High School DxD/ハイスクールD×D, Naruto 1. A Prideful Queen

_The Return of Mammon_

* * *

"My son, approach."

Within a castle tower, the cobblestone interior bathed in crimson light, a young man stood inhabiting a throne room of sorts. Of average build and height, what stood out most about him was the stark contrast his golden blonde head of hair had offered comparison to the dwelling's décor, made mostly of sharp and vile things twisted in unnatural directions and covered in what could easily pass as blood.

He acknowledged the order with a curt nod, his body bending forward. Blue eyes flickered toward the throne, tinged with the shade of a robin's egg.

Before him, a throne of blackened claws dominated the middle of the room with its presence. One other person was present, and her soft behind sat naked upon the seat with no complaint. Tomato red hair cascaded down her back and fell upon the black spikes, offering her lithe body a soft cushion.

"Mother..."

The young man could not help but track his eyes across the matriarch's supple, white skin. Her voluptuous breasts were hidden behind just a few thin locks of hair. The idle motion of her crossed legs shifting from one side to the other served as a distraction he could not simply ignore.

In his mind, he imagined she teased him like that on purpose.

Kushina, ignorant to her son's vivid imagination, shifted comfortably in her seat. Today was a joyous day, and she had no intention of squandering it. For it was finally time for her son to make his first trip to the human realm, and how anxious she was for him to start. Too long had they been forced to hide themselves away from the other devils, in the corner of the world where no one would pay attention to.

It was time for their clan to return to greatness, and her son would be the one to bring them back on that path. She had waited so long for this moment, that she had to bite her tongue to cull her excitement.

"Naruto, you know what you must do. Don't you?"

It was more of a rhetorical question than anything. She had been preparing them for the past few years. Her son knew what was at risk, more than anyone.

"Yes, mother." Naruto shifted uncomfortably. "I take it the preparations for living have been made?"

"Of course." She waived his concerns. "Your things have been packed?"

A simple nod was her reply. There really was little else to say. Pleasantries aside, she knew her son was stalling for time. He had never left her sight since he was born, and no doubt he had secretly detested the contents of the day's itinerary. But, just as he was weaned from her milk, he would learn to live without her in the same home.

"Very well then." She waved her hand and a magic circle appeared beneath his feet. "Are you ready?"

Naruto took another look around what had become a very common, boring sight for his relatively young life. As much as it would pain him to leave, the excitement of traveling to a new realm was not something lost on him. If his mission would bring happiness to his mother, then he would complete it without fail. When his father died, it fell to him to protect the family and see his mother's desire come to fruition.

No one would stop the rise of the Mammon, as long as he was still alive.

"Mother, before I go..." He struggled to express his desires.

As a devil and a noble, he was raised to make clear his wants and needs and even take whatever he pleased. The only one he could not express his will to was his mother, who ironically taught him everything he would need to make his wishes come true. Somehow, she had never once acknowledged him past that of an heir, and perhaps a tool to be used.

"Mm..." Kushina shifted on the throne, pondering her son's hidden request. "This just won't do, will it?"

Then, she rose from the throne and began to make her approach. Each step was even with the other as his mother showed off the royal etiquette she was raised with. More noticeable was each step she took caused her sizable bust to sway and slap the skin beneath.

Her arms wrapped around his neck, cradling his body in her grasp. With just a touch, the resistance in his body gave way and he fell into the hold. As if she were a fragile piece of art, his arms were slow to wrap about her waist.

"There, my child." One of her hands forcefully grasped his hand and placed it on her waist. "One last embrace before I let you go."

"..." Naruto was muffled as he was buried into the crook of her neck, inhaling the sweet scent of her perfume.

He felt something wet pressed gently against his cheek.

_Mother is kissing me?!_

It was too much to bear. He was so close, yet so far. The stimulation stunned him into inaction, and he was slowly wrapped around his mother's finger.

"I have one last gift for you, before you leave me." She pushed away, allowing them to have some breathing space.

Kushina held up the palm of her hand, as if to offer something to him. A small blast of energy erupted, and two chess pieces came into being. One was a blood red king piece and the other a pearlescent white pawn.

After only a moment of existence, the pawn transformed into the shape of a bishop, then a knight, a rook, and then a queen. It continued to switch between shapes at random, and Naruto had difficulty identifying just what it was he was looking at.

"For you, my son." She thrust her palm out toward him, and the pieces gravitated toward his chest. "Two evil pieces: a king for yourself, and a mutation piece I obtained some time ago."

Kushina narrowed her eyes and for the first time since the beginning of their talk appeared to be genuinely concerned.

"Do not waste their power on weaklings. You will only have one chance to use it."

He could do nothing but hold his chest and feel the power emanating from the artifacts. The trust his mother gave him to hold onto such things meant she was no longer willing to hold back on him. There was no turning back, for either of them.

"My dear Naruto, please come back soon."

A magic circle appeared beneath him again as crimson light covered his vision. In the middle of the embrace, his mother had summoned another circle and sent him through. Now, he found himself hurtling through space and time with the portal to his home growing more and more distant.

His mother had given him the tools. Now it was his turn to show he knew how to use them.

* * *

_The damn sun is going to make living here a lot more annoying._

Atop a building's roof, Naruto looked down upon the city his mother had sent him to. Set within a valley, it was the very model of peace and seclusion. The central piece was the human academy, named after the town of Kuoh. It must have been a school day, as he saw many humans the same age as him in their school uniforms heading toward the city center.

The sun was sweltering hot, even after he had changed into the school blazer and matching pants. He had no idea how the humans could handle that kind of heat. The rays of light beat down on him and sapped all the energy in his body. It would definitely take some getting used to, and he would have to move around at night primarily if he wanted to keep it from permanently affecting him.

Not to mention, he could not allow the humans to notice his presence. Luckily, no one was around to see him use his wings for the moment or two he needed them, but he was sure it would not remain that easy. Devils were fortunate enough to look very similar to humans naturally, so no one had given him an odd look quite yet.

That was good, considering his objective here was focused on not attracting unwanted attention. Until he had followers or at least some powerful friends, the shadows were not going to be safe for him to roam in.

_Just have to keep my eyes on the prize._

The faster he completed his objectives, the faster he could return to his mother's side. If that was not enough to spur him forward, his personal goals aligned well with Kushina's wishes. His mother always told him the Mammon were well known for wanting more than they could have: sometimes for better, but often for worse. He planned to turn his family's curse around, one battle at a time.

Him being sent to the town of Kuoh was not by chance, either. It was a well known fact throughout the Underworld that this place held great significance for all three of the major factions. That meant that, apart from other devils, he would be dealing with both variants of angels: fallen and otherwise.

Though he had never met an angel, from the stories he heard from his mother, they were not ones to be underestimated. Especially the fallen since they fell from their God's grace for one reason or another. Tricks and underhanded tactics were their namesake, and so he would keep his guard up if he were to find one.

But, he could care less about how politics boiled down between the three groups. He was raised as one of the Extra Demons, after all. Ousted, voluntarily or otherwise by the current Devil government, the Mammon were among those who avoided the 72 pillars at all costs. If his mission were successful, however, his mother hoped their name would return to the forefront of devil society.

Naruto leaped down onto the street below and joined the crowd headed for the school grounds. Humans were the treasures and lifeblood that kept the three factions going after the Great War. They were the primary reason why Naruto had come to Kuoh in the first place. For if the Mammon were to return, they would need influence and the easiest way for a devil to gain influence was through martial strength.

Sacred Gears, artifacts of power only born to those with human blood in their veins, were the key to gaining any kind of power in the world. Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devils all were attracted in some way to that power and had found ways to incorporate these valuable humans into their ranks. At least with the devils, they had created the evil piece system that Naruto was now a part of with the king piece embedded inside of him.

Though he only had one other piece to use for now, with time he could grow out his peerage to span the entire set. To grow and nurture that family was Naruto's goal, and it worked well with his mother's desires of total domination. If they were going to have any chance at returning from the outskirts of society, they would need a strong group of followers.

And so, Naruto began his hunt for the strongest of humans within the grounds of Kuoh Academy. Known to host the most gifted of humans, he had high hopes for what he would find inside.

Unfortunately, he was quickly disappointed when he saw a group of boys being beaten senseless by a crowd of young women. Screams and shouts hinted that the culprits had been found peeping on the girl's locker room. If that was the kind of resource pool he was looking at, things were grim.

Naruto continued with the crowd and found himself inside the school building as the bell began to ring for the first series of classes. Inside, the floor was a checkerboard tile and the building reeked of grandiose western architecture. There was a feeling in the back of his head that he was being watched. With a few cautious glances, he took in his surroundings in an attempt to locate the source of his discomfort.

There, two young women on the second floor balcony overlooking the lobby. One leaned against the railing, with brown hair cut short away from her bespectacled eyes. The other was a stunning vixen that momentarily reminded Naruto of his mother: long red hair and a set of crisp aquamarine eyes. What was even more noticeable and surely appealing to such perverts outside was her incredible bust size, especially in comparison to her shorter compatriot.

Neither of them seemed threatening, in fact the crimson haired beauty was smiling. If it was not for the fact he had lived with a woman for his whole life, he might have passed it off as nothing. But he could tell that behind those eyes, menacing plans were being concocted. If their familiar energy was anything to go by, the suspicions they had of each other were right.

_Devils, the lot of them._

Interesting to see they had a similar idea of infiltrating the school to gather their pieces. No matter, as long as they did not approach him he would give them the same courtesy. When another group of kids came around the corner to head for class, Naruto got up from the column he had been leaning against and disappeared with the crowd.

"Time to see what the 'school of the gifted' has to offer," Naruto said, as he entered a classroom at random.

* * *

"Rias, what do you think about him?" Sona, the student council president, asked as the crowds began to fade for the first classes of the day.

The other devil's presence had been quite obvious, even before he had entered the school building. Lucky for him the humans could not feel such other worldly energy, otherwise he would have stuck out like a sore thumb. He must have been new to the human realm to make such a common mistake.

"Hm.." Rias hummed, leaning against the rail next to her friend. "I'm not sure who he is, but you could feel the energy inside, right?"

"Yes." Sona adjusted her glasses. "A king piece. Odd to find another one of us here."

"Is it really though?" Rias had a hard look on her face. "We can't be the only ones to see the value in this place. It was only a matter of time, really."

"I suppose so." Sona conceded. Her eyes flicked down the hall where Tsubaki, her vice president, approached. "Do you plan on meeting him?"

Rias paused for a moment to consider her answer. Then, she just shrugged and gave her old friend an assuring smile.

"I don't think so. He doesn't seem like a troublemaker, so I think I will take a 'wait and see' approach. With luck, he's just visiting."

The chances of a devil with such natural power just visiting their quaint little town were slim to none. Rias and Sona both had an obligation to keep the peace, and so of course the blonde's presence was a bit concerning. However, arranging a meeting out of the blue would only escalate the situation.

With time, new opportunities would arise to meet with the new Devil.

"Then, I'll leave first." Sona waved to her friend and passed her vice president, who bowed and followed her from behind.

Rias hesitated a moment longer, her eyes lingering on the hallway their new 'friend' had disappeared in. Her soft lips quirked as a bit of excitement came over her. Someone new to town was not always a bad thing. She hoped that if he were a friendly devil, they could make an acquaintance one day. For a Gremory, an acquaintance one day soon meant an ally the next.

And Rias Gremory was always looking to expand her family.

_See you later, Devil-kun._

* * *

Naruto slumped back into his apartment, feeling quite exhausted after the first day of classes. What a boring set of material the teachers had them go over. The things the other children were learning was something Naruto had been taught many years ago. Perhaps humans were not all that similar to devils after all.

To rest his body, he was thankful his mother had already prepared a dwelling of sorts in the human world. How she managed it, he had no idea, but the single bedroom flat would serve his needs well. The couch looked particularly inviting as he laid down on the dark cushions and felt his body sink into the material's creases.

Now that he had a moment to think, he replayed the day over in his head to try and see if anything in particular stood out. He was not expecting any humans to openly brandish their powers, but at the same time, he had hoped there would be some inkling of potential in the masses he had surveyed during his outing. Unfortunately, apart from the female devils, none of the people he had come into contact with made their hidden strengths obvious.

It seemed as though his objectives would take longer than he thought. For a moment, he even feared the other groups had gotten to the sacred gears before he had. But, if that were true, there would be little reason to stay in the town. Buried treasure must have remained then, and it was up to him to find it.

What little rumors he had pointed to the existence of at least one Sacred Gear in the city. Obviously, it had been identified, though its user was not described. It was a variant of the Twice Critical, a relatively common dragon-type gear. Whether or not it had already been claimed was unclear, but Naruto had to bet all three factions were scrambling to get a hold of it.

If he kept an eye on those other devils, they might point him in the right direction. They could just as easily steer him wrong though, and until he met them, he could only assume they had no plans of helping him find his way.

Naruto sighed and reached for the coffee table in front of him. The remote was there, and he figured the best way to get in touch with humans was to immerse himself with their media. Somehow, he doubted the experience would be as enlightening as he had once hoped.

At the school, while he observed his classmates, he had kept an eye on the adults as well. There was nothing stopping a sacred gear from remaining dormant until a human had reached that age. That authoritative position also gave them a perfect camouflage.

His homeroom teacher was particularly odd in that she seemed more interested in seducing her male students rather than teach them. In fact, her attention was on him the entire day. The other male classmates were not particularly happy about that, but Naruto had passed it off because he had posed as a new student. He did not need to be an expert to know her attitude and methods were very different than what was generally expected of an educational institution. She could have been someone, or something, of importance too.

"Those with power attract others with power." Naruto quoted his mother aloud.

The sound of humans speaking to one another somehow lulled Naruto to sleep as his body slumped further into the couch's embrace. Living on his own was not so bad after all.

* * *

In the dead of night, an explosion of energy rocked the landscape of the quiet town of Kuoh. More accurately, a sudden release of a large amount of ki. Any kind of supernatural creature would be sensitive to such a strike and surely feel it. Humans, however, would never notice such a thing had happened right in their own backyard.

That was what served to wake Naruto up from his nap as he almost rolled right off the couch. Holding his head in pain, he got up to the window and tried to pinpoint just where that energy had come from. He could still feel it inside of him, churning his stomach inside out. It was not something just any person could do; that kind of energy was reserved for very powerful, very rare individuals.

And the only reason they would have to release that much is if they were in the thick of a fight.

Unfortunately, whoever released that energy was completely off the radar now which should not have been possible. A release of energy like that was basically a beacon for someone to lock onto and follow. It should not have dissipated given that small amount of time. It could only mean that someone created a barrier to keep such emissions contained and hidden.

_Someone must be in real trouble for them to go that extent._

Dealing with someone with that kind of power was exactly what Naruto was looking for. Going alone was asking for trouble, but beggars could not be choosers. He had to buy into the pot at some point, and the jackpot was looking better and better the more he felt that energy build up inside.

"Let's see what we can find." Naruto opened the balcony door and revealed his pair of devil wings.

With a kickoff to get him started, he leaped from the apartment railing and into the sky above Kuoh. Many lights were still on as the moon just began to crest. There were not very many people out for a stroll though, so it made things easy when he did not have to worry about being seen.

The only problem was, he had no idea where the barrier might have been setup. If whoever built it was smart enough, they would not make it easily visible either. His best chance was to cover as much ground as fast as he could, and hope he ran into some sort of detectable magic presence.

_A release of ki like that has to leave behind some sort of residue._

Much to his frustration, nothing of the town seemed ordinary. The apparent skill these guys had to hide from him pissed Naruto off. When he found them, they were not going to get off easy.

As Naruto flew over the park, he felt the familiar tinge of magic manipulation in the back of his head. When he passed into the area, the light bended around him and he could have sworn something pushed back against his body. Upon further inspection, he realized that his surroundings were imperfect replications of human trees, park benches, and other landscape touches that made the mark of an amateur.

"Jackpot," Naruto said, licking his lips in delight.

He flew up until he exited the barrier and deployed his own magical circle. The crest of Mammon was a swirled pattern, colored in crimson. Using the circle as a focal point, Naruto pushed inward and forcefully made his way into whatever pocket dimension the people inside had created.

Naruto was not one for subtlety, after all.

The barrier quickly began to crack under pressure as Naruto poured more magical energy into his attack. Sparks flew as opposing magical forces met one another, but the glass-like barrier eventually shattered under the weight of his spell. Like a crystal ball dropped onto the ground, the light-bending wall shattered into millions of pieces.

With the barrier down, Naruto flew toward the center of the park and landed on his feet.

With one quick glance to take in the situation, Naruto realized he was outnumbered. In front of him were six people, of varying shapes and sizes, surrounding someone else whose energy matched that which he felt before. The park itself was wrecked from one hell of a battle. Both sides had taken a momentary break when the barrier went down, and neither group seemed to know what to do about his entrance.

The one being accosted was a nine tailed fox, one of the Kyuubi Youkai. Her blood red tails that fanned out behind her human form outed her pretty easily. He knew a bit about the Kyuubi, as his mother told him that Naruto's father had been closely acquainted with one in the past. They were incredibly powerful creatures, but rarely were their kind ever found outside of Kyoto, where they ruled the other Youkai species.

This particular Kyuubi, apart from a few scratches, was no worse for wear from whatever battle that had already taken place. Her long hair that flowed down her back was colored the same as her enemy's blood: crimson and dark. She wore a battledress of some kind: a black bodysuit that covered from her thighs to her neck with matching boots and gloves.

Those beady red feline eyes targeted him, sizing him up. She must have assumed he was another enemy, but perhaps she hoped he could be an ally as well. Lucky for her, he had no plans of attacking someone of her caliber.

Though, her opponents did not look too bad either.

From what he could tell, they were an assortment of devils but none that he could immediately recognize. They must have been from the Extra Demons, or perhaps they were strays. That would not explain why they were targeting the Youkai, except perhaps for her energy. But to fight a youkai on their level was asking a little too much.

"Who the hell are you!?" One of the men shouted as Naruto finished analyzing the motley crew.

The six assailants all looked like they were going to have a prickly demeanor. Well, he found out their secret so it made sense, he supposed.

"How did he make it through the barrier?" Another one said, slightly worried.

It was a considerably elaborate shield, and he was very lucky to stumble onto it. However, if they were to imply the barrier was powerful enough to keep him out, then they would be sorely disappointed. His mother would have punished him severely if something like that had defeated his magic.

"Doesn't matter, keep on the Kyuubi!" The first man turned his attention back to the nine tails and ice shards grew from his hands.

The devils slowly diverted their attention back to their original target, leaving Naruto alone. What a rude bunch, he thought. He preferred to keep cool in these kinds of situations, but the one thing that really set him off was when he was ignored. To be insulted or belittled by an enemy was one thing, but to have your presence rejected was something else entirely.

Naruto narrowed his eyes as powerful demonic energy began to build up in his body. Attacking the Kyuubi was their first mistake, but forgetting about him would be their last.

"Oi, bastards!"

The vulgar language got them to turn around again.

The Kyuubi had readied a fireball in her hands, but hesitated to retaliate when Naruto made his declaration.

Naruto sneered, his switch had been flipped. Whenever his adrenaline got pumping, things started to get a bit loopy for him. His control slipped, and he started to enjoy the blood lust inside of him.

"You got some balls, turning your back on me." Naruto's hands soon became fists as he fought to control his instincts. "Let's see what you guys can do."

A magical circle appeared in front of Naruto, not unlike the one he created before.

"Wha-"

His opponent's confusion quickly turned to shock as a dozen chains launched at them. Made of pure demonic energy, those chains were harmful to whoever their owner willed them to be. Right now, Naruto was not in the mood to hold back his strength as he directed the chains forward with an extended arm.

The chains were also fast, too fast for the other devils to easily avoid. In quick order, the chains wrapped around two of the devils, pinning their bodies down. Pain quickly broke through their resistance, and they were forced to scream as the chains developed barbs that hooked deep into their skin.

"My...energy!"

"The chains..our powers!"

The devils writhed on the ground as the bonds continued constrict around their bodies further. They tried to describe the suffering as their bodies were enveloped by a powerful shroud of energy. The dark fields of power were not Naruto's, but their own magical energies forcefully being pulled from their bodies.

"That's right," Naruto said with a sinister looking grin, "These chains of mine can absorb energy, too."

Naruto had planned to hold them down long enough until he had almost completely absorbed their power. Without the energy to use magic, devils were almost as worthless as a normal human in a fight. The chains were linked to his own demonic powers, and Naruto began to sense something dark rearing its head from inside their bodies the more energy he took from them.

He narrowed his eyes as he tried to determine the source.

_What is this? This isn't from the devils...this is something much bigger!_

Deep inside of them, there was something foreign in their bodies that was releasing a foul energy. The cloaks of power around their bodies were quickly overtaken by a dark shroud. So strong was its release that a shock wave pushed outward from the two captured devils, and forced everyone to shield themselves.

Naruto covered his eyes, taken aback by their incredible strength. He thought for sure that he had them on the ropes, but this unknown strength had surfaced when their backs were against the wall. Before long, the dark energy began to sink into his chains, turning them a sickly dark color.

_Have to cut the spell before it reaches back to me!_

With a wave of the arm, his spell circle was released. The chains disappeared from his opponents, their bodies slumped over in exhaustion. From the looks of them, their bodies were still suffering despite their power boost. If anything, Naruto's original goal to take them out of the fight had succeeded. That power could have been hiding in the others, and so Naruto was hesitant to try the same move twice.

"Now!"

The other four had chosen to sit out of the fight earlier and not help their comrades. At first, Naruto had believed they had collared themselves to prevent their friends from coming to further harm, but he started to realize they had no desire to help one another. More magical circles appeared, and a torrent of energy was launched at him, with their wounded comrades in the way.

Too fast for him to dodge, Naruto was forced to create a circle of protection to stave off the attack. The torrent of energy sped across the battlefield, vaporizing the downed opponents in a split second. Blinded by the attack's overwhelming power, Naruto was pushed to the brink as he tried to maintain his shield.

_No good...four against one is too much!_

Under great pressure, the protective spell broke apart in front of him. By instinct, Naruto held up his arms to protect himself. He then felt a presence at his side, and then a great force pushed him to the ground. When he recovered, he saw the Kyuubi in front of him, containing the enemy attack with one hand. With a smack from the back of her hand the attack was sent flying away.

Fireballs formed in each of her hands, and above each tail. They were tinged white with Naruto recognized as the infamous strength of Kitsune fox fire. She unleashed the barrage of attacks, forcing the remaining devils to scatter across the battlefield to escape.

Each fireball exploded into a fiery mess upon impact, taking with it a chunk of the surrounding area. Somehow, apart from glancing burns, the remaining four had managed to avoid lethal damage. This earned them a harsh glare from the nine tails as she began to build up an insane amount of power.

"Stay out of my way, boy," she said with a threatening growl attached.

Getting saved by the person you were supposed to be rescuing was not the best feeling in the world. His eyes could barely follow her movements as she launched forward with incredible speed, appearing next to the closest devil. With one punch, she was able to break their magical defense and send them hurtling into the ground. Such strength was not focused solely on her human extremities, as the tails whipped at the devils too foolish to get close.

Naruto dusted himself off and hesitated to leap back into the fight. He would probably just get in the woman's way, or worse, get himself attacked. Still, the adrenaline pumping through him refused to let him stay out of the way for long. He noticed that a couple of the devils had managed to avoid the Kyuubi's focus and were creating a large magical circle between them.

Releasing his wings, Naruto flew at them in an attempt to halt their counterattack. A combination attack required a great amount of practice, considering the depth of the calculations involved in most magic. If they were able to pull something like that off, then the attack was too dangerous to let them complete it.

Moments before he reached them, an army of chains were unleashed from the depths of wherever the magical circle led to. Naruto shielded himself, but quickly found out the attack was not meant for him as it sailed past. The chains quickly found and latched onto the Kyuubi, ensnaring themselves around her body like a bad weed. Her scream of pain echoed as the spikes dug into her skin, and he could feel the energy forced out of her body as the chains absorbed it all.

_This attack, it's so similar to mine. But these chains aren't feeding the energy back to the devils..._

Where was all of that demonic energy being taken? The answer lied on the other side of the magical circle, as Naruto quickly figured out that the spell was not to create the chains, but _summon_ them from another location. Different from his mother's spell in which daemonic energy is given shape from the user's own body, these chains were physical creations imbued with the same dark magic he felt from the other two devils.

The restraints forced Kyuubi down to her knees as the remaining enemies joined in with their own chains. So, they were after her energy, after all.

Naruto narrowed his eyes in confusion. What was their objective? What were they planning to use that energy for?

Whatever the results were, they could not be good. The nine tails would die at this rate if he did not do something.

_Do I have to use...that?_

The power left behind for him by his father, passed onto him from Kushina. This might have been a good time as any to unleash it. But, if he could just break their concentration then the fox might escape. No, he would find another way; it was not time to reveal his trump card yet.

"I told you guys..." Naruto scowled, building up more energy. "Not to ignore me!"

With the release of his magic, a maelstrom of energy released and forced the ground beneath his feet to buckle and crack. A shroud of demonic power built around him as Naruto summoned another magical circle, then three more, and soon a dozen appeared in the sky surrounding them.

The devils, at first completely focused on the task at hand, quickly grasped the danger surrounding them. Unfortunately, they were either unable or unwilling to cease their absorption of the Kyuubi's strength and offered no defense against his attack.

"This ends now."

From the circles came more chains with sharpened ends, all headed straight for the devils. The spears pierced straight through their bodies, forcing them to double over in pain. They wailed in pain as more and more of the attacks collided with their body; no mercy was offered, even after they were forced to release their own attack on the Kyuubi.

"Devils are pretty resilient..." Naruto tightened his hand into a fist as the chains began to constrict. "But, we all have our limits."

Only when the last devil's body ceased moving did Naruto release his spell. The chains receded back into the portals, and he felt his energy return. Despite winning, he could not find it in himself to be proud of the bloody spectacle in front of him. True, his mother had taught him to fight with no heed for his opponent's life, but he detested the brutality he was forced to deploy against them.

From the corner of his eye, he saw the kitsune struggle against the few chains still wrapped around her body. Despite their circles disappearing, the physical bonds remained attached to her body. He could not tell how much energy they took, but he was sure that the creature in front of him was severely weakened from the encounter.

With a strangled roar, the Kyuubi shook off the rest of the chains. From the strength she had left, the nine tails carried herself some distance from Naruto in a vain effort to find safety. Her skin began to fizzle and smoke as the wounds healed themselves, albeit slowly. She was out of breath, and he was then very sure she was unable to fight him even if she wanted to.

Naruto walked over to her, cautiously taking each step in an attempt to not antagonize her.

"Hey, you alright?" he asked.

The youkai shied away from his touch. Despite their common enemy, she still did not trust him. He thought that it was fair for her to feel that way, considering he was a devil too. Still, he could tell those wounds were going to be difficult to handle without enough energy, and he could barely feel her presence at all.

Kyuubi collapsed to her knees from exhaustion. Instinctively, her hands covered her chest as pain wracked her body.

Naruto decided to keep his distance and respect the demon's privacy. If he were to go to her, he had no healing ability of his own to help anyway. His concern was useless to the Kyuubi.

"Ugh! Damn them...those chains, stole my energy." Kyuubi's breathing was irregular and her speech came out in labored pants.

When the wounds remained on her body after the energy had dissipated, Naruto knew that her power alone was not enough to save herself. The only thing Naruto could think of was to use his evil piece, but that would bring her back as part devil. He knew of the pride associated with the Kyuubi Youkai, and a full blooded one like her meant that she would not be a fan of such an idea. But, they were running out of options.

"Hey, I think I have an idea of how to help."

"Sh-shut up, devil. I..do not need..your help." Her words were harsh, but she did not even have the energy to push him away.

Naruto knelt down next to her and was glad to see she offered no resistance; whether it be from weakness or an acceptance of his help, he could not tell.

"Come on, at least listen to what I have to say." When she offered no words of resistance, he took it as an invitation to continue. "I have something that can bring you back to full strength, but it's going to turn you into a half devil."

Just the thought of it instantly made the Kyuubi cringe, but she remained silent. Hopeful, Naruto continued with his pitch in hopes she would accept. If nothing else, it would save her life.

"It means joining my family, too. I know how powerful the nine tails are, since my father was partnered with one once, so I don't plan on holding you back. The thing is, this is a deal you can't go back on."

Naruto hiked a thumb over his shoulder, toward where the devil remains were.

"I'm going to guess they aren't the last ones to show up trying to get your power. I can protect you more than if you were to go on your own. How about it?"

The poison inside of her had taken most of Kyuubi's energy, making it difficult for her to speak. Her features remained stiff as she thought over the offer that was clearly not to her liking. Naruto always believed everyone should be given a choice with what happened in their life, but Kyuubi's choice was not particularly flattering either way.

He would rather not watch her die though, so when she gave him the slightest of nods, he began to smile brightly. From within his chest, he beckoned the mutation piece to come forward and held it in his palm. With his king ability, he could sense how many pieces Kyuubi would be worth. Lucky for him, a mutation piece could be used on someone for any position, regardless of how many pieces they were worth.

11 pieces. His eyes lit up as if he had found the buried treasure of some long dead pirate. Coming to Kuoh was not such a bad idea then, if he found a powerful vixen such as this. Not to mention, he could not ignore her feral allure.

Kyuubi groaned in pain, shaking him from his reverie. Without anymore time wasted, he inserted the piece into her chest and observed the energy of the evil piece surge through her body. The healing she once struggled to complete started again, but this time the wounds began to close with great speed. In under a minute, the fox was already up onto her own two feet without his help.

Devil life force now flowed through her veins, just as her youkai did. As a kitsune, she was already on the high end of spiritual energy and power among her kind and with nine tails she was considered equal to some of the most powerful devils. Now with devil blood surging through her veins and an evil piece embedded into her chest, she had ascended to a level rarely reached by any newly resurrected devil.

Naruto watched as she began to stretch her body and get used to the new strength. This was his first time seeing someone be resurrected, not to mention by his own hand.

"Not bad." Kyuubi offered as her observation.

"Welcome back," Naruto said with a friendly thumbs up.

The crimson haired woman scowled, not amused by his little joke. She crossed her arms and seemed to wait, impatiently, for him to say something.

"So, what am I supposed to do? Do not expect me to bow or call upon you with honorifics. You have not earned it." Naruto sighed, starting with conditions of the relationship was really exhausting.

"Hey, I'm not trying to make you a slave or anything. Like I said, we are partners." He shrugged. Maybe she was educated enough to know about the devil system? It was worth a shot.

"If you know anything about the evil piece system, you know that as the head of a family or peerage, I have the king piece. Their most powerful partner and member of the family is the queen piece, which is what I made you."

Kyuubi's eyes lit up upon hearing that she was considered a 'queen', though it should not have been all that new to her. If his memory served, the nine tails often acted in leadership roles for the Youkai so she was already royalty anyway. Still, that bit of interest he hoped was enough to keep her from arguing against it.

"So, Queen-san, what would you like me to call you? Do you have a name?" He gave her a cheeky smile as he leaned in close to tease her.

The nine tailed creature pushed him away, quite forcefully. His usual attitude did not seem to mesh well with her serious personality.

"You have not earned the right to know my name, let alone call me by it. For now, Kyuubi will suffice."

"Hmph. Okay, Kyuubi. You can call me Naruto." There was an awkward moment after the introductions were over until Naruto remembered what time it was.

"Come on, we better get back to my place and rest. I can fill you in on my plans tomorrow."

Kyuubi shrugged and followed behind him without another bit of interaction. The silence was uncomfortable, but Naruto had to remember the entire situation was pretty foreign to her. The idea that he had just gotten a queen, and a powerful one at that, had not completely sunk in with his mind either.

And so, the two partners left the battlefield of the park. Despite it being their first meeting place, both were eager to leave it behind.

* * *

"Rias, they've gone. Shall we follow?" Akeno reported, still in her miko shrine outfit.

Rias and the rest of her peerage hid within the trees of the park. They had come in the middle of the battle and had expected to take part, but were pleasantly surprised to see the new devil and his nine tailed friend finish the interlopers off.

"No, that won't be necessary. They have dealt with enough trouble for the night, I'd say."

Despite the battle being resolved, Rias was not smiling. She would have to report such an incident to her brother and Sona to determine just what those devils were doing out here, in the human realm. Not only that, but hunting a Kyuubi of the ruling clan?

The only saving grace was that the devils were not affiliated with any of the 72 pillars, and so she could only assume they were strays. However, they were quite well organized for a bunch of random servants, so she wondered if they could really be Extra Demons.

Her curiosity did not end there. Who was that blonde devil? What was his clan? What were his intentions? Whatever he wanted could not be so innocent to pass up a wounded Kitsune as he brought her into his peerage. She would not forgive him if he caused trouble in her territory, so she would need to keep a close eye on him.

_That magical circle...and that crest. Who is this Naruto?_

Indeed, she had many questions for her dear brother that night.

* * *

_Sorry to re-upload this. I was struggling with myself whether to leave it up or not, but I realize that it was well liked and there is not enough content in the crossover section. I did change some things, mostly in the fight scene, as I expanded exactly what I want Naruto to be capable of._

_Surprisingly enough, my notes for the story are pretty well expanded despite me not releasing a second chapter._

_This initial arc is for Naruto to gather his peerage and be introduced to everyone. Then, it is off down the long road to make the Mammon return to the 72 pillars and become respected again._

_Lastly, as appropriate of Highschool DxD, consider this a harem. It is a relatively small group of girls, but they are not all going to be a part of his peerage._

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Highschool DxD.**


	2. A Fateful Showdown

_Return of the Mammon Clan_

* * *

The faint sounds of an alarm forced Naruto out of his dreams and back into the real world. He had been enjoying himself in the presence of his mother back in the Underworld, a place he sorely wished to be. To be taken from such a pleasant dream made him scowl as he struggled to open his eyes against the morning sun.

Sleeping caused all of his senses to dull, and so he could not tell where Kyuubi was. When they arrived at his apartment last night, Naruto had offered her the bed to take. Considering the situation, it felt like the only appropriate course of action.

Surprisingly, she refused him and had chosen instead to meditate on the floor in his living area. From what little he had gleaned from his interactions with the kitsune was that she had great pride in herself. He figured that accepting his kindness was a way of showing weakness.

_I hope she cuts the attitude soon though...she was really difficult._

Despite the fact he saved her life and offered a place as his partner, Kyuubi had dropped all niceties when she spoke to him. Somehow, he still had not earned the right to even carry on a proper conversation with someone of her ability. At this rate, they were not going to function well as a team.

Naruto released the yawn building up inside of him. Carefully, he rubbed his eyes and decided that it was truly time to wake up. A lot of things would have to be resolved today, so there was no point in resting further.

"Well, maybe I can..."

In front of him, an immensely powerful presence released a burst of ki. Naruto's eyes burst open as he saw Kyuubi launch one of her fists, covered in fire, at his face. He forced himself to roll out of the way and grunted in pain as he fell onto the wooden floor. Now on the ground, he managed to recover himself and rise to his knee; his eyes locked with his unsuspected opponent, who had rounded the bed to stand above him with a menacing look in her eyes.

"What..." Naruto's confusion quickly shifted as he grasped the situation at hand. His voice took a heavy tone as his own eyes began to match the harshness of the nine tails in front of him. "So, you are trying to run away?"

"You were right," Kyuubi said, holding her attack. "The devils last night would not be the first, or the last to come for me."

"After observing you for the night," Kyuubi's energy release ceased to end. He knew that before long, the shroud surrounding her would start to damage him. "I know you aren't strong enough to help me."

"So, you turn on me just like that?" Naruto asked, despite knowing his attempt at diplomacy was futile.

He had to buy time for the magical circle beneath their feet to develop. If he were too callous, she would quickly discover his plan and end him right there. Just like he said last night, every devil had their limit; Naruto would simply not survive a hit from Kyuubi at that range.

"Your devil piece might have saved my life, but _you_ as a partner are useless to me." Kyuubi looked down upon him as if he were vermin.

This only reinforced his belief she saw herself as better than not only himself, but all devils. Whether her dislike was extended to other species or just his own, he could not say, but as she was now—he could not talk her down.

_I only have one choice._

"Are you saying a life on the run is better than what I offered?"

Naruto knew that if she somehow managed to kill him, even if he were not part of the 72 pillars, she would be labeled a stray devil and hunted by more than just the enemies from last night. Devil society did not take kindly to deserters, regardless of their reason.

Kyuubi's frown only seemed to deepen the farther he took the conversation.

"My pride was deeply wounded to have to accept help from a treacherous devil like yourself," Kurama's fist again was turned alight with fire. "My mother made the mistake of trusting your kind once, and now she's gone. If there is one thing I will keep, it is my **dignity**."

As she finished speaking, he noticed her body tense up. She swung her arm low in an attempt to finish him in one strike; if the strength behind her attack did not kill him, the white flames around her arm would.

At that moment, Naruto forced the magical circle to appear beneath them. Taken by surprise, Kyuubi's attack slowed by a fraction of a second when her attention was diverted. With that time, Naruto sent them both through the portal to a place more fitting for such a fight.

* * *

_This is ridiculous._

Naruto was forced to fight first thing in the morning, before his power had fully reawakened. He had already dodged two deadly attacks meant to finish him off in one hit, so he was quite awake. The worst part was, he was still stuck in his loose fitting pajamas and not anything close to appropriate.

On the other hand, he was not the one that picked the fight.

Now, he and Kyuubi were deep in the mountains that surrounded the town of Kuoh. The last thing he needed was her to damage his apartment and have to explain that to the human owners. The teleportation had been a bit sloppy, and was not his best work, but he had been under a considerable amount of duress.

The nine tails now stood across from him, some ways down the opposite end of the field. Once they had exited the portal together, there was a tense moment before they quickly separated from one another. Whether she had any kind of honor or not, he had no idea, but at the very least she seemed interested in seeing his capabilities as she waited for him to make the first move.

"You know, I really do want to have you join my family..." Naruto said after a while, his voice shifting from soft to sharp as a knife's edge. "But, at the same time, I can't accept someone who's willing to turn on me just for their own twisted sense of pride."

Kyuubi narrowed her eyes, but chose to say nothing in return. What was there left to say? She made her choice, and now it was his turn as king to put her in the proper place of queen—whether she liked it, or not.

