Chapter 26 - ch 25 - taking a trip to the underworld

It was the day they would leave, and Naruto and Koneko were practicing their senjutsu early that morning.

Because of how different their methods were, their senjutsu looked and acted nothing alike. Naruto's senjutsu enhanced his overall physical abilities, granted his normal jutsu an intense boost in power, and allowed him to extend the range of his punches. Koneko's, on the other hand, gave her increased control over illusions and the ability to shoot energy balls from her fists. Naruto also had the orange pigmentation and barred, golden eyes that came from using toad-style senjutsu. The only difference with Koneko's features was that she had her ears and tail out.

If Naruto had been asked which one he thought was better, he would've said his senjutsu, though he had his reasons. As interesting as the abilities that Koneko now had were, they didn't really hold a candle to the incredible boost in power that he received. His method of senjutsu was also more versatile.

Of course, he wasn't saying that Koneko's senjutsu was bad, or that it was weak. It was anything but. Koneko also knew how to use her powers to her advantage. She was definitely turning into a little badass.

Even now, as Naruto sat on the ground and gathered the natural energy around him, he watched Koneko as she danced across the yard. Spheres of energy surrounded her. They danced around her as if she was a planet and they were celestial bodies caught within her center of gravity. They swirled and moved and intersected paths as she twirled with a grace that would have been the envy of dancers everywhere. It was beyond beautiful.

The dance was over all too soon. Koneko stopped moving, the spheres dispersed, and she wandered over to Naruto.

"You're very pretty when you practice like that," Naruto said as Koneko sat down next to him.

"Thank you," she said, blushing as he handed her a water bottle. She took a drink from it, and then sighed as she set it between her legs. Leaning back, she placed her hands behind her to act as support for her body. Her face looked content, though hints of red still remained.

Naruto let the natural energy that he'd been holding leave him. It was getting easier to control. Even the voices, which told him to kill everyone in sight, were becoming easier and easier to ignore.

"Hey, Naruto?"

"Hm?"

Koneko fiddled with the water bottle. "Have I… become stronger?"

Naruto was about to say, "Of course you've become stronger!" but he paused after seeing the expression on her face. She was being serious. That meant she deserved a serious response.

"I think you have grown a lot stronger since you and I first met," Naruto said slowly, carefully choosing his words. He wasn't used to thinking before speaking. "However… you still have a long way to go before you can fight any of the tougher opponents."

"You mean like Kuroka-nee-san?"

"Right. Like Kuroka." Naruto nodded. "She's a pretty tough cat. She's also reached full maturity, which means she has access to all of her power."

"You… know about our maturity?"

"I know that a nekomata doesn't reach full maturity until they're tail splits," Naruto admitted with a shrug. "I know that yours hasn't split yet, and it won't for several more years. Once that happens, you'll have full access to your power, right?"

Nekomata were a species whose power was locked until they reached a certain stage of maturity, namely, when they're tail split in half to make it look like they had two. The time it took for them to reach maturity was different for every nekomata. Some reached that stage early, while others were late bloomers.

Koneko was only 15 years old. The youngest record of a nekomata gaining full maturity was 18, so she still had a ways to go. Until then, her body would remain tiny, which was how all nekomata were.

"I hadn't realized you knew so much about us," Koneko said.

"Well… I know a bit more than most."

The truth was that Naruto had been speaking with Kuroka on this matter. Ever since he'd returned, in fact. It was only a matter of time before he and Koneko took that next step in their relationship, so he wanted to be ready for when that time came.

"Do you know about our, um… mating season?"

"Yeah, I know about that, too," Naruto admitted.

"Oh…" Koneko trailed off. Naruto imagined she must have been feeling awkward now. She couldn't seem to look him in the face, and when she was caught staring at him from the corner of her eye, she'd turn away with a blush.

Maybe I should use more tact?

"You don't have tact."

"It's never been my strong point."

"Well, I think we've been out here for a bit too long." Naruto stood up and dusted off his pants. "Let's head inside and get cleaned up. We've got a big day today."

"Right."

It was the beginning of summer vacation, and today was the day that he and the rest of Rias's peerage would be going to the underworld. There, they would take part in a series of competitions between the three factions. The event was supposed to be huge, which made sense. This was the first time that all three factions would be gathered like this.

Of course, they had gathered for the peace conference, but that had only been with the leaders. Naruto had been informed by Rias that this event was going to play host to the regular citizens from everyone faction. That meant it was as much as social event for the people as it was a political one for the three factions.

After taking a shower, Naruto went back into his room to get dressed. Rias was already awake.

She was already fully dressed. Unlike most days, where she wore her school uniform, today she had elected to wear jeans and a T-shirt that wrapped around her bust like it was elastic. Sandals adorned her feet, and a necklace that Naruto had given her rested against her chest.

"Oh, good morning, Naruto." She greeted him with a smile.

"Rias… morning."

Naruto walked up behind Rias and slid his arms around her waist. He enjoyed the feeling of his front pressing against her back. On any other occasion, he probably would've ground his crotch against her butt cheeks to elicit a response. It was too bad they didn't have time this morning.

Turning around in his arms, Rias gave him a kiss before sliding out of his grip. Smiling, she took his hand and said, "Ravel is cooking breakfast right now."

"I know. I could smell it when I was wandering the hall."

"Let's not keep her waiting, then. Hurry up and get dressed."

"Right."

Ravel was, indeed, cooking breakfast when they entered the kitchen. Humming a small tune to herself, she was making what appeared to be pancakes. Given that sweets were her specialty, it made sense that she would make something sweet for breakfast.

That morning, Ravel wore a simple pink gown, which swished around her ankles as she moved. It looked a lot like her normal outfit, except it didn't have the same level of ostentatiousness as the other one. This gown was more austere. It had less decorations and frills. She was currently barefoot, her feet padding lightly along the floor, and an apron had been thrown over her dress.

"Good morning, Naruto-sama, Rias-sama," Ravel greeted. "Please sit down. Breakfast is almost ready."

Koneko and Irina were already sitting at the table. They were talking about something, though Naruto didn't know what. It looked like Irina had been giggling at something that Koneko said. However, when he and Rias entered the room, they both clammed up.

I wonder what they were talking about…

"You?"

"Maybe…"

While Rias went over to a chair, Naruto wandered up to Ravel. The girl had turned her back to them again. It looked like she was putting the finishing touches on breakfast. Grinning, Naruto wrapped the blonde girl in a hug from behind. Ravel squeaked and nearly dropped the pan, but he grabbed it before she could get herself burnt.

"N-Naruto-sama!"

"Morning, Ravel." Naruto nuzzled his nose against Ravel's hair. He paused as a familiar scent hit him. "Is that my shampoo?"

"Ah… I was all out," Ravel stuttered.

"Hmm…"

"Is that… a problem?"

"Naw, I like it. Makes me feel like I've marked you somehow."

"T-that's not something you should be saying!" Ravel squawked.

Naruto just laughed as he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm just teasing."

Ravel's cheeks looked like they'd caught fire. "That's not very nice…"

Giggling interrupted them. Naruto turned to look at Rias, Irina, and Koneko. They appeared to have been talking about something, though they ceased talking when they noticed him looking at them. He frowned.

They were totally talking about me, weren't they?

"That is a reasonable assumption."

"What time are we leaving for the underworld?" Irina asked as Naruto unwrapped his arms from around Ravel and sat down in the seat next to Koneko.

"We need to be at the station in an hour," Rias said. "Do you have everything packed?"

Irina gave her a nervous smile. "Yes… everything's ready."

"You seem nervous."

"Ah…" Irina's cheeks colored. "This is my first time going to the underworld, so…"

Rias placed a reassuring hand on Irina's, which rested on the table. "Don't worry too much. To be honest, the underworld isn't all that different from the human world, except, well, only devils and fallen angels live there."

"Right…" Irina didn't look very reassured.

Ravel came over with everyone's breakfast and they began to eat. Naruto noticed that Ophis wasn't with them, sighed, and then stood up.

"I'll be right back," he said. I'm just going to get Ophis."

Rias frowned at the mention of Ophis, but then she nodded. "All right. We'll keep a plate warm for you."

"Thanks," Naruto said as he wandered out of the kitchen.

Really, what could that Ophis be up to?

~Devil Ninja~

Ophis frowned as she stood in front of a large mirror that was about two times taller than her. Scattered across her bed were several magazines that she had bought. Most of them were on human fashion and makeup, but a number of them were porn mags.

She'd been doing a lot of research into human relationships, mostly because she lived with Naruto, who seemed to epitomize these things called "bonds." Ophis didn't understand them. Thus, she sought to figure out what it was about relationships, about bonds, that made them so desirable.

From what she had seen by watching Naruto interact with the other members of this house, relationships seemed to revolve around three things: petting, kissing, and sex-not necessarily in that order. Granted, Naruto did other things with everyone. He regularly sparred with Koneko, Irina, Ravel, and Rias. He also went on dates with everyone but Irina. He helped out around the house. He also liked to spend nights cuddling with everyone in front of the television. However, when it came right down to it, every other activity usually ended with one of those three things happening.

As a regular recipient to Naruto's head petting, Ophis understood the pleasure that came from it. She didn't understand why it felt so good. She only knew that it did. However, Ophis wanted to gain a deeper understanding of Naruto and relationships in general.

All of the dating magazines that she had read so far mentioned the pleasures of being intimate with a lover. Apparently, dating, being in love, and having sex were things that healthy people like Naruto did. Ophis wanted to experience that for herself. Maybe if she understood what made it so desirable, she would understand why she liked Naruto's head petting so much.

It would also help her understand Naruto, who intrigued her to no end.

That was why, while everyone else sat down for breakfast, she remained holed up in her room, where she had been for the past several weeks.

Ophis looked at her reflection in the full body mirror. She was small, barely standing at four feet. Her long hair, blacker than raven feathers, trailed down her back. Flat chested, thin arms and legs, she looked like a little girl in grade school.

As she studied herself, Ophis recalled why she had chosen to take on this form. Small bodies were easier to travel in. People also seemed less inclined to impede her when she looked like a child-and girls garnered more sympathy than boys-though there were some people who had tried to kidnap her once or twice. They were dealt with easily enough.

According to her magazines, when dating a person, it was important to have the type of body they enjoyed. Some people liked girls with lithe figures, while others liked busty girls. Her current figure was apparently called "loli," which some people seemed to really like.

