Roughly ten minutes had passed since the bullet train left Tokyo station. Naruto stared out the window, watching as the city flew passed. Through his reflection in the window, he could see the frown that had appeared some time ago.
The idea of traveling on a bullet train used to excite him, but now that he'd seen what they could do, he found himself slightly disappointed. Sure, these trains were fast. However, Naruto could run this fast without even relying on his chakra. That said, it wasn't like he didn't understand how useful trains were. The ability to transport large amounts of people and goods was invaluable. He recognized their usefulness, even if the hype had worn off.
Trains were rare in the Elemental Nations. In fact, there were only a few nations that had the technology and power to create them. Yuki no Kuni, or rather, Haru no Kuni had been one. Doto Kazahana had been able to turn Yuki no Kuni into one of the most powerful nations with them. He would transport large amounts of supplies and materials to different parts of the country and build defensive weapons that acted as a powerful deterrent against other nations—not that it had helped him in the long run.
"Are you okay, Naruto?" asked Irina.
Naruto pulled his gaze away from the window to see Irina sitting next to him, gazing at him with concern. On the other side of Irina was Kiba. Like the young angel girl, the princely swordsman was staring at him with something like concern.
"I'm fine," he told them with a wave of his hand. "I was just thinking about my home."
"Your home? You mean the Elemental Nations?" asked Kiba, leaning forward so he could look at Naruto. Kiba was sitting on the isle side of the train, Irina was in the middle, and Naruto had the window seat.
"Yes." Nodding once, he gestured to the train. "The Elemental Nations isn't as technologically advanced as this world is. While we do have some technology like trains and computers, all of them are very behind the times and outdated compared to this world."
"Your world was one of constant warfare, right?" Irina asked.
"That's right. Our nations were always fighting each other for one reason or another. Even during times of peace, our nations spent it preparing for the next war. I think that's why technology is so stilted in my world. If it wasn't something that could be used to get an edge over an enemy nation, then no one thought about building it."
"That seems so sad," Irina muttered.
Naruto smiled. "You're a sweetheart, Irina. Don't worry too much. I'm sure my world has achieved peace by now."
Before he'd been sent to this world, the Four Great Nations had allied themselves with each other to fight against Akatsuki. He had no doubt they'd continued to remain allies after his departure. They had people like Gaara, Tsunade, and the Mizukage, so he was sure they wouldn't let their world go down the path of war again.
Deciding to cut this topic off before it could become too depressing for Irina, who still looked on the verge of tears, Naruto brought out a deck of cards and asked if they wanted to play a game of Old Maid with him. The two of them quickly agreed.
Old maid was a game that didn't exist in Naruto's world. There were card games from his world, of course, but all of them required tables and couldn't be played on a train.
They played for about an hour before making a unanimous decision to stop. Naruto won every game they played. Irina had actually asked him if he was cheating, but when he had her deal the cards and still won, she was forced to admit that he was just that lucky. After the final game's conclusion, the group decided to visit Issei and Asia. As they were making their way to the back, Naruto leaned into Irina.
"Is everything okay?" he asked quietly. "You've been tense since boarding the train."
He'd noticed it when they first boarded. Irina generally acted with calm and composed—unless she was extolling the virtues of being part of Michael's brave saints or praying to Michael—but ever since they sat down, her knee had been bouncing up and down. Most people would probably just assume she was anxious about the school trip.
Naruto didn't.
Irina wouldn't be feeling anxious about traveling to Kyoto for school. Even if she was excited about traveling, she would have shown it in a different manner, such as talking about all the places she wanted to visit. That she hadn't even mentioned what sites she would like to see told him that something else was bothering her.
Irina stiffened as she turned to face him. She flushed a bit, likely due to the proximity of their faces, but she quickly shook her head.
"It… well, it's not nothing, but I don't really want to talk about it right now. I'll tell you later."
"I'll hold you to that."
They arrived in the train car that housed Issei's class. A number of squeals went up when the girl's saw Kiba enter, though the enthusiasm of those squeals dropped off when they noticed where Kiba was heading.
"I-is he going to over to Hyoudou?!"
"How can this be?! No, Kiba! Don't do it! You'll become tainted with that perverts filthy germs!"
"The very air that lecher breathes is toxic, Kiba-kun!"
Naruto glanced at the girls pleading with Kiba not to sit by Issei, who looked about ready to cry himself. He snickered. The hatred these girls had for Issei was kind of amusing. Granted, Issei was still a pervert, but the boy had grown up quite a bit. Then again, he did still talk about breasts in public, so maybe it was only natural they would be adverse to him.
Beside him, Irina sighed and rubbed her forehead. The girl probably still had trouble accepting that her best friend from childhood was so salacious.
Issei and Asia were sitting together. While it was hard to tell they were a couple at first glance, Naruto only had to look at their entwined hands resting between them. They were being discreet about it. No doubt Issei was trying to protect Asia's image by not making it obvious that they were a couple.
"Do you mind if we sit with you?" Kiba asked Issei.
Issei looked at the three of them, and then shrugged. "Sure. What's up, Kiba, Irina, Sensei?"
Naruto didn't think he'd ever get over how Issei called him sensei. He liked how it sounded. Yes, this was the kind of respect he had longed for back in the Elemental Nations.
The seats in this car were different than the one his class had been sitting in, as not only were seats set in rows of three, but two of those rows were facing each other, meaning six people could sit in a group. While Naruto and Kiba sat on the chairs opposite Issei and Asia, Irina sat right next to Asia.
"Are you excited for the trip, Asia?" Irina asked.
"Yes!" Asia beamed a bright smile that could have broken apart storm clouds. "I'm really excited. This trip is going to be so much fun!"
As the two girls began talking about the school trip, Kiba looked at Issei. Since Naruto didn't get the window seat this time, he placed his hand on his armrest and leaned forward, closing his eyes for a moment to just soak in the vibes.
"I thought it might be good if we knew each other's itinerary during the school trip," Kiba said. "That way we can create a plan in case there's an emergency."
Issei's eyes lit up a bit. "Ah… that would be a good idea. Since we're in different classes, knowing where everyone plans on going would help us respond if something happens. Where do you plan on going tomorrow?"
"We're starting our tour from Sanjuusangen-dou. How about you?"
"We decided to start from the temple of Kiyomizu-dera, and then we're heading over to Ginkaku-ji and Kinkaku-ji. These temples are a bit distant from one another, but we're trying to finish visiting the most famous places in the first two days. That way we can take it easy on the third day. We plan on visiting Tenyuu-ji then."
Naruto had been mostly listening into the conversation. He wasn't really concerned about coming up with a plan in the event that something happened, but he would admit it was a good idea. Given how much trouble they often found themselves in, it was always good to be careful, though Naruto was positive he could handle most situations on his own.
He spent his time looking at the other students, noticing the lively expressions they wore as they chatted about all the places they wanted to see on this trip. Of course, he also spotted Matsuda and Motohama, who looked put out as they huddled in a place near the back. They seemed depressed about something. Naruto didn't care about to ask.
"Isn't Tenryuu-ji where our class is going on the third day?" Naruto said.
"It is." Kiba nodded as he smiled at Issei. "We may very well meet at the Togetsu bridge. What is your class doing on the last day?"
"Our class just plans on walking through Kyoto station and buying souvenirs," Issei said.