_A nine tail's strength is nothing to shrug off. I've got to be careful._

Naruto decided that to win, he would have to go all out from the start. With Kyuubi's strength increased by a considerable multiplier with his evil piece, she would be able to resist any kind of normal magic. His only chance was to get a hold of her with his chains and absorb her energy to force her into surrender, but she already knew his capabilities from last night.

_First, I'll have to use something new to weaken her._

"Come on, boy!" Kyuubi shouted over the distance. Her patience must have been wearing thin. "I waited all night to see just how strong you were. Don't disappoint me!"

Naruto narrowed his eyes at her taunt. He wondered why she had spared him from simply killing him in his sleep. So, she wanted to see whether he was worth being a partner or not. Well, he would try not to disappoint.

"I'll give you a treat," Naruto began to build up his energy, so much so that it became visible around his body. "No one has seen me use this before, save for my mother."

"Very well then. Come at me!" Kyuubi accepted his strength with a smirk, readying her body for a hit.

"Sacred Gear..." Naruto summoned into his hand a dagger of sorts, unique in that it had a three-pronged tip. "Flying Thunder God!"

_Father, lend me your strength!_

* * *

Kyuubi had to admit to herself that she had not expected a devil of all things to have a Sacred Gear. Was he some hybrid? Or, she narrowed her eyes, did he steal such power from an unsuspecting victim? Either way, she was not one to be defeated by a simple toy like that.

She had come too far to be defeated now by some brat. Every stain on her pride had to be removed before she could allow herself to forgive those that had wronged her. The only way she could go forward was to fight all of those who stood in her way.

In response to the weapon summon, she drew energy to her hands and tails. With her power, eleven fireballs began to grow. Last night she had been careless in her aim and the devils had managed to survive. She vowed not to make the same mistake twice.

"Take this!" Kyuubi released all eleven with a single powerful throw.

The blonde threw his new weapon in her direction, but her crimson eyes quickly noted that it was off course. If he had held out any hope to hit her with the dagger, he was in for a rude surprise. Not that he would find out, since her fireballs would vaporize him before his dagger even hit the ground.

The harmless thing sailed over her shoulder as she refused to even step out of the way. With her arms crossed in satisfaction, she watched the devil disappear as the fireballs erupted as one. An ear shattering explosion rocked the battlefield as a respectable crater formed in the spot once occupied by Naruto.

"Hmph. What a weak-" Kyuubi's eyes widened when she sensed his presence behind her.

Before she even had time to fully turn, his fist rammed into her stomach. Not as strong as her own, but it still sent the air flying from her lungs. When he pulled back she thought she might have a chance to recover, but his leg was sent right for her head in a daring followup kick. The air behind him whipped up and she knew he had enhanced his attack with demonic energy.

_If I don't block this, it'll be trouble._

With her arms up, she met his kick's full force and felt herself sliding back along the ground. Her defense was strong enough to weather it, but she had taken a considerable amount of damage just from those two hits. Kyuubi could not afford for him to get close again.

"Not bad..." There was some distance between them now, and she felt that she had a moment of respite.

Somehow, he had escaped the fireball attack and managed to end up behind her. She ruled out any kind of magical circle because the calculations involved would have taken too long to get precisely behind her before the fox fire hit its mark. The only explanation was his sacred gear, the dagger that Naruto had just finished picking up from the ground where it had fallen harmlessly passed her.

_The sacred gear allows him to teleport to that weapon's spot._

He did throw it before her attack had hit. Somehow, he could instantaneously teleport using that thing.

If that was the case, she would have to keep an eye on the dagger and avoid it at all costs. As long as she could predict his attack angle then she could prepare a counter.

Rather than sit idle, Kyuubi felt her best strategy was to press forward and knock him off balance. From his performance last night, she knew he was respectable with long range magic. If she stayed too far, he could use those chains of his to sap her energy.

_Here I come!_

With a powerful kickoff, the nine tailed fox launched herself right at her opponent. Fist reared back, she sent it right at Naruto's head as the distance between them closed in an instant. Somehow, he read her move and was able to lower his head out of the trajectory of her attack.

Not one to be deterred, Kyuubi pulled back and started to send a barrage of kicks and jabs at his center mass. They would not hit as hard as if she focused all her strength into one hit, but she knew she was more likely to overwhelm his defense through speed. A pitiful spellcaster like himself would buckle eventually under her stamina.

Much to her surprise, however, Naruto did not give in so easily. He kept up with her lethal dance of flesh with his own body. For every kick, he would weave his body out of the way, and for every fist he would slap it away with his own arm. Whoever taught him his defensive skills was impressive, Kyuubi had to admit.

_Let's see how you handle this!_

Her body was again covered in energy, this time supplemented with her new demonic strength, and then converted into a cloak of flames. Now, each strike carried with it fire that was sure to hit him whether it be a glancing blow or not. Understandably, he grasped the new reach of her attack and leaped back and out of range.

But this time, he was too slow. From the fire around her arm, she quickly conjured another fireball and threw it at him. Now that he was in air, he would have a much more difficult time her perfectly aimed attack. The fire cloak had merely been an excuse for her to gather the necessary energy for another ranged attack, but disguise it to fool the so far cautious devil.

Just as she expected him to, Naruto threw the sacred gear weapon at her again. This time, she would not allow him to get close. Kyuubi sent one of her tails out and smacked the weapon far off course to ensure he could not surprise her again.

In the meantime, her fireball had reached him. Rather than teleport or defend himself with a magical circle, Naruto instead chose to slap away the ball of energy with the back of his hand. Since she had conjured it together rather fast, the attack was small enough to be pushed away by a devil with his strength level. However, her fox fire still severely burned his hand and arm as the attack was just barely diverted away.

"That was very foolish of you to block with your bare hand..." Kyuubi snickered, how the tables had turned so quickly. "You might as well consider that arm useless now."

"Fine," Naruto responded through gritted teeth. No matter how tough he acted though, she knew he was in pain. "I only need one arm to beat you, anyway."

"Oh? Big words..." She mocked his attempt to fight back, though she had to admit she was a little excited to see what he had left to show.

The power of a nine tailed fox was not one to be underestimated, and Kyuubi had considered her victory assured since the start of the fight. The sacred gear was a surprise, but one she had already analyzed and built a counter for. His resistance had gotten her adrenaline pumping in a rare turn of events, and she knew her decision to wait to kill him had been validated considering how much fun she had toying around with him.

_Without that arm, his defense up close will be useless!_

"It's over!" Kyuubi shouted as she surged forward.

Naruto disappeared in a flash before she even made it halfway to him. She angled her head to look back at the weapon and knew he would spawn there. With practiced ease, she created another fireball on the tip of one of her tails and launched it backward.

_Your teleportation isn't instantaneous after all. I'll hit you right as you come out of the portal!_

* * *

So focused on her overwhelming victory was she that Kyuubi had again underestimated Naruto. From her observation, she had only seen one facet of many that were involved with his father's sacred gear. The three-pronged weapon, affectionately recognized as a kunai by his mother, was only the vessel for the sacred gear's true power.

"You were right, Kyuubi!" Naruto appeared again, but not at the location of his sacred gear, but directly _behind _her. "This battle _is_ over."

The fireball hit, vaporizing Naruto's kunai and the dirt and rock surrounding it. But, Naruto had not chosen to teleport to his weapon, but rather the _seal_ he had planted on the nine tailed fox. The true source of his sacred gear's strength was not the weapon, but the seal that Naruto could plant on anything and teleport to on a whim.

_I planted one on her last night when I offered the evil piece._

Naruto's original intention had been to use the seal to teleport to her should she never need assistance. He had never wished to use it in this context, but he had to admit it was a well planned move regardless.

"How-" Kyuubi struggled to articulate her surprise, but was silenced as a Mammon magic circle appeared between them.

From the portal, Naruto's daemonic energy took shape into chains and wrapped themselves around Kyuubi's body. Arms pinned to her sides, Kyuubi was too slow to stop the initial attack from entrapping her. Not one to give up though, he quickly felt her begin to resist his hold.

_Have to absorb her energy, fast!_

Kyuubi must have felt the pull on her strength as he forcefully ripped it from her, since her struggling only increased. With a bone chilling roar, she released all of her feral might and was able to free her arms. The chains were pushed away, but quickly leaped back to life and wrapped around her wrists.

"You really are amazing..." Naruto held up his arm and focused. "But, there is something I forgot to tell you about this power."

All around them, more magical circles appeared and released dozens of the chains. Despite her fury, even Kyuubi was overwhelmed by their number. Her arms and legs found themselves being pulled apart the more she struggled; her body began to take shape of an X as his attack literally pulled the fight from her. All the while, he continued to take away the energy she had been swinging around so brashly a moment ago.

"Ugh...damn you...devil..." With the last of her strength, she used it to curse him.

"The true strength behind the Mammon chains is that they can be pulled and pushed, but never broken," His mother's words flew from his tongue as if they were his own. "The same goes for the promises and bonds we forge with others. Once a Mammon takes hold of something, we don't let go until our dying breath!"

Just as his mother had chosen his father and taken him and his power for her own, Naruto had given Kyuubi his one evil piece without hesitation. That meant that no matter whether she liked it or not, she would be his for the rest of his days. Too bad for her devils lived for a pretty damn long time, too.

"Another devil might kill you for insubordination. It would set an example, and give me another chance to find a proper servant." Naruto continued to speak and express his feelings.

If Kyuubi was only going to listen when she completely and utterly beaten, then he had to get his words in now.

"I'm not that kind of devil, and I don't want some other servant." Naruto waved the magic circles away.

The chains disappeared and allowed Kyuubi to topple over onto the ground. Her energy was now inside of him, free for him to do whatever he wanted with it.

"I want a partner." Naruto reminded her of his initial offer. "I want you to join my family because you want to, not because I'm forcing you to."

"How...did I lose?" Kyuubi's voice croaked out from her fatigued body. She still did not have the strength to stand, nor look at him in the eye. Still, she made her desire clear to him.

"You were overconfident," Naruto said with an air of finality. "Whether it was the strength of your attacks, or your analysis of my technique: you were so sure of your own thoughts that you underestimated me."

"..." Kyuubi scowled, a low growl building from within her throat at his words.

"I'll be the first to admit I am physically weaker than you. You have a stronger spiritual energy than I do, too," Naruto said with a shrug. "Because of those things, I took you seriously and went all out from the start."

He knew from her performance last night that she was worthy to hold the queen piece inside of her. Naruto would never argue against her ability, or strength. All he wanted was for her to accept that he too could be strong enough to be her king.

* * *

"I was...too arrogant, huh?" Kyuubi reflected on her loss as he approached her.

His words rang in her head over and over again, and she could only find truth in them. From the start, she had considered him nothing more than a brat, the offspring of a species she had nothing but hatred inside her heart for. And yet, because he respected her strength he was able to overcome her power.

_Talk about irony._

Naruto was above her now, and she struggled to lift her head. If he were to kill her, she would at least look him in the eye. That was the least she could do to keep her pride.

As her end approached, Kyuubi's thoughts turned to her mother. She too had met her fate to the devils, and the other kitsune and youkai had just left her to die. Kyuubi had always believed that if her mother had never associated herself with the devils in the first place, she never would have been betrayed by them. Because of her feelings for one particular devil, she threw her life away and took away the only family Kyuubi ever had.

Now, this boy in front of her dared to ask her to join him? The stupidity of the sentiment would have made her laugh if her body had any strength left.

Their eyes met as he knelt down to join her on the ground. In those blue orbs, she could not sense any killing intent. His hand fell onto her shoulder and Kyuubi could feel her energy slowly being restored.

"Yo-you're giving...my energy back?" She asked, incredulous.

"Of course. I just needed to take it from you long enough for you to calm down." His apparent naivety baffled Kyuubi; with her strength returned, she could easily finish him off.

"What if I attack you again?" Despite the obvious connotations of the question, her voice lacked the bite that implied she was willing to back it up with action.

"Then I really will kill you," Naruto said with little hesitation, forcing their eyes to meet again. "I understand that I didn't make my feelings clear before, so you were unsure if I was fit to protect you. But, I've said all I need to say in this little spar of ours; if you come at me again, then I know there isn't any hope for you."

The faith he offered in her was astounding in that he gave her a second chance. Kyuubi had to respect him all the same that this would be her last chance to get a free pass from him. If she could not finish him the next time, then he surely would finish her.

"To be considered family with a devil is just..." Kyuubi was barely able to stop herself from uttering the rest of her disgust.

"Well, you best get used to it. You're a devil too, now." Naruto stood back up and gave her some space.

The silence following his statement gave her the chance to stand on her own feet. Most of her energy had been returned to her with nothing but goodwill on his part. Kyuubi could never imagine a scrawny little thing like him could be a devil capable of standing up to her, but she was wrong. Just as she was wrong about her mother's feelings, and perhaps her choices too.

Maybe following this devil would give her the answers she needed.

"Kyuubi," Naruto turned to face her, his tone serious. "I can tell you're angry and restless inside from something in your past."

Kyuubi's shoulders locked as he seemed to read her thoughts. Was she so transparent he saw through her that fast?

"There is no way I can know what in your past is bothering you so much, but I promise to help you fix it," Naruto said with a fresh smile. "That's what it means to be in a family, after all."

The pure honesty behind his conviction brought an odd warmth to her chest. For some reason, she almost believed his words just as they were. Kyuubi held herself back from completely trusting him, but she would admit his words brought her comfort.

"Very well..." Kyuubi sighed. With hands on her hips, she offered him a toothy grin. "I will accept my place as your queen, Naruto. For now, at least."

Her proclamation of allegiance brought out another smile. This one she could sense true happiness behind, and she had to force herself not to let his feelings spread to her.

"Thanks, Kyuubi." Naruto said with what could only be satisfaction shining in his grin.

"Now, let's-ow!" Kyuubi narrowed her eyes when he suddenly yelped in pain. Then she noticed that his arm was still wounded from her earlier attack.

She doubted he knew any kind of healing technique, otherwise he would have fixed himself by now. For all his talk about being capable, he floundered in that aspect. Still, maybe this was her moment to be of some use.

"Extend your arm." She requested, positioning herself a hairsbreadth away from him.

Naruto looked at her carefully, obviously suspicious of her request.

"Do you think I'll turn on you so easily? My pride would not allow that." A growl followed her defensive statement.

"Of course I trust you." Naruto responded with surprising frankness. "I just didn't know your healing powers could extend to healing others."

Kyuubi raised a brow but did not push the issue farther.

"You are correct. Normally, it doesn't let me heal others, however..." With a tender hold, she took his hand in hers and began an exchange of energy.

"What the..." Naruto was astonished as Kyuubi was enveloped in a shroud of bright light that was almost enough to blind him.

In the blink of an eye her body had disappeared into the light that now flowed into his arm and the rest of his body. Kyuubi had used the power of the kitsune where they could possess a host body and leech their life energy; since its creation, her species had found many other crafty uses for the ability. In this case, she could offer him a limited version of her own healing ability by using her energy inside of him.

This would be one of the many times Kyuubi sensed she could be of help to her new king. In her chest, the idea of being useful to someone served to lighten her mood, if just a little bit.

* * *

"_**A bit stuffy inside here.**" _The comment echoed across his brain, tricking his ears.

"Kyuubi? Where are you?!" For a high-class devil, he was slow to catch up.

"_**I'm inside of you, boy. Think of it as a power of mine.**"_

Naruto quickly calmed himself as her healing powers began to take over. The burnt skin began to sizzle and smoke and heal itself. Within just a few minutes, his arm was returned to its original appearance before the wound had been suffered.

"Now that's a useful power. I can feel your energy inside me, now that you mention it." He could feel her energy course through in his chest, like water waves coursing by.

"_**And now? What's your plan?**"_

Naruto knew it was another school day and had planned to attend class. There was no need for him to keep up his appearances for the sake of sheer attendance or to understand the coursework; his only reason for being at Kuoh Academy was, in the end, to find more members worthy of joining his peerage.

Kyuubi was a great first addition, considering her strength and natural aptitude for the queen position, but his mother would need more convincing before she believed him ready to take on more evil pieces. That meant he had a lot of work to do in the form of scouting the town for potential.

It was no doubt going to drag on and be a bore, but it was a necessary evil.

_We head for the human school. Keep an eye out for anything unique._

With his business in the mountains concluded, Naruto created a magical circle beneath his feet and teleported back home. After such a workout, he needed a proper shower.

* * *

"Ah, Naru-kun...tell me more about where you're from." The woman Naruto knew as a teacher practically moaned into his ear as she sat upon his school desk. "I absolutely _love_ this blonde hair of yours."

In front of him was the person that was supposed to be considered his homeroom professor, Fuka. She offered no last name and though he found it odd at first, there were plenty of other quirks about the woman that made him turn a blind eye to such a minor detail. For example, the closeness she pushed on certain male students like himself by propping herself upon their desks and unashamedly flirting with them.

"Fuka-sensei, are you sure this..." Naruto's eyes flicked down at his desk, where her rear sat, barely covered by a pencil skirt that came down to half her thigh. "Is appropriate?"

The red headed woman, that he noted was not far from his mother in sheer physical resemblance, raised a teasing brow that was soon followed by a smirk. It was rather apparent early on she cared little for the rules that had been put in place by humans to separate an authority figure like herself from the student body, but she liked to play along at times in what he could only guess was for her own enjoyment.

"I don't know what you mean, Naruto-_kun_." The honorific came out more like a seductive purr than an actual word. "I'm just enjoying a bit of a teacher's conference with my new favorite student."

Naruto's robin egg eyes glanced around the room and quickly picked up on the ire of the other males. Clearly, she had offered them some capacity of the same schtick in the past, and they had grown jealous with his special attention. He wanted to believe her attention was nothing but friendly teasing, but there was something in his gut that said otherwise.

"_**This one reeks of crows.**"_

In this case, Kyuubi seemed to agree. Rather, she became the voice of his gut from inside of Naruto's chest.

_So, she isn't normal after all._

Normal was a stretch in relation to his teacher, but his meaning went farther than her personality. If Kyuubi's suspicions were correct, then it meant the woman in front of him was no human.

"Mm, I could just eat you up. Those whisker marks are especially cute," Fuka said with a sultry tone. She had basically been on top of him since class had started. With a daring kiss on his forehead, Fuka ended her teasing early. "I have something I need to take care of, so we can continue _this_ tomorrow, Naruto-kun."

Naruto narrowed his eyes as the busty female quickly wrote some instructions on the board and left them with a simple wave. Before the other boys could even bother to converge on him, Naruto was already halfway out the door. As if he were going to let her get away so easily.

_Let's follow her. See if anything interesting turns up._

* * *

Something interesting had indeed come to fruition in Naruto's strategy to follow Fuka. Unfortunately, interesting meant conflict was inevitable this time around. Now, he had to salvage things before they got too far out of hand.

Fuka had led them to a church on the outskirts of town. Not an odd sight in the town, by any means; what was odd is that she chose to not go inside but rather stay out. For a short time, it appeared as though she were almost trying to see _through _the building's walls themselves as she remained stock still.

Then, she was enveloped in a flood of light not unlike Kyuubi when she entered his body. When Fuka emerged again, her business attire from school had disappeared to make way for a kind of skimpy armor. Made of black ebony with gold encrusted edges, the solid material barely covered her breasts and groin but also acted as extended gloves and boots for her arms and legs.

Most telling of all were Fuka's raven pair of wings that softly fluttered behind her back.

_A fallen angel, huh?_

Her forward approach to speaking with the school boys was starting to make more sense. Fallen angels were known for being seductive and that went for either gender. They were also well known for making servants out of those that fell in love with their looks, similar to succubi.

"Oh _boys_!~" Fuka cooed, waving toward the church. "I have a proposition for you. Come out and _play _with me!"

"_**What an annoying sow.**"_

Kyuubi was clearly not amused at her cutesy tone, and Naruto had to admit that it grated against his ears as well. Beneath that playful demeanor, however, Naruto was sure he had sensed something else. Those eyes of hers burned with purpose.

Not long after Fuka began her cat calls did a few men in robes emerge from the large wooden doors. Anyone could see from their eyes that they were entranced by her looks. With but a simple motion of the finger, she had them approach her without any hesitation.

Naruto grimaced, men of the church were quite weak.

_Fallen angels and the servants of God **never** get along. Is she trying to tempt them?_

Before she could welcome the entranced young men into her arms, a spear of light came crashing down from the sky. It embedded itself into the ground near the priests and proceeded to explode into a bright light. The blast released a heavy amount of energy, and Naruto was forced to shield his eyes. The humans' life forces were extinguished in the blast that stopped just short of hitting Fuka.

Fuka looked somewhat disappointed as the energy died down. Something told Naruto that she had been expecting such a thing to happen, given her rather relaxed stance. Her violet eyes shifted to the sky above to greet the two shadowy figures with the sun at their backs.

"Welcome, Tenshi-san!" Her overly friendly greeting was followed by a wave. Then, Naruto noticed her eyes narrow into something he akin to dangerous. "I was wondering whether you would join me or not."

"_**Her voice changed...**"_

Kyuubi noticed the shift in attitude as well; Fuka's mask had been lifted to reveal her true nature. Her mission all along had not been to convert some weak hearted priests, but to lure out these angels. Without a doubt, turning an angel was a much greater prize than simply acquiring some servants.

"Quiet yourself, fallen scum," said the male angel, a young man in a simple white robe. His short black hair and piercing eyes gave him a handsome, yet oddly intimidating visage.

"We have come to offer you god's forgiveness, Fallen-san." The woman spoke up next, her long pink hair flowing down her back. She seemed rather soft and frail, more fitting of what Naruto had expected to see in an angel.

"Oh? Is that so?" If Fuka were concerned, she did not show it well. She shrugged, offering her arms out in mock surrender. "Then, come and get me."

In the arms of the male angel, a golden sword of light was crafted from nothingness. With his compatriot armed in turn with a purple bow and arrow of light, the pair were ready to take the fight to the fallen.

Fuka, on the other hand, did not bother to arm herself with a weapon. Instead, she simply stood there waiting for them to validate their promise.

"Prepare yourself!" The male angel impatiently swooped down toward Fuka.

"Sasuke-kun, wait!" His companion shouted after him, but there was no talking to him now.

"Now that's more like it," Fuka said with a playful smirk. With an outstretched arm, she summoned a long spear of light, colored pink, and used her wings to meet Sasuke in the sky.

The weapons hit one another with a spark of energy between them as the energies fought against one another. Despite falling from heaven, the unforgiven angels were still fully capable of replicating and using the same light energy as god's servants. For all intents and purposes, the two of them were evenly matched in the quality of their weapons, so what mattered was the individual skill.

Fuka and Sasuke separated, only to have their weapons meet again and again in the sky as the two collided against each other. With their close proximity to one another, the archer angel was unable to support her friend. Rather clever of his teacher, thought Naruto.

"Damn you!" Sasuke grunted as he forced all of his strength behind his sword strike.

"Getting annoyed, Tenshi-san?" Fuka whispered back, into Sasuke's ear. Her smirk only served to annoy him more.

"Take this!" In his other hand, Sasuke spawned another sword and swung at Fuka's blind spot.

The attack broke through Fuka's defense and seemed as if it hit. She grunted in pain and forced herself to drop to the ground. Sasuke was relentless though, and flew down to strike her with all of his might.

That was when Naruto noticed his teacher's strained breathing turn back to normal. She was smiling of all things as someone was seconds from killing her.

"_**The angel's wings..they are switching!**" _Kyuubi said, unable to hide her astonishment.

The kitsune was right; Sasuke's wings were flickering back and forth between black and white. Rather than tempt him through lust, it seemed Fuka would take him through fury.

Not just Sasuke, but his compatriot seemed to be losing her will as well. She had not fired a single arrow, and yet her wings were changing too. He noticed in her eyes that she bore great concern for the man she was paired with, and Naruto realized her affection and concern was borderline lust in itself.

If he fell, she would too.

Just as Sasuke's blade came down upon her head, Fuka shifted her body out of the way. His body extended passed her as he lost balance. Her hand went out and wrapped around his sword hand, twisting the wrist and eliciting a pained cry from the angel. Not one to show remorse, Fuka sent a bone crushing elbow strike into Sasuke's cheek.

The force of the blow sent Sasuke flying backward against the ground. He stopped just a few feet from the entrance of the church building. From the ground, his pure wings were now tarnished with dirt. Though, they were not to be pure for long unless he calmed himself.

"How dare you!" The female angel fired one of her own arrows at Fuka while Sasuke struggled to regain his footage.

With a twist of her spear, the purple arrow of light was smashed into nothingness. The attack was weak, even for an angel. Despite Fuka's lack of concern, the archer seemed ready to fire again when Sasuke held his hand up.

"Enough, Sakura," He brushed his bruised cheek, wincing at the pain. Despite his act, the wounded angel was clearly out of breath and far too wounded to continue. "She's just trying to tempt us. We'll retreat, for now."

"Sasuke-kun..." The woman named Sakura had a face full of regret, as if she knew she held her friend back.

Not long after that, the angels did indeed fly back into the sky. Fuka let them go with no trouble, though she did offer the male angel a final wink for a goodbye.

"Well, that was fun," Fuka said before turning toward Naruto's hiding spot in the nearby bushes. "Naruto-kun, you can come out now."

Naruto was not sure whether he should be impressed at her ability to detect him, or embarrassed at his lack of grace. Still, he was happy to note that Fuka had not returned to her playful personality; she actually addressed him without any kind of emphasis or sexual undertone. Maybe he could have a normal conversation with her, for once.

"That was very impressive, Fuka-sensei." Naruto offered her a compliment right off the bat.

The fact was, his words were simply taken from his heart. No doubt, she was the clear victor of the match; in the end, all she did with the angels was play fight with them.

"You still call me sensei, even after all that. Hehe..." Fuka blushed a bit as her wings fluttered behind her.

"Just because you're a fallen angel doesn't mean you aren't still my teacher at school, right?" He added with a playful smile, one of which she quickly offered in return.

"That's why I like you, Naruto-kun. Clever _and_ handsome." Fuka approached him with nothing but elegance as each step in her armored heels was carefully taken and meant to accentuate her womanly features.

From inside of his chest, Kyuubi's energy surged out of his body and covered the area between them in light. A few moments later, Kyuubi emerged and held her arms up as if to attack. She had no qualms about fighting Fuka, whether or not Naruto saw her as a friend or foe.

The fallen angel, to her credit, merely narrowed her eyes to cautiously gaze upon the new arrival. Her arrival, while surely unexpected, was not enough to intimidate someone who Naruto had quickly begun to consider a veteran at combat.

"Interesting," Fuka whispered, a gloved finger touching her chin in silent thought. "Your pet?" She asked with a teasing smile.

Kyuubi, however, was not so amused by the label. Her energy flared to dangerous levels, enough for even Fuka to lose the attitude.

"Come on, sow..." The kitsune threatened her with more than just words if the ki release was anything to go by.

"Kyuubi, calm down." Naruto stood at his queen's side in an attempt to stop her.

"She's just some fallen whore. Let me finish her..." Kyuubi continued to protest, despite Naruto's objection.

Fuka did not flinch at her choice at colorful vocabulary, but Naruto did feel the energy of the fallen woman start to increase in a similarly threatening manner.

"I'd like to speak with her. She's been here longer than the both of us." Naruto offered his explanation as his eyes flicked back to his teacher. "Perhaps she can fill us in on the talent in this city."

The fallen angel's soft lips thinned in response to his hidden appeal. No doubt she was considering whether or not to help people who were essentially her enemies. Naruto was not about to appear as some pushover like those angels though, and if he got even the inkling she would hide something useful, he would not hesitate to fight.

"Fine then." Fuka's hands gravitated to her shapely hips as her mood began to brighten. "Its the least I can do for the little devil I planned to add to my harem."

"Planned?" Naruto raised a brow in response to her choice of words.

Fuka offered him nothing but a suggestive wink.

"You may find it interesting to note that the rumor mill says a dragon type sacred gear has been detected around town. This is fairly recent, within the last week or so." The morsel Fuka offered was more than appetizing for Naruto.

_A dragon type sacred gear? Now that **is** interesting._

Dragons were some of the most powerful beings in all the world. They were fairly rare as well, though Naruto understood devils in particular had them most often as acquaintances of some kind. Sacred gears related to them ranged from incredibly common to some of the most rare and powerful sacred gears in the world. The chance for mediocrity was outweighed for the opportunity of greater power than Naruto could ever imagine.

"I don't suppose you would know where to find it?" Naruto asked, though he doubted it.

Even if she did know, why would she tell him. Fuka clearly had her own agenda and entertaining his wish was merely a whim on her part, or a part of her own plans.

"I'm afraid I don't," Fuka shrugged, though she did not seem particularly apologetic.

"Hmph. As useless as I suspected." Kyuubi grunted, her arms crossed in contempt.

"Such toys are not my concern, after all," Fuka said, hinting at her own agenda.

_I wonder what is your concern? If not sacred gears, then what purpose do you have here?_

"I'll take my leave now, Naruto-kun. See you in class, tomorrow!"

Naruto and Kyuubi watched as the fallen angel flew off into the sky and disappeared. They were no closer to finding a person of interest, but at the very least he could successfully claim the town had something worth investigating over. His mother would be interested in learning that tidbit of information.

If the dragon type gear was as powerful as the rumors seemed to make it out to be, the user would not stay hidden for long. Then, Naruto would swoop in and take them for himself.

"Come on, Kyuubi. Let's-"

A distant rumble signaled an explosion of some kind had gone off. Both of them turned in the direction they had sensed the release of energy from, and quickly grasped it was inhuman in origin. Since it was in the opposite direction Fuka went, it could only be someone, or _something_, else.

"Let's...go investigate." Naruto prepped his wings and bid her to follow him. He took off into the sky full of intrigue over what could be going on in the direction of the setting sun.

Kyuubi grumbled for a moment before she too sprouted the thin leather wings on her back.

* * *

Naruto narrowed his eyes as they approached the location he felt the energy of the blast release from. It was a park of some sort, but from the sky it was empty. He quickly detected foul play as a type of barrier had been erected.

"Another barrier," Kyuubi whispered, as she no doubt remembered her own experience.

"Yep, and this one isn't going to stop me either." Naruto prepared to break through, but hesitated.

When he tried to touch the barrier, his hand simply slipped through. Whoever made the barrier must have only made it to keep humans out and unaware, since there was no resistance to his attempt to enter. If that were the case, then he might actually be able to sneak inside.

He led Kyuubi back down to the ground, near a small cluster of trees that he knew he could hide in after entering through the obstructing magic. With his feet on the ground, he again pushed his arm through to test that the barrier was still harmless.

_Good enough for me._

Naruto entered through with Kyuubi close behind. Now on the other side, he detected a slew of new presences, all of them considerably powerful in their own right. They were all together in the center of the park, just a little bit ahead. He crept forward and used the plants surrounding him for cover; if he could avoid conflict like he did with Fuka and the angels, he would at least try to stay out of sight.

It was not long before they were on the hill overlooking the park center. In the middle, the white cobblestone walking area surrounded a large fountain of sorts that sprayed water into the sky. That seemed to be the sight of the disturbance, as he saw the still smoking crater and scattered rubble around.

The first one he noticed was another fallen angel, hovering above the fountain. A brunette, she similarly wore a skimpy outfit made of leather and not unlike Fuka's choice of attire. Unlike his teacher, this woman lacked any kind of play or compassion behind those dark eyes of hers: a true member of the fallen, twisted with her own desires.

Below her were some faces he actually recognized. The red head that had observed him enter the school was there, someone he had come to find went by the name Rias Gremory. She was the talk of the student body, who knew her as one of the academy's 'Two Great Ladies'. Her beauty was only matched by her smarts, from what the rumors said at least.

_Well, she is rather pretty._

Naruto's honest feelings came into play as he could not help but stare a bit. His eyes naturally drifted to the girl standing next to her who wore a traditional shrine maiden outfit. Though she was out of school uniform, he quickly recognized her as the second of the Great Ladies, Akeno Himejima. Once again, her beauty was considered second only to Rias by the boy's of the school. Apparently, she was quite the sadist if the rumors were to be taken for truth.

The rest were an odd assortment of second-years that were in one way or another well known; Kiba Yuuto, the pretty boy and Koneko Toujou, the cute junior. There were two others that were in the back, as it seemed the other four were protecting them; one he recognized from simple passing in the halls, Aika Kiryuu, another second year that was apparently a well known woman pervert.

The other one though, Naruto had never met before. She had on the robes of a nun and her blonde hair signaled that she was a foreigner of some kind. Why a bunch of devils would protect a sister nun made little sense to him, though. Aika was holding her rather protectively though.

"I suppose you recognize them?" Kyuubi asked in a low voice.

"Yeah, for the most part. A bunch of devils, but I don't know why they are protecting that sister."

"Perhaps we can glean something from the conversation," Kyuubi suggested and the two struggled to listen into the ongoing dialogue.

"I'll say it again: don't touch my cute subordinates, fallen angel-san," Said Rias with her lips twisted in a threatening grin. No matter her line, she delivered them like a true princess with a soft yet domineering tone.

"Raynare," said the fallen angel in response. She was not particularly concerned, despite being surrounded by hostile devils. "I've simply come to recover what is mine. If you kept your subordinate's filthy hands off, then I would not need to burn them with light."

The fallen angel lowered herself to the ground. Her proximity caused the others beside Rias to tense up, but the Gremory girl held up a hand for them to pause. Undaunted, Raynare waved for the nun to come to her waiting arms.

Aika seemed particularly reluctant to let her go. The two shared a few words that Naruto could not make out, but the blonde girl seemed to want to go with the fallen angel. One look from Rias was enough for Aika to let up, reluctantly.

"Good girl," Raynare petted the nun, but the little girl did not seem happy at all. "Goodbye, devils."

The raven wings encased them both and a powerful energy emerged. In a flash of light, the two disappeared with no trace except for a few fallen feathers left on the ground.

Naruto contemplated whether or not he should take his leave now before Rias and the others notice him. Considering the fact they were both devils, he felt it was only a matter of time before they had to meet. Perhaps it would be to his advantage to force an introduction in the aftermath of this emotional event.

"Kyuubi, follow me," Naruto muttered as he chose to stand to full height.

She narrowed her eyes, but dutifully followed in his stead. Together, they made their way down to join the conglomeration of devils as they had gathered around Aika.

Without any attempt to hide their presence, Rias and her subordinates quickly took notice and turned to face them. Kiba and Koneko quickly stopped Naruto's forward progress by standing in front of the others in a protective manner. Akeno and Rias stayed in the back with Aika, but neither seemed particularly put off by his presence there.

"Friend or foe?" Kiba asked with a sharp tone.

Naruto pocketed his hands and shrugged. He had no desire to fight them, but he was not about to be intimidated by one of the Gremory's peerage.

"Neither. I was passing by and noticed you had gotten yourselves into some trouble." Naruto smiled, though it was rather hollow. "Figured I'd stay and watch the show."

"It's nice to see you again, Naruto-kun." Rias greeted with surprising familiarity. Her words even served to unnerve some members of her family. "If I may call you that, Naruto-kun?"

The smile she offered in return was loaded with something other than good will. She was playing him the same he did with Kiba.

_This woman...I like her._

"Sure, Rias-chan," Naruto offered the same familiarity in return. "Only fitting if two High-class devils greet one another like such, right?"

To her credit, Rias did not so much as flinch at his teasing. Akeno, the raven haired beauty Naruto quickly identified as Rias' queen, did offer a small giggle in return.

"High-class?" Yuuto asked, unsure.

"Yes, Yuuto." Rias motioned toward Naruto and Kyuubi. "The man you see before you has a king piece, like me."

"The nine tails next to him is a fellow queen, I see. Fu fu~, how interesting," Akeno said with no small amount of glee.

Kyuubi leveled her glare at Akeno as a familiar scent of challenge wafted in the air. As interesting as it would be to see the two spar, Naruto wanted to avoid conflict if he could.

"I figured that we should introduce ourselves. Despite us both being third-years, we have separate classes," Naruto said.

"That we do. Mm, an interesting olive branch you offer." Rias' smile faltered as she glanced toward Aika, who was still sulking over Asia's leave. "Your timing could be better, though."

"Maybe I could help?" The Crimson Princess raised a suspicious brow as Naruto shrugged again. "Devils should stick together, right? I can at least listen to your problem."

Given a moment to think, Rias' expression quickly shifted from one of conflict to satisfied. With a genuine smile, she beckoned Naruto to join them. He passed Kiba and Koneko without conflict, though Kyuubi offered them a hearty glare.

"If you don't mind, I'd rather talk someplace more comfortable. The old school building acts as our club house, so would you mind following us there?" Rias explained as a red magical circle with the Gremory crest appeared at their feet.

Naruto returned her smile with one of his own.

"I'd love to."

* * *

Akeno motioned for Naruto and Kyuubi to sit at one of the baroque couches that surrounded the coffee table in the middle of the darkened room. The antique style sort of reminded him of home and he soon felt rather comfortable in the room; Kyuubi did not like the idea of cavorting with people she considered strangers, but she sat her well shaped behind the cushion all the same. Given the nice décor, Naruto found himself turning his head back and forth in an effort to see more of what the place had to offer.

Night was well upon them after they arrived at the club house, so Yuuto lit a few antique oil lamps that washed the room in a warm tone. Fortunately, devils could see perfectly fine in the dark so the most they did was offer a comfortable ambiance to their coming conversation.

Rias sat down herself at the oak desk found near the head of the room. Next to it was a booth that Naruto could only guess was a dressing room of some kind.

Yuuto, Koneko, and Aika all three sat down on the Victorian-style couch across from Naruto. Given their cautious stares, none of them particularly trusted Naruto yet. He could not blame them, since he in turn failed to trust Rias. The nature of devils, he supposed.

"Here you are, Naruto-san. My own blend of tea." From behind him, Akeno returned with a silver platter of china plates and cups filled to the brim with the tasty liquid.

With perfect manners, the queen offered Naruto a cup without him even having to ask. Bewildered by her kindness, Naruto accepted the offering with a mumbled thanks.

When the drink was given to Kyuubi, she fared little better. As expected, she hastily took the cup and plate from Akeno's grasp and offered her an ungrateful glare. All the same, Rias' queen continued to wear such an innocent smile.

_She is a little too happy, I think._

From his observation, it was more of a challenge to make Akeno frown than it was to smile. That happiness of hers had to stem from somewhere deep. He wondered if it was another facade, though. If she were a reincarnated devil, she must have her own sordid past to share like the rest of them.