Naruto didn't seem to have a preferred type. Koneko was a loli, Rias was tall and busty, and Ravel was somewhere in between. Ophis didn't know what that meant. Did Naruto not have a type like the magazines had said? Had the magazines lied to her?

Ophis studied her reflection. She was small-a lot smaller than Koneko, who, despite being small, still looked her age. Frowning, Ophis made herself a little taller, stopping until she was exactly 20 centimeters taller than Koneko. She frowned some more. This made her look like a really skinny teenager with long hair.

It needs to be curvier…

Nodding at her own thoughts, Ophis went about changing her body some more. First, she gave herself breasts. She thought about making them the same size as Rias's, but those didn't look comfortable, and she wanted to have more freedom to move. Big boobs would get in the way. She settled for a chest size that was similar to Irina's. Next she made her hips wider while keeping her waist the same size, giving her what magazines called an hourglass figure.

Hmm…

Ophis cupped her breasts and hefted them up. They were heavy. She wondered what people saw in these. Was there some appeal to large breasts that she didn't understand?

Letting her hands fall back to her sides, Ophis turned around and studied herself from behind. Her butt hadn't changed much. It was still round and small. She'd read that it was called a "bubble butt," though she didn't know what that meant. Her butt didn't look like a bubble. Still, this was supposedly the ideal butt shape.

All of the women that Naruto is dating have a butt like this.

It was the one constant. Koneko, Ravel, Rias, they all had a firm, tight backside that was shaped similarly-variations in size notwithstanding. She didn't know if that meant anything, but that was why she was experimenting.

Suddenly, the door to her room opened and Naruto walked in.

"Hey, Ophis! You about ready to… eh?"

Ophis stared at Naruto, who stared back with slowly widening eyes.

"I'm sorry!" Naruto shouted as he rushed out of the room and slammed the door closed.

Within the once more silent room, Ophis's frown became even more prominent.

Does he not approve of my new appearance? She wondered, silently cupping her breasts again.

~Devil Ninja~

After that embarrassing interlude with Ophis, Naruto had convinced the girl to come downstairs and eat. He'd gotten over his mortification easily enough. However, now he couldn't help but wonder about the little dragon god. Why had she been staring at herself in front of the mirror? Why had she been taller? Why did she have boobs? These were questions without answers.

He thought about asking her, but then he thought better of it. Part of him was sure that he'd regret asking.

Ophis had changed back into her small form for breakfast. They'd gone into the kitchen and finished eating. Then Naruto and his group grabbed their belongings for the trip and met up with Asia, Issei, and Raynare, and then traveled to the train station. Akeno and Kiba were already there when they arrived.

Of course, they would have been there sooner, but it took them nearly twenty minutes to convince Gasper to come out of his box. The hikikomori vampire had been quite adamant on not leaving. It had taken Koneko having a moment of genius to make Gasper leave.

On a side note, Gasper was now wearing a brown paper bag over his head. It had been another one of Koneko's ideas. According to her, if no one could see his face, he wouldn't be afraid. Her idea, while sounding stupid, appeared to work marvelously. Gasper didn't even seem to realize when he was surrounded by other people on the bus that took them to the station.

The "train station" as Rias called it, wasn't what Naruto would have called a station. Stations were places where hundreds of thousands of people walked through everyday. They were busy, crowded, and filled with nose. In comparison, the "station" that Rias took them to was practically empty and only had a single train.

Also, and this was another thing that had Naruto shaking his head: Both the station and the train looked more expensive than most mansions.

Nearly two times larger and three times longer than any train that Naruto had ever seen, the beautifully crafted steam engine was the epitome of opulence. Red and gold swirled together in a choreography of colors. The train shimmered in the light, the surface polished to a shine. Naruto could actually see his reflection on the glittering steel surface, even though he was standing several meters away.

Standing in front of the train were two familiar figures. Like night and day, the pair couldn't have been more dissimilar. It wasn't just that one of them had wings of a purest white and the others were blacker than a night sky.

Azazel looked the same as always. Decked out in a long trench coat and grinning his fool's grin, he seemed to be saying something to a disgruntled and mortified Metatron. Naruto didn't know what they were saying. However, from the redness staining Metatron's cheeks, he guessed it was sexual in nature.

Metatron might have been a ninja obsessed idiot, but he was about as pure as they came.

Upon seeing them, Azazel unwrapped his arm from Metatron's shoulder and grinned at the Gremory group. "Welcome, everyone! I'm glad to see you're all on time. Let's hop on board and get going! It takes a while to reach the underworld, and I want to get there as quickly as we can."

"Someone's excited," Naruto mumbled into Rias's ear.

"Maybe a little too excited," Rias agreed.

"Ophis," Azazel cried out as if just now seeing the little dragon god. "It's lovely to see you again, and in such a cute form, too! This is a vast improvement from the old man you were the last time we met."

Ophis regarded Azazel with an expression so blank that Naruto was reminded of someone who'd been slapped in the face with a dead fish. "Who are you?" she asked after a silent moment of staring.

Azazel promptly fell flat on his face.

Everyone boarded the train, which was even more extravagant on the inside than the outside. Naruto's feet sank into the plush red carpet as he stepped in, gazing at the dark red walls and the ribbed ceiling. Rather than having several chairs lining the sides like a normal train, there were numerous couches centered around tables. All of them were posh and elegant, the kind he'd expect to see in a ritzy 5-star hotel. This place reminded Naruto more of a lounge than the compartment of a train.

They split up into their own little groups. Issei and Asia sat together. Raynare dithered behind the two. Occasionally, she would glance at them, bite her lip, and then she'd look away with a huff. Akeno sat as far from Issei as possible. Naruto had the distinct impression that she was trying to avoid even looking in their direction.

Naruto sat in the center with Rias, Ravel, Koneko, and Ophis. Irina had wandered over to Issei and Asia, probably to engage her childhood friend in conversation. Raynare's scowl grew more fierce when she saw this. Kiba and Gasper sat with Naruto and his group.

As the train took off, Naruto looked at Rias. "So, how is this thing going to take us to the underworld? I thought the underworld was in another dimension or something."

"The train crosses the barrier between the human world and the underworld," Rias explained. "There's a gateway that this train passes through, and that gateway is where we've placed a checkpoint that will open the barrier for us to reach the underworld."

"Huh. Neat."

Rias raised an eyebrow. "You don't sound very excited."

Grinning sheepishly, Naruto scratched the back of his head. "It's not that. I just thought there might have been a more, uh, interesting explanation."

"Not everything is going to be exciting, Naruto-sama," Ravel chided him as if he were a child.

She was sitting next to Koneko, who, for once, was not using his lap as a chair. He guessed it was because the two girls had been talking about something before he'd asked about the train. Since they had been whispering, he didn't know what their conversation was about. He hoped they weren't talking about him, or if they were, that they were only saying good things.

"I guess not," he admitted, looking around. This place looked like it could fit over one-hundred people. "This train is kinda big, isn't it? Do we really need this much space?"

"This train belongs to the Gremory Family," Rias said. "I'm sure you've noticed by now, but we devils enjoy flaunting our wealth."

"Devil families are constantly competing with each other," Ravel added. "We're always trying to one up one another in displays of strength and prestige. That's one of the reason rating games are so popular. It allows us to display our strength to other devils, which increases our prestige in return."

Rias nodded. "The Gremory Family is also one of the seventy-two pillars. We're elite, so we like to show that to everyone."

That reminded him of the nobles that he'd known in the Elemental Nations. The daimyos, in particular, seemed intent on displaying how wealthy they were to each other. It was like bragging rights. Naruto didn't get it.

"I don't understand the need for such things," Ophis said, her bland eyes staring at the opulent interior. "If you wanted to travel to the underworld, I can just rip a hole through this dimension."

"I'd prefer to not have someone I don't fully trust tearing holes through time and space," Rias said dryly. Ophis looked like she wanted to pout.

The hours passed idly spent chatting or playing games. Irina, Issei, and Asia eventually joined them in a game of cards. Raynare looked like she wanted to join but was too proud to say so out loud. Akeno stared at the group longingly, as if fighting the urge to come over with them, but then she would look away again.

After playing a few games of cards, several members of the group fell asleep. The trip to the underworld apparently took several hours. Naruo didn't know why it took so long, but he also didn't ask.

Koneko and Ravel lay side by side on the couch, looking adorable as they slept together. Issei and Asia were leaning against each other on another couch. Raynare had also finally sat down next to them. She would occasionally look at Issei's lap, as if she was contemplating using it as a pillow, and then look away. Gasper had also fallen asleep after Koneko had chased him all over the carriage. Naruto, Rias, Irina, Ophis, and Kiba found another place to sit, away from the others and by the window.

Ophis was sitting on Naruto's lap, having demanded that he pet her.

They had already passed through the barrier, which meant that, instead of a vast colorless void, Naruto was staring at a massive plot of land that looked… honestly not that much different from the human world. There were mountains and plains and cities. The only difference that he could see was the purple sky that spread out over their heads. Naruto had been told that, originally, both day and night had the same sky, but the four maous had changed it so the underworld had a night. This was done because the vast majority of devils were reincarnated humans, and the lack of night messed with their ability to function.

"We should be arriving at one of the cities in Gremory territory soon," Rias informed Naruto.

She was leaning against him, resting her head on his shoulders. Awhile ago, she and Irina had been speaking animatedly about what the exorcist should expect while in the underworld. Now Irina was staring at the passing scenery like he was.

"Have you been to the Gremory Estate, Kiba?" Naruto asked. The last time he'd been to the underworld, he'd not visited the estate but one of the Gremory Family's other mansions. He remembered, during that time he'd taken Ravel out into a nearby city and found a nice ramen shop.

"A few times," Kiba said. "We usually travel to the underworld at least once a year, so I've gone every year since I've become a devil."

"I'm still kind of nervous," Irina admitted, her voice soft. "Don't get me wrong. I don't dislike devils, but I'm so used to us being enemies that traveling to the underworld with them is nerve wracking."

"I guess that's understandable," Rias said. "But you shouldn't think of it like that. If you did, then wouldn't the fact that you've been living with devils for the past few months be even more nerve wracking?"

The expression on Irina's face was that of a child who'd just been told the secrets to life. "I… never thought of it like that."

"I think it's time we all started thinking like that," Rias said. Irina nodded and went into a thoughtful silence.