As the conversation continued traveling along this vein, Irina and Asia joined in, having finished their own discussion. Irina added that she wanted to visit the Kyoto Tower. While Asia didn't have anywhere she wanted to go specifically, she expressed her desire to experience as much of Kyoto as possible.
The schedules for each class were prepared beforehand and given to the teachers. Students were also required to create travel guides for their own class to use. Naruto, of course, had one of those travel guides, but he hadn't even bothered looking at it, figuring he could just follow the crowd.
Well, that, and he planned on replacing himself with a Shadow Clone to do some exploring on his own.
His sense of adventure was brimming!
As the conversation about where they would be going ended, a new conversation began. This time it wasn't about anything related to the human word. Rather, this conversation was about the Underworld.
"Beelzebub-sama recently spoke to me about about the compatibility between the characteristics of my Pawn pieces and the the Sekiryuutei's power," Issei was saying as he played with Asia's hand. Now that he had people blocking the view, he could freely hold her hand without the other students seeing. "He said that I'm currently unable to unleash the full potential of the Queen promotion because I'm not handling my power properly. Since I can't control the flow of the Red Dragon's power, I end up wasting most of the Queen's potential."
Being a Fairy Piece, Naruto did not have the ability of promotion like Issei did. He also didn't have the strength of a Rook like Koneko, the magical power of a Bishop like Ravel, or the speed of a Knight like Kiba. In fact, the Fairy Piece offered him no benefit whatsoever.
That was just fine with him. Naruto didn't think he needed some extra enhancement or anything. He was awesome without any additional powers.
"Sounds like you have it rough," Kiba said in a sympathetic voice.
"That's not even the half of it!" Issei lamented, leaning back in his seat as though exhausted. "Nevermind mastering the Queen's abilities, I haven't even mastered the Rook, Knight, or Bishop's powers. It's like, even when my speed and power are increased, all I can really do is charge straight ahead and rely on luck. Honestly, if it weren't for Sensei teaching me new ways to fight, I probably wouldn't have won even half the battles I've been in."
At those words, everyone looked at Naruto, the Sensei. He looked back at them and shrugged.
"I can't help him master the use of Promotion. I barely even know how the Evil Piece System works. That being the case, all I can do is fight Issei with everything I have and force him to create countermeasures. This has led to him getting some more powers," Naruto added after a moment of thinking. "However, even the new powers he's gained from fighting me won't help him master using Promotion."
Promotion was the system put in place that allowed Pawns like Issei to promote themselves to another piece, thus gaining more power, but only after they had entered enemy territory or were given their King's permission. Since Naruto knew very little about this system, he couldn't help.
The group grew quiet for a moment, perhaps thinking about their own desire to grow stronger. Issei wasn't the only one who wanted to become strong. Kiba had expressed a desire to be stronger than he was now, and so had Asia, though growing stronger for her meant gaining strength as a healer instead of a fighter.
"Beelzebub-sama said I should master the Rook and the Knight first," Issei continued after some time. "He said that would be the best way to bring out the Sekiryuutei's power."
"Speaking of power, aren't we going to be fighting Sairaorg and his peerage in a Rating Game when we get back from Kyoto?" asked Naruto. "Rias mentioned that the Three Factions Leaders were planning to restart the Rating Games that got interrupted when Loki attacked us."
"That's right." Kiba nodded. "Because of what happened with Lord Sirzechs and the other faction leaders, morale within the Three Factions is at an all-time low. A lot of people have lost confidence in them. Some of the people in the Underworld are saying that if their supreme leaders can be controlled so easily, then it must mean they are unfit to rule. They plan on restarting the Rating Games as a means of getting everyone's minds off the latest events. Of course, I believe they also plan on putting all of us, the groups who reacted without hesitation to rescue them, on a pedestal."
"So they're trying to hold us up as heroes."
"Basically."
Naruto hummed as he realized what Azazel, Michael, and Sirzech's plan probably was. Since faith in them was currently shattered, they wanted to present a group of people who members of the Three Factions could place their faith in. Naruto and the other young devils, angels, and fallen angels had saved Sirzechs, Michael, and Azazel at great personal risk. What's more, they had averted a war with the Greek Pantheon. Those were achievements not just anyone could boast about.
"Pretty devious," he said at last.
"What did you expect?" asked Kiba, shrugging his shoulders in a helpless gesture. "They need to do something, and while this is only a stop gap solution, it should buy them some time to rebuild faith in their leading abilities."
Naruto couldn't disagree.
When their conversation with Issei and Asia ended, Kiba, Irina, and Naruto wandered back into the car with their class and sat down. They talked for a bit longer, but eventually ran out of things to discuss. After that, Irina wandered over to chat with some of the girls in her class. Kiba didn't talk to any of the boys, but he quietly sipped a cafe latte he'd bought from the passing concession stand lady. Naruto wondered if the boy even realized the girls in their class were drooling over him as he sat there sipping his beverage like a prince.
As for Naruto himself… well, he was having a conversation with his inner furry.
"I don't want to question your sanity, but I'm really questioning it right now. Are you sure this will work?"
"Fairly sure. I've based the jutsu off the reverse summoning technique used by the toads of Mount Myoboku… though I guess you could say it's more like a combination of regular and reverse summoning. We've tried figuring out ways to use your powers without destroying our surroundings. Nothing has worked so far, and I believe the reason is that I just can't control your power. You're too strong. Maybe if I became stronger as a devil, it would be possible, but that's not something I can see happening for a while yet."
Naruto and Kurama had been working together to figure out a way to use Kurama's immense power for some time now. The fact of the matter was that Kurama was just stronger than him. His own power had been steadily decreasing. Neither of them could figure out why. All they knew was that whenever Naruto entered Sage Mode, his chakra had been flowing out of him and wasn't returning.
They had tried tracking the flow of chakra, but that had turned out to be a bust. Whatever had stolen his power was also blocking their ability to follow it.
"It does seem sound enough… but that is only if it works, and in order for it to work, not only do you and I need to perfectly synchronize our hand seals, we also have to match our chakra wavelengths to each other. You know what will happen if we fail, don't you? You and I will be torn apart from the resulting explosion… and we'll probably take half the country with us."
Naruto flinched as an image of Japan being blown to kingdom come entered his mind. Yes, that was exactly what would happen if they failed. Kurama's immense power would annihilate this little island nation.
"I know what will happen if we fail. You don't need to remind me. However, I also know that you and I need to do something. I hate to admit it, but until we can figure out what's happening to my chakra, we can no longer rely on my power when the going gets tough. If an opponent stronger than me shows up right now, we'll have to rely on you."
"Ha… you do bring up a good point, but let us hope it doesn't come to that."
"Believe me, I am praying we don't actually have to use this jutsu as much as you are," Naruto said to his companion.
Outside, the train continued racing across the tracks.
~Devil Ninja~
"We will be arriving in Kyoto shortly," a voice announced over the speaker system, jolting Naruto out of his light sleep. He rubbed his eyes a bit and let out a wide yawn, but then he paused upon feeling something leaning against his shoulder.
Looking down, Naruto found Irina using his shoulder as a pillow. Not only was her head on his shoulder, but her body was slightly pressed into his side, meaning he could feel the swell of her breasts on his arm. While her boobs weren't as big as Rias's, she still had a very nice pair. They were hard to ignore.
