"So, Loki failed."
"It seems that way, My Lord."
"Well, that sucks. I knew he was going to fail, but I had at least hoped he would provide a little more entertainment before biting the dust, especially after all the help I gave him."
He sat on a throne cast in shadow, in a room so large it looked like the entrance hall to a castle. Columns lined the interior, set on either side of a red carpet leading to his throne, which in turn sat on a raised dais, as if elevating him above everyone else. It had the appearance of those castles one would expect to find in a video game. In which case, that would probably make him the last boss. The thought amused him, though it left quickly as anger consumed his mind.
"That just goes to show you how incapable Loki was. Despite killing Odin for him, he still couldn't amount to much in the end."
Rizevim Lucifer knelt before him. The devil, his goatee neatly trimmed, was dressed in his usual resplendent armor. His shoulder pauldrons with their numerous segments and glimmering chest plate made him seem more like a gallant knight than a resident of the Underworld. Then again, devils were known for their ability to deceive.
"In either event, I have claimed a good deal of strength thanks to Naruto."
He clenched his hands into fists as though testing his newfound strength. Of course he couldn't feel anything like this. However, deep beneath the surface of his skin, he could feel the power boiling within him like a cauldron. Chakra flowed through his coils-coils that were once filled with little more than a trickle, just enough to keep him alive. It was like an overflowing fountain existed inside of him now.
This power was rightfully his. This power which that fool Naruto had squandered. He would make much better use of it.
Turning away from studying his own hand, he looked at Rizevim again.
"How goes your plan to revive all of the evil dragons?"
Rizevim cleared his throat. "Thanks to your power, we were able to revive Grendel and Niðhöggr. We're currently working on reviving Crom Cruach now. After that, we'll revive Apophis, Yamata no Orochi, and Ladon in that order."
It had been he who had allowed Rizevim to hasten his plans to revive the evil dragons. Thanks to the power he had been receiving, and thanks to this world itself, he had been able to revive them with ease.
"Hmm…"
The idea to revive the evil dragons had been Rizevim's. He personally didn't care for their revival, but if it would get him one step closer toward what he wanted, then he would offer his aid. It wasn't like it would be at all difficult. Thanks to his newly awakened-or perhaps newly taken-power, thanks to the hatred engulfing this world, he had nearly limitless power at his command.
"And what of the Hero Faction? Have you found out what they are doing after they defected?"
"We have." Rizevim looked up. "It seems they are still trying to accomplish their original goal even though Ophis is no longer with them."
"So they are still searching for a way to free Samael…"
"Should we take care of them?"
"No." He shook his head. "Leave them be. It doesn't matter to me what they do, and since Ophis is living with Naruto, their actions are bound to make things more difficult for him. I doubt he'll use Sage Mode again after what happened, but anything that can keep him from seeking me out right now is a good thing."
While he was certain that he now held most of the power, the fact remained that Naruto was an extremely volatile variable not even he, the person who knew him best, could account for. The boy had proven time and time again that he could not be underestimated. What's more, he had felt Kurama's power coming from the boy, stronger than before. He was not certain he could defeat Naruto with Kurama helping him.
"I understand." Rizevim stood up. "Then I shall continue with the preparations to revive the evil dragons and use Sephiroth Graal to begin mass producing them. It will take some time, but I imagine we'll be able to begin before the year is out."
"That's fine. Keep up the good work."
He honestly didn't care about Rizevim's plans. Let the man do whatever he wanted. His only desire was to steal the rest of Naruto's power and kill the boy. That was the only goal he was working toward.
There could only be one, after all.
~Devil Ninja~
Ophis looked herself over in the mirror. She wasn't wearing a single stitch of clothing. Completely naked, she raised her hands and cupped her breasts, hefting them up several times as though to test their weight. Her height was back to her normal small size. Well, she may have added a few centimeters, but she wasn't the same height as Irina anymore. She was closer to Koneko and Ravel. Similarly, she had made her boobs smaller. Now they were a B-cup. To be more precise, they were exactly 79 centimeters.
She had been trying to find the perfect appearance for her to take, one that would make Naruto find her sexually attractive. At the same time, she didn't want to just make him attracted to her from a sexual standpoint. She also wanted to be able to sit on his lap and have her head pat. In other words, she wanted the best of both worlds like what Koneko had.
The problem was that if she made herself too small, it caused her to look childish, which she had discovered did not actually turn Naruto on. The only girl in his harem who didn't have much in the way of a bust was Koneko, but she seemed to be the exception rather than the rule. Rias. Ravel. Irina. They were all very well-endowed.
Nodding at her own reflection, Ophis then went to her dresser and selected a pair of underwear.
Underwear was the most important item a girl could wear. It said so in the magazines she bought. According to the magazines, a person could easily tell what kind of woman someone was simply by looking at their panties. Ophis wanted to come across as sexy but adorable, and so, she stared at the numerous undergarments with an intense frown.
There were a lot of different kinds.
She'd gone shopping with Asia, Koneko, and Ravel to get these panties. She had asked all of them for their opinions, though she mostly listened to Koneko, who seemed to be less reserved than Asia and Ravel. Those two had spent almost as much time blushing as they had giving her advice. It was Koneko who told her what Naruto would like, and from that advice, she had selected numerous undergarments. Everything from frilly and cute to lacy and racy was neatly folded inside of her dresser.
Finally, she selected one that she thought Naruto would like. They were white and slightly frilly. The fabric would also grow translucent when they got wet. It was perfect.
"There."
She stepped into them and slid them up her hips, and then wandered over to the closet, foregoing putting on a bra. She could have probably worn one, as her breasts were big enough, but bras were a bit too confining for her. She was used to only wearing tape over her nipples.
