Chapter 32 - ch 29 - summer time

Since the colosseum had been destroyed, the Three Factions Rating Game had been cut short, and the members who'd participated all went back to their regular lives. The angels returned to Heaven, the fallen returned to their home, the devils went back to their mansions, and the Gremory peerage returned to Kuoh in the human world. Life went back to normal…

Mostly.

"Ninja-sama!"

Naruto ducked as Metatron tried to tackle him in a ferocious hug. They had just gotten off the train that traveled between the human world and the underworld several hours ago, and Naruto along with the others had arrived home to discover the ninja-obsessed angel waiting for them. The archangel must have used a different method to travel between dimensions.

The other members of the Gremory Peerage watched as Metatron sailed over Naruto's head, flew out the open door, and landed face first on the porch that led to the entrance hall. The angel skidded across the porch with a harsh sound like, well, like someone who's nose was being ground into wood panels. No one really reacted with any shock despite this. Metatron always acted weird.

"Man…" Issei yawned as he stretched his arms above his head. "I'm so tired. Screw flying to another country. Dimensional jet lag sucks donkey balls."

"It is tough," Rias agreed. "Why don't we all unpack, and then we can relax by doing whatever we want for the entire day? It's still summer, so we have the time."

"That sounds like a good idea," Asia said. "Given what happened, I think we could all use a little break."

"In that case—" Raynare grabbed Issei's arm and hugged it to her chest. Akeno ground her teeth together. "—Ise-kun, why don't you and I have some fun?"

"Erm…" Issei squirmed in her grip, no doubt struggling between his conflicted feelings for Raynare and his lust for her boobs. Naruto almost giggled. Almost. "I… don't know if that would be a good… um…"

Asia's cheeks puffed out as she hugged Issei's other arm. "Don't leave me out of this. I also want to be with Ise-san."

"Fine. Fine." Raynare agreed easily enough. "But you're going to be on the bottom."

"Um, what?" was Issei's dumb response.

Naruto stared at Raynare as she more or less dragged Asia and Issei off. He still wasn't one hundred percent sure about that chick, but he was of the opinion that people could always change. That was how he managed to redeem Gaara, after all. So long as Issei and Asia, the two most affected by what Raynare had done, were willing to give her a chance, he would extend an olive branch to the girl.

He looked over at Akeno. She was still grinding her teeth in frustration.

It looks like someone's not pleased that Raynare is getting close to Asia and Ise.

He shrugged.

Well, it's none of my business.

Irina was also staring after the trio in mild disapproval. Naruto wondered if she was jealous. However, after another moment, the girl shook her head, long brown hair, tied into two ponytails, swaying with the motion.

"I'm not sure I like the fact that Ise is getting so close to a fallen."

"But we're all allied with each other now," Naruto pointed out. Irina turned to him. "I know it might go against the beliefs you've held for so long, but I think it's good if he can bridge the gap between devils and fallen angels."

Irina's eyes went wide, but then she turned away, presenting her back to him. Naruto noticed, absently, that she had placed her hands behind her back, and she was playing with her fingers.

"I… I guess you do have a point. It would be nice if we could all get along." She paused. "Do you think… angels and devils can also become that close?"

"What do you mean?" Naruto tilted his head. "I thought we were already close."

"R-right!" Irina squeaked. "You're totally right! We are! Hahaha! Silly me!" She coughed into her hand. "Anyway, I think I'm also going to unpack."

With her luggage in hand, Irina walked off with a wooden gait. Naruto remembered his conversation with Rias the other day about his polygamous relationship with her, Koneko, and Ravel. Irina was another potential partner, supposedly, but he still wasn't sure if he should let anything happen there. After all, she was Issei's childhood friend.

"Just because they are childhood friends doesn't mean something will happen between them," Kurama interrupted his musings.

"It doesn't," Naruto agreed. "At the same time, I'd like to make sure there are no feelings between them before I do anything with Irina. It would be best if we just stay friends for the time being."

"Suit yourself."

A tug on his sleeve made Naruto looked down at Koneko, who, after latching on to both him and Ravel, began dragging him down the hall.

"W-what do you think you're doing?!" Ravel squawked.

"Come on," Koneko said. "You two are going to help me unpack."

"You can't just demand people to help you," Ravel shouted, "and I have my own unpacking to do!"

Koneko didn't listen to her.

Naruto sighed. Then he frowned when a new weight was added to his shoulder. He looked up to find a pair of obsidian eyes staring at him.

"What are you doing?" Naruto asked Ophis, who sat on his shoulders, playing with several locks of his hair.

"Since the cat decided to drag you off before I could, I decided that this was the best course of action."

"Sitting on my shoulders?"

"Yes."

"Naruto, I had no idea you were a lolicon."

"Can it, fox."

With an immortal dragon girl sitting on his shoulders, a blonde ojou-sama arguing with a loli nekousho, and a furry snickering inside of his gut, Naruto realized that Ragnarok was the least of his problems.

~Devil Ninja~

Rias watched as Naruto was dragged off. She wondered if it was natural that she didn't feel all that jealous. Yes, she did want to have Naruto to herself, but she couldn't feel jealousy or hatred or even mild annoyance at the other girls who wanted Naruto's affection. It was… well, it was weird, if she was being honest. Rias felt like she should have been more possessive. However, seeing the smiles on the other girls' faces made it impossible for her to get angry.

I'm growing soft.

Ignoring Metatron, who was bawling his eyes out on the porch, Rias turned to Akeno. Her Queen was furrowing her brow and glaring at the place where Asia, Issei, and Raynare had disappeared to.

"Are you all right, Akeno?" she asked.

"I'm fine," was the immediate response.

"If you were fine, I doubt you would be glaring so intensely." Rias paused. "Does it bother you that much?"

Akeno stopped glaring and turned her head. "… It doesn't bother me at all."

Liar.

Rias withheld the urge to shake her head, grabbed Akeno by the hand, and pulled her along behind her. Akeno looked curious, but she didn't resist as she was dragged into the living room. They moved over to the couch. Rias pushed her friend until she was sitting down.

"Stay there," she said before heading into the kitchen.

Going through the pantry, Rias grabbed some tea leaves, and then pulled out her traditional tea set and went about making herbal tea. She wasn't as good at this as Akeno was. However, she had watched her Queen enough times that she knew how to make some decent tea. She came back in with two ornate cups balanced on a pair of small plates, which she set down on the coffee table before sitting herself next to Akeno.

"Drink," she ordered.

Akeno obviously knew better than to disobey when she got like this. She lifted the cup to her lips and took a sip. She paused, then took another sip.

"This is good," she complimented.

"Thank you," Rias said, also taking small sips of her own tea.

They didn't speak for the longest time. Rias wouldn't force Akeno to speak if she didn't want to. However, she left the invitation to speak open. During this time, she watched as Metatron trudged back into the mansion, his shoulders slumped. He was probably depressed because Naruto kept him at arm's length. It was weird for an angel to be so obsessed with a devil, but Metatron was apparently willing to ignore that if it meant being close to a ninja.

"I think I've made a terrible mistake," Akeno said at last.

"With Ise?"

"Yes."

If someone were to ask Rias, she would have said that Akeno had made many mistakes in regards to Issei. The first was deciding to date him on a whim because she wanted a relationship like the one that Rias shared with Naruto. The second was dumping him because of her own insecurities. The third was not confronting him about her problems and finding a solution where both of them could be, if not happy with, then at least satisfied by the outcome.

"Do you want to get back together?" Rias asked.

Akeno hesitated. She took another sip of her tea. The hand that held the cup was shaking.

"I don't know," she confessed. "I no longer know what I want. All I know is that I did a disservice to Ise. I used him, and then when I realized how I felt, I dumped him and ran away from these feelings. Now Raynare has moved in, and I'm not sure what I should do. I don't want her with him, but I don't know if I want to be with him. Does that make sense?"

"Not really." Rias drained her cup of tea. "But love rarely ever makes since, so I think your confusion is natural."

Setting the teacup down, she waited until Akeno was finished drinking before placing an arm around her Queen's shoulder and pulling the other woman into a half hug.

Rias felt guilty. Akeno had started dating Issei primarily because Rias had become preoccupied by her relationship with Naruto. Now her friend was running from her own feelings, confused about what she wanted, and haunted by her fallen angel blood. She should have noticed what was happening right away. She should have done something to help. However, the past couldn't be changed, which meant their only option was to move forward.

I might not have been there for her back then, but I'll be there for her now.

Silently, Rias plotted ways to help her best friend become the playful woman that she remembered.

~Devil Ninja~

"I can't believe you are making me help you," Ravel complained as she folded Koneko's clothes and put them in the dresser. "I should be unpacking my own clothes."

"Just shut up and help me, Yakitori. I'll help you once we're done."

"Don't call me that!"

