Irina's kisses were like fire. Naruto never expected the angel to be so passionate once she no longer had to worry about falling, but they had been going at it for several hours ever since they woke up that morning, and his angelic girlfriend didn't seem to have any intention of stopping. Her lips sought his with startling voracity. Her tongue filled his mouth. It was hot, wet, and slippery.
And he loved it.
Naruto was sitting up in bed, one hand behind him for stability and the other on Irina's lower back. The girl in question was sitting on top of him, straddling his thighs as she slowly ground her wet heat against his shaft, covering his appendage in her sexual secretions. It was an incredible feeling. The sensation of his length slowly being stroked by the woman's plump and aroused lips suffused his entire body with pleasure.
Sweat covered every inch of their bodies. The scent of their sweat mixed and intermingled with the smell of sex. Naruto was certain anyone walking in would have passed out from the overwhelming smell.
"Haaaah… hyykk… mmmm… nmmm…"
Irina opened her mouth and stuck her tongue inside of his mouth, plundering the depths of his mouth like an explorer seeking forgotten treasure. Her arms were around his neck, hugging him tight, and the gyration of her hips contained an eroticism he would have never expected from such an innocent and pure soul.
Not so innocent now.
Naruto didn't know if Irina was the one who slid him inside of her, or if he'd lost patience and slipped into her wet heat, but it wasn't long before they were rutting again. How many times did this make now? Ten? Twenty? After that first night, Naruto and Irina had spent nearly every waking moment having sex. He didn't know if it was this room, Irina's sudden lack of inhibitions, or his own high libido, but they had only stopped to rest, eat, and bathe… and sometimes they even had sex when they bathed.
"Naruto… haaaah… hhhmmmm… oooh… you feel… so good… I can't believe… can't believe… this is what I've… oooh! What I've been missing out on!"
As Irina arched her back after Naruto lifted his hips, her breasts bounced before his face, and Naruto latched onto one of them. Irina squealed as Naruto sucked her nipple into his mouth. She tasted of salt. Naruto didn't mind that in the least as he swirled his tongue around her nipple, felt her body convulse, and pulled his arm tighter around her waist.
Several shudders later and Irina came hard.
Their breathing was heavy as Naruto fell back onto the bed and wrapped both arms around her. He rubbed his hands up and down her sweat-soaked back. Irina continued to shudder against him, trapped within the throes of passion and ecstacy. Her breathing was heavy and hot on his chest.
"Haaah… haaah… mmmm… Naruto…?"
"Yeah?"
"I want a bath."
Naruto almost rolled his eyes as Naruto slid out from under the girl, lifted her into his arms, and carried her like a princess into the bathing room. She seemed to enjoy being pampered. One could only assume it was because she didn't often get all of his attention because they were usually with everyone else.
The bathing room was small compared to the ones Naruto was used to using. It reminded him of a typical Japanese bath, the kind he could expect from an apartment, though the cedar tub was more like something he would find at a hot spring.
Naruto took a great deal of care when cleaning Irina's body. He washed her stomach, chest, back, legs, arms, and even her feet. She seemed to enjoy the treatment. Her eyes were on him the whole time and the smile on her face was filled with such joy that Naruto told himself he would do this with her again after they got home too.
After cleaning Irina and himself, Naruto carried the girl to the tub. While it seemed like he was just pampering her, the truth was Irina's legs weren't working right then, which was no doubt the result of how much sex they had been having. She was simply out of energy.
Naruto sat down in the hot water with Irina on his lap. The girl curled up against him, resting her head on his shoulder. The warm waters lapped at their chests. Steam rose from the surface and coagulated into tiny droplets that left glistening trails down their bodies. Naruto found himself mesmerized by the sight of one droplet that trailed down Irina's collar bone.
"This is so nice," Irina muttered at last. "Being able to spend all this time with you must be a blessing from God."
"You mean a blessing from Michael?" asked Naruto, amused.
"Yes. A blessing from Lord Michael. I must be sure to offer him my most heartfelt prayers," Irina mumbled, her words somewhat slurred. She must have been tired.
"I wonder what the others are up to," Naruto said. "Do you think they are growing stronger?"
With a heavy sigh, Irina lifted her head from his shoulder and stared into Naruto's eyes with a smile. "I'm sure they're doing well. Everyone in the Gremory Peerage is very motivated." Irina cocked her head, then giggled. "Though I'm sure Issei is lamenting how his busy training means he can't see any breasts."
"Probably," Naruto agreed.
"Speaking of training, I really need to train as well," Irina admitted. She looked down at his body, then raised a hand and trailed her finger across his chest. "I hate to admit it, but I'm nowhere near as strong as the rest of you anymore. You've all surpassed me."
Naruto remained quiet as the angel continued tracing the contours of his muscles. She seemed to be inflecting on something important. He was loathe to interrupt her, so he just kept quiet and listened.
"When I became an angel, I was ecstatic because it meant I would finally be able to keep up with everyone, but the reality is a lot harsher than I thought it would be. Everyone is getting so much stronger than me. Meanwhile, I haven't really grown at all since becoming an angel."
"What kind of training do you need to do?" asked Naruto.
"Gaining strength is easy. It just takes a lot of work. I don't gain strength the same way Devils do. In order to increase my power as an angel, I must commit good deeds, increase the number of followers Christianity has, and also increase my own amount of followers. Heaven was created on a faith-based system. The stronger the faith of the followers, the stronger the angels and Heaven become."
That made a lot of sense and also explained why Irina hadn't gained much strength. He knew she had been doing good deeds back home. She volunteered for neighborhood cleanup, helped heal the injured, and even did some stuff at the Church. Naruto had always thought that was because she was just a good person, but it seemed like maybe her other reason was because she was training.
"It sounds like you can only do that on earth," he said at last.
"Yup. I can't increase the number of Christians in the underworld," Irina agreed with a wan smile. "And I can't heal Devils since my holy power is toxic to them. It's basically impossible for me to gain strength in the underworld. My powers are also weaker there than they are on earth."
Right. Because the underworld was basically a world of darkness and the furthest from Heaven a person could get, angels like Irina were unable to bring their full might to bear. He wondered if another reason was because the underworld was an entirely separate dimension. Maybe being in a separate dimension prevented Heaven's system from helping Irina when she was there.
"I'm sure we will think of some way to help you," Naruto said at last, then stood up, water trailing off his and Irina's bodies. Irina's legs swung back and forth like lazy pendulums as he stepped out of the tub. "Anyway, I think it's about time we got out of the bath. You'll pass out if you remain inside for too long."
"Yeah. I'm already feeling a little light-headed."
Naruto carried Irina back into the bedroom, set her on the bed, and leaned over her. He began kissing her neck. Irina sighed, moaned, and gasped as he found all of her weak points. She reached behind him, hands clawing at his back.
Just before they could really get going, a massive explosion caused the entire room to rumble. Naruto sat up and stared at the ceiling as it rattled. Irina scrambled out from under him and also looked up.
"What was that?!" she asked, startled.
"I don't know." Another rumble. Naruto narrowed his eyes. "But I don't like it. Anything that can affect this room must be powerful."
"Do you think Heaven is under attack?!" asked Irina.
Naruto shook his head. "I'm not sure, but I think we should find out."