"I wonder where Azazel and Metatron are," Naruto said after a time. "I haven't seen them since they greeted us. I expected Azazel, at least, to come in and bother us."

"They're not on the train," Ophis said with certainty.

"I think they went on ahead." Rias shifted, moving a little closer and holding his arm. "There are other ways to enter the underworld, and I believe that as high ranking members of their respective societies, they're likely busy dealing with political matters."

"Makes sense." Naruto nodded.

The train eventually pulled into a station and slowed to a stop. A glance out the window revealed dozens-no, hundreds of people standing outside. All of them were staring at the train. Their eyes contained a frightening intensity, a maniacal gleam that made Naruto wonder about their sanity. He would have backed away, but Rias was on his other side.

"Why are there so many people?" Irina asked the question that he wanted to know himself.

"They're here to see Rias," Kiba said, lips twisting into a sardonic smile. "You probably don't know this, but Rias is a popular figure in the underworld. Not only that, but we're in her family's territory. Everyone here is under the protection of the Gremory Family, so they know her very well."

"Huh, so Rias is something of a celebrity, then?" Naruto glanced at his blushing girlfriend, whose cheeks reminded him of fire hydrant.

"Not something of a celebrity," Kiba corrected. "She IS a celebrity."

"Oh…"

"Naruto," Kiba said, his voice suddenly serious.

"Uh, yes?"

"Be prepared for a lot of hate."

"Fweh?"

Naruto had absolutely no idea what Kiba meant by that. However, after waking up the others and exiting the train, he soon realized exactly what Kiba was talking about.

The moment they exited the train, a great roar went up. Applause echoed across the station like thunder striking the ground. People cheered and whistled. They were going wild. Naruto even saw signs being held aloft, all of which said "Welcome home, Rias Gremory!" in big, bold print. Men wolf whistled and women squealed. Everyone looked at her like she was the second coming of Satan.

Naruto walked next to Rias as they stepped down from the station. There was a staircase that was clear of onlookers, and a path was being kept open by several armed devils in armor, which lead to a chariot.

"Rias-sama! Look over here, Rias-sama!"

"You're so beautiful!"

"We love you!"

People cried out as Rias walked past them. It seemed like everyone had a terrible case of hero worship, or perhaps even an obsession, for his girlfriend. Rias seemed to be more loved than what he believed was natural. Even the Hokage hadn't been this loved!

"Who is that person standing with her?"

"I don't know, but he does look kinda familiar…"

"I know who he is! He's the one who beat Rizer to a pulp!"

"So, he's Risa-sama's new peerage member?"

"They're standing awfully close together, don't you think?"

"Damn bastard! I already want to kill him for standing so close to Rias-sama!"

Great… these people are jealous and they don't even know who I am…

"Imagine how much they'll love you once they discover that you and Rias are sharing a bed."

Naruto shuddered at Kurama's words. "I hope they don't find out for a while. That said, if they try anything, I'll kick their asses."

The group entered the chariot that would take them to the Gremory Estate. Sitting with Rias on one side, Ravel on the other, Koneko on his lap, and Ophis glaring at Koneko from the opposite seat, Naruto consigned himself to a long ride.

~Devil Ninja~

The Gremory grounds surrounding the estate covered 265 square kilometers of land. It wasn't just a single type of terrain either. The chariot they rode in moved past mountains, plains, forests, and hills. Naruto was impressed, but at the same time, he wondered what they did with all this land. Surely, there had to be some purpose to it…

… Right?

More impressive than the surroundings was the house. As they pulled up to the entrance and exited the chariot, Naruto couldn't help but gawk at the massive mansion, which looked more like a castle to him. Towers jutted into the sky like the spires of a mountain. Grand columns and flying buttresses were the decor of the day. Even the door, which appeared to have been made from an expensive wood that glistened with a polished sheen, looked more costly than an entire pantheon of high end sports cars.

"Is this seriously where Rias and her family live?!" Issei squawked. "I mean, I know they're loaded with more money than I've got sperm cells, but this is ridiculous! What are they? Royalty?"

"Yes," Koneko answered. "Rias's family is one of the seventy-two pillars. That's essentially royalty right there. Didn't you know that?"

"I didn't," Issei confessed.

Koneko deadpanned. "Idiot."

As two servants held the doors to the estate open, Naruto and the others proceeded inside.

"Welcome home, Ojou-sama!" a quoire of maids and butlers chorused.

Naruto wanted to rub his eyes. Standing in two single file lines on either side of a red carpet were several dozen butlers and maids. White and black, frills and slacks, corsets and penguin suits. They stood with their heads bowed in reverence. Their expression, incapable of being hidden, were filled with joy. Yet somehow, each one remained refined, even in their gaiety, as if they could do nothing but show off their pride as servants to the house of Gremory.

Standing in front of them, before the stairs, was none other than Grayfia Lucifage, Sirzechs' wife and maid.

"Rias-sama and her peerage." Grayfia bowed to the group. "I am pleased to see that you have arrived safely. If you'd follow me, I will show you to your rooms."

Grayfia didn't give them a chance to respond. She turned on her heel and walked up the stairs, forcing the others to follow, lest they lose sight of her. Naruto and Rias caught up to her first. Unlike the others, who hung back, they walked by her side.

"Are Mom and Dad home?" Rias asked.

"They currently are not," Grayfia answered. "They were held up at a meeting with the other leaders of the Three Faction Alliance." She pause. "I believe they are discussing the upcoming event, working out the last details and determining what sort of security will be put in place."

That must have been the meeting that Azazel and Metatron were at. Despite one of them being a perverted idiot and the other a ninja obsessed idiot, both were leaders of their factions. Metatron was an archangel, the Voice of God, and Azazel was the leader of the Grigori. Naruto wondered what sort of meeting they were holding.

Rooms were split up into four groups. Kiba and Gasper were placed in a room together. Akeno and Irina received their own rooms. Issei and Asia were given a room together. Meanwhile…

"I'm sleeping with Naruto."

"I-I also want to sleep with Naruto-sama!"

Grayfia stared at Ravel and Koneko. While Koneko returned the maid's stare with a bland one of her own, Ravel blushed bright red under the cool woman's unwavering gaze. Her head had also caught fire. Naruto thought of using a water jutsu to put it out, but since Ravel was a Phenex, he thought better of it.

"I'm also going to sleep in the same room as Naruto," Ophis announced.

The staring switched from Ravel and Koneko to Ophis. Grayfia met the Infinite Dragon God's stare for several seconds… and then blanched. Naruto wondered if she had figured out who Ophis was, or if she merely felt the power that rolled off the little dragon in resonating waves.

Naruto said nothing, but that was mostly because he wasn't sure what to say. He was also pretty sure that anything he did say would have somehow made the situation worse.

"So, even you can learn."

"That's a harsh thing to say…"

"Rias-sama?" Grayfia questioned.

Looking between the three girls, her eyes staring deeply into theirs as if she was contemplating something, Rias eventually sighed and nodded. "They can sleep with us."

"You're the best, Buchou."

"T-thank you very much, Rias-sama."

Ophis said nothing, but from the expression on her face, which was lit in a half smile, Naruto could tell that she was satisfied.

Rias merely replied with a wan smile.

~Devil Ninja~

Naruto wasn't sure what to think about their sleeping arrangements, but that was why he left it up to Rias. If she thought that Koneko, Ravel, and Ophis sleeping with them was okay, then it was fine. That said, he wasn't sure how this would work. True, Rias's bed was quite large, stupidly so, but still, was it really all right for all five of them to share a bed? Wouldn't that be awkward?

"It's fine," Rias said as everyone put away their belongings. "Koneko and I have slept together before. She, myself, and Akeno used to have sleepovers all the time. We'd sleep in the same bed back then, too."

"Were you naked during those times too?"

"Of course I was. You know I hate sleeping with clothes on."

Despite trying to stop himself, Naruto ended up picturing a younger Rias and Koneko sleeping naked together. It wasn't that stimulating. Actually, it was pretty gross. He blanched.

Rias looked at his face and snorted as if she knew what he was thinking.

A little ways behind them, Koneko and Ravel were chatting as they put their clothes away… well, it was more like Koneko was teasing Ravel, whose luminescent blush could have been seen, even from far away. Naruto could actually feel the heat from her blush. As for what they were talking about…

"Do you think a threesome or an orgy would be better?"

"W-w-w-what the heck are you saying?!"

"I'm just asking how you'd like your first time to be."

"Don't say things like that! And I wouldn't want my first time to be either of those!"

Naruto rubbed his face. Maybe it was just him, but Koneko had been getting a bit more… lewd. Her jokes were becoming more crass as time went on. He wondered if something was up. He was tempted to ask. However, he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

Someone grabbing at his sleeve made him look down. Ophis, who'd been unobtrusively walking beside him, was staring at him with a bland expression.

"White Hair is talking about sex, right?"

Koneko stopped arguing with Ravel to stare at Ophis. "Who are you calling 'White Hair'?"

"Erm…" Naruto didn't know how to respond to Ophis's question, but since he was sure she already knew what sex was, he guessed it was best to be honest. "Yes, she is."

"I see…" Ophis went silent. Naruto waited for a moment to see if she would say more. When she didn't, Naruto looked up at Rias, who spotted his questioning glance and shrugged. She didn't know what was up either, apparently.

After they had packed everything away, Grayfia returned and asked them to follow her. It seemed Rias's family had returned from the meeting and wished to have tea with them.

They met up with the others and were then lead into a large room that, like all of the other rooms, held an appearance that was beyond exorbitant.

It was about the same size as his old apartment. The soft carpet was like a pillow under their feet as they walked across the room. Walls decorated with expensive artwork, stained glass windows, and bookshelves filled with tomes made the place feel like an extremely rich snobs library.

There were two people sitting at a small table with four chairs. Naruto recognized them from the dinner after their rating game with Rizer Phenex. One of them was a man with red hair like Rias, a trimmed goatee, and a refined aura. The other, a beautiful women who could have been Rias's older sister, sat with a calming yet somehow mischievous aura.

"Rias!" the man greeted, standing up and giving Rias a hug. "It's been a long time since we've seen you. Aw! I've missed you so much!"

"D-Dad!" a flustered Rias squirmed in her father's grip. "Not in front of my peerage!"

"Hahahaha! Don't worry. Don't worry. They can give me a hug, too!"

"DAD!"