"Irina. Irina, wake up. We've arrived."
"Zzz… hnn… wazzat?"
Irina stirred as Naruto shook her shoulder and opened her eyes, blinking several times. Upon waking up a bit more, she looked at him, frowning a bit as she brought her face closer to his. It took her a moment to grasp their situation, but once she realized what position they were in, she squealed and jerked away.
"I-I'm sorry!"
"Why are you apologizing?" Naruto asked. "I don't mind being your pillow. In fact, I'd say it was rather nice."
"Oh… um… t-thank you?" Irina flushed and looked away. Naruto chuckled. For someone with such a vivacious body, Irina sure was cute.
Kiba just looked at the two of them and shook his head.
Once the train had stopped, everyone grabbed their luggage and exited, stepping onto the Kyoto train station platform. Naruto took a moment to admire the massive train station. He wouldn't say the station was as big as the one in Tokyo, but it was pretty huge. Not only were their thousands of people wandering around, but he saw numerous places to eat and shop, and the Kyoto Station roof was even covered by a gigantic atrium. Numerous escalators and elevators dotted the interior space, leading to another floor. It was all very modern.
"This place is amazing," Irina muttered as she clasped her hands together. She had stars in her eyes. "I'd love to build a spectacular railway like this in Heaven."
"Is that one of your dreams?" asked Naruto.
"Well, not really." Irina gave an embarrassed laugh as she rubbed the back of her head. "I just think it would be nice if there was something like this in Heaven. Don't you think a train station would be convenient?"
"Well, yeah. I guess it would, huh?"
While Naruto and Irina were talking, Kiba traveled to the head of the procession and clapped his hands together, getting everyone's attention. He was the coordinator for their class. It was his job to keep everyone on track.
"Okay, everyone! Our meeting point is on the ground floor lobby of our hotel. Let's not dawdle around here and begin heading their now. If we don't get there quickly, we won't have time for free activities this afternoon."
"Yes, Kiba-kun!" all the girls squealed while the boys grumbled in complaint.
Everyone followed Kiba out of the station. Now that he wasn't walking alongside Naruto and Irina, both of whom were intimidating in their own way, the girls of their class were crowding around him like a pride of hungry lionesses.
Perhaps due to his ability to keep calm, or maybe because he was just used to their affectionate gestures, Kiba responded to the ladies with a smile. No matter what they said or did, he spoke kind words to them that made all the girls squeal. He also ignored the killing intent coming from the boys.
"Kiba-kun sure is popular, huh?" asked Irina.
"Yeah." Naruto nodded. "That's why they call him the Prince of Kouh Academy."
Upon leaving Kyoto Station, Naruto was surprised to find what appeared to be a completely modern Japanese city waiting for them. He hadn't been sure what to expect. That said, he did have some expectations. He'd been under the impression that Kyoto was a traditional city, so he'd been expecting more ancient Japanese structures right off the bat, like temples and stuff. As he and Irina followed Kiba through the crowds of people, he knew that massive, modern-day buildings and people dressed in business suits had not been within his expectations at all.
"Look, Naruto." Irina pointed at something in the distance. "It's the Kyoto Tower!"
Naruto looked over to see the fabled Kyoto tower, which stood far above all the other buildings. Resting on top of a structure shaped like an inverted cylinder, the tower had a bit of an odd shape to it. There was something like a donut going around it neat donut shaped construct. She and Asia had been talking about going inside it on their last day.
The hotel was only a few minutes walk from the train station. Aside from their class, Naruto also saw Issei's class and several other classes walking in the same direction. He could easily tell who they were by their winter uniforms.
"OPPAI!"
As they were walking, everyone stopped upon hearing the scream. It wasn't just the scream itself that stopped them. It was the word that was screamed.
"What are you people looking at?! It wasn't me!" Issei's shout could be heard somewhere ahead of them.
"AH! Get away from me, you pervert!"
"Oppai! Oppai! Oppai!"
The commotion was not from Issei at all, and in fact, it was happening several meters away. A young woman was backing away from a man who was chasing her. The man had the look of a zombie. His hands were raised and he was making creepy grasping motions with his fingers. A couple of passersby quickly restrained the man, but he continued to mumble about oppai.
A pair of police officers quickly arrived on the scene. They cuffed the man and dragged him off. He was still mumbling about oppai when they left.
"What was all that about?" asked Irina as the Kuoh Academy students began moving once again.
"No idea," Naruto muttered, though he did feel there was something familiar in how that man had acted. "I guess Kyoto isn't as peaceful as we all assumed."
"I guess not."
The hotel that they were staying at was called the Kyoto Sirzechs Hotel. It was tall even by most hotel standards, with at least twelve stories and a ritzy appearance that reminded him off the mansions he'd stayed at with Rias. He'd expected nothing less from a hotel owned and operated by the Gremory Clan. On a side note, the Kyoto Serafall Hotel was under construction just a few buildings away.
After the students showed their identification cards to the attendants, everyone was given detailed instructions on how to reach the lobby. The front door was actually just a waiting area and not the lobby itself. However, even the waiting area was ostentatious beyond anything that could be expected from a normal hotel. As the other students gawked at the busts, artwork, and polished to a shine tiled floor, Naruto, Kiba, and Irina kept their eyes ahead and entered the lobby.
A lot of students were already gathered in the lobby, which was about twice the size of the waiting area. When each class arrived, they took roll call to confirm that everyone was present, and then stood or sat around so they could listen to the teachers announcements. As Naruto stood beside Irina and Kiba, he found Azazel and Rossweisse discussing something among themselves, though they soon stopped when it became Rossweisse's turn to talk.
"Everyone, there is a 100 yen shop in the underground shopping centre in Kyoto. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to go there. I know a lot of you don't think so, but you can never be too careful with your money these days. If you become the kind if person who spends a lot in your youth, you'll grow up to become an unreliable adult. Money makes the world go round, as they say. That is why I recommend buying any essentials at the 100 yen shop."
Naruto had known about Rossweisse's strange spending habits, as they had discussed the numerous 100 yen shops around Kouh, and he had even joined her when she shopped on occasion. Even so, he felt like she might have been going a bit overboard with that speech of hers. Well, whatever, so long as it made her happy, he guessed it was fine.
As she finished her speech, another teacher came up and made some final announcements.
"After putting away your luggage, you will be free to do whatever you want until 5pm, but please don't wander too far from the hotel. Stick to the area around the Kyoto railway station and make sure you're back in your rooms by 5:30."
All of the students announced that they understood. That said, it wasn't certain that any of them would listen to the teacher's orders. After receiving their keys from the lobby attendants, the students began filing out to locate their rooms.
Naruto and Kiba were sharing a room, which, like most rooms in this hotel, was a western-style room with two queen-sized beds. Given that he wouldn't be sleeping with anyone on this trip, the size was more than adequate. Not only were the beds large and comfortable, but the decor of the room was tasteful. As he looked at some of the art hanging from the wall in their room, Naruto thought he saw Grayfia's unique taste on display.
I wonder if she had a hand in designing these rooms.
He still wouldn't say he knew Grayfia very well, but deciding to personally choose the decorations for a hotel owned by Sirzechs sounded like something she would do. She'd probably say something like: "It's the duty of a maid to ensure her master's business has adequate decoration."