Ravel wasn't the only one helping unpack Koneko's luggage. Naruto also helped. He wasn't folding clothes, though. He was grabbing all of the items that they had bought in the underworld and was finding a place for them. It was probably a good thing that most of what they bought was candy. Unlike Rias, who had bought upwards of one hundred souvenirs, Koneko only had a few figurines and some posters that could only be bought in the underworld.

I never would have guessed that Koneko was a fan of Magical Girl Levi-Tan…

The things one learned.

Ophis was also present, but unlike the others, she did nothing. Sat sat on the bed and watched the other three, her legs crossed as she stared at them like they were puzzles meant to be solved. Naruto looked at her once he'd finished unpacking. He promptly sweat dropped.

Is she staring at Ravel's boobs?

Ophis was locked into a staring contest with Ravel's breasts, which Naruto had to admit were magnificent. He had only touched them on rare occasion because Ravel was such a shy, prim, and proper girl. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable. Even so, he often enjoyed watching the way they bounced and swayed inside of her shirt as she moved. The fact that they looked so large on her short frame only made them better.

"Do you like Ravel's breasts?" Ophis suddenly asked.

"W-w-w-what?!" Ravel suddenly covered her chest. "What about my breasts?!"

If Naruto wasn't so used to Ophis's habit of being weird, he probably would have freaked out. As things stood, while the question was unexpected, he wasn't particularly bothered or embarrassed by it. He couldn't say the same thing about Ravel. She looked ready to go flaming chicken on them.

"I do," he admitted.

"N-N-N-Naruto-sama!"

"What do you like about them?" Ophis asked.

"Everything," Naruto said. Steam poured from Ravel's head as her face reached the brightness of a sun. "However, if you want specifics, then I think their size, shape, and firmness are amazing."

"W-w-w-w-w-what you saying?!" Ravel demanded—only to shriek when Koneko pulled the girl's hands away from her breasts and got in so close that her nose was practically touching Ravel's boobs. "K-Koneko! Let go of my hands! Let—kya!"

Koneko placed her hands on Ravel's breasts and began to rub and squeeze them, smashing them together and pushing them apart. Ravel's shirt wrinkled as Koneko fondled the blonde's mountainous mammaries. Naruto had to adjust himself.

"I do not see what is so great about these breasts," Koneko muttered as she pushed Ravel onto the ground, straddled the girl's waist, and resumed her fondling. "Though I'll admit Rias's boobs are amazing, boobs are really just large globs of fat, and Ravel's aren't even that big."

"K-Konek—kya! Stop that!" Ravel tried to push Koneko off of her, but Koneko was a Rook, and her physical strength far exceeded Ravel's.

"These breasts are obscene…" Koneko muttered as she kept squeezing and squeezing and squeezing—until Mount Ravel erupted.

"I said enough!"

Woosh!

Naruto and Ophis remained where they were as Koneko stopped fondling Ravel. While the nekousho blinked several times as if confused, the Phenex girl was breathing heavily, shoulders heaving and her face flushed scarlet.

"Uh, Koneko?"

"Yes, Naruto?"

"You know, uh, your head… it's on fire."

"I know."

"Oh. Right. So, uh, are you going to do anything about it? You know, like, run around and scream or something?"

"Yes, I was just getting to that."

There was a two second pause.

"WAAAA! MY HEAD IS ON FIRE!"

Koneko leapt to her feet and ran out of the room. Naruto stared at the now broken door, which Koneko, in her rush to find something to douse her head with, had completely busted down. The door was barely hanging off its last hinge, swaying back and forth with an ominous creak. He waited for one second. Two. With what sounded like a death cry, the hinge, unable to maintain the door's weight, finally fell down.

"Huh… I don't think I've ever seen Koneko act like that before." Naruto turned to Ravel and held out a hand. "You okay?"

"Hmph." Ravel turned her nose at him. "Some boyfriend you are. Why didn't you help me?"

"I would have, but honestly, I was too busy trying to stop myself from getting aroused," Naruto admitted.

Ravel paused. Her face turned pink. She turned her head, just a little, and peeked at him from out of the corner of her eye.

"That… you were, um, t-turned on watching Koneko t-t-touch my breasts?"

"Erm… would you be upset if I said yes?"

"N-no," Ravel mumbled. "Of course not. You are a… a man, after all. I know that men have… urges like that."

"Yeah…"

Silence filled the air. He wouldn't say it was stifling, but he also was acutely aware of Ravel's presence, and it somehow made him embarrassed. Naruto wondered what he should do to break it. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what he could say.

"Um, Naruto-sama?"

Glad that Ravel was the one speaking first, Naruto responded. "Yes?"

"Do you… um… would you like to touch… my breasts?"

Naruto paused. Ravel was currently wearing a pink off the shoulder shirt, jean shorts, and sandals. They looked good on her. However, in that moment, Ravel had pulled her shirt down, revealing her breasts, covered by nothing more than a basic white bra with cute pink frills.

He wasn't the only staring. Ophis was also looking at Ravel's boobs. Naruto, however, could only pay her a moment's attention before all of his focus was on Ravel.

"Can I?"

"If… if you want," Ravel said, looking away. "J… just be gentle with them, okay?"

Naruto nodded absently as he knelt down in front of Ravel. He didn't think she could blush anymore, but her cheeks were suddenly lit aflame at their new proximity. Most of his focus was on her boobs, however. Cupped as they were in a bra, their firmness was readily apparent. What's more, the bra's clasp was on the front. He wondered if she'd bought the bra with moments like this in mind.

"A-aren't you going to unhook my bra?" Ravel asked.

"Yeah… I'm sorry. I was distracted." Naruto reached out and undid the clasp. With the bra no longer confining them, Ravel's boobs bounced free. They didn't jiggle quite as much as Rias's chest, but they had a springiness to them that the redhead's lacked—probably because they were smaller. "Your bra is very cute, by the way."

"T-thank you—ah!"

Ravel's words, interrupted by a soft gasp, were halted because Naruto had placed his right hand on her left breast, pushing aside her bra. Ravel's breasts were large enough to fill his entire hand and have some left over. They weren't like Rias's breasts, which were so large his finger sank into them like they were water balloons. Ravel's were a lot firmer.

Their just as sensitive, though.

Her nipple had already grown stiff against his palm.

Ravel bit back another gasp as Naruto rubbed her breast. Her thighs squirmed as his thumb brushed against her nipple. Ravel bit her lip, which stifled a moan that wanted to escape when he tweaked her pink nipple between his fingers. She was really responsive. Naruto hadn't noticed it the few times he'd fondled her breasts because he'd been busy plunging his tongue into the depths of her mouth, but now that he was focused solely on her chest, he noticed that she was a lot more responsive than he had assumed.

I want to suck on them.

He looked at Ravel's face. Her cheeks were still lit up in a prominent blush, but it seemed less like it was from embarrassment and more from arousal. He looked down. Yep. Her jeans were growing damp. Not only was she blushing, but her breathing had groan quite heady. Her panting, rasping breath was stifling moans and gasps that threatened to escape.

Would she mind?

He should probably ask for permission before taking this any further. Ravel was a very proper young lady. While he believed she enjoyed his spontaneity, it was always important to make sure he wasn't doing something that would make her uncomfortable.

Before he could ask anything, however, Ophis suddenly appeared right next to them, cheeks in her hands as she squatted before the two. It was such a sudden, startling shift that Naruto and Ravel practically fell on top of each other in their shock.

"Can I also touch them?" Ophis asked.

Ravel was, oddly enough, the one to recover first.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

Her shout echoed across the mansion.

~Devil Ninja~

It was later at night, after the sun had gone down and the moon waxed across the sky, and Rias was still awake. Naruto was dozing in their bed. So was Koneko, who had crawled in after Naruto had fallen asleep. Rias wasn't sure what to think of that. She and Naruto had sex not long ago, and now Koneko was nuzzling her face against Naruto's chest like an overly affectionate house cat.

The problem, she determined, had nothing to do with the act, but with the fact that Naruto and Koneko were currently naked. If those two had sex on their own time, so be it, but she didn't want Koneko doing anything with Naruto while he slept.

Consent was a two way road and all that.

Though I don't think Naruto would mind all that much.

Looking away from her lover and Koneko, Rias stared out the window as she mulled over the dilemma that was Akeno and Issei's disunity. Naruto had told her not to interfere. He said they needed to resolve this on their own. Rias agreed with him, but she still wanted to help somehow, even if it was just giving them a nudge so they would start communicating again. She couldn't stand seeing the division between them.

They're both hurting, though I think Akeno is hurting more than Ise.

Issei had been hurt by Akeno, but Akeno was hurting herself. It was like a form of self-mutilation, except instead of physical scars, she was creating emotional ones.

It was killing Rias. She loved Akeno and Ise, and she didn't want to see them hurting like this. What's more, because they were hurting, Asia was also in pain, so three members of her peerage, her family, were suffering.

"You seem troubled," Naruto said.

Rias was startled. She hadn't known he was awake, or perhaps he just woke up.

"I'm worried about Akeno and Ise," she said.