"I hope you enjoy it. Akeno takes great pride in caring for us with such refreshments." Rias said, mirth rising in her tone.

Naruto raised the drink to his lips as he observed them. The way they smiled and laughed truly did feel like a family more than a group of servants with their master. He quickly realized that he was feeling envious of Rias and the group she had gathered. A quick glance to his side revealed Kyuubi to be absorbed in her own thoughts, ignoring the light and joyful atmosphere.

He fruitlessly wondered if he would ever obtain what Rias Gremory had.

"It's delicious," The words slipped from his mouth as his tongue registered the sweet taste. "You are as talented as you are beautiful, Akeno-san."

Akeno brought a hand to her cheek as a light blush overcame her well composed features. She offered a slight giggle, but it took a moment before she could muster herself to say anything.

"You are too kind, Naruto-san."

"You can call me Naruto-kun, if you'd like."

Rias raised a brow but simply continued to watch the interaction between her queen and fellow king. She could barely hide her amusement as Akeno bashfully agreed to Naruto's request.

"Shall we move onto introductions, then?" Rias offered after the group had begun to settle down. Given her silence, she intended for Naruto to go first.

"Well, since I offered I suppose it's only right to go first," Naruto said with a shrug.

"I'm Naruto Mammon, and this is my Queen, Kyuubi. She is a nine tailed fox, as you can plainly see." He motioned toward himself and then Kyuubi, with her red tails uncomfortably pressed against the couch behind her.

Naruto figured Kyuubi would not want to say anything to him and his assumption remained correct. The kitsune remained quiet and simply acknowledged his introduction with a nod.

Despite her rudeness, the others accepted his introduction all the same.

"Mammon...the name sounds familiar," Rias muttered.

Naruto easily picked up on her idle thoughts and found it interesting she knew. Whatever information she had must have been from a considerably aged history book, since the Mammon had not been around in mainstream devil society for quite some time. Given her status, perhaps Naruto should not have been surprised the heiress was well educated in her history.

While Rias no doubt wracked her brain to remember, Naruto entertained the others by listening to their introductions. They offered nothing new to him, though he supposed it was best Kyuubi remember their names. The time further introductions offered must have been enough, as Naruto noticed Rias' eyes popped with what could only be an answer to her own question.

"I remember now. My brother spoke some about you when I inquired," Rias recounted from what must have been a recent talk with her brother. Naruto knew nothing of the Gremory family, but he assumed her brother was something of a knowledgeable man. "He recognized you after I described your family crest."

_The swirl pattern is rather simple thing to remember._

"And did what he tell you surprise you?" Naruto asked, slightly amused.

Rias' glowered at his teasing but continued on regardless.

"Apparently, there really was once a fifth Maou who held the name Mammon. One of the original satans, with a moniker that made him well associated with greed. He attempted to usurp power when the other four Maou went to war with God during the Great War."

Around the table, the face of shock was rather common; not even Kyuubi could hide her interest. Naruto remained tight-lipped as he listened to her recount his family's history with simplified yet relatively accurate detail.

"After great sacrifice, the Maou was defeated and his clan swept away to the edges of the world. Even my brother, Sirzechs Lucifer-sama, was taken aback to discover some still lived."

Naruto's eyes betrayed him as he discovered Rias' family connection to one of the current Maou. Given her natural prowess, the family relation only made sense. Still, it just went to show how out of touch he and his mother were from the rest of the Underworld.

"We have experienced our share of hardship," Naruto professed, taking another sip of tea while wearing bitter eyes. "But, we are alive. I swore to my mother I would return the Mammon to the 72 pillars, and when the Mammon set their sights on something: we don't give up."

"Quite a fine saying, albeit for an almost extinct house," Rias said with little sympathy in her tone. Her eyes narrowed on Naruto, though she kept the same smile. "I hope you don't plan to cause me trouble, Naruto-kun. I'd rather not have to end your dream by force."

"Hmph," Naruto ignored her threat with a stubborn grunt. "I have to admit I am jealous of you, Rias-chan."

"Oh? Why is that?" She inquired, her interest piqued.

"This family you have here, creating something like it for myself is another desire of mine," He said, setting the tea back down onto the table. Their gazes crossed as Naruto stood his ground. "For that dream to become reality, I've come here to Kuoh to find my peerage. I'll develop a family I can take care of and trust, just the same as you did."

The strength behind Naruto's conviction seemed to humble Rias, as she offered no further retort. The rest of them also appeared rather convinced.

"After that, I'll return to the Underworld and petition for my family to return to the pillars and earn our old territory." Naruto's voice dropped as he said that. He had reiterated his mother's words, but he knew they were naïve to think things would go so easily.

Rias too must have grasped the same thought as she began to frown.

"That might not be so easy, Naruto-kun. Your clan has been gone for too long, and I highly doubt anyone would cede their land back to you over such an old claim." Her voice was at least somewhat sympathetic that time.

Still, his determination was not so easily lost.

"I'll find a way." Was all he offered in return.

"I admire your dedication, something of a trademark for the Mammon I'm starting to pick up on," Rias' grin began to lose its luster soon after. "However, you will need to be a bit more clever than that if you wish to return to the rest of devil society. Otherwise, you'll be ripped apart by their schemes."

"No one would want the Mammon to repeat their conquest a second time, right?" Akeno added in a somber tone, her smile lost as well.

Naruto could offer nothing in return as the simple fact was that Rias had a point. He would need to get stronger, both mentally and physically, if he wanted to see both his mother's and his own dreams come true. That was something he had chosen to accept long ago, but hearing it from others made him feel even less secure.

"For now, at least, you and I have no issues with one another." Rias' smile returned and with it, an offering of peace. "That much means you are welcome to visit us here anytime, and I'd like to encourage you to do so at your leisure."

"That's quite the offer," Naruto said.

"Well, if you want your dreams to succeed you will need some devil acquaintances. If you would like, it would be my pleasure to be your first," There was a certain shine to her eye Naruto could only attribute to some hidden agenda.

For now though, there was no reason to refuse.

"I might take you up on that, then."

With that, the two groups of devils offered a series of short goodbyes and parted ways. Both had learned something about each other, and they were all one step closer to their own goals and desires.

* * *

"You seemed to have enjoyed yourself, Akeno," Rias said with no small amount of teasing laced in her voice.

With Naruto Mammon now gone, Rias dismissed her own group to go home. They were kept late enough as it was, and she appreciated their hard work. Of course, as Rias' queen, Akeno remained behind to dutifully attend to the president and apparently suffer from a bit of womanly torment.

Akeno, however, betrayed nothing as she still continued to smile. She must have thought of something nice as she soon began to blush again.

"Come now, Rias. You have to admit he was rather handsome, despite his boyish looks." Akeno's smile seemed to widen as she reminisced.

_So, even Akeno found something she liked._

"I have to admit to no such thing," Rias said with a hint of mock pride, though a giggle from deep within betrayed her anxiousness.

Under Akeno's scrutinizing gaze, Rias finally broke with a small blush of her own.

"Fine," The crimson princess admitted with an overly harsh tone. "I did find his whisker marks to be kind of cute."

"Fu fu~, so even Rias..." Akeno's unfinished statement was enough to fluster the other young woman.

"Enough already..."

* * *

_For those who are interested in spoilers, you may look at the flowchart on my profile page at your own risk for the current harem. There is potential for it to be expanded, but for now those girls are set in stone. Look at your own risk. _

_In addition, you will see an up-to-date chart of Naruto's peerage that will be updated as the story reveals them. I'm pretty proud of the little family Naruto is going to collect, so I hope I get to show you them all._

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Highschool DxD.**


	3. The Agile Knight

_Return of the Mammon Clan_

* * *

In the depths of the Underworld, Naruto and his queen Kyuubi emerged from within a magical circle. Bathed in crimson light they stepped out of the portal and confirmed their surroundings as correct. Nostalgia hit Naruto as the feeling of home had finally returned and put his heart at ease.

They were inside of the Mammon castle, located in the far reaches of Devil territory.

Naruto had come home, but not for a social call. There was business to deal with if his work in the human realm were to continue. Just as his mother had expected, Kuoh was a fruitful place to find those with power.

Armed with the knowledge he received from Rias and Fuka, Naruto had all the proof he needed to show his mother that he was ready to take on the full responsibility of a King.

"So, this is the Underworld..." Kyuubi's nose twitched in discomfort. She naturally gravitated toward him in the center of the dark cobblestone-laden hallway.

Around them were all manner of medieval decorations, with a blood red carpet at their feet. In front of them was the throne room where his mother spent most of her time. An infant could sense the great daemonic energy on the other side of the large iron doors, and he knew Kushina was waiting for him inside.

With Kyuubi tagging along, it was sure to be an interesting reunion.

"Come on, Kyuubi. My mother does not like to be kept waiting," Naruto said. He began to walk toward the doors with purpose in his step.

Now in front of the door, Naruto took hold of both handles. With one motion he forced both of the heavyset doors to open at once. He did not hesitate to show himself inside and Kyuubi dutifully followed behind. Since she had already informed him that it was her first time in the Devil's homeland, Naruto was not surprised to see the kitsune's eyes wandering about the room.

He only hoped that she remembered to show the proper respect to his mother. As loving as Kushina was, she would not forgive Kyuubi for insolence; the nine tail's pride was easily dwarfed by his mother's.

"My son, you have returned." Kushina sat upon her spiked throne and was clearly elated at his arrival, welcoming them with a smile.

Just as she was when he left, his mother chose to remain nude in the confines of her chambers. That was something of a common occurrence with her, though he could only fathom where she nurtured the habit from.

_Mother..._

Her beauty was unlike anything Naruto had ever encountered before. After going to the human world and seeing countless women and admiring their bodies, so few had compared to Kushina. Perhaps what had drawn him to those he was closest to was how their beauty had come to match the same level as his mother.

"Mother, thank you." Naruto bowed his head.

"Oh?" Kushina's eyes flickered past her son to meet the curious gaze of Kyuubi. Her violet orbs shined with what almost seemed like familiarity. "Who have you brought before me? She is quite beautiful."

Naruto stood to full height and sidestepped so that Kyuubi was now directly in front of his mother. The two of them were now able to fully look upon one another.

"Mother, this is my queen. Her name is Kyuubi, and she is one of the kitsune youkai," He said, motioning toward the young woman at his side.

Kushina rose from her throne, dark hair ruffling from behind her back. With careful steps, she descended from the raised dais to join them. She seemed rather interested in Kyuubi and approached the nine tails first.

Naruto was amazed to see Kyuubi's natural resistance disappear under his mother's imperious gaze. The nine tails behind her lowered in what he could only guess was deference. If one met Kushina and felt her natural daemonic aura for the first time, he supposed anyone would be humbled. So far, he had yet to meet anyone on the same level; not even one of the powerful youkai like Kyuubi could match, though his queen could find contentment in a respectable second place.

"Supple, pure skin," Kushina mumbled to herself as one of her hands held itself against Kyuubi's cheek. "A strong spiritual energy, too."

Kushina's touch shifted from Kyuubi's face to her arms and chest. The physical contact was not sexual, but purely objective in its exploratory function. His mother's experience allowed her to see so much about them with simple interactions.

"Your muscles are well developed and I can sense a great fire inside of you," Kushina observed with a grin. After a moment, her eyes narrowed. "You have seen much battle, haven't you?"

"Y-" A hint of Kyuubi's usual, gruff tone came out before she stopped herself and attempted to lower her tone. "Yes, I have."

Kushina's eyes drifted back to Kyuubi's face. She lightly traced the crimson red patterns on the half devil's cheeks with a far off look in her eye.

"These marks, did you choose them yourself?" Kushina asked.

Naruto raised a brow at her question as he failed to see the relevance. Though, he admitted that he too had an interest in whether the two whisker-like marks meant anything. Kyuubi was the first kitsune he had ever met and so he knew very little of their culture, or even what one looked like.

He noticed Kyuubi's eyes narrow a fraction more than they had been before. The inklings of a frown began to show as she struggled to find a proper answer to the question.

"They...were my mother's," Said the kitsune, after a considerable pause.

Kushina's eyes widened a bit when she heard that, but the conniving smile failed to be lost from her lips. Somehow, it was as if his mother had been _expecting_ that answer.

"I see...how interesting." Kushina offered no further input, satisfied with her response.

Naruto's mother then turned to him, and he too struggled to maintain himself under her gaze. With her hand, she took hold of his chin and gently pushed him to look left, and then right. Then, she traveled lower and hovered the dainty digits above his covered pectorals, then to his abs.

"There is a new strength in you, my child. A piece of your queen's energy now rests within you." Naruto found himself lost for words as his mother took both of his hands into her own. "I knew sending you to Kuoh was the best course."

Before he could will himself to respond, Kushina pressed her lips to his forehead. Heat rushed to his cheeks as Naruto unashamedly began to blush from her attention. He found himself suffering in silent agony as she pulled away; his eyes could not tear themselves away as her lips returned to their usual devilish curvature.

"You chose well, Naruto," Kushina said to him, pride oozing from her tone.

Kushina turned to Kyuubi and beckoned her to come closer. His mother forced their hands together as she gazed upon both of them.

"Together, you both have the strength to carve a future out for the Mammon. Your partnership is fate, I think." Kushina carefully removed herself to stand a few paces away. Her eyes lingered on them a moment longer before she started to climb back up to her throne.

Naruto and Kyuubi remained together for an awkward moment before they retracted their hands from one another. Neither could help the blood that rushed to their faces in embarrassment.

"But," Kushina continued, now looking down upon them. "You are but _two_ devils. For the Mammon to return, you must build a full peerage to hope to equal the strength of the 72 pillars."

Naruto narrowed his eyes as they finally reached the crux of the matter and the reason he had come home: evil pieces. His mother had only offered him the king and mutation piece in order to test his resolve and determine whether he truly was capable of continuing down this path. With her approval of Kyuubi and his own strength, Naruto had confidence his mother would give him the tools needed to continue.

"I believe its time you take on the full set," From behind her throne, Kushina retrieved a small wooden case. With great care she held the box from underneath with one hand and then opened it with the other.

Naruto ascended the few steps and joined his mother. Within the small container, cushioned in a red velvet mat, were the remaining evil pieces to his set. The glass-like chess pieces reflected the azure light that flooded in through the window, offering a brilliant shine that only enhanced the beauty they had in his eyes.

_Two rooks, two bishops, two knights, and eight pawns. All mine._

"Take them," Kushina insisted, pushing the box toward him. "They are yours now, my love."

Naruto extended his arm above the pieces. With his daemonic energy, he began to absorb the pieces so that they could rest inside him until he could find each a proper host.

"With this, you truly are a King." Kushina set the now empty case aside. Her hand brushed against the side of his head, cradling him by the ear. There was a sense of admiration behind that gaze of hers.

"I won't fail you," Naruto pledged, his body aflame with new vigor.

Kushina's devilish smile grew wider.

"I know."

* * *

Kyuubi remained quiet as Naruto and Kushina said their goodbyes to one another. Once he received the evil pieces, Naruto had offered his mother a short explanation of the situation in Kuoh and how he would be able to put her gift to good use. The woman had been ecstatic, of course, and praised her hard working child. Despite the nine tails' careful observation, the red headed matriarch was still a mystery she struggled to unravel.

As a nine tailed fox, Kyuubi had great pride in remaining independent and untouchable. Still, she could sense great strength within the devil woman that rivaled her own power. Rather than make things difficult between herself and Naruto for a second time, Kyuubi had duly allowed his mother to do as she wished. And yet, to entertain a whim of her own, Kyuubi had made use of her own senjutsu prowess to further examine Kushina's aura.

What she found had almost robbed her of the ability to speak. She had struggled to answer as the woman spoke to her, and she fought to recognize the darkness that had twisted itself around Kushina's energy.

Out of respect for Naruto, she chose to remain silent on such matters. Perhaps he knew, or rather, chose to deny the existence of the darkness. Kyuubi could see past the devil's motherly exterior because her own mother hid her feelings similarly.

The energy inside of Kushina was no different than that of the devils who pursued Kyuubi. Only time would tell if the devils in front of her would shift from friend to foe.

Independent as she was, Kyuubi dearly hoped that her presumption was wrong.

_To have to kill Naruto's mother...is a thought even I would rather not entertain._

* * *

Naruto shoveled past another drunk festival goer and was forced to crinkle his nose in disgust. He was starting to wish he had chosen to take the flying route. Now that he was literally in the thick of the festival events, he had no choice but to continue to travel down the crowded street, flanked with food and game stalls.

Now that his mother had gifted him with a full set of evil pieces, Naruto considered his work to expand his peerage now came to the forefront of everything. He chose to accelerate his plans and forcefully immerse himself into large gatherings, like festivals and other town events, to better expose himself to the human population in hopes of finding someone special.

He should have known after Kyuubi refused to follow him that things would not go as planned. The nine tailed fox instead offered to use her senjutsu talents to help him search, but as far away from town as possible. Her excuse was that to meditate, she needed absolutely no distraction, but he had a feeling it was to get out of situations like Naruto found himself suffering in now.

_Whatever. I'll just have to be the one to find someone first._

Somehow, he would salvage his own wrecked sense of pride from the gutter.

Unfortunately, he had barely caught a whiff of any potential sacred gear users. Perhaps he was going about this strategy all wrong. He would have to ask Rias of her own opinion; humbling himself to another devil for advice was not his idea of fun, and Kushina would surely scold him, but he could not afford to fail.

The inklings of a powerful aura woke him from his wandering thoughts. His head turned on a swivel back in the direction of a few stalls that were selling all kinds of food and drink. More and more people crossed his vision and lightly pushed against his body as he struggled against the crowd.

Whatever released that energy had disappeared off the face of the earth, much to his disappointment.

_Next._

His exasperated expression told everything he was feeling without a person even having to ask. Appropriately, people began to avoid him as he continued his walk of shame down the road.

* * *

Inside one of the many stalls, a young looking woman sat enjoying a blend of the local sake. Underneath a dark nun's shroud, a hint of straw blonde hair could be noticed. The rest of her attire was rather loose and said little of her figure, as appropriately modest of a member of the church. Around her neck hung a silver crucifex, which she was caressing with unusual strength.

Unbeknownst to the people around her, she had noticed the devil boy walking past and released a sharp amount of killing intent by accident. Outside of give some people a shiver down the spine, she had gone largely unnoticed; the demon was a bit smarter and picked up on her location, but was forced to leave after the nun had managed to calm herself.

It was a silly mistake of hers to make, considering how many devils she had already managed to kill. Most of them could never sense her unless she let them; perhaps age was starting to affect her skill.

Her hazel eyes flicked back to the vendor in front of her as he seemed ready to offer her another cup. As much as she loved to drown her sorrows in alcohol, there was something she had to go do now.

With a simple wave, she dismissed him and pulled some money from within her cloak. If any found it odd that a religious woman were drinking, no one dared to speak it. She rose from her seat and wordlessly exited the stall. Her black boots began to carry her down the road down in a similar path the devil had taken.

_You won't get away so easily, kid._

There was still a large debt she had to repay to devil kind. He would be one of the countless tallies she added to the back of her head, and she would not rest until that tab of hers was paid in kind.

* * *

After following up on a few false alarms, Naruto had largely escaped from the crowd and found himself again wandering the empty streets of suburban Kuoh. Since it was a school day in addition to the spring festival, he was not surprised to find himself largely alone. He would have to meet up with Kyuubi empty handed, it would seem.

Naruto grimaced as he thought about the condescending look Kyuubi was sure to give him. She always had something to say when he failed. It was generally followed up by her relaying to him her own success which acted as a thinly veiled boasting game—one of which he always lost.

_In this case, I wouldn't mind if she won this little competition._

Expanding his peerage went farther than some simple contest of pride. His mother's dreams were riding on his success here, just as much as his own desires were.

Naruto forced his hands into his pockets as he relegated himself to the long walk back to his apartment. He would take a shower first since Kyuubi was sure to complain about the 'stench of humans' otherwise. The gated houses acted almost like a maze, which Naruto admitted he struggled with solving when he could not use his wings to fly. Fortunately, he was familiar with the area enough to know to take a left at the closest juncture.

As he turned the corner, he felt a similar presence close by. He struggled to identify the energy as it seemed to pour over him in powerful waves. No doubt about it as his eyes narrowed in recognition—the same from the stall vendor.

_This isn't natural release either. Someone's out for blood._

The worst part was their proximity to Naruto. He could feel that they were close, so close he could almost swear they were next to him. Such a brazen challenge in broad daylight was reserved for only two types of people: those who prided themselves on their ability to bluff, and those with the actual strength to back their intent up.

To be safe, Naruto began to build his own energy and create a barrier surrounding him. The last thing he needed was humans getting in the way if this person were to start wrecking the neighborhood. His pocket dimension would keep the real Kuoh safe while he dealt with whoever, or _whatever_ this thing hunting him was.

Their energy was something he had never quite felt before. The sheer amount of emotion behind their strength was something that surpassed even Kyuubi's usual battle lust.

Naruto continued down the street he was on in an attempt to calm his nerves and gather some distance between them. There was another intersection up ahead and he could sense the other presence was fast approaching, with each sequential wave of energy hitting him harder. Unfortunately, he failed to pinpoint the direction because of the sheer amount of energy being bounced around the area.

His feet carried him to the center of the street. At that moment, standing in the middle of his barrier, he could feel their eyes on him. Naruto's head turned to the right, down one of the streets.

The person that stood before him was nothing like he expected. Rather than be some supernatural beast or a Devil king, he instead received a member of the church. From beneath her hood, Naruto could see brown eyes boring into him like a drill; all of the emotions he felt rolling off of the woman now came to a crescendo with them face to face.

He easily recognized a level of hatred that was unheard of for a nun to have, and all of it was leveled directly at _him_.

"Who are you?" He inquired. Given their lack of restraint, Naruto doubted they were in a talking mood. Still, if they were a member of the church they had to at least be willing to talk before trying to kill him.

"I have nothing to say to a dead man," they articulated with clear distaste. One of their hands grasped the collar of the cloak. With one swift motion, the woman uncovered her body to reveal herself wearing a battle suit of some kind; a black leotard with matching gloves and boots that extended up her arms and legs. Around her neck she wore a crucifex, confirming his silent suspicions of them being a person of faith.

When her energy spiked, he knew she was not lying. The woman, who he noted was aged no more than his mother, launched herself at him with incredible speed. He barely had time to force his wings out of his back before she was upon him. With some luck he was able to narrowly avoid her attack as her fist went flying down at the ground beneath him.

_She's not as fast as Kyuubi, but-_

Beneath him, the earth literally shattered from the impact of just the woman's fist. He could not tear his eyes away from the crater, easily larger than anything he had seen Kyuubi manage, with the woman in the epicenter. She brushed some dirt from the knuckles of her fist, but otherwise showed no discomfort; if anything, the disgust that painted her face was because she had failed to hit him the first time.

With her energy literally pouring off of her in almost physical streams of wind, he could not detect any special technique that had offered her such superhuman strength. With no manifestation on her body, he could not recognize the presence of a sacred gear either. Was the pig-tailed blonde in front of him really human?

Despite his apparent height advantage, she offered little sign of concern. Hunching over, she took hold of a large slab of rubble, once the concrete that made up the street, and pulled it from the ground with a mighty roar. With her great strength, she easily threw it toward him and forced Naruto to dodge.

_I'm going to have my hands full here._

He really wished Kyuubi had chosen to join him now.

* * *

_What a fool. Letting himself get caught like that._

In the woods, far removed from the city, Kyuubi sat in a meadow. She was in a meditative stance, cross legged with both hands pressed together, as her mind and energy reached out to cover the city. Her original objective had been to try and detect any interesting abnormalities that might lead her king to another potential piece, but she had eventually shifted gears to keeping an eye on him.

The single piece of advice offered to her by both Kushina and the queen of Naruto's devil acquaintance was that the single most important duty of a queen was the protection of their king. Kyuubi was used to her independence, so the thought of having to look out for someone else had not originally sat well with her. She knew from personal experience Naruto was no slouch in combat, but at the same time, she knew better than even he did that no one, not even herself, was infallible.

Her intuition to follow his energy signature had turned out to be correct when a very hostile individual had traveled after him. From this spiritual vision, Kyuubi could only make out the black and white outlines of people and buildings, but energy appeared as a bright blue fire to her. This person that had cornered Naruto was indeed dangerous as the flames seemed to roll of her body with ease, physically affecting her surroundings.

_Her killing intent goes deeper than anything I've ever felt._

Kyuubi opened her eyes, having closed them to concentrate on her second type of sight, and roused herself from the ground. She did not have Naruto's useful teleportation ability, but she knew enough about magical circles that she could replicate one and get close to support him. With a wave of her arm, the makings of the familiar Mammon crimson began to appear beneath her feet.

A creeping feeling in her chest made her turn around toward the deeper part of the forest. There was nothing immediately visible, but she could have sworn she felt something. Her slitted eyes filtered back and forth to try and detect the presence again, but there was nothing.

With some reluctance she continued to build her magical circle. After a moment, she heard the distinctive crunch of someone breaking bark.

_So, I was right!_

Kyuubi canceled her magical circle and shifted the power to her hands; the familiar white of fox fire began to gather. Her ears were particularly sensitive to such slight sounds and so she tried to lock down the location of the person facing off against her. Unfortunately, despite their single slip up, they were rather well trained and had managed to stay out of sight.

Then, the glint of gold forced Kyuubi's attention to the top branches of the nearest tree. A hail of arrows fired from within the leaf-ridden branches forced her to leap to the side. In retaliation, she threw her complete fireball at the source.

The inklings of their presence could be felt as they slipped away from Kyuubi's range. To have such great control on their release of energy was impressive and almost _foreign_ in nature to the kitsune. As she expected, the fire completely destroyed the branch but offered no body for her to see.

Her eyes flicked back to the projectiles that had been used against her and realized they were inherently different than the light weapons they had initially resembled. The arrows, while still retaining their bright yellow texture, were physical in nature. Someone had actually crafted them using a forge of some kind.

She could sense a familiar tinge of spiritual energy inside of them, not unlike the presence that now hid within the surrounding forest.

From her blind spot, another arrow came flying out from the trees. Aimed perfectly for a spot beneath her shoulder blade, the attack was sure to hit her heart if its trajectory was unchanged.

Luckily, Kyuubi's enhanced ears detected the change in wind pressure from behind. She turned to face the attack head-on.

_If they are physical, then they are nothing more than glowing twigs to be broken!_

With her hand Kyuubi swung out to push the well aimed arrow away from her. As that part of her body touched the arrow, she sensed something very harmful coating it—the spirit energy. When Kyuubi's gloved hand touched the side of the arrow, her skin felt as if it had been set on fire and rocked her body with debilitating pain.

"Kuh!" The overwhelming pain was voiced with a single grunt.

The arrow was successfully thrown off course, but Kyuubi had been severely wounded by just a glancing blow. She covered the sizzling hand and had to resist the urge to double over from the pain. Still, she was a nine tailed fox and queen devil, she refused to offer her opponent the satisfaction of her crying out.

_That spiritual energy is incredibly effective against me. Just what is it made of?!_

Whatever magic was used in conjunction with the ranged attack was more than enough to kill Kyuubi if it so much as touched her main body. She could not afford to suffer a glancing blow to any of her extremities as it was sure to disable her. Even with her healing powers, she felt the pain slow to go away.

To defeat this opponent she would have to focus all of her strength. Naruto would, regretfully, be on his own until she could wring the life from the person who dared to attack her from behind.

* * *

Naruto weaved under another attack and felt the wind slap against his ear from how much power was behind the swing. He knew that to defeat the battle-crazed nun, he could not afford to stay in the air forever and had decided to face her on the ground. That was starting to become a mistake when he grasped that her skill was not just strength, but stamina.

No matter how much power she put behind her attacks, she made no indication that she had started to tire. When he could build enough distance to attack with his chains, she was able to push them away with what he could only guess was the blessings of light embedded in her arms and legs.

Speaking of, Naruto watched as she leaped away from him as more magical circles appeared. The daemonic chains locked onto her like a target in the firing range. When they began to wrap around her wrists and arms, she unleashed another powerful burst of energy that caused the ground beneath her to crack and shift from the invisible weight.

Given their strength the chains did not break, but they were forced to loosen and let her go. Naruto could only whistle to display how impressed he was.

The most astounding piece of all was that the few wounds he had managed to force on her were quickly healed. His eyes drifted to the identical rings on the woman's two middle fingers and recognized the familiar strength of a sacred gear being activated. Within seconds of the green light enveloping her hand, whatever wound she suffered went away with a single touch.

_This woman is exactly the type I've been looking for._

Unfortunately, her overwhelming power made it difficult for him to formulate a plan to properly capture her. Without Kyuubi to aid him, he was at a serious disadvantage. The types of magic he had at his disposal were rather limited, and while he considered the thought of overwhelming her with chains like he did Kyuubi, he had a feeling her blessed aura would prevent the attack from taking full hold of her body.

"You have great strength," Naruto confessed as he flew back out of her range using the wings on his back. "Can't you at least offer me your name?"

"Fine," she said, a bitter smirk splayed across her lips. "You've survived long enough to earn that much, I suppose."

He watched as she approached a light pole and placed her hand up against the cold steel. After a moment, her fingers clenched around the stalk and made it fold in like paper. Now holding the long object like a bat, she gave it a few test swings before setting her sights on his hovering figure.

"My name is Tsunade," she declared with pride. Her legs tensed as she kicked off from the ground and sent herself straight toward him. "And you're just another devil to add to my list of kills!"

Naruto narrowly dodged out of the way of the aggressive attack. She was not one to give up so easily, and when her body began to fall back down to the earth she twisted around and threw the pole at him. The attack was too close to dodge and Naruto was forced to take the brunt of it head on, his arms up against his chest to protect the rest of his body.

"Ugh!"

The steel fell to the ground in a heap after hitting him, its body crushed beyond repair. Naruto panted from exhaustion and winced from the pain that wracked the back of his arms.

_I can't survive another one of those._

Inside his chest, he felt a familiar sense of danger affecting his missing queen piece. Kyuubi must have been in a similar situation to him, which revealed the truth as to why she had not come to his aid sooner.

As much as Naruto wanted to keep fighting and subdue Tsunade, he knew that as they were now, he would surely lose against her. He could not afford to lose Kyuubi due to his own selfishness, either. If they could live to fight another day, he was confident that he and his queen could take Tsunade together.

His mind made up, Naruto focused on the Flying Thunder God seal he had attached to the kitsune. She was a considerable distance away, but the teleportation would take only a moment.

In a flash, he had disappeared. With him went the barrier and all of the protective magic involved.

Tsunade, staring incredulously at the piece of sky he had once occupied, was now alone in a perfectly normal looking street. Any damage they had created had disappeared like it had all been a dream of some kind.

The nun's surprise lasted only a moment before a familiar look of rage crossed her visage. Her fist began to shake in what could only be a failed attempt to calm herself. In a sudden movement, the elbow snapped her fist into the nearest wall, causing it to instantly shatter from the great force.

* * *

His surroundings quickly shifted from the blue sky and clouds to a field of green grass, surrounded by a thicket of wood. Naruto's eyes flickered around to get a better understanding of the place occupied by Kyuubi. The nine tailed fox in question was beneath him, huddled in a low crouch with a magical barrier covering her from attack.

All around them on the ground were golden arrows that had been forced to harmlessly bounce off her shield. He quickly noticed that not all of the attacks had missed, as Kyuubi was bleeding profusely from the leg with one of the golden arrows still stuck inside. Various other wounds decorated her body as glancing hits, he guessed.

Naruto could not help but show his surprise at his queen's condition; he had never seen Kyuubi struggle so much against an opponent. Not only that, but whatever rage she had was already lost to an odd emotion Naruto could only peg for genuine concern of her condition in the fight.

"Kyuubi!" he exclaimed, kneeling to join her. His hands wandered to the wound on her leg and he wondered why she had not healed herself yet.

With one hand, the nine tails steadied herself on the ground and with the other maintained the ever smaller barrier. So hurt was she that Naruto could see her body physically shaking in pain. Still, to her credit Kyuubi refused to even groan from discomfort.

"Naruto, don't touch it!" Kyuubi growled, forcing his hands to stop mere inches away from the arrow in her leg. "It's poisonous to the touch. The pain will disable you, for sure."

He narrowed his eyes, shifting from her nervous gaze to the wounded leg. No wonder the enemy had the advantage if they were using a dirty trick like that.

Still, Naruto's eyes panned around and saw that the stumps of wood surrounding them had once been a healthy forest. Kyuubi had burned it all down, leaving only broken and burning trunks behind. Whoever was out there, still pelting them with arrows, was quick enough to move from the remaining cover without so much as a shadow being left behind.

"We need to get you out of here, Kyuubi," Naruto whispered, tenderly grabbing her shoulder. Despite the direness of the situation, Naruto still had the strength for them to escape.

"Before that, we have to lure them out long enough to see their face," Kyuubi retorted, grunting as she shifted the wounded leg. "I've been studying their attacks and they don't resemble any kind of magic I've encountered. If we see their face I can use it to identify them later."

That was a tall order she was asking for, but there was some logic behind it. If this was a new or unique kind of magic, knowing what the user looked like would help their research. The answer was surprisingly astute for Kyuubi, whom he had pegged earlier for being a pure battle junkie.

"Alright, but let me handle that. You have done enough." His eyes flicked back down to the arrow. The spiritual energy inside would prevent Kyuubi from properly entering his body if he were to try and absorb her, and she obviously could not walk on that leg. "We have to remove it first though."

Kyuubi's eyes widened when she saw his hands again go to reach for the wound. Her free hand grasped his wrist with an unnecessary amount of strength.

"Didn't you hear what I said before?!" Her voice cracked from her growing sense of desperation.

"I know, but I can take it." Naruto's bluff was horrible, but if he was going to risk getting hit by one of them then he had to know what it felt like.

With his one free hand he bypassed Kyuubi's defense and latched onto the golden arrow. His eyes snapped shut as he waited for the pain to hit, but nothing came. After a moment or two, he tightened his grip on the golden arrow and yet still, he felt nothing but the solid object against his palm.

Kyuubi sat silently in shock, unable to believe he held it without feeling anything. Was what pain she was suffering from a part of the magic like a type of illusion? Or was it that somehow, she had something that made the energy inside react negatively that he did not share?

Either way, they knew something else about the arrow's special properties.

With a quick application of force, Naruto removed the arrow. The pain was too much for Kyuubi to handle and finally she let out a violent cry of anguish. She practically fell into his arms unable to move from sheer shock.

The magical circles surrounding them disappeared and left them open for attack. Their opponent was ruthless and quickly launched another dozen of the projectiles. Naruto took Kyuubi into his arms like a princess and rolled out of the way from the barrage of arrows. In the middle of a grassy field with no cover, Naruto knew they had no chance of hiding, and he figured their enemy had the skill to find them even if they did try.

Naruto sprouted his wings again and rose into the sky. He looked down upon the limp woman he held in his arms and realized how fragile Kyuubi looked. Holding her like this, with her considerable bust pressed against his chest and soft skin against his arms, reminded him that despite all of her fury Kyuubi was still a woman. The snow white skin the fox prided herself on began to glow as he felt her energy flow inside of him.

_Still alive, partner?_

He asked after her body had left his arms.

"_**Somehow. Just don't let them get away.**"_

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the ground below them. With his bird's eye view he could see well past the limited perspective they had in the scorched meadow. After a moment of scanning the area, he noticed a dark shadow that hugged one of the trees and knew that had to be them. They hid their spiritual presence well, but against the light of the sun, not even they could turn invisible.

The shadow shifted and he knew they were readying another attack. He also knew the light from the sun would make it difficult for them to aim directly up, so he kept on the move while he gathered magical energy. With their skill, the only chance he had at forcing them to reveal themselves was putting himself in danger. If he offered them a trade, he had to guess their pride would force them out.

Naruto summoned a group of magical circles near the enemy's hiding spot and released the familiar chains. Just as he thought, their speed was so impressive that the chains only found thin air left by the time they reached the piece of cover. But, he had forced them out and had to keep them on the move. If they kept moving, then they would start to tire and make mistakes.

Not one to be kicked without respite, he noticed another arrow flying at him. He easily dodged out of the way, but he kept his eye on it just to be sure. As if it were alive the arrow turned in the air and flew after him like a heat-seeking missile. The magic inside of them must have been powerful indeed to pull something like that off.

With the arrow close behind, he swept down to the ground and chased after the archer himself. He summoned more magical circles and this time released a torrent of fire after them, burning everything that could offer them cover.

One of the fireballs snapped a broken trunk in half that had been acting as their hiding place. Then he saw the shadow leap out into the open, with another arrow pointed and ready to fire at him.

The slender figure had long, coral hair held back in a high pony tail which offered him their suspected gender. Clad in a tight green leotard with what appeared to be pieces of steel armor over the chest, she wore matching pairs of gloves and heeled boots that stretched up her legs. On her back was a silver encrusted quiver, filled to the brim with arrows of the same make she had been shooting at them all day.

With no hesitation she released the second arrow that targeted his forehead. With one attack coming at him from behind and one in the front, she no doubt felt confident in the kill.

Unfortunately, she underestimated his speed. In a blink, Naruto had disappeared along with his magical attacks. The two golden arrows smacked into each other in midair, falling harmlessly to the ground.

The archer readied another arrow, her body locked in anticipation of his appearance. After a tense while she gave up waiting and realized that her prey had escaped.

For now, at least.

* * *

"I have to say, Naruto-kun. I was expecting something a bit more fun for our first date."

On the rooftop of his apartment, Naruto stood across from his fallen angel teacher. He had given her a call with the cell phone number she provided in class and asked her to meet him. Kyuubi was inside his apartment, resting and doing her own bit of research with what books they had scavenged from the library.

To be of use he decided to use the wild card Fuka represented and see if she knew anything about this unknown spirit. Their strength was notable, enough to give his queen a hard time. That meant they were a threat to more than just him, but everyone in the valley.

"Sorry, but this isn't a social call," Naruto said with an unapologetic tone of voice. Kyuubi's condition weighed heavily on his mind, and was affecting his mood. "I was attacked earlier today and I want to find out who it was."

Fuka's playful demeanor faded when she noticed his attitude. Clad in her fallen angel outfit, she acknowledged the gravity of the situation and crossed her arms expectantly.

"A woman in some leotard outfit I've never seen before. Fired golden arrows that were poisonous to Kyuubi, but didn't hurt me. She was incredibly fast too," Naruto offered the major points to his counterpart. The rest of the details surrounding their encounter would only drag the conversation on into speculation.