"Hmm…"
As she studied the many outfits in her possession, Ophis carefully began working out which one would be the best to wear. It had to be perfect. After all, she had determined that…
Today was the day she would get Naruto to take her out on a date.
~Devil Ninja~
Although it was early in the morning, Naruto and Rias were wide awake as they sat in her office. The warm wood of the walls combined with the numerous bookshelves lined with books gave the place a studious feel, like something he would have expected in the house of an old philosopher with a goatee who liked smoking on a pipe. There weren't many decorations, but Rias preferred simple arrangements and wasn't really one for posh and lavish interiors.
They weren't doing any paperwork right now. That was because they had already finished. There also wasn't much to do. Ever since they had all returned from Greece after that battle against the Greek Pantheon and the Three Factions Leaders, the amount of work Rias had been required to complete dropped.
Of course, it wasn't like she didn't have any work that she needed to attend to. All her standard workload remained, but that was the stuff she'd been doing since before Naruto even became a reincarnated devil. She got it done in record time.
"I received a missive from my brother," Rias said as she sat on the couch across from him, left leg crossed over her right, arms crossed. She was only wearing some negligee. The purple and slightly see-through outfit made it hard to stare at something besides her pink nipples, especially with the way her crossed arms were pushing them up.
"I'm guessing the situation with the Greek Pantheon has finally been resolved?" asked Naruto as the door to their left opened to admit Akeno and Ravel.
The two girls were dressed in regular outfits. Naruto took a moment to admire Ravel as her white skirt swished around her long legs. It was short enough that a spirited twirl would allow him to see her panties. Likewise, her red off the shoulder top displayed a hint of cleavage. There was a fold over detail along the top, which somehow made her already large bust seem even more prominent. Long sleeves and a flirty peplum hem with pleated detailing finished the shirt.
"Rias-sama," Akeno said as she pushed a cart into the room. "Here's some tea and snacks for you and Naruto."
"You're not calling me Kitsune-kun anymore," Naruto noticed as Akeno began setting out the fine China.
She graced him with an even smile. "I do not believe it is appropriate."
"Fair enough."
He and Akeno had enjoyed joking back and forth on occasion, but he supposed that had changed at some point. In the end, Naruto shrugged it off. Their bond was through proxies like Rias and Issei. The two of them had never been that close.
"Thank you, Akeno, Ravel." Rias smiled at the two as they quickly and efficiently set out all of the China on the coffee table in front of her and Naruto. They added a third plate, which Naruto realized was for Ravel when the girl sat right next to him.
"You are welcome, Rias-sama." Akeno smiled as she left the room alone.
"She seems to be doing better," Naruto observed.
"She still misses being with Ise." Rias sighed. "But I'll agree that she's gotten a lot better. Maybe at some point she'll even be ready to accept Ise's feelings." The redhead bit her lip as the door clicked shut behind Akeno, sighed, and turned to present Ravel with a smile. "Good morning, Ravel. Not cooking breakfast this morning?"
"No, I am." Ravel responded with a shake of her head. "I am making French toast. However, I'm doing it differently than how I usually make it. I baked some braided bread last night and let it soak up all the egg and milk mixture overnight. It's currently baking in the oven right now."
"Sounds delicious." Naruto wrapped an arm around Ravel and pulled her close. The girl blushed from the roots of her hair to her neck, but she didn't resist and leaned her head against his shoulder.
"Um, please look forward to it."
"To answer your question, it does sound like the issue has been resolved," Rias got back to their original topic. Uncrossing her legs, she shifted in her seat, grabbed both the teacup and the small plate underneath it, and began sipping her tea. "I'm told Sirzechs and the other faction leaders had to make reparations to the Greeks in order to appease them, but they were able to settle this dispute without anymore violence."
"That's one weight lifted from our shoulders," Naruto muttered.
About one week ago, the Three Faction Alliance leaders had been controlled by Loki, Norse god of trickery, and attacked the Greek Pantheon. This had been done to incite a war that would engulf the world. This plan was thwarted by none other than the numerous youngsters who had taken part in the Rating Games that had been hosted in the Underworld over the summer break. What's more, Loki himself had been killed by Ophis, so he would no longer be a problem.
"Having Ophis on our side probably helps," Ravel added. "The Greeks know we're not as strong as we used to be. I'm sure they would have demanded a lot more from us if it weren't for Ophis. Everyone knows she's living with Naruto-sama by now, and they fear that he'll unleash Ophis on them if they do anything drastic."
Word had somehow spread that Ophis was living with Naruto, which was only natural, he guessed, as they hadn't made her presence in his house a secret. Of more importance was how everyone discovered that she was the one who killed Loki. Given everything that happened, Naruto would have expected most people to be paying more attention to what happened in Greece and less to what happened in Asgard. Then again, there were only a few people in the world who had the power to take on someone like Loki. Anyone could figure out who had done it if they looked at Naruto's allies and used the process of elimination.
"That is true," Rias admitted as Ravel leaned over, grabbed a small danish, and began feeding it to Naruto. The danish was light and flakey, while the filling on top contained a richly sweet flavor that melted on the tongue. "Having her around definitely helps… and don't eat too many of those. You won't have room for breakfast."
"I always have room for more food," Naruto said as he polished off his third danish. "What's going to happen now?"
Rias shrugged as she set her tea down and grabbed a danish. Naruto had decided to return the favor and was feeding Ravel. He'd pulled the girls legs across his lap and was stroking them as he fed her a danish. Poor Ravel's face was a blushing wreck, with steaming pouring from her head and everything, but she also wore a radiant smile as she timidly nibbled on the food Naruto offered her.
