, Naruto-sama!"
Koneko and Ravel shared one last smile before running to catch up with the others.
~Devil Ninja~
"I wonder why Azazel-san called us to the clubroom," Asia said as she, Issei, and Akeno entered the old school building. It was early in the morning, and they really should have been in class, but Azazel, their new adviser and leader of the Grigori, had asked to see them.
"Who knows." Issei waved a hand in the air. "Knowing that guy, it's probably some stupid reason like, 'I want to study your bodies to further my research!' or something," he said, making a poor attempt at imitating Azazel's voice. Asia giggled. Akeno remained silent.
"U-um, Akeno-sama?" Asia glanced at Akeno, who remained quiet. "A-are you okay?"
"Hm?"
Akeno only seemed to realize that she'd been staring off into space after Asia spoke. She jerked her head around, blinking several times, as if just now noticing them. Then she smiled. It was the most fake smile Issei had ever seen.
"Ara, ara. I'm sorry Asia-chan. What were you saying?"
"Ah… no, it's nothing. It's just that you've been so quiet, I was worried about you." Asia held a hand to her chest, clutching the fabric of her shirt. "Are… have we been bothering you, Akeno-sama?"
Issei wondered if it was weird that he no longer batted an eyelash at how he and Asia called Akeno "-sama." Naruto-sensei always made fun of him for it, but he thought it only made sense. Even if Naruto-sensei was his sensei, Akeno was sort of like… his master? No, that was Rias, wasn't it? Well, either way, she was the person he listened to the most. It was only right to call someone like that "-sama," wasn't it?
Akeno smiled as she wandered around Issei and trapped Asia in a hug. "Ufufufu, what's this? My cute little Asia-chan couldn't possibly be thinking something like, "Akeno-sama hasn't been giving me enough attention lately. Have I done something to upset her, could she?"
"A-ah! N-no, that isn't—ahn!"
Issei was felled by a nosebleed as Akeno nibbled on Asia's earlobe. Carmine dripped from his nose and created a puddle on the floor, which he then tripped on. The world went white, pain exploding in the back of his head as he slammed into the wooden floor.
"Ise-san!"
Issei needed to wait for his vision to return. When it did, Asia-chan and Akeno-sama were standing over him, one appearing worried and the other amused.
"A-are you okay, Ise-san?"
"Y-yeah, I'm fine."
Asia extended her arm and he accepted it, allowing her to help him up.
"Ufufu, Ise-kun, you know that you shouldn't be thinking such dirty thoughts when we're at school, don't you?"
"Ah… ah ha, s-sorry, Akeno-sama." Issei scratched the back of his head, grinning sheepishly.
"Well," Akeno crossed her arms, "I suppose it is fine. You are a growing boy, after all, and growing boys think naughty thoughts all the time. I'll forgive you."
"Um, thank you."
They resumed walking, but Issei continued to cast worried glances at Akeno-sama. Ever since the battle for Kuoh Academy, she'd been acting differently. She didn't tease him and Asia-chan as much. This, right here, had actually been the first time she'd messed with them in nearly two weeks. Most of the time, Akeno would sit alone, and sometimes she would seclude herself entirely. He'd also caught her glancing at him several times in the past two weeks, and every time he saw her looking at him, the forlorn expression on her face made his chest sting.
They entered the club room to find Azazel sitting in the seat normally reserved for Rias.
He wasn't alone.
"W-wha—Raynare!" Issei shouted in surprise. He stepped in front of Asia and Akeno, to protect them, though from what, he didn't know. "What the hell are you doing here?! I thought I told you to never come near Asia-chan again!"
Raynare stood beside Azazel, her arms crossed, expression petulant. She looked like a spoiled child who was being forced to do something that she didn't want to do. "Don't think I enjoy being here. If it could be helped, I would have never stained my eyesight with your pathetic face agai—kyahn!"
"I am sorry about her foul mouth." Azazel removed his hand from her backside, where he slapped her. "It seems that she still hasn't learned anything yet."
"Ufufufu," Akeno's giggle sent shivers down Issei's spine. "Azazel… sama… perhaps you could tell me what this wench of a fallen angel is doing here with you."
"A wench, am I?" Raynare snarled. "Then what does that make you? The perverted little shit's who—iyahn!"