Irina didn't disagree with him at all, and so, rather than go for another round of lovemaking, Naruto and Irina got dressed in the clothes they had been wearing before. They were in such a rush that Irina didn't even bother doing her hair.
They raced out the door and discovered that the quakes were even worse than they expected. It seemed the Interdimensional Room had blocked out most of the shaking.
The first thing Naruto noticed was how there were no angels around as they raced down the hall. That alone was weird. This place had been bustling the day they entered the room, and he suspected it should have still been busy with scientist-type angels. He found it worrisome that no one was present when they emerged.
"What is going on?!" asked Irina.
Naruto didn't say anything, but his eyes narrowed as they raced out of the building. At that moment, both were forced to stop in their tracks and could do nothing but gape at what they saw. Smoke rose in the distance. Fires were burning everywhere. Explosions on both ground and air detonated with a mixture of heat and light.
As they continued to gawk, an explosion above them made Irina look up in shock. She was just in time to see an object fall to the ground. Leaping back to avoid the falling object, the two of them were surprised to realize it was the smoking corpse of an angel.
"What… what is… this?!"
Irina raced over to the angel, rolled him onto his back, and checked his pulse. There wasn't one. Naruto watched for a moment as his angelic girlfriend shook, then looked around at all the similar battles happening everywhere else.
The angels were battling against giant creatures with powerful bodies that rippled with muscles, four trunk-like legs that seemed incredibly sturdy, massive leathery pinions that extended from their backs, and scaled tails that were at least five meters long. While they all had some variations, Naruto already knew exactly what these were.
"Mass-produced evil dragons," he said with a sigh. "It seems Heaven is under attack by mass-produced evil dragons."
"But… how?" asked Irina, looking away from the corpse to him. "How is this possible? Heaven is supposed to be protected. There's no way to enter unless you're an angel or have permission from a leader-class angel like Lord Michael!"
Naruto shook his head. "I don't know what to tell you, but it's clear that we are under attack. What we should be doing right now isn't discussing how such a thing is possible. We need to help the angels repel these invaders."
"… Yes, you're right. Sorry. I think I lost my head there for a moment." Irina stood up, clasped her hands together, and suddenly, the regular clothes she had been wearing were replaced by the black unitard she had worn as an exorcist. She looked at Naruto with a determined expression. "I'm ready to help defend Heaven."
"So am I. Let's stick together."
"Good idea."
Wings sprouted from Naruto's and Irina's backs, though they couldn't have looked more different. His were black and sharp, almost ominous, while Irina's were pure like fresh snow and covered in soft feathers.
They took off into the sky and attacked the first dragon they saw. It was the dragon who had killed the angel that landed near them. This one was covered in dull red scales that made Naruto think of dried blood. Long horns curved around its head, reminding him of a ram.
"TAKE THIS! HAAAAAAAA!"
Irina flew in close, created a sword of slight, and swung it with all the strength she had. The dragon shifted as if to dodge her attack, but Irina adjusted the angle of her swing. She didn't manage to kill him. However, the dragon roared in anger as her sword sliced right through its tail.
Naruto ended the things life by cutting its head off.
There was no time for them to focus on the falling carcass of their foe. Battles were taking place everywhere. Thousands of dragons were swarming the sky and attacking the angels, which meant Naruto and Irina were needed pretty much everywhere.
Because the dragons were mixed in with the angels, Naruto couldn't use any of his more powerful attacks, which were indiscriminate when it came to who they killed. He needed to rely on taijutsu and his less powerful but more focused ninjutsu.
He and Irina helped an angel who was being pushed back. Naruto came in just as the dragon opened its mouth to take a bite out of the young man with white wings and a halo. He slammed feet first into the dragon's mouth, snapping it shut with a loud cracking sound as its teeth shattered. Its head was smashed into the ground. That was when Irina came in, swinging her sword with two hands. Her weapon met the scales of its neck, stalled as it had trouble cutting through, then slid through its neck and removed the dragon's head clean from its shoulders.
"You okay?" Naruto asked the angel as he held out a hand.
The angel was a young boy who had fallen onto his backside. He had unruly black hair and two different colored eyes. His eyes were so large that Naruto was reminded of a puppy, but more importantly, he recognized this boy.
"Aren't you Kazuma?" he asked.
"Huh? Ah! Ahhh! You're Naruto Uzumaki!" Kazuma shouted. "What are you doing here?!"
Naruto didn't know if Kazuma was asking "What are you doing here?" or "What's a Devil like you doing in Heaven?" The nuance in his voice suggested he was shocked to see Naruto.
"Michael invited me here," Naruto explained as he grabbed the boy's hand and hauled him to his feet.
"Oh. I guess that makes sense," the boy mumbled.
"What's going on?" asked Irina. "Why are there Evil Dragons in Heaven?"
"You're guess is as good as mine." Kazuma shrugged as if to say he didn't know. "I really have no idea. They just started attacking out of nowhere. Anyway, I need to find Lady Angelus and make sure she is okay."
"We'll go with you," Naruto said. "It'll be better to travel in a group than alone."
Kazuma didn't seem like he was about to argue, and so the three of them left together. They flew into the air and took off. From higher in the air, they were able to see more of the battles taking place, and it looked like the Evil Dragons were doing more than just killing. They were causing chaos wherever they were. Buildings exploded in gouts of dragon fire. Streets were destroyed with impunity. It looked like the dragons were less interested in death than just causing mayhem.
"Do you have any idea where Angelus might be?" asked Irina.
Kazuma shook his head. "I do not. The last time I saw her was at the training hall, but we parted ways when she went to take a bath. I do not know where she went after that."
So, basically, they might have to search all of Heaven just to find her. That sounded like a pain. However, Irina informed Naruto that there were several places within Heaven that were off-limits to all but the most powerful angels, meaning the Seraphs. Naruto remembered Michael also explained some of this to them.
Several dragons attacked Naruto and his group as they flew through the skies, but while these Evil Dragons were indeed more powerful than a mid-ranked Devil. Naruto and Irina were able to easily handle them. Creating a blade made of swiftly spinning chakra that acted similar to a chainsaw, Naruto sliced through the head of one dragon, splitting its entire head in half. Beside him, Irina created several whips that wrapped around an evil dragon, then darted forward and stabbed her sword right between its eyes.
Kazuma stood back and watched them.
They traveled out of the Fifth Heaven and eventually reached the First Heaven, where the fighting was heaviest. It was much more chaotic here. Explosions and heat washed over Naruto as they traveled through the battlefield. Most of the fights appeared to be between individuals, but there were also a number of group battles happening. The angels appeared to outnumber the Evil Dragons, and they were using that to their advantage, swarming over the dragons and attacking from every conceivable angle with their light-based weapons.
Naruto, Irina, and Kazuma ignored the sight and the stench of blood as they flew. It took much longer than expected, but they eventually found Angelus. She stood surrounded by several other angels, though it looked like only a few of them were members of her Brave Saints. It looked like she was healing the others while they fought.
"Lady Angelus!" Kazuma shouted as he swooped down toward her.
Naruto and Irina shared an exasperated look before they followed after him. They weren't the only one who spotted the young boy, however, as several dragons had also heard his shout and peeled away from their battles to attack.