"Doesn't ring a bell of anyone specific. Was it a light weapon?" Fuka asked. She was following a similar train of thought he originally shared, but had the weapon been made of light he too would have been burned.

"No, otherwise it would have hurt me too. She didn't show any kind of capability in flying, now that I think about it. If she were an angel or devil, she could have used her wings," Naruto expressed his thoughts out loud, sparking further conversation.

"If she didn't have wings, that leaves the Three Factions out. Either she was some sacred gear user, a creature made to look like a human, or maybe she's completely foreign," Fuka commented, finger caressing her chin in thought.

Naruto perked up at her final note. A foreigner of some kind might make some kind of sense. Her skill, if she had been wielding a sacred gear, would have implied great natural talent on her end with archery. With that unnatural speed, he just could not recognize her as a normal human.

"What do you mean by foreign?" He probed his teacher's idle thoughts.

Fuka's eyes narrowed in response to his question. With her brain now on the topic she paused a moment before offering her first impression.

"Well, if we rule out her being a normal human then there is the chance she comes from another religion. The fallen angels, devils, and angels all fit under the larger Christianity, but there are plenty of others out there. Maybe she came from somewhere else in Asia, or Europe? She could even be a god herself."

The thought that he and Kyuubi had just faced off someone of divine level was chilling, to say the least. But, Fuka's extrapolation was starting to make more and more sense in his head.

"I think you are onto something, Fuka-sensei. What kind of repercussions could there be for another religion attacking us?"

There had to be some sort of treaty or basic understanding between religions, otherwise something bigger than even the Great War between the three factions would have occurred by then. If this person was willing to break that by attacking Kyuubi, what did that mean about their sense of self-confidence? They were literally defying all devil authority by attacking them so freely.

Either they were stupid or ridiculously powerful.

"Well, if they aren't careful about who they target they could make themselves the enemy of every faction," Fuka said, confirming his suspicions. "That would spell trouble for more than just them, but also everyone else from wherever they're from."

"I guess for now we just have to keep our eyes open for when they strike again. If they do." He added the last part on as an afterthought, since he was fairly confident they would come again.

Someone with that level of skill had not come to Japan just for one failed hunt. They were here for something bigger, he just knew it.

"Well, I'm happy to be of help," Fuka's grin widened into something quite devilish. She approached him and placed her hands on his cheeks, holding his face still. "I'll take my reward now."

Naruto decided not to struggle against the fallen angel, since he had promised to give her something if she offered something useful. He had a sneaking suspicion it would be a kiss, and it seemed Fuka was not one to disappoint.

Their lips met, her dark red lipstick rubbing against his pale pink skin. Her experience far outweighed his own and he felt himself melting into puddy right in her arms. One of her hands released his cheek and captured his limp wrist, forcing his hand onto her naked hips. His other hand fell to the same fate as the red head moaned into his mouth, her tongue pushing against his entrance.

Unable to refuse, he let her enter his mouth and found himself moaning from the sheer lust behind her attack. He had no idea how strong a kiss could be until she gave him his first. That was right, he realized Fuka had stolen his first kiss like it was nothing.

But, as she deepened the kiss and forced their tongues to battle, he felt a part of his energy rising up from his stomach. Through his mouth, he felt her take in a portion of his daemonic energy. His moaning turned into muffled grunts as he tried to push her away to little effect.

Fuka opened her eyes as she slowly began to pull away from him. Apart from the saliva that connected their bruised lips, a visible blue stream of energy extended from the depths of Naruto's mouth into Fuka's. The trail disappeared when Fuka closed her mouth and seductively wiped her lips.

Naruto stumbled back in an attempt to defend himself, but Fuka made no moves to attack. A low purr from deep within her chest made it very clear she was satisfied with whatever she had just done.

"Mm, you taste _good,_ Naruto-kun," Fuka commented, with a particularly sultry undertone. With a finger to her lips, she teased him by blowing another kiss his way. "Thanks for the energy, and don't worry, I didn't take too much. It will come back with time."

"Wh-what the hell was that?" Her assurances meant little to him at the moment as he struggled to figure out just what she did to him. No one had ever mentioned to him that fallen angels had such a power to take energy.

"A gift, from my previous master." Fuka's smile turned hollow as she lost the excitement from before. She was remembering something with what looked like regret. "Farewell, Naruto-kun."

Before he could press the issue, she took off with those jet black wings of hers. Now alone he forced himself to calm down; if she had wanted to do something malicious, she could have during his weakness. For some reason, Fuka wanted his energy, and if it were going to restore itself as she promised then he supposed there was little issue.

Still, he reminded himself to be mindful of beautiful women and their lips in the future.

* * *

That same night, Rias Gremory found herself on her way back to the female dormitory after an exhausting night of contract work. Unfortunately, Akeno's usual presence was absent as she was forced to remain late at her final job of the night. No matter, Rias thought, as she had not planned to stay up long anyway.

_Aika is still struggling over that nun issue. I'll have to talk to her tomorrow._

Her beloved servant and newest member of the Gremory family, owner of a sacred gear far more powerful than the Twice Critical it resembled, had stubbornly been ignoring Rias' advice on the matter. Despite her perverted exterior, the young girl had a rather large heart that Rias could only empathize with. Still, they could not afford to start stepping into everyone's business simply on a heroic whim.

If she were younger with a similar conundrum she may have asked her brother for advice. Now, Rias had chosen to walk the path of a proper heiress and would handle things herself. She may like to spoil her servants for the most part, but with Aika she may have really needed to put her foot down.

So enraptured by her thoughts was she that Rias failed to sense the presence tailing her. Not that it would have been an easy feat for even someone of her level, as this person had displayed great ability in covering their tracks while they hunted. From the nearby trees within the school grounds, the archer took careful aim at the devil princess.

Rias stopped walking as she sensed an unfamiliar magic come over the school. Noting a change in the color of the sky, she realized that she had been caught in someone's barrier. With a narrow gaze she began to look around in an attempt to find the source.

It was at that moment she noticed a single golden arrow flying at her face. So quick was it that she knew it would hit before she could craft a spell for defense. Rias willed her legs to move but found herself too slow move out of the way in time.

_Is this really-_

A crimson liquid sprayed across her face as a foreign set of arms wrapped themselves around her. Rias felt this new presence as they lifted her into their arms mid stride, moving past the arrow. Her aquamarine eyes widened as she felt the warmth of the blood on her cheek. There was no pain anywhere on her body, which baffled her for a moment until she grasped that it was not _her_ that had been wounded, but the young man that had rescued her.

"Hey, Rias-chan," The person holding her whispered his greeting in her ear. The Crimson Princess looked up into the eyes of her savior and quickly put a name to the face. For some reason, despite his arm bleeding profusely from the glancing hit, Naruto managed to offer her a smile. "Good to see we made it in time."

"N-Naruto-kun?" Rias stammered in shock. He was the last person she would have expected to come to her rescue.

An explosion rocked the ground beneath their feet. On instinct, her arms wrapped around Naruto's neck as she tried to stabilize herself. Their eyes wandered down the field where Kyuubi had just finished obliterating the wooded area in a single attack. Naruto's servant must have been out for blood, Rias thought, as she had never seen such a powerful opening move.

"When Kyuubi used her meditation to track down the archer, she noticed you were here too. I figured that she must have been after you, too. We raced here as soon as we could," Naruto explained as he offered to let her stand on her own feet, an opportunity she took.

Rias looked at his arm with no small amount of concern. Despite it failing to hit him directly, the sharpened end of the arrow had sliced open his skin and caused the arm to bleed a considerable amount. Blood dripped down to his hand and onto the ground, but Naruto displayed nothing in the way of pain.

"Archer?" Rias asked, her eyes then shifting back to the nine tails. Their speed was impressive as they moved about the battlefield, but Rias could indeed see a second individual wielding a golden bow.

_Who is that?_

She had never seen anyone like that around her before. What had made them want to attack her? Naruto knew more than he let on, but she supposed the battle would have to come first before answers. Rias gathered her own daemonic energy to use with her Power of Destruction.

Before she could release her own magic, Naruto held up a hand in front of her. He simply shook his head and bid her to watch.

"My queen has a score to settle with her. I know that Kyuubi can handle herself, so let's stay out of it for now," Rias could detect a hint of frustration in Naruto's tone, and she knew he wanted to join in as well. He truly cared for his servant, just as she did for her own.

Out of respect for him and his rescue of her, Rias abided by his wish. Together they remained in the back as Kyuubi and the mystery woman continued their fight.

* * *

Kyuubi created a magical circle and knocked the arrow away before it could hit her body. In retaliation, she gathered energy around her tails and threw a flurry of fireballs at her agile opponent. Without the trees to use for cover, the archer had been constantly leaping about in the air as she fired to keep Kyuubi off balance.

Remaining in the air left her vulnerable to a well aimed attack, though. The archer, an amazon in height and build, took out three arrows and fired each in quick succession. Each hit a fireball causing the attacks to cancel one another out.

_There!_

One of Kyuubi's fireballs had not been directly aimed at her, which had caused her opponent to ignore the attack. Instead, the fireball hit the ground where the archer was about to fall and allowed a large explosion to rock the battlefield.

Not one to lose the momentum of her offensive, Kyuubi waved her arm about in front of her and created a dozen magical circles. Rather than spawn an attack of some kind, Kyuubi instead pushed the circles closer to the smoking crater and surrounded the area with a thick magical force. Now surrounding the archer was a near impenetrable barrier, rendering her unable to escape.

Kyuubi was now free to kill the struggling insect as she pleased.

"That's enough, Kyuubi," She heard Naruto give the order from behind. He and the other devil girl had closed the distance after the barrier had been erected. She contemplated whether to disobey him and follow through with the attack, but ultimately decided against it. "Good job. You did well."

"I'm assuming you have something you want to say to the little pest?" Kyuubi sneered, and her tone made it very clear she wanted nothing more to finish them off.

"That's right. I think its time we appropriately greet our foreign counterpart," Naruto said as he stepped past Kyuubi and approached the edge of the entrapment.

Kyuubi lowered her arm but kept her concentration on the barrier. So far, the single person inside had not tried to escape, but she would not put it past them. They were too dangerous to just release again, so she hoped Naruto had something in mind.

Rias remained at her side as the two watched Naruto open his dialogue.

* * *

"Hey, you still alive in there?" Naruto called out to the warrior woman as she stood in the center of the crater, unmoving and silent. Whether she had resigned to her fate or was formulating a method to escape was hard to say, but Naruto had no intentions of letting her go.

From beneath the woman's feet, another mammon circle appeared and Naruto's chains took hold of her body. She was forced to drop her bow in the ensuing struggle that left her properly restrained. Kyuubi kept the barrier up though just in case she managed to escape.

"You just tried to kill a High-class devil and sister of one of the Maou," Naruto said, trying to make his tone sound at least somewhat intimidating. He raised an inquisitive brow at her lack of response. "You sure you have nothing to say in your defense? Artemis?"

The last word he uttered was said as more of a question than a statement as he tried to get a rise out of her. The tactic worked as the woman widened her eyes and ceased her futile struggle against his chains.

"How do you know my name, demon?" Naruto could not help but smirk at his sudden advantage.

"After you attacked my queen," Naruto hitched a thumb over his shoulder, "the nine tails over there, she and I made sure to do a little bit of research. We happened to come across a Hellenic demigoddess that sounded a lot like you."

"Artemis?" Rias muttered behind him. "As in the Greek goddess of the hunt?"

"The same," Naruto said in return. His eyes narrowed on the bow and arrows, now useless to restrained woman. "We also found out she has a habit of both hurting and helping women. Apparently her arrows are particularly toxic to the female gender."

Artemis offered them nothing but a venomous glare. As someone of her level of strength, Naruto was sure she rarely if ever ran into someone who could actually give her trouble like they did. She was lucky they caught her before she managed to kill Rias, since he was fairly certain Sirzechs Lucifer would not be so kind as to capture her.

"It goes without saying your attempt to kill us means you are well out of your scope. What made you come all the way out here to our territory?" Naruto demanded of the goddess.

"I came for the hunt, of course. In Olympus we have all heard rumors of the supernatural beasts here in Japan, like the nine tail foxes, and so I wanted to test myself." Artemis had mostly calmed herself as she offered them the explanation with no added bite.

Naruto was inclined to believe she was not lying. Gods easily grew bored when they had nothing interesting to do, and he could imagine traveling to new places would be a viable option. Unfortunately for Artemis, her added hobby of hunting sealed the deal to her demise.

"That explains your attack on the nine tails, but why did you attack me?" Rias asked as she stepped forward to join Naruto. She looked rather cross with her arms over her chest, and her eyes leveling a harsh stare toward the Greek goddess.

"I knew devils were powerful creatures too. Before I hunted the nine tailed fox, I watched the city for some time and made note of your own powers as a worthy hunt," Artemis said, narrowing her eyes. "I had no idea your relation with each other, or who you were."

"Well," Rias said, her tone softening a bit. "I'm not surprised to find you lack knowledge of devil hierarchy, or our familial relationships. My compatriot was right, however, in stating you made a mistake attacking us."

"And now? What do you plan to do with me?" Artemis asked with a considerable amount of fight left in her tone.

"Well, in most cases you would be executed. Not even your stature in the Hellenic court would have saved you from the Maou," Rias offered when Naruto said nothing.

"She's right. But if my assumption is correct, you aren't a full God are you?" Naruto asked for clarification on his educated guess.

Artemis failed to hide her shock very well. After an internal struggle she offered them a confirming nod.

"The real Artemis was killed in a conflict long ago between the Hellenic and Latin courts of gods. I'm her latest reincarnation, but I'm also part human."

"Fascinating," Rias whispered by Naruto's side.

"Then there is an option to prevent you from dying. You might even get to hunt every once in a while." Naruto said, his smile widening.

"As penance for attacking us, I'll have you serve me as a devil." Only Kyuubi remained unsurprised at Naruto's declaration. "In return, you get to live and hunt my enemies. If you want to return home for a visit we can arrange that as well."

"Serve you? A demon?" Artemis said with no small amount of venom in her tone.

Naruto's smile faded as he held up his arm and forced the chains to tighten around her neck. As the Greek goddess struggled for air, the point was made very clear that her life was in his hands at the moment.

"Your choice. Die a failure of a hunter, or earn back your honor by fighting some of the most dangerous enemies Christianity and Japan have to offer," Naruto loosened the chains a bit, just enough for her to breathe.

Rias offered her fellow devil an approving grin. Naruto had started to learn from Rias' earlier warnings and had become a bit more conniving than before.

"..." Artemis shook her head in what could only be defeat. Her chocolate eyes gazed into his blue ones and Naruto knew he had his answer. "Very well."

"Kyuubi." With Naruto's silent order, the kitsune released her barrier. Still, she walked with Naruto and remained on her guard as they joined Artemis in the crater.

From within his chest, a glowing light enveloped Naruto as he summoned the appropriate evil piece. In his hand, a crimson red knight piece appeared. He pressed it into the still restrained Artemis' chest and watched as it disappeared and integrated into her body.

"Artemis of Olympus, you now serve me, Naruto Mammon," With a wave of his arm, the chains holding the amazon disappeared. She stood at her full height, easily towering above Naruto and the others. Their eyes met as he continued to speak. "As my Knight, you will slay my enemies and protect my family against any who would threaten our safety. What say you?"

Artemis offered him nothing for a few moments. Then, just as Kyuubi had, she set aside her own pride and lowered her head to Naruto.

"My bow is yours, Naruto."

* * *

_And another chapter down. The chart has been updated with Artemis on my profile. Next chapter is going to be the exciting climax of this arc._

_A note as the story continues is that this will eventually shift into an M-rating story. Right now we are still fitting into the 'slightly suggestive themes', and while I will not be writing lemons, it wouldn't be Highschool DxD without some passionate embraces and somewhat provocative encounters excluding sex. So, expect this to shift in that direction in the future, toward when Naruto actually enters into a relationship. I'll remind you when it actually happens in a similar Author's Note._

_As always, leave a review and let me know what you thought of the chapter and what you hope to see in the future._

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Highschool DxD**


	4. Fiesty Knight & Bitter Pawn

_Return of the Mammon Clan_

* * *

Fuka looked down upon one of Kuoh's many churches that served to aid the populace in keeping their faith. Except the one she observed was dedicated to anything but—a group of fallen had chosen to make their homes there. From the rumors she had heard one of Fuka's previous compatriots, from the time with her old master, had come to town to meet with the fallen there.

_There is no mistaking this scent of yours. Fuen._

The sacred gears of this town had in the past been the only draw of those from the three factions. She knew Raynare and her ilk were no different in their hunt as they tried to gain favor with the Grigori. Her precious student Naruto had his own desires that lied in using the humans, too. Many had confused Fuka's presence in the town with similar intentions, but they could not be farther from the truth.

Fuka had come to this town to run away from that kind of conflict. She wanted nothing more to enjoy herself as a teacher at the Kuoh academy and tease her students to no end.

If she never had to see another fallen angel, it would be too soon. Unfortunately, old grudges died hard with the red head.

Fuka narrowed her eyes as she saw movement in the church below. With her outstretched hand she summoned a spear of light, tinted fuchsia.

There was one last matter she had to solve that involved this old 'comrade' of hers.

A matching set of raven wings flapped behind the fast approaching figure from the ground. Together they stood across from one another hovering above in the night sky. While Fuka had prepared her weapon the woman opposite chose to do no such thing; she could only guess it was some attempt to mock her.

_No doubt about it._

"Fuen," Fuka whispered her name like it was venom. "I can't believe you would show your face here, of all places. You have made your last mistake."

Fuka readied her spear of light but hesitated when her opponent began to snicker. The woman called Fuen had long, dark hair that flowed down her back and onto the chest. She was taller than Fuka and readily appeared older, though her voluptuous figure nonetheless was barely contained by her skimpy armor outfit not unlike the one Fuka wore.

"Oh, Fuka," Fuen chided, her tone full of condescension. "Let me guess, my first mistake was stealing our master's affection away from you? Give me a break."

As her hands tightened around the spear of light, Fuka's rising emotions began to show themselves. She knew Fuen was just trying to get inside her head, but it did not make her words any less true.

"You should feel lucky, Fuka dear, that our master even bothered to waste that sacred gear on you," Fuen said, laughing again as Fuka's brows shot up. "Yes, I remember it well. Paralyzing Touch, right?"

"Don't mock me!" Fuka shot forward with her wings. Her spear was pointed straight for Fuen as they threatened to collide.

A shot of light appeared and Fuen wielded her own light spear, this one colored in the shade of amber. The weapons sparked against one another just before the attack could spear through Fuen. Fuka forced all of her weight into the spear as their faces almost touched from proximity. Fuen, rather than be concerned, simply offered her old friend a lazy smile.

"I'm afraid you haven't gotten any better since the last time we fought." Fuen weaved out of the way of another strike. She sent her own spear for Fuka, who was just barely able to block in time. "You are still as emotional as ever."

"Shut up!" Fuka flew back to gain some distance between them. Wielding her spear like a javelin she threw it straight for Fuen.

Unimpressed, Fuen smacked the light weapon with her own and forced it to crumble into nothingness. In the short but vicious encounter neither had managed to sustain a wound.

"Come now, Fuka. We both know you were always terrible with magic: your spear is all you have," Fuen said, a dangerous look in her eye. The taunting shifted into something much more threatening. "You leave yourself open!"

Fuka saw her opponent fly straight toward her with weapon in hand. The loss of her spear was done on purpose though, contrary to what Fuen believed. Summoning the energy she took from Naruto, Fuka forced a magical circle to appear between them.

"That's-" Fuen paused, taken aback.

Chains launched out from the crimson circle and surrounded Fuen. They wrapped around her body and painfully embedded themselves with barbs. The cry of pain the other fallen angel released was music to Fuka's ears as she forced the chains to tighten around her body.

_I only had enough to make one magic circle, but it should be enough._

Now that Fuen was immobilized, Fuka could finish her off. The chains created by her paled in comparison to their original owner, but for someone like Fuen, it would be enough.

Fuka summoned another spear of light and allowed herself to smile in victory. She had finally defeated Fuen and gotten her revenge.

"It's ove-" Fuka's eyes widened when she was overshadowed by darkness.

In the next moment, she was surrounded by the fallen she recognized as Raynare's band of misfits. The busty Kalawarner was in front of her with a light blade held to Fuka's neck. The pipsqueak Mittelt and the stalker Dohnaseek were at her sides with similar weapons held to Fuka's vital spots.

"You!" Her eyes shifted past them and saw Raynare remove the chains from Fuen.

_No!_

She was so close. What kind of deal had they made for Fuen to get away with this? Fuka was shaking with unbridled rage as tears began to build in her eyes.

"I heard some racket and decided to investigate," Raynare said, her vicious smile turned soft as she went from Fuka to the freed Fuen. "I expect our deal is still on, then?"

"Right," Fuen muttered, all of the play had been removed from her tone. She returned Fuka's glare with one of her own. "I hadn't expected her to find something so powerful in a short time. I got careless."

"Then, I'll be taking her," Raynare said, snapping her fingers.

Before Fuka could say another word, Dohnaseek's arm slammed against the back of her neck. She was knocked unconscious and taken into the larger man's arms.

"I hope I can report her death to my master with _validity_ this time?" Fuen posed the question to Raynare as the other fallen retreated back into the church with Fuka.

Raynare narrowed her eyes at Fuen's expectant tone, but nodded nonetheless.

"Yes, I'll involve her with the ritual tonight. She will die along with the others." After Raynare said that, Fuen finally offered what could only be a relieved grin.

"Good, then our business is concluded." Fuen built up her magic and summoned a portal, disappearing in a bright light.

The smile Raynare had offered her was lost as soon as she had disappeared. Raynare's gaze drifted back down to the church and, deeper within, the plans she had carefully prepared. A smile that could only be described as demonic was splayed across her lips.

"This will be a good night, I'm sure of it."

* * *

Naruto found himself trailing behind the recently introduced Tsubaki Shinra. The vice president of the student council had requested, as an order from her president, that he stay after school to discuss something with them. While Naruto did not want to cause any trouble with humans he had originally planned to ignore the request. That was until he realized the student council were a family of devils, similar to Rias' club in that they used it as a disguise.

If it were a request from a fellow devil then Naruto did not see a problem with entertaining them. His mood had also risen when the bespectacled girl told him Rias was not only going to be in attendance, but was the one to originally propose the meeting.

_From the sense I'm getting, this is a kind of emergency._

As he and Tsubaki paraded through the halls, he was joined by Kyuubi and Artemis. Both were loyal members of his peerage and it only made sense that wherever he go, they would not be far behind. The capture and integration of Artemis into his family was still a fresh memory and Naruto could not help but feel a little bit of pride as the knight strode alongside him.

Artemis had adapted well to the sudden change, both in her body and her place in society. Since he had already been a witness to her skill in battle he had no need for her to further prove her worth. They had yet to join together in a battle, but he was sure he could count on her.

"We are here, Naruto-sama," Tsubaki said as she approached a set of old wooden doors that led to the student council meeting room. She stood to one side and opened the door for him to enter, bowing her head in respect.

Naruto nodded and entered through the door. Before he was fully through he turned back to Tsubaki. When she noticed he did not pass her, she looked up and was greeted by cheeky smile of his. He enjoyed the flustered look that came over her face.

"You know, you don't have to call me Naruto-sama. I wouldn't mind it if you and the others in the student council called me Naruto-kun," he said, mimicking his offer to the occult research club.

_As nice as the title is, that isn't how you make friends._

If he wanted to succeed where his ancestors failed he had to learn a bit of humility.

"E-eh, I-I'll be sure to relay that to the others," Tsubaki stammered out as his surprise attack was a success.

"Good, then shall we go?" He called to his compatriots as he entered. Out of concern he turned to make sure they were comfortable.

Kyuubi had chosen to roll her eyes in response but followed him inside all the same. Artemis was forced to duck under the head of the door but quickly caught back up. The vice president entered last and closed the door behind them.

"Welcome, Naruto-kun," Rias said from her seat at the round table.

"Please sit, Naruto Mammon-dono," Offered the other girl at the table, who had short dark hair and another pair of glasses. He quickly recognized her as the student council president, Souma Shitori.

Naruto's eyes reviewed the room he was in and noticed that they were in fact surrounded by other devils. Rias' and Souma's peerage stood behind their respectful masters, against the back walls. There was a single empty seat at the table for him to take. It almost made him think they were going to have a war council or peace talks of some sort, and his stomach suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable.

"Thanks," Naruto said, taking the seat.

Kyuubi and Artemis stood behind him, across the room from Rias' own family. Despite the tense atmosphere, Akeno and the others seemed to be in good spirits. Naruto's attention drifted past Rias again to take a double take—one devil was missing.

_Aika, the pervert girl._

Perhaps that was why he had been called here on such short notice. He would have to wait and see to be sure.

"Thank you for agreeing to come on such short notice, Mammon-dono. I know it was rude of us to extend an invitation without a proper greeting, but Rias assured me you would come with mention of her name," Souma said, bowing her head slightly in apology.

"Of course, she's a precious devil friend after all," Naruto's gaze met Rias', and she offered him a smile. He turned back to Souma with a flash of interest. "I had a suspicion you were a devil, council president, but I didn't think we would get introduced under such circumstances."

"Yes, forgive me. My real name is Sona Sitri, heir apparent of the Sitri clan of devils." He could sense the pride with which she spoke her family's name. Sona then bowed her head again. "Please, you may call me Sona."

"I'm Naruto Mammon, but you seem to know that already. You can call me Naruto, if you'd like." He motioned toward Tsubaki, who stood behind Sona. "I already made the same offer to your lovely queen."

Sona raised a brow at his term of endearment for the vice president, but then she began to smile in what could only be amusement. Given his offer of a change in titles she nodded in acquiescence. Behind her, Tsubaki nursed her recently flushed cheeks.

"Very well, Naruto-san. Now, as Rias called this meeting in the first place I think we had best let her speak," Sona said, nodding to Rias who had chosen to stay respectably silent during their introduction.

"First of all, thank you both for coming," Rias intertwined her fingers together as she offered the two of them an apologetic smile. "I know it was selfish of me."

Naruto and Sona both nodded in reassurance for the Crimson Princess. When you were in trouble, sometimes relying on your friends was the best course of action.

"I will get straight to the heart of the matter: my newest pawn, Aika, has disappeared," Rias explained, and her mood quickly dropped as a result. "We fear she may have been taken by a rival faction."

"I know how valuable family is to you, Rias-chan, but what significance is there in your pawn?" Naruto asked the red headed devil.

As much as he wanted to help her a single missing pawn did not seem like enough of a reason to rouse the town's army of devils for a manhunt. If he were in a similar situation, he would not rest until he had rescued his family member, but he still felt like he was missing a part of the equation.

Sona turned to Rias, addressing her friend. "I suppose you haven't told him about Aika then, have you Rias?" Despite asking the question, the council president did not seem particularly surprised.

"No, as I saw no reason for it before. I suppose it can't be helped now," Rias said with a shrug of dismissal.

"Naruto," Rias gazed into his eyes and he quickly picked up on the importance of her secret. "Aika took all eight of my pawns to resurrect. At first I was confused, as she only displayed the ability to summon the Twice Critical dragon-type sacred gear. I later found out that there was much more to her than what met the eye."

Naruto crossed his arms in thought as he continued to listen. He had to admit that he was interested in what she had to say, especially now that Fuka's rumor was confirmed by Rias.

"Aika contains the infamous Sekiryuutei inside of her sacred gear, with the ability to double her power every ten seconds. With that kind of sacred gear, if someone manipulated her or it fell into the wrong hands, the entire world could be in danger," Rias confessed, her brow wrinkled from stress.

The power of the Red Dragon Emperor in the palm of his hand. Now that was something enticing for just about anybody, devil or no. Rias had successfully taken it for herself, but it seemed she was not the only one aware of its strength.

"And what makes you believe she has been taken? We should have some proof before we move," Sona said, after a moment had been offered for the information to sink in. The student council president was always working the logical angle.

"..." Rias narrowed her eyes in what Naruto thought looked like frustration. After a moment, she began to speak with a small amount of regret laced in her tone. "This whole mess started after Aika became acquainted with a girl by the name of Asia Argento. She is a nun who appears to have the Twilight Healing sacred gear, and is currently working with the fallen angels, though Aika assured me that their partnership was not by choice."

"A nun working with the fallen angels? Doesn't make much sense to me," Naruto admitted.

The nuns and priests were supposed to be on the side of God. Anything else would have led to their excommunication.

"When one of the Church's faithful make a mistake, they can either be forgiven or exiled. It is possible that this girl is one of the latter," Sona said in response.

"If she were exiled," Rias cut in, her eyes narrowed. "Then she would no longer be able to rely on the church to live. The fallen must have discovered her sacred gear and considered her worth something, at least enough to take care of her."

"And you think Aika went after Asia?" Sona asked. She then readjusted her glasses to the bridge of her nose. "I thought you made it clear to her she was not to pursue them?"

Rias could do nothing but sigh in what he pegged for defeat.

"To be honest, I knew something like this would happen. That was why I planned to setup the events so that we would face the fallen angels together, but-" Rias began to trail off and she bit her thumb in annoyance.

"But, she went on ahead herself." Naruto finished the sentence for her, equally exasperated. The uncomfortable feeling in his gut was only getting worse.

The table remained uncomfortably silent until Naruto straightened up. A stray thought in his mind had suddenly pushed itself to the tip of his tongue and he simply felt the need to ask. His compatriots had noticed his sudden twitch and had their eyes on him, waiting.

"If she _is_ the Sekiryuutei's owner, as you say, couldn't she use the power to defend herself? I thought it was supposed to be one of the Longinus, the thirteen unique sacred gears that were irreplaceable," Naruto said, as he knew at least some things concerning sacred gears, mostly from having one of his own.

Rias offered him a pair of remorseful eyes as she merely shook her head. "Aika is still too physically weak to properly use that power effectively," she said, and Naruto finally understood why she was so worried for her servant's safety.

"So, why have you not gone after her yourselves?" Sona asked, pushing the conversation forward.

Rias nodded in response. "We have located their suspected base of operations at one of the nearby churches, but I wanted to cover my bases all the same. Given that Aika has put us in this difficult situation, I don't want to take any further risks that may endanger her."

"This is partly my fault, after all," Rias muttered, sounding rather bitter about herself.

"Well then," Naruto said as he stood up from his chair. He offered his fellow devils a confident smirk. "We just have to go and save her, right?"

Rias' nervous fidgeting with her hands ended as he said those words. She was stunned for a moment, before her lips began to curve into appreciation.

The rest of Rias' peerage, who had been struggling with their own stress, noticeably let their shoulders sag in relief to Naruto's declaration of support. They too offered him their own appreciation with smiles and silent words of thanks.

"As heroic as that was, Naruto-san," Sona interrupted his moment, though she was smiling, "Perhaps we can come up with some kind of strategy before we leave?"

Rias turned back to her fellow female devil and giggled a bit. She had to have been entertaining a similar idea.

Naruto chuckled and pocketed his hands. The prospect of taking the fight to the fallen angels had gotten him a little too excited. He was eager to see what Rias and the others could do so he just wanted to head out right away. Not only that, but he wanted to see Kyuubi and Artemis work together for the first time.

"Sorry, of course that makes sense," Naruto remained where he stood, but indicated she continue. "What did you have in mind, Sona-san?"

Sona turned her head to look behind her. "Tsubaki," In response, Sona's queen stepped forward and stood at attention. "Is everyone rested?" She asked.

"Yes, council president. They are ready to go," Tsubaki said.

From behind the two young women, Naruto saw the single man of the student council pump his fist in excitement. He seemed to echo the vice president's statements rather well.

"Good. Rias, Naruto-san," Sona addressed the two of them. "The student council will deploy a barrier surrounding the enemy territory and ensure no one escapes. Your two groups should be able to handle the inside."

"A good plan, Sona," Rias commented. She turned to Naruto, smiling. "How does that sound, Naruto-kun?"

"I think its time we go teach these fallen angels a lesson they won't live to forget." Naruto grew a devilish smile not unlike his mother's.

Rias and Sona both shared it with him. The young devils were on the warpath.

* * *

"Naruto-kun."

In response to his name being called, Naruto paused in the hallway. The other devils were still shuffling out of the room to make their preparations and head to the site. Kyuubi and Artemis were a little ahead of him and paused as he did. They saw Rias approach him with Akeno close behind.

"Rias-chan, don't worry about Aika," Naruto thumbed his chest, offering her another smile. "I'll help you get her back, safe and sound."

"I know, Naruto-kun. Thank you for supporting me," She offered him another sweet smile that made him melt.

"It was a very heroic thing to do, Naruto-kun. Fu Fu~" Akeno said, giggling as she did.

"How is your arm?" Asked Rias as she shifted the subject away from the meeting. He noticed her small fingers gently tug on the sleeve of his blazer, close to where he suffered the wound from Artemis' arrow.

There was a certain feeling of guilt he gleaned from her eyes. His smile grew a bit as his own hand wrapped around hers, offering it a friendly squeeze.

"I'm fine." He motioned to behind him where Kyuubi stood, her arms crossed in impatience. "Kyuubi's a pretty good healer so it didn't keep me down for long."

"That's a relief," Rias said, sounding genuinely reassured. "I didn't get a proper chance to thank you for saving me that night."

"Ah, don't wor-" Naruto paused as he felt her hand touch his cheek.

In front of their queens, Rias leaned in close and pressed her soft lips against the skin of his whiskered cheek. Thought it could not have lasted for more than a moment the event felt like an eternity for Naruto. He began to blush as he realized that, apart from Fuka stealing his lips, Rias was the only woman beside his mother to kiss him.

"Thank you, Naruto," Rias whispered into his ear, voice full of mirth. She pulled away, a light blush on her face.

"Fu fu~" Akeno teased from behind Rias.

Kyuubi's tails fluttered dangerously for a moment before she somehow managed to calm herself down. Now was not the time to take the queen's duties too seriously, lest someone gets hurt. Naruto mentally thanked her for holding back.

"Please come by the club house after this business is done," Rias said, extending him an interesting invitation. "I will offer you a proper thank you there."

"S-sure," Naruto mumbled, unable to say anything more.

Rias offered him a short wave before she continued past him to rejoin her peerage. Akeno similarly offered him a coquettish smile and wink before following Rias.

He could only watch them leave with silent astonishment. That was one date he could definitely not refuse.

* * *

That same night, two robed figures approached the church. One wore the insignia of the faithful, while the other remained nondescript.

"I assure you, Tsunade-sama, that Orochimaru-sama is fully capable of reviving the dead," Said someone with a young man's voice, each syllable dripping out smoothly from beneath his hood. "With the help of your Twilight Healing, of course."

"And? What does he need me to do?" Asked Tsunade, her voice betraying anxiousness. To hear that she might see Dan again by using this cursed powers of hers was almost like a gift from the god she had given up on.

"He would like to offer you a demonstration by having you participate in an experiment," the man said, angling his head to look up at Tsunade. He flashed her a devious smile from beneath the hood. "Then, I will recover your lover's body from the church so that we may complete the transaction."

The fear and excitement she was feeling threatened to burst out of Tsunade's chest. She knew it was a shot in the dark to accept the help of this stranger, but she had nothing left to lose. After being defeated by the devil, she started to realize that she may have lost her edge after all. If nothing else before she died, if she could bring Dan back then she would consider her debts paid off.

Still, that did not mean she trusted this Orochimaru.

"If you are trying to trick me, I swear I will make you pay," Tsunade voiced her thoughts, each word as sharp as a knife.

The bespectacled man's dimples began to show from under his hood. She had met him after choosing to help the hospital staff heal the sick on a whim. He was apparently some up and coming doctor that had learned all he knew from this Orochimaru person. The thing that clenched her hope was when Kabuto explained that Orochimaru was not a human, but one of the rare Hebi creatures.

_If its supernatural magic, then maybe there **is** a chance._

"No need to worry, Tsunade-sama," said the man as they entered the church. "Our plans are foolproof, after all."

* * *

The clacking of heavy chains being moved about served as Fuka's rude wake up call. With a splitting headache, the red head struggled to open her eyes. There were some torches illuminating the area around her, but the cavernous place was still rather dark. Some blurs of movement in her vision signaled she was not alone, either.

Fuka struggled to summon her light weapon but felt her arms unable to move. Similarly, when she tried to shift her legs she felt them pressed together with something obstructing their freedom.

_Focus._

A few rapid blinks later and Fuka quickly ascertained the situation involving her body. She was chained up to some kind of crucifix, her arms spread apart and legs pressed together to prevent any kind of movement. It was very clear to her that she was not going anywhere, not on her own at least. The crucifix was not a normal kind either as she felt some kind of magic preventing her from summoning her weapons.

Her eyes flicked around and realized she was in some large crypt. There was a single raised dais to the far right, against one of the ends of the room. She quickly recognized the distant figure as Raynare with her raven wings fluttering behind her. Next to her, a young blonde girl was chained up on a crucifix not unlike her own.

All around them were fallen priests in dark robes chanting some rubbish. They must have been in the process of some kind of ritual.

Across the room from Fuka was in fact another crucifix with a girl she recognized from Kuoh Academy. The bespectacled girl was similarly chained and appeared to be unconscious. Just the thought of Raynare involving innocents in her little power games angered Fuka, but she quickly noted that struggling was futile.

_Where is Fuen?_

No other fallen angels were in the room and she failed to sense their presence close by. Fuka gritted her teeth in shame as she fought to remain calm. She had been captured and left for dead by Fuen. If things kept going as they were, Fuka would not survive to see her revenge complete.

Fuka was not the type of person to believe in miracles, especially since her fall from heaven, but she sincerely hoped the little pity party Raynare was throwing in the chamber was interrupted by _someone_. She would be fine with not being the only one to have their plans fail for the night.

* * *

"The barrier is complete, Rias," Akeno said, now in her shrine maiden outfit.

"Very well then," Rias pointed to the church now in front of them, "Let's go save my naïve little servant."

Naruto stood alongside Rias' group with Kyuubi and Artemis. Behind them was the glowing white barrier the Sitri group had activated to contain the fighting safely. There was now no escape for the contingent of fallen angels that were no doubt hidden somewhere inside.

The surrounding area was made of a thick forest that could offer a considerable amount of cover for their enemies if the devils let their guard down. On the other hand, with the sheer manpower their combined groups had Naruto doubted an ambush would really be effective against them.