"Now?" Rias raised an eyebrow. "Now, you have to get ready for the school trip."
"School trip?" Naruto blinked.
Rias and Ravel stared at Naruto like he had said something extraordinarily dumb, like he'd suddenly sprouted buck teeth that had grown past his chin. He stared back, sweat forming on his head.
Rias sighed. "The trip to Kyoto? You know, the one where you, Asia, Issei, Kiba, and Irina will be spending four days and three nights in away from us? It's coming up next week. Don't tell me you forgot about it."
"Er…"
Naruto hadn't forgotten about it, but that's because he hadn't heard anything about it to begin with. No. Wait. that wasn't quite true. He did remember hearing Irina say something about the school trip when he took her out to a cafe, but he had not realized it was a trip to Kyoto. He sighed. At least now he understood why Irina had been so excited. Naruto heard tell that Kyoto was quite possibly the greatest fount of ancient Japanese architecture and tradition in all of Japan.
Ravel sighed and placed a hand on her forehead. "Let me guess: You ditched class the day they announced the school trip."
"M-maybe…" Naruto admitted to the accompanying sighs of Rias and Ravel.
After discussing the matter of the Kyoto school trip, along with telling Naruto that he should do some shopping for supplies, the three made their way into the dining/kitchen combo. Everyone else was already there. Asia was sitting beside Issei, while Kiba sat on Issei's other side. Gasper was sitting as far from Koneko as possible. Oddly enough, there were two spots on either side of her, which Naruto correctly assumed belonged to Ophis and Ravel. The head of the table was reserved for Rias. Rossweisse was on the other end of the table, and she blushed the moment they entered the room. Naruto took a spot between Kiba and Irina as Ravel sat on Koneko's left.
After Ravel took the French Toast out of the oven and served it up, everyone began talking all at once. The many different conversations remained polite and didn't get too loud. Issei and Asia began talking about the school trip. Even Kiba and Irina joined in, leading Naruto to realize that he really was the only one who didn't know about the trip. That was… really embarrassing actually. Maybe he should come into class every now and again? Heck, he should at least consider leaving a Shadow Clone.
Akeno and Rias were talking about something school related, while Koneko was telling Ravel about a confectionary she wanted to take her to this weekend. Naruto joined their conversation since it sounded interesting. He was always down for trying new food, though he preferred ramen to sweets. It wasn't until several more minutes had passed that he realized something.
"Where is Ophis?" he asked suddenly.
Everyone stopped eating and looked at the empty seat. From the confused look in their eyes, it seemed they were also curious about their resident dragon god. They all glanced at each other, seemingly not sure how to answer him, or whether they even could answer him. Only Asia, Koneko, and Ravel didn't look confused.
"I'm sure she'll be down in just a minute," Koneko said before stuffing a large bite of French toast into her mouth. "She iff huff geffin reafy."
"Don't talk with your mouth full," Ravel sighed.
As Koneko swallowed her food, Naruto sent them both a confused glance. "Getting ready for what?"
Before either of them could answer, Ophis walked into the room. She had once again changed her appearance. It was closer to her original loli appearance, but she seemed a bit older. She was about the same height as Koneko and Ravel, and her breasts were somewhere in between the two. Her spaghetti strap shirt hung from her lithe body. She wore black pants that stopped just below her butt. Her sandals clicked against the floor as she walked up to the table.
She's even done her hair…
Her hair was normally let down, flowing freely behind her back as bangs hovered in front of her face, but not today. This time her hair, tied into an artful series of braids, swished as she stopped in front of Naruto. He had to admit that her hair looked quite nice. Having it tied up like this meant her slender shoulders were on display. She was quite cute.
"Naruto."
"Um, yes?"
Naruto stopped eating to focus fully on Ophis. Something was different about her. There was a strange determination blazing in her normally dull eyes.
"You are taking me on a date today."
"HUH?!"
Issei, Irina, and Rossweisse shouted in surprise, though none of the other girls aside from Irina seemed shocked by this. In fact, Rias kept eating as if nothing was happening, while Ravel and Koneko were nodding several times. On a side note, Koneko was still stuffing her face with Ravel's French toast. Even Akeno didn't seem very surprised by what Ophis just said.
I suppose I should have expected this…
It wasn't like he hadn't been aware that Ophis was interested in him for reasons that weren't quite pure. She'd been party to a number of perverse scenarios with Ravel several times, and she'd been staring at the other girls' breasts and reading those magazines. He didn't know if she was in love with him or merely curious about reproduction, but he'd known that she was at least interested in him.
"Sure," Naruto said. "I'll take you out on a date."
Ophis smiled at him and went over to her seat by Koneko, where she began piling French toast onto her plate. Naruto tried to ignore the looks he was given, the weirdly freaked out expression on Issei's face, the amused one from Kiba, the furtive glances from Irina, and the intense stare from a redder than a fire truck Rossweisse.
As breakfast continued, Rias sighed. "He was supposed to go shopping for his trip to Kyoto today…"
~Devil Ninja~
Naruto had changed into something more appropriate for a date. He thought his black pants matched his orange collared shirt well. He'd even gone a step further and added an undershirt, leaving the last two buttons on top of his shirt unbuttoned. His blond hair was as messy as always, but that was natural since it never stayed combed no matter what he did.
He was walking hand in hand with Ophis as they made their way to the bus stop, where they planned to hop on a bus that would take them to Kuoh City's main district. They could have walked, but going by bus sounded more date-like. Actually, wouldn't it have been more like a date if they met up at an assigned meeting spot? That was how most anime dates began… Ah, well. That would have been too much of a hassle.
"Do you have any idea what you would like to do on our date?" asked Naruto.