Releasing a battle cry, Naruto swung his hand up and down several times, producing powerful blades of wind that slammed into the dragons. Not all of them were able to break through the dragon's thick armor, but Naruto was an expert at aiming and attacked the same area several times. Blood eventually burst from the wounds, which forced the dragon he was fighting to shift his attention.
He was not the only one fighting. Another dragon had engaged Irina up close. It was a black dragon with scales like midnight and vicious red eyes. It opened its gaping mouth and prepared to fire a dragon breath, but Irina had no intention of letting that happen. She created a lasso of light, wrapped it around the dragon's snout, and yanked its mouth closed. Naruto almost flinched as all that gathering power, which now had nowhere, exploded inside of the dragon's mouth and took its entire head in a flash of gore.
While they were defending him, Kazuma finally landed on the ground next to Angelus.
"Lady Angelus! Are you okay?! Are you injured? What happened?!"
The frantic words of Kazuma made Angelus look startled, but a gentle smile soon replaced her expression as Naruto and Irina landed on the ground.
"I am fine, Kazuma. You do not need to worry about me." As Kazuma breathed a sigh of relief, Angelus looked behind him to Irina and Naruto. Her eyes lit up a little. "It is good to see you two, though I am surprised to see Naruto here."
"I am here because Michael invited me over to test out the Interdimensional Room," Naruto said with a shrug.
"Oh, my!" Angelus seemed to understand what that meant as she looked back and forth between Irina and Naruto, a single hand raised to cover her mouth.
"C-could you not stare at us like that?" asked Irina, embarrassed as she looked away.
"My apologies. I guess it would be a little embarrassing to talk about that here." Angelus seemed to master herself with several deep breaths. She placed her hand on her chest as if to quell her beating heart. "In either event, you asked about what happened, Kazuma? I don't quite know myself. A group of Evil Dragons led by Crom Crauch appeared before the Gates of Heaven. They attacked, but they couldn't break through. We thought we would be safe… but then an army of Evil Dragons began pouring in from the Third Heaven. I don't know much more than that, I'm afraid."
Naruto remembered Michael telling him that the Third Heaven was home of the souls of the dead who had been taken to Heaven. It was supposed to be a vast space that couldn't be measured, but that was all he knew about it. Was there something more to it than just that?
"Where is Lord Michael?" asked Irina.
Angelus shook her head and smiled apologetically. "I do not know, though I imagine he is either leading our people where the fighting is thickest, or protecting the Sacred Gear and God's System."
"So he might be in the Seventh Heaven?" Irina mumbled before turning to Naruto. "No one who has permission can enter the Seventh Heaven, so there's nothing we can do to help Lord Michael if he's there. I think we should help everyone we can by defending the First Heaven from these Evil Dragons."
"It does seem like that is our only option right now," Naruto agreed.
"I shall help you by providing support," Angelus told them.
"Thank you," Irina said with a bright smile.
The group that Angelus was part of consisted of nearly three dozen angels, which meant they were a sizable force. Of course, Naruto could not fight with them because his abilities were too destructive and he hadn't trained alongside anyone present. He and Irina were left more or less to fend for themselves as their group moved and attacked the Evil Dragons, helping protect those who had been caught unawares.
Naruto lost himself to the flow of battle. There was so much going on that he could barely pay attention to anything but what was immediately in front of him. Several dragons came in, and he cut them down with blades of wind. Irina battled beside him. Together, they formed a wall that defended the group's western flank.
As they continued to fight across the First Heaven, more and more angels joined them, until their numbers swelled from a mere three dozen to over two hundred. Several angels whom Naruto recognized like Reuel and his Brave Saints also joined them, though Naruto was unable to say hello due to the circumstances.
Just when it looked like they were beginning to gain the upperhand, Naruto sensed an incredible power bearing down on them.
"Everyone! Scatter!"
While a few of the angels heeded his shout, some did not, and they were blasted across the sky as something black and gold slammed into them. The figure soon revealed itself to be a handsome man dressed in a black coat. His gold and blonde hair was familiar to Naruto, as were his heterochromatic eyes. It hadn't been that long since the two of them had fought.
"Crom Crauch?! I heard you were the one leading these Evil Dragons," Naruto said. "But, like, seriously. What the hell, man? Why are you here?"
Chrome Crauch blinked several times when he saw Naruto, then shrugged. "I am here because the Chaos Brigade wanted someone to keep Heaven occupied."
"Occupied? The heck's that mean?" asked Naruto.
"I don't have to tell you what it means," Chrome Crauch said, then smiled as he raised his hand and gestured at Naruto. "If you would like to find out what it means, you will have to defeat me."
"In other words, you didn't learn from that ass-kicking I gave you before." Naruto cracked his knuckles. "Okay. I'm game. Come at me, bro. I'll kick your ass so hard not even the blessings of Heaven will be able to cure you when I'm done."
~Devil Ninja~
A thunderous crash echoed throughout the First Heaven. Clouds of dust… cloud(?) filled the sky. Naruto wasn't quite sure what he should call the white smokey substance that billowed out from the center of impact. He was pretty sure it wasn't dust. At the same time, he didn't think it was actually clouds either.
Whatever it was called, Naruto put it out of his mind as he descended to the ground, where Crom Crauch lay embedded inside of a crater so wide it looked more like a meteor's impact zone. The most powerful among the Evil Dragons looked like shit. His body was battered, bloody, and covered in so many contusions he wouldn't have looked out of place in a Rocky Balboa movie. His left eye was swollen shut, his right cheek was swelling and covered in bloody scratches. Naruto had torn his ear off because why not. This fucker was a battle maniac, so he was sure the man liked it rough anyway.
"You're… a monster…" Crom Crauch mumbled as he caught sight of Naruto.
"And you're beaten." Naruto stared down at the man with a cheerful grin. "Now tell me what I want to know. What are you doing here?"
"Heeeeeeh," the black dragon breathed out an exhausted but somehow satisfied sigh. Naruto fought hard not to shudder. That noise was almost orgasmic. "I suppose I can tell you since you defeated me." Crom Crauch paused. "I was ordered to come here by Yami. My job was to present a diversion so Apophis could destroy the Sacred Gear system."
"Which means Apophis is traveling up to the Seventh Heaven while the majority of Heaven's forces are down here dealing with you."
Crom Crauch shrugged, but Naruto didn't need him to answer. This sort of devious plot was just like something Yami would cook up. Actually, it was very much like something Naruto himself would cook up, which made a helluva lot of sense considering they were basically one and the same. That actually sent a shiver down his spine. If he had been born evil, he could only imagine how the world would have suffered.
Several people were coming toward them. Irina, Angelus, Reuel, and their respective Brave Saints along with several other angels he didn't know landed next to him and the defeated black dragon. None of them looked quite like they knew what to do. A few were gawking at the outrageous sight before them.
Naruto turned to the only one among them who remained calm.
"Irina, I need you to secure Crom Crauch and help repel the remaining Evil Dragons."
Irina tilted her head, but then she nodded once. "I can do that. What are you going to do?"
"Apophis is apparently here as well. He's trying to destroy the Sacred Gear System. I'm going to find him and stop him."