Naruto set his luggage by the bed and put his clothes, toiletries, and other necessities away alongside Kiba. The two of them talked while working to make the time go by faster. That said, they mostly talked about swords and training. Even though they were on a school trip, the two of them had no intention of neglecting their training.
"Now that we're packed up, I think we should meet with Irina and the others," Kiba said.
Naruto nodded. "Since it's free time today, we should be able to hang out Ise and Asia as well. Let's go find them once we meet up with Irina."
"Definitely. It will be a lot more fun if we're in a big group." Kiba agreed with a smile.
As they left the room, Naruto couldn't help but grin. Their Kyoto school trip was finally about to begin!
~Devil Ninja~
Naruto, Kiba, and Irina hooked up with Issei, Asia, Kiryuu, Matsuda, and Motohama after getting everything unpacked. Then they hopped onto a train. They were going from Kyoto station to Inari station, which was just one stop. Naruto felt they could have walked, but no one else wanted to walk around like he did.
"Can you believe it, Sensei? They gave me a crappy little tatami room that's barely large enough to fit a single person inside," Issei complained as he sat next to Naruto and Kiba. "I mean, I understand that it's so we can have meetings without worrying about other people coming in and finding out about devils, but I really wanted to get a nice room like everyone else."
The girls were all sitting together as they looked out the window. Motohama and Matsuda were snapping pictures of anything and everything. Naruto was just glad the two of them weren't trying to perv on women, but he guessed they were the kind of perverts who only watched porn and talked about perving in loud, raucous voices. Well, they also peeped, but aside from that they were harmless.
"That's just the way things worked out," Kiba said to Issei's complaint. "I think the original plan was for Naruto to have his own room, but Naruto is in my class now, so he and I are sharing a room to avoid someone accidentally stumbling upon the fact that we're devils."
"Yeah… I know." Issei sighed. "I just really wanted to share a room with Asia."
"Understandable." Kiba nodded.
The train soon stopped and everyone disembarked. As they exited the train, Naruto looked around and found the road leading to Fushimi Inari. A loud thumping echoed inside of him, causing Naruto to grin.
"You seem excited."
"Hmph. These humans are worshipping a fox god. They have good taste."
This particular part of Kyoto was split by a canal running through it. To reach the Inari Shrine, they would have to cross over the canal and head toward the massive red tori that marked the shrine entrance.
"Irina! Irina! Look at these cute fox plushies!"
"Aww! They're so adorable! They remind me of Naruto!"
At least if they could get Irina and Asia away from the numerous shops lining the street around the station. There were quite a few of them. What's more, it seemed that because this area held the shrine dedicated to Inari, their primary merchandise were various fox toys. Naruto could even see several figures of sexy anime foxgirls in a store window.
Rias would love those.
"Hehehe… this is great. The two beauties enjoying the sights and sounds of Kyoto in all its splendor. I must get a picture of this!" Matsuda grinned lecherously as he began snapping photos of the two. Naruto frowned a bit. He didn't like the idea of this man having Irina's photo, or photos of his little sister Asia's, for that matter, but neither of them seemed to mind, so he let it go.
Standing disgruntled off to the side, Kiryuu narrowed her eyes. "What about me?"
"You're ugly, so there's no way I'm snapping photos of—ugya!"
Naruto could only shake his head when Kiryuu stomped on Matsuda's foot and stormed off. The perverted trio member nearly dropped his camera thanks to her, though he saved it at the last moment with some impressive juggling.
"Come on, you two," Naruto called out to Asia and Irina. "We're gonna see the shrine!"
"Coming!" Asia called out as she and Irina left the shops and moved over to them.
Located in a section of Kyoto that was canopied by trees, Fushimi Inari was marked by thousands of red torii gates. As Naruto walked through the gates with everyone else, he couldn't help but notice the strange hum that came from all around them. It was different from nature chakra used by Sage Mode. However, there was a natural energy permeating this place that he'd never felt anywhere else.
"It must be the energy from the god enshrined here. Inari is a powerful god of the Japanese religion, right?"
"According to some of the research I've done, Inari is the god of foxes, fertility, rice, sake, agriculture, industry, and general prosperity and worldly success. He seems to be a pretty big deal."
"That's probably why."
"Hmm."
They continued traveling through the numerous tori, which didn't just move in a straight or even curved line. Dozens of stairs also dotted their path. This shrine was actually on a mountain, which they were aiming to climb.
Irina was walking beside him along with Kiba. She looked around, staring in awe at all the torii they were passing. Ahead of them were Issei and Asia. The two were walking hand in hand, much to the anger of Matsuda and Motohama, who looked like they wanted to get between the pair. Kiyruu also seemed somewhat dissatisfied, but she was smart enough to keep such feelings to herself.
"Is it just me, or does it feel like we're being watched?" asked Naruto.
"I thought that went without saying," Kiba said. "Devils and angels like us are considered threatening existences to the religious deities here. If we were to cause trouble for them, it could lead to war breaking out between our two factions. Of course, we notified them beforehand that we'd be coming and got those passes to let us enter, but they still need to watch us and make sure we don't cause any trouble."
"Yeah… I guess."
Naruto glanced at a small section of the forest where he'd felt the presence of someone. He didn't feel it anymore, but he could have sworn that presence was hostile.
Taking photos as they continued to advance, the group climbed up the mountain path through thousands of torii.
"Ha… ha… hoo… hey… why are you all so energetic?" asked an out of breath Motohama as he lumbered up the steps like a man dying of exhaustion.
"Hey, hey, Motohama. Why are you so out of shape? Even Asia isn't breathless like you are." Unlike Motohama, Matsuda was actually in decent shape, so he didn't appear to be having much trouble. Naruto heard from Issei that Matsuda was a former baseball star in middle school.
"I guess some people really are the kind who spend so much time indoors they're completely out of shape," Naruto murmured.
There were several rest stops along the way, so they took several breaks and checked out the little stores that sat in those areas. Sadly, they were forced to stick together. Naruto frowned as he realized that talking to Irina about whatever was bothering her wouldn't be possible in this group. He'd been hoping to get some time alone so he could speak to her in private.
Aside from forest, the place surrounding Fushimi Inari was littered with cultivated gardens and small ponds. The scenery gave the mountain a very peaceful air. Naruto imagined normal humans would feel completely at peace while traveling through here, unlike him. The very atmosphere was alive with energy, so much so that Naruto felt the hair on his arms prickle.
They eventually reached the top of Inari Mountain. By that point, Motohama looked like a dead man walking. Naruto thought he would keel over at any moment.
"Oh, wow!" Irina muttered under breath. "What an amazing view!"
"It's beautiful," Asia agreed.
The two girls were standing on an overlook that gave them a view of pretty much the entire mountainside. From where they stood, it was possible to see all of the torii gates lining the path. Naruto had to admit that it was a stellar view. The torii gates wound through the trees like a red serpent, or maybe even like the red tails of a fox, presenting a startling contrast to the green of the forest.
Kiba was sitting on a small bench as he admired the view as well. As the soft breeze rustled his blond hair, Naruto gave an amused snort as he thought about all the girls who would have happily committed murder to see their prince looking like that.