After they got near the entrance, Akeno jolted slightly. She turned to Rias and whispered something in her ear. Whatever it was, Naruto noticed Rias' eyes narrow.

He felt soft fur brush up against his arm and noticed Kyuubi at his side. Whatever Akeno felt, she must have had a similar feeling. Naruto allowed her to lean in close and whisper into his ear.

"She and I must have sensed the same thing: three presences, deeper in the forest. They were waiting for us."

"Must be more fallen angels," Naruto muttered.

Rias turned to address their gathered group after Akeno had finished her report. Despite the presence of enemies her mood remained high.

"Everyone, listen up," Rias said. Her hands drifted to her hips as she began to speak with confidence brimming in her tone. "Akeno and I will deal with the three outside. I leave Koneko and Kiba in your care, Naruto."

"You sure? They are your servants," Naruto asked with one brow raised.

"Rias trusts you, Naruto-kun," Akeno noted with her usual cheery demeanor.

"We do as well," Kiba said, readying his sword.

Koneko simply offered him a nod in agreement.

With their votes of confidence, he just felt like he had to accept. He would try not to let them down.

"Alright, let's go then," Naruto said, his own peerage leading the way.

Kiba and Koneko passed Rias and Akeno. The knight paused when the president held his shoulder for a second.

"Rescue Aika, no matter what," Rias said, a hint of worry still left in her.

"Of course, president," Kiba promised. His reassuring smile offered relief to Rias.

"We definitely will," added Koneko.

A loud bang made them face forward to see Kyuubi had forced the bolted doors to cave in on themselves. Naruto remained back for a moment while his two servants entered. He waved for Kiba and Koneko to join them as he then rushed inside.

The Occult Research Club offered each other final goodbyes as they split up. With a team like this they had to succeed.

* * *

"Hello, devils!" As they streamed into the decrepit interior of the church, a loud-pitched voice echoed across the room.

Naruto followed Kyuubi's gaze and saw some kind of priest standing near the podium at the far end of the room. His white hair was trimmed short and matched the color of the rest of his uniform. In either hand he wielded a light sword and a small pistol that Naruto could only guess was loaded with light bullets.

_An exorcist..._

Considering the unnatural curvature of his smile, Naruto had to guess he was unstable. Sona did say the fallen had enlisted the washouts of the Church.

"And who are you?" Naruto asked.

The man slouched over in dissatisfaction as he heard those words. He started to mumble some incomprehensible phrases that Naruto could only guess were insults leveled toward him.

"Just ask your damn friends over there. Gay boy and little kid, they both have already been acquainted with yours," He kissed the hilt of his blade. "Truly." And then he kissed his gun.

When he started wag his tongue in anticipation Naruto was glad to have the excuse to look away. Kiba joined the blonde at his side and Koneko entered the pews.

"His name is Freed. I'm sure you have already guessed he's an exorcist, and not a very stable one at that," The male knight explained as he readied his own sword.

"With a sword, it's only fitting for you to take this one. Go on, Kiba," Naruto said.

Kiba smirked as his sword shifted from gray steel into a dark black abyss.

"With pleasure!"

"Oh yeah, come get some punk!" Freed fired a few rounds from his pistol, all blocked by Kiba's blade.

Their swords clashed and the two began to struggle to overpower each other. The Holy Eraser blade quickly attacked and destroyed the light energy within Freed's sword. When it looked like Kiba had gotten the advantage, Freed smirked and brought his pistol up in one lightning fast motion.

A golden projectile sailed across the room and impacted the gun with magically enhanced speed and power. Under the weight of the attack, Freed's pistol literally shattered around his hand and wounded him.

Behind Naruto, Artemis lowered her bow and smiled from the successful hit.

"My turn," Koneko muttered with a pew lifted above her head like it was nothing.

Kiba leaped away as she threw the bench directly at the exorcist. From within his coat, Freed retrieved a second blade as he threw the first away.

"Trying the same thing twice, eh?" With both hands on the hilt he cut through the pew with all his strength. "Well, it ain't gonna-"

Kyuubi's tail whipped out and slammed into Freed's stomach.

"Ow!" He whined as he flew back into and then through the wall. "That really fuckin' hurt!"

Kiba leaped forward to go through the wall and pursue Freed, who was now out of sight. A small spherical object was thrown into the room and forced everyone to pause. A bright light emerged as the object was revealed to be a flash bomb which forced the devils to shield themselves as the light served to effectively stun them.

"Damn," Kiba muttered, peering through the hole. "He escaped."

Naruto merely offered him a shrug as he and the others approached the altar.

"He wasn't our target anyway. Kyuubi?" Naruto called out to his queen as she inspected the area.

The nine tailed fox nodded and kicked the podium out of the way. Underneath it was a secret passage that led down into the crypts. That was their real objective and where their enemies were waiting for them, as well as their friends.

"Let's go," Naruto said, taking the lead.

* * *

"What the hell is going on up there?"

Tsunade looked up at the ceiling as dust fell to the floor from the constant banging. The loss of concentration made the Twilight Healing energy around her hands disappear. Underneath her on a metal operating table, an unconscious man groaned in pain.

"Tsunade, please focus on the patient. This is a very difficult procedure for them." From the opposite side of the table, hidden by the darkness of the room, she heard someone try and call her attention. Upon the end of every sentence they hissed like a snake.

She turned back to the operation they were in the middle of and narrowed her eyes at her counterpart. The only part of him she could see was his glowing reptile eyes, an unnatural yellow color in the dark.

"I refuse to continue until I get some answers, Orochimaru. What are you even doing to this man? You told me this was merely a transplant surgery," Tsunade said, barking out her demands with little care for what the serpent across from her thought.

"And it is a transplant, Tsunade," The so-called doctor responded, not at all bothered by the fighting going on above. "Do not concern yourself with the fallen playing their games upstairs."

"Do you take me for a fool?!" Tsunade backed away from the table. Her arms were raised as if she were ready to brawl. "You are trying to double-"

From behind she sensed another presence. A hand came across the side of her face and plunged a syringe into her neck. She grabbed the wrist, even as she felt her muscles start to relax, and tried to break it.

To her shock the once human skin started to turn into something akin to rubber.

"I'm afraid that won't work on me, Tsunade-sama," Said the man behind her, the same doctor she had identified earlier as Kabuto. She fell to the ground, face up, and unable to move.

Her eyes watched as his wrist turned back into something solid. Now that she could see his eyes reflected off of the operating light, her lips curved in silent horror.

"You see, I'm half Hebi too."

The footsteps of Orochimaru rounding the table sounded more and more distant as Tsunade felt her energy disappear. Her eyelids became heavy as the man with sickly white skin stood over her, a disgustingly unnatural smile splayed across his lips.

"I'm sorry, Tsunade, but I truly _do_ need your Twilight Healing. Just, for a different operation," he said, laughing at his method of trickery. "You see, I want to try and perfect a method of turning others into Hebi too. So, this time we will need to heal _you_ with Twilight Healing as the operation continues."

"No need to worry," Orochimaru promised Tsunade as her eyes shut. The anesthetic had almost completely run its course. Unfortunately, she managed to hear the last of his speech that made her blood run cold.

"If we fail, the only thing you have to deal with is an excruciatingly painful death."

* * *

Naruto and the others finally reached the bottom of the staircase and found themselves in a large, open chamber of some sort. In front of them they could see dozens of hooded priests observing some kind of ceremony occurring on the raised dais on the other side of the room. They recognized the one fallen angel as she stood near the crucified Asia.

"Look, over there!" Kiba pointed to their left. There on a similar crucifix was a struggling Aika, who looked alive and well.

Kiba's exclamation must have been heard across the room as the girl stopped moving. She looked over toward them and realized that her friends had arrived. Whatever elation she had quickly left her when everyone heard Asia scream in pain.

"Kiba! Koneko! Get Asia first!" Aika pleaded from afar.

"Naruto-kun!"

Hearing his name called out by an oddly familiar voice, Naruto turned to the opposite side of the room to see Fuka was in the exact same predicament. She seemed rather relieved to see the Mammon, and Naruto quickly figured out that she and the other fallen were not on good terms.

Unfortunately, the reunion of friends and allies did not go unnoticed by the rest of the room. The entirety of the priests had turned to face them, deploying swords of light similar to Freed's.

Naruto narrowed his eyes as the priests began to shift out of the way to make room for someone. From deeper within the pack came a short looking young girl with jet black hair. She wore a traditional kimono, sans the sleeves, shaded pink. Her lips were covered in a dark lipstick that matched her eyes.

"My name is Haku," said the girl. She looked rather out of place and Naruto could not sense any kind of hate inside of her. "You are intruding on my master Raynare's work and I cannot allow you to interfere."

The devils could feel a heavy magic buildup as the girl held up her arm to gather energy. Despite her obvious pretense to attack, Naruto saw the regretful look she offered them.

"Please leave, so that I don't have to kill you."

Naruto felt a little bad that a seemingly innocent kid got wrapped up in the fallen angel's schemes, but the devils were not going anywhere. He knew the others were waiting for his signal and started barking orders.

"Kiba, Koneko. Get Aika!"

The two occult members nodded and started to make their way left. A posse of the priests attempted to stand in their way, but the fight quickly turned in favor of the skilled devils.

"Kyuubi, handle Raynare. Artemis, take the girl."

Naruto's orders were met with no hesitation from the queen and knight. He had the utmost faith that they could handle themselves, and they in turn knew he could do without their support for now.

Kyuubi used her great speed to bypass the priests and headed straight for the raised platform with Asia and Raynare. Anyone who dared get close were pushed away with Kyuubi's tails, enhanced by a daemonic shroud.

Haku noticed her try and move past and gathered magic for a counterattack. She was forced to turn around and build an ice wall to block Artemis' barrage of arrows.

The knight readied another arrow and disappeared in a blur of motion.

_And I'll handle Fuka._

Naruto thought as he took off to the right to save his troublesome teacher.

* * *

"Come on, let's get you down," Kiba said from beneath Aika.

The knight and rook of Rias Gremory had arrived to successfully rescue the pawn. She looked no worse from wear, apart from the obvious stress of the ritual going on at the moment.

Kiba's smile turned sour as he thought about what the president would do when she got her hands on Aika after disobeying the orders given to her.

_1000 spankings?_

"Ey!" Koneko shouted as she ripped the chains from Aika's legs and then moved on to the chest.

Aika fell without the chains supporting her weight, but Kiba was there to hold her. It ended up very similar to a princess carry and despite the knight's casual attitude, Aika scrambled to get off him with an embarrassed blush.

They noticed Aika look back toward Asia on the platform. It appeared as though the ritual was completed as Asia looked completely unresponsive. Raynare had been forced away from the girl, however, by Naruto's queen. The two were fighting against each other nearby, but the path itself to Asia was mostly clear.

"Boosted Gear!" Aika shouted, holding her hand up to the sky.

When nothing happened after a few seconds, she jerked the hand back. Behind her glasses, she leveled a glare that could only be described as death.

"Hey you damn dragon, wake up!" She swung her arm around until the armored gauntlet finally appeared.

Now that their group was battle ready, Aika turned back to look at her compatriots. Her feelings were written very clearly across her face.

"We have to go get Asia."

Kiba and Koneko merely nodded and allowed the girl to lead them forward. This was part of their mission, too.

* * *

Naruto bypassed the priests blocking him with the use of his Flying Thunder God seal. He was able to land very close to Fuka's restrained body, courtesy of the night she stole his first kiss. When he had finally gotten the chance to concentrate, Naruto had not hesitated to apply his special seal to her body in case something like this occurred.

"Naruto-kun, I'm very happy to see you!" Fuka exclaimed, her voice filled with relief.

"You know, I didn't peg you for the damsel in distress," Naruto said with a bit of teasing. His hands reached for the chains around the woman's shapely legs, but then he thought of something.

_I could use this to my advantage._

"Naruto..." Fuka's happiness quickly shifted to confusion as she realized he was not rescuing her. Her tone quickly became rebellious. "What the hell are you waiting for? Get me down!"

"Uh uh, not so fast," Naruto said, wagging his finger in front of her. He could not help but reveal a devious smirk as he had quickly put together a new plan.

Fuka reeled at the sight of the conniving Naruto and she began to feel concerned. There was trouble in the air.

"This kind of trouble you've gotten into means you have to properly pay me back. I'm still kind of pissed about you stealing my energy, too," Naruto chided, mostly bluffing about the last part.

If he could make her feel a little guilty then she would be more open to his demands. Rias would surely approve of this kind of manipulation, right? If not her, Kushina would definitely be ecstatic.

"What?!" Fuka's temper boiled over as she realized her cute little student was trying to go against her. There was a tense moment between them before she tried to calm herself. She gave him a cute smile and used her playful tone to try and woo him. "Listen, I promise not to do it without asking again. Happy?"

Her snappiness rose up again when Naruto's smirk failed to disappear. "Come on, let me go!"

"You said you have a sacred gear, right, Fuka-chan?" Naruto asked, ignoring her.

"Eh?!" She exclaimed, completely thrown off by his question. "Y-yeah, I do. What of it?"

"That's all I need to know," he proclaimed.

"Then, you'll let me go?" Fuka asked, her smile returned.

Naruto offered her a huge smile as he thrust his pointer finger toward her. It was finally time to turn the tables on this teacher of his, and he knew just the method to fluster her.

"You're going to be my next knight, Fuka-chan!"

"..."

Fuka was taken aback by his declaration and was unable to respond. Then, she let out the first thing to come to mind.

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

* * *

"Damn you!" Raynare shouted as she spawned a light spear and threw it at Kyuubi.

The nine tails refused to move and instead used one of its tails to _smash_ the light weapon to pieces. Given her level of strength, Raynare's powers could do nothing but bounce off of the queen devil. In response, the morale of the fallen angel was quickly dropping as her back was literally up against a wall.

Kyuubi leaped up into the air to meet Raynare. She tried to fly away, but Kyuubi used her own wings to catch up. They were already close to the wall and the fallen angel quickly ran out of room to maneuver. There was nowhere to run as Kyuubi's fist sent Raynare flying into the crypt wall, shaking the foundation.

The nine tails noticed the sacred gear on her fingers activate and start to heal her of the wounds. Admirable, but her skill was nothing in comparison to Kyuubi's own healing methods.

"I guess you can last as a punching bag a little while longer," Kyuubi said with a low growl toward her struggling opponent.

* * *

"Are you being serious?" Fuka asked in complete deadpan.

"Yep."

"But I'm a Fallen Angel and you're a Devil. It's just not meant to be!"

Naruto shrugged. He had so far ignored her tirade of excuses and this one was no different.

"No worries, you'll change into a half devil anyway."

Fuka wracked her brain to come up with something else to use an excuse.

"What happened to my dream of a harem?"

"If you keep talking back to me, I foresee monogamy in the future," Naruto said. His offer sounded particularly bleak.

Fuka sighed as she realized she had no other tricks left in her book. Naruto refused to give up on what she had at first believed to be a joke. Now, she had come to understand just how very serious he was being. He might have been trying to anger her with his facetious attitude, but she knew he took things seriously when it came to his peerage.

_Honestly, I didn't see my life ending up like this._

Angel falls from heaven to live a life of debauchery only to be enslaved and set straight by a devil. Not exactly a fairy tail ending, and her harem was probably going to be off the table for the foreseeable future. Fuka would have to get back at her new master for ruining all of her fun.

"Fine, do what you want. Just get these damn chains off me," Fuka said, her tone getting a little snappy.

"Sure sure." Naruto jumped up to the top of the crucifix and hung down in front of Fuka. In his hand was the red knight piece that was going to turn her into a devil.

"Wait, why aren't you untying me? I agreed, didn't I?" Fuka began to struggle again, despite its futility.

"What are you talking about?" Behind his eyes, she could see his suspicion. "I'm not letting you get away from me that easy!"

Without further ado, he pushed the knight into her chest. A rush of new, daemonic energy flowed out from the piece and spread inside of her. Fuka could not help but cry out in ecstasy as it was more powerful than anything she had ever felt before.

_Not even my kisses have been **this** good!_

"Fuka, you are my knight now," Naruto said as he ripped the chains from her body. "You will follow me and protect me wherever I go, and I will be your only master for the rest of your days."

Fuka dropped to the ground on her own two feet. She took a moment to stretch and get used to what felt like a whole new body that was under her control. In the back of her head she had listened to Naruto's speech and decided to settle for the long haul. It might even be fun to tease him like she did in class, except she had free rein to do it whenever she wanted.

"So, what do you say?" Naruto asked for a response after she said nothing.

Fuka gave him an answer by forcing her lips onto his. His childish blush was not enough to sate her need for revenge, but it was a start. She played with him a little longer before she suddenly pulled away, teasing him right at the climax.

"You better prepare yourself, Naruto-kun," Fuka garnered a dangerous look to her eye. "The truth is, you can't run away from me anymore."

The look of concern he offered her was enough to make her giggle. He would be a lot of fun to play with in the future.

* * *

Naruto and Fuka stood off to the side and observed the battlefield before them. Most of the priests had been defeated and the few that were left looked ready to turn tail and run. Raynare was down for the count with Kyuubi looking no worse for wear.

The only issue had been Haku, but when Raynare fell the ice user's defense had dropped and allowed Artemis to score a deadly hit. He supposed without her master to protect she had lost purpose in the fight. If her earlier statements were anything to go by, Haku had not been all that interested in fighting them in the first place.

Before the amazon could finish her opponent off, however, Haku disappeared in a flurry of snow and ice. No trace of her was left behind, and he knew even Kyuubi might struggle to pick up the trail at this point. Naruto knew that the girl was not a priority anyway so he let her go, for now at least.

Somehow he felt that, with her magical talent, it would not be the last time they met. If that were the case, Naruto would be sure to make Haku an offer she could not refuse the next time. All of his attention would be on her instead of some pointless battle.

Naruto saw Kyuubi had been enjoying herself by smacking Raynare around, but he knew they could not kill her.

"That's enough, Kyuubi!" Naruto shouted across the room to his queen.

The kitsune looked ready to finish off Raynare before he had called her off. Prior to the battle kicking off, Rias had made a request that he leave the fallen angel alive. He would not have minded the nine tails finishing her off considering the pain the group of fallen had caused, but he would respect Rias' wish.

_Besides, I'm sure she has some plan._

Naruto assembled his family to gather near him. Since the rest of the occult members had already left the room, he knew they had no reason to stay. A magic circle appeared beneath their feet to transport them outside so that they conclude this little mission to enemy territory.

Given Naruto's expanded peerage, no matter how feisty the new one might be, he considered a success.

* * *

"Thank you for leaving the angel alive, Naruto-kun," Rias offered her thanks to the Mammon now that they had a moment of peace. She and Naruto were outside the church with his peerage and Akeno joining them. The others were inside, still dealing with Raynare.

"Don't mention it. I figured you had some master plan you weren't telling me about," Naruto said with a bit of jest.

"Oh, it was nothing like that," Rias waved his praise away with a placid grin, "I just wanted Aika to face Raynare herself. I believe she may grow stronger by facing someone who might as well be her biggest nemesis."

"That is some good family planning. I'd like to think I would do the same." Naruto turned to see his own peerage off to the side, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Will you be taking the nun Asia for yourself? One might say you earned it by providing the muscle of the operation here..." Rias' explanation trailed off as she did not want to come off as presumptuous.

"Nah, I think she will fit with your family the best," Naruto admitted. "With Aika's feelings for her, things would only get muddled between us if I took her."

"I suppose you _did_ get something for your trouble, after all..." Naruto followed Rias' gaze and saw Fuka leaning against one of the trees.

"If you mean I _got_ trouble, then yes." Naruto sighed. He refused to regret his choice but he could already tell Fuka was going to make things difficult for a while.

_The sacrifices that come with being king._

Rias giggled at his expense and simply offered him a look of sympathy. She surely had her own struggles in the past controlling her family, so she knew what he was going through better than most. Then again, she was not the one dealing with an army of the opposite gender.

A tingle in his chest told him someone had gotten close. He turned to his side and felt Kyuubi rub against him. There was a moment of silence before she began to whisper into his ear.

"Do you remember the woman who attacked you the other day?"

Naruto's eyes widened a bit as his thoughts drifted back to the nun. A person with incredible strength, she had called herself Tsunade if he remembered correctly.

Kyuubi noticed his facial expression and continued. "I sense her presence deeper in the church. What would you like to do?"

Naruto considered what the odds were that they would meet again in such a place. As luck would have it, he had an entire family to help him take her down this time around. She would not get off so easily.

"We are going, of course." Kyuubi backed away from him and gathered the other two, heeding her king's order.

"Something interesting happen?" Rias inquired with a curious gaze. Her arms were crossed expectantly.

"Yeah, I think I might have just gotten lucky again." Naruto offered her a wink before he turned to join the others.

"Naruto!" Rias called out to him before he got far. When he looked back, she seemed to struggle with saying whatever she needed to say. "Don't forget to stop by the club house after this, okay?" She asked him in an oddly fragile tone.

Naruto then remembered that she had said she wanted to properly thank him. If his first present had been the kiss on the cheek, he could only imagine what the second would be.

"Don't worry Rias, that's a date I won't miss."

Naruto left Rias with a slight blush as he and his family teleported away.

"Rias, you're blushing. Ufufu~" Akeno, who had chosen to remain quiet out of respect, finally made her presence known at the queen's side with a new wave of teasing.

"Quiet, Akeno." Rias' order came out more like a plea, and the queen only giggled in response.

* * *

"Pulse?" Naruto asked.

Fuka approached the pale blonde woman that was on top of the operating table. If one looked closely they could see a variety of cuts made on her nude body, all of which seemed to have been fully healed.

To see the powerful nun in such a state was difficult for Naruto. He had expected her to go down fighting surrounded by the bodies of her enemies. Instead, they arrived to find was an empty room filled with dried blood and one big mystery.

The newest knight of the Mammon peerage pressed her fingers to Tsunade's neck. Fuka waited for a long moment before she turned to Naruto and shook her head.

"Well, at least this part is easier," Naruto said. He was not, however, amused at his own morbid joke.

True though it was that his family did not have to fight to get her under control, he did not want to disrespect the woman in front of him by making light of her current status. He approached the body and then reached out using his king piece to detect how much she was worth. With her strength and sacred gear it had to be pretty hefty he guessed.

_8 pieces. Wow._

Just as impressive as she was when she was alive.

"Okay Tsunade, looks like you made the math easy for me." Naruto summoned his eight pawns and allowed them to gently fall into her chest.

The rest of his peerage watched by the door as the resurrection began. No matter who it was, watching someone come back from the dead was an astonishing thing to witness.

Naruto spread his arms above her body and fed his own magic into the pieces. He would need to call her spirit back to her body and make his claim of her servitude clear.

"Tsunade, I, Naruto Mammon, call upon your spirit to return to your body and become my servant." Tsunade's body began to release an alarming amount of light as energy built up. Underneath her, a magic pentagram formed. "As my pawn, you will fight my enemies and protect those I hold dear. Your only master will be me for the rest of your days."

He could feel the end of the ritual was nearing. With the last of his energy he forced it into her body to give her one final jolt.

"Awaken, Tsunade!"

* * *

Tsunade's eyelids had never felt heavier than they did now. Not even her worst drinking binges had made her feel that tired in the morning.

"..." Tsunade groaned as she tried to lift her arm.

_If I use Twilight Healing I can fix this damn headache..._

Her body would not respond to her commands; it almost felt like she were paralyzed. The simple thought of being unable to move forced Tsunade's eyes open as she remembered her last conscious thought: being strapped down to that table and operated on by Orochimaru.

_That double crossing snake!_

With all the strength left inside her, she craned her neck so that she could look around. It only took a moment to realize she was no longer in the operating room, but a comfortable bed instead. She looked down and saw that she had been dressed in her leotard at some point.

"Welcome back," said the person sitting to the far side of the bed. Tsunade squinted her eyes and could only stare with her mouth agape from surprise. "Tsunade, that's not a very womanly face."

That devil kid from before. Had he been the one to rescue her? Why of all people did it have to be him?

"You...what the hell are...what's going on?" Tsunade's voice cracked and she noticed that her mouth was incredibly dry.

"To put it simply: you died." Tsunade narrowed her eyes. He said that line pretty comfortably. "We found you dead in the basement of a church. I resurrected you."

Resurrected? Tsunade quickly began to put the dots together and knew what he was implying. The devil had actually managed to bring her back, but she was no longer human.

She had become the very monsters that had killed her beloved.

"I don't know what happened in your past to make you hate devils, but we aren't all the same." He tried to offer her some kind of comfort, but his words meant nothing to her.

"You know nothing," Tsunade muttered.

"I do know that you are a devil now, and you serve me." Their eyes met and she found his gaze to be intense. He made it clear to her there was no room for argument. "One of my servants was dissatisfied with the state of things after she was revived, too. I had to beat the fight out of her with a match. Is that what you want?"

Was it that easy, she wondered. Even if she beat him nothing could cleanse her of the blood inside. Tsunade grit her teeth in frustration; having to sit there and accept it was not any better, though.

"This probably won't mean anything to you, but you were worth eight pieces. It took all of my pawns to resurrect you, and I still did it," He said, forcing her to look at him. "From our fight, I could tell you were strong. I respected you then and I respect you now. All I ask is that you lend that strength to me when I need it."

"Not as if I can refuse..." Tsunade averted her eyes to show her disapproval.

"Well, you are right about that." He sighed and forced himself off of the chair. Now towering over her, he offered her a sympathetic smile. "Considering the lifespans of devils, you and I will have plenty of time to sort this out. Just remember that I'm willing to listen to anything you have to say."

"Why?" Tsunade could not help but wonder why he was so invested in her.

"Because, I like to see people as more than servants. One day we might even be family."

Tsunade could not accept that, not now. The look in his eyes told her that he knew that, too.

"My name is Naruto Mammon," The boy she now knew as Naruto said, approaching the door to leave. "If you remember that the next time you wake up, then that's good enough."

With that, he left Tsunade to her own thoughts. What was there left for her to say? She had so many things to ask and yet, in the end, she knew none of them mattered.

This devil boy had resurrected her. There was no other way to look at her situation. She could no longer return to the church, not that she particularly wanted to either. It was her own choice to go into exile, after all.

Tsunade had made a bet with her life, the most precious chip she had to gamble with, and she lost against Orochimaru. Now that her life was out of her own hands, she had to wonder whether her luck was going to get worse or better.

Time would tell, she supposed.

_If only time could heal old wounds._

* * *

"Please close your eyes, Naruto-kun," Rias called out to him from behind the couch he sat on. She had been preparing something back behind him but refused to let him see.

"Is it really that much of a surprise?" He asked with a cheeky undertone as he complied with her wish.

"At least do me that courtesy, this is embarrassing," she said with a cute whine in her voice.

He could hear the familiar clatter of plates on a platter as the footsteps grew closer. After a few agonizing moments of frenzied movement the shadows against his eyes stopped moving.

"Okay, open your eyes!" Rias exclaimed.

Naruto did as she asked and was greeted with a wonderful evening snack laid out upon the coffee table. There was cake, cookies, sandwiches, and tea for him to enjoy. Rias had even made sure that all of the utensils and added condiments were there in case he wished to use them. He could tell she had spent a considerable amount of time preparing everything prior to his arrival.

The Crimson Princess stood off to the side with the now empty platter pressed to her chest. She offered him a light blush in what he could only guess was embarrassment.

"Well, what do you think?" She asked, clearly nervous.

Naruto turned back to the refreshments laid out in front of him and tried to figure out what to try first. When he had first opened his eyes, the cake had been the thing to catch his eye first. Completely covered in a light pink frosting, Rias had already cut it open to reveal a red jelly filling inside. He would have to try it first since his mouth was already watering at the thought.

"This looks great, Rias," Naruto said as he cut his own slice out and placed it onto an empty dish.

With a fork he cut himself a portion of the lovely dessert and shoveled it into his mouth. Maybe his actions looked uncouth, but he was too excited to slow down.

Rias' smile grew wider when he began to hum with a smile on his face.

"This is delicious!" Naruto exclaimed, going back for seconds.

"Thank you, I made it myself," Rias suffered another blush when he whipped his head back in surprise. "What? Even I can do something like this."

"If this is your cooking level, I'd love to see what else you're capable of," Naruto said between bites.

He graciously accepted the cup of tea the girl offered him. Rias sat next to him but did not partake in the meal. Instead, she chose to simply watch and giggle at his frenzied eating.

"You're a top notch fighter and tactician, _and _you can cook! You are perfect wife material, Rias-chan."

In his peripheral vision, Naruto noticed Rias seize up when he mentioned 'wife'. His motions slowed as he realized he must have said something off. Maybe he came across as too forward.

"..." When he saw her face, she had a far off look in her eye.

Naruto wondered what could be so painful to think about regarding marriage. Family issues, he wondered?

"Wife, huh?" Rias mumbled, her good mood suddenly gone.

Naruto chose to eat the remainder of his meal in silence, for fear he would further bother Rias. Whatever she had thought of, he could tell she was not quite ready to talk about it.

As her devil friend though, he would remain close in case she changed her mind. Maybe he could do something to help with that problem, too.

* * *

_Plenty of stuff went down this chapter and I hope you enjoyed. The chart has been updated to include Tsunade and Fuka in their proper place. Originally I planned Tsunade to take one or two rook pieces, but I decided to switch the pawns around to take that role instead._

_No spoilers but the next few chapters usher us into Rias' Engagement arc with everyone's favorite: Riser Phenex. I was struck by inspiration recently and have most of the thing planned out already. The romance between the Crimson Princess and the Second Coming of Mammon is sure to be good!_

_Thanks for the great amount of support with last chapter's reviews. I enjoyed reading them! Please keep it up!_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Highschool DxD**


	5. Dutiful Bishop & The Confession

_Return of the Mammon Clan_

* * *

The town of Kuoh was enjoying a day full of sunlight. Students of the academy were reinvigorated for physical education as they trained in the good weather. Those who were stuck inside were still able to enjoy the rays of light as they shined through the grandiose windows of the school building.

Naruto found himself staring at Rias as she basked in the sun's glow. They were in the Occult Research Club room with Naruto sitting on the couch and the Crimson Princess leaning against the window sill across from him. The rest of the club, as well as Naruto's peerage, had been given free rein to do as they wished on such a day.

Rias had invited Naruto to enjoy some tea and swap stories. Apart from Sona, she had few High-class devils with which to speak to, normally. The same could be said for Naruto, as she was still well known to the others as Naruto's first devil acquaintance, though some could make the argument they had grown closer recently since the fallen angel incident.

"Things have been quiet recently, haven't they?" Rias murmured, her attention taken by the activity happening on the grounds outside. The sports teams were out training again and making a racket.

"Ever since that mess with Raynare was wrapped up," Naruto offered in agreement.

He took a sip of the tea Rias had made him and found himself smiling. The sweet taste of her usual brew had outed him as a lover of such things. With the refreshment came the thought of Akeno, Rias' queen, and he knew if the two were to go head to head it would be difficult to choose a victor.

_Rias really is pretty amazing._

Naruto's mood dropped even as he said that. The distant gaze Rias had offered him before had only become more and more frequent as the days and weeks passed. To see such a talented person down in the gutter over something was tough to bear. What bothered him the most was that he still had no idea just what was going on with the Gremory heiress.

"I am happy to see my servants getting along. They are living life as they want," Rias said, her gaze drifting back to Naruto.

His thoughts leaped to Aika and Asia as the two newest additions to Rias' peerage. Things were rough to start out with, but apparently Aika was taking care of Asia as her loving senpai. Rias even admitted that the clumsy girl had made friends with one of the Perverted Trio, one who went by the name of Issei Hyoudou. Apparently, Asia had become quite smitten with him under Aika's supportive yet inevitably lewd guidance.

The rest of Rias' peerage continued to live their lives normally, too. Since he often came to visit the club nowadays, he knew that Akeno and the others retained their high spirits. If anything, having Asia as their junior devil had only improved their moods from before.

And yet, Rias' attitude had failed to improve. The thought of his friend being hurt caused Naruto's smile to slowly fade away.

"Rias," Naruto addressed his counterpart, causing her to look toward him. "Is there...something bothering you?"

It was difficult for him to express his feelings without coming across as too forward. Just because Rias was a fellow devil did not change the fact she was a woman, and he knew they could be sensitive to talk about personal matters freely—especially with someone of the opposite sex. But, Naruto wanted to see Rias enjoy life the same as her peerage; that was the reason why he envied her in the first place, _because_ she was able to enjoy herself as both master and friend.

Rias' eyes widened a bit at the forwardness of his question. The emotions on her face seemed to sour as her thoughts drifted back to whatever afflicted her.

"..." Rias crossed her arms and tussled with an answer internally.

Naruto's frown deepened when he saw how much his question had troubled her. He stood up from his seat and joined her on the opposite side of the window sill. The deep gaze they shared with one another spoke volumes, despite the lack of speech exchanged.

"I don't want to pry," Naruto said, clarifying his position. In an attempt to act nonchalant he crossed his arms over his chest. "But, I can tell something is going on. As your friend, I might be able to help."

Rias' mouth opened a bit as she failed to find the words. He could tell that she had not expected him to say such a thing. Slowly, her soft lips began to curve into a gentle smile.

"Thank you for your kindness, Naruto," Rias said his name without the honorific; an event that had been becoming more and more frequent. "It means a lot to me to know you want to help."

Based on the noncommittal response he quickly grasped she still did not plan to involve him. Still, if she knew his feelings then at least she could consider him as an option.

"However, as heiress of the Gremory, with Duchess as my title, I must find my own solution to this problem," Rias' eyes narrowed as he could feel a great fire burn inside of her chest. She was determined to see this issue through to the end, on her own power. "I hope you understand that."

Naruto thought about pressing the issue but decided against it. He had quickly discovered since the time he first met that Rias was independent and had a proven track record of taking care of herself. If she could survive in the human world alone, without her family's influence, then whatever was bothering her could be overcome too. That individual strength and confidence was a parallel he saw with his own desires to become stronger—for the sake of his family, as well as himself.

"To be honest," Naruto's smile returned as he pocketed his hands, "I'm not all that worried."

"You are strong, Rias," he confessed, eliciting a reaction of bewilderment from her. "Stronger than me, at least."

"I wouldn't-"

"Just remember," Naruto said, interrupting what was no doubt her attempt to disagree with him. His fiery gaze softened as he stared into her aquamarine eyes. "Just because you are Rias Gremory, Duchess of the Gremory family, doesn't mean you can't rely on others."

Rias was unable to respond as he continued. He knew she was listening, and that was enough for him.

"I may not be a part of the 72 pillars, but I'm an heir too. The pressure to live up to the name and title is always an uphill battle," Naruto's thoughts drifted to Kushina and her desires. Realistically, he knew that to see them succeed he would have to put his life on the line many times. "Still, I rely on my family to help me when I need it. If they need help, I let them rely on me too."

"It's something I envied of you, Rias. Those bonds are something I'm striving for, after all," Naruto said, reminding them both of their first meeting together in that room.

There was a comfortable silence as his words sunk in, for the both of them. His speech that had come from his heart had helped calm his own nerves, just as much as he hoped it did the same for Rias.

Finally, he caught a glimpse of a look of hers he had not seen in quite some time. The carefree smile that had melted his heart from the first time she impressed it upon him.

"If that is what you are striving for, I have no doubt you will attain it." The words were so sincere that Naruto's chest shook with weakness. "When you finally have the bonds you are working so hard to build, _I_ will be the one who is envious of you, Naruto."

"Rias..."

The mood shifted as he felt an unfamiliar fire build deep inside him. He felt the need to hold onto that smile of hers, lest it disappear again. Naruto's attention fell deeper as he thought about the feeling of her lips upon his cheek; the soft, tender feeling that he wanted to feel again. The want for her outweighed even his desires for Kushina to offer him a similar gift.

"Naruto..."

A light blush had crested upon Rias' cheeks as she had drifted closer to him. He was still unsure of what an invitation might look like, but he was willing to take the chance for Rias. Their faces neared, despite the window being open for all in the quad to see.

He could feel the heat of her panting breath against his face. They were close, close enough for their noses to touch. Naruto's hands had left his pockets with one steadying him by the window sill and the other lightly gripping the girl's waist. In the back of his mind, he registered that Rias' hands were holding his own tighter than anything he had ever felt.

"President!"

The sudden shout forced both of their eyes to open again. Naturally, both eased away from each other as Rias turned to look out the window. They saw Asia running across the field toward the old building, the rest of the club in tow. She had been so elated to see Rias in the window that she had failed to read the mood very well.

Naruto heard Rias giggle and wave at the group as they quickly approached. The excitement in his chest began to fade, but Naruto could not stay angry after he saw Rias' smile stay true.

_I want to protect that smile._

"That girl, she really is something..." Rias muttered. Her gaze softened as she turned back to Naruto. "Sorry-"

He held up a single finger that made her pause. The genuine grin he offered told her there was no need.

"Don't worry about it. They are your precious family, which is most important."

Rias, in turn, began to smile as well. Their moment might have been lost but neither could deny they had gotten even closer.

A magical buildup in the room forced both of them to turn around. The dark crimson of the circle forming on the floor signaled that it was one of his servants. From out of the swirl pattern in the middle, Kyuubi took form from a mass of light energy. Her tails flapped behind her with the force of teleportation but quickly calmed as the circle and its spell disappeared.

"Naruto, the move has been complete," Kyuubi reported. With a larger peerage, his single bedroom apartment had simply not been enough. Somehow his mother had worked her magic again and actually gotten them a house of all things, though he had only been once to quickly inspect it.

"Good job. We should all be a lot more comfortable now," Naruto said, though internally he meant it mostly for himself. Kyuubi had taken the bed, Artemis the couch, and Tsunade the chair; his luck held when Fuka chose to remain at her own dwelling, but he was still stuck on the floor for a week.

Naruto turned back to Rias and shrugged. "I had better go before the club meeting starts. Better if I don't get in the way."

Rias crossed her arms as she was put off by his statement. "You wouldn't be in the way, you know that."

"Maybe, but still I had better check on my group. They can be a little...rowdy," he said, attempting to make a joke but failed miserably. Naruto's thoughts drifted to how Fuka and Tsunade were already butting heads for the silliest of reasons.

"If you say so," Rias said, shrugging in defeat.