The Sacred Gear system was what made all the Sacred Gears in the entire world work. If the system was destroyed, every Sacred Gear would stop working. Naruto didn't know what would happen once all the Sacred Gears stopped working, didn't know if the creatures used in their creation would be released or annihilated, but he knew that he had to stop that from happening. Even considering how many Sacred Gear users weren't on his side, a large number of his allies relied on the power of their Sacred Gears to get the job done.
Besides, Issei just wouldn't be the same without his pervy dragon powers.
Not a single face remained calm at his words. The blood drained from everyone's faces as their expressions turned into one of horror. Even Irina looked completely stunned this time, but she hardened herself and nodded once.
"I understand. Leave everything here to me."
"Thanks. I'll see you once I've taken out the trash."
Naruto didn't remain for very long and was soon blasting off the ground and taking off toward the area that would let him ascend to the next level.
While he knew where the first few areas to reach the next level were located, Naruto had only been allowed up to the Fifth Heaven. He didn't know where the gateway leading to the Sixth or Seventh Heavens were located. That meant he spent a lot more time than he would have liked just searching for the damn entrance. He did eventually find it, however, but what he arrived to after reaching the Sixth Heaven was not what he expected.
"Holy… shit…"
The first thing he noticed was that there were a massive number of dead dragons. Each and every one of them looked the same, however. They had the same shape as Apophis, but they were smaller, which made him think of the Midgardsormr clones that Loki had commanded. There were also a number of dead Seraphs. The Sixth Heaven was where the Seraphs resided. They were the leaders of the Heavenly Host, the greatest members of Heaven, the true rulers of this place.
At least four of them were dead.
Naruto glanced at the one nearest to him, a blond man with sightless green eyes and twelve white angelic wings… which were currently twisted and bent in ways they were never meant to bend. Beyond the wings, the angel's body was similarly bent. His head had been twisted off like the cap from a bottle of Sprite. It was such a gruesome sight that even someone used to bloodshed like Naruto needed to swallow the vomit welling up inside of him.
It wasn't just the Seraph either. There were too many dead angels for that. He could only assume many of them were members of the Seraphs's Brave Saints. They must have all fought and fallen with their leaders.
As he slowly walked through the bodies, he found a trail of blood leading further away and followed it. Naruto eventually came upon another Seraph. It was, in fact, one of the Four Great Archangels. Her blonde hair was in disarray. Blood matted both her hair and the left side of her face. Worse than all that, however, was the stab wound. A rather insidious looking black dagger was embedded into her side.
Even though he knew he needed to hurry, Naruto knelt beside the angel, cupped her cheek, and gently raised her face. The woman moaned in discomfort. Her eyes slowly opened and she stared at him for several seconds.
"Naru… to?" she asked in a breathless voice wrapped in pain.
"It's me. Are you okay?" Naruto asked.
"I am…"
"Not fine."
"… not fine," Gabriel confessed with a pained smile. "This dagger is… poisonous to beings a light, but I can't… seem to remove it."
"I'll remove it for you," Naruto said.
"Be… careful…"
Naruto nodded as he wrapped his fingers around the hilt, flinching only a bit when the thing tried to burn him. It was not a literal burning. He could feel something searing into his flesh, but it felt more like it was trying to burn him from the inside out. There was a powerful curse placed on this dagger.
With a loud grunt, Naruto removed the dagger, then threw it aside. Blood flowed from the wound, but he removed several first-aid supplies from his ninja pouch and pressed a thick pad to the injury, applying enough pressure to keep any more blood from leaking out.
"This looks… really bad," Naruto confessed.
"It feels really bad," Gabriel mumbled in a whisper.
"Let's get you more comfortable first."
Gabriel was currently leaning against the wall, but Naruto moved her until she was lying down. He created a pillow out of his shirt so she could rest her head. He then created several shadow clones and had one of them hold the pad in place.
"I don't know if plasma pills will work on an angel, but… well, take one."
Naruto put the pill into her mouth. Gabrielle tried to chew it, but she just didn't have the strength. Even her head was unable to remain stable. It tilted to the side and the pill fell out of her strengthless mouth.
Since that option was clearly off the table, Naruto went with the next best thing he could think of. He popped the pill into his mouth, chewed, and tilted Gabriel's head so he could apply it mouth to mouth. Gabriel's eyes briefly widened as he sealed their mouths together and pushed the pill's ingredients into her. He massaged her throat so it went down. Then he pulled back.
"Sorry. I know you Archangels are supposed to remain pure and all that. Don't think of this as a kiss. Just think of it as me applying a different form of mouth to mouth resuscitation or something. Anyway, if this works on you like it does on most people, it should replenish the blood you lost. The problem is that curse…"
"Ange… lus," Gabriel muttered.
"Yeah. I guess she could heal you. Okay. You. Take Gabriel to Angelus. Be fast, but be careful."
"You can count on me, Boss!"
Naruto pointed at one of the shadow clones he made, which responded with a salute. The shadow clone grabbed Gabriel and gently lifted her into his arms like a princess. Racing off toward the gateway that led to the lower heavens, it wasn't long before the clone disappeared.
"Now… to see what I can do about lending Michael and the other Archangels a hand," Naruto muttered as he looked down the corridor that Gabriel's body had marked the entrance of.
~Devil Ninja~
Michael was the only one left. The others were all lying on the ground, injured to the point where it was hard to tell whether they were alive or dead. Uriel, Raphael, and their Brave Saints were behind him, forced to rely on Michael and the last member of his Brave Saint's for protection. Speaking of, Dulio Gesualdo was the only member of his Brave Saints still able to battle. It was thanks to Dulio that they hadn't lost yet.
"Dang. If I'd known I was gonna be fighting an Evil Dragon and his evil clones, I would have gone on another journey to discover all the greatest foods in the world."
Though he grumbled like he didn't have a care in the world, Dulio's eyes were hard as he glared at Apophis. The Primal Eclipse Dragon had unleashed his true form, that of a one-hundred meter long eastern dragon with three eyes, shimmering silvery gems running the length of his entire body, and an aura so ominous even Michael felt the pressure of his presence.
If it was just Apophis that Michael had to worry about, this battle wouldn't have been nearly as hard, but it was not.
Floating around Apophis were six other Apophises. They were smaller, much more compact, but they were still clearly Apophis. They had all of his powers and abilities, but they were individually weaker than the real Apophis.
"To think Rizavim would use the Holy Grail to create Apophis clones," Michael murmured.
The Holy Grail was a powerful object that could be used to mass produce evil dragons and even created Lilith, a vessel meant for the sole purpose of containing Ophis's awesome power. It was more than capable of creating clones too. While nowhere near as powerful as the original, they still contained enough power that they could hold their own against all Four Great Archangels.
There was also the fact that the Seventh Heaven contained the Sacred Gear system and God's system. So much of their attention was focused on protecting those two systems that they were unable to bring their full power to bear. This was what had ultimately led to them all being defeated one by one.
"It looks like you two are the only ones left," Apophis said in a dark voice. "You have done well to survive as long as you have, but I recommend you give up. You cannot stop what is coming."
Michael did not dare close his eyes as he stared at the powerful dragon and his clones. "Give up? You know as well as I that I cannot afford to give up for any reason."
"Hmph. It seems you have become foolish in your old age. Very well. As a sign of respect, I will destroy you quickly."