Ophis shook her head. "I do not know what dates entail outside of the fact that it's where a man and a woman who are mutually attracted to each other go out together." She paused, tilting her head from side to side as her eyes glazed over. "I have read that most dates consist of shopping, a movie, and dinner. If the date goes well, then the couple will find a love hotel and begin 'getting busy.'"
"Uh-huh… I'm not sure where you got your dating information, but that last part is incorrect."
"It is?"
"… Usually."
It was a beautiful day outside. The sky was a clear blue with very little clouds. Mild and warm weather meant there was no need for sweatshirts.
Since it was the weekend, a lot of people were milling about today. They passed by a park that had several kids running around and playing. A young man walked a dog on the opposite side of the street. A pair of high school girls in casual clothes were giggling as they conversed about something. Naruto even spotted several couples, including a married couple who were clearly expecting a baby.
"That woman is pregnant," Ophis stated with a blunt casualness.
"Well, yes," Naruto said. "At least, I hope so."
"I have heard that the process of making a baby is the same as sex," Ophis declared. "First the man puts his dick into the woman's-"
"I do not think that's appropriate to discuss in public like this."
"I am rather curious about the process myself."
"You're not even listening to me, are you?"
They arrived at the bus stop and waited for the bus to pick them up. While they did, Naruto spotted something out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head and saw the tail end of a cloak disappearing around a corner. Frowning, he wondered if the cloak would show up again, but when it didn't, he shrugged and decided that it must have been his imagination.
The bus soon arrived, and he and Ophis boarded.
~Devil Ninja~
"That was too close…"
"I can't believe you almost let yourself get caught."
"Hey, it wasn't my fault. Koneko pushed me."
"Did not."
"Now, you two. Please don't fight."
Several people had decided to follow Naruto and Ophis as they went out on their date. Of course, these people were Rias, Ravel, Koneko, Irina, and Rossweisse. The group of five were wearing mostly normal clothes. Only Ravel had elected to wear something that wasn't normal, though the large tan trench coat did do a decent job of hiding her features. Rias, Koneko, and Irina only wore hats and sunglasses to keep people from seeing who they were. Their caps were large enough to cover most of their heads, so the chances of someone recognizing them on sight were slim. Naruto probably would, but they didn't plan on letting him see them at all.
"Come on, girls." Rossweisse tried to stop Ravel and Koneko from arguing, though Irina and Rias knew it was futile. "If we don't hurry and grab the next bus, we might lose them."
Her words must have had magical properties because everyone turned to see Naruto and Ophis hopping onto a bus. Irina began walking toward the bus without thinking, no doubt to hop on, but Koneko grabbed the back of her shirt to keep her from moving off.
"Hold it. We can't get on their bus. They'll discover us for sure."
"Oh." Irina rubbed her head with a sheepish smile. "Right. I didn't think about that."
"Obviously not." Koneko rolled her eyes.
"Their bus is taking off," Ravel said. "Let's hurry to the stop and get on the next one."
Kuoh City wasn't a really big place. In fact, it's population didn't exceed 25,000, making it one of the smaller cities in Japan. Because it wasn't very big, both in terms of population and in size, the buses all went to the same places like clockwork. What's more, buses appeared at fifteen minute intervals, so hopping on the next one wouldn't take much time.
Once the next bus arrived, they all sat at the front, the better to hop right off as soon as they reached their destination. Koneko, Ravel, and Irina were all sitting together, while Rias sat next to Rossweisse.
"I'm curious to know why you decided to come with us," Rias said to Rossweisse as the bus began it's fifteen minute trip into the city. "The other girls are easy to understand, but I didn't think you had feelings for Naruto like they do."
"Oh, me?" Rossweisse turned away to look out the window, but Rias could see her expression in the reflection. Her face could have outshone a mage's fire spell. "N-no particular reason. I'm really just curious to see what a date would be like. After all…" her expression darkened suddenly, becoming so depressed it looked like there was a rain cloud hovering around her head. "… it's not like I have any experience with dating…"
There were any number of things Rias could have said to that, but she chose not to. She placed an arm around the woman's shoulder and comforted her. That said, a plan did begin forming in her mind, but she would need to talk to Naruto about her idea to see what he thought about it.
The bus ride felt longer than it should have been. Rias chalked that up to dealing with a depressed Rossweisse. When they got off, the group began searching for Naruto and Ophis, who were fortunately not hard to spot even in the busy crowd. After all, there was only one person in the entire world who had spiky blond hair like that and wore orange clothing.
"There he is." Irina was the first to spot them, and she pointed. "They just entered the theater."
"Let's follow them," Ravel said.
"I'm right behind you, yakitori."
As the two girls rushed off, Irina close behind, Rias sighed as she guided the still depressed Rossweisse into the theater.
~Devil Ninja~
There were a lot of movies playing in the theater-and neither he nor Ophis knew any of them. That was… to be expected. Naruto didn't much care for movies and Ophis's only experience with movies was an offhand comment she'd heard about them almost two decades ago.
The two of them stared at the movie posters with blank eyes. One of the posters looked like a romance movie, which Ophis expressed mild interest in but didn't seem enthusiastic about. It was a very stereotypical poster. The girl was being held in the guy's arms as they stood on a boat. It looked boring.
"What about that?"
Ophis pointed to a poster with a giant robot as the centerpiece. It didn't look anything like a Gundam, though, so Naruto thought it was just a normal mecha movie. The title of the movie was called Pacific Grimm.
"You want to watch a movie about mecha?" asked Naruto.
Ophis shrugged. "I do not know. I have never seen a movie before, but-" she tilted her head "-I have watched anime with you and the others. This one reminds me of that Gungun series we watched."