While Rias's old man laughed, her mother stood up and graced Naruto with a smile.

"Naruto," Venelana greeted. "It has been a long time since we've last seen each other. You're looking well."

"Uh…" Naruto, for the first time in a while, wasn't sure what to do. It seemed as if he was being singled out for some reason. Was it because he was dating Rias? That had to be it. He hoped she wasn't upset with him. "T-thank you, uh, Gremory… sama?"

Venelana's lips twitched. Was she grinning? "Why are you being so formal? I would much prefer it if you called me Mom."

"Urk!"

"Mother!"

Venalana gave them a beatific smile.

After having their fun at their daughter's expense, Rias's parents bade her and Naruto to sit down. It wasn't until this moment that Naruto realized what this was-what he thought this was. He sort of hoped it wasn't that, though. The last thing he needed was her parents butting into his and Rias's relationship.

Of course, they are her parents, so maybe they're just worried.

"They're devils, Naruto. Do you really think they'd be worried like normal parents?"

"Well, I guess not. Still, I can hope, right?"

"Ah. To be young and delusional."

"Ha…"

"We're very glad that you could come all this way, Rias, dear," Venelana said. "Especially because we have so much to discuss."

"Indeed." Rias's father, who introduced himself as Zeoticus Gremory, nodded. "In particular, your mother and I wanted to discuss your plans for the future."

Sitting beside Naruto, Rias twitched. "My plans for the future? You mean you want to know whether or not Naruto and I plan on getting married, don't you? That's what this is really about, isn't it?"

Venalana and Zeoticus looked at each other, and Naruto felt like he could see the chakra churning through their bodies. He wanted to groan. Did they really think they could get away with this and not expect Rias to figure out what they were doing? Their act was so blatantly obvious that even he knew what they were doing, and he was about as dense as people came when it involved matters like this!

"I'll second that."

"Shush you."

"We weren't thinking about that at all," Zeoticus said.

Venalana gave her daughter a charming smile. "Though now that you've mentioned it, how are the two of you getting along?"

Rias glared at the two. "We are getting along just fine. We also don't need you butting in."

"I sense a catfight."

"So do I."

"Rias, dear, there's no need to get upset. We're merely asking our daughter about her relationship with the man that she is seeing. Surely, there is nothing wrong with that."

Naruto could already see how this would go down. Venalana and Zeoticus were going to double-team Rias until she grew tired, frustrated, or flustered, and then they would turn their attention on him. He was sure they'd try and do something stupid like ask when he planned to propose. From his understanding, marriage, or rather, the union between a man and a woman that would create a strong devil child, was an important component to their society.

It was well-documented that devils did not produce children easily. Indeed, the ratio between the number of devil children being produced over human children was about 10,000 to 1. Of course, this was for pureblood devils. Half-breeds, or rather, children born from reincarnated devils, were more common

Knowing that this was about marriage and children, Naruto sought to head it off.

"If our family were any other family, and you two regular parents, there would not be a problem. But I know how you two are, and I know what you're trying to achieve. Naruto and I will advance our relationship at our own pace," Rias said before Naruto could even open his mouth.

A staredown took place between Rias and her two parents, though it seemed as if Rias was the only one taking it seriously. Venalana and Zeoticus seemed more amused than confrontational.

The rest of Rias's peerage shifted behind them. Naruto imagined they were all uncomfortable being present for this conversation. He did have to wonder why they'd moved into such a heavy topic so soon. Were they attempting to catch Rias off guard?

"Perhaps you should calm down, Rias," Zeoticus said.

"I am perfectly calm." Rias scowled.

Venalana frowned at her daughter. "Do not take that tone right now, Rias Gremory. You might not realize it, but thanks to what happened with Rizer Phenex, our standing in the underworld has taken a nosedive."

"W-what?" Rias leaned back as if struck.

"Venalana…" Zeoticus said, a tone of warning in his voice.

The tone went unheeded. "While no one has been able to say anything against you, since you did win the rating game, the truth is that many people are questioning our decision to let you have your way. My husband and I no longer have the clout that we used to thanks to the other pillars loss of confidence in us. Even your brother has taken hits lately."

"Sirzechs has…?"

"I know that you wish to control who, how, and when you marry. However, the fact is that we're now in a precarious position. You have to understand, Rias, we're on your side. We want what is best for you. We want you to be happy. At the same time…"

"Politics are forcing you to take a proactive approach in your daughter's relationship," Rias finished.

"Yes." Venalana nodded.

Rias's shoulders slumped. Her face took on an exhausted appearance, as if she'd been run ragged for several months. "I… understand. I'm sorry for snapping at you."

While Zeoticus looked stunned, as if he'd not expected his headstrong daughter to apologize, Venalana nodded in what seemed like satisfaction. "So long as you understand. Now then, why don't you tell us how you and Naruto are getting along."

Conversation became a lot more relaxed after Rias calmed down. Naruto still felt awkward, however, as he was just quietly sitting there while Rias spoke. He wanted to say something as well, to add his problem was that he really didn't know what to say. His girlfriend also seemed much more adept at explaining the situation than he was.

Behind him, Naruto finally heard Issei speak up. "So, like, can anyone tell me what that was all about?"

Ah. Good old Issei, asking the question that I wanted to ask.

Surprisingly, it was Akeno who answered him. "A union between two households is a powerful political tool. It's a common practice for two pureblood devils of a powerful household to get married, such as the union between Lord and Lady Gremory. It's even more of a powerful tool when a child is conceived as a result."

"O-oh…" Issei seemed unsure of what to say. Naruto didn't blame him. The poor guy must have been conflicted speaking to his ex.

"Consequently, because Naruto-san is a reincarnated devil, there are even more issues. Of course, most of these have been swept aside thanks to how he utterly destroyed Riser Phenex."

"I wouldn't say he destroyed my brother," Ravel mumbled.

Akeno ignored her. "Unfortunately, if Lord and Lady Gremory wish to be seen as strong leaders among their kind, then they need to be seen as taking a more active hand in Rias's nuptials, especially since they were the ones who originally arranged the marriage between Rizer and Rias."

"I-I'm not sure I understand," Asia said softly enough that Naruto almost missed her speaking.

"She means that it needs to seem as if Lord and Lady Gremory were the ones who got Naruto-sama and Rias-sama together. It will make it seem as if that was their plan all along. This will make their standing within devil society rise again," Ravel explained.

"That… that sounds really complicated."

Naruto didn't say anything, because he was still sitting quietly and trying his best not to squirm, but he totally agreed with Issei's assessment.

"Life is complicated," Koneko added, mirroring Naruto's thoughts perfectly.

~Devil Ninja~

After having "tea" with Rias's parents, the group had gone to take a dip in the Gremory family's hot springs. Like the rest of the mansion, the hot springs were designed to showcase the family's wealth. Built like a Greek bathhouse, the space was filled with corinthian columns and floral designs along the wall. Naturally, the men and women's sides were separated.

There were two people already in the men's side of the hot spring when Naruto and the others arrived. They sat slightly apart, one of them relaxing with a saucer of sake in one hand and the other frowning moodily at the sake drinking one.

"Azazel-sensei?" Issei gawked.

"Metatron," Naruto sighed.

"Ah, Ninja-sama." Metatron's demeanor brightened as he greeted Naruto with a reverent smile. "Come in. Let us partake in the act of skinship."

"Please don't say something that could be so easily misleading," Naruto mumbled as he nonetheless waded into the water. "I'm guessing your meeting is over?"

"Yep," Azazel said as Kiba, Issei, and Gasper also sat down. Naruto noted with wry amusement that Gasper was still wearing a bag over his head. "The meeting ended about an hour ago. We returned with Zeoticus and Sirzechs."

"Sirzechs is here?" Kiba asked.

Azazel shook his head. "Sirzechs had to leave immediately after because he got an important call from Beelzebub. Anyway, after everyone is done in the hot springs, I can tell you what the plan is going onwards."

"You mean for the three factions competition?" Naruto asked.

"That, too, but also what we're going to be doing."

"Ninja-sama, Ninja-sama."

Naruto sighed. "Yes, Metatron? What is it?"

"Let me scrub your back," Metatron said seriously.

As he gave the ninja obsessed angel a flat stare, Naruto realized something important that day.

Metatron was a complete idiot.

~Devil Ninja~

Once everyone had their fill of the hot springs, they adjourned to one of the many sitting rooms.

Naruto sat with Koneko, Ravel, and Rias on a large couch. Issei and Asia had taken the other couch with Kiba and Gasper sitting on either end. Irina didn't seem to know where she should sit, so she had opted to stand. Raynare had, for a time, looked at the spot right next to Issei, but then she huffed and moved to stand behind the couch. Meanwhile, Akeno sat on a chair further away from the others. Azazel and Metatron stood apart from each other, but it was clear that both of them were going to offer up their opinions.

Ophis had gone missing. Naruto didn't know where she was, but he wasn't worried. She was too powerful for something to happen to her.

"I'm sure you all know by now that the original plan for this trip was going to be a gathering of young devils," Azazel began. "That's been changed since the three faction alliance has decided to make this an event that brings all of us closer together. Instead of being a gathering of young devils, it's become a gathering of the brightest and most promising members from all three factions."

Metatron picked up where Azazel left off. "Tomorrow, all of you will be traveling to Lilith, the capital city here in the Underworld. There, you'll be introduced to the leaders of the three factions and the people who are going to become your peers. The idea here is to foster and promote friendship between the three factions, particularly the youngest members, who lack the inborn hatred for each other that many of the older generation has."

It was a good idea. Getting rid of the hatred between the three factions wasn't as simple as deciding to form an alliance. Old hatreds didn't die that easily. Enmity could never truly be erased after such a long and bitter struggle. Therefore, the easiest way to bridge the gap, so to speak, was for the young people, those who hadn't lived through the bitter wars that led to the current state of affairs, to come together and form alliances and friendships. It was politicking at its finest.

Rias was nodding along with their words, and Naruto realized that she already knew what was going on. This must have been part of what she had been planning. Knowing her, she had probably been staying up late every night trying to find the most efficient method of fostering friendships between the factions.

She's doing her best to help her brother achieve his dream.

Naruto hadn't spoken with Sirzechs in a while, but he knew that the maou's biggest goal was to finally end the hatred between the angels, devils, and the fallen. It was the goal that he'd been working toward for the past fifty years or so. Even though she complained, Rias always worked hard to help her brother further his goals.