Several volumes of black water shot from Apophis in the blink of an eye. Dulio and Michael knew better than to let it hit them. His Joker stepped forward and used his Sacred Gear. Zenith Tempest was the second most powerful Sacred Gear immediately after the True Longinus, and it was able to manipulate the weather and elemental attributes that existed within nature. Dulio's ability with Zenith Tempest was abnormal. He was easily the strongest wielder to have ever existed.
Water swirled in front of Dulio and formed a shield, which quickly solidified as he added the light element to it. A rainbow colored shield protected them as the bullets of black water slammed into it, dissolving the shield into nothing, though it at least protected them from the assault. Unfortunately, the moment the shield disappeared, the Apophis clones attacked Dulio and forced him to stop focusing on the real Apophis.
Although they were just clones and therefore weaker, they still possessed all of Apophis's abilities, which of course meant they could use Umbrakinesis and Primordial Water. Apophis had immense control over darkness and shadows. Even just touching the darkness he wielded was enough to dissolve a person. Not only could it be used to dissolve people, but powers and abilities were also reduced to nothing when they came into contact with it.
Dulio created a powerful tornado that slammed into one of the clones—or it should have. The Apophis clone disappeared into his own shadow, which forced Dulio to retract the power lest he damage Heaven itself. That was when another clone struck him from behind. The Joker was smacked away and sent tumbling through the air. While he managed to right himself, he was forced to dodge several dozen black spheres that all six Apophis fired from their mouths.
With his Joker tied up, Michael was forced to contend with Apophis by himself. He waved his hand and created thousands of light spears that rained down on Apophis like the wrath of a god bringing down divine judgement. But they did nothing. Apophis created a shield of darkness around himself, and Michael was forced to watch as all his attacks dissolved the moment they struck the barrier.
That was not the extent of Apophis's abilities. Once Michael's light storm died down, the darkness transformed into numerous bullet-shaped projectiles that he launched at Michael. There were so many they formed a literal wall of darkness.
Furrowing his brow in concentration, Michael spread his arms wide and erected a light barrier. He tried his best to reinforce the barrier with as much power as possible. The dark bullets hit the wall with so much force that Michael felt the impact jar his mind. He flinched but continued to hold on as best he could. Unfortunately, cracks were already beginning to form in his wall, and he knew it wouldn't be long before they dissolved.
"INCOMING!"
It was at this moment that a streak blew in through the entrance and struck Apophis so hard the beast could only scream in anguish. The attacks being launched at Michael dissolved as the massive dragon struck the wall with enough force to dent it. Michael breathed deeply as he lowered his barrier and looked at the person who had saved him. It was…
"Naruto, thank you for the assistance."
The crazy blond devil whom everyone had taken a shine to turned around and grinned at him. It was his typical grin, the one that made him look like a fox, and it was a very relieving sight to see. Even Michael found himself wanting to put his faith in this child.
"Sup, Michael. I'm here to offer a hand."
"Thank you. Could I ask you to please assist Dulio against the Apophis clones?"
"Sure thing. Oh! Before I forgot, I came across Gabriel and fixed her up as best I could. She is with Angelus right now."
"Thank you."
Michael didn't realize how tight his chest had been until Naruto mentioned Gabriel was safe. While all angels were children of God, Gabriel was Michael's favorite, a person he thought of as his younger sister. He had almost lost it when she had been struck down. It was good to know that she was safe.
"No prob. Anyway, Imma go help Dulio. See ya in a bit."
Before Michael could say anything more, Naruto blasted off like a rocket. Michael turned his head as the young man created a pair of Rasengans in his hand, added wind chakra to them, and rammed them right up the, uh, rectum of one of the dragons Dulio was fighting.
"KONOHAGAKURE HIDDEN TECHNIQUE! ONE THOUSAND YEARS OF DEATH! RASENSHURIKEN STYLE!"
The creature only had a moment to squeal in pain before his entire body was shredded inside and out.
Michael could only look away. Poor dragon.
~Devil Ninja~
After killing the first Apophis clone, Naruto found himself being attacked from all sides by the other clones. They fired dark spheres like bullets and tried to engulf him in waves of water. The one called Dulio was forced to contain the attacks, keep them from spreading to the rest of the room. Naruto didn't understand why until he saw how a stray attack landed on the wall and dissolved it completely. There were quite a few injured angels in here and also the Sacred Gear and God systems. They couldn't let even one of those attacks hit the surroundings.
Since it looked to Naruto like this was gonna require some extra hands, he decided to bring out his signature technique.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
Naruto created a couple dozen Shadow Clones, which scattered the moment they appeared to confuse the enemy. The five Apophis clones looked at the Naruto clones like they didn't know who to attack first, and Naruto used that moment to his advantage, shoving a Yoton Rasengan down the throat of another Apophis. Because this Rasengan was just made of swirling lava, it basically melted the inside of the dragon's esophagus, and when it expanded, it completely erased the dragon from existence.
By now, the remaining four Apophis clones had moved to a safe distance and were eying Naruto warily. He floated over next to Dulio, who eyed him like he was a freak of nature.
"So you are Naruto. You know, Irina has told me a lot about you."
"Really? What did she say?"
Naruto was curious to know what his girlfriend said about him. As an angel, he was certain she had nothing but good things to say about him. Naruto didn't want to brag, but he was a pretty damn good boyfriend, and Irina must have loved that about him, which was why she obviously told Dulio that he was the greatest—
"She said you're crazy."
Damn it.
"R-really?" Naruto looked at him with a despondent expression on his face. "She called me crazy? You're joking, right?"
"I am not." Dulio paused here as Naruto fell into despair, then grinned. "But she also said you are a very good boyfriend, that you're attentive to her needs, respect her boundaries, and do your best to treat everyone you love with care."
"Then say that at the beginning!" Naruto snapped.
Dulio chuckled. "She also said you're very funny. I can see she wasn't lying."
Naruto clicked his tongue. He would have liked to say he didn't like this man, but that would have been a lie. Dulio's prank had been good. He knew how to time his jokes perfectly. A lot of people always assumed jokes like this were easy. Philistines. They didn't understand that a good joke needed perfect timing to be truly effective. That meant waiting until whoever you were playing the joke on was disappointed, but not so disappointed that they fell into despair. Timing was everything.
"Whatever. So it looks like there are two more dragons left. Think you can take out two of them while I take the other two?"
"I think I can do that."
"Then let's get to it."
Naruto quickly ordered his clones to surround two of the four Apophis clones, which the enemy clones didn't seem to like as they roared and unleashed a wave of water that made all his clones dissolve. But that was fine. Naruto just wanted to distracted his enemies for a moment.
Being the prankster he was, Naruto stealthily snuck up behind one of the Apophis clones and, before the clone could actually notice his present, jabbed a kunai up the dragon's rectum. The feeling of something being shoved in his ass was apparently too much for the dragon, who yowled in pain as he flew up. Sadly for the clone, it didn't look like he could revert to a human form, so he would have to deal with having a kunai sticking in his ass for the rest of the fight.
The other Apophis clone noticed his presence and unleashed a wave of dark energy that threatened to overtake Naruto. With a grin, Naruto let himself drop to the ground, avoiding the attack entirely. Because he knew he couldn't let the attack hit the surroundings, he used a simple space-time technique to send the attack somewhere else. It disappeared within a swirling portal to… well, Naruto didn't know, but it was no longer his problem.