"I figured as much," Naruto said. He blinked several times as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, and then he looked down.

He paused.

"When did Koneko get in here?"

"After you went to sleep."

"Ah."

Naruto shifted underneath the covers. Rias started when she heard Koneko moan. She looked down as the covers squirmed like there was something writhing underneath it, and then she looked at Koneko's flushed face and twitching cat ears.

"Naruto?"

"Yes, Rias?"

"Are you fondling Koneko?"

Naruto paused. "… Maybe."

"Please don't toy with the girl in her sleep." Rias sighed.

"I don't think she's gonna complain."

"Maybe not, but it's the principle of the matter. Wait until she's awake."

"I am awake," Koneko said.

Naruto and Rias blinked.

"When did you wake up?" they asked at the same time.

"I've been awake since Naruto's dick started rubbing against my thigh," Koneko admitted, "which was around fifteen minutes ago."

Rias looked at Naruto who looked away and whistled innocently. She frowned.

"Anyway," Naruto started again, "why don't you get back into bed?"

Without anything better to do, Rias did just that, crawling back under the covers and snuggling against Naruto and Koneko, who was squished between them. Not that the nekousho seemed to mind in the least. The white-haired girl made herself comfortable. Rias mused that they were currently making a Koneko sandwich.

The thought was vaguely amusing.

"You mentioned being worried about Akeno and Ise?" Naruto prodded.

"And Asia," Rias said. "I just… I want to do something for them, but I'm not sure what. I'm not planning to interfere," she added before Naruto could say anything. "I just want to help them. I want… to give them an opportunity to clear the air between them."

"I understand what you're getting at, but…" Naruto trailed off, perhaps unable to think of something to say. He had to know how badly this was eating at her.

"Why don't we go somewhere fun as a peerage?" Koneko suddenly suggested.

"Huh?" Rias asked.

"Go somewhere fun," Koneko said. "It's still summer. We can take a vacation at the beach with everyone. We'll say that we're taking a break after all the hardships we went through, and then we can think up a plan to get the pervert and Akeno-senpai to start talking."

"That's… a really good idea," Rias said.

Actually, it was a brilliant idea, and she wondered now why she hadn't thought of it before. It was still summer. They had the time, and all of them were done with their homework. Plus, after what they had been through, a little R&R at a nice beach might be just what the doctor ordered. At the same time, they could come up with a plan to get Ise and Akeno to start talking again. It was perfect.

Naruto sighed as she and Koneko plotted well into the night. There were so many things they needed to discuss. Location was important, but they also needed to figure out a plan to get Akeno and Ise alone together. Of course, the beach was already decided. However, which beach were they going to was an important question.

"Somehow," he began, "I'm beginning to feel really bad for Akeno and Ise."

Rias and Koneko ignored his grumbling.

This was for love!

~Devil Ninja~

When Rias Gremory decided on something, she certainly didn't do it half-assed. That was the only thought that Naruto had as he, the rest of the Gremory Peerage, Irina Shidou, Ravel, Ophis, Raynare, Metatron, and Azazel road on a bus that was headed for the beach. Apparently, not only did the Gremory family own a vacation manor up in the mountains, but they had a home by the beach as well.

Metatron and Azazel were up front. Azazel was driving. Metatron had demanded that he be the one to drive, but when Azazel asked if he had a license and Metatron replied with silence, the argument had ended and the fallen took the driver's seat. The archangel was sulking in the front.

Rias was sitting with Asia, oddly enough. Her excuse had been that she didn't get to bond with her "cute Asia-chan" often enough and wanted to take this time to grow closer. Naruto knew the real reason she was doing this.

He turned his head. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw them, Akeno and Issei. The poor pair were sitting in the back, away from everyone else. They weren't talking. They were just sitting there awkwardly like they didn't know what to say. Part of the reason might have been thanks to Raynare.

"Hey, Ise-kun, I got a new swimsuit," the fallen was saying. "Would you like to see me in it?"

"Erm… well, I…"

When Issei trailed off, Raynare grinned and leaned over, pressing her boobs into his arm. "Oh, I know what you really want. You want to help me change into it." Raynare's grin made Naruto sigh. She was doing this on purpose. "That's fine, too, Ise. If you'd like, you can join me in the changing room and help put on my bikini. Just make sure you're extra gentle, okay?"

While Issei remained silent, perhaps stunned into silence or maybe unsure of what to say, Akeno was gritting her teeth. The woman looked like she was ready to light the fallen up like Christmas lights.

Naruto wondered what her game was. For what reason was Raynare baiting Akeno like this, or was Issei the one she was baiting?

Rias looks pissed, too.

His girlfriend was glaring daggers at Raynare as she sat between Asia and Kiba, though she shifted back into a smile when Asia said something to her. Meanwhile, in the seat in front, Koneko was having a ball playing with Gasper.

"NOOO! Get that raw fish away from meeeeeee!"

"Just try a bite, Gaspie."

"NOOOOO!"

Naruto shook his head and sighed.

"Those two seem to get along well," Irina said.

Naruto was sitting between Irina and Ravel. The Phenex girl was sitting close enough that their thighs and shoulders were touching. She'd also surreptitiously wrapped her pinky around his, as though she wanted the intimacy of holding his hand, but she was too embarrassed to actually hold his hand. Irina, who sat by the window, was further away, but that was like comparing apples to oranges.

"You think so?" he asked.

Irina took another look at Gasper and Koneko. The poor boy was up against the wall, literally, and doing everything in his power not to let Koneko shove sushi covered in garlic sauce into his mouth. Ophis was also with them. The dragon god seemed intensely interested in the dynamic between the two, or maybe she was just there because Rias had forbade her from sitting on Naruto's lap. There was no telling.

Irina looked back at him.

"Well… maybe not so much."

"I'm just glad that cat is bothering Gasper and not me," Ravel confessed. She paused, then added, "though I do feel bad for Gasper. Dealing with Koneko isn't easy."

"Isn't that the truth," Naruto said.

As the ride continued, Naruto noticed that Irina kept stealing glances at the back, at where Issei was sitting with Raynare and Akeno.

"I'm sorry you had to sit with me," Naruto said suddenly. "I bet you were hoping to sit with Ise, huh?"

"No, not really," Irina admitted. Then she looked away. "What I mean is… Ise is my friend from childhood, so of course I'd like to chat every now and then, but it's not like he and I are a couple."

"I guess that tale about childhood friends always getting married only happens in anime," Naruto said, suddenly wanting to curse. He'd been watching way too much anime lately. Rias had been practically shoving different series down his throat. The last anime they had watched was actually one in which two childhood friends got together, which was why he'd assumed Irina liked Issei.

What was it called again…?

"In any case, I don't mind sitting here like this," Irina admitted. "It's nice. I mean, it means we can talk and get to know each other better, right?"

"Yeah." Naruto grinned. "Oh, that reminds me! You mentioned a while ago that you like to bake."

"That's right!" Irina suddenly perked up and turned more fully to face him. "I'm not really into baking sweets like Ravel here, but I enjoy baking different kinds of breads. After my family and I moved to the Vatican, I learned a lot about the different types of bread that can be made. Did you know that in Europe, bread and cheese with wine is extremely popular?"

"I didn't know that," Naruto said.

"I always wanted to ask, but what sort of baking techniques are used in Italy?" asked Ravel.

Naruto still didn't know a lot about this world—mostly because he didn't care. This world's history, its people, their past and present, it didn't really matter to him enough that he'd bother researching it. On the other hand, Rias, Koneko, Irina, and the others were a part of this world. He didn't mind learning about what they enjoyed.

Time passed as the bus continued toward the beach.

~Devil Ninja~

The Gremory mansion looked the same as Rias remembered it, though it was more like a large house than a mansion. It had a very modern feel. Shaped like a rectangle, with a flat roof and numerous glass windows and sliding glass doors that led to a porch, it definitely felt more modern than anything else her parents owned.

They were so old-fashioned.

The bus parked in the parking garage, which was a small eight-car garage that sat off to the side of the house. Because the bus was so big, it took up most of the garage, about two-thirds of it.

"Okay, everyone!" Azazel clapped his hands and grinned. Standing beside him with slumped shoulders was a dejected Metatron. "Grab your luggage, choose a room, and get unpacked. We'll decide what we should do first afterward."

"Who made you the boss," Metatron mumbled. "I'm the one that's living with ninja-sama and the others. I should be the one in charge."

"Then by all means," Azazel began with a gesture, "tell them what to do."

"You already did that…"

Rias decided to leave the pair to their arguing. She looked over at where Naruto was chatting with Irina and Ravel as they grabbed their luggage, or, well, Naruto was carrying their luggage. After debating on what to do, she decided to give them some time alone. It was only right since she tended to monopolize Naruto most of the time.

Besides, I need to keep Asia occupied.

"Asia-chan." Rias grabbed the girl's attention. "Come on. Let's grab our luggage and choose a room."

"O-okay!" Asia said, hurrying over to her side.