Naruto offered her a wink as he turned on his heel to join Kyuubi. With time, the queen had become more and more accustomed to devil magic and energy. She was already talented with Youjutsu, youkai magic, and Senjutsu, so it did not come as much of a surprise to him or his mother. Recently, he had allowed her to be the one to forge the magic portals they used to teleport to their desired destinations.

Surprisingly enough, the kitsune had not even complained about the new responsibility. Maybe her mood was improving.

"Wait, Naruto!" Rias called out to him in somewhat of a panic. He twisted his head back to see what was wrong. "There is...something I wanted to ask you."

Naruto oriented himself so that he was facing her again. He patiently waited for her to continue. Out of respect Kyuubi had stopped building the magical circle, too.

Rias struggled with herself before she managed to find the courage to go on.

"Do you think...its too much to ask for someone to be loved for just who they are as a person?" Rias' eyes were downcast. "Is it selfish to ask that someone not think of your name or title, if you have them?"

"Of course it's not asking for too much. That's what real love _is_!" Naruto declared rather loudly, taking the heiress by surprise. "People and their feelings should always be more important than status, if you ask me."

Naruto knew his mother would go against him in that regard because for her, power and status was what she had dedicated her life to attaining. He did not hate her for it, because that was her right as a devil to desire something so strongly. They both gained strength from their own separate wishes.

"I told you before that forming bonds was my biggest desire, but if you break it down, in the end my desire is just wanting love," Naruto's smile grew wider. "That feeling is the most precious to me, and I swore to protect it."

"Naruto..." Rias found herself unable to properly respond to his declaration. After a moment she offered him an appreciative smile. "Thank you, for answering my question."

"Of course." The significance of it was not lost on Naruto.

Their gaze remained on one another until the magical circle spirited him away into nothingness.

* * *

Naruto was sitting on his new couch watching TV in his spacious family room. Next to him was Kyuubi who seemed to be struggling to stay awake from watching the human news show. Upstairs, the rest of his peerage were no doubt preparing themselves for bed. It was early evening now after a long day of getting the new house squared away just as everyone liked.

Their stomachs were full with the delicious meal Fuka had managed to cook for them. He was glad that he convinced her to move in fully now that they had the space to accommodate the fallen angel hybrid. Since she had been living on her own as a self-sufficient adult in the human world, she knew her way around a house better than the rest of them.

Tsunade had turned out to be rather spoiled despite her worldly travels. She knew the taste of good sake and how to lose at any form of gambling known to man, but could not cook or clean to save her life. Artemis was the same way; even as a demigoddess, she was well taken care of by her believers.

Kyuubi at least had the decency to try and learn how to do such simple things to make tea. She was not particularly good at it, but Naruto found her attempts to be spirited and cute.

A knock on the door threw him out of his reverie. He realized that he had actually gotten lost in his desire of enjoying family life. Maybe he really was getting closer to his goal.

"I'll get it," Naruto said, indicating Kyuubi stay.

Out of his living room and into the foyer, Naruto took hold of the door handle. He opened it just a crack so that he could see who it was. Naruto was taken by surprise to find Akeno Himejima, Rias' queen on the opposite side.

"Hello, Naruto-kun," Akeno greeted him as he swung the door fully open. Her nimble fingers held his chin and gently pushed his mouth closed. "A king should not make such an unsightly face, Ufufu~"

"A-Akeno-san, what made you come all the way out here?" While his house was still a respectable distance from the academy, he could not imagine why the girl would come at such a late hour.

From behind him he heard footsteps on the wooden floor and knew Kyuubi had come out to see what the commotion was. A buildup of energy meant she was not taking Akeno's presence here to be a good thing.

"Rias sent me with a message," Akeno explained. Her smile failed to falter as she largely ignored his fuming queen. "May I come in?"

Naruto hesitated a moment before he stepped aside to allow her entry. Rias' queen bowed in thanks as she made her way inside. She removed her shoes and graciously accepted his offer to use the guest slippers.

"I brought tea to brew. Could you lead me to your kitchen?" Akeno asked as they stepped properly into the house.

Kyuubi drew out a low growl in response to the offer. He could tell by her closed off body language that the kitsune was not happy.

"That won't be necessary, girl," Kyuubi said, crimson eyes dangerously narrowed.

Akeno, not one to back down from a challenge, met Kyuubi's gaze. There was a dark energy between them that made even Naruto shiver. Was this the infamous queen rivalry his mother had told him so much about? When two queens of formidable strength opposed one another and released their energies as one?

_Scary._

"My my, things are getting dangerous aren't they?" Akeno noted, her grin had quickly devolved into something dark.

"Don't test my patience. You will not find me wanting, child!" Kyuubi released another burst of ki.

If they went for any longer they were sure to start damaging the house.

"I wonder how you would feel being hung from your tails? How long would you last?" Akeno brought a finger to her lips, licking it with her tongue in excitement. A light blush hung from her cheeks as her vicious imagination began to run wild.

"I could say the same with those jugs of fat hung about your chest." Kyuubi was not one to be beaten, if it were merely a battle of words.

Their playtime, however cute, had gone too far. A powerful daemonic energy neither had sensed before emerged from Naruto's direction. Both of them shrunk in response, their bodies unable to move.

"That's enough out of you two," said Naruto. A visible cloak of dark energy hung around the king piece wielder that engulfed the room. Naruto's order made it clear there was no room to talk back.

When the queens ceased their squabbling Naruto stopped his own energy release. Given the uncomfortable looks they were offering him, he must have gone a little overboard. Still, his point had been clearly made.

"Akeno, follow me," Naruto said, his voice having returned to normal.

The queen in question bowed and fell into step behind him. Behind her, Kyuubi's gaze followed the back of her king until he disappeared into the kitchen. She chose not to follow him, that time.

Now at her requested destination, Akeno retrieved the necessary things from her bag and began to work on the tea. She wisely chose to remain quiet and let him be the first to speak.

"Sorry about that. I didn't mean to bother the two of you," Naruto apologized for his earlier transgression.

"I love a king who isn't afraid to show a little power. That was very manly," Akeno admitted, but her body remained tense. "It was a bit...more than I was expecting though, I guess."

In the foyer he could hear more footsteps and figured the others had come down to check out the source of the energy release. He hoped Kyuubi would forgive him but he knew she was a difficult one to make amends with.

"So, what's this message of yours?" Naruto asked, steering them back on track.

If it was from Rias he could only guess at the contents. They had not spoken since their last conversation in the club house, where she asked him about love.

"Before that," Akeno, who had her back to him as she made the tea, turned from her work. He saw her face clearly now and noticed a light blush had come over her cheeks. "I can't hold back anymore, Naruto-kun."

There was a new mood lifting itself in the room and Naruto was unsure of how to handle it. It felt oddly familiar, yet at the same time different to what he felt with Rias when they had almost kissed.

"I heard the end of your conversation with Rias the other day," she confessed.

Akeno's legs carried her toward him, each step carefully made to create the pure image of seduction. Her blush grew deeper the closer they got.

"Your declaration of love got me so hot and bothered that I just couldn't wait to see you again," Akeno said. Naruto did not resist as her arms wrapped around his chest, breasts pressed against him.

"Akeno-san, what exactly...are you saying?" Naruto was somewhat confused at her forwardness. He did not even know she liked him that way.

"Seeing Rias like that made me want to feel the same way. Would you mind _bonding_ with me too?" Akeno's request came out low and sultry.

Beneath him, she craned her neck to offer him full access to her supple skin. She let her eyelids rid her of sight and offered Naruto the chance to do whatever he wanted. He could definitely not say he was not tempted, but something felt a little off key with their rendezvous.

His lips pressed against her forehead, rather than anywhere else. The choice made Akeno open her eyes and back away a bit in surprise.

"But why?" She asked. He could sense more than a little bit of disappointment.

"Sorry, Akeno, but it's no fun if you make it that easy," Naruto said as he offered her a smile in return.

Akeno's mood dipped lower into genuine despair. "Am I not good enough? Is it because I'm not Rias?"

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he had never pegged her for someone with low self-esteem. She was one of the school's princesses after all, so he figured she would have more confidence in herself.

"That's not it," Naruto took hold of her shoulders and forced the girls' destitute eyes to look at him. "I think if you had confessed to me right there I would have done anything you wanted."

Akeno seemed confused still, so he tried to express his feelings better.

"It just felt like you wanted me because Rias wanted me. That's not how it should be, if it really is love," Naruto brushed her bangs aside. "When you want me because _you_ want me, then we can pick up where we left off."

"Naruto-kun..." Akeno mumbled. She had not gotten exactly what she wanted but he hoped his words reached her all the same.

"Sorry, that's just how I feel," Naruto said, with his shoulders shrugged. "How about that tea?"

Akeno's spirit quickly returned as she twisted her body around back to her work. He could hear her fretting over the drinks and knew she had started to return to normal.

The playful Akeno was the one he wanted to keep, after all.

* * *

The next day, Naruto found himself back at the site of the rundown church for another hunt. This time, while Rias and Sona were absent, Akeno had been sent to join him and his peerage. She had been the one to offer the information with Rias' message, and she had requested to come along.

Of course Kyuubi was against it as she was always suspicious of outsiders, but Naruto knew she felt threatened by Akeno's presence as a more experienced queen piece. Nonetheless, as an olive branch had already been extended between him and Rias Naruto had no reason to forbid her from tagging along.

"So, Akeno-san, you said the ice user from before is still hanging around here?" Naruto asked the occult vice president for final confirmation.

"Yes, Naruto-kun. Apparently they are warding away any who try and get close with magic," Akeno said, her soft eyes belying the danger they all felt from within. "Luckily, no one has been hurt."

Rias, who had been the one to first discover the information, knew it was only a matter of time before either the stray magic user or someone else was wounded. They needed to end the standoff quickly and quietly.

"Why haven't you taken care of the problem yourself?" Kyuubi directed the question at Akeno with no small amount of taunting behind it.

Akeno skillfully dismissed Kyuubi's challenge by focusing her attention on Naruto. "Rias knows that Naruto has the most experience dealing with her, and that he desires to expand his peerage. She believed it was best for him to handle the situation."

"Hmph, sounds like an excuse to me," the kitsune muttered to herself. Naruto heard her clearly though.

"That's enough, Kyuubi," Naruto said with clear exasperation. He did not want to argue prior to the fight.

"Artemis, you have the most experience against the girl. What do you think?" Naruto addressed his knight, who had chosen to remain silent in the conversation as she usually did.

With the attention shifted to her, the amazon stepped forward into the spotlight.

"The magic user named Haku was very adept with their ice magic. Even with a magically enhanced arrow, I struggled to pierce her defense. Her natural speed was worthy of praise and it often saved her when the ice was too slow."

Artemis displayed great observation skills in her hunt of Kyuubi and Rias and had analyzed their abilities to a respectable extent before she attacked them. Her work on Haku was under stress during a larger battle, but her advice would give them the edge they needed if they had to come to blows.

"I also noticed that she was holding back with some of her more lethal attacks. She did not come at me with the intent to kill, but rather delay."

Artemis' final note struck a similar chord in Naruto's memories of the battle against the fallen angels.

"Yeah, she said something about not wanting to fight us. Maybe I can use that to talk her down," he said.

If he could help it, he would rather not have to fight. He knew the girls of his peerage, and even Akeno, had come expecting some kind of conflict to arise. In fact, he would go as far as to say that some of them were even hoping for something similar to occur. But, Naruto did not want to solve all of his fights with fists.

_There was no hatred inside of her last time. Just dedication._

Naruto wanted to believe he could save Haku with words and not force.

"Let's go," Naruto ordered. The girls fell into step behind him as they passed through the destroyed church building and descended into the crypt.

Oddly enough, they were met with no resistance. Haku should have tried to force them to turn away by now, but nothing felt different than the last time they were there.

Upon their entry into the crypt, Naruto could feel all the heat leave the air. His family quickly got their guard up as the room became deathly cold.

Across from them, he could see Haku standing in the center of the chamber. She had clearly been waiting for them as her eyes leveled what looked like a lifeless stare at them.

"So, you finally return," said the girl. There was no hatred in her tone. "I was wondering if you would."

"Your name is Haku, right?" Naruto called out to her. The girl did not respond, so Naruto continued. "I'm Naruto Mammon, you remember me don't you?"

"Yes...you were the one to defeat my master, Raynare," The name of her master came out of her mouth particularly strained. She seemed to be in a considerable amount of mental pain.

"Not personally, but you are right that I had a hand in her death." He noticed Haku flinch at his choice of words. "Can I ask why you were so dedicated to Raynare? She didn't seem like a particularly nice individual."

That was putting it lightly, but he did not want to wantonly insult the girl's master in front of her. If he could keep things civil and calm, he could talk their way out of conflict.

"Raynare was not describable as 'nice', you are correct," Haku said, nodding. Even still, she smiled at whatever memories she had recalled. "She gave me purpose, when my life had none. That was all I treasured during my stay with her."

"Having a purpose is important," Naruto admitted. He could sense they were getting somewhere. "But, have you thought about giving yourself purpose?"

"Impossible," Haku offered the response rather quickly, but her smile remained. "Perhaps before, but not now. To serve someone, to protect someone, to treasure someone is the greatest feeling I know now."

The others around him were silently astonished by the girl's heartfelt dedication. They had never met anyone who was so willing, so happy, to demean themselves in the support of someone else.

"And now that Raynare is gone, what do you plan to do?" Naruto asked.

Haku said nothing for a short while. Their gazes crossed and Naruto felt just how lost she was. Despite him being an enemy, she looked at him for that answer.

"I was hoping you would return, because I felt you might have the answer. As the one who defeated my master Raynare, I could think of no one else to ask." Her honesty humbled Naruto.

"You know that I _am_ a devil, right?" In response to his question, Haku nodded.

She offered him another smile and released a bit of energy. In that moment, he saw two wings not unlike the ones he owned appear behind the girl's back.

"Yes, because I am half devil, too." Her daemonic stores of energy, as if they had been kept locked up, were now releasing.

They were not threatening, but more like gentle and constant waves washing over him. Was this what happened when a person suppressed their true identity for so long?

"Then, Haku, I have an answer for you," Naruto said, unleashing his own wings. He strode across the chamber while the others remained behind. Kyuubi hissed a warning but he ignored her.

Now with him in front of her, Haku still did not put up her arms in defense. Perhaps she was hoping he would kill her to release from the pain. He would heal her of that loss, but another way.

"Haku, I will ask you to become my servant," Naruto said, summoning a bishop piece from his chest. The girl looked upon the evil piece with a mix of curiosity and hope. "You will serve me as a bishop to my family. Those behind me will be your comrades, and you will fight to protect what I hold dear. For the rest of your days, I will be your only master."

Naruto offered her the piece in the palm of his hand. He would let her make the final choice.

"What do you say?" With his proposal on the table, it was up to her.

Haku's body seemed to freeze as she considered his offer. After the considerable pause he watched the girl take into her small hands the bishop piece and press it into her chest. Enveloped in a powerful blinding light, Naruto could only smile as his newest family member accepted the invitation.

The others walked over to join him as they realized the battle, or lack thereof, was over. Haku, who had doubled over from the overwhelming strength, slowly returned to her full height. She was welcomed by the sight of her new family and master, who was offering her a bright smile.

"Welcome, Haku."

The rest of them could only share in the euphoria as Haku returned his gesture. If one were to look upon her, they could see Haku was completely free of anguish.

The servant had found her true master, and was now finally at peace.

* * *

Some days later, Naruto found himself getting ready for bed on a particularly quiet night. The others had already retired and so he had wrapped up his free time by enjoying the last of the refreshments Haku and Kyuubi had made together.

Naruto's smile widened as he thought back on the newest arrival to the Mammon household. Haku had slotted into their group rather well and had accepted her role of support with great enthusiasm. Not only was she a potent magic user, but she had also displayed great practice with household chores. Fuka often recruited her to help in the kitchen with meals and Kyuubi had begrudgingly allowed the young girl to share the right of making beverages with her.

This warm feeling in his chest refused to disappear as he felt his chains were finally turning into the threads of friendship. The bonds he had promised Rias he would create were really starting to come together. With this power, he felt like he could take on the world.

A soft but firm knock on the front door brought him out of his thoughts. It was pretty late for Akeno to be delivering another message, and he sincerely hoped she was not trying to get him to do perverted things again. He was not sure if he could resist now that he was so tired.

Naruto recognized the potent energy on the other side of the door. His eyes widened a bit and Naruto was surprised she would be so careless to release her energy like that. Was she not feeling well?

"Rias?" Naruto opened the door to reveal the same red headed girl. He could instantly tell something was wrong when he looked into her eyes—bloodshot, with dried trails of tears running down her cheeks.

"Naruto..." Her voice was hoarse. He could tell she wanted to come inside, but could not summon the words.

"Come on in," Naruto said as he opened the door fully. Rias did as he asked but simply stood in the foyer, listless. "Follow me."

Naruto took her by the hand and brought him into the living room. There was still enough tea to pour her a cup, which he did. She accepted the cup but simply left it to sit on her lap.

"I thought about what you said before, Naruto," Rias said after she had calmed down somewhat. "And I know that I don't want to lose the chance to find that love."

Naruto was unsure if he followed her correctly. Something terrible had clearly happened but, she was referring to his words from their last meeting. Finding someone to love you over status.

"This isn't easy for me to speak of, but I feel like you should know." Naruto edged closer as Rias found the confidence to speak. "I'm engaged to someone who I do not wish to marry."

Naruto's eyes widened a bit as she admitted to that. Somehow though, his heart did not break so easily. With all the evidence surrounding him, he felt like an idiot for not coming to the same conclusion earlier.

"As it is now, my father and brother refuse to listen to my protests. I feel helpless," Rias confessed, her hands fidgeting with one another. "I know the only way they will listen is if I do something drastic."

Those were dangerous words for Rias to say. Naruto would have to be careful with what he said.

Rias turned to him with fresh tears brimming in her eyes. "Please, Naruto, you are the only one that I can count on!"

She pulled herself close to him on the couch and wrapped her arms around him. Naruto noticed that she had started to unbutton her blouse and offer him a seductive view of her cleavage.

"Please, take my virginity," Rias' whisper in his ear was desperate, stressed.

Naruto knew he could no longer stay out of this conversation. He had to stop Rias before she made a mistake that she could no longer take back. His hands wrapped around hers as he forced her to pause in stripping.

"Rias, do you know what you're asking?" Naruto's gaze penetrated her and he made it clear his question went deeper than just the sex.

Rias had to avert her eyes to avoid losing all of her strength. The cracks in her resolve began to show as she starting muttering something.

"You may be a member of the Extra Demons and lack the prestige of the 72 pillars, but," Rias' voice grew louder as she forced her argument onto him. She had clearly given this some thought. "But, you have the pedigree of being a descendant of one of the original Maou, and you yourself are very powerful."

Rias' strength faltered when Naruto did not give her a response.

"Am I no good?" She asked. Her body withdrew from him and he could see the tears falling freely.

Naruto took her chin into his hands. Gently, he forced the crimson princess to look at him. The hurt he could feel behind her gaze pierced him like an arrow.

Rias forced herself closer. Her eyes closed and those lovely lips of hers quivered in hope that he would accept her.

_I can't do this anymore..._

Naruto brushed some strands of red hair out of the way so he could have clear access to her ear. He brought himself closer so that his breath tickled her skin.

"The truth is, Rias..." He felt her hands grip his blazer as she dreaded to hear what he had to say. "You are too good for someone like me."

When she tried to pull away, he held her arms still. Naruto did not even look into the eyes he knew would be full of hurt. His eyes only focused on the lips in front of him as he forced his own onto hers.

Naruto's hands found their way to her waist and pulled Rias closer. Now free to move, Rias put her own arms around his neck and forced him to deepen the kiss. He felt her leg softly lay itself on his lap as Rias started to straddle him.

Rias freed her lips from his long enough to moan before she was muffled by another kiss. His hands did not remain idle as he rubbed up and down her legs and back. For every action her lips and tongue made that pleased him, he would give her a loving squeeze.

"Naruto..." She whispered his name, her tone overtaken with lust. Rias writhed in his arms as his lips attacked her vulnerable neck and collarbone.

The lower he went on her chest the louder he forced her cries to go. His teasing ceased as he forced his lips onto her own again. What mission his mouth could not finish his hands would, as they rounded her waist and began to cup Rias' ample breasts. She was taken by surprise by his sudden, intimate touch and moaned into his mouth.

He pulled his lips from her. "Rias, I love you..." Naruto's lust forced his feelings to the forefront.

Her answer was to press her body against him even more, her lips dancing across his flesh. If things went much farther he knew he would not be able to hold back.

Their noses rubbed up against one another as Rias forced their eyes to meet. "Naruto...I-"

A bright light enveloped the room that he recognized as a magical circle of some kind. Together, they forced themselves to stop and look at the interruption. The crest was one he had never encountered before. He felt Rias seize up in his arms that were wrapped around her waist.

Whatever it was, it could not have been good.

"Damn..." He heard Rias mutter.

From out of the light came a tall woman with silver hair tied up in an orderly style. She wore some kind of maid uniform which at first made him think she was just a servant, but he could feel great power emanating inside of her. Who was she, he had to ask.

"Rias-sama, this is going too far," said the woman as she quickly noticed their disheveled state. "You should not have made such a rash decision, especially with someone of the Extra Demons."

Naruto could not help but level a glare at the woman who insulted his family's honor. If she were apologetic, the apathetic look in her eyes refused to show even a hint of remorse.

"Grayfia, that's going too far," Rias said in protest. He could feel her slowly move out of his grasp to stand on her own two feet. "Besides, my virginity is mine to do as I wish with it."

Grayfia flicked her eyes from Rias and then back to Naruto. She bowed her head to him respectfully. "Excuse me for my rudeness. I hold no ill will to your clan or your status, as I too once called myself one of the Lucifuge."

Naruto recognized the name and knew they were another family of Extra Demons, well reputed as the servants of the previous Lucifer. Now that he recognized the name Grayfia, he knew from Rias that she was the queen of Sirzechs Lucifer, the person who could definitely be the most powerful individual of the Underworld.

Not only that, but he was Rias' older brother. Worse, he was one of the supporters of the engagement.

"Unfortunately," Grayfia then turned back to Rias and began to fix her ruffled clothing. The red head looked uncomfortable but said nothing. "Rias-sama has an obligation to see this marriage through. It is for the sake of the Gremory house's honor."

"I know that much already..." Rias muttered in frustration. The feeling was that they had lost this battle against Grayfia.

Naruto stood up as Rias approached him now fully dressed thanks to Grayfia's quick work. She offered him another smile, but it was not the right one. The one she offered him had nothing but sadness hidden behind it.

"I'm sorry about all this, Naruto," Rias pressed her hand against his chest. She could feel his heartbeat, how fast it beat for her—from love, from worry. "I shouldn't have gotten you involved in this. Please forget about what I asked."

As Rias pulled away, she hid her face and emotions from him. He took hold of her falling hand before she could get away. Now forced to turn around, he could see that whatever illusion she tried to build had fallen apart. Rias wanted nothing more than for him _not_ to forget that encounter, and he knew she was struggling to uphold her duty.

"Rias, remember what I told you about the Mammon," Naruto said, tightening his hold on her wrist. "We don't let go of what we want, no matter what."

Even after Rias was forced to leave with Grayfia, Naruto's words would still echo in her head. His determination was not so easily beaten.

_I will not let go of you, Rias!_

* * *

The days passed and Naruto heard nothing out of the Occult Research group. His worry had become palpable enough that he had even contemplating searching for them himself. Somehow he was able to hold himself back and wait for some kind of sign.

He received it with a surprise home visit from Tsubaki, the student council vice president.

Sitting across from him on another couch, the vice president explained she came with a message from Sona relating to Rias. She had come to realize that Naruto had been left out in the dark and felt he should know what was going on.

Naruto briefly wondered if Rias had admitted anything regarding their relationship, if he could call it that, to the council president. If they were as close as they say, he could only guess the answer was yes.

"Rias-sama has taken her peerage away from town in order to train for the upcoming Rating Game, set between her and Riser Phenex-sama."

Riser Phenex. The name rang a distant bell that meant Naruto must have heard of him during his time in the Underworld. He could only assume that he was the one to be engaged to Rias, which meant he must have been a devil of some renown. His mother had told him stories of the Phenex family and their prowess, but he had never seen one before.

Now, he sorely wish the man was present for a long overdue confrontation.

"Is there any reason why Rias didn't tell me herself?" Naruto had to ask, though he doubted Tsubaki would know as the intermediary.

He was mostly just voicing his own frustration concerning the whole event. What kind of luck did he have to confess to a girl only to have her ripped away from him in the same night? Given Rias' inability to give him a response, even a proud devil like him would start to falter in their confidence.

"According to my master, Sona Sitri-sama, Rias-sama felt guilty about involving you in her family's politics and wished to put distance between you prior to the rating game." Tsubaki offered him the quote word for word, each one like another stab through his chest. "Besides, Rias-sama considers this a personal battle to overcome as the Gremory heiress and felt it would be improper to ask you for anything further."

The feeling of powerlessness made Naruto sick. He knew that Rias was trying to do things her own way, and he would respect that, but it did not make it any easier for him to let go.

Unfortunately, he knew just as well as everyone else that Rating Games were designed to be one vs one matches. Meaning, there was nothing for him to add to Rias' strategy except an emotional distraction that could cost her the game.

"What do you plan to do now, Naruto-sama? I can relay it back to the council president, who could then give the message to Rias-sama," Tsubaki's offer was generous, and he could tell she acknowledged his feelings for Rias.

Naruto was tired of sitting around waiting for something to happen. He knew there was only one option for him, as a king, to take.

"I'll take my group back to the Underworld. We can spend this time training, too," Naruto said, his mind made up. "I plan on watching the game from there, as well."

Tsubaki bowed her head and then stood up to leave. "Rias-sama will be happy to hear that."

Naruto's gaze shifted toward the spot on the couch where Rias and he had shared their first embrace. He would not let those feelings end there, no matter if he had to go against Sirzechs Lucifer himself.

_No matter what, I have to protect that smile._

* * *

Naruto felt his feet almost slip out from under him as he watched Rias concede the rating game. In front of Riser, she had tearfully held herself in front of her wounded comrades and begged him to stop. To save her family, Rias gave up her chance of happiness so that they could live on.

And Riser might as well have spit in her face with disrespect he offered them. He wiped her out without concern for how she felt since all he could see was the prize at the end of the tunnel. Naruto now understood what Rias meant by the Phenex heir only seeing her name, and not _her_ as a person.

To hand Rias over to him was unacceptable.

"What a farce of a fight," Kushina, his mother, said as she stood with him watching the broadcast. "The Gremory girl never had a chance."

"This makes me sick, mother..." Naruto muttered, the grip over his daemonic energy was slipping.

"Tell me your true feelings, my son," Kushina whispered into his ear. He felt her hands begin to cradle his head and force him to look upon her face. Inside of his mother, he could feel her energy rising too. The look she offered him was one of assurance, that she would listen to whatever he had to say.

"I love her, mother," As he said that his energy began to flair. "This is something I can't accept. Not after what he's done to her."

Kushina bathed in his energy and began to laugh. It was anything but lighthearted, though. The curves of her smile turned upward as she responded in kind with her own daemonic shroud.

"Your chains have already wrapped around her, I can _feel_ it," Kushina's hand pressed against his chest willing his emotions to rise. "To let this engagement continue would bring dishonor to our clan."

Naruto's eyes narrowed as their gazes met.

"The Mammon don't let go," Naruto said.

"The Mammon do not share, they _take,_" echoed Kushina.

Riser was trying to take that which was already taken. He would be forgiven by neither son nor mother.

"I have to go then, mother," Naruto's eyes shifted to one of the open windows and the azure sky that hung above the Underworld. The Phenex household, where the engagement party was sure to be held.

His mother's snickering laugh returned as her excitement was renewed.

"I had never thought the Mammon's return would be made so scandalous. I approve, Naruto," Kushina said, taking his hand in hers. "I will join you."

The thought of his mother leaving the castle with him made his heart soar. Whatever worries that had plagued his heart were now swept away. His mother's presence instilled a confidence in him that could not be broken.

"If we are to reveal ourselves to devils, my child, we can no longer hold back," Kushina said. As if to force her point, Naruto felt his mother let go of her mental limiters and forced her daemonic energy to release in full.

Just like the time with Kyuubi and Akeno, when Naruto had lost his temper, he let his real aura be released. It had been his mother that told him to keep that strength hidden inside, for it was too dangerous to freely display. Now, it was Kushina that was the one to give him permission to unleash it all on his enemy.

Naruto let go of the last of his inhibitions and found himself covered in his own cloak of energy. Kushina cackled as she embraced her son, pressing her naked chest against him. Together the dark energy poured across the room and embraced itself making the air feel heavy.

They were interrupted by a magical circle Naruto had recently come to recognize. He felt his mother stir from his chest and glare openly at the interruption. She was clearly displeased at how forward this person was being, to teleport directly to their chambers.

From out of the portal stepped Grayfia, servant of the Gremory and Sirzechs Lucifer. Before both him and his mother, Grayfia offered them both a deep bow of respect.

"Greetings, Naruto Mammon-sama," Her eyes shifted from Naruto to his mother. If she felt threatened by his mother, she did not show it "Kushina Mammon-sama."

"One of the traitor Lucifuge," Kushina said with a dismissive grunt. She crossed her arms expectantly. "What brings someone of your ilk here?"

Grayfia accepted his mother's thinly veiled insult with stride. She bowed her head and prepared something from her apron's pocket and held it out for Naruto to take. With his mother's succinct nod, he took her offering and examined it.

In his hand was a piece of paper with an inscribed pentagram. From his studies, he recognized the sign of the Lucifer Maou.

"I am here to officially invite you to Rias Gremory-sama's engagement party," Grayfia recognized the harsh glares that were leveled at her and continued to speak. "and, to provide you with a message from Sirzechs Lucifer-sama."

Naruto and his mother exchanged concerned glances. What could one of the four Maou want with them?

"He wishes to offer the Mammon a chance to negotiate their return to the 72 pillars," Grayfia said. Naruto could feel his mother's energy flair in excitement. "Further, he asks that if Naruto-sama truly loves Rias-sama, that he 'come and take my dear little sister back' with the strength of the lost Fifth Maou, Mammon."

Kushina turned back to look at her son with a look of pure delight. This was a side of his mother that even Naruto had not witnessed before.

That devilish smile of hers only grew wider as she began to speak.

"This, my son, is truly the start of the return of Mammon!"

* * *

_With this chapter, we get set for a proper showdown. Naruto and his mother have been given their opportunity to make one hell of a splash in devil society by attending the engagement ceremony._

_With this, I think we are now shifting to the M-rating. It honestly came faster than I expected but I knew after Rias' late night visit to Naruto that things were only going to get worse (better) from there._

_The chart has been updated for Haku as the new bishop._

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Highschool DxD**


	6. The Engagement Showdown

_Return of the Mammon Clan_

* * *

In Kushina's chambers, both she and her son finished preparing their outfits for the engagement party. For their illustrious return to be burned into the minds of every devil that attended the event, Kushina would settle for nothing but their best. To that end she had made sure that her son dress with her in attendance so she could be a proper judge.

"Mother, isn't this a bit plain?" Naruto asked as he looked over himself. She had made him wear a white button up with a dark vest and matching dress pants. Without a coat though Naruto felt like it was inappropriate to wear.

Kushina ignored him for a moment as she finished with her own dress. She had chosen a blood red gown that hugged her body tightly and with a slit cut into it on one side to show off her leg's supple white skin. To accentuate the bosom she had prided herself on, Kushina ensured the dress had a diamond cutout that offered a revealing view. Outside of crimson lipstick for makeup, Kushina would offer only her natural beauty for the other devils to feast on.

"You need only wait a few moments longer, my son," Kushina whispered, focused on her work.

In the mirror that she and her son were sharing, Kushina quickly placed on her blood drop earrings so that she could move onto her hair. Normally she preferred to let it simply fall down her back and chest naturally, occasionally using a hair clip to keep the plum locks from obstructing her eyes. For the sake of the event she had chosen to put her hair up into a high ponytail with an ornate golden clasp used to hold the locks together with it coming to a rest now at her lower back.

With a few turns Kushina inspected her body and briefly wondered if there was anyone at the party who could be worthy of competing with her own beauty.

"Mother, you look...stunning," Naruto said, completely entranced by her makeover. He struggled to even put his thoughts into words as he gazed upon her body.

"Hm, thank you very much," Kushina said, twisting around now to face him. "It's time to make you just as overwhelming, my lovely son."

With the clack of her heels on the cobblestone floor she brushed past Naruto and went to grab something from her closet. She had been saving the article of clothing for just such an occasion that she felt her son would truly make an impact wearing it. His father would have been so proud to see him inherit it.

She quickly retrieved the long white haori cloak and offered it to her son. It took only a moment for his eyes to light up in recognition of where he had last seen it.

"Mother, this is-"

"Yours now, my dear." Kushina pushed it into his waiting arms. "Wear it with the pride of a true heir."

With great care, Naruto unfolded the long jacket and threw it over his shoulders. He slipped his arms through the open front and then tightened the clasp around his neck. Red flames licked the bottom of the cloak and if one were to look at the haori from the back, they would read 'Mammon' written in Devil script.

What was once worn proudly by the knight of Kushina Mammon had now been fully entrusted to their son, the rightful successor.

"Now, _you_ look stunning, Naruto!" Kushina said with pride oozing from her voice.

A knock on the door shook them from their thoughts of grandeur. Kushina beckoned them to enter and from behind the set of iron doors revealed the rest of Naruto's peerage. In a separate room, the women had been given ample resources supplied by Kushina to ready themselves for the party and had been spending the last hour or so picking their own dress.

Kushina and Naruto both let their eyes wander over the group of young, voluptuous women that made up his set. They were a stunning sight to behold with the queen in front and the rest fanned out on her sides.

In her normal attire, Kyuubi already wore a form of dress that offered her surprising flexibility when in battle. With this shift to a completely formal affair, functionality was thrown out for simple perfection in looks.

To properly stand at the side of her king, Kyuubi had to be the most stunning of his peerage and so she stood out with a crimson dress that matched her hair, done up similarly to Kushina's with a majority tied into a braided bun. The dress itself was completely open from her thighs down to show off her perfect snow white skin and black heels. A corset chest with frilled edges pressed Kyuubi's bust up and out and offered a rather clear show to those willing to risk a glance. To finish off her ensemble, the kitsune had chosen to retain her preferred style of wearing gloves with a black pair that extended up her arms.

Given how it was a rather drastic change to her style of choice, Kyuubi seemed a bit uncomfortable. No doubt she did not like the idea of showing off so much of what was considered a royal, untouchable body in the youkai realm. Given Kushina's recent lessons on her duties as a queen, however, the nine tails dutifully hid this hesitation and stood resolute before her king and master.

To her left stood the knight, Fuka, who with her fallen angel blood, was a cut above most women with her body proportions bred to be the image of seductive beauty. Her chosen dress was simple and yet incredibly effective at showing off her body's curves and perfectly soft skin. With a maroon tint that matched her tied hair, the dress came down to only cover from her neck to her thigh. Slits cut across the sides and front showed off her toned stomach and teased the bottom of her breasts.

A natural in such conditions, Fuka's anxious smile signaled she was ready to be the hit of the party. At least until her master went and blew them all up.

Opposite of Fuka on Kyuubi's right was the fellow knight Artemis. A foreign woman of great natural height she already had stood out with her maneuverable and appealing leotard. Her sun-kissed skin further played up the alluring stereotype of the amazon warrior. One would immediately recognize her as a Hellenic goddess with such a prominent style, with which would increase Naruto's standing by showing his ability to recruit such a person.

To remain true to her background Artemis had chosen a simple yet short white robe that was held together with a golden clasp that went over one shoulder and left the other uncovered. Over the sides of her cheeks and forehead was a steel headdress that was iconic to her legend. Different to her usual ponytail, Artemis had chosen to allow her peach locks flow freely down her chest and back. She had chosen to wear a simple set of sandal-like shoes that appealed to her foreign roots.

Artemis, despite being new to the devil culture, understood the meaning behind her master's plan and stood proudly to defend his honor. The look of determination she offered was one that brought great satisfaction to Kushina in her son's stead.

Behind Artemis was Haku who acted as the youngest member of their entourage. The girl had made her preference clear from her usual attire that she enjoyed traditional Japanese outfits. So, Kushina had prepared for her a stunning black kimono, embroidered with warm colored roses across the chest and legs, with a pink inset cloth that peeked from her neckline and long sleeves. Pinned in her dark hair was an elaborate decoration that held the pinned up bun behind her head together.

No matter where Naruto chose to go or what he planned to do, Haku had made her intentions very clear that she would support him. With a composed yet gentle stance Haku was prepared to infiltrate the party with utmost success.

Tsunade, with her rather large bosom and foreign shade of blonde hair, found herself in a mix between Fuka's show of skin and Kyuubi's formality of attire. Clad in a shining lavender dress that fell to the floor, the biggest appeal was the low V-shape that revealed almost the entirety of her chest and had the straps hold precariously over her shoulders to her open back. Simlarly to Kushina's, she had slits cut on either side to show off her well defined legs, as well as make it easier for her to maneuver in case she needed to.

Easily the strongest in his peerage in terms of raw strength, the ex-saint looked simply captivating now. With devil magic fueling her now, Tsunade had been able to keep up her youthful appearance and had accentuated it that night with lipstick and eyeshadow. She may not have been in the mood to stand around a bunch of haughty devils, but she made sure to give them a show they would not soon forget.

"We are ready, Naruto," Kyuubi said, marking their arrival.

Kushina's devilish grin had returned as she looked over the assembled girls. These servants of her house would be perfect representatives to show those fools waiting for them just how unprepared they really were to handle the Mammon.

Her eyes drifted back to her son, who was at the moment completely enraptured by the women in front of him. Naruto would be the one to clinch the deal with the blood of Mammon flowing through his veins. Whatever performance he offered the devils that night with Riser, she knew that no one would question the place of their house.

"Shall we go, my love?" Kushina whispered tenderly into his ear. Her hand cradled the side of his head, gently rubbing his whisker marks.

Naruto escaped from his idle thoughts with her call. She saw his eyes narrow with purpose as he revealed the slip of paper with the proper magic circle inscribed.

It was time for the Mammon to crash the waiting ceremony.