There was an old shrine at the very summit of the mountain. Naruto left the girls to viewing the mountainside and stood before the shrine, which appeared as little more than a slightly antiquated but well-maintained building barely large enough to fit a handful of people inside. He clapped his hands together, paying his respects to the god enshrined there.
"Do you think it's weird that a devil with a fox sealed inside of his belly is praying to a fox god?"
"Yes, but since when have you ever not been weird?"
"Good point."
As Naruto was paying his respects, Issei clapped his hands next to him and bowed his head in reverence.
"Let me see and touch breasts all the time! Help me do more erotic things to Asia! Also! Please help Akeno accept herself so I can do erotic things to her as well!"
… or maybe not.
"You know," Naruto began with an amused smile, "I don't think Inari is going to help you do erotic things with girls."
"But you never know unless you try. Inari is the god of fertility, right? Fertility means making babies, and making babies means sex! He's the only god I can pray to about this," Issei said with a fire in his eyes. Naruto had to admire the boy's tenacity. Moments like this made Issei seem like Naruto's reincarnated sensei.
Naruto shook his head and was about to head over to Kiba, but just as he was preparing to leave, a voice spoke up.
"Are you not from Kyoto?"
Judging from the timber, pitch, and tone of the voice, it belonged to a young girl. However, beyond the sound of the voice, the strangely hostile feelings emanating from it made him frown. What's more, he could now detect numerous presences surrounding them. They must have hidden themselves. He didn't know how many there were, and they weren't very strong, but that hardly mattered when they were surrounded by so many people they couldn't afford to fight back.
Keeping calm, Naruto turned around. He was prepared for any eventuality—or so he thought. When he finished his turn and found a girl with lustrous hair like honey and golden eyes, he froze like a popsicle.
She looked very young. He would have judged her to be a girl in primary school. Adorning her slender frame was a traditional red and white shrine maiden outfit. Beyond the insanely cute outfit, however, were the furry fox ears twitching on her head and the nine tails behind her back.
"Kurama… there's a cute girl with fox ears standing before me."
"Oh, God. This isn't good."
"She might be even cuter than Ophis."
"Naruto… just calm down and think about where you are. If you begin petting her, people are going to think you're a pedophile."
Despite his partner's warnings, Naruto couldn't find it in himself to resist the strange compulsion that came over him.
"You're so adorable!"
"Wha—kya!"
Before the poor girl even had time to stumble back, he was right next to her, feeling those super fluffy ears. They were so soft! He didn't know what she did to make her fur so soft, but her ears were quite possible the softest, fluffiest things he had ever felt!
"W-wait. What are you…"
"You have really pretty ears," Naruto complimented as he shamelessly rubbed her ears. A bright blush sprang to the kid's face as her tails writhed in agitation, but he only paid enough attention to notice it and nothing more. There were more important things to do.
"Er… sensei," Issei muttered. "You're actions are kinda making me uncomfortable."
Naruto ignored Issei as well. His student obviously didn't understand the appeal of fox ears on such a cute kid.
Sadly, before he had the chance to truly admire the softness of those ears, a surge of killing intent forced him to leap backwards, away from the girl. The person who had interrupted him was a man with black wings and a crow head. He was dressed like a hermit, with a loose-fitting gray kimono covering his body.
"How dare you defile Kunou-sama!"
"Defile?" Naruto frowned at the man, even as other figures emerged from the surrounding forest. "I have no idea what you are talking about. I didn't defile her. I just wanted to feel her fluffy ears—"
"Heathen! You dare to touch our princess with your filthy hands?!"
By this point in time, there were more people than just the young girl and the hermit-like man, who Naruto belatedly realized was a tengu. There were also nearly a dozen people wearing fox masks and dressed in the garb of traditional priests. Not only were they surrounding him and Issei, but they were also surrounding Kiba, and Irina and Asia. Oddly enough, Motohama, Matsuda, and Kiryuu seemed completely unaware of what was happening. Naruto suspected illusions were somehow involved.
"What is going on here? Are those karasu-tengu?! Have they come to tell me my breast-related wish is forbidden?!" Issei asked in an increasingly shrill voice.
"Somehow… I don't think that's why they are here," Naruto muttered as he eyed the numerous hostile people.
The girl seemed to have recovered from Naruto's sudden head petting, though her cheeks were still flushed a bright red. She patted her clothes and ears as though to calm herself. Then, recovering further, she pointed at the two of them and glared as she yelled at them.
"Give me back my mother!"
What?
Naruto had no time to ponder the girl's words as the first tengu who had interrupted his petting leapt at him. Clicking his tongue, Naruto blocked the staff in the tengu's hand, and then promptly snapped the staff in two before kicking the man. He meant for it to be a light kick, but he must not have been holding his strength back as much as he'd hoped. The man went flying through the air and slammed into the ground several meters away.
As more tengu and those fox priests attacked, Naruto tried to reason with the girl.
"I don't know what you're talking about! I don't even know who your mother is! Please stop this so we can talk things out!"
But the girl didn't listen.
"Don't think you can lie to me! I might be young, but that doesn't mean I can be deceived so easily!"
"Tch!"
As Naruto and Issei found themselves beset by tengu and fox priests on all sides, the other members of their group (aside from Motoham, Matsuda, and Kiryuu, who were staring at nothing with dead eyes) found themselves being attacked as well.
Kiba was fighting against a group of priests using a wooden sword instead of actual blades. He used his incredible speed to move around them. His sword flashed out and attacked from all sides, but Naruto noticed that he was careful not to actually injure anyone. It seemed that, like him, he had realized something was up.
Asia was standing behind Irina, who had brought out a wooden sword and even had her white angel wings flaring behind her back. Unlike Kiba, who moved around without pause, she stood in one place like a rock and took the attacks head on. She must have improved her game since the last battle. Her movements were fluid like water as she deflected the dozens of staffs she was being attacked with.
"Asia!" Issei called. "Can you bring out that thing you received from Buchou?!"
"Y-yes! It's right here!" Asia said as she fished in her jacket and pulled out a card with the Gremory Clan Crest etched into it.
"I'll clear you a path," Naruto said as he darted forward. Several foxes tried to intervene, clearly sensing that something was up, but Naruto used a gentler form of combat to trip them up and send them tumbling along the ground. He hoped they weren't too injured. He helped protect Asia as she made her way to Issei.
"All right!" Issei grinned. "Here we go! Knight Promotion!"
A surge of power swirled around Issei as he was promoted to a Knight.
"EXPLOSION!"
His power was further boosted by his Sacred Gear. This would allow him to overpower anything that came his way, though Naruto felt the promotion was unnecessary. These people weren't that strong.
As all this was happening, the young girl shivered in rage as she glared at them. "You people are… unforgivable! You filthy devils! How dare you taint this sacred space! I'll never forgive you!"
Naruto sighed as the girl left them no chances to have a peaceful conversation.
He ducked underneath a swinging staff, redirected the offending weapon so it struck the ground, and then stomped on it. Snap! The staff broke in half. As the woman on the other end stared at the broken staff in shock, her fox ears twitching, Naruto kicked her away with a love tap. It was just a light kick. Even so, she tumbled along the ground as though he'd hit her with an iron weight.
"Everyone!" He called out. "Be careful not to harm them! We have no idea what's going on!"
"Right!" Everyone else agreed.