Rias grabbed their luggage, both her's and Asia's, and then made her way toward the house with the former nun in tow. Kiba was already up ahead with Gasper, who was using him as a shield from Koneko. Rias almost snorted when she saw the creepy grin on Koneko's face as she waggled her fingers at the dhampir.

It really is good to see Koneko having so much fun.

Catching something out of the corner of her eye, Rias frowned when she spotted Raynare dragging Issei to the house. Issei was carrying several suitcases. He wasn't having any difficulty, but he was tripping over himself as the girl pulled him along.

She didn't see Akeno anywhere.

I'm going to have a long talk with Raynare…

Since Rias's job was to keep Asia occupied, she ended up sharing a room with the girl. They were splitting rooms up by gender anyway. Naruto was sharing a room with Issei, while Kiba and Gasper were sharing a room with each other. Akeno was with Irina, while Koneko was with Raynare. Though the nekousho hadn't been pleased with the arrangement, she understood the need to keep Raynare in check.

Raynare had also complained. She claimed that she wanted to sleep with Asia and Issei, but Rias had put her foot down. If she did that, then it would become that much harder for Issei and Akeno to talk.

As they were putting away their clothes, Rias decided that now was a good time to talk about Asia's feelings.

"Asia, come here for a moment," she said, sitting on the bed and patting the spot beside her.

"Um, okay."

While Asia seemed confused, she obediently wandered up to Rias and sat down, placing her hands on her lap and looking at Rias with her big, green eyes.

"Asia, I wanted to talk to you about Issei and Akeno." She smiled kindly when Asia stiffened. "Don't worry. I don't want to be intrusive, but I wanted to know your feelings. Asia, you were involved with them both. I'm sure what happened between the three of you hurts. That's why I wanted to know how you feel."

"How I feel?" Asia looked down as she played with her hands. "I… well, I feel like… a part of me has been missing ever since Akeno-senpai broke up with Ise-san. Whenever we were together, it felt kind of like I had a kind and playful older sister, but now that she's gone, it's like some part of me has disappeared. Ise does what he can to make up happy, and he's a great boyfriend, but he's even more hurt than I am, so it's hard on him."

Rias nodded. That was about what she had expected, but she wanted to hear the words from Asia's mouth.

"I would like to help them both," Asia continued, "but I don't really know what I can do. I'm not strong like they are, so I…"

"You're wrong."

"Huh?"

"Asia-chan, you are strong." Rias made sure Asia didn't look away, holding her in place with eye contact. "Ise might have been supporting you, but all this time, you've also been supporting him. And not just that. You were the one who broke the ice between everyone else and Raynare. It was because you accepted her that things have mostly calmed down between us. You need to give yourself more credit."

"D-do you really think so?" Asia asked.

"Of course I do," Rias said. "And that's why I wanted to ask if you'd like to help me try to get Akeno and Issei to patch things up between them."

When all Asia did was tilt her head, Rias finally let the girl in on her plan to help Akeno and Issei get over there problems.

~Devil Ninja~

It was unanimously decided that they would all take a bath in the hot spring, an indoor hot spring located in the west wing of the mansion. Raynare had mentioned it as he was wandering the hall looking for Asia. Rias hadn't said anything, but Issei guessed that made sense. It was too late to hit the beach. The sun was lowering and it would be dinner soon. What's more, everyone had been cooped in that bus for several hours, so relaxing in a hot spring was definitely a good idea.

He didn't see Naruto-sensei, Kiba, Gasper, Azazel or Metatron as he wandered into the large changing room. Their clothes weren't located in the changing room either. Naruto had said that he had something to do, so that didn't surprise him, but the others should have been there.

"Oh, well." Issei shrugged. "It's not like getting naked with a bunch of guys is my thing anyway."

Though it would be boring to relax by himself. Maybe he could convince Asia to join him?

It would be nice if Akeno was also around to join us.

After stripping down, folding his clothes, and putting them into one of the bins, which rested on racks against the wall to his left, Issei walked across the tile and over to the large sliding door. He opened it. Stepping in, Issei was about to take his first steps inside, but he paused when he realized something.

Issei wasn't alone.

Akeno was also there, completely naked, her back turned to him as she sat on the stool in front of the showers. Her long, dark hair had been pulled to one side and was resting over his shoulder. Unbidden, his eyes wandered over the expense of her pearly white back, and then down to her butt as it rested on the stool. He wanted to close his eyes, but if he did that, the memories of what they'd done from behind would plague him.

"Ise?" Akeno seemed even more surprised than him. "What are you doing here? It's supposed to be the girl's turn in the hot spring."

"Girl's turn?" Issei blinked dumbly. "But I thought this was the male's side."

"There is no male of female hot spring. Just this one, and it's the girl's turn to enter." Akeno narrowed her eyes, though she didn't turn around. "I'll ask again. What are you doing here?"

"Erm, well, I was told that we were going to the hot spring, so…"

Akeno twitched. "I see. This was a setup."

"What?"

"Nothing. You can use the hot spring. I'll get out."

Issei was conflicted. Speaking honestly, he didn't want her getting out, but he also didn't want to leave. That… was a really roundabout way of telling himself that he wanted bathe with her. However, he didn't want to push Akeno either.

"No," Issei said. "You were here first. I'll get out."

Akeno raised her eyebrow, but Issei turned around and wandered back to the sliding door. He grabbed the handle and pulled.

Nothing happened.

He frowned. Then he pulled again.

Nothing happened.

"T-that's odd." Issei grabbed onto the sliding door with all his might and tugged, but still nothing happened. "Why won't this door open?!"

"Stand back, Ise," Akeno said, magic circles appearing over her hands.

Issei squeaked when lightning crackled from the circles, and he hastened to do what she told him, scrambling away from the door as she unleashed a torrent of lightning, which struck the door with an unrelenting force. Again. Nothing happened. When the lightning vanished after Akeno exhausted her attack, the door remained pristine.

"Tch. I should have known this building would be reinforced to withstand such a small attack," Akeno muttered. Issei worried when her frown became contemplative, as though she was debating whether or not to use a stronger attack.

"It's fine." Issei held up his hand, which glowed a bright red as he equipped his Boosted Gear. "It might be able to withstand a weaker attack, but I somehow doubt it can deal with a concentrated attack."

"Boost!"

Akeno stepped back as Issei began boosting his Sacred Gear. He figured five boosts should be enough. After it was fully charged up, he rushed forward and slammed the Boosted Gear into the sliding door. Sadly, at the very last second, a magic circle appeared and Issei was sent flying back, his attack never landing. He splashed into the water and came up, coughing and sputtering.

"W-what the hell just happened?!" he asked of no one in particular.

"It seems someone doesn't want us leaving," Akeno murmured, her eyes narrowing further, "and I think I know who that someone is."

~Devil Ninja~

"Are you ready to hit the hot spring, Asia?" asked Rias. She already had a towel in hand and was merely waiting on her Bishop. Since it was the girl's time to bathe, she wanted to enjoy that time with Asia and deepen their bonds.

"I'm ready!" Asia said as she hurried up to Rias.

The two of them left the bedroom and wandered down the hall, their feet sinking slightly into the soft crimson carpet. The other girls were probably at the hot spring by now. Since there was only one hot spring, and it didn't have a separation for each gender, the girls were going in first. It was too bad, but not all of the women were comfortable being seen naked by the men, and while Rias didn't care much for modesty, she really only wanted one man to see her naked these days.

Before they could get too far, a massive explosion rocked the manner. At first, Rias thought they were under attack, but when, after several seconds, nothing happened, she helped Asia climb to her feet after the girl had fallen down and continued walking.

That was when they were met by an angry Akeno. She was dressed in the blouse and skirt combo that she'd been wearing on the bus. However, her sandals were in her hands instead of on her feet.

"Akeno?" Rias asked. "What's wrong? Did you already take a bath?"

"Rias, while I appreciate that you want to help me, please, from now on, stay out of my business," Akeno ground out before stomping past them.

Rias and Asia said nothing as Akeno disappeared around a corner, presumably heading to her room. What was that about? Standing in place, Rias couldn't help but ask this question as she tried to figure out what Akeno had meant when she said to "stay out of her business." Rias hadn't even done anything yet!

"Akeno-sa—senpai seemed really angry," Asia said. "Do you think she found out that you were trying to help her make amends with Ise-san?"

"I don't see how she could know that," Rias muttered. "I haven't even begun enacting my plan yet." Rias frowned, but she realized that nothing would get done if they just stood there. "Come on, Asia. Let's get in the hot spring."

"O-okay."

~Devil Ninja~

Dinner had been stifling. Naruto didn't know what was going on, but several people at the dinner table had made it nearly impossible for anyone to eat in comfort. Akeno had been exuding an aura that all but screamed, "talk to me and I'll kill you." Meanwhile, Rias had been frowning at Akeno as though trying to solve a puzzle, while Asia had sat meekly between her and Issei. At the same time, Issei had been stealing glances at Akeno. Throughout it all, Raynare had been grinning.