He landed on his feet, bent his knees, and blasted into the sky. He launched a powerful uppercut that struck the Apophis clone in the jaw. His attack was so powerful that all the teeth inside the clone's mouth shattered. Before the dragon had time to so much as scream, Naruto created hands with Kurama's shroud and squeezed, pulverizing its head like he was squashing a grape.
Seeing his brethren getting killed so easily, the last Apophis clone that Naruto was fighting tried to flee. Naruto grinned as he stretched out his hand despite being so far away. A claw extended from his hand and latched onto the Apophis clone, who wined in complaint as Naruto pulled him down.
"Oh, no. You're not going anywhere," Naruto said with a chuckle. "Did you really think I was gonna let you go? No, no. That wouldn't be fair to you. Let's play for a bit."
The Apophis clone struggled against Naruto to no avail. He was so frightened that he didn't even think of actually fighting Naruto. All he wanted to do was get away from the monster in human flesh. Unfortunately for him, Naruto had no intention of doing that, and it wasn't long before the fifty-ish meter long dragon was reeled in.
The Apophis clone became even more desperate and covered his entire body in darkness, forcing Naruto to let go. Even he could not touch the darkness for long before it began eating into his chakra shroud. He frowned at the creature as it flew off the moment he let go, but he made a Rasenshuriken, which released a bell-like screech as he threw it at the dragon like a discus thrower in the Olympics. The attack struck the dragon's tail, tore through the tail, and exploded several seconds later.
The dragon disappeared as it was engulfed.
Naruto wiped the imaginary sweat from his brow. Then he turned around to see a massive ass tornado made of several different elements tearing apart the four Apophis clones that Dulio had been fighting against. Despite how much power had obviously been placed into that attack, none of it leaked from the tornado, which remained carefully controlled to not damage the surrounding area.
"Whoa. That dude is pretty scary," Naruto muttered.
At that moment, Michael floated over to Naruto. He looked a little worse for wear, but he was still in decent shape, with only a few cuts and bruises to show for the battle he'd just fought.
"Thank you for coming to our aid, Naruto Uzumaki."
Naruto waved off the apology. "No problem. What happened to Apophis."
Looking around revealed the actual Apophis was nowhere in sight—not even his corpse was present. Michael shook his head as if to indicate what really happened. Naruto understood without being told. Apophis had managed to escape.
"He disappeared into his own shadow not long after you arrived. I'll have my people search for him, but I doubt we will find anything."
"Well, that sucks."
"Yes, it does indeed."
It did suck that Apophis had escaped, but at least Naruto had managed to beat Crom Crauch's ass like a pro wrestler bullying a 90 pound NEET. That was one less dragon to worry about. He had to be thankful for the little things.
"On the plus side, Irina and I had a lot of fun before we were interrupted by the attack," Naruto said, giving Michael a thumbs up. "Thanks for letting us use that Interdimensional Door thingy."
"You are quite welcome," Michael replied with a simple smile.
~Devil Ninja~
The time after the battle was spent on healing the injured and effecting repairs. Heaven was fortunately a world made from the power of faith and could, to an extent, repair itself. The prayers of those who believed in Heaven allowed it to heal, though that was not to say the angels didn't do their part to fix up their realm themselves.
Naruto spent most of his time helping alongside Irina, Angelus, and Reuel, though Irina sometimes had to head off when Michael called for her. That was just what it meant to be a member of Michael's Brave Saints. When she was gone, Naruto spent his time in the presence of the two angels he'd befriended during the Rating Game.
"Can you tell me how Lord Bael is doing? I heard a rumor that he's been going through a tough time since he lost the Rating Game to Lady Gremory. It's been worrying me a lot, especially since I have not been able to get in contact with him recently."
It was almost cute how worried Angelus was for Sairaorg. She fretted over him almost like a wife worrying about her husband as he worked overseas. He wondered if she even understood how much her feelings for Sairaorg had grown since their first meeting. The simple crush had clearly blossomed into something much more.
Naruto was sitting with her and Reuel in a restaurant of some kind, though he really hesitated to call it that. When he imagined a restaurant, he thought of a large space filled with tables for patrons to sit and enjoy a meal. This place was small by comparison. There was only one small table in the very center of the equally small room, and it was a low table, meaning they were not sitting in chairs but on soft cushions.
A meal had been prepared for them by some kind humans who had been reincarnated into angels for the deeds they had performed in life. It was a very simple meal. Bread, wine, olive oil, and fish with a variety of vegetables. Everything was freshly made, so it tasted good, but it also tasted very plain. He wondered if this was what people in ancient times ate or if the frugality of angels extended to their palates.
"Sairaorg is doing fine, for the most part. It is true that he lost a lot of support after losing to Rias in the Rating Game. That doesn't mean he's out of the running for the Head of the Bael Family, however. He is still strong, and that's not something the higher ups can deny. I also hear his mother has come out of her several year long coma. He might not have the support of the Bael Family, but his mother means far more to him than they do," Naruto assured her.
"His mother? I do remember hearing something about that." Angelus perked up, then puffed out her cheeks. "I wonder why he didn't say anything to me. He could have at least sent a letter."
"You're feelings are written all over your face. You must really love Sairoarg," Reuel said with a carefully blank face.
"I-I… love? No! It's just… he was very kind to me, so I feel like I need to look after him," Angelus stuttered.
Naruto wondered what it was with women denying their feelings. Anyone with half a brain could see that Angelus was completely smitten with Sairaorg, yet she denied it as though she was embarrassed by her own feelings. What was the reason for that? Were women just creatures who liked to deny themselves happiness? Well, it wasn't like this was exclusive to women. There were plenty of harem protagonists who did that too.
"Uh-huh. Right," Reuel said, clearly not believing her.
"It's true!"
"Do you want me to deliver a message to Sairaorg when I see him next?" asked Naruto.
Angelus perked up as she turned to him. "You would do that?"
"If you want."
"Okay. Um, hold on a second while I write up a letter. I'll get it to you really quick."
"Ah. Wait. Don't… and there she goes." Naruto sighed as Angelus rushed out the door. "She left without even finishing her food."
"She loves Sairoarg so much it's not even funny," Reuel said with a helpless smile.
"It definitely seems that way." Naruto shook his head. "So what have you been up to?"
"Not much. Oh. I watched that new anime you suggested. My Hero Academia, I think it's called?"
"And what did you think?"
"The animation is great and I like the art… but the story is a bit plain. It's not bad though. I still liked it and watched every season."
Naruto picked at his fish and nodded several times. "Yeah. My Hero Academia is what I'd call typical shounen. The story is over dramatic, Midoriya cries a lot, and there are a lot of moments that don't seem to make sense but happen anyway. But I really like watching the fight scenes."
While Naruto and Reuel weren't what you would call great friends, Naruto always made sure to keep in touch with him and the others. They found common ground with anime. That had allowed them to strike up an unlikely friendship.
Naruto continued talking with Reuel until someone walked into the building. It was Irina. She didn't even have to look around to find him sitting there with Reuel. Smiling, she walked over to him.
"It looks like all the repairs have been made and the injured are healed," she said to him.
"I guess that means it's time to go," said Naruto.
"Yup."