Her eyes went wide as Azazel reached down and pinched her butt. His actions made her thrust out her chest and clenched her cheeks. Her face was glowing red. Issei gulped.
"Now, now," Azazel chided lightly. "I thought I told you not to say anything for a while and let me do the talking, Raynare-chan."
"S-sorry, Azazel-sama," Raynare said meekly. Issei blinked. That was such a different response from what he'd gotten from her. To think she could actually act so meek and demure. It was too different from the Raynare he remembered.
"Um," he raised a hand, "look, I really don't care to see some old guy pinching a young woman's ass, even if I do think she deserves a lot more humiliation—"
"What was that, you little—kya!"
"—so could you please just get to the point and tell us why we're here, and also tell us what Raynare is doing here?" Issei finished, glancing as Asia, who stared at Raynare, her eyes wide with fear. She was shaking. Not that Issei could blame her. This was, after all, the woman who tried to steal her Sacred Gear.
"The reason I called you here is because of Raynare," Azazel said. "My subordinate here has caused you a lot of trouble, I understand. After everything that she has done, I cannot expect you to forgive her, nor can I expect you to forgive us without some form of repayment. That is why I'm giving Raynare to you, Issei Hyoudo and Asia Argento."
"Eh?"
"From this day forth, Raynare is going to be your slave."
"Um…"
"I've already got the idea signed off by Sirzechs, so do not worry about that."
"Uh…"
"You may do whatever you want with her. Use her. Abuse her. Ravage her until she's nothing but a drooling mess of orgasmic bliss."
"I really didn't need to hear that…"
"I only ask that you not kill her. That would be giving her the easy way out, after all."
"… What?"
~Devil Ninja~
Naruto and the others met up with Kiba upon arriving at school. After saying their goodbyes, he and his fellow journeyed to their classroom.
They got a lot of stares.
"Kya! It's Kiba-kun! Kiba-kun! Hi!"
"I still can't believe those two are friends. Isn't that Naruto just some yakuza thug?"
"I hear he's threatened Rias-sama into becoming his sex slave!"
"I was told that he's threatening Kiba-kun into being his whipping boy!"
"Kya! That's so naughty!"
Naruto's right eye twitched several times. He looked at Kiba, who didn't seem to have heard the conversation taking place around them. Being only a regular resurrected devil, Kiba's hearing probably wasn't as good as his.
"Is something wrong, Naruto?" Kiba asked with a friendly a smile.
"No…" Naruto slowly shook his head. "Nothing's wrong."
Entering their classroom, he and Kiba sat down and chatted about current events and how it affected the other students.
"It's almost amazing how no one even knows that this school was a battleground several weeks ago," Naruto said.
"Well, there was some fuss about it on the news," Kiba told him. "Apparently, someone got really reckless with their attacks and destroyed a good portion of a mountain." He eyed Naruto, who suddenly felt sheepish. "People thought it was a terrorist bombing, but it blew over pretty quickly. I suspect Michael, Azazel, and Sirzechs had all the memories and evidence of this event erased. You're pretty lucky, you know?"
"Yeah…" Naruto chuckled nervously. "I suppose I am."
"Honestly," Kiba sighed, "I still don't understand how you became so powerful."
"Powerful, huh?"
Naruto looked down at his hands. Kiba had no idea what he was talking about. This wasn't powerful. He could boast all he wanted about being powerful enough to fight on par with Ophis, but his power was gone. Key components were missing.
Damn it. I thought I'd gotten over this weakness once my chakra returned.
"Do not despair, Naruto. You might not be as strong as you once were, but I am far more powerful than I've ever been."
"That really doesn't help us right now."
Even if Kurama had gained the powers of a goddess and eight other Bijuu, Naruto couldn't use that power because his own chakra was apparently missing something. Damn it. This whole situation was fucked up.
"You're getting angry."
"No. I'm getting frustrated."
"Same difference."
"Naruto?"
"Huh?" Naruto looked over to see Kiba staring at him. "What? What's wrong?"
"Are you okay? You're face was… well, forgive me for saying so, but it looked kind of scary."
"Did it?" Naruto scratched his head and laughed. "Sorry about that. I was just thinking about something that's been bothering me."
"Something that's been bothering you? Do you want to talk about it?"