Naruto didn't want to injure or kill these people until he knew they were enemies for sure. That girl had screamed something about her mother. "Give my mother back," she had said. This already gave Naruto some clues as to what was going on, but he still didn't have the whole picture. There was also the fact that Rias had warned them about causing trouble in Kyoto.
The girl must have realized they'd lost the upper hand, or rather, that they had never had the upper hand to begin with. Several of her companions were already lying on the ground and sporting bruises. She bit her lip, glared at them with hatred burning in her eyes, and raised her hand.
"Let's retreat! We don't have the numbers or the strength to defeat them right now!" The tengu and foxes were quick to obey her, grabbing their comrades and leaping away from Naruto and the others. As they retreated back into the forest, the girl glared at them again. "You damn devils! Mark my words! I will make you give me back my mother!"
As the girl and her companions finally disappeared, Naruto and the others slowly relaxed. He glanced around to find Motohama, Matsuda, and Kiryuu coming out of their trance-like states. One of those foxes must have cast some kind of illusion on them to keep them from seeing what was happening. Asia was checking Issei for any wounds, though there was no way he would have been injured by such a weak offensive. Irina had retracted her wings, but she looked primed and ready in case those people ambushed them again.
"What was all that about?" asked Kiba as he looked at where the girl had disappeared.
"I have no idea," Naruto sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "but I believe we'll find out soon enough, whether we want to or not."
~Devil Ninja~
Naruto and his friends returned to the hotel at exactly the correct time they needed to. After returning to their rooms for a brief moment, they were summoned to the dining room for dinner.
Like the rest of this hotel, the dining room was very much in the western fashion, with large tables and chairs instead of small tables lined up in rows for them to sit on the floor in seiza. The tables were all round, covered in expensive white cloth, and featured more utensils than most normal people knew what to do with. Even Naruto only understood how to the numerous utensils were supposed to be used because Rias had drilled it into his head.
Oddly enough, while the dining room was completely westernized, the dinner was a traditional Kyoto dish: Boiled tofu. Also known as yudofu, the meal was served in something similar to a hot pot. Several additions were prepared along with the tofu, including kelp, a somi no tsuyu broth, green onions, dried bonito flakes, and Chinese cabbages.
Naruto was more of a meat and ramen person, but he would admit that the tofu was delicious. It was soft and sweet, and the way it melted on his tongue caused his appetite to blaze. They'd been forced to order seven more dishes because Naruto was just so hungry.
Sitting at the dinner table with Naruto, Issei, Kiba, Asia, and Irina were Azazel and Rossweisse. Since this was the perfect time, Naruto informed them of what happened. They listened as he explained how they were attacked at Fushimi Inari with puzzled expressions. When he finished, Azazel's frown had grown a lot more serious than what Naruto was used to seeing.
"I'm not sure what's going on here," he confessed. "We took the proper procedures to inform the yokai of Kyoto that you would be coming here, so the ruler of this place should have been informed about all this beforehand. Why would they attack you?"
"The leader of this place is Yasaka, right?" said Naruto as he blew on his tofu and stuck it in his mouth. Ah! This really was good. It might not have been ramen good, but he definitely wouldn't mind having this again sometimes. Wait! Maybe he should even add it to his ramen?! It was a brilliant idea!
I amaze myself sometimes.
Ignoring the snort in his mind, Naruto listened as Azazel confirmed his thoughts. "Yes. Yasaka is the Kyuubi, the nine-tailed fox who controls Kyoto. She is basically the ruler of all yokai."
"Naruto," Kiba suddenly started, "you don't think…"
"I do." Nodding at Kiba, Naruto turned to Azazel and Rossweisse. "The person who attacked us was a little blond kitsune. She couldn't have been very old, maybe eleven or twelve at most. Anyway, she told us to 'give her mother back.' She seemed to be under the impression that we had kidnapped her mother. I think she might be Yasaka's daughter."
Azazel and Rossweisse stared at him, though while the silver-haired beauty seemed stunned, the fallen angel was rubbing his chin in thought.
"Yasaka is said to have a daughter, though I don't know how old she is. Did she have nine tails?"
"Yup."
He nodded. "Yasaka and her daughter are the only kitsune with nine tails, so that was definitely her. It sounds like there's trouble in Kyoto. I'll have my subordinates look into this. With luck, we can meet with this girl and clear up the misunderstanding she has about you. Until then, just continue touring Kyoto as you have been. It would be a shame to let this bad experience ruin your school trip."
That was the best Naruto could hope for, and since they had finished this rather serious discussion, the dinner conversation turned to more pleasant topics. Asia and Irina began talking about what they wanted to do tomorrow, while Issei asked Azazel for advice on how to boost his powers. That was a pretty perverse topic, so Naruto ignored them. He instead talked to Kiba and Rossweisse.
Dinner eventually came to an end, and everyone was asked to return to their rooms. Naruto stood up with the others. He didn't intend to return to his room, though. He placed a hand on Irina's shoulder, grabbing her attention.
"Would now be a good time to talk?" he asked.
Irina looked at him, biting her lip, and then slowly nodded. "Yes, I suppose we should talk now."
Since Irina was staying with a group of girls from their class, they couldn't use her room, and this seemed to be something she didn't want to tell others about, so his room was out of the question.
The hotel had several lobbies they could sit in. Naruto led her to one of those. Irina sat down, but he bought a pair of drinks from a nearby vending machine, and then, setting one drink in front of Irina, he sat down on the opposite side of the table.
Irina spent several long moments staring at her drink before taking it in hand, popping the cap, and drinking from it. Naruto sipped his own drink, something made from red bean paste. He didn't say anything. It wasn't really his place to talk yet.
"You know how Xenovia didn't return to Kuoh after the battle with Kokabiel?" Irina began.
He nodded. "I do. I always wondered about that."
"Well… after we learned about God's death, Xenovia confronted the Church about it and discovered that all of the higher ups knew as well. Even… even our own master knew it. But no one told us." Irina clasped her hands around the drink as though seeking comfort. "I wasn't there when she confronted them, but I heard a rumor about how Xenovia had screamed at them, called them frauds and liars, and then stormed out. For a few days after that, Xenovia had seemed so dead. It was like her purpose in life had disappeared. Even when Michael-sama had come down and offered to reincarnate us as angels for his Brave Saints, Xenovia had been completely uninterested. I accepted, of course. Being an angel has always been my dream. However, sometime after I went to Heaven so I could become an angel, Xenovia disappeared and no one's heard from her since."
Naruto knew a bit about this. He couldn't remember who he'd had this conversation with, but he was sure someone had told him about Xenovia disappearing. Despite that, he listened intently.
"I'm guessing someone spotted her recently?" he asked. It was the only thing he could think of that would distract this girl so much.
Irina nodded. "Someone from the Church said they saw her… in Kyoto." Naruto twitched as Irina suddenly looked up, worry clear on her face. "Naruto… you don't think… I mean, Xenovia wouldn't… that girl's mother… you don't think she had something to do with her disappearance, do you?"
Oh, boy.
Naruto gazed into Irina's pleading eyes, which seemed to be begging him for some kind of reassurance. He leaned back in his chair. What should he say? What could he say?
Being Naruto, he decided to just wing it and said the first thing that came to mind.