* * *

In the Phenex ballroom, Akeno and the rest of her fellows in Rias' peerage stood around a table and waited for the events to begin. Each had found themselves something to pass the time, whether it be to make idle conversation with the other low-class devils present or to nurse their chosen beverages. For a group of devils that had recently lost a rating game, however, none of them seemed particularly bitter.

Akeno's eyes flickered to her side as she noticed a familiar set of faces approach them in the crowd. In her kimono the queen carefully prostrated herself in welcome as Sona Sitri and her servant Tsubaki Shinra arrived. The other members of the group ceased their idle conversations and similarly welcomed the Sitri heiress and her attending queen.

"Everyone, your performance in the game was quite impressive," Sona said, a rare smile gracing her features. "Despite the results, your progress went well above everyone's expectations."

Her words, though well received by those they were directed to, were words offered to anyone who had lost. Their defeat had been absolute and graceless as much as it pained them to say.

"Thank you for the compliment, but there is no need to be considerate," Akeno responded with soft eyes.

"To be honest, we don't believe its over quite yet," Said Kiba with a smile.

"Definitely not over," Koneko added as she took another sip of juice.

Aika and Asia both simply offered nods in agreement. Sona and Tsubaki hid their confusion well but they had clearly not expected Rias' companions to be in such high spirits.

Akeno noticed their complex stares. "Ufufu~, no need to act so surprised. Rias told us of someone who might indeed come and be her shining knight in armor for tonight's festivities."

"Oh?" Sona raised a brow.

"_Well_," Aika spoke up with her own opinion on the subject. "Rias-san simply told us that someone had confessed to her prior to the game." She raised a finger to emphasize her point. "Akeno and I, however, came to the conclusion that person would definitely show up! _If_ he's a man, that is."

"I hope he does," Asia said with tears brimming in her eyes. "I don't want to lose Rias-san!"

"He definitely will," Koneko muttered after another sip.

Akeno covered her mouth to stifle another giggle at her compatriot's fiery attitudes. She returned her gaze to Sona and Tsubaki.

"So, as you can see we are rather confident things will not go to plan for Riser-sama this evening," Akeno concluded with the hint of a smirk on her lips.

"If this is the man I believe it to be," Sona crossed her arms and began to smile at the thought. "He will definitely make quite a show."

"I concur," said Tsubaki.

As if on cue the large doors that served as the red carpeted entrance to the room swung open. Everyone in the party turned to greet the new arrivals but were quick to realize they were all faces they did not recognize. That was except for Akeno and the others, who could only smile upon seeing the knight's shining entrance.

"And there is the man of the hour," Sona said under her breath.

"Quite the man indeed," Akeno echoed in agreement. Her tongue lightly licked her lips in excitement.

The festivities had finally begun.

* * *

Naruto led his group through the doors with power behind each step. His eyes saw far past what was in front of him as he ignored the mess of devil nobles he cared not to meet. Rias was somewhere in this place and he had no intentions of walking out without her.

The closeness of his mother's body kept him focused as she walked with him, her arms wrapped around one of his. Near him on the opposite side was Kyuubi, as was only appropriate of the queen. The rest of his peerage still remained close to his back and ignored the lecherous intrigue offered by the vast majority of the pompous party goers.

His eyes sifted through the crowd and were relieved to find friendly faces in the sea of strangers. Gently orienting his mother in the new direction he led them over to Akeno and the others. They were offered warm welcomes before they even arrived and if Naruto did not know better it was as if they had been expecting him.

"Hello, everyone," Naruto said, offering them a warm smile. It had been some time since they last met and he had missed them dearly.

His only regret was the one he missed the most was still absent. But their time to be reunited would come soon enough.

"Naruto-kun, welcome," Akeno said, offering him a bow. Her eyes combed over his body and he could see excitement flash across her visage. "You are looking rather handsome in that outfit."

"Thank you, it was my father's." Naruto felt almost unworthy of the haori around him, but he had already decided to prove himself ready with his actions tonight.

"It seems you are now the talk of the party, Naruto-san," offered Sona as he finally took notice of the gossip being whispered around them.

The words on his back had already sparked the rumor mill to explode with the name of his clan on everyone's tongue. It was better they get used to the idea now so that when he truly made his presence known, they would not so easily forget.

"Are these the Gremory girl's peerage, my son?" Asked Kushina. Her eyes passed over them all with great interest.

"Son..." Aika muttered. She leaned over toward the fidgeting Asia. "_That's _his mom? She's smokin'! Look at all the pervs around here. They are totally checking her out."

"Ufufu~, forgive Rias' pawn's forwardness. May I assume you are Lady Mammon-sama?" Akeno asked in stride. She then bowed her head in respect to Kushina's thoughtful gaze. "I am Rias Gremory-sama's queen, Akeno Himejima."

"Yes, I sense great strength in you," Kushina responded. "You performed well in the game. As did the others."

Naruto gently released his mother from her hold on his arm. "Everyone, this is my mother, Kushina Mammon," Naruto said, bowing his head slightly. "Please treat her as kindly as you have treated me."

Naruto made sure to be on his guard when it came to his mother meeting the others. There was no telling what she could be crafting behind that devilish smile of hers.

"Kushina Mammon-dono, it's a pleasure," said Sona. She bowed her head in respect to the elder devil. "My name is Sona Sitri, heir apparent to the Sitri house of devils."

Kushina shifted her gaze to the bespectacled girl. His mother was sure to take special interest in those of such high positions in the 72 pillars, like the Sitri.

"And the girl behind you, another queen?" Kushina asked as if she already knew. The smile told Naruto she was having fun, though.

"Tsubaki Shinra, queen of Sona Sitri-sama. The pleasure is mine," said Tsubaki.

The rest of Rias' group introduced themselves and were acknowledged in turn. To be able to reunite happily, despite the circumstances, was cause enough for some small celebration.

Naruto's group slowly fell into a similar pattern as Rias' group as they waited for the Crimson Princess to arrive. They all remained rather close to Naruto as they had no interest in mingling with the onlookers. Luckily, the dutiful servants of the Phenex household made their way to the large party and were able to offer drinks and other refreshments to keep his family satisfied for the moment.

Meanwhile, Naruto had decided to speak with Akeno regarding his plans for the evening. His mother, Kyuubi, and the Sitri group chose to listen in as well.

"I was invited here under Sirzechs Lucifer-sama's good graces, but I would have come no matter what," Naruto professed in response to Akeno's question as to the method of his arrival. "Riser won't get away for what he's done to Rias."

"What exactly do you plan to do, Naruto-san?" Sona asked as her tone signaled caution.

"My son will reclaim that which has already been rightfully made his," Kushina said. The confidence she offered them was unshakable and she would surely refuse to hear an argument for anything else. "This Riser Phenex boy has threatened to besmirch the honor of our clan. Naruto will show him the error of his ways."

"So, I suppose you really did confess to Rias." Akeno confirmed their suspicions.

Naruto simply nodded in response. There was little reason to hide that which was a simple fact and one that he was actually proud of.

"The sight of these pompous devils reveling in their seats of power disgusts me," Kushina muttered, her eyes piercing through the crowd. "I am unable to wait for the moment where we can properly put them in their place."

"Mother," Naruto called to her. "Please wait until Riser makes his appearance, at least."

Naruto wanted to avoid her temper flaring since he knew at that point neither of them would be able to hold back their true auras. The reveal would only be made the sweeter if they actually had the guest of honor arrive on time.

"Forgive me for asking, Naruto-kun, but have you already made a plan to defeat Riser?" Asked Akeno, her eyes narrowing. She was obviously concerned about his safety if he had not come properly prepared.

Naruto smiled as he was glad she asked. The fact of the matter was that no matter how he refused to let himself believe he could be beaten by Riser, he was never one to go into a battle without some plan. If anything, he could not afford to make a fool of himself in front of the woman he confessed to.

"To beat a bird you have to close it up in a cage," Naruto said, offering them an allegorical explanation. "To keep it from flying away you chain its leg. I plan to do the same thing with my chains to Riser."

Sona touched her chin in thought. "If I remember correctly, your chains can absorb spiritual energy. Correct?"

Naruto nodded as the others quickly got on a similar track of mind.

"So instead of facing his immortal body, you plan to take away his method to restore himself directly," Tsubaki offered her own hypothesis.

"Yep. A simple plan like that is perfect for me," Naruto said with another smile. "As long as I keep him from using his strongest attacks, I should be fine."

"Yes, I think you may-"

Akeno was interrupted when a loud, booming voice echoed around the hall. Their attentions turned toward the head of the room, where Riser Phenex himself had finally arrived.

"Welcome, everyone!" Riser stood before them with his arms out in greeting. His face still had his trademark smirk plastered upon it as he continued his announcement. "The Phenex family is honored by your attendance tonight."

With his opponent now in front of him Naruto struggled to keep his energy in check. The only thing that stopped him from striking now was his own desire to meet Riser face to face. Needless to say, he had some key words he wanted to get across to the third son of Phenex.

Naruto turned his head to Kyuubi who was just as fired up as him. She hid her excitement well, but he knew she wanted in on the action. Strong opponents were difficult to come by and he knew she would give almost anything to take his place, but this was personal. Still, he had something he needed her to do.

"Kyuubi," Naruto craned his head. "Akeno, I'm going to be relying on you both in a moment. When Rias comes, I'll entrust her safety to you."

The two queens took his order in stride. Kyuubi was somewhat more reluctant but she knew the importance behind Naruto's wish.

"You can safely leave her with us, Naruto-kun," Akeno said with confidence.

"I will remain with her as well," offered Sona, with Tsubaki nodding in turn.

Naruto nodded to them in thanks. His eyes drifted to the rest of his peerage who quietly waited for him to give them similar orders.

"Please, everyone," Naruto said as his eyes wandered past his own peerage and that to Rias'. "Only support me if its absolutely necessary. I want to handle Riser and whatever he throws at me alone."

The faces before them became mixed with different emotions. No doubt they had wanted to play their own roles in the rescue.

"This is for my son's honor," Kushina said, fire burning behind her eyes. She understood his pride more than anyone else there. "He must be the one to take back what is his, as is the Mammon way."

Yuuto was the first to signal his agreement. He quietly summoned his sword but kept it safely tucked at his side. With a bow of his head he made his respect of Naruto's wish clear.

The others similarly made their own preparations but gave him the necessary space. Naruto knew he could rely on all of them if he needed their support, and that was enough for him.

As Riser continued his boasting, Naruto loosened his father's jacket and began to remove it. The clothes his mother offered him were far too excellent to be dirtied in a fight against Riser. Besides, she had provided him with a different uniform for him to make his debut.

"Mother," Naruto addressed her with his father's cloak folded in his arms. "May I entrust this to you? Its time I go."

Kushina offered him a grin filled with what he could only interpret as pride. She offered her arms and he gently placed in them his father's heirloom.

"I must admit, my child, that I have never anticipated the results of a battle as much as I do with this one," Kushina whispered in excitement. "I simply have the chills thinking about it."

"I will bring honor to us," Naruto said as he began to unbutton his vest. "And destroy the Phenex's pride."

In short order he removed the rest of his clothing, much to everyone else's interest. Given their looks of shock with what had been underneath, it seemed they were appropriately impressed. Hidden behind his formal clothes, Naruto had chosen to wear a red bodysuit that was clearly reinforced with a thin layer of plate armor. The inscriptions on it looked rather ancient, even for Devil script, and made it very clear that he had chosen to wear yet another heirloom.

"What is..." Sona's eyes were widened somewhat as she seemed to recognize the outfit.

"_This_," Kushina said, reverently placing her hand against her son's covered chest. "Is a suit of armor that was once worn by the fifth Maou, Mammon. Since the days of the Great War, I've had it restored."

"With this, I can properly focus and manipulate my daemonic energy," Naruto explained, flexing his arm. "It also supports my natural speed and magical defense."

From their bewildered gazes they had clearly not expected him to have such an ace in his sleeve.

Naruto shrugged. "If Rias is on the line, then I'm not going to hold back anymore."

Riser's voice had somehow managed to increase in volume as they quickly grasped the climax of the party was upon them.

"And now ladies and gentlemen, let me welcome my empress, Rias Gremory!"

Naruto and the others turned to see a familiar Gremory portal appear and usher in Rias' entrance to the party. From out of the light she landed perfectly on her feet in a dress of snow white, embroidered with intricate gold patterns. The look of dissatisfaction she offered to Riser and those present was more than reason enough for Naruto to know he had made the right choice.

Her beauty stole whatever words Naruto had to say, and so all he could do was use his feet to carry him forward. He would head straight toward her at the head of the room, and he would not stop until he had her safely in his arms.

* * *

"Here she is, ladies and gentlemen," Riser said, wrapping an arm around Rias' waist. "_My_ Rias Gremory!"

As soon as he uttered the words the air became heavy with a powerful aura. Everyone could easily identify it as a devil's daemonic aura but it was so potent that they struggled to hide their discomfort. The source of said energy release was quickly found as the crowd parted to make way for the young man that had his eyes set for the engaged couple.

Rias' eyes widened as she recognized Naruto from the moment he emerged from the crowd. Now, he stood directly below the platform she and Riser occupied. The grip around her waist was tightened as Riser glared at the man who had interrupted his carefully planned introduction.

"How dare you interrupt my speech! Guards-" At his call, a group of armored men stood between the party crasher and Riser. "Get this man out of my sight!"

With sword and shield the Phenex guards slowly made their approach. Naruto did not show any kind of concern as the daemonic energy that poured off of him began to take physical form around his body. A dozen chains of energy dyed crimson were quickly formed and floated around Naruto, swaying back and forth like snakes ready to strike.

"Get him!" Riser shouted his order a second time beckoning the guards to charge.

Naruto held up his arm and the chains fired out from his body toward the men. Each one hit them with such force that the Phenex guards were sent flying back into the walls. Audible cracks could be heard as the building suffered damage simply from the force of the impacts.

"Bastard," Riser cursed. "Who the hell _are_ you?!"

"Riser Phenex," Naruto finally spoke, his voice heavy. He was barely holding back his anger as he attempted to speak with at least some manner of formality. "You took something very precious of mine. I am here for Rias Gremory!"

Rias blushed in response to his bold declaration as news of it spread around the room. The devils in the crowd ate up this drama with great enjoyment as more whispers picked up.

Riser narrowed his eyes at his choice of words. "What do you-" The Phenex was cut off as one of Naruto's chains launched toward them on the platform.

"Rias!" Naruto shouted, taking another step forward. "Remember one last time what I told you about the Mammon."

The chain, rather than be sent to attack Riser, gently wrapped itself around Rias' waist. One of her hands wrapped around it on instinct, and despite its powerful aura did not pain her to touch.

"The Mammon..." Rias' words started quiet but quickly became louder as she indeed remembered. "The Mammon don't let go." Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as his words came true.

"I promised I would come save you, Rias," Naruto said, his soft tone offering her comfort.

She had it rough after the rating game but he was going to set things straight now. Naruto would not let anyone make her cry anymore.

"Naruto..." Rias whispered, the tendrils of hope wrapping around her voice. Confidence was finally starting to return and reveal the Rias everyone knew and loved.

"What an insolent little devil," Riser muttered to himself before he addressed Naruto directly. "How dare you try and steal _my_ Rias!"

"Its impossible to steal something that's already mine, Riser!" Naruto exclaimed, his eyes piercing both Phenex and Gremory. "Rias' heart belongs to me."

With those words so confidently offered, Naruto used his chain to effortlessly lift Rias to her feet. Before Riser or anyone could try and stop him, Naruto retracted his chain back toward him with the Crimson Princess in tow. He easily caught her in his arms and let her gently fall to back to the ground to stand alongside him, in the place where she belonged.

Rias' focus was on no one but him as she placed a gloved hand over his chest. Tears ran fully down her cheeks now and he could tell she was still in disbelief.

"Naruto..." Rias' words came out high-pitched as she fought against her sobs. "You really...you really came for me."

Naruto simply offered her another smile in silent reassurance. In one swift motion he lowered his neck and captured her lips with his own.

Gasps echoed throughout the audience as they watched such a scandalous move carried about by the newcomer.

Riser's loud roar of protest could be heard, but neither Rias nor Naruto paid him any mind. Their eyes were only for each other as the Mammon pulled back from the stunned Gremory.

"How..How dare you!" Riser gathered his magical energy and a pair of wings made of fire appeared on his back.

Naruto reluctantly turned his gaze from Rias back to Riser and built his daemonic energy again. Surrounding his body the living chains returned and seemed ready to leap out and strike.

"Now now, you two," A calm voice echoed from the corner of the ballroom and forced the two fighters to turn and look. In a regal suit of armor an imposing man Naruto could describe as no one else but Rias' older brother began to approach the raised platform where Riser stood. "Let's try and calm ourselves so that we don't destroy the lovely Phenex manor."

"Sirzechs Lucifer-sama," Riser offered with respect, kneeling before him.

"Onii-sama!" Rias exclaimed. She was clearly surprised to see her brother make such a sudden appearance.

Naruto merely offered the man a cautious gaze. There was no telling what the true intentions of one of the most powerful devils in the Underworld was. It was made very clear that given the invitation, Sirzechs expected something of Naruto at the party that night.

If the party had been excited before then with the arrival of Sirzechs the noise only grew louder. People would start to wonder if it was all staged with how the events were playing out so smoothly.

"Riser-kun," Sirzechs addressed the younger man. By the Maou's side was his queen and wife, Grayfia. "Do you wish to know the identity of this young devil?"

In response, Riser narrowed his eyes and flicked them back toward Naruto. There was only a moment of hesitation before he offered a strained nod.

"Then," Sirzechs turned to the crowd and offered them an eager smile. "Let me introduce you all to the direct descendant of the long lost fifth Maou. This boy is Naruto Mammon!"

The activity around Naruto reached a crescendo as words and rumors were passed more fervently. The word of a Maou might as well have been taken as fact so there was no room for error.

"How is that possible?!" Riser shouted, unable to hold his tongue. He turned to Naruto with his anger rising. "The Mammon are supposed to be dead and buried!"

"Then you had the wrong information," Naruto said, narrowing his eyes. "And the thing you need to know about us, is that we don't like to share."

Riser met his gaze with an equally threatening one. Their daemonic auras forced themselves upon each other and made the room insufferable to stand in comfortably.

"I admit to being the one to invite Naruto-kun and his mother to this party," Sirzechs said unabashedly. "I wanted to both welcome the Mammon back to devil society and create some fine entertainment for my sister's engagement."

Naruto was starting to catch on to Sirzechs plan, as was Riser. Rias' hand pressed harder against his chest as she began to connect the dots as well.

"As fun as the rating game was to watch, considering how unbalanced it was, I was left...wanting," Sirzechs said with a shrug.

Riser's dissatisfaction with the night's events showed on his face. He was struggling not to speak out of turn as things continued to fail to go his way.

"So, you mean to..." Riser muttered as he figured it out.

"Naruto-kun has made his feelings concerning Rias very clear, so I believe a one on one match between Phenex and Mammon will be a perfect way to settle things," Sirzechs announced his plans to the crowd eliciting an outcry of opinions that ranged between for and against.

"Onii-sama, please don't!" Rias pleaded for her brother to listen.

"I accept the challenge," Naruto said without hesitation, shocking the girl that stood by his side.

"As do I!" Riser said with similar vigor.

The two young men had their gazes cross and it was made clear this went farther than just Rias. Now, this was a battle of individuals and their pride was on the line.

"Very good," Sirzechs said with a smile. He then turned to Naruto and motioned to him. "Given that I had already volunteered you for this event, I will offer you a single wish. Please, ask for anything you desire."

This was Naruto's chance to literally grasp whatever he wanted from the Underworld. He could have his family's titles and land be restored, or be given an army with which to take it by force. Naruto was sure that if he wanted he could asked for a beautiful wife or several of his own choosing.

But there was only one thing he wanted to happen as a result of his fight. He would see Rias' true smile return that night, no matter what.

"Rias Gremory should be freed of her marriage contract," Naruto declared, eliciting a small gasp from the girl he held in his arms. "That is is all I want."

Sirzechs lips slightly curved upward. Skillfully, the Maou hid most of his amusement as he again addressed the young devil.

"Are you sure that is what you want? I know of your desire for your family to return to the 72 pillars, and that is something I have the power to greatly help along." Sirzechs' offer was something his mother surely wanted him to take, but Naruto had made up his mind.

"With respect, Sirzechs Lucifer-sama, if I were to have my family's titles given back with a wish from a Maou, then it would mean nothing," Naruto said as he tightened his fist in a display of determination. "The Mammon's return to the 72 pillars is something I will earn with my own strength!"

Naruto then looked at Rias, who had been simply enraptured by his words. The strength behind his gaze gave her pause as she struggled to maintain herself.

"And," Naruto continued, turning back to Sirzechs. He gently tightened his hold around Rias' waist. "I will do the same by saving Rias, and proving that _I_ am the only one meant to have her."

This time, Sirzechs allowed himself to smile. "You chose those words well, Naruto-kun," He said, snickering a bit as he did. "I am sure that if you remain together with Rias, she will earn an even redder nickname than before."

At his side, Rias' face had already been alight from a deep blush of embarrassment from Naruto's declaration. With her brother's teasing it was only made worse.

"Without delay, I will transport the both of you to the arena that has been prepared," Sirzechs said.

The crowd began to filter out of the room so that they could have a better look at the proceedings. Those that remained were Naruto and Rias' loyal friends and followers.

"Akeno, Kyuubi," Naruto addressed the two queens as they approached. "I'm counting on you."

"She will be in good hands, Naruto-kun," Akeno said, smiling.

"Don't embarrass me, _partner_." Despite Kyuubi's tone, he could tell she was teasing.

A magical light began to envelop Naruto as he fell a familiar pull on his body. Rias reluctantly took a step back but refused to let her eyes look away from his.

"Be careful, Naruto," Rias said, as she could not think of anything else appropriate to offer him.

Naruto gave her one last smile. "I'll come back safe and sound, though I can't promise the same for Riser!"

The Mammon heir disappeared into the light and was transported away. Rias' shoulders suddenly locked with great concern now that the blonde was out of her sight.

Another presence appeared next to her.

"Come, my dear," Rias turned to find the source of the gentle voice. She was met by Kushina, who offered her a reassuringly devious smile. "My son would want you to have a front row seat to his victory."

Rias' eyes widened in recognition as she quickly grasped Kushina's identity. Before she could muster any words to respond the older woman had wrapped her arm around Rias' slim shoulders and forced her alongside her.

Those close to them, now with Rias in tow, went to the find a place where they could watch the battle for themselves.

* * *

A flood of light appeared upon the stone slab floor of the arena. Floating above the Phenex manor high in the sky, surrounded in magical seals to contain the fighting, the arena had been prepared for this event especially by Sirzechs. Beneath the crimson aurora sky sat the stone Colosseum, each corner formed by a pillar that took the shape of a chess piece.

Naruto opened his eyes as the light disappeared from around him. Whereas he had been spawned on one side, Riser had appropriately been sent to the opposite. The Phenex son had also chosen to fly up to one of the chess pillars to stand atop it for a vantage point.

He looked down upon Naruto with no small amount of scorn. This opportunity to fight was clearly something he had looked forwad to the moment Naruto had made himself known.

Funny how their minds were along the same lines.

"I'll make sure there's nothing left of you to bury after this!" Riser shouted as he sprout flamed wings from his back. There was nothing left to say between them—it was time for their fists to take over.

_Let's see just how strong you are, Phenex!_

Naruto drew forth his own wings and flew up into the sky to meet his opponent. Around the Phenex grew a cloak of flames that licked the air as he sped forward. Similarly, Naruto's daemonic shroud became visible again as a deep crimson energy washed over him and coated his armor.

Fists out, the two of them met and exchanged blows to the cheek. The sheer force behind each of their strikes was powerful enough to send the both of them flying backward to opposite ends of the arena.

Before he hit the boundary Naruto was able to stabilize himself in midair. He shook his head clear of disorientation and watched as Riser was similarly able to bring himself upright.

_Not bad. But I've had worse._

Now that he had a taste of what Riser could do he knew he could go all out and not worry too much about getting hurt. He could not afford to get callous, but if that punch told Naruto anything was that Riser lacked any talent in finesse.

"Come on then!" Riser shouted as he forced himself at Naruto again.

Before he could even cross halfway across the arena Naruto disappeared in the blink of an eye. Riser did not have the time to be shocked as the Mammon appeared again—directly in front of him. Naruto reared back his fist and sent an energy-infused jab directly into Riser's open stomach. The hit was so powerful that Naruto's visible energy shot out from the other side of Riser's body, traveling _directly_ through him.

"Gah!" Riser doubled over onto Naruto's arm, releasing spittle from his mouth.

Naruto took a lesson from Kyuubi and followed up one devastating strike with another. With his other arm's elbow, he slammed it down upon the center of Riser's open back and sent him flying down into the ground. The stone floor shook from the impact and kicked up dust from the deafening impact.

Energy built up around Naruto as he formed more chains around his body and launched them down at Riser's prone form. With his bodysuit, Naruto's ability to concentrate his energy had increased to the point that he could form chains from his daemonic energy and use them just as he would if he had created them via a spell circle.

With these he would sap Riser's spiritual energy and take him out of the battle in an instant.

The crimson chains forced themselves around Riser's body and lifted him up into the air. The Phenex's eyes were forced open as he felt the pain of his energy being ripped out of his body. Not long after the drain had started, Riser built up another cloak of flames with a release of his aura.

"Roaaah!" With a spirited roar Riser was able to force the chains off his body.

Naruto allowed the chains to dissipate and observed his opponent. The absorption had not been for long, but Naruto could see the telltale signs of fatigue start to wash over Riser.

"I have to tell you, very few people can push the chains off their bodies," Naruto said, offering him a compliment. "But, you already look tired from the amount of energy I took."

Riser merely narrowed his eyes as he forced himself to stand at full height. Somehow he managed to stop panting and started to build up his aura again.

"You can have your tricks!" Riser exclaimed as both his hands started to build magical energy. "I'll show you the real strength of the Phenex!"

In one hand, Riser had built a large fireball which he first threw in Naruto's direction. That in itself was not particularly threatening, but Naruto quickly identified the second swirling ball of motion in Riser's other hand as a gust of condensed wind. When he threw it, the speed of the wind allowed it to quickly catch up with the fireball.

_Aerokinesis and Pyrokinesis: a Phenex clan specialty!_

Naruto drew his arms together in front of him in defense. His aura built up too in order to help him stomach the blow.

The fireball, with the wind now affecting its shape, turned the sphere into a full whirlwind of powerful flames that extended all the way to the top of the arena's ceiling. This deadly combination attack quickly enveloped Naruto as he was engulfed inside of a wall of fire.

* * *

"Naruto!"

"Naruto-kun..."

Rias and the others reacted to the brutal attack as they watched from the Phenex estate's balcony. With the dreaded flames of Riser taking up the entire screen, they were unable to ascertain Naruto's safety.

The Gremory heiress reacted the worst as her hands tightened around the railing. She could only think of Naruto getting hurt because of her, because she had failed to defeat Riser in the Rating Game. If she had just been stronger than Naruto would never have had to sacrifice himself like this.

Akeno stood near her friend and master but was unable to say anything to comfort Rias. Not even her resolve was able to remain unshaken as the queen nervously turned back to the screen, hope fading from her eyes.

On Rias' other side was Kyuubi who had gotten more and more tense as the battle continued. Her arms were crossed and if one looked closely they could see her fingers digging into the skin of her arms. She had her teeth barred as she barely held back her discontent.

"Have more confidence in your king!" Shouted Kushina, forcing everyone to turn to her.

The matriarch of the Mammon had been standing rather quietly as she watched the fight proceed. She showed little concern to the current state of things which some might have interpreted as lack of interest or care for her son's health. The fire one could see in her eyes now as she addressed Naruto's comrades quickly proved that assumption wrong.

Kushina, as her son's first trainer, knew his strength better than anyone else. The little magic that Riser had summoned was of no concern to someone of her son's level, and she made it clear to the others that she knew that fact very well.

The strength behind her words forced Rias and the others to steel themselves for the rest of the fight. They turned back to the screen and noticed the fire was starting to dissipate.

Everyone leaned forward in an attempt to see whether the growing shadow that remained after the attack was Naruto or not. There was something obstructing the offered view, but there was definitely something left over from the fire attack.

Kushina's smile began to widen as everyone felt a great release of daemonic energy overcome them. For it to stretch past the arena and reach them at the mansion below spoke volumes of its potency.

"This is the true power of the Mammon!" Kushina declared.

* * *

"Haha! You were too weak after all!" Riser gloated over what he believed was his victory.

As the fire dissipated, he realized something was very wrong as he could sense Naruto's aura had only increased since the last he felt it. Now he could see what was left of the area scorched by his inferno and could only shake with rage to see the Mammon was unharmed.

Naruto stood in the same place that he had occupied when the attack had first reached him. All around him were chains that had formed a sort of cage around where the fire had reached. With his chains he had directly absorbed the magic of the attack and prevented it from getting anywhere close enough to wound him.

"Damn you!" Riser exclaimed, another fireball being built up in his hands.

He threw the large burning sphere straight at Naruto. Rather than dodge, Naruto simply allowed it to get closer before he slapped it away with the back of his hand. The magical attack slammed into one of the boundary pillars, shattering the stone and causing a large explosion to rock the battlefield.

"Something as weak as that won't work on me, Riser!" Naruto bellowed out his challenge.

Riser seemed to shrink in on himself as his attack failed to reach Naruto. With his weakness written all over his face, Naruto decided it was time to go on the offensive. Naruto disappeared and reappeared next to the Phenex with the use of his sacred gear's seal. The opening blow was a devastating jab that sent Riser's head flying back, his jaw shattering from the impact.

Naruto did not let up and continued to brutally beat into Riser in a one-sided melee. Of course, every hit Naruto inflicted on Riser was immediately restored by his clan's special body, but the Phenex was unable to lift his arms in defense from the viciousness of the attacks.

"Take this!" Naruto forced all of his strength into one arm and sent it straight into Riser's shoulder.

The strength of Naruto's blow literally disintegrated Riser's arm, thanks in no small part to the potency of his daemonic aura. Naruto followed it up with a similar strike on the other arm, leaving Riser without anything to defend himself. Before he could manage to restore those arms of his, Naruto took hold of Riser's dazed head with both hands and forced it down upon his armored knee.

The crack that echoed was said to have been heard clearly even by the spectators far down below, removed from the arena.

Naruto thought he could make out some noises he could only assume was Riser struggling to say something, but he ignored them as he sent another punch into Riser's vulnerable chest. The jab sent Riser flying backward and this time made him fly straight into one of the chess pillars, shattering the stone from the impact's force.

With Riser now on the ropes, both physically and mentally, Naruto decided to end it and created more chains around his body. With his arm extended he sent them flying out at alarming speed as they quickly picked up the Phenex's broken body and tore the remaining energy from him.

Somehow, through what Naruto could only write off as sheer determination, Riser was able to open his eyes again and look upon Naruto with sheer fury.

"I..." Riser's voice cracked, unsteady. "I..am Riser Phenex! Third son of the proud Phenex family! I will not be defeated by someone like you!"

With a stubborn howl the Phenex grew wings and began to fly straight at Naruto, ignoring the chains still wrapped about his body.

Naruto in that moment grew to respect Riser more than he had ever believed he could. Despite facing certain defeat, he was still willing to go all out in one last attack.

"If that's how you want it to be," Naruto said, summoning his sacred gear's weapon in one hand and building energy into the other. "Then I'll let you see one last attack of mine. Courtesy of my father!"

* * *

Rias and the others observed Naruto's energy buildup with great interest after his declaration of showing off a new attack. Everyone recognized his sacred gear, but the ball of crimson energy he was building up was not so easy to discern.

"Is he...condensing his daemonic energy into a sphere?" Rias asked, her eyes narrowed in thought.

"Not just that," Akeno muttered. "He's added rotation to it."

Kushina leaned against the railing as her excitement reached its peak. If one could see her now they could watch her arms and legs literally shake with weakness.

"My son has finally done it!" She shouted, forcing everyone to look at her. "He's completed his father's signature technique!"

* * *

With the energy in his hand successfully built, Naruto flicked his wrist and threw the kunai at the fast approaching Riser. He reappeared directly in front of the Phenex, who could do nothing but watch as Naruto forced the dense, rotating sphere of dark energy into his stomach.

"Rasengan!"

"GAAAH!" Riser choked up blood as he absorbed the full impact.

A great force of momentum was transferred into Riser's body as he was sent flying back again. He flew into one of the boundary pillars and, rather than simply create a crater, he forced the entire stone structure to topple over onto itself from the sheer strength of the daemonic energy-infused hit.

"Naruto Mammon is the winner!" Exclaimed Sirzechs from seemingly nowhere. His voice was broadcast all around the arena and down in the mansion below.

All around Naruto the arena began to shake and rumble as it began to disappear into nothingness. He was forced to bring out his wings again and watched as Riser's body began to fall to the earth. Before his unconscious form could get too far, Ravel, his younger sister flew up and took him into her arms. She leveled a glare at Naruto but offered nothing else to the victor.

Naruto turned back toward the manor and knew it was time to claim his 'prize'. With great speed he flew down and saw a flash of crimson get closer and closer. He quickly recognized Rias and held out his arms to welcome her. The young woman who had brought out her own wings to meet him in air threw herself into his arms and suddenly his chest felt very warm.

"Naruto! Naruto!" She shouted his name over and over, tears streaming down her cheeks, this time from happiness. "Thank you, Naruto!"

Naruto wrapped his arms around her waist and returned the gesture. He held her close and waited for her to calm down.

"That..that performance was absolutely stunning," Rias confessed, she herself out of breath from excitement.

"Thanks," Naruto said as he cradled her head with his hand. He forced her to look up at him and offered another smile. "But, right now none of that matters. I have you in my arms now, Rias, and I'm not letting go."

"..." Rias' smile grew wider as she struggled to hold him tighter.

"You know, I was never able to hear your response since Grayfia interrupted us," Naruto said with a little bit of cheekiness. His eyes looked at her expectantly. "I never got an answer to my confession."

"But..that couldn't be helped..and you know-" Rias started to babble but he just shook his head.

"Why don't we finish what we started?" Naruto suggested with a smirk.

Rias' eyes widened as she turned back toward the manor. Everyone's eyes were still on them as was natural when it came to a loving couple reuniting after a difficult fight.

"But, in front of everyone is...embarrassing. Right?" Rias sounded unsure of herself.

Naruto chuckled as he grabbed her chin. "If you think that's embarrassing, it's about to get a lot worse!"

Without any warning, Naruto captured her lips with his. In front of everyone, Naruto Mammon kissed Rias Gremory and made it clear just who was her chosen lover.

If there was any doubt in an observer's mind, those feelings were quickly squelched as Rias did not push him away. Instead, she pushed back against him with her own strength and wrapped her dainty arms around his neck as the two devils shared a passionate kiss beneath the Underworld's aurora sky.

* * *

"Look at them..."

"Without a care in the world."

The Lord and Lady of the Gremory household exchanged words as they gazed upon their daughter kissing the Mammon child. Standing with them on the balcony was none other than Kushina Mammon, his mother, as well as Sirzechs Lucifer and Grayfia. Together, the older devils looked upon the younger ones with nothing but envy.

Lord Phenex had just recently left them, after thanking Kushina and asking her to extend the same courtesies to her son. The family head believed that with such a crushing defeat his son might have learned some kind of sense of humility—something he sorely lacked before.

"With Naruto-kun's arrival, I wonder if we will have to change the Rookies Four to the Rookies Five," Sirzechs wondered aloud.

"As long as the devils here acknowledge the Mammon as the victors tonight, then that is enough," Kushina said, a satisfied smile splayed across her lips. "For now, at least." She added as an afterthought.

"His dedication to Rias is admirable," Sirzechs said as he continued to observe them in the sky. "How long might it be before it's _they_ who are engaged, I wonder?" He followed up his own rhetorical question with a hearty chuckle.

"I would be open to the idea," Said Lord Gremory as he developed a small grin of his own. "It wouldn't be so bad, having the descendant of a Maou as a son-in-law." Quickly the head of the house adopted his son's laugh.

"I have similar thoughts of your daughter, Gremory-dono," Kushina said, turning to look at her counterpart. "The beautiful Crimson Ruin Princess would offer my son powerful offspring indeed."

"My daughter is headstrong," Lady Venelana confessed. "But, I believe she and your son have the potential to go rather far. I would like to meet him to be sure, though."

"Now now, mother," Sirzechs said in response to Venelana's forward proposal. "There will be plenty of time to interrogate the boy and discover his worth. For now at least, the families of Gremory and Mammon can leave their relationship be."

"For now, perhaps," Kushina offered with a shrug. "But, as far as the Mammon are concerned, the moment he wrapped his chains around her it was grounds for a proposal."

"Oh, quite a simple ceremony for such an illustrious clan," Lord Gremory said with another chuckle.

"We are the Mammon: we take what we want," Kushina said in response.

Her devilish smile made it clear she very much believed in those words.

* * *

"Mother, are you...sure this is necessary?"

Naruto was currently in the Underworld, currently inside of his mother's chambers standing across from her. She had invited him back from the human world just a few days after his triumphant defeat of Riser for an important lesson of some sort.

Now, he held a necklace of sorts in his hand that his mother had called a choker. She explained that, as was tradition for Mammon males when they took on potential wife, they were to offer the choker to them for them to wear always to prove that it was a Mammon, and no one else, who owned them. The clan's traditionalist policies were more than a bit possessive, but that was devil society for you—extreme, in comparison to say human standards.

Still, the thought of presenting something like this to Rias seemed out of reach even for Naruto. As much as he would love to see her wear the thing, he knew that it was a pretty big statement to make.

"It's absolutely necessary, Naruto," Kushina insisted as she showed him a chest full of the same chokers that had been passed through the generations. She had told him that when he took on more wives, there were more chokers to give out. "This is an important tradition of the Mammon, and I expect you to follow it."

Naruto looked at the thing and admitted that it was not flashy or gaudy in any sense. The choker was made up of a series of interlocking chains with a single pendant that hung from them, where it would rest right at the base of the woman's neck, that took the shape of the Mammon's swirled crest.

_Maybe if I get her in a really good mood she might consider it._

"Fine," Naruto conceded to his mother's wishes. He had to admit that he was excited at the prospect of seeing Rias wear it. "But I can't promise she'll say yes."

* * *

"It is...a bit intimidating, isn't it?" Rias said as she looked at the choker now in her hands.