"You mean Gundam." Naruto sighed. "You're lucky Rias wasn't here to hear you say that. She'd have been pissed at you for getting it wrong."
"Would she?"
"Yes, she would."
Naruto suddenly felt a shiver crawl up his spine, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out why. He looked around. No one was there. Well, no one was paying attention to them. There were plenty of people, though.
Deciding to see Pacific Grimm, the pair walked hand in hand to the ticket booth. The woman behind the glass eyed the pair as they told her what movie they wanted to see. Naruto could almost see the accusatory glare behind the woman's fake smile as she handed them their tickets. No doubt she thought he was some kind of disgusting pedophile or something-and Naruto couldn't even blame her. Ophis still looked young, regardless of whether she'd made herself slightly taller and grown her boobies out. Then again, he couldn't have looked that much older than Ophis himself… could he?
She's a several bazillion year old dragon god but chose to have the body of a child.
He'd never really understood that trope, but he also couldn't really say anything. Ophis was cute. No, she was fucking adorable. And now that she'd decided to make herself look a bit older, she'd gone from being merely cute to being cute and pretty. He did wish she'd stuck with her Irina height and bust size, but she said being smaller was more comfortable.
Whatever. It's not like I care what random stranger's think.
They went to the concession stand. Naruto ordered one large bag of popcorn and a large coke. After putting as much butter and salt on the popcorn as he dared, essentially lathering it in gooey goodness, the two made their way through the hallway on their left and entered the theater where their movie was playing.
Despite having two tickets, they only used one seat-since Ophis had decided his lap was better than any comfy chair ever could be. She wiggled her butt against his crotch as she adjusted herself. He didn't think she was doing it on purpose, so he tried not to let it bother him.
"Quite the bold dragon god."
"You're telling me."
"I wonder if she's a god in bed."
"Somehow… I doubt that."
"You shouldn't converse with the fox when you are on a date with me." Ophis turned around and stared into his eyes.
Naruto blinked. "How did you know I was talking to Kurama?"
"I can just tell."
"I… see… Sorry." Doing the only thing he could think of to placate her, Naruto began petting her head. He forced a smile. Her hair was lovely, but he couldn't run his fingers through it since it was braided. "I promise, from now until the end of our date, I'll only pay attention to you."
While her smile was small, it was still there.
"Good."
Ophis settled back down, leaning against his chest to make herself comfortable. Naruto stopped petting her when she placed her head underneath his chin. He wrapped one arm around her stomach, then used the other to grab some popcorn, switching between feeding himself and feeding Ophis, who took each individual piece of popcorn into her mouth with a cute, "chu" sound.
~Devil Ninja~
"Nn nnn nn nnn nn!"
Rias was grinding her teeth as she, Koneko, Irina, Ravel, and Rossweisse sat several seats above and behind Naruto and Ophis, looking down at the pair. The other girls leaned away from her as if she might bite their heads off. However, the redhead was not paying any attention to them. Her eyes were intently focused on drilling holes through Ophis's head.
"I'm not sure I understand why she is so angry," Rossweisse said. "I thought she was perfectly okay with letting Naruto go on dates with other girls."
"She is," Ravel informed her with a nod. "That isn't the issue here."
"Then what is?" asked Irina.
"Ophis called one of her favorite shows 'Gungun.'" The answer came from Koneko, who was munching on a bowl of popcorn covered in chocolate. "If there's one surefire way to piss our president off, then it's getting the names of anime mixed up."
While Rossweisse looked back and forth between Koneko and Rias like she couldn't understand, the others all sighed. Irina also finally got it. Rias was an anime nut. An otaku. Though maybe otaku wasn't the right word since she wasn't Japanese. Irina had once heard that non-Japanese people who love Japanese things were called Japanophiles.
"You would be angry too if you spent almost a month introducing someone to all your favorite shows and they got the name of one wrong." Rias turned her glare on them. "Ophis has been watching anime with me and Naruto for awhile now, and this is one of my favorite franchises. How could she get the name wrong? It's unbelievable!"
Before she and Naruto started dating, Rias had never let anyone know about her obsession for anime, manga, and video games. It was a well-kept secret. From what Koneko understood, only Akeno had possessed even an inkling about their king's taste in media. However, since becoming Naruto's girlfriend, she had been a lot more open. It probably had something to do with his acceptance of her favorite pastime.
"N-now that you mention it, I do remember seeing all of you getting cozy on the couch and watching cartoons," Rossweisse said. "Was that this Gundam thing?"
Ravel's drill-shaped locks of hair swayed along like a pendulum as she shook her head. "It might have been, but it was probably something else. None of us have watched Gundam in a long time. What did it look like?"
While Ravel spoke with Rossweisse, Irina and Koneko began getting into the movie, currently playing a scene where a giant robot was fighting against some alien looking thing. Koneko offered her bowl to Irina, who grabbed a handful of popcorn and popped them into her mouth one by one. Meanwhile, Rias was still staring at Naruto and Ophis hard enough that everyone was surprised she hadn't lit the back of their heads on fire.
"Um…" Rossweisse crossed her arms and scrunched her nose in thought. "It was… I think there was a person with dog ears and silver hair… maybe, and there was a girl who kept telling him to sit."
"Inuyasha," Koneko, Ravel, and even Irina said at the same time.
All the while, Rias kept her eyes locked onto her target.
~Devil Ninja~
After watching the movie, which was corny but not all that bad, Naruto and Ophis left the theater and began walking around town. It was still early afternoon, so there was no need to eat something yet. That said, Naruto ended up traveling to a crepe stand and getting Ophis the sweetest crepes they had. As the little dragon god happily munched on her treat, they wandered across the sidewalks and looked into stores.