"Who is going to be at this gathering?" asked Issei.

"There are numerous people from all three factions who will be there," Azazel answered. "On the devil's side, there's Diodora Astaroth, Seekvaira Agares, Sairaorg Bael, Zephyrdor Glasya-Labolas, and Sona Sitri."

"That's a ridiculous name," Naruto muttered. "Who the hell would want such a long name?"

"Shush," Rias hushed him, tapping on his thigh.

"The angels only have three people participating in the competition," Metatron admitted. "Angelus, Izrail, and Reuel. They're currently the only new generation of angels who have a full set of Brave Saints."

Unlike the devils, who'd been capable of reincarnating humans for centuries thanks to Beelzebulb, and the fallen, who regained their ranks every time an angel fell from grace, the angels were the only faction that had been losing members.

This was because angels didn't have reincarnation, and without God's power and grace, it was impossible to create new angels. Every time an angel fell, they lost another member. Every time an angel died, they were unable to be replaced. Until Beelzebub helped them create the Brave Saint system, which could be used to reincarnate humans as angels, the angel faction had been steadily losing ground. If things had continued as they had, the angels would've been the first of the three factions to go extinct.

"What about the fallen side?" asked Ravel. "Who's coming?"

"We have four fallen angels coming with their legions," Azazel told them. "Buer, Gomory, Lix Tetrax, and Mastema. Most of them are good kids. The only one you'll really need to worry about is Mastema. He's a bit of a hot head, that one."

It looked like there were a lot of people attending. Naruto imagined that with twelve different "peerages" showing up, this was going to be a fairly large event, especially if most of the people attending had a full peerage.

Evil Pieces had a total of sixteen peerage members. Brave Saints had thirteen. Azazel hadn't named his system yet, but it apparently also had thirteen members to it. This meant that if everyone-minus Rias's peerage, which only had eight members-had a full peerage, they would have 142 people with just them. That wasn't including the leaders who would show up, the nobles who'd come to politic, or the citizens who would arrive to partake in whatever festivities were to be had.

"What can you tell us about the people from the angel and fallen faction?" asked Rias.

"We actually can't tell you anything other than what we've already told you," Azazel said. "Part of our goal in all this is to foster friendships. We're hoping that by going in blind, everyone will be on equal footing. This will be important since the people we want you to make friends with are going to be young and prideful."

"Um, Metatron-sama, none of the angels you mentioned sound familiar to me," Irina said.

"That's because they're relatively new to this world," Metatron told her. "All of them are fifteen or sixteen years old, like you."

"I thought new angels couldn't be born," Rias said.

Metatron shook his head. "New angels cannot be made. God is the only one who can create angels. However, thanks to Michael-sama, it is possible for angels to give birth to children via natural reproduction."

"I thought sex was a sin," Naruto muttered.

"That is not quite true, Ninja-sama." Metatron raised his pointer finger as if emphasizing his point. "Lust is a sin. However, sex in and of itself, is not. The problem is that birthing an angel requires both parties to be at complete peace while the process is happening. If they are not, if they feel lust, then not only will both angels become fallen, but their child will be born a fallen as well."

"Huh." Naruto thought about that for a moment, and then slowly nodded. "Yeah… I can see how that would work, I think. Sounds like a pain, though."

"It is quite difficult," Metatron agreed. "That is at least half of the reason we angels do not have many children. The three who are going to the gathering are the first three children we've had in over two-hundred years because angels kept falling during the process."

That was a long time, like, a really long time. Naruto couldn't even imagine two-hundred years. Hearing that a group of individuals hadn't been able to produce kids in that long sounded ridiculous.

Azazel clapped his hands. "Anyway, now that you know what the plan is, you're all free to do whatever you want for the rest of the day. Just be sure to get a good night's sleep. We'll be leaving tomorrow afternoon."

~Devil Ninja~

Everyone woke up early the next morning and, after getting dressed and eating a light breakfast, they were taken to the chariot that would drive them to the train station. Fortunately, there were no fans to greet them this time. Once they had boarded the train, Naruto, who was tenderly scratching Koneko's cat ears while she sat with her head in his lap, asked Rias a question that had been bugging him since they entered the underworld.

"Why the hell do devils use trains so much?"

Rias shifted in her seat. Sitting next to her, Ravel peered at Koneko with envious eyes. Ophis, who appeared to be reading a magazine-he didn't know what it was about-glanced up before she went back to her reading.

"It's because they're convenient, mostly," Rias admitted. "Of course, we do have the ability to warp from place to place, but warping into another person's home, or to a political function, is considered bad manners."

"So it's frowned upon?"

"Yes, but there are also more practical reasons." Rias paused. "Trains are easy to maintain and they don't cost much to build. It's also much easier to build railways than it is to build roadways. This is especially true for traveling through the entire underworld."

"We do have other modes of transportation," Ravel added, tearing her eyes away from the purring Koneko. "But all of them are only city-wide. For example, we have subways similar to the ones in Japan, and we also have light rails that travel through most parts of our cities."

"Most people also can't afford something like a car," Rias continued. "The underworld doesn't have the same resources that the human world has. In fact, one of the reasons for the continued fighting between devils and the fallen was because of the underworld's distinct lack of natural resources."

"Huh…" Naruto mumbled as Ravel huffed, stood up, and walked up to them. "I didn't realize natural resources were a problem."

"They're always a problem," Rias said. "Even in the human world."

Naruto didn't dispute that. Humans-people-were always fighting over resources, even when they didn't necessarily need them. Greed was a well-known human trait.

"Hey, scoot your head over," Ravel said to Koneko.

Koneko looked up… and then immediately placed her head back on Naruto's lap. "Don't wanna."

Ravel's face turned red. "I want to sit… I want to do that too."

"Hmm… then you should've gotten here first."

Ravel seemed moment's away from erupting. Naruto wondered if he should do something, like, try to find a compromise or whatever. Fortunately-or unfortunately-Ophis chose that moment to close her magazine, which disappeared into a distortion within the air. She then stood up and, without ceremony, shoved Koneko off of his lap and sat down.

"Pet me," she demanded. From the petulant expression on her face, she seemed to be stewing over something.

"Erm…"

Naruto might have said something, but Koneko and Ravel chose that moment to talk over him.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Ravel screamed.

"Get off Naruto, Lap Stealer," Koneko said with accusing eyes.

"No," Ophis was quite decisive.

Thus came the argument.

"Get off Naruto-sama right now!"

"No."

"I'm gonna shove your head in a toilet."

"I'll warp you to the void."

"I'll fry you!"

"Naruto was petting me."

"I don't care."

As the argument swiftly devolved into one that appeared minutes away from becoming a fist fight, Naruto, feeling quite helpless, looked at Rias for advice.

Her smirk told him all he needed to know.

"You brought this on yourself," she said, causing his shoulders to slump.

Life was so unfair sometimes.

~Devil Ninja~

Lilith, the capital of the underworld, was a metropolis that could've rivaled the greatest cities in the human world. Skyscrapers towered over the land. Highways with trains and monorail systems flowed between buildings. At ground level, smaller buildings that were no less impressive in how modern they appeared dotted the landscape. If Naruto hadn't known any better, he would have said this place was just another human city.

Of course, human cities did not have people flying through the air on black wings.

After getting off the train, they were taken the rest of the way in a carriage that had been waiting for them-though it wasn't actually a carriage, but an expensive limousine. For some reason, the devils just called it a carriage. He guessed it was because they were an old-fashioned bunch.

"They must use limos for important functions like this."

"Probably. It's most likely the Gremory Family's personal limo. I bet they're letting us use it as a means of showing off."

"That wouldn't surprise me."

The place where they were being taken to was a massive skyscraper in the city's epicenter. It was easily the largest building there, a gleaming tower of steel and glass, which rose so high it looked like it could pierce the sky. Naruto was reminded of the skyscrapers in the human world. This had such a modern look that he almost couldn't believe it had been built in the underworld.

Then again, I wasn't really sure what I should have expected from the underworld.

Their limousine drove them to a small garage, which had an elevator that all of them stepped into. Naruto noted with no small amount of shock that even elevators here were massive.

The doors to the elevator opened, revealing an expansive hallway with soft carpet and cream walls. Columns lined the wall at even intervals, and between those columns was a work of art. Naruto was amused to notice that all of the art looked like demonic replicas of human artwork. One of them even looked like the Mona Lisa, except she had horns and black wings.

At the end of the hallway was a set of double doors, which were being guarded by one devil and one guards opened the doors for Rias and her group. Naruto, standing at the front, his arm linked with Rias, walked past the guards and strolled inside.

An expansive room opened up before them. It wasn't just large. It was gargantuan. Naruto couldn't begin to guess its size, but he judged the room to be at least several times larger than any room in his Japanese-style mansion back home. White marble tiles lined the floor. Intricate designs swirled inside of the tiles. A mosaic decorated the roof, colorful swirls and patterns that had little rhyme or reason to them but were nonetheless aesthetically appealing.

There were already a lot of people present, some angels, some devils, and some fallen. It was a mixed group, that was for sure. Of course, calling it "mixed" was a misnomer as well, for it implied that the three factions were mixing, which they were not. There was a clear division between the three. It seemed no one was willing to bridge the gap, despite their leaders agreeing to form an alliance.

Naruto leaned over to whisper into Rias's ear. "It seems kind of tense in here, doesn't it?"

"That's to be expected," Rias whispered back. "We may have agreed to become allies, but just because we decided to form alliance doesn't automatically make us friends. It's going to take a lot more work for that to happen."

Even though Rias said this as if it was to be expected, Naruto sensed the disappointment in her tone.

Rias had been spending over a month preparing for this. She'd been working every night to help her brother with this alliance. It must have been disappointing to see that, in spite of all the work she'd put into helping her brother, the devil, angel, and fallen factions weren't willing to extend each other an olive branch.

"In that case, perhaps we should make a few rounds?" Naruto suggested.

The smile that Rias gave him told Naruto that he'd said the right thing. "I was thinking the exact same thing."

Naruto and Rias turned to the others. "I'd like all of you to go out and mingle," Rias said. "If possible, please try and make the fallen and angel factions feel at ease."

"I guess we don't much choice," Kiba said, smiling. "I'll do what I can to smooth things over on the fallen side."

"Um, I can speak to some of the angels," Irina said. "I'll tell them that devils aren't bad people."