Since it was time for him to head off, Naruto polished off the remainder of his food, thanked Reuel for hanging out with him, and left with Irina to find Michael. It didn't take long. The archangel was at the gates of heaven, which really were pearly white. Naruto remembered hearing about these gates once before and hadn't believed people when they talked about them, but now he was forced to believe.
Michael wasn't alone. Dulio was there, as was Gabrielle and two of her Brave Saints, Griselda Quarta and Mirana Shatarova. Naruto didn't know much about Mirana, who appeared to be a shy young woman, but he was acquainted with Griselda due to Irina and Xenovia. She was Irina's and Xenovia's trainer back when they were exorcists.
"Naruto, I cannot thank you enough for aiding us in our time of need," Michael said as he extended his hand.
"You would do the same, so think nothing of it." Naruto reached out and clasped hands with Michael. It felt mildly uncomfortable to hold the hand of an angel, but Michael was reining in his divine power so it wouldn't hurt him.
Michael's calm smile seemed to grow wider at the show of trust, but he said nothing. Releasing Naruto's hand, he stepped back and allowed Gabriel to take his place.
"Naruto, thank you for saving me. I would have died if it wasn't for you." Gabriel bowed to him.
"I'm just glad you're okay," Naruto said with a bright grin as he patted the woman's head. She was not reigning in her powers, and it burned a little, but his healing factor kicked in and repaired the damage.
Gabriel looked startled, but her expression didn't remain that way. A bright smile soon replaced it.
"Waaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiit! Narutoooooo! Hoooooooooooold ooooooooooooon!"
The loud shout caused everyone to turn toward the source, Angelus, who was flying toward them at speeds that broke the sound barrier. She landed on the ground and rushed over to him. When she arrived, Angelus placed her hands on her knees, took several heaving breaths, and held up a hand.
"H… hold on… a moment… I just… I need…"
Poor girl was completely out of breath. Naruto decided to do the gentlemanly thing and wait for her to regain her breathing again. Michael seemed mildly amused by the young girl's state. Griselda also did too, and unlike Michael who merely smiled like a doting father, she giggled into her hand.
"I have the letter… for Lord Bael. Please… deliver it to him," she said, holding out her hand and showing a small envelope. It was pure white and had a wax seal keeping it closed. The seal was a pair of angel wings.
"You've got it. I'll make sure Sairaorg gets this."
"Thank you."
Naruto took the envelope and slipped it inside of his pocket.
"I also have something for you."
Michael stepped forward again and held something out to Naruto. It looked like… a doorknob? Naruto took the doorknob, but he really didn't know what to do with it. He looked from the knob to Michael, a question on his face.
"That is a special device that will take you to the Interdimensional Room you and Irina were using to become intimate. What you do is attach this doorknob to any room anywhere, and it will create a portal that will lead to your own Interdimensional Room. Consider this a gift from all of Heaven for helping protect us against the threat of Apophis and Crom Crauch."
"Oh. Well, thank you," Naruto said as he stored the doorknob inside of his ninja pouch.
Speaking of Crom Crauch, the Evil Dragon was apparently going to be sealed away for all eternity. Naruto didn't know where, but he had been sent away with a squad of angels and would make it to the underworld ahead of them. He'd probably be sealed in Cocytus.
With nothing left to do in Heaven, Naruto and Irina left together via the pearly white gates.
~Devil Ninja~
Because they had been away from home for too long, Naruto and Irina did not return to her parents after leaving Heaven, but were directly deposited in Kuoh via some kind of warp gate… thing. Naruto didn't know how it worked. All he knew was that the moment they stepped out of Heaven, they were somehow in Kuoh. He assumed there was some kind of spatial magic involved, but whatever.
After arriving in Kuoh, Naruto went to speak with Sona about booking passage to the underworld.
"It's a good thing you arrived when you did. Had you been any later, we would have left without you. As it is, my peerage and I are also heading to the underworld, so we can just take you with us."
Naruto found Sona at the Sitri Estate in Kuoh, which was smaller than his mansion but bigger than the average house. It had a far more modern aesthetic than his place did. Sona was all about practicality over aesthetic, so her place was a bit barren of amenities that didn't serve a useful function. The room that Naruto found himself in was Sona's office.
"I didn't realize you were also heading to the underworld," Irina said. "That's quite the coincidence."
Sona smiled and shook her head. "I'm afraid it's no coincidence. We've been recalled. My peerage was stuck here because there are still many people from the Three Factions Alliance living here and someone needs to be present to ensure day to day operations are running smoothly. However, my sister has ordered us back to the underworld. It was rather abrupt."
Naruto had already known most of this, which was why he wasn't surprised Sona was still in Kuoh, but he was surprised to hear that she had been recalled.
"Is something happening in the underworld?" he asked.
"That's my guess," Sona said. "I'm not sure if you've heard, but a large number of alliance bases were attacked recently. Kyoto, India, and even Mount Sumeru were hit. We think the Chaos Brigade is getting ready to make their move and they are removing all of our support. The Norse and several hundred yokai will be traveling with us. Even Sun Wukong will be heading to the underworld."
"It sounds like something serious is definitely going down," Naruto said.
"That's right. Anyway, we are leaving tomorrow. You two should get some rest. I recommend you stay here for the night. I'll have my servants prepare some rooms for you."
"That would be appreciated."
True to Sona's words, Tsubaki Shinra prepared a single room for the two of them. She had been going to prepare two, but Irina stopped her and said just one was fine. This earned her a look. However, Irina was adamant on sharing a single room with Naruto, and he quickly discovered why when she used the special doorknob to create a portal that led to the Interdimensional Room.
"So this is why you wanted to share a room? So we could have sex?" asked Naruto.
Irina was blushing beet red, but she looked determined. "It won't be long before I have to share you with everyone else again, so I'm going to take advantage of the time we have left together."
The bedroom this doorknob led to had the appearance of a ritzy bedroom like someone you'd find in a five-star hotel… one made with Christians in mind. It was decorated with a variety of angel statues and portraits of well-known Saints. There were enough religious items inside that Naruto felt mildly uncomfortable. And disturbed. However, apart from those decorations, the room was relatively barren, with a desk, a chair, a clock, and a large bed with a canopy.
"Well, it's not like I don't understand where you are coming from," Naruto confessed.
Irina got to spend the least amount of time with him out of all his girlfriends. It only made sense that she would want to take advantage of this situation.
"If you understand, then be a good boyfriend and give me some love," Irina said as she removed her clothes, until she was in nothing but her birthday suit.
"Yes, ma'am," Naruto said as he immediately stripped out of his clothes and joined her on the bed. It would be another long night.
~Devil Ninja~
The private car provided to Naruto was done up in Sitri blue as opposed to Gremory red. This train was one that belonged to the House of Sitri, which of course meant the decor was different. His and Irina's car contained several tables, a bar that served non-alcoholic drinks, and a long couch that curved around a table to form the shape of a U.
Naruto and Irina were sitting on the couch—well, Irina was sitting. Naruto was lying with his head on Irina's lap. He could only sigh in bliss at the feeling of her soft thighs. The juiciness of her thighs was something no man could underestimate. Irina's plump thighs were better than any pillow could hope to surpass, not even those new fangled purple pillows he saw commercials for on N00bTube could match them.