"Humans have way too many things."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean they have a lot of useless stuff they don't need." Ophis glanced around some before pointing into the window of a shop. "Take a look at this store. It's filled with all kinds of different clothing, but really, how many types of clothing do people wear? What about that shop over there? It's one of those game stores, right? How many people are going to play all those games? Humans have finite lives. I believe most don't live past eighty. It just seems like there's more to do than anyone will ever be able to do in their lifetime."
Naruto didn't say anything at first as Ophis polished off her crepe and threw the wrapper away in a trash bin. He almost snorted as the idea of a recycling dragon god took hold in his head. Holding back that thought, he leaned over, causing Ophis to turn his head, and swiped some of the cream on her lips with his finger. He stuck it in his mouth, tasting the unique sweetness of the cream and nodding in approval.
He wasn't a sweats fan, but this was pretty good.
"It is true that humans have a lot of stuff they probably don't need." Naruto grabbed Ophis's hand and began walking again. "The world I come from didn't have all these things either, but my world was also rife with war and chaos. There wasn't any time to really enjoy life like there is in this world. I think these games and clothes are being created because the people here can create them. Also, even if not everyone plays every game or tries on every outfit, that doesn't mean others won't."
"I suppose," Ophis admitted reluctantly.
Naruto smiled. "Well, how about we go ahead and try out some of those outfits you were complaining about earlier."
Dragging the girl into the clothing store she had pointed out, Naruto wandered the isles filled with racks and shelves that had clothes either hanging neatly in rows or folded on top of each other. There were a lot of different styles that Naruto was unfamiliar with. However, he'd gone shopping with Rias and Ravel on a number of occasions. He wasn't completely unknowledgeable about such things.
With Ophis's current height and body type, she would probably look better in something that was cuter than it was sexy. Naruto picked out several outfits he thought she'd look good in. After grabbing three outfits, he took her to the back room and told her to try them on.
While Naruto waited for Ophis to get changed, he looked around the store. There were only a few other people inside. All of them were women, which made him the odd man out, so to speak. He sighed when a few glanced in his direction. Then, sensing something at the edge of his perception, he turned just in time to see something silver fluttering around a rack. A frown rose to his face, but it left when the curtains opened with a rustle.
"I've changed."
Turning around, Naruto congratulated himself on his choice in clothing. The long-sleeved orange shirt looked incredibly cute on Ophis's slender frame, and the cutout where the head went through was larger than normal, meaning her collarbone and a bit of her shoulders were visible. It lent her an innocently seductive flare. It also helped that she no longer looked like a true loli. She was short, but she had boobs, meaning the shirt conformed to her new proportions well.
The black shorts wrapping around her bottom were small, not even stopping at the halfway point of her thighs. Because her legs were so thin, the gap between her thighs was easily visible. About a third of her thigh length above the knee was the beginning point for her socks, which were orange with a black outline around the tops and bottoms. Of course, this was a cutout sock, so her toes and half of her feet were visible.
Naruto clapped. "You look really cute!"
"Do you think so?" Ophis looked down at herself. She wiggled her toes, shifted from foot to foot, then twirled around, her long hair, still trapped in a ponytail, swirling around her like a streamer.
"I do! You look amazing!" Naruto peeled his lips back in a grin as he raised a hand and gave her a thumbs up. Even though there was no sunlight in the store, his teeth somehow sparkled. It came complete with a ping! sound effect. "You're super cute! If Rias was here, she'd definitely say you're moe!"
"I have no idea what that means." Ophis deadpanned.
"Then I'll teach you all about it later, but for now, how about you try on the last two outfits?"
Ophis did indeed try on the last two outfits, though in the end, both of them agreed that the first one he'd chosen was the best. Naruto bought it for her. They left the store, bag in one hand, Ophis's in the other, and traveled some more.
On a whim, Naruto decided they should go to the aquarium. Kuoh had a small one that was just a short bus hop away, near the train station. It wasn't very large, being located in a three story building, but as they traveled through the half-sphere tunnel, he smiled at seeing Ophis gaze at everything with unbridled curiosity. She may have been a dragon god who had lived for eons, but she hadn't experienced life. There was a difference between being alive and truly living.
As they continued traveling from place to place, Naruto caught glimpse of hair out of the corner of his eyes. Sometimes it would be red, other times blonde, silver, or even white. There were also the times where he felt someone's eyes on them. He frowned and ignored the feeling as he continued exploring the aquarium with Ophis, looking at all the fish and strange aquatic creatures.
"There are a lot of strange monsters lurking in the sea, huh?" Ophis mumbled as she stared at the jellyfish drifting along through the water.
"I guess so." Naruto leaned over her and looked into the tank as well. "I've never really studied the ocean myself."
"Did they have creatures like this where you live?"
"Don't know." Naruto tilted his head. "I've fought against plenty of strange monsters out at sea, but most of them were dangerous and deadly. These seem relatively harmless in comparison. I've never seen anything like it."
"Then it's a learning experience for us both."
"I suppose it is."
They eventually left the aquarium, and Naruto decided it was time to bring their date to a close.
~Devil Ninja~
"Where are they going now?"
The group that had been following them all asked the same question as Naruto and Ophis wandered off, deeper into the city, where the buildings were more congested. None of them had ever been this far into Kuoh. There had never been any reason to. Still, they followed the duo as they wandered down an alley, which led to-
"T-this is-?!" Irina gasped, cheeks flushing bright red.
Rias gawked. "You don't think they-?!"
"No." Rossweisse, blushing even brighter than Irina, shook her head. "Absolutely not. There's no way. I mean… wouldn't Naruto get in trouble?"