Naruto felt like he, Kiba, Koneko, and Gasper were being left completely out of the loop.

When dinner ended, Naruto was dragged out of the mansion by Kiba, who said that he wanted to spar. They had invited Issei and Gasper to join them, but both had declined. Issei had said that he wanted to be alone for awhile. It was another sign that something had happened.

Gasper had remained in his cardboard box.

Sparring with Kiba was pretty fun, mostly because Kiba was an excellent swordsman who used blindingly fast attacks to seek out the blind spots in his guard. Naruto always had to keep on his toes when they fought. It was even more difficult now because Kiba had begun getting creative with his Sword Birth.

"Tch!"

Naruto leapt into the air seconds before several blades jutted from the ground. They were a mixture of western swords like broadswords and claymores. As he descended back toward the ground, Kiba placed his hands on the ground and called forth Sword Birth again, but Naruto already knew what he would do.

"Rasengan!"

Slamming a rasengan into the tower of blades, Naruto destroyed all of them, though a few tried to cut his skin. He'd created a barrier of wind chakra, however. This allowed him to avoid getting hurt. As he landed back on the ground, a dual-wielding Kiba was already there to meet him.

Naruto was not talented at wielding straightforward weapons. As a ninja, his primary weapons were kunai, shuriken, and ninja wire, which he often used in conjunction with traps. He wouldn't use those here. His ultimate goal, at the moment, was to get better at using hand-to-hand combat and his jutsu.

That was why Naruto coated his hands in wind chakra, watched Kiba's attacks, and timed his own maneuvers. He smacked away Kiba's blades as they came at him, cutting through them with his wind chakra. This didn't stop his sparring partner. Kiba created more blades and kept fighting.

In terms of close combat, Naruto would say that Kiba was better thanhim. However, that was only when other factors weren't involved. Physically speaking, Naruto was stronger, and if he used Kurama's chakra cloak, he was faster and stronger. However, his fighting style had always been rough. Kiba was precise, a fighting machine with more sword techniques than Ichiraku had ramen flavors. Battling him with nothing but taijutsu was difficult.

"Let's stop here," Kiba said at last. His forehead was drenched in sweat, and his breathing had grown labored.

"Running out of energy?" asked Naruto.

"Hardly," Kiba retorted. "I just think now is a good time to stop. We're supposed to be on vacation anyway."

The grounds of the mansion were larger than he'd expected. While the beach was located directly across the street, the backyard stretched out for several hundred meters. Walkways meandered through patches of flowers that varied in color and type, and he counted at least five gazebos where people could relax in the shade. There was also a swimming pool, which was larger even than the one at school.

"Then why ask me to spar?" asked Naruto as he and Kiba sat on the porch.

"Because I wanted to ask if you knew what was going on," Kiba admitted.

"But you didn't want to just come right out and ask?"

"Basically."

"That's a pretty roundabout way of doing things."

"I thought it would break the ice."

Naruto chuckled a bit. Kiba was something of a gentleman, though there was a darker side that none of his fangirls knew about. He always did things in a linear manner that he felt would make the situation easier on everyone. Sparring with him as a form of male bonding before asking about what was happening was just like Kiba.

Looking at the sky, Naruto eyed the moon as it was surrounded by numerous twinkling stars. They were pretty far from Kuoh—about two hours travel by bus. He didn't know where, exactly, they were, but if the stars were this visible, then it must have been far from society.

"There's a lot that's been happening," Naruto said. "I'm sure you already know about the problems between Akeno and Ise."

"Who doesn't?" Kiba nodded. "So, this has something to do with them?"

"It seems Rias and Koneko have decided to help Issei and Akeno resolve their issues."

"Ah. Yeah, that sounds like Rias." Kiba flopped onto his back, closed his eyes, and smiled. "She could never stand to see others in pain. If there's a way to help, come hell or high water, she's going to do whatever it takes to make you smile again."

"I know." Naruto followed Kiba's example and laid on his back. "That's why I love her."

"Say, Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"When something like this happens again, make sure to tell me, all right? I don't want to be left out of the loop anymore."

It took Naruto a moment, but he quickly realized that Kiba was probably one of the only people who wasn't involved in all the drama happening within the Gremory Peerage right then. Even Irina knew the basics. She just wasn't involving herself. Gasper was probably also out of the loop, but he didn't seem to care overly much for what the others were doing.

"You got it." Naruto raised his right hand into the air, fingers clenched into a fist. "When something like this happens again, I'll let you know."

"Thanks man," Kiba said, bumping Naruto's fist with his own.

~Devil Ninja~

The next morning was when everyone planned on going to the beach. Naruto and Kiba got up early and changed into a pair of swim trunks, Naruto in a bright orange pair and Kiba in dark blue. As they left the room, Kiba eyed Naruto's trunks dubiously, as though trying to figure out why he hadn't been blinded yet.

"Is there a reason you chose such an obnoxious color?"

"What do mean? Orange is awesome."

"I'm not sure I believe that."

"Oi. Don't diss my trunks!"

They made their way into the kitchen, where the sound and smell of sizzling bacon filled the air. The kitchen was also connected to the living room, which had a very open feel. There were no doors outside of the ones leading into the hallway. What's more, a massive glass window filled two-thirds of the wall, and there were multiple sliding doors that led onto the porch.

As his bare feet padded against the tiles, Naruto turned toward the stove to find out who was cooking.

He was surprised.

"Metatron?"

"Ah! Ninja-sama," Metatron greeted as he flipped several pancakes and turned the bacon over. The heady scent of sizzling meat filled the air. "Breakfast will be ready in just a bit. Please exercise patience until then."

"Um, okay."

It was really unusual to see Metatron cooking. Naruto didn't even know the archangel knew how to cook. However, after thinking about it, Metatron had trained in a shinobi village somewhere in this world, so he must have been given some survival training as well. Cooking was a part of that training. Even so, from the scent, which was mouth-watering, he must have studied cooking more extensively than most.

There were several places to sit, a long table in the center of the room, a set of couches situated over a rug and centered around a coffee table. Naruto chose to sit on one of the couches since it looked more comfortable than the chairs. As he sank into the couch, Kiba chose the other couch, and together they chatted about training techniques while waiting for everyone else to arrive.

Issei and Gasper—the latter wearing a paper bag on his head—were the first to arrive. They wandered into the kitchen/living room. Issei yawned as he stretched his hands high above his head.

"Morning, you two," Naruto greeted.

"I hope you slept well," Kiba added.

"I slept all right," Issei mumbled with a tired look in his eyes. "I'm so used to sleeping with Asia that it was hard getting to sleep without her."

Naruto nodded. "That I understand. I'm always sleeping with Rias, so not having her in bed with me felt weird."

"Don't brag about sleeping with buchou to me," Issei grumbled as Gasper sat down next to Naruto. "I don't want to hear it."

"Because you're jealous?"

"Yes!"

Naruto snorted. Issei was nothing if not honest. He liked that about the guy, but sometimes his perverted friend was a little too honest.

One by one everyone else came in. The girls were all wearing clothes over their swimsuits. According to Rias, they wanted to surprise the boys. While Issei complained a bit about not getting to see their boobs filling out their suits now, Naruto understood the joy of a good surprise, and he was looking forward to seeing what Koneko, Ravel, and Rias looked like in a swimsuit.

They ate breakfast and then went down to the beach, crossing the road and traveling down a flight of stairs until they reached the sand.

This beach was a private one. The Gremory family owned it. What this meant was that there wasn't a single soul for kilometers. It was just them, the white sand, and the crystal blue water.

The girls, finally, divested their shirts and shorts. Naruto and Issei were in awe. Issei even had blood gushing down his nose.

"What do you boys think?" asked Rias, who was wearing a swimsuit that Naruto didn't think could rightly be called such. It was more like two strips of purple cloth that stretched across her breasts before going into her crotch. Naruto could see camel toe.

She wasn't the only one who looked amazing. Koneko had chosen to wear a white one-piece that he thought suited her smaller, more lithe frame. Meanwhile, Ravel had donned a white bikini with frills along the two triangle pieces that covered her breasts, and it was tied together with a blue bow.

"You ladies looking amazing!" Naruto gushed as he gave them a thumbs up. "You three look incredibly sexy!"

While Ravel blushed to the roots of her hair, Rias and Koneko shared a high five.

"Let's set up the umbrellas first," Irina suggested. Her bright pink bikini was pretty modest compared to Rias's racy swimsuit and Ravel's elegant bikini, but Naruto thought it suited her well.

Naruto helped set up the umbrellas while Koneko and Ravel laid out a large blanket that several people could share. Rias had grabbed a lounge chair from somewhere and set it just outside of the umbrella's protective zone. He guessed she wanted to catch some UV rays, though he hoped she wouldn't tan. He rather liked her fair skin.