"Even if she is responsible, it just means you and I will have to bring her back to her senses." He raised his left hand and made a fist. "With our fists if we have to!"
Irina stared at him for a long moment. Then…
"Pfft!" A smile broke out on her face. "That's exactly the kind of thing I'd expect you to say. You're right. If she somehow does have something to do with Yasaka's disappearance, we'll help her see the error of her ways. That said, I like to think she's not involved."
Naruto nodded. Xenovia was Irina's best friend. He understood exactly how she felt. After all, his best friend had betrayed the village and gone totally rogue for a long time.
"Thank you, Naruto. I feel a lot better."
"I'm glad I could help. You can always come to me if you need a hand."
Irina nodded and blushed. "I-I will. Thanks."
Since their conversation was over, the two of them finished their drinks and left the lobby. He looked at a nearby clock hanging on the wall. It looked like they would still have time to take a bath if they were quick. He really wanted to get the grime from the day's events off.
"EXPLOSION!"
However, just as they were nearing the baths, a loud and very familiar shout rang out. They looked at each other. It was clear in Irina's eyes that she sensed the same lustful intentions he had. Nodding, they hurried their pace, traveling through several corridors, until they reached the emergency escape, where the voice had come from.
There, Naruto found a scene like something out of a perverted fantasy.
Rossweisse was kneeling on the ground, doing her best to cover both her completely bare chest and her naked groin. Tears leaked from her eyes as she glared at Issei. Naruto could barely focus on the gloating boy as he stared at the naked Rossweisse.
While he would always claim otherwise, it wasn't like Naruto didn't have his own perverse desires. Jiraiya had been his sensei, after all. Rossweisse was also gorgeous. Her silver hair was arrayed around her body, somehow enhancing the allure of her nude figure. Large breasts were pushed against a slender forearm as she tried to cover her nipples, but the result really juse enhanced her eroticism. Perhaps it was because she was a valkyrie, but the woman also sported a flat stomach, narrow waist, and beautiful hips.
Mastering his own desires before anyone else could take notice, Naruto stepped onto the escape hatch and removed his school jacket. Meanwhile, Irina went over to Issei and yanked on his ear.
"Ow! Irina! What are you doing?!"
"Why are you such a pervert sometimes, Ise? Oh, Lord who art thou in Heaven, please forgive this devil for his sins."
"YEOUCH! Don't pray! You know that hurts me!"
Naruto ignored Issei's pained cries as he covered Rossweisse with his jacket. The woman sniffled as she accepted his gesture with a soft "thank you." He helped the woman stand to her feet and turned away as she buttoned his jacket up. It wasn't going to do much. His jacket was large enough that it at least covered her bottom, but anyone looking up would catch a glimpse of the promised land. Even bending over would send men into a catatonic state as her rear end became visible.
"Are you okay?" asked Naruto.
"No…" Rossweisse sniffed. "My clothes are ruined. Do you know how much of a waste that is? It's… it's environmentally unfriendly! Plus… plus… I'll never be able to get married now!"
Scratching his cheek, Naruto said the first thing that came to mind. "I'd marry you."
"Huh?"
Before Naruto could respond to the woman's shocked expression, Azazel stepped onto the emergency escape. He paused. Surveying the scene with something like a mixture of amusement and bemusement, he shook his head and quickly got to the point.
"I'm sorry to disturb all of you as your fun was reaching its climax, but we've been summoned to a nearby restaurant."
"Someone has summoned us?" Naruto shared a glance with Rossweisse. Judging from her rather befuddled expression, she didn't know anything about this either. He looked back at Azazel. "Who?"
A grin stretched across Azazel's mouth as he answered. "A very cute Maou Mahou Shoujo."
~Devil Ninja~
Later that evening, when everyone had already gone to bed, Naruto found himself walking alongside Irina, Kiba, Issei, and Asia as they all followed Azazel.
There wasn't much foot traffic this late at night. Naruto supposed it was because this was a tourist destination and all of the sites that people could visit were best visited during the day. Only a few people wandered the streets. A young man talking on his phone, an old lady walking her dog, and a few older teens who looked like college students heading into a restaurant.
"Here we are," Azazel announced as he led the Gremory group plus Irina to a small restaurant on a street corner. The restaurant was called Dairaku. It looked like a very traditional Japanese restaurant, with lintel posts, a slanted roof, and fox statues on either side of the door.
Azazel went inside. Naruto and the others were forced to follow. They passed through several rooms before appearing before a door, which opened seconds later.
Serafall stood on the other side, wearing a beautiful mauve kimono that suited her short height well. The kimono stretched tightly across her massive melons. Naruto wasn't Issei, but even he couldn't help but notice how her breasts spilled over the obi tied around her kimono. That would never happen with a regular Japanese woman. Her long hair had been tied up in a traditional bun. A single strand trailed down her face.
"Oh!" Her eyes lit up. "If it isn't Naruto! How are you? The last time we saw each other was at that convention, wasn't it?"
"It was." Naruto grinned back. "I was really surprised to see you there, but you really looked like you belonged." He paused. "It's nice to see you. You look beautiful."
"Hee hee." Serafall giggled quietly as she turned around to show off her kimono. "It's not bad, right? I thought a kimono would suit the traditional Japanese atmosphere of Kyoto."
Naruto cupped a hand to his chin and nodded. "Indeed, a kimono definitely suits the occasion and setting well."
"Are you two just going to stand there talking? Hurry up and get inside!"
Serafall was not the only person in the room. At the sound of the annoyed voice, Naruto and the others looked past Serafall to find the members of Sona Sitri's peerage also present. Of course, Sona and Tsubaki were not there. They were in their third year and therefore not attending this trip. The members currently present were Saji, Tsubasa, Reya, and Momo.
"Hey Saji!" Issei greeted the Student Council member with a wave. "How's Kyoto treating you? Where did you all go this afternoon?"
"We're the Student Council, so we spend the entire afternoon helping out the teachers," Saji sighed as he ran a hand down his face. He looked tired. Actually, all of them looked tired. Naruto guessed being forced to help the teachers instead of enjoying their time off was taking its toll.
He offered them his silent sympathies.
"Come on in and sit down," Serafall said with a gesture. "The food here is delicious, especially the chicken dishes. Naruto, Sekiryuutei-chan… you two can eat as much as you want."
Serafall ordered several more dishes, which came out surprisingly quickly. A young man dressed in a traditional male kimono served them, offering up a variety of chicken, tofu, and beef dishes.
Naruto took his chopsticks and popped a piece into his mouth. He blinked in surprise as a mild burst of flavor hit his tongue. The seasoning was light, allowing the chicken's natural flavor to spring forth, but there was just the hint of spiciness to give it that good kick. He tried the beef dish next.
"This is really good!" Irina said in surprise before taking her chopsticks and presenting some food to Asia. "Here, Asia. Try this tofu!"
"O-okay. Ahn…"
As Irina began feeding Asia food, Naruto and Issei quickly found their eyes swiveling in the girl's direction. They watched, silent for a moment, as the two girls soon began feeding each other.
"Hey, sensei. Isn't there something erotic about two girls feeding each other?"
"There is definitely something erotic about it."
"I'm so happy to be alive right now!"
"You and me both."
While Issei was crying tears of joy, Naruto didn't let on how cute he thought the scene was, but he couldn't deny there was something appealing about watching Asia and Irina feed each other.