The place where Naruto and Ophis had wandered into, which could only be accessed by traveling through the city proper and taking a turn into a rarely used street, was gaudy, bright, and filled with neon signs. Many of the signs hanging on the buildings had hearts and strange symbols. The buildings, ranging from four to six stories, looked innocuous, but those signs, with titles like Love Motel 6 and Hotel Passione let anyone know what sort of place they had wandered into.
This was the red light district.
"There aren't any laws against it, if that's what you mean," Rias said. "Naruto and Ophis both look close enough in age that he wouldn't get arrested or whatever. Still, he'd definitely get strange looks if he brought a girl like Ophis into a place like that. It would be safer to do it at home."
"W-we should stop him," Ravel said. "It's not fair if she gets to him before me-I mean, we need to protect his reputation."
"Very smooth, Yakitori," Koneko muttered, though from the fire in her eyes, it looked like she agreed.
The group quickly followed the pair as they wandered deeper into the red light district. They tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible, darting from cover to cover. They hid behind a trash can, a light pole, an alley. Naruto and Ophis didn't appear to have seen them yet. They kept walking, chatting about something. Naruto was doing most of the talking, but Ophis nodded along and occasionally added her own input.
Several men and women coming out of a love hotel stared at the unusual duo, perhaps wondering what such a young pair of children were doing in this section of the city. Indeed, Naruto was only 17 years old, though most would assume he was older due to his muscular build. Meanwhile, Ophis only looked about 14 or 15 to the unknowing eye. Many scornful glances were cast at Naruto, who either ignored them or didn't even notice.
Before too long, the pair had gone into a love hotel. It was a bit smaller than the other ones but still three stories tall. Windows lined the outside. The entrance was an automatic sliding door, and the gaudy sign decorating the outside hung above the entrance, flashing in neon colors.
"Come on!" Rias picked up her pace. "We have to stop them!"
"Right!" The others shouted.
The group rushed into the lobby of the love hotel, looking around. Naruto and Ophis weren't there. There was just an older gentleman standing behind a counter. After a moment, Rias strode across the tiled floor and stopped in front of the man, slamming her hands on the black counter as she glared at the person.
"A pair of high schoolers came in here," she said. "Where did they go?"
Love hotels like this had a "customer confidentiality" policy that kept them from talking about who came and went. This man was obviously aware of that. However, in spite of this, he decided to answer her.
"Ah, yes. So they were indeed high schoolers. I thought they looked a little young. They went up to room 306."
"Thank you."
Rias led everyone to an elevator and stepped in, pressing the button that would take them to the third floor. She crossed her arms, tapping her finger against her arm as she waited, wondering why the ten seconds it should have taken to reach the third floor felt like hours.
"Hey, didn't that man seem a little odd?" asked Rossweisse.
Ravel looked at her. "What do you mean?"
"Normally, the person manning the front desk would have been a beautiful young woman, not an old man."
"Is that strange?" asked Irina.
"Yes. Beautiful women attract more customers. It makes the hotel seem more inviting and erotic."
"How do you know this?" asked a curious Koneko.
"W-well…" Rossweisse blushed bright red as she clasped her hands and squirmed in place. "I… you know I was Odin's secretary back in Asgard and, well, he often went to places like this, so…"
"Ah. Odin was a perv bag. I see." Koneko nodded several times.
While Rias did find it unusual that an older man was manning the counter of a love hotel, she didn't think it all that strange. It wasn't like there was an unspoken rule stating a love hotel's receptionist had to be female.
The doors opened with a soft ping. Rias and the others stepped out and wandered down the hall until they reached room 306.
"What should we do?" asked Irina. "Knock?"
"I'm not sure they'll answer if we knock," Rossweisse muttered. "They might even try to make their escape if we do that. I'm sure Naruto and Ophis will figure out who we are once they know someone is at the door."
"True," Rias muttered.
"In that case…" Koneko cracked her knuckles and stepped in front of the door. "Stand back everyone."
Rias, Irina, Ravel, and Rossweisse stood back as Koneko hopped up and down several times, spun around, and then unleashed a powerful reverse heel kick. The door shattered. It was made of wood, so it naturally couldn't stand up to the attack from a Rook like her. As shards flew across the interior, everyone rushed into the room.
"Stop! Don't go any fur… ther?"
"Hold on, you… two?"
Lit up by red lamps that cast an erotic glow on the walls and ceiling, the group stood in the middle of the room, staring at the two people lying on the bed in mid coitus. The two people stared back. They looked quite shocked that a group of teenage girls had just barged into their room.
"W-w-w-what the hell are you brats doing here?!" the woman shrieked.
"Get out!" the man shouted, his face red with either shame or anger, or both.
The two people on the bed were a man and a woman in their mid thirties or early forties. They weren't in very good shape. The man looked worn and haggard from a life of long shifts and dubious working hours. He had quite a few gray hairs. Meanwhile, the woman had wrinkles lining her face and stress lines around her eyes that not even makeup could cover. They clearly weren't Naruto and Ophis.
"Sorry to bother you!" Rias shouted, face flushing with embarrassment as she ran out of the room, the others in tow. They rushed all the way down to the elevator and hopped inside. Once the door had closed and began descending, everyone breathed a soft sigh and wiped the sweat from their brows.
"That… that was not Naruto or Ophis," Irina muttered, her face, neck, and ears burning like a sun.
"I think we just got played," Ravel muttered, also blushing.
Rias didn't say anything, but she couldn't help but remember the old man at the counter and silently agreed.
This was obviously a prank, and they had fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.
~Devil Ninja~
The bus was quiet. Naruto and Ophis sat in the very back, in a small corner near the window. A glance outside revealed a world dyed red and orange. It was late afternoon. That meant it was almost dinner time.