"Issei," Rias said, "Since you're closer to Azazel than the rest of us, why don't you and Asia go with Kiba… Raynare can go with you."

"Don't treat me like an afterthought," Raynare snapped.

"I'm going with you two," Koneko said, to which Rias merely shrugged and agreed.

"I-I would also like to go with Naruto-sama and Rias-sama. I can help you two," Ravel said.

"I'm going to get some food," Ophis determined as she walked off. Naruto noticed, with mixed emotions, that the magazine she'd been reading on the train was now tucked underneath her arm.

"Well," Rias started, "Shall we go?"

"W-wait!" Ravel stopped them. Naruto and Rias looked at her. Blushing, Ravel walked up to his other side and linked her arm with his free arm. "O-okay… now we can go."

"Um, right." Naruto took a deep breath. "Let's go."

With Rias acting as their guide, and Ravel providing whispered commentary to him, Naruto began learning the ins and outs of who was who in the devil world. There were quite a few noble families, although few of those families belonged to the 72 pillars, which were the pinnacle of devil nobility. That said, many of these devils were influential.

One thing that Naruto found awkward was how many of these devils wanted to speak with him. They would jabber on and on about this or that, asking for his opinion on matters and issues that Naruto knew nothing about. Most of them seemed to believe that he was a political savant of some kind. They certainly acted like it, or maybe they were trying to trip him up. That was also a possibility.

"It's because you defeated my brother," Ravel said quietly while Rias spoke with an older devil couple, who'd been introduced as Marquis Douvante and his wife. "I don't want to brag, but Rizer was in the top ten percentile in rating games. He was a strong contender with one of the best peerages. He's also a Phenex, which means he's stronger than most. The fact that you defeated him is huge."

"Is that so? I hadn't realized it was such a big deal."

"It wouldn't be if you were a well-known devil," Ravel admitted. "The reason it's so huge is because you're a complete unknown. Nobody even knows who you are, yet you suddenly came sweeping into the rating game, a newly reincarnated devil, and devastated my brother and his peerage like they were nothing."

"I think the reason everyone wants to talk to me is because I have such a pretty girl on my arm," Naruto admitted.

"Chu!" Ravel's face burst into flames.

Naruto would have laughed, but at that moment, loud shouts disrupted the festivities.

"How dare you! You lousy fallen prick! You've made me spill my drink!"

"It's not my fault you're a clutz! You should stop bumping into people!"

"Bumping into people?! You're the one who bumped into me!"

Two people were arguing, a devil and a fallen angel. The devil had dark tan skin and spiky green hair. Tattoo designs swirled around his face, and it looked like they extended past his neck. His black and yellow shirt matched his pants, which had ornaments on it that jingled as he moved. The fallen angel that the devil was arguing with had all black clothes, wore a trench coat with a high collar, and had long black hair and equally black eyes. Both of them looked like delinquents.

"This is why I hate you fallen fucks! You're all a bunch of cowards who won't take responsibility for their actions!"

"Ha! That's rich coming from devil scum like you!"

"You wanna fucking piece of me?!"

"Bring it on, you little devil bitch!"

"Ah, um, e-excuse me," a lilting yet petrified voice said, stopping the argument in its tracks.

A girl had appeared before them. Her long blonde hair was curly and reminded Naruto of honey. Blue eyes that were like the sky peered timidly from beneath several bangs. She wore all white. Her robes were pristine, as if to emphasize this girl's purity.

"What do you want?" the devil asked, his tone rude and his sneer ugly.

"I suggest you get lost, angel trash," the fallen one snarled.

The poor angel girl cowed as she was put down by the two. Naruto scowled. He'd met a lot of rude people, but these two were the kind of douchenozzles that deserved an ass kicking.

"The devil is Zephyrdor Glasya-Labolas," Rias informed Naruto before he could ask.

"I see. And I'm guessing that the fallen he's arguing with is Mastema. He certainly sounds like the hot headed firebrand that Azazel made him out to be. The angel… I think she must be Angelus."

"Should we step in?" asked Koneko. It was the first time she'd spoken in a while. Naruto turned and noticed that, sometime while he'd been talking with nobles, she'd grabbed something to eat-dango, it looked like.

"There's no need," Rias said. "Someone is already about to intervene."

A handsome man with black hair and violet eyes had stepped up to the group, placing a comforting hand on Angelus's shoulder. Sairaorg Bael. He stared at the two arguing teen's. One thing that stood out the most to Naruto was his build. He was incredibly muscular, but it wasn't the hereditary type of muscles that most devils had. Naruto could tell from the way they flexed as he moved that this guy had undergone intense physical training.

"Maybe he had a trainer like Maito Guy."

"If that was the case, he'd be wearing green spandex."

Naruto grinned as Kurama snorted with laughter, and then turned his attention back to the confrontation.

"I don't know the reason you two are fighting," Sairaorg said, his voice calm and measured. "However, don't you think you two are acting a little childish, quibbling like this during an important political event?"

"Childish?!" Zephyrdor scowled. "Who the fuck do you think you are?!"

"I'm just another attendee at this function, like you," Sairaorg said. "But unlike you, I don't want my chance to meet new people ruined. If you two have a dispute to settle, that's fine, but settle it after this party is over."

Zephyrdor and Mastema looked like they were going to argue, but at that exact moment, the air suddenly became dense. Even from a distance, Naruto could feel it. The air around Sairaorg was warping, distorting. Sweat poured from the two who'd been arguing. Oddly enough, Angelus seemed unaffected.

"W-whatever," Mastema glowered. "This isn't over yet, but I'm not gonna be a jerk off like this idiot."

"I should be the one saying that!" Zephyrdor snapped.

The two separated and wandered off. Sairaorg stared at them, as if making sure they wouldn't pick up their argument again, and then addressed the female angel, Angelus. "Are you all right?"

"Oh, yes. I am fine." Angelus beamed at Sairaorg. "Thank you for that. I wanted to make them stop, but I'm not sure how to stop a dispute between fallen and devils."

Sairaorg blushed and laughed at the same time. "You just gotta be firm with them is all. Show them that they can't push you around and they'll back down."

"Yes! I'll take that to heart!" Angelus said.

"Angelus-sama!"

13 people ran up to Angelus. Their expressions ranged from worried to indignant. Naruto guessed they were Angelus's Brave Saints.

"Angelus-sama, are you okay?" a young boy asked. He couldn't have been older than ten or twelve. With unruly black hair and two different colored eyes, both of which were really large, he reminded Naruto of a puppy. He could even imagine a tail wagging behind the boy.

Smiling, Angelus placed a hand on the boy's head and ruffled his hair. "Oh, yes. I am fine. Thank you for your concern."

The boy blushed. Looking down at his toes, he mumbled, "You're welcome."

Naruto wandered up to the gathering alongside Rias, Ravel, and Koneko. Upon seeing them, Sairaorg's expression brightened.

"Rias! I thought you'd be here! I haven't seen you since the party celebrating the cancellation of your wedding with Rizer."

Still attached to Naruto's arm, Rias smiled. "Yes, well, I don't spend much time in the underworld these days."

"I'm aware." Sairaorg grinned before looking at Naruto. "Naruto Uzumaki. You look like you've gotten stronger."

"More like I've regained some of my former strength," Naruto said, grinning. "Perhaps you and I will find ourselves facing each other in the upcoming tournament. I'd love to test my strength against a worthy opponent."

"He he he, so would I?"

The two grinned as the air around them gained figurative sparks. Naruto could feel his competitive spirit, which had been dormant for a long time now, begin burning. He wanted to fight this person.

As the two chuckled in a manner that was quite eery, Rias turned to Angelus. "I hope you've been enjoying the party so far."

"Fweh?" came the intelligent response.

~Devil Ninja~

The party lasted until well past midnight. Naruto, Rias, Ravel, Koneko, and the others spent that time mingling. They spoke with nobles on the devil's side, archangels from the angel faction, and leaders of the Grigori. They traded conversation with their peers, and did their best to foster goodwill between the three factions.

Sairaorg was a huge help in this regard, perhaps because his own opinions and desires matched those of Rias and Sirzechs. He seemed to hit it off with Angelus, and because Angelus approved of him, her peerage did too. That said, Naruto did remember seeing the youngest of her Brave Saints giving Sairaorg the stink eye.

Naruto, Rias, and Ravel met with the other devils, fallen, and angels who would be competing in the tournament. This included Beur, Gomory, and Lix Tetrax. Beur was a quiet individual who enjoyed studying more than talking. They'd barely gotten his nose out of his book for five seconds before he started reading again. His peerage had been much more talktive and apologized on his behalf. Gomory and Lix Tetrax were more personable, though Lix's grave personality was contradictory to her tiny stature.

Izrail and Reuel seemed like nice people, though Izrail appeared, much like Buer, to be a deeper thinker-at least until he opened his mouth and said something stupid. When he mentioned how fish was relevant in the bible, Naruto realized that he was just an airhead.

Reuel was very kind, speaking with a friendly and open personality, but he also looked quite frail. His posture had been slumped, as if he was weighed down by an unbearable weight, and his sickly pallor made one think he was suffering from a debilitating disease. Naruto didn't know what the angels were thinking in letting him compete in a tournament. However, he hoped the angel would be okay.

Koneko remained by their side while they mingled. She didn't speak much. Naruto learned that her reason for this was because she was neither a noble nor did she have what nobles considered a noteworthy reputation. Unlike Naruto, who had defeated Rizer Phenex, Issei who was the wielder of the Boosted Gear, Akeno who was Rias's queen, and Kiba who could get by on good looks alone, Koneko was considered an unnoticeable presence, someone who was just there.

Naruto didn't like that. He vowed to speak with Rias about allowing Koneko more time in the spotlight during the upcoming tournament. He wanted everyone to know how awesome and powerful his sort-of-but-not-yet-girlfriend was.

Thinking of his relationships made Naruto remember how Ophis had practically ignored everyone. Several people had tried to talk her, whether because they knew who she was or they thought she was cute he didn't know, and she'd told each of them to shut up because she was eating. After she'd had her fill, she wandered over to Naruto and demanded that they leave because she was bored. Of course, they couldn't leave, so Naruto had been forced to keep her busy by holding her hand the rest of the time.

Ravel had not been pleased.

Later that night, after the party, Naruto and the others returned home. While Asia and Issei went into their own room with Raynare, who, as Issei's "slave," was not allowed to leave his side, he and his party went into their room.