"Naruto, you should try this dish too." Serafall held her chopsticks out to Naruto, leaning over the the table so she could reach him. The act caused her kimono to part and reveal just a hint of her creamy breasts. "It's called Kyo Kaiseki. It's really good! Come on. Try some."
"Okay then." Naruto didn't hesitate to lean down and open his mouth. "Ahn."
He closed his mouth over Serafall's chopsticks, aware that those chopsticks had also been inside of the Maou's mouth. Thinking about how he had indirectly kissed one of Hell's most powerful devils, Naruto thoughtfully chewed his food, admiring its subtle flavor. Kyoto really was mired in tradition. Even their food tasted like something he'd expect from ancient times.
"How is it?" asked Serafall, her eyes boring into his with a bright sparkle.
"It's delicious," he said after swallowing.
"Isn't it?!" Serafall looked pleased by his response.
His and Serafall's interaction did not go unnoticed. The Student Council members were staring at them in wonder, or more like shock. Perhaps they thought it weird that someone of his low standing was being fed by a Maou? Well, whatever. It wasn't like he cared what they thought.
However, Irina didn't seem pleased by how close he and Serafall were acting either.
"Naruto! Please try this food as well!"
"What the—gggmmppphhh!"
Naruto was left unable to speak after Irina liberally shoved her chopsticks into his mouth. He gagged as something was practically forced down his throat. It was probably food… probably, but he didn't even get the chance to enjoy it before he was forced to either swallow it or choke.
Maybe he should consider talking to Irina soon… yes, that was definitely a good idea.
"Now that we're all nice and fed, I should explain why I'm here," Serafall said.
It was about half an hour after they had arrived at the restaurant, and by this point, it was probably safe to say most of the people there were full. Saji was leaning back as he patted his belly. Issei was in much the same position. Out of the boys, only he and Kiba didn't look like they were ready to fall asleep. Meanwhile, Irina, Asia, and the Student Council girls were sighing in content as they sipped some warm tea.
"So… you probably already know this much, but I'm actually in charge of foreign affairs for the Three Factions," Serafall began after everyone had their fill. "I had come here awhile ago to secure the cooperation of Kyoto's yokai faction." She set her chopsticks on the table, a frown marring her cute face. "But, well, it seems there's a bit of a problem."
"I'm going to assume this has something to do with that little girl we ran into," Naruto said.
"That girl is Kunou," Serafall told him. "She's the daughter of Yasaka, the Kyuubi who rules over the yokai here in Kyoto. According to several reports we received recently, Yasaka went missing a few days ago and hasn't been seen since."
Naruto thought about the situation and tried to correlate it with what he already knew. He looked at the ceiling. Like the rest of this restaurant, the ceiling had the traditional elegance found in a Japanese building. It hadn't been modernized at all.
"I think I understand," he said at last. "Someone kidnapped the Kyuubi, which caused her daughter and the other yokai to panic. Then, when Kunou saw us devils wandering around Kyoto, she assumed we were the ones who kidnapped her mother and attacked us."
"That's about the gist of it," Serafall said with a nod.
"Then doesn't that mean the real question is: Who actually kidnapped Yasaka?" asked Kiba.
"We're already pretty sure we know who did it," Azazel told him.
Naruto nodded. "You suspect the Khaos Brigade is involved?"
"Well, not quite." Serafall rubbed her cheeks and sighed. "We recently learned that certain factions of the Khaos Brigade had a… a falling out. The Hero Faction, which is made up of humans with Sacred Gears, split off from the rest of the Khaos Brigade and is doing their own thing. We believe it's the Hero Faction who is currently causing trouble in Kyoto, though we don't know what they want."
As Serafall spoke, Azazel poured some sake into a saucer and downed it in a single go. He then poured himself another drink, though he nursed this one.
Naruto thought about the young girl whose mother had been kidnapped. He felt for her. Granted, he didn't necessarily understand how she felt, but that was because Naruto's mother had died the same day he was born. He couldn't understand what it felt like to have your own mother kidnapped.
"You guys have gotten mixed up in trouble again," Saji said, his eyes twitching.
"I'm not sure if you noticed, but getting into trouble is kind of our thing." Naruto grinned at the boy, who gained an even more annoyed look.
"How can you be so blasé about this?!"
"Easy. It's all par for the course."
"This is a pretty vexing situation," Azazel added as he finished off his drink. "I'm almost tempted to believe they chose this time to kidnap Yasaka because they knew we'd be here." He frowned and looked at Naruto. "That ancient dragon god of yours didn't inform them we'd be coming, did she?"
"Ophis seems more interested in going on dates and mating than what the Khaos Brigade is doing," Naruto said. "I doubt she told them anything."
"Dates?"
While Azazel looked confused, Serafall said, "Given the nature of this situation, explaining everything to the yokai faction and securing their cooperation is imperative. I'm going to continue talking to them. Hopefully, we can clear up this misunderstanding."
"In that case, I guess I'll be acting on my own to figure out what these damn terrorists are up to." Azazel cursed. He seemed a bit more belligerent than normal, but Naruto realized that he was probably just upset. This fallen angel was also a pervert. He probably wanted to play with some mikos or something, but he couldn't do that if there were terrorists causing trouble for them.
"What should we do?" asked Naruto. "Do you need any help securing the yokai's cooperation, or should we help figure out what the Hero Faction is doing here in Kyoto?"
Naruto wasn't the sort of person who could stand still when something was going on. He wanted to be in the thick of things. He was a man of action. Acting like a complacent high school student enjoying his youth was just boring.
"You all should just enjoy your trip," Azazel said. "You might be devils, but you're also students. Leave this situation to the adults."
"Eh?" Issei looked like he felt the same as Naruto did. "But that's—"
"If anything happens, I will call on you for help. That said, this is an important time of your youth. You aren't going to have that many school trips, so if possible, I would like you to enjoy your time in Kyoto doing things that normal high school students do."
While Issei and the others looked touched by Azazel's words, Naruto didn't think he could feel satisfied knowing that something was happening and he wasn't going to be a part of it.
He glanced at Irina, who looked worried about something. She must have been thinking about Xenovia. According to that report from the Church, Xenovia was somewhere in Kyoto, or she had been at last sighting. Knowing this girl as he did, Naruto was sure she was worried that Xenovia might have joined the Hero Faction and is helping them cause problems.
"Azazel is right," Serafall said with good cheer. "You guys shouldn't let what's happening here bother you too much. Enjoy your time here in Kyoto! I certainly plan on enjoying myself!"
That was something he'd expect Serafall to say. She wasn't the type to let anything get in the way of her fun. If necessary, she would probably blast the Hero Faction into next week. Of course, she might also accidentally destroy Kyoto as a result. Naruto had heard from Rias that Serafall had trouble holding back, though he'd never seen her fight before.
Yet even though everyone was telling them to ignore what was happening and enjoy their time in Kyoto, Naruto didn't think he would be able to. Of course, there wasn't much he could do right now. The situation wasn't something that he could just walk into and solve with brute force. He needed a better understanding of the situation, which wouldn't happen unless he could meet with Kunou again and convince her to tell him about her plight.
Well, he was sure they'd meet again.
Until then, Naruto decided he would train with Kurama in their new technique.
That was all he could do… for now.