"I wonder if those girls liked our present," Naruto said with a chuckle.
Of course Naruto had known someone was following them, and of course it had been easy to deduce who their followers were. He was honestly shocked they could think it was possible to outsneak a ninja. In either event, once their date had concluded, Naruto had led Ophis into a love hotel, transformed into an old man, and replaced the woman at the counter so he could fool Rias and the others into thinking they'd gone inside one of the rooms for some naughty fun.
"Why did we do that again?" asked Ophis.
"Because it was fun." Naruto glanced at the dragon god and raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying you didn't have fun?"
Ophis tilted her head. "I do not know. Was that supposed to be fun?"
"It was."
"Hmm…" After a moment of contemplation, Ophis nodded. "I suppose it was fun."
"I'm glad."
Smiling, Naruto and Ophis continued to converse as they rode the bus home.
~Devil Ninja~
Naruto woke up on the day of the school trip within the warm and gentle embrace of three separate girls. Since he would not be seeing them for some time, Rias had invited Koneko and Ravel into their bed. All three of them had been cuddled up to them, with Koneko sleeping in between him and Rias, while Ravel spooned against his back.
After a wonderful breakfast prepared by Ravel and Akeno, the large group left their home and went their separate ways.
Naruto stood with the others who would be going on this trip with him in a large waiting area covered by a ceiling with a ribbed ceiling and metal supports. Bullet trains came and went, with many people getting on and off. It was crowded, made all the more so because the entire second year body was present, but they managed to find a place away from the others.
Rias was the only one who had come to see them off. Akeno, Koneko, Ravel, and Gasper had wanted to come, but the first and third years had normal classes. Even Rias should have been in school. However, she said she had something important to give them and come along. Naruto was sure she just wanted to be with them until the very last second.
"Here," she said, handing a small card to Naruto, Kiba, Issei, and Asia. Naruto looked at the reflective card, then at Rias. Noticing his curious gaze, she explained the cards. "These are passes. Each of you needs one if you want to travel to Kyoto."
"I see." Kiba nodded several times. "This is the free bus pass."
Kyoto was a place heavily steeped in tradition, which meant there were many temples and shrines littering the historically rich city. This also meant the place was filled with spiritual power. That would normally cause a number of problems for devils like them. After all, shrines and temples were taboo for their kind. What Rias handed to them were passes that allowed them to move freely despite this. From what Naruto understood, the passes were issued to them by onmyouji and yokai from the Kyoto office in charge of supernatural affairs.
"Akeno, Sona, and I used these passes last year. As long as there is a legitimate reason, they will issue passes even to devils. Be sure to keep those in your skirt or a pocket on your uniform and you'll be able to enter all of the famous sights."
"Yay!" Naruto raised his fist and cheered. "I'm pretty pumped to see all the shrines and temples there!"
"I thought you weren't interested in the history of this world," Kiba joked.
"I'm not, but visiting new places is always fun." After shamelessly admitting this, Naruto shrugged.
"I'm pretty excited to," Asia said with a soft smile. "I've always wanted to visit more places in Japan."
Issei touched her arm with a gentle look in his eyes. "I'm glad you have the chance."
"Yes!" Asia beamed. "Me too!"
"It's been a long time since I visited Kyoto." Irina's eyes were alight with excitement. "I was just a kid the last time we went."
"What are you looking forward to seeing?" asked Naruto.
"I'm not sure." Irina frowned. "My parents weren't too big on Kyoto because we're Christian, but I think I'm-" Irina's cell phone suddenly started beeping "-excuse me. Let me take this." Irina held the phone to her ear and turned around.
Asia, Issei, and Kiba bid Rias a farewell as they turned away and headed off, perhaps to give them some time alone. Naruto stared at Rias. His girlfriend was biting her lip, causing the softness of her lips to yield under the pressure of her teeth.
"It's been awhile since we've been apart," Naruto said.
"Not since… well, not for awhile."
She didn't mention the time when Naruto had disappeared on her, back when he'd been kidnapped by the Chaos Brigade. It was a time neither of them wanted to remember. Thanks to his dumb decision to let himself get taken so he could learn more about the Chaos Brigade, Naruto had not been around during the incident with missing Excaliburs and Kokabiel. Rias had been distraught. When he returned, she'd been so upset that she hadn't spoken to him at all. He didn't blame her. It had been a dumb move on his part, but now that they had gotten over it, neither of them wanted to be reminded of those trying times.
"Please be careful," Rias said at last.
"I will." Reaching out, Naruto gripped her hands in his. "I promise."
Rias stepped forward and leaned over, placing her head against his shoulder. She took a deep breath. Then, lifting her head, Rias leaned up and pressed their lips together. Naruto kissed back. Her lips were soft and pleasant, warm and wonderful. He wished this moment could have lasted, but she eventually pulled back.
"I feel a little guilty," she admitted. "I got to see you all the way to the end, but Ravel and Koneko couldn't leave school."
"I gave them a proper goodbye this morning," Naruto said in her defence, then sighed. "But I understand what you mean."
"Be sure to take them out when you come back home."
Naruto could not stop from smiling at her words, at the kindness in her tone and suggestion. How many girlfriends would tell him to take another girl out on a date? He supposed it depended on whether or not they were human. Even so, that Rias cared enough for the other girls that she was willing to let them be with him showed how kind and loving she was toward those two.
"I will." Naruto nodded. "You and I will also have to go on a date when I get back home."
Rias smiled at his words. "Take care of yourself in Kyoto."
"Will do!"
After sharing one more kiss, which caused a strange surge of venomous glares to hit his back from the male second years, Naruto pulled back and went over to the others.
It was time for the school trip to begin.