A little ways off, Akeno stood slightly separated from the group. As he spotted her out of the corner of his eye, he also saw a grinning Raynare walk up to her. They began to bicker. He didn't know what it was about, but Akeno eventually tried to fry Raynare with lightning.

"What are those two doing?" Rias asked of no one in particular. "That Raynare… she's going to ruin my plan if she upsets Akeno like that."

"Speaking of, what is the plan?" asked Kiba. "For Akeno and Issei, I mean. How do you plan on getting them back together?"

"Naruto," Koneko said, holding up a bottle of suntan lotion.

"Do you want me to put lotion on you?" asked Naruto. Koneko nodded. "Okay. Give it here."

Koneko laid down on her stomach, and Naruto straddled her thighs as he squirted suntan on his hands and began rubbing the nekousho down. The girl's back was highly muscled. It was a combination of her Rook abilities and her natural strength. Naruto enjoyed the way her back muscles twitched under his hands. He enjoyed rubbing lotion all over her thighs and butt even more.

"The plan isn't to get Akeno and Issei back together," Rias said, frowning. "Whether they start dating again or decide to remain just friends is up to them. All I want is for them to find closure."

"You're aroused," Koneko said as she switched from lying on her stomach to her back. Naruto began applying lotion to her chest and stomach.

"It can't be helped," Naruto said.

"I'm excited that you're excited." Koneko's cat ears twitched.

"N-Naruto-sama!" Ravel squeaked. Irina was standing next to her and peeking at Naruto and Koneko from between the cracks of her fingers, which she had used to cover her face as though attempting to block out the sight. "Can you a-a-apply lotion to me next?"

"Sure," Naruto agreed.

"I see." Kiba cupped his chin, the conversation between him and Rias continuing without Naruto and the others. "That does sound more like something you'd want. So, how are we going to go about this?"

"Are you going to help, Kiba?" asked Rias.

"Of course."

Naruto had switched from putting suntan lotion on Koneko to Ravel. She was on her stomach. He was straddling her thighs as he rubbed her back. The string of her bikini was undone, so Naruto had a great view of her sideboob as it pushed out from underneath her. Ravel's soft skin was something he always enjoyed touching. Out of everyone he knew, her skin was the fairest.

"N-Naruto-sama…" Ravel mumbled. "You're… poking me."

"Sorry." Naruto adjusted himself so his erection wasn't as visible. "I'm straddling a gorgeous young woman whom I'm intimate with. You can't blame me for being aroused."

"I-I'm not saying I blame you," Ravel mumbled.

"Yakitori is saying she's happy that her body gives you a stiffy," Koneko said.

"That's not it at all! Stop putting words in my mouth!"

After adding suntan lotion to Ravel's front, Naruto realized that they were missing someone. He looked around. Azazel and Metatron were both in swim trunks. Azazel was already in the water, catching some waves, while Metatron was relaxing on a lounge chair. Issei was putting suntan lotion on Asia… well, it looked more like he was surreptitiously fondling her breasts, but Asia didn't seem to mind if the giggles were any indication. Akeno was still fighting with Raynare, Irina was looking at him like she wanted something, Rias was still talking to Kiba, and Gasper was… hiding in his box.

"Where's Ophis?" he asked.

"I'm right here," a voice said.

Naruto turned to the voice.

His jaw promptly became unhinged.

Ophis had had changed into… well, he didn't know if he'd call it a swimsuit. The bottom was certainly that of a bikini, dark purple, with only a pair of strings tying it together. However, it looked like her boobs were covered in purple tape, and only her nipples were really covered, and they were poking through the tape anyway.

That wasn't the problem.

It was her boobs.

They were huge.

Ophis' height hadn't changed at all, but her breasts had suddenly increased in size. Instead of being flatter than a board, she was now sporting a pair of bazongas that looked just a size or two away from Rias's magnificent mountains. However, given that her height remained the same, the sudden hextoupling in size made them seem a lot bigger than they were.

"Uh… what… what is this?" the question had come from Rias, not Naruto, but he wanted to ask the same thing.

Ophis was staring at him. "Do you like them?"

"Erm…" Naruto tore his eyes away from the two jiggling mountains. "What?"

"My boobs. Do you like them? They're bigger now."

Naruto wasn't sure how to answer that. It wasn't that they were bad, but they looked so disproportionate on her small body that they seemed out of place.

Koneko wandered up to Ophis, and without any warning, she grabbed Ophis' breasts and hefted them in her hands. She proceeded to inspect them like one might a pair of watermelons. Naruto was almost disturbed with the way she eyed, squeezed, poked, and prodded the immortal dragon's tatas. What made it even more disturbing was how Ophis's boobs bounced, jiggled, and were squished flat like indestructible water balloons.

"Hm… these are too big," Koneko declared.

Ophis frowned. "Rias Gremory's are bigger."

"True." Koneko nodded. "But Rias is taller than you."

"So you are saying I should also make myself taller?"

"It might help, but I think for you, a smaller size would look better."

"Is that so?" Ophis looked at Naruto expectantly.

"Erm… you'd probably look good in a B-cup," he admitted.

"I see. I understand. Very well. I'll be right back." Ophis turned around and began walking back up the stairs, all the while mumbling to herself. "This is harder than I thought."

A moment of silence reigned over the beach as Ophis disappeared. Even Akeno and Raynare had stopped fighting and were staring at the place where the dragon god had been, a pair of dumbfounded expressions etched on their faces. Naruto really did have to wonder about that little immortal dragon loli. What was she trying to accomplish?

Within this silence, Irina spoke up.

"Does anyone else know what just happened?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Oh, good. I'm glad it's not just me."

~Devil Ninja~

Rias was standing in a semi circle with Kiba, Koneko, and Ravel. This was the team that she had gathered to help in her task of getting Akeno and Issei to communicate and gain some closure.

Naruto was not a part of this group. His belief that they should wait for Akeno and Issei to solve this problem on their own kept him from helping. She was disappointed, but she respected his feelings on the matter. He was currently playing in the water with Irina and Ophis… who had gained about an extra twenty centimeters or so in height and now had breasts that were closer in size to Irina's than her own.

Rias could only shake her head.

"So, what's the plan?" asked Kiba.

"The goal is to make Akeno and Issei talk to each other," Rias began. "To that end, I think creating a situation where the two are forced into close contact is the only option."

"What if we have the pervert save Akeno from drowning?" asked Koneko.

"That could work," Rias admitted.

Ravel had a counterargument. "Would it really? I mean, Akeno-san doesn't seem the type to drown in water."

"That is… true," Rias conceded.

"But does she really need to be drowning?" Kiba asked. "So long as Ise thinks Akeno is in trouble, he'll come running."

"Point," Ravel admitted.

"Then how about this…" Rias quickly laid out a basic plan to get the two talking. Ravel had a few suggestions to add, which Rias adapted into their plan. The girl was a great tactician. When they were finished coming up with a plan, Rias clapped her hands. "All right. We've got the plan ready, so let's begin. Operation: Help Akeno and Ise Find Closure begins now!"

Everyone threw their hands in the air and cheered. It was time.

~Devil Ninja~

Naruto had decided not to help Rias in her quest to fix the issues between Akeno and Issei, Ophis didn't care, and Irina felt like it wasn't her place to intervene. That was why they had decided to play together. While Rias, Koneko, Ravel, and Kiba did their best to fix the relationship between those two, they were having fun in the ocean.

"T-this is really salty," Ophis muttered after trying to drink the water. Naruto and Irina were already busy laughing at the face she was making. He didn't know she could grimace like that.

Ophis glared at them. Was she… she was blushing!

"You dare to laugh at me?" Ophis questioned before unleashing enough power to create a wave of water that slammed into him and Irina.

Well, it would have if they hadn't jumped out of the way.

While Irina touched down with a loud splash, Naruto landed on top of the water and stayed there. Ophis sent more water at him, but he adroitly leapt over each wave. Frustrated, she created streamers of water that shot at him like snakes pouncing on prey, but Naruto proved his dexterity by dodging each and every attack sent his way.

Ophis's face became more and more red as her attacks failed to hit. Naruto, being the upstanding gentleman that he was, did the gentlemanly thing—pulled down his eyelid while sticking out his tongue.

"Nya nya! Can't hit me!"

"I will hit you!" Ophis, in a rare outburst that he'd never seen from her, shouted at him as the snake-like tendrils increased.

Naruto was about to dodge some more, but he suddenly found that he couldn't move. Something had wrapped around his ankles. Looking down, he saw a pair of hands holding onto him. The hands were attached to a grinning Irina.

"Now, Ophis-chan!"

"Oh, that is so not co—grrbbllee!"

Naruto was unable to say anything when water slammed into his face, drenching him from head to toe. As the water ceased smacking his face, Naruto looked at the smug Ophis, who wore an expression that reminded him of a very satisfied cat. Then he looked down at Irina, who was still smiling, a mischievous look in her eyes.

"You are in so much trouble," he told her.

"That's only if you can catch me," Irina responded.