Naruto was already in his pajamas. He normally didn't wear pajamas-or any form of clothing-when he went to bed these days. However, Ravel, Ophis, and Koneko were going to be sleeping with him and Rias, apparently. It had been decided that he should remain fully clothed. This decision was unanimous between Rias and himself.

"I don't think they're ready for that sort of progression, especially Ravel," Rias had said when he asked about it. "And to be honest, I'm not really ready for you to take that next step with them either."

Naruto had conceded her point.

Sitting on the bed, Naruto waited for the others to get dressed. He was decked out in his old pajamas-orange jammie pants and a white shirt. It was too bad he didn't have his old frog cap, but that had been lost when Konoha was destroyed by Nagato.

"Hey, you," Koneko said as she walked into the room from the attached restroom. "You look like you're thinking deep thoughts."

"Not particularly," Naruto said. "I was just thinking about how cute you look in those pajamas."

Koneko was wearing pink pajama shorts that showed off a good portion of her tight, little bubble butt. They wrapped around her tush so tightly they might as well have been painted on. There was also a hole in the back, from which her tail sprouted out. Her spaghetti strap shirt dangled off her shoulders, lending her a cute but sensual appearance. That, on top of her cat ears, made for an appealing sight.

"I'm glad you like it, nya," Koneko said as she crawled onto the bed. "I wore these for you."

"Is that so? You look really cute."

Koneko continued to crawl forward until she was directly in front of Naruto, and then she kept crawling forward still, placing her hands on his shoulders and pushing him down with her rook strength.

Naruto fell backwards onto the bed. Koneko laid flat against him, slowly nuzzling her chest. Reaching up, Naruto stroked her cat ears, which elicited a light purring from the nekomata/devil hybrid.

"I see you two are enjoying yourselves," Rias said as she and Ravel entered the room.

Rias was wearing a see-through nightgown. She normally slept naked, and Naruto could tell from the tension in her cheeks that she didn't like being forced to "confine herself." On the other hand, Ravel seemed at home in her pink, long-sleeved, frilly shirt and pants.

"We're having a very good time, nya," Koneko's speech slipped, though she didn't seem to care.

"I'm glad to see that, but I think it's time we all got to bed. We've got a big week starting tomorrow," Rias said.

Everyone was about to climb onto the bed when Ravel paused. "I just realized something."

"What is it, Ravel?" asked Rias.

"There are four of us. You, me, Koneko, and Ophis."

"Yes…" Rias said, seemingly not getting the point.

"Who gets to sleep closest to Naruto-sama?"

There was a poignant pause. Naruto felt the hairs on his arms and neck prickle. He didn't know how, but he could somehow sense the tension that had suddenly settled over the room like a thick, cloying fog. The girls were all staring at each other, their expressions morphing into one filled with competitive spirit.

"I think we can decide this in a calm and logical manner," Rias said at last.

"I agree," Ravel added.

"Bring it." Koneko had already grabbed two pillows.

A heavy silence passed through the room. Then, like Emiyo Shiro firing a broken noble phantasm from his bow, the three burst into action. Pillows flew every as the girls began beating each other senseless with them. Naruto watched, wondering if he should step in. It actually looked fun, and judging by the smiles on the girls's faces, they were having a blast. At the same time, they were competing for something that he couldn't compete for. It was a conundrum that he didn't know how to solve.

"What are they fighting over?" Ophis asked as she next to him on the bed.

"They're fighting over who gets to sleep next to me." He turned to look at her. "When did you get here?"

"Just now."

"Huh…" Naruto scratched the back of his head. "So, are you going to go to sleep?"

"I don't sleep."

"Oh… then why did you want to sleep with me?"

Ophis shrugged. "Everyone else was doing it."

"I see."

That Ophis, she really knew how to hop on the bandwagon, Naruto determined silently.

In the spacious room, pillows would continue to fly for quite some time.

~Devil Ninja~

It had taken nearly an hour for Rias to win the pillow fight. She'd done so by letting Ravel and Koneko wear each other out, and then attacked them while they were exhausted. The two had pouted, but since Rias was the one letting them sleep in the same bed as Naruto, they conceded. It wasn't like it mattered anyway. Naruto had already gone to sleep by the time they finished, and Ophis had stolen the other free spot.

The next morning, everyone woke up and went down to the breakfast room at Grayfia's behest. Apparently, the Gremory estate had a room for each meal, one for breakfast, another for lunch, and then one for dinner, and even rooms for snack times. Naruto thought it was excessive, but he didn't say anything.

Well, he did, but Rias pinched his cheek before he could finish.

Venalana and Zeoticus were already in the breakfast room when they arrived, and they weren't alone. Sitting at the table, calmly sipping tea as he spoke with his parents, Sirzechs looked nothing like the maou that was feared and respected in the underworld for his power. No longer decked out in his ceremonial armor, he wore white pajama pants and an "I love people" shirt. His eyes lit up when he saw them.

"Otouto." Sirzechs stood up.

"Aniki." Naruto ran forward.

"Otouto!" Sirzechs ran as well.

"Aniki!" Naruto spread his arms.

The two were just about to hug when a massive of explosion erupted between them, sending them both flying backwards. Rias, who'd blasted them apart with her Powers of Destruction, glared at them.

"I believe we've seen enough of that horrid illusion," Rias said. Naruto and Sirzechs sat up at the same time, rubbing their sore backsides.

"That was mean, sister," Sirzechs said, pouting.

"What's mean is your illusion," Rias rebutted. "Do you want to scar everyone for life?"

"We were just going to greet each other," Naruto mumbled-right before a squeak escaped his lips when Rias turned her glare on him.

When she did become so scary?

"Sit down, Naruto," she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," Naruto mumbled as he and Sirzechs took a seat. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Koneko make a whipping motion to Ravel, who giggled into her hand.

And my standing has officially dropped.

"What a loser," Raynare muttered-only to yelp when Koneko slapped her in the back.

"The only people allowed to make fun of Naruto are the ones in a relationship with him," Koneko said. "Slaves have no room to comment."

Raynare grumbled bitterly, but she was smart enough to know when she was outnumbered. She sat next to Issei and quietly picked at her food. Everyone else sat down as well, with Ravel sitting on Naruto's right and Ophis sitting on his left. Rias and Koneko sat next to Irina, who gazed nervously at Sirzechs as if she might have a heart attack by eating next to a maou.

"I'm not gonna bite, you know?" Sirzechs said with a charming smile.

Irina sent him an unsure smile of her own. "R-right."

Naruto had to give the Gremory family credit; they hate nothing but the very best food. That morning, their breakfast consisted of thick slices of French toast, scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese, and freshly squeezed orange juice. Aside from every dish looking like something from a 5-star restaurant, it tasted phenomenal.

Conversation was sparse. Rias spoke with her parents and brother in between eating. Asia and Issei talked in hushed tones, while Raynare occasionally inputted her own sarcastic opinion. Akeno was quiet, but Kiba and Gasper had struck up a friendly conversation with Irina-well, Kiba was talking about sword techniques. Gasper only spoke when asked a question.

Turning to Ravel, he saw the girl frowning at her food. It didn't take a genius to know what she was thinking. He could practically see her thoughts.

Leaning down, he whispered into her ear. "You're French toast is better than this."

Startled, Ravel glanced up at him, and, when she caught sight of his smile, her own lips twisted into a smile as well. "Thank you, Naruto-sama."

As breakfast wound to a close, Sirzechs coughed into his hand, gathering everyone's attention. "I wanted to let all of you know how the tournament is going to work. It's basically a series of rating games in which you and another peerage will battle on a stage that will be determined at random. The tournament doesn't start for two weeks, which will give you plenty of time to train-and in fact, it's been decided by the leaders that everyone is going to receive two days of special training from one of us."

"By everyone, do you mean…" Kiba started.

"I mean every single member of all the peerages. We're splitting our time between all of you to help you come into your full potential. Along with your peerage, this week we're also giving training to Angelus, Lix Tetrax, Mastema, and Seekvaira Agares. Your trainers have already been selected. They'll be here to pick you up soon."

Naruto wondered what kind of trainer he'd get. He supposed it didn't really matter. Whoever he got, they probably wouldn't be able to do anything to help him. He didn't need to get stronger. He needed to regain the strength he'd lost.

A loud sonic boom slammed into the house. The earth shook as something hit the ground near them. This was followed by, oddly enough, someone ringing the doorbell. Naruto hadn't even realized this mansion had a doorbell.

A maid soon strolled into the room and bowed politely to everyone there. "Lord Sirzechs, Tannin has arrived to pick up Issei Hyoudou."

"Good." Sirzechs smiled and turned to Issei. "You're awfully lucky, Ise. Unlike everyone else, Tannin is uniquely suited to training you and is unable to properly teach anyone else due to… circumstances. You'll be with him for the entire two weeks. Why don't you go out and greet the person who'll be training you?"

"Uh, okay," Issei said even though he looked confused.

Standing up, Issei followed the maid outside. They listened to his footsteps recede, and then they waited the several minutes it took for Issei to reach the front door-the mansion was huge, so it took a long time.

"HOLY SHIT! THERE'S A DRAGON IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE!"

Issei's girlish scream was followed by a booming voice.

"So, you're Issei Hyoudou, the bearer of the Red Dragon Emperor Gauntlet. I hope you're ready to begin training!"

"WHAT TRAINING?!"

More screams resounded around the mansion, reaching them even though the breakfast room was twenty rooms away. Issei's squeals became even less manly. However, they were soon overpowered by a loud flapping sound, like the beating of a massive pair of wings. As the sound faded, Naruto glanced at everyone in the room to see that their expressions mirrored his thoughts perfectly.

"Aniki…"

"Yes, otouto?"

"Who's Ise's trainer?"

"Tannin is a former dragon king. He was reincarnate by Mephisto Pheles into an ultimate class devil. Since then, he has earned the nicknames Blaze Meteor Dragon and Devil Dragon Saint. Since he's a dragon, he lacks the delicacy to train normal people. However, since Ise is the bearer of the Boosted Gear, he is a perfect match. Anyway, your trainers should also be here shortly."

As if Sirzechs's words had dialectic powers, a magic circle appeared on the floor. It was not a symbol that Naruto recognized, though Rias did, judging by the shocked eyes she directed at her brother.

"You didn't…"

"I did," Sirzechs confirmed just as someone appeared within the magic circle.