"Your lap is the best," Naruto said.
"Even better than Rias's?"
"Mmm. I don't use Rias's lap as a pillow. She tends to use mine instead."
"Don't let Rias catch you saying that." Irina gave him an amused smile as she ran her fingers through his hair. "She'll definitely get jealous."
"Speaking of, what do you suppose is happening in the underworld right now?"
"Who knows."
According to Sona, something big was happening in the underworld. This morning, when they had arrived with the Sitri Peerage at the train station, there had been hundreds or maybe even thousands of other supernatural creatures, including the Norse and various yokai from Kyoto. It had been shocking to see so many different people present. However, seeing them all made Naruto realize that something big really was going down in the underworld right now.
"So it seems you don't know what's going on, huh? Shall I educate you, sonny?" asked a voice.
Naruto was tempted to lift his head as he heard the old voice speak up and the door leading into one of the other cars open, but Irina's thighs were just too comfortable, so he decided to remain where he was as footsteps sounded out.
"Oh, no. Don't get up on my account. I'm just an old man. You don't need to show me such respect," the person said sarcastically.
The one who had been talking finally stepped into view. He couldn't have been taller than maybe a single meter. His body was covered in golden fur, he had a wrinkled, creased face, and black skin. In one hand was a staff and the other a pipe. The shades on his head were of a cyberpunk design and prayer beads dangled from his neck.
"Sun Wukong, been awhile since we've met," Naruto said.
"Indeed it has. We haven't seen each other since Kyoto. Where is that friend of yours? The one who had taken over your body?"
"You mean Kurama? He's here."
Naruto bit his thumb, went through over one hundred hand seals in rapid succession, and slammed his hand onto the couch. A large summoning seal appeared from underneath his palm. There was a puff of white smoke, and when it cleared, a tiny fox with two red tails sat on his haunches.
"You called for me, old one?" asked Kurama.
"Oh ho. So you are the one that possessed this child. I see. Yes, so you have actually been sealed inside of him. That explains a lot."
Sun Wukong seemed very interested in Kurama, who exuded power despite being barely tall enough to reach Naruto's shin. Most of his power was still sealed inside of Naruto. They were unable to release anymore because the seal would become unstable if he had more than two tails worth of power.
"You mentioned knowing about what is happening in the underworld?" Irina prompted.
"Hmm. I know a bit. Would you like me to tell you about what's going on?" asked Sun Wukong, grinning as he baited the pair.
"Of course we do, so why don't you just spill it, you old geezer," Naruto said.
"What a brat you are. Keh heh heh. Though I don't hate brats like you. All right. I'll tell you what's going on." Sun Wukong sat down across from them, tapped on his pipe to remove some soot, and then stuffed his pipe with a kind of tabaco. The sweet scent of smoke soon filled the room. "It seems the floating island of Agreas has been found. It is currently being used by the Chaos Brigade as their main base of operations. A plan is being formed to reclaim the city, which is why all of our allied forces are being summoned to the underworld."
"And you are being sent to represent Mount Sumeru?" asked Irina.
"Well, something like that," Sun Wukong admitted.
Sun Wukong did not remain with them for long. After poking fun of Naruto, Irina, and giving a respectful nod to Kurama, the Great Fighting Buddha left them to their own devices, which meant Naruto enjoyed the remainder of his journey being pampered by Irina and her wonderful thighs.
Because this was a Sitri train and not one belonging to the Gremory Family, Naruto and Irina were dropped off in Sitri Territory. As they stepped out of the train, the group was greeted by not only a massive amount of people emerging like them, but also by several familiar faces.
"Naruto, I'm so glad you are back with me!"
The first one to greet Naruto was obviously Rias, who stole a kiss from him the moment he arrived. Her soft lips were something he had greatly missed. While he took his time kissing her, several other people appeared alongside the redhead.
"Come on, buchou. Don't hog him all to yourself," Koneko said.
"Don't you think you've been kissing him long enough?" asked a peeved Ravel.
"Pwa!" A loud smacking sound echoed out as Rias removed her lips from Naruto, turned to glare at the two girls, and said, "I have not seen Naruto for several days. Do you know how hard this has been for me? If you understand even a little, then you will kindly back off and let me have my way until I am satisfied."
"She says that like she's the only one who missed Naruto," Rossweisse muttered.
Le Fay nodded. "Rias is very greedy."
"Did you two say something?" asked Rias.
"We did. We said you're being childish by hogging Naruto all to yourself and assuming you're the only one who missed him," Koneko said.
"How rude. I have been nothing but kind and benevolent by sharing Naruto with all of you, and this is how you repay me? With rude comments. See if I let you sleep in his bed anymore."
"You couldn't stop me from sleeping with Naruto even if you wanted to," Ophis said, taking a step forward.
"You people are talking like you have control over me." Naruto rolled his eyes as he stepped out of Rias' embrace before an argument could really break out. "Don't forget I am my own person, people. In either event, I don't think now is really the time to get worked up over something like this, right?"
It wasn't just Naruto's women who had come to greet Naruto and Irina as they emerged from the train. Asia and Xenovia had gone over to Irina and were engaged in a conversation. Naruto only caught snippets, but it sounded like Irina was telling them about the attack on Heaven. Kiba, Gasper, Issei, and Akeno were also present of course. It wasn't just the Gremory Peerage that was present either. Azazel was there too.
"It's a good thing you came back so soon. A lot has happened since you left. I've been asked by Sirzechs to escort all of you to Lilith. A meeting is being held there by the Three Faction Alliance leaders. We're going to discuss what's to be done about the Chaos Brigade's recent actions," Azazel said as he stepped forward.
His group was escorted by Azazel to one of the many cars waiting for them. There was a whole caravan of vehicles present. It wasn't just Naruto and his group that were traveling to Lilith. The many factions who had been called to the underworld were also heading that way, and they were all hopping into the cars that would take them there.
Naruto hopped into a large van. He, Rias, Koneko, Ravel, Rossweisse, and Le Fay were all directed in the back, where a large bench was situated against one wall. Irina joined Asia and Xenovia in another vehicle. It wasn't long after sitting down that Naruto found himself squashed between a mass of women. Rias had taken his left, Rossweisse had taken his right, Koneko and Ophis had each taken a spot on his lap. Meanwhile, Ravel and Le Fay were left pouting at how all the places near him were taken.
It was awfully warm being surrounded by so many women, and Naruto didn't mean that it was heartwarming or anything of the sort. It was just hot. All these bodies were pressed against him on all sides. He felt like he was sweltering from all the body heat. His clothes were already getting wet with sweat.
"How long will it take to reach Lilith?" Naruto asked Rias.
"It will take around a day of driving," she admitted.
"I wonder why we didn't take the train?" asked Rossweisse.
"Because the trains traveling throughout the underworld have shut down," Rias explained. "Right now the only train station still open is the one in Sitri territory because it leads to the human world. Several train stations have recently been attacked by the Alliance of Hell. We don't know if they are working with the Chaos Brigade or using the chaos caused by them to enact their own plans, but it has left us in a dire situation."
It sounded like there were even more problems than Naruto first realized. He wondered what was going to happen. He also wondered what Yami was up to. Was he on Agreas with the other members of the Chaos Brigade, and if so, just what sort of plot was his other half hatching?