In response to Irina's challenging words, Naruto stopped sending chakra to his feet, fell into the water, and came face to face with a startled Irina.

He grinned. "Hi!"

"Uh… h-hello," Irina said.

"Guess what you should be doing."

"Erm… running?"

"Good guess."

Irina turned around and tried to run away, but she was submerged in water up to her shoulders and had nowhere to run. Naruto quickly created a shadow clone that leapt onto the water and ran over to Ophis and kept her occupied. Then he grabbed Irina, wrapped his arms around her waist, hauled her up, and threw her over his shoulder. Her scream as she flew through the air and hit the water was like music to his ear.

His clone dispelled seconds later. Naruto leapt onto the water and ran over to engage Ophis. As he dodged the snake-like tendrils that she sent at him, he spotted Rias, Koneko, and Kiba using ropes to pull a large floatable shaped like a donut behind them. Akeno was on the floatable. It looked like she was sleeping.

What are they doing now? He wondered before Ophis sent even more tendrils, forcing him to focus on not getting hit instead.

~Devil Ninja~

Issei hadn't known that Asia didn't know how to swim. Since swimming had never come up before, seeing how it wasn't the season for it until they all left for the underworld and there was no swimming there, she had never let anyone know that she couldn't swim. Now, though, she had finally confessed that she didn't know how.

Which was why he was teaching her.

They were in the shallow part of the water, the waves gently buffeting his girlfriend's body, rocking it back and forth. It was deep enough that Asia could practice her kicking, coming up to about his chest. Issei was holding her hands as she practiced kicking to propel her through the water.

"You're doing a great job, Asia," he praised his girlfriend.

"A-am I really?" Asia breathed deeply as she continued to kick. She looked happy, though. She was smiling at least.

"Yeah, you're doing really good," Issei said. "Just keep kicking like that."

"K-kay!"

Issei didn't know how long they were at it, but it must have been a while because Asia was panting by the time they decided to call it quits. They sat on the beach after that. Naruto was playing with Ophis and Irina a ways off. It looked like they were having fun, so he didn't intend on interrupting them. Asia sat by his side, resting her head on his shoulders. Her expression was only slightly forlorn.

She's probably thinking about Akeno…

It always became like this. Sometimes, either he or Asia would end up thinking about Akeno, and then they would get depressed. During this time, they would comfort each other. Issei kept his arm wrapped around Asia's shoulder.

"Ise!" Rias shouted as she ran up to him. "Ise!"

"Huh? Buchou?" Issei blinked several times as Rias stopped in front of them, hands on her knees and a worried expression on her face. "What's wrong? Is something the matter?"

"It's… It's Akeno!" Rias gasped. "She was on one of those floatables and got lost at sea!"

"What?!" Issei and Asia both leapt to their feet.

"You have to hurry!" Rias shouted.

Issei didn't respond with words; he activated his Boosted Gear, rushed into the water, and used the strength granted from every boost to increase his speed. After six boosts, Issei moved so fast that he began running across the water's surface instead of swimming.

It wasn't long after he started running that he found the floatable. Akeno was, indeed, lying on it. Even worse, she looked unconscious!

"Hold on, Akeno-sama! I'LL SAVE YOU!"

Issei leap into the air, well above Akeno. Seconds before he landed on top of her, Akeno opened her eyes.

Then Issei, Akeno, and the floatable made a big splash in the water.

~Devil Ninja~

Akeno was angry. Turned out she wasn't in any danger. She had just floated out there somehow after dozing off, and Issei had, without thinking, rushed out to help her and only made her upset at him.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Akeno demanded.

"I'm sorry," Issei said meekly. "I thought you were in trouble."

"What trouble could I possible be in?"

"I… erm… I thought you were drowning…"

"Drowning? I was on a floatable lounge chair, Issei. How could I possible drown on that?"

"Well…"

Akeno gave him no time to defend himself before she started lecturing him again. The breadth of her vocabulary was astounding in how vulgar it was. He had never heard her swear before, but here, now, she was cursing like a drunken sailor.

Yeah, she was really angry.

~Devil Ninja~

Asia stood outside of the door, listening to Akeno yell. It got even worse when Issei started yelling at Akeno. She couldn't really tell what was being said. The door muffled their shouts, but it sounded like they were really going off on one another.

She wanted to step in.

She wanted to make them stop.

But she couldn't.

Because she was weak.

Asia shut her eyes and held her hands to her ears, as though doing so would somehow block out their yelling, even though she knew it was a vain hope. Part of her thought she should have just gone somewhere else. If she wasn't there, she wouldn't hear it. However, these were the two people who mattered to her the most. She couldn't bear the thought of leaving them alone.

That was why she stood with her back to that door, her eyes closed and her ears covered. She cursed herself for her weakness.

"Aren't you going to stop them?" someone asked her suddenly.

Asia almost squeaked. She spun around, placed a hand against her chest, and eyed the woman standing there with her eyebrow raised.

"R-Raynare!" she squeaked.

"That's my name," Raynare said before looking at the door. "Are you not going to stop them?"

Asia looked down. "I… I want to, but I would probably just make it worse."

"With that kind of attitude, you'll definitely make it worse." Asia flinched. Raynare, either not caring or not seeing, continued. "But I don't think that's a bad thing. Even if you make things worse, isn't it better to do something than do nothing?"

The words made Asia's heart still as something about them resonated with her. It was… it was true. Raynare was right. It was better to do something than do nothing. If she did nothing, then nothing would change. Doing something would cause change. Even if the change made thing worse, it had to be better than what was happening now. However…

"What if… what if I make it worse?"

Raynare shrugged. "If it becomes worse, then just come to me. I'll make it better."

Asia stared at Raynare, then took a deep breath, and then she gave Raynare a smile. "Thank you, Raynare. I feel a lot better."

"Does that mean you're going to stop those two idiots from fighting further?"

"Yes… I'm going to try."

"Good girl."

Taking another deep breath to prep herself up, Asia grabbed the handle and pulled the door open.

~Devil Ninja~

"Look! I already apologized! I said I was sorry!"

"You think an apology is good enough?! You're always doing this, Issei! Even though we aren't dating anymore!"

Issei didn't know if he would call himself patient, but he did like to think he was tolerant. Perverted, but also tolerant. He didn't really have that many problems with other people—the girls in his class who thought he was a disgusting freak aside—and he generally got along with most people, or at least tried to. This was especially true in the case of people he loved like Asia and Akeno.

"You're right! We aren't dating! I already know that! Are you rubbing it in to make me feel like an even bigger piece of shit?!"

"I'm not rubbing anything in! I'm telling you to leave me alone!"

Issei didn't want to fight with Akeno. He didn't even know why they were fighting. She'd been angry and then he got angry, and now they were just arguing for the sake of arguing. However, he didn't want that at all.

If she wasn't so stubborn and just accepted my apology…

"I'd love to leave you alone, but I can't! I already told you that I love you! I'm not going to stop loving you just because you don't love me!"

Akeno backed up a step. "Yeah, well, maybe you should stop! I don't need your love! I don't need love at all!"

"Oh, yeah?! Well, I think you do! I think that—"

"Stop it, you two!"

Another shout interrupted them. It stopped them both in their tracks. Perhaps it was the pain lacing that voice, or maybe it was the desperation that rang out more clearly than a bell, but both he and Akeno ceased talking seconds after the voice yelled at them. That voice… It was Asia. She was standing over by the door, her shoulders heaving, her face red, and tears in her eyes.

"Why are you two fighting?! Why do you two have to fight?! I don't understand. Why… why can't we just go back to the way things used to be?"

Issei looked at Akeno, who was staring at him, though she looked away when she noticed him looking at her. She grabbed her arm. Her eyes darted to the left. He'd never seen her look this self-conscious before outside of the day she dumped him.

"I… don't think we can go back the way things were," Akeno said softly. "I realized something during the incident with Kokabiel, after meeting Barakiel again. I'm not really… fit… to date anyone. I don't have… I don't have what it takes. I'm not a good girlfriend."

"We didn't think that," Asia murmured.

"I thought you were an amazing girlfriend," Issei added.

Akeno smiled, even as she shook her head. "No, I was just pretending. I was using you two because Rias was spending more time with Naruto than she was with me. I decided that if she was going to have a boyfriend, then I would too. It didn't matter who it was. You two were just there. You were convenient."

Issei didn't know if she was being honest, but each word out of Akeno's mouth hit him harder than one of Naruto-sensei's punches. It hurt. They were like stakes being driven through his chest. Asia, whose face had gone pale, was probably hurting even more than him. Even so, she shook her head.

"I don't think that's true," Asia said. "Akeno… you… even you if you started out like that, it doesn't mean your feelings never changed. I think… no, I know that you have the same feelings for Ise-san that I do."

"I'm not so sure anymore," Akeno said. "I can no longer tell what my real feelings are." She looked away. "I need… time. I need time to sort out my own feelings." She held up a hand before either of them could say anything. "Could you two wait for me? I don't know if I'll answer positively or not, but can we go back to before we all started going out while I sort through how I feel?"