Naruto thought about taking Kiba up on his offer, but soon decided against it. "No. Thank you, but I don't think this is a problem that can be solved by anyone but me."
"I understand. If you ever change your mind, just know that I'm here if you need me."
"Thanks!" Naruto slapped Kiba in the back. "You're a good man, Kiba!"
Kiba winced and rubbed his back. "Thanks, I think."
"All right, class! Settle down!"
The door opened and in walked a handsome man with long silver hair and a pretty boy face. He wore a sharp business suit that conformed to his broad shoulders well, and his masculine chest strained against his white shirt. All the girls swooned.
"Who is that hunky guy?!"
"He's so dreamy!"
The guys were more interested in the man's companion.
"Hey, hey! Who's the chick?!"
"I don't know, but she's smoking!"
The "hunk" stood in front of the class and smiled. Naruto could have sworn he saw sparkles around the guy. "Good morning, class. My name is Metatron, and from today onwards, I shall be your homeroom teacher. I hope we all get along."
Naruto had known that Metatron was going to be his teacher. It was something that had been decided upon by the Three Factions Alliance. To promote friendship and understanding, several members from the devil, angel, and fallen angel factions, were being sent to Kouh Academy as either teacher's like Metatron, or students like Irina. Naruto had also learned from Sirzechs that he, Azazel, and Michael were planning some kind of big event to bring their factions even closer, though his aniki had been awfully stingy on the details.
What Naruto hadn't expected was the person standing next to Metatron.
"Hey, Naruto, isn't that…?"
"Yeah," Naruto said, "it's Raynare."
"Did you know that she would be going here?" Kiba asked. Naruto shook his head. He'd not heard anything about this.
Metatron clapped his hands together. "Now, I know it's unusual to have a new teacher and a new student at the same time, but please make Ms. Raynare feel at welcome. Go on, introduce yourself."
"Tch." Clicking her tongue, Raynare stepped forward and gave them an ugly expression, like she was staring at a bunch of insects. "My name is Raynare, and don't expect me to get along with any of you bugs. Come near me, and I'll step on—u-ugh!"
The classroom went still as a disgusting blob of brown liquid suddenly fell on her head, drenching her.
"W-what is this?!" Raynare shrieked. "Mud?!"
Nobody but Naruto noticed the puff of smoke on the ceiling. He covered his mouth with a hand, snorting with laughter.
"That was mean, Naruto," Kiba said, though his eyes twinkled as he spoke.
"Oh, relax. It's just a harmless prank."
"Harmless… right…"
"Oh, dear." Metatron frowned at Raynare. "Why don't you go get cleaned up, Ms. Raynare. The bathroom is just down the hallway and to your left."
Glowering, Raynare stomped out of the room.
Metatron turned back to the class and smiled. "Well, while Ms. Raynare is getting cleaned up, why don't I take role?"
Naruto sat back and closed his eyes as Metatron called off names. He was curious to see how having all three factions working together in this school would pan out. In some ways, this was like a small-scale experiment to see if peaceful coexistence was truly possible.
I might not be able to do much, but if my contribution can help even a little bit, I need to do what I can to make sure everything works out.
"Naruto Uzuma—ah!" A gasp. Metatron's eyes sought him out. Naruto froze when those eyes began to sparkle. "Ninja-sama! I didn't know that you and I would be in the same classroom!"
Whispers broke out.
"W-what's going on? How do those two know each other?"
"Did our new teacher just call that yankee 'Ninja-sama?'"
"What is it with that yakuza knowing all these hunky guys?" Le gasp. "Is this new teacher and Kiba a part of his BL harem?!"
Somebody, kill me now, Naruto thought, wearily rubbing his face as the girls broke out into scandalized squeals.
Unfortunately for Naruto, his prayers would go unanswered.
~Devil Ninja~
Class eventually ended.
Kiba had prior engagements, something about promising to spend time with someone or whatever, so Naruto said his goodbyes and met up with Rias.
As they were walking down the hallway of the newly recreated school, they ran into someone they never thought they'd see again.
"Ah!" Mittelt pointed an accusing finger at Naruto. "It's the pervert!"
"Ah!" Naruto's hands made creepy grasping motions. "It's the adorable little girl! Come here, you!"
"What?! No—kya! What are you—get away from me?!"