He had green hair, slicked back to give him an appearance that reminded Naruto of a yakuza. His light blue eyes contrasted with his tan skin. Unlike Sirzechs, who often wore ceremonial armor, Ajuka was wearing a lab coat over a collared shirt with a green cravat.

"Sirzechs," he said, and his tone was smooth. It was the kind of voice Naruto expected to hear on a male prostitute, not a yakuza scientist. "I've come as you requested. You said that you have a favor to ask of me?"

"That's correct." Sirzechs stood up and held out his hand, which the man firmly clasped. "Beelzebub, I'm sure you remember Naruto over there."

"Naruto?" Beelzebub turned his head, his eyes locking onto Naruto, who became disturbed when his eyes lit up. "Ah, yes. I remember him. So, his name is Naruto, is it? How very interesting."

"I'd like you to give Naruto a check up. I also want you to help him with his training for the upcoming tournament."

"So I see." Beelzebub murmured, nodding to himself. "Very well. Come along, Naruto. Let's head over to my lab."

"Eh? W-wait! Hold on a second!" Naruto stammered as Beelzebub walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Could you at least tell me what-"

But Naruto never got to finish that sentence. The next thing he knew, a magic circle had appeared underneath them, and he and Beelzebub vanished from the breakfast room. The world around him morphed, colors swirled, and everything appeared distorted. It only lasted for a second, but when the second was up, he and Beelzebub were no longer standing the breakfast room. Instead they were inside of what looked like a lab.

"Where are we?" Naruto asked as he looked around.

There were numerous devices placed against the walls, monitors and tubes and strange cylinders with odd-looking creatures were all kinds of weird machines around as well. One looked like a high-tech body scanner from an anime that Rias had made him watch. Another device displayed holographic images of what looked like inventions, though Naruto couldn't tell for sure.

"This is my home," Beelzebub said.

"It looks more like a lab."

"That's because it is," Beelzebub said. "I prefer to spend my time inventing, so I rarely leave this place. It got to the point where I spent more time in my lab than I did my mansion, so I just made this place my residence instead."

"Is that so…"

"You're the first person outside of my peerage and Sirzechs to have seen this place."

"Good to know… I think." Naruto looked around a second longer, then focused on Beelzebub. "So, uh, what are we doing here?"

"The first thing we're going to do is run some tests," Beelzebub began. "I'd like to see how the fairy piece inside of you is operating. After that, we'll be able to determine what sort of training you need to exceed your current limits."

Naruto didn't know what Sirzechs was thinking in having him go with this man, but he knew of Beelzebub, the creator of the Evil Piece system. He also knew that this man might be able to tell why he didn't have his full power. Sirzechs must have known this as well. That was probably why he had asked Beelzebub to be his trainer.

"All right," Naruto grinned as she slammed his left fist into his right palm. "Just tell me what I'm supposed to do!"

The grin left as Beelzebub smiled at him.

For some reason, he had a very bad feeling about being here.

~Devil Ninja~

Apparently, telling Beelzebub to "just tell me what I'm supposed to do!" was the wrong idea. The maou had gained an unusual gleam in his eyes at those words. He had then forced Naruto to strip, attached all kinds of strange nodes to his skin, and then had him do all manner of strange exercises.

Of course, it didn't start out weird. In fact, the first thing Beelzebub made Naruto do was downright normal-minus the fact that he was almost naked.

"So… all you want me to do is run on this treadmill?"

"That's right," Beelzebub said. "Just run on the treadmill."

"Okay…"

Naruto started to run on the treadmill, which moved at a slow pace. Of course, calling it a treadmill was a misnomer. Attached to the original machine were several dozen other contraptions that Naruto knew nothing about. However, these devices beeped and booped and lit up, so they must have been doing something. Standing by, watching as he ran, Beelzebub typed into a sleek black tablet.

"All right," he said after several minutes. "Let's make this go a little faster."

"Faster?"

Naruto was already running at a good pace. The monitor on the treadmill said 65 kilometers per hour. While he could easily go much faster than this, the way Beelzebub said it made the hairs on Naruto's arms prickle.

"I don't think I like the sound of-WAAAAAAA!"

Beelzebub pressed a button on his tablet, and suddenly, the treadmill went from 65 kilometers per hour to 130 kilometers per hour. Naruto squawked as he was nearly thrown off the treadmill. Pumping chakra into his legs, he increased his speed to stay on.

"Good. Good. Now let's go faster."

"Faster?! Now listen here you-holy shit!"

Naruto couldn't even begin to guess how fast he was running now. The treadmill's monitor said "xx" for the speed. What did that even mean?! His legs pumped fast enough that he couldn't even see them anymore. His breathing came out in nasally gasps. Sweat was bursting from his pores like water from a fountain. He didn't know how much longer he could keep this up. Matters weren't helped when Beelzebub decided to increase the speed again. He couldn't-

"AAAAHHHHH!"

Naruto was finally unable to keep up with the treadmill's speed and was thrown off, sailing backwards through the air until he slammed head first into a wall. Everything went black. Then it went white. When Naruto came to, he was lying on the ground, amidst a pile of rubble. Beelzebub stood over him, once more typing notes into his tablet.

"You managed to run at two-hundred and sixty-six kilometers per hour," he said. "That's a good pace. Now get up. We need to continue the tests."

"Gu… ugh…" Naruto moaned. "At least… give me a second to recover…"

The more tests they did, the more sure Naruto was that Beelzebub was trying to kill him. After the treadmill incident, Beelzebub stuck a breathing mask to his face, shoved him into a tank, and then filled the tank with water. This wouldn't have been so bad-except that Beelzebub put more water into the tank than it was slated to hold. This resulted in the water pressure rising until it nearly crushed all of Naruto's bones. In order to stay alive, he'd been forced to use his Six Paths Mode and create a shield around his body that protected him from the pressure.

"That's a very interesting power you have," Beelzebub said when the test finished. "It's not a part of your devil powers. Is this from your human side?"

"Tch!" Naruto clicked his tongue, but since he was there to find out what was wrong with him, he explained his powers. "The Six Paths Sage Mode is an ability gifted to me by a man named Hagoromo Otsutsuki. It increases my strength and durability to the point where I can take even the most powerful attacks head on, and it makes me fast enough that even the fastest knight would never be able to keep up with me."

"Hm… a physical transformation that augments one's natural strength to levels beyond an ultimate class devil." Beelzebub typed into his tablet. "How intriguing. I can see now why Sirzechs wanted me to test your abilities. Come, let us continue the tests."

By the time they finished testing, Naruto felt like his body was going to break. He'd been stretched by pulleys, tortured with electricity, forced to fight against strange monsters in a dungeon with his arms tied and his eyes blinded while not pulling the nodes attached to his body out, and he wasn't giving any time to rest in between. When the tests concluded, Naruto could do little more than pass out.

When he woke up, he was lying in bed, a plain white ceiling over his head. He wondered how he'd gotten there. However, when he realized that he had no memory of coming here, he put the thought out of his mind. Beelzebub or one of his peerage must have shoved his sorry ass into this bed after he passed out.

"You're awake," a voice said somewhere in front of his bed. "I'm impressed. It's only been an hour since you passed out."

"Yeah, well, I've always been quick to recover," Naruto muttered dryly.

He lifted his head. Beelzebub was sitting on a stool, in front of a monitor, which was displaying the body of a person. Lines ran through the body, and certain points had been highlighted. The area around the stomach was displaying a familiar seal-the very same seal on his stomach.

"I wonder if your recovery has to do with your incredible vitality or the creature sealed inside of your stomach," Beelzebub commented idly. "It is most unusual, this seal. I've never seen anything like it."

"My seal is pretty out of this world," Naruto snarked as he sat up. His limbs were stiff, but he worked them out, stretching his arms over his head to remove the kinks.

"Indeed. Considering you traveled through the dimensional gap to get here, I had already learned as much."

"Figured you would," Naruto grunted as he stood up. "You are aniki's best friend."

"So you call Sirzechs that even when he's not around."

"Of course." Wincing as he placed his leg on the bed, Naruto bent over and stretched his thighs out. Kami that hurt like a bitch. "I'm going to marry Rias at some point. That means aniki is family."

"I see. Yes, I suppose that would make the two of you family."

"So, what's the diagnoses? Have you discovered anything interesting."

"I've discovered several things that are interesting," Beelzebub admitted. "Your body is far stronger than most pureblood devils. In fact, I'd say that physically speaking, you might be a match for Sairaorg Bael."

Sairaorg was known as one of the strongest devils currently alive-not in power, but physically. His physical strength was beyond what a pureblood devil could naturally produce. Rias had told Naruto that Sairaorg was literally just a few years from becoming an ultimate class devil.

"However, what really intrigues me are these." Beelzebub pointed at the network of lines. "I've been informed by Sirzechs of your 'chakra,' and from that I can deduce that this is your 'chakra network' that you told him about. They have a lot of energy flowing through them-more than even an ultimate class devil. I'd say that you might even have more raw power than Sirzechs himself… but there's a strange anomaly inside of your chakra network."

Naruto walked over to Beelzebub after getting dressed. His orange shirt, black jeans, and sneakers felt like heaven after being forced to do all of Beelzebub's test while in the buff.

"Did you know that more than half of your chakra is missing?"

Naruto paused. "Kurama?"

"I was aware that you were missing your power, but I didn't know it was that much. I think my own power kept us from noticing."

"Is that so?" Naruto took a calming breath. "I knew that my strength isn't what it used to be, but I didn't know how much weaker I've become."

"Well, this is mostly just guesswork," Beelzebub admitted. "However, look at your chakra network. See how wide your coils are? I've theorized that this is a sign that you have a lot of chakra. The wider and more durable coils are there to help regulate the immense flow of energy. It looks like your coils should be constantly filled to the brim. However, your coils currently only have enough energy flowing through them that they are about twenty-five percent full. I believe this means that more than half of your chakra, maybe as much as seventy-five percent of it, is gone."

Naruto bit his thumb. He'd been aware that his chakra was weaker. It was the conclusion that he'd arrived at after his battle with Aži Dahāka, but he hadn't realized it was that much weaker.

"Still, to have the same amount of power as an ultimate class devil while missing most of your energy is impressive," Beelzebub added.

"Yeah," Naruto murmured. However, his thoughts were not on the man before him.

Where had his chakra gone?