"Yes," Asia answered almost immediately.

"We'll wait for you," Issei said. It wasn't what he wanted, but he also wouldn't try to force a favorable answer out of her. If this was what she had decided, then he could at least help her by accepting it.

"Thank you," Akeno said.

The argument was apparently over. Akeno made to leave. However, before she could, Issei decided that he needed to say one last thing.

"I know about what happened between you and your dad." Akeno froze. "I'm not going to say you should see him, but I think… it might help you settle your own feelings if you at least confronted him. I know that you still want to be with him despite what happened to your mom."

Akeno gripped the handle of the door. Her hand was shaking.

"H-how do you know that?" she asked, not turning around. Knowing her as he did, she probably didn't want him to see her face.

"Your boobs told me," Issei said in the most serious voice he could muster.

~Devil Ninja~

Raynare stood outside of the room, listening to the trio as they yelled and cried. When everything calmed down, Raynare left, walking down the hall and heading to her own room, which she shared with Koneko.

Rias Gremory was leaning against the wall when she turned a corner. Her arms were crossed, head down, eyes staring at her as she walked by. Raynare did her best to ignore the woman. However, it seemed Rias wasn't so willing to let her do that.

"Why did you help them?" asked Rias. "What do you have to gain by helping those three?"

There were so many things she could have said, but none of them sounded like the right answer, nor would giving them help her in this situation. Most of them were sarcastic anyway. In this instance, given that Rias was basically her keeper, it was probably best if she was honest.

"I don't know," Raynare admitted. "Ask me that some other time, and maybe my answer will be different."

Continuing on her way, Raynare eventually reached the room that she shared with Akeno. She closed the door behind her, leaned against it, and slid down until she was sitting on her backside. Burying her face in her hands, Raynare asked herself the very same question that Rias had asked her, but more than that, she also asked…

Why does my heart ache so much?

Raynare hated that she had done the right thing instead of what she wanted.

Unfortunately, Raynare didn't even know what she wanted anymore.

~Devil Ninja~

It was later at night and everyone had gone outside to shoot off fireworks. There was a small town about twenty minutes away, which Naruto went to and bought fireworks from. He didn't know what kind of fireworks there were. He wasn't all that knowledgable about fireworks, but he had bought several different kinds, including sparklers and one that looked like a giant dragon head.

Naruto had his clones help set off the larger fireworks, watching as the small spark turned into a fire, which made the fireworks blast into the air and explode in an array of starburst colors. Several feet from him, Koneko was chasing Ravel with a sparkler. The blonde girl was yelling at Koneko to stop. However, the smile on her face told Naruto that she had no desire to make Koneko cease and desist. They were just playing.

Ophis and Irina were crouched several meters away. They stood barefoot in the sand, the water lapping at their feet as they knelt down, sparklers in hand. Ophis seemed oddly fascinated by the small sparks emitting from the tiny fireworks. Irina was smiling. Her lips were turned into a really pretty smile, though her eyes seemed to contain a sadness that was masked behind several layers of emotions.

A little ways off, Asia, Akeno, and Issei were setting off their own fireworks. They seemed to have made up, though it didn't look like Akeno had become part of the relationship again. Naruto couldn't explain it. Either way, he hoped they would find peace in whatever their new relationship entailed. Raynare was standing by their side. She seemed unsure of what to do, though when Asia grabbed her hand and forced the girl to join them in earnest, Naruto turned away. Whatever happened to them was their business.

Azazel and Metatron were also setting up fireworks, though it looked more like they were arguing over who got to light the fireworks. Naruto shook his head. Azazel enjoyed messing with Metatron far too much.

Gasper wasn't a big fan of fireworks. He seemed to think they were scary, which explained why he was sitting in his cardboard box next to Naruto, his face hidden by a paper bag with two eye holes in it.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Kiba, who was also standing next to him. His arms were crossed, expression pensive.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean giving you this many fireworks to light seems like a disaster waiting to happen."

"How rude! I'll have you know that I am always careful when playing with fire."

"I somehow don't believe that."

"Hmph!"

Kiba had so little faith in his ability to properly light these fireworks. How rude was that? Well, whatever. He would show Kiba how awesome he was. He would light these fireworks up like there was no tomorrow!

"Okay!" Naruto called out to his clones. "Is everybody ready?!"

"OSSU!" His clones shouted.

"Then let's do this on three, two, one!"

Naruto and his five clones each lit up their own fireworks, which went off seconds later and shot into the sky. They exploded in a bright array of colors. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up. As Naruto grinned at his fireworks, Rias came up alongside him.

"Having fun?" she asked.

"I am," Naruto said. He turned to her. "You look good in that?"

Rias was wearing another bikini, but it was a lot more modest than her earlier one. A white two piece, the bottom was covered by an understated purple skirt. While her other one had been sexy and made him want to push her onto the sand and have his way with her, this one simply made him feel like he could admire her for hours. It was like a work of art.

"Thank you." Rias smiled as she gestured to the many sparks still falling from the sky. "We have more, if you want to keep going."

"Naw, I think I'm good."

Together, Naruto and Rias watched as everyone else set off fireworks in silence.

~Devil Ninja~

Naruto found himself squashed between several people on the bus ride home. On his left, Rias slept with her head on his shoulder, while Ravel had taken his right and was hugging his arm like it was her favorite teddy bear. Ophis and Koneko had fought for the spot on his lap, but they'd eventually settled on a compromise and now they were curled up on his, Rias's, and Ravel's laps like a pair of housecats.

The trip to the beach had lasted a total of two days, and he would admit that it was fun. They'd done all kinds of things from learning to surf, to playing volleyball and smashing watermelons, to having midnight rendezvous filled with passion. Naruto even had sex on the beach.

He was probably the only one who'd done that, though.

Irina, Issei, Asia, Akeno, and Raynare were sitting around on their own. Issei and Asia were with Raynare. Akeno sat in front of the three, separate but not isolated. Naruto still had no idea what was happening with them, but he hoped this was a good sign, a sign that the relationship between them was improving.

If he was being honest with himself, he thought Akeno had moved too quickly. She'd started dating Issei not because she loved him, but because she didn't want to be alone. Part of that was his fault. He'd begun dating Rias and Akeno had been left behind, which was what ultimately prompted her to pick up Issei. Their relationship had worked up until the point where Akeno's own self-loathing had forced her to retreat. That was how it looked to him, at any rate.

At least they're talking again. I don't think those three will ever have the relationship they once did, but if they can become friends again, it will go a long way toward mending the scars their fallout caused.

They arrived home several hours after leaving the Gremory beach home. Everyone gathered their belongings and went inside, Naruto and Rias first, followed by Ravel, Koneko, Ophis, Irina, Asia, Issei, Raynare, and Akeno taking up the rear. As they wandered into the living room, everyone stopped.

Two people were standing there, waiting for them.

"Rias, Naruto, everyone." Sirzechs greeted them with a smile as he stood up from the couch. "It is good to see you. All of you look refreshed."

"And you look like hell," Azazel said.

"Yes, well, a lot has happened."

Standing beside Sirzechs was the woman who Naruto had fought back at the colosseum, the silver-haired maiden with bright blue eyes and a stunning body. She wasn't wearing her gleaming valkyrie armor this time. Dressed in a smart gray business suit with a skirt that stopped about halfway up her thighs, she looked like an incredibly sexy secretary, or maybe even a teacher.

"I'm guessing you're here for a reason," Metatron said. "Does this young woman have something to do with that?"

"Partially," Sirzechs said. "You two are actually being recalled now. We're getting ready to have a conference, to decide on what we should do about Loki." Sirzechs turned to Rias, even as he gestured to the woman. "Rias, this is Rossweise, a valkyrie who served under Odin All-Father. I'd like to leave her in your care for the time being."

"I understand," Rias said, immediately assuming her role as King. "Rossweisse, it's a pleasure to meet you. I don't know if Japan will be to your liking, but I hope you enjoy living here."

Rossweisse replied with a polite bow. "I'm sure I'll enjoy being in your care. Thank you very much for having me."

"Come on." Rias gestured for Rossweisse to follow her. "I'll show you to an empty room."

As Rias and Rossweisse disappeared deeper into the Japanese style mansion, Naruto wondered what her presence here would mean. He still didn't know much about Loki and what had happened during the Rating Game. That said, it seemed like there was a lot more going on than what met the eye.

Naruto also remembered how Rossweisse was being controlled by some strange device that used nature chakra. That was another huge mystery, one that he really wished he could solve. Too bad his study of the device had revealed nothing. It had become useless after he'd removed it from Rossweisse, the seals used in its creation fading after it was removed, so the only way to learn more about it would be to use it on someone else, and he refused to do that.

Whatever was going to happen, Naruto somehow suspected that he and the rest of Rias's peerage were going to get dragged into it.

That was usually how this stuff went.