Rias remained silent as Naruto began chasing Mittelt around the hallway, gathering more attention than ever before from his fellow students. As she watched, footsteps reached her over the whispers of her high school peers, and Rias turned to see Kalawarner, decked out in a skirt and white collared shirt. It was hard to look at her and not see the woman as an enemy. Rias would admit, if it weren't for her brother warning her about this, she would have attacked the fallen angel on the spot.
"… L-Lady Rias," Kalawarner struggled with the honorific, as if calling Rias anything other than scum was anathema to her.
"Kalawarner," Rias greeted the woman courteously. "I hope you're settling into your new life here."
"I am settling well enough, thank you."
"Come on! Just let me pet you!"
"No! Get lost, ya freak!"
Rias and Kalawarner shared a sweatdrop.
"Aren't you going to stop your boyfriend?"
Rias looked at Naruto, who lunged at Mittelt. The girl proved to be quite nimble, however, as she leapt clear over her boyfriend's head. Not that it meant much, as Naruto was every bit as agile as the girl he was chasing and then some. He performed an admirably acrobatic flip, planted his feet on the ceiling, and launched himself at the girl. Mittelt let out a terrified shriek and ducked, which caused Naruto to crash into a set of lockers.
"No," Rias said after a few seconds had passed. "I've learned that there is no stopping Naruto when he gets like this."
She chuckled when Naruto suddenly caught Mittelt within his grasp and rubbed his cheek against the girl's head.
"What the hell are you doing?! Get off me, ya fucktard!"
"Aw! Aren't you just the cutest thing ever!"
"S-s-s-s-shut up! I'll fucking kill you!"
"Even your swearing is adorable! I just wanna pet you so bad!"
"Creep! Pervert! Hentai!"
Kalawarner turned her gaze from Naruto to Rias. She raised an eyebrow, as if to ask, "what the hell is wrong with your boyfriend?"
Rias grinned and shook her head. "He's not actually a lolicon, if that's what you're thinking." She knew him well enough by now. He simply liked goofing off, and acting like a fool around other people made everyone underestimate him. Even his love for cute things, which she now understood was derived from his devil nature and desire to have a normal childhood, was played up more for kicks than because he actually liked little girls.
"If you say so," Kalawarner shrugged. "It's not like I actually care or anything."
"I thought as much."
"LET ME GO!" Mittelt's despairing wails echoed across the hall.
~Devil Ninja~
Class ended with the ringing of the bell. Ravel stood up from her seat and grabbed her bag. With Koneko beside her, she left the classroom and entered the hallway.
"Do you have the tickets?" Koneko asked.
Ravel nodded and reached into her bag, feeling the familiar smooth paper slips caress her fingers. She wrapped her hands around them and pulled them out, clutching them to her chest.
"And you know what to do?" Koneko asked.
Ravel nodded. She knew what to do. She needed to go up to Naruto, ask to speak with him in private, and then ask him out to karaoke with her this weekend. Koneko said that she was important to Naruto, that he wouldn't turn her down. This was her chance.
"Can you do it?" Koneko asked another question.
"I…" Ravel slowed her breathing. She wouldn't combust from this. She needed to be brave. "I think so…"
"Good, because he's right over there."
"What?"
Ravel looked up to see a grinning Naruto walking alongside Rias. His hands were behind his head, and he radiated an oddly satisfied feeling.
"I can't believe you… do you enjoy tormenting little girls?"
"Of course not. I just think it's fun to make people squirm."
"When did you become a sadist?"
"You're imagining things. I'm no sadist. Besides, that was for her own good. I was helping her acclimate to her new life here."
"If you say so."
She didn't really know what Naruto and Rias were talking about, but they looked like they were having fun. Ravel felt her resolve waver. Should she really be doing this? Was asking him on a date the right thing to do? Maybe… maybe it would be better if she simply waited until Naruto became a King, and then asked if he would accept her as his Bishop.
"What are you waiting for?" Koneko asked, slapping Ravel in the back and sending her flying. "Go get him!"
Ravel stumbled forward, but quickly regained her balance. She tossed Koneko a glare, though her nekousho friend didn't seem bothered by it. Koneko merely gestured for Ravel to continue with the plan.
Ravel's cheeks became hot as she turned around. Naruto was saying something to Rias, a big smile on his face. Her heartbeat quickened, threatening to burst out of her chest, but she took several deep breaths to calm herself. She hid the tickets behind her back.
"N-Naruto-sama!" she called out, her voice squeaking. Naruto and Rias stopped walking. Upon seeing who was calling him, the two changed direction and walked over to her.
"Heya, Ravel!" Naruto greeted her with a smile that made her body feel luminescent. Ravel felt like she'd turn into a pile of goo any second now. "How was your class?"
"C-class was fine," Ravel cursed herself for stuttering. Come on! This was her chance! She couldn't afford to screw this up now! "N-Naruto-sama, would it be okay if spoke with you… in private?"
"Private?" Naruto glanced at Rias, who nodded, then turned back to her with a sunny smile. "Sure! Lead the way, Ravel."
Breathing a sigh of relief, Ravel bowed to Rias and led Naruto out of the school building and over to ae large tree located in the courtyard behind the school. Few people ever used this place, so it was the perfect spot to ask him on a date.
They stood there for several moments. Ravel tried to gather her courage.
Okay, I have Naruto alone. N-now I just need to ask him out to k-k-karaoke this weekend. I… I can do this… I think.
"Are you feeling okay, Ravel?" Naruto asked, and Ravel squeaked when she realized how close he was. "Your face is all red."
"I… I am fine. Thank you for your concern." Ravel calmed herself down. She could do this. "Naruto-sama… what… what are you—I mean, do you have any plans for this weekend?"
"Plans?" Naruto asked, tilting his head.
Clutching the tickets behind her back, Ravel nodded, waiting on bated breath for his answer. It wasn't the question she'd wanted to ask, which was, "will you go sing karaoke with me this weekend?" But if he said he wasn't busy, then she could always make that her next question.
"Ah ha! You caught me!" Grinning, Naruto scratched his head. "Rias and I are actually leaving for a weekend trip to Akihabara. We were gonna tell all of you after class today, but I guess you suspected something was going on from the get go. We weren't very subtle."
Ravel felt her heart drop into her stomach. For some reason, she felt short of breath, like an icy hand had grabbed hold of her heart and was squeezing it into a fine paste.
"O-oh. I-I see, so you already have plans. Heh, I-I guess I should have realized that you and Rias-sama would be doing something for the weekend."
"Ravel?"
Ravel turned around, presenting her back to Naruto. She didn't want him to see her tears.
"W-well," Ravel sniffled, "I guess I'll leave you alone for now."
"Eh? You're not going to eat lunch with us?"
"I have some things that I need to take care of," Ravel said before running off. She hurried back into the school building, passing Rias and Koneko, traveling through a set of halls and entering the bathroom. She rushed into a stall, slammed and locked the door behind her, sat down and finally let loose.
Tears poured from her eyes and a sharp pain filled her chest. She should have known that Naruto wouldn't be able to spend any time with her. He was always spending his free time with Rias. It was only natural. She was his girlfriend, after all. Ravel understood that, but still…
It hurts.
"Ravel?" Rias's voice called from the other side. "Ravel, are you okay?"
Ravel didn't answer. She knew it was rude, but right now, she didn't want to speak with Rias. She didn't even want to think about Rias.
"Ravel… is everything alright? Please, talk to me."
"Go away," Ravel said, burying her face between her knees, which she drew up to her chest. "I don't want to talk to you."
There was a moment of silence from the other side. Ravel thought she heard whispering, but she honestly wasn't paying much attention.
"Okay. I'll leave you alone. But you know, if you ever want to talk to me about whatever is bothering you, I'm always here to listen."
Ravel felt an acute pain in her chest. She wished Rias wasn't so nice. If Rias had been mean, or even somewhat rude, then Ravel could have hated her. This feeling would have been so much easier to deal with if Ravel could hate her.
The sound of receding footsteps and a door opening and closing let Ravel know that Rias had probably left. Yet even so, she refused to move from that spot—at least until the door she hid behind squealed as it was bent like a piece of paper.
"Eeek!"
Ravel's eyes widened as Koneko demolished the door and stepped inside the stall. No words were spoken. Koneko simply stepped up to her and wrapped her up in a hug.
"It's okay," Koneko said. "There's no one here but you and me now. Don't be afraid to let go."
Ravel's eyes widened as a torrent of emotions poured from her.
She hugged her friend back and wept bitter tears.