Naruto could only offer her a smile in sympathy as he realized she was saying exactly what he thought she would. Back in the human world now, in the occult research club room, Naruto had gotten a chance to meet with Rias alone. Together, they stood in front of Rias' desk after he told her he had something important to give her. He figured he would not hesitate and simply gave her the choker and proceeded to explain its significance.

Needless to say, Rias was flushed with a new wave of embarrassment.

"You don't have to wear it, Rias," Naruto said with a shrug. He offered her a remorseful gaze. "I told my mother it was too forward, but she was insistent I ask."

Rias' gaze dropped from his and shifted back toward the choker. There was a moment of silence before she looked back at him. Her eyes began to garner an oddly familiar playfulness.

"It is rather beautiful, though," Rias sighed and simply shook her head in defeat. A smile grew in place of her earlier trepidation. "I can't believe I'm saying this but, I will definitely wear it!"

"Eh, but-"

"Rias Gremory does not back down from a challenge!" Rias proclaimed, zealously shedding her uniform's ribbon collar so she could properly unbutton the top of her shirt.

Naruto could only watch in silent awe as Rias finished unbuttoning the top of her shirt so that she could have full access to her neck. With a bit of fumbling, she was able to figure out how to put on the choker and let it lock into place tightly about her neck. One of her fingers ran itself over the Mammon's crest that now sat upon her neck, her eyes distant as she thought of something.

"You look stunning, Rias," Naruto could think of no other way to describe it. The pride that swelled in his chest was irreplaceable.

Rias blushed as she realized just what the pendant signified, but she made no move to hide her new accessory. Instead, she went to sit down on the couch and invited Naruto to join her. He did so and gladly came closer as she motioned him to.

"Come here, Naruto," Rias patted her lap. Her eyes softened under his unsure gaze. "Let me do this, for you."

Naruto's caution disappeared and was replaced with a smile. He let himself spread out on the couch and laid so that he could look directly up at Rias, the woman he had fallen in love with. In clear view was the choker that Rias almost seemed to wear with pride now.

The warmth of her lap was particularly calming and he felt like he was being lulled to sleep. He felt Rias' hands begin to softly massage his scalp and play with his wild blonde locks. With such a nice feeling, he let Rias disappear beneath his eyelids as his body began to grow heavy with sleep.

"I love you, Naruto," Rias whispered tenderly in his ear as she continued her ministrations. "Very, very much." Her voice was full of joy.

Naruto's smile grew just a little bit wider. "Mm, I know."

Naruto knew that his struggles were just beginning. He still had to fulfill his promise to his mother and return the Mammon to the 72 pillars. There were more pieces for him to expand his family with, too. And it went without saying that there women with feelings he had to properly respond to sooner or later.

_But..._

Right now, Naruto was happy to be right here. There was nowhere else, in fact, that he would rather be than in the lap of his beloved Rias.

Naruto fell asleep with that same smile on his lips.

* * *

_Those dress descriptions were difficult for a guy like me. I hope you were at least able to form an idea of what they looked like in your heads, since I plan on reusing them for similarly formal scenes!_

_This felt like a great ending to the first arc! Let me know what you thought and always keep your eyes on that chart on my profile, if you don't mind spoilers._

_Next up is Naruto's Rook: Ronin!_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Highschool DxD**


	7. The Solemn Rook

_Return of the Mammon Clan_

* * *

Light had begun to peek through the blinds and creep up on the still sleeping Naruto. Quickly, the painful reaction made him wake from the discomfort of his skin touching sunlight. Usually he would kick off the covers and start the day in a heap of activity, but at the moment his arm was preoccupied with its latest job of being a pillow.

Naruto turned his head the opposite way and lifted the covers a bit so that he could clearly see the obstruction. A smile graced his lips as he looked down upon Rias Gremory, heiress of house Gremory, holding onto his arm and chest like a pillow. The best part that he would never admit openly to was that she was completely nude, as she had explained to him that she could not sleep with clothes on.

As a healthy man with little inhibition in regards to the opposite sex, he had been more than happy to oblige her. Besides, it only made sense that she could do as she pleased in the room they now shared.

Since the Riser incident, Rias had requested to move in with him so that she could be closer to the man she had fallen in love with. Naruto had no objections, though Kyuubi raised some hell concerning something about her territory. It seemed the kitsune did not, in fact, dislike Akeno or Rias as he had originally thought, but simply had it in her instincts to keep strangers out. Fortunately, just as she was with the rest of the peerage, the fox was getting used to Rias' family as well.

The only compromising part of the image Naruto and Rias' room at the moment was the fact that _he_ too was naked. Despite his state of undress, he and Rias had not gone so far as to pick up where they left off before Grayfia had so rudely interrupted. After he had seen both his mother and Rias enjoy nudity in their personal time, Naruto figured he had best try it at least once too.

With just a night of intense 'study', he could say with confidence that there was no longer a chance for him to go back. How he had not followed his mother's footsteps sooner, Naruto did not know.

His gaze remained on Rias but drifted lower, to her neck. There she still wore his family's collar for display even when she slept. Careful not to wake her, Naruto shifted his body so he could bring his other arm over and gently touch his lover's supple white skin. He traced from her jaw down the neck and then around her breasts.

Rias' breathing seized for a moment and he knew she was waking up. Although it was regretful his playtime was over, he knew that there was plenty more time for that later.

"Mm..." A low moan escaped from Rias' lips as she began to wake. The red cascade of hair shifted as her body roused from sleep, fidgeting over Naruto. His grin widened a bit as he felt the softness of her nipples poke against his chest.

After a while, Rias began to open her eyes. Naruto smiled as she met his enthusiastic gaze with a lethargic one.

"Na-" Rias yawned, interrupting her own greeting. A light blush crossed her cheeks as she got up on her elbow to better to see him. "Sorry, Naruto. Is it morning already?"

"Yes it is, my lovely Rias," Naruto whispered into her ear. He gently brushed aside a lock of hair as it fell over her eyes, eliciting a smile from her. "Did you sleep well?"

"The best in a while," Rias got onto her knees, her body partially covered by the blanket wrapped about her waist, and rubbed her eyes to rid them of drowsiness. "I don't think I can go back to sleeping alone."

Naruto smirked, his arm snaking around her waist. Both laughed as he pulled her back down to his chest. "I'm fine with that," He said, kissing her on the nose.

"Enough already..." She sighed and slapped his chest lightly. Rias was still smiling though as she got out of bed first to retrieve her clothes.

Unable to remove his eyes from the sight of Rias putting on her undergarments, Naruto found himself weighted to the bed. Ever since he and Rias had become a couple, he had started to admit to a perverse side of himself he had never wanted to acknowledge before. After reflecting on himself, however, Naruto realized that his mother's influence had been the deciding factor that clenched his place as a perverted man, no matter how hard he tried to show otherwise.

Rias noticed his gaze had not removed itself from her body as she dressed, but this merely caused her to tease him more. Despite being a Duchess of the Gremory and heir apparent, Rias had developed a devious side to her personality when it came to Naruto and his love for her body. She enjoyed seeing him blush and was always happy to have him compliment her, even if she did not show it. At the same time, Naruto could tell she was weaponizing that monopoly of her body against him so she could get him to do things for her.

_Well, I suppose that is the fate of every boyfriend._

"You should really get up, Naruto," Rias said, but her voice was playful. She was just finishing up by tying the ribbon on her uniform's collar. "Today _is_ a school day, after all."

"But the bed is so comfortable..." Naruto said, whining. He patted the bed in an effort for her to return to his side.

Rias offered him a bright smile but he could sense something dangerous building. In one quick motion she had opened the blinds and forced the sun onto him—full strength! He recoiled from the sharp sting and his attempt to hide under the covers only made Rias' giggle become louder.

"As your lover I won't allow you to embarrass the both of us by being late," Rias explained why she resorted to such harsh methods. The smile on her face had become rather dark, not unlike Akeno. "Now, get up!"

Naruto forced the covers off of his body and regretfully went to his drawer for a fresh set of clothes. For the descendant of a Maou to be ordered around like it was nothing would surely make his ancestors cry. His look of dissension was met by an equally challenging gaze from Rias as she crossed her arms with confidence.

The smile that had developed on her lips, no matter how conniving and devilish it was, was still the smile he fell in love with and had promised to protect. If taking orders every now and then was what he had to stomach, then he would do so with pleasure.

* * *

Downstairs, the kitchen and dining room were a flurry of activity as all of his peerage, save for Fuka, were at the table eating breakfast. The Fallen Angel hybrid that was absent had been the first one up and cooked the meal, but she also had her duties as a schoolteacher and had already taken off.

The disparity in his family's eating habits made Rias giggle as they entered the room together. She must have noticed Kyuubi's place at the head of the table with a bounty of food, which in comparison to Haku and Tsunade's modest amounts, was enough to seem ridiculous. Not only that, but despite coming from the ruling class of Youkai in Kyoto, Kyuubi had almost no table manners as she shoveled the food down her gullet one plate after another.

Artemis had already cleared her plate and sat on a stool at their island counter in the kitchen. She seemed interested in watching the small TV there, which was on a news station.

Rias and Naruto both grabbed plates for themselves in what had become a normal morning routine. No one batted an eyelash that the Gremory girl was living there anymore, and Rias had expressed her happiness that they had accepted her without making a fuss over her presence. She enjoyed being treated just as another family member and Naruto was glad he could offer that experience to her.

Naruto thanked Haku as she stood up from her meal and hurriedly prepared drinks for the two new arrivals. She blushed in embarrassment and turned his usual offer of compliments away—Haku truly was the most humble person they had met.

As Rias finished adding things to her plate she noticed that Artemis had turned her attention to her. The goddess had been mostly quiet in regards to most family matters, but she had been especially quiet regarding Rias' choice to stay with Naruto and had offered no comment previously.

"Rias-san, it would go against my predecessor if I did not make a comment regarding you and Naruto sharing a bed," Artemis said, with no hint of playfulness. Rias in return raised her eyebrows in surprise. "If you two are to sleep together, then you should do it for the sake of children and not for simple pleasure. Given that I am also the goddess of childbirth, I could offer you a blessing to ensure conception if you wish."

"Um..." Rias paused as she found it difficult to respond to such a topic easily. Still, she was not the type to be prude and she quickly recovered. "Thank you for the offer, Artemis-san, but I will have to decline."

Despite his equal responsibility in the relationship, Naruto decided to remain quiet as this talk reeked of a threatening aura. Anything related to children was off the table for someone as young as him, despite his mother's insistence. She promised he would change his tune soon enough, but still the thought of having children was a dangerous thing for him.

Rias had yet to offer an opinion on the subject, but he hoped it was something similar.

"Then, you should take care of your virginity and not sleep in the same bed as a man," Artemis responded, though she did not sound angry or disappointed. Offering such words was simply her duty as a goddess of those domains.

Rias took her warning with stride and offered the older woman a small smile. "Thank you, Artemis-san, but I should remind you that we are all devils here. Devils follow their desires and do as they wish." Rias crossed her arms and glanced at Naruto. "My love for Naruto has made it so I can only sleep soundly if I am in the same bed. If it makes you feel better, I'm still a virgin."

"I suppose there is nothing to do about it," Artemis said and offered a shrug. She began to smile. "You devils have such a free society: you would get along well with Dionysus I think."

Naruto narrowed his eyes as he recognized the name of the Hellenic god of wine and fertility. The legends often said he was the instigator of parties and orgies, which made the devil feel somewhat conflicted being compared to him.

"That power to ensure childbirth, though, is something we of the devils and the rest of the three factions would have great interest in," Rias said, her tone now serious. "Please keep that in mind the next time we see my brother, Sirzechs Lucifer-sama."

Naruto walked with Rias to the dining room and sat down with his plate. His interest in the previous conversation had been piqued, so before they could begin eating he turned to the red head to speak.

"Rias," Naruto's call made her pause in eating and turn to him. "Why exactly would Artemis' blessing be so useful? Since my mother and I have been on the outskirts of devil territory, we don't keep up much with the times."

What little news did filter back to the Mammon stronghold was always inaccurate to some degree, as it was supplied to them by others in the Extra Demons who had some kind of dislike for the government. While his mother had no love for the current Satans, she did not outright disrespect them either. Naruto was just as interested in the politics of devils as a normal citizen would be, since he knew he had to be ready to participate to see his mother's dream come true.

"Hm, well I suppose the heart of the problem is the low populations between all of the three factions," Rias said after a moment to think. "The amount of devils, fallen angels, and angels all have still not recovered from the Great War. That was one of the reasons why evil pieces were invented in the first place: to reincarnate humans and turn them into devils."

"So," Haku entered the conversation with her usual soft tone. "Why is it so difficult for the pureblooded devils to procreate? I admit that I am very curious."

Haku had told Naruto a bit about her past, though she left out what he could only imagine were the most painful memories. Apparently her mother was a pureblood devil that left the Underworld to escape an abusive master. She met a human man who had nursed her wounds and eventually became Haku's father. For humans and other supernatural beings, at least among the three factions, to procreate did not seem particularly difficult. Naruto's father was human too, before he was resurrected by his mother to serve.

"To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure on the details myself," Rias offered with a shrug. "I only know that for any of the three factions to reproduce, a considerable amount of effort is involved because the conception rate is so low. Apparently, pregnancy for the mother can be difficult to endure because of the supernatural properties of the child as an added problem."

_Lilith-sama must have had a difficult time._

Naruto's thoughts drifted to the woman reputed as the Mother of all Devils, wife of Lucifer and a person of great importance to devil society. Despite the mixed popularity of the previous Maou, his wife's name was the capital of the current capital of the Devil's Underworld.

With the idea of childbirth and pregnancy back on the table, Naruto could not help but gather some questions of his own. Rias must have noticed as she turned back to him and waited for him to say something.

"Rias, would it be safe for you and I to have children then?" The thought of losing Rias during childbirth was something Naruto did not want to consider.

Rias paused to absorb his question before she offered him a comforting smile. "Don't worry, Naruto," she said with a soft tone of voice. He felt her hand lay atop his on the table. "With the right preparations made beforehand, there would be no trouble. Believe me when I say that nothing will stand in our way of having children."

The confidence behind her words gave him some relief. On the other hand, she seemed particularly zealous in having children and he wondered if she was already prepared.

"Oh...you seem pretty confident in your body, kid," Tsunade said as she entered the conversation. There was a hint of teasing in her tone.

Rias took her challenge in stride with a devilish smile now on her lips. "It helps that I have the blood of my mother, a person from the Bael clan, who was able to survive two births already."

Naruto had yet to meet Rias' mother, but from everything he had heard she was a powerful woman. It was from her that Rias gained her Powers of Destruction, after all.

From there the conversation largely died down and everyone continued to eat. Naruto's eyes would occasionally glance toward the TV that Artemis was still watching. Something new came up that seemed to catch her interest as she turned the volume up loud enough for them to hear.

The newscaster was talking about some press conference that was to be held in Kuoh by some CEO that called themselves the 'Boss Dragon'. An odd nickname for a human to take, Naruto thought. They must have had a tattoo of one or loved the mythical beasts enough to call themselves one.

"Do you know anything about that conference?" Naruto said to Artemis. The goddess offered him a negative shake of the head.

"I was reading an article about it, actually," Haku added quietly in response. "Apparently some influential person is coming to give a talk about private security." Naruto narrowed his eyes at the subject. "I thought it odd too, but apparently the woman is a Japanophile and has come to Kuoh before."

"A Japanophile, huh?" Rias said with interest. "Something we have in common, then."

"Well, hopefully she doesn't stir up too much trouble," Naruto said as he continued to eat.

Things had still remained quiet since the Riser Phenex affair had been dealt with. He knew peace could not last but still hoped for the best.

"Naruto, I meant to ask this earlier, but have you given any thought to your plans now?" Rias asked him, her eyes alight with curiosity. She seemed very interested in what he had to say.

Rias must have noticed the length of this peace as well and that must have gotten her on the idea of how to keep herself busy. For now, the Occult Club kept busy with its meetings and events, but it was only a matter of time before something new would force their attention to shift.

The others at the table seemed to be waiting for an answer. Whatever his plans were would have a definite effect on their immediate futures, so it made sense.

"Well, I'm not really sure," Naruto answered as honestly as he could. "I've expanded my family pretty fast, but it still feels like I am missing something."

"Yes, you have some work to do before your family can return to the 72 pillars," Rias agreed, rubbing her chin in thought. Her gaze turned serious as she thought along with him. "The fastest way to do that would be the rating games, since I doubt you will be getting any military achievements anytime soon."

Rias was referring to the documented methods of Devil promotion. For Naruto's family to actually obtain its position back, he would have to gain influence and titles as an individual which would then be shared to the family when he took the position of head from his mother. For a High-class devil like him, the only realistic options were to participate in rating games or to bring victory to devils in times of war, but considering the current stalemate, he would be unable to fight any angels or fallen.

"I do plan on participating in the rating games," Naruto said in response. He offered those present a serious look, though. "I'm still not ready to start that yet, since I need to have a full peerage. And my mother would probably want me to get a pact with a magician or find a familiar first."

Next to him, Rias' eyes widened a bit. "I'm surprised, Naruto," she said. "I thought you would have already gotten a familiar by this point."

"Ah, well..." Naruto paused and scratched the back of his neck. It would be a little embarrassing to explain but he pressed on anyway. "When my mother told me about familiars as a child, she told me not to settle for anything but the best so I would bring honor to the family."

"That's only natural," muttered Kyuubi, who had been quiet for most of the conversation.

"Well, as a kid I proclaimed I would be the one to tame the legendary Tiamat, said to be the strongest of the Five Dragon Kings," Naruto said, forcing everyone to look at him with no small amount of astonishment. He merely offered them a shrug. "I was mostly just trying to satisfy my mother, but I guess in the back of my mind I've been holding out for a chance to actually find her."

Tiamat, the one female dragon of the Five Great Dragon Kings, was said to have the potential to be the strongest familiar out of all the possible choices. Unfortunately, she was also the hardest to find.

"That _is_ quite the challenge," Rias confessed. "From what rumors reach the Underworld, she is supposedly living in the human world. Every once in a while we hear about some chaos she has caused, but no one has been able to find her."

"Well, it's something I keep in the back of my mind at least," Naruto said. He had no confidence that he would ever find Tiamat, but it was still a nice goal to hold onto.

"For now, I would say you should focus on finding a proper rook," Rias said with a grin.

Now that was something Naruto could agree with. Rooks were the strongest of the family with superior attack and defense, but also acted as the slowest. They often acted as the guardian of the king, just like in normal chess, with the ability to switch places by castling.

At first, Naruto had considered Tsunade for the position given her incredible strength and stamina, but given her variety of other talents relating to her sacred gear he wanted to keep her in the flexible pawn position. Instead, Naruto had to now meet the challenge of trying to fill the rook position with someone even stronger than the blonde saint—a difficult proposition, to be sure.

The thought of Tsunade still being able to beat up any rook he picked made him laugh.

"Hehe, until I find the right one I guess I'll just have to rely on Tsunade!" Everyone glanced at the woman in question, who had the decency to blush.

"You know, it's rude to look at a woman like that," Tsunade said with anger lacing her tone, but the blush made it difficult to take her seriously.

That time, everyone laughed at her expense.

* * *

In the halls of Kuoh, Naruto found himself wandering between classes. The monotony of school made it difficult for him to focus and he often times felt like leaving to find something more fun to do. As much as he hated to admit it though, most of the interesting things that happened in Kuoh eventually involved the academy and kept him in the loop.

Still, if only he could find Rias and bother her. That would make his day a lot more interesting, he thought with a grin.

Naruto felt someone grip his sleeve and pull him aside. His eyes narrowed on the offender only to find a giggling Akeno in the corner of the hallway.

"Ufufu~, what a harsh face. It almost makes me want Naruto-kun to punish me," she said with a blush.

He had always pegged her for a Super S class, so to see her show off masochistic tendencies was a new experience for him. He might have even felt a bit more attracted to her now, if that were even possible. Did that make him an S?

"Akeno-san, what is it?" Naruto asked. It was not like her to find him in the middle of the day, unless Rias needed him urgently.

Akeno's playful mood did not disappear, but her gaze did harden a bit. "I heard some interesting rumors I thought I might share with you, Naruto-kun."

Naruto raised a brow. "Have you already told Rias?"

Akeno shook her head. Her eyes shifted into something devious. "I saved this just for you," she whispered into his ear. Still close to him, she continued with the rumor. "Apparently, someone in a strange armor has entered town. Everyone says that this person wields the Kusanagi no Tsurugi, the sword of legend that is one of the three Japanese treasures."

"Kusanagi no Tsurugi, the one that is supposed to cut through anything?" Naruto asked, as he had heard something about it in a book about Japan.

"Mmhmm," Akeno made an affirming sound and nodded. "With the rumor flying around, everyone with talent in kenjutsu has gone to challenge them. Apparently though, no one has been able to inflict a single wound on this mysterious person."

Naruto's brow raised from the rumors claim. He did not know what kind of talent Kuoh had in kenjutsu users, but he was sure there were at least some that would be competent enough to offer a challenge. Whoever this wanderer was must have been strong.

Akeno's smile widened at his reaction. "Sounds like someone perfect for your family, no?" she offered the rhetorical statement.

"Yeah, definitely," Naruto said. He would need to meet this person to be sure, but they definitely had potential. "I'll have to look into it."

"If you would, please include me when you go and see this person," Akeno asked in request of him. When he offered her a confused glance, she softened her gaze. "Watching you fight Riser-sama for Rias made my heart beat so fast that I would love to see something like it again."

Naruto was reminded of not only his fight with Riser but Akeno's odd feelings for him. She had teased him multiple times about wanting to do naughty things, but yet had not made her feelings about him clear. If she just wanted him as a physical partner, he was not as interested since he actually had grown to like her soft, caring side she so often displayed to Rias and the other club members.

"I only plan to use that level of power on special occasions, Akeno-san," Naruto responded, which seemed to disappoint Akeno as her eyes fell.

Akeno's frown deepened. "I suppose that makes sense you would use it to save Rias, and would only use it if Rias was in danger again," Akeno muttered in what sounded like veiled jealousy.

"Not true," Naruto said out loud. Akeno looked back into his eyes, surprised by his outburst. "I plan on using that power whenever I need to defend the people precious to me. Rias is just one of many of those kinds of people."

Akeno's mood did not improve, however. "Could there be anyone as precious to you as Rias? With that pendant of hers, your feelings are very clear," Akeno said with frustration, confessing her jealousy out loud.

As soon as she said those words, the queen seemed to regret them and looked away from him.

"Akeno," Naruto dropped the honorific to show he was rather serious. She refused to meet his gaze as he continued. "I'll tell you about the weakness of the Mammon, and that is that we always want more than we are allowed to have. I will always love Rias and nothing will change that, but my feelings are bound to stretch to someone else and probably even further. It's a curse that has run in my family since the fifth Maou."

Naruto was not exaggerating or offering her kind words, as his mother had confirmed the validity of such things in the past. The Mammon were truly afflicted with some type of curse that forced them to want more—whether it be power, followers, or material wealth. In turn, it was said that valuable items and unique people were attracted to the Mammon, which led to a never ending cycle of the devils chasing after these things and trying to acquire them.

Akeno seemed to think over his words as her mood turned from regret to something akin to hope. She looked into his eyes with a new energy behind her own.

"Then, does that mean you might look at me with the same eyes you offer to Rias?" Akeno asked. The weakness she showed in waiting for his answer humbled the usually confident queen.

Naruto offered her a smile. "I already see you as a precious person to protect," He said, before leaning closer to her. Akeno was forced to slightly angle her head to meet his gaze. "Remember what I said before?"

In response to his question, Akeno garnered a puzzled look. As she no doubt wracked her brain for the answer, Naruto decided to give her a hint. His lips pressed against her forehead after he brushed her bangs aside.

"...!" Akeno's eyes widened as he pulled away.

"I'll be waiting, Akeno," Naruto said before he turned on his heel to leave.

* * *

The female devil watched him go with no small amount of anxiousness. Her feelings wrestled inside of her chest as she could not decide whether to take a leap of faith or not. Akeno's mind remembered the words he had told her and let them echo in her consciousness.

_'When you want me because you want me, then we can continue', huh?_

Akeno began to lose hope as the familiar feeling of doubt arose. A deep seated hatred for the dirty blood that ran through her veins held her back from trying. Still, seeing Rias wear that pendant made her burn with jealousy. It reminded her of how badly she desired someone to accept her, all of her, and _own_ her mistakes.

But, she knew that someone with dirty wings like her would never have that kind of happiness. All she could do was play games with the one she desired. What a wicked woman she was.

* * *

Now back at the house, Naruto had assembled his peerage for a meeting of sorts. After taking Akeno's rumor into consideration he wanted to look deeper into this mysterious swordsman. So, he planned to have his family find him so that they could then try and challenge him for themselves.

"Fuka, Artemis," Naruto called to his two knights. They stiffened in response. "You both are the fastest members of the family, so I'd like you to act as scouts and find this person. Apparently a lot of swordsmen have been flocking after them, and they wear a full suit of armor, so I doubt they will be too hard to find."

Both of them nodded after hearing his orders.

"When the actual battle comes, I'll have you hang back," Naruto continued. "Neither of you are front line fighters and this swordsman sounds like he might be able to resist your attacks. The rest of us will act as the attackers."

Naruto's eyes then shifted to Haku and Tsunade. "My pawn and bishop will be my support, while Kyuubi fights inside of me."

Kyuubi narrowed her eyes. "Any reason why I'm sitting this one out?" She asked with no small amount of annoyance laced in her tone.

"You aren't sitting this one out," Naruto responded with a harsh edge to his words. "This guy is going to be hitting hard. I'll need your healing factor _and_ your power to help my magic get through his defense."

Kyuubi quieted down after that, but she still seemed dissatisfied. Not that he could blame her since she was always in the mood to personally fight strong opponents, but he did not want to take any unnecessary risks against an opponent of unknown strength. She would be safe inside of him and he, in turn, would survive longer with her healing him when Tsunade could not.

Artemis used a kind of magic that Naruto did not recognize and summoned a group of dogs. A motley group of hounds, they did not even need Artemis to say a word before they scattered on her command. She and Fuka then proceeded to leave and track down their quarry while the rest remained behind to wait.

After a while, Tsunade crossed her arms and met his gaze. "This guy is dealing with a bunch of challengers right? If you don't have a sword, what makes you think he will pay attention to us?" Though she offered him a little bit of attitude with the question, Naruto knew she had a point.

It was something he had already considered, luckily.

"I have a plan to fix that problem," Naruto responded, though his answer did not help alleviate their concerns. "Let's just say my armor won't be the only heirloom I'll be bringing out this time."

* * *

Naruto and Tsunade were both standing outside the front door of Naruto's house. The sun had started to set and Artemis and Fuka had just recently returned, detailing the spot where they last saw the swordsman. Akeno was also due to arrive soon so their group could head out.

He now wore his ancestor's armor again and Naruto could already feel himself grow stronger under its influence. Now that he was back in the human world, he would have to be careful how much energy he released to not negatively affect anyone, but he would not hold back against this wandering swordsman once they found him.

Rather than focus on that though, his thoughts turned to the reincarnated devil at his side. Tsunade had been rather quiet since they came outside together, and it reflected her usual attitude since coming into his family. Unlike Artemis who was quiet by nature, he knew Tsunade was still struggling to accept her new situation.

That was why, as both her king and concerned family, he had wanted to get a moment alone to talk.

"Tsunade," Naruto addressed her. The blonde, who was leaning against the house, glanced his way. "How have you been handling things since then?"

Naruto was indirectly referring to her resurrection which neither of them liked to bring up considering the rather morbid details of it. The mystery behind what she was doing down there had not been solved even after Tsunade told him that she had been tricked by some Hebi creature. What worried him was that the person who captured her could have stolen her Twilight Healing, yet chose not to. Not even Tsunade could explain it to him, and it made Naruto worry about the true intentions of that person.

"I'm..." Tsunade's tone started out aggressive, as she often took a harsh tone with anyone who showed concern with her. She was very defensive in that way. Surprisingly, she grew rather quiet as she answered him. "I'm still struggling with the thought, but the others have helped keep my mind off of things."

Naruto let himself smile a bit and decided he would have to thank Haku and the others for doing such a thing. Since they were all women it must have made it at least somewhat easier to get acquainted and speak with another. At the very least they had being reincarnated devils in common.

"Good," Naruto responded after a pause. His eyes then turned back to her and saw that she was still watching him, as if expecting him to say more. "Have you been nursing any desires as a devil? That might give you something to focus on."

Devils were well known to be driven by their desires. As a near immortal species, a devil needed something like a desire to keep themselves occupied.

"As a saint I'm not really used to thinking about such things," Tsunade admitted.

"Well, did you have any regrets from your life as a human?" Naruto asked. That quickly got a response out of Tsunade as her eyes seemed to reflect a considerable amount of grief.

Then, the pigtailed blonde began to laugh. The gesture lacked any warmth. "Too many to count."

Naruto frowned but decided to press the issue. "What's your biggest one, then?" He asked.

Tsunade turned her gaze to the sky and stood there silently for a long time. Her face remained unreadable for a while before she started to speak in an uncertain tone of voice. "I guess I would have liked more time with my lover, but we never had a chance to be close thanks to our positions in the Church. If I had the chance, I would have wanted to experience what it means to truly feel love."

Naruto began to smile as he realized that her desire was not so far off from his. That only made him want to help the woman more than before.

"I'll do my best to find a way to fill that desire of yours," Naruto said with confidence.

Tsunade turned her sharp gaze back to him before lightening up a little bit. "Just don't go out and try and find me any suitors, alright?" She asked with sarcasm. A harsh snicker erupted from her mouth as she held up a shaking fist. "Otherwise I'll just end up beating them up."

Naruto found it difficult to respond when he knew she was not lying. Luckily, he was saved when Akeno arrived at the house.

"Greetings, Naruto-kun," Akeno said before turning to Tsunade. "Tsunade-san, a pleasure."

The previous saint merely offered the queen a nod.

"Welcome, Akeno-san," Naruto said with a smile. "You arrived right on time. Let's get moving."

* * *

"_**This guy is a mountain,**" _Kyuubi observed from inside of Naruto.

One glance of the hulking piece of armor across from them and Naruto was inclined to agree. They had found him wandering the outskirts of town, in one of the parks. After their barrier was created to keep the fighting contained the devils sprung their trap and quickly had their target surrounded. Their group had hesitated in order to better analyze their opponent, but Naruto had yet to see any kind of weakness.

The rumors were not lying when they said this person really was wearing armor, but not like anything Naruto had ever seen. It had the obvious inspiration of Samurai in its tortoise helmet, but the heavy plate was obviously western in nature and looked way too heavy for any normal human to be able to wear. Not only that, but his height rivaled that of even Artemis—an amazon warrior in her own right that stood above even Kyuubi. Given the girth of the body and the size of the armor, Naruto could only conclude the person beneath it must have been _huge_.

_Rook material, I'd say._

Despite their threatening formation, the person in the armor had not moved from the spot they found them in. Whether they were unconcerned or not was hard to say, but given the swordsman's reputation for being unbeatable it was not a stretch to think they were not being taken seriously by this person.

"What's your name?" Naruto asked.

His opponent remained silent. Just like the rumor said there was a Japanese sword attached to its hip, but the large hands remained idle at its sides.

If he was going to receive this swordsman's name, it looked like he had to offer a proper challenge. This was the moment Naruto had been dreading but there was no room for hesitation. To expand his peerage he would do whatever it took, even if it meant using something like _that_.

Naruto held his arm out to the side and created a magical portal that floated in midair. With the pull of his magic, an object began to come through the Mammon crest and into their dimension. Naruto forced more energy to it as he felt some resistance and let what was now identifiable as a hilt of a sword continue to come through.

_Kyuubi, focus all of your healing power on my hands. Okay?_

"_**What do you mean?**"_

_Just do it._

Their internal conversation was cut off by Naruto as the last of the object had been removed. If one looked closely they could identify a thin handle of sorts that was attached to something wrapped in bandages. The shape of it was similar to that of a fin of a fish. Naruto flexed his fingers a few times in nervous anticipation before he gently wrapped his hand around the hilt.

Immediately a sharp pain bit into his gloved hands as the armor failed to protect him from the sharp protrusions that emerged from the oddly shaped weapon's hilt. There was some relief as his hands began to sizzle with Kyuubi's healing power, but the protrusions refused to remove themselves and he felt the thing under the bandages shift and grumble under his hold.

"_**What the hell is this thing?! I can feel it eating my energy...**"_

With a grunt, Naruto swung the blade out so that it was now between him and his opponent. Even with his armor, wielding this thing was going to be a drain on him. Kyuubi was not lying when she felt an energy pull affect her, not unlike the effect his chains had. This object, this unique weapon collected by the Mammon, was coveted for a similar effect.

"This is my blade," Naruto said. The others in his party were staring at him in shock as his blood constantly dripped from the open wounds. A small price to pay, he thought. "The last remaining 'Living Sword', passed down through my family as a precious heirloom. Samehada!"

"Living sword?!" Tsunade exclaimed from surprise.

"Could such a thing be real?" Haku asked no one in particular.

Akeno held her tongue as she observed the blade. No doubt one could see the subtle movements and flexing of whatever was hidden beneath the bandages, as if it really were alive. A sentient weapon, something unheard of in today's world, even with the supernatural.

And it was owned by the Mammon, if one could call it that. As Naruto's wounded hand was proof enough, Samehada had refused all of his family as wielders. Though it was uncooperative, it was the most powerful and durable weapon that Naruto knew he could use in battle against this enemy.

"Now," Naruto called out, talking through the pain. "I asked what your name was!"

Their enemy had still not reacted even when the blade had been revealed. Now that Naruto's challenge had been reissued, however, the hulking armor did shift so that a gloved hand rested on the hilt of its blade. A voice that could only be described as an echo traveling through a cave emerged from within the T-shaped visor to merely utter one word.

"**Ronin**," it said. There was no gender to attach to such an inhuman tone.

Naruto had been afraid to admit to himself that he felt no living presence in the thing in front of him. Was there really a person hidden somewhere beneath all that armor? He tightened the grip on the unruly weapon in front of him and prepared to find out, for better or worse.

There was an uncomfortable silence as Ronin did not unsheathe its blade. Such a signal made it clear that Naruto would have to be the first one to strike. With that in mind, Naruto kicked off from the ground and leaped forward with great speed.

Samehada was brought over Naruto's head and then swung down with all of his might upon Ronin. With amazing speed, the armor brought its sword hand above its body and revealed the thin, sharp edge of the legendary Kusanagi as it came to block the bandaged sword. Their blades remained connected and struggling against one another as Naruto's feet once again touched the ground.

With all of his natural strength pushed into Samehada, he had not even made Ronin flinch. While his arm shook from the effort, Ronin's remained stiff as a statue. There was no way this was a human, but if not, then _what_ was he dealing with.

Not only that, but he could not sense Samehada ripping any energy from this piece of armor. That drastically narrowed the possibilities of what he was dealing with. Was it possible that they were really fighting a physically manifested ghost?

_Kyuubi, do you sense anything inside of the armor?_

With the kitsune's senjutsu, they could get to the answer much quicker than his idle musings. For some reason, Ronin offered them that time as it continued to effortlessly hold his blade back without even bothering to counter or push away from him.

"_**There is nothing living inside that armor, Naruto.**" _

Kyuubi's response brought him great worry as he realized many of their attacks would be useless against it. If there was nothing there to feel pain or become exhausted, then what hope could they have to outlast it?

_Then, what the hell is it?_

Naruto's only hope was that a youkai spirit like Kyuubi would know more than he did. There was definitely nothing like this in the Underworld, not from where he was from at least.

"_**Rather than sense energy behind of the armor, I feel threads of life fed throughout the armor itself.**"_

_Are you saying this thing...is a living, sentient armor?!_

Something like that which existed only in human fairy tales was apparently real and right in front of him. He had heard of artificial creations being experimented with in the past but nothing had ever come of them.

"_**They are rare, but not unheard of in Kyoto. Often they are possessed by a spirit that is dissatisfied with its own death and wishes to continue fighting. I've never seen an armor like this, or one with such potent energy before.**"_

Kyuubi's explanation did little to help Naruto come up with a plan of attack. If it was a spirit then they obviously could not wound or kill it. That only left the option of immobilizing the body long enough for them to inflict enough damage where it could no longer fight. He was very quickly starting to see why this thing was unbeatable.

Quite literally, Ronin could not be killed.

Naruto leaped back to gain some distance from Ronin. Samehada attempted to resist further and shifted its barbs, eliciting another grunt of pain from Naruto. He had no choice to but to force his other hand onto the hilt and gritted his teeth as more barbs pierced through that one as well.

There was no doubt in his mind that he could not beat his opponent alone. The others had been impatiently waiting on the sidelines, waiting for his permission to jump in. One glance toward them showed their concern with his condition and he knew it was only going to get worse from here in.

"Haku, freeze him!" Naruto shouted the order.

He would have to see how Ronin reacted to a combination attack, something he doubted most of the swordsmen who had challenged it in the past were capable of.

With no hesitation the bishop brought up her arm and created a Mammon circle directly beneath Ronin. The armor did not even have time to look before it was encased inside of a block of ice. With it immobilized, they were free to approach their next attack however they liked.

That freedom made them careless. So confident were they that the ice had worked that they were taken by complete surprise when the ice shattered around Ronin's body. The large armored hands wrapped around the hilt of the blade and held the Kusanagi in front of its body, ready to defend itself.

"It..broke through," Haku whispered. There was more than a hint of respect hidden behind her statement.

"Tsunade, with me!" Naruto called to his pawn as they charged forward. "Promote to rook!"

"Fine!" She responded with some amount of stress in her tone. Not even Tsunade was taking this thing lightly. A light encased her for a moment as she internally shifted her body into a powerhouse of attack and defense.

Naruto arrived first with his greater speed and forced Ronin to block again with the Kusanagi. With it occupied, Tsunade rounded on him from the side and threw a jab directed straight at the vulnerable part beneath its shoulder.

With a whip of its elbow, Ronin took one hand off of the hilt and sent it flying into Tsunade's face. She was able to notice in time and dropped beneath the strike, but was forced to stop her punch before it reached all the way.

Now with it distracted, Naruto pulled the blade back and then swung it with all of his strength into the side of Ronin's head. Inches before the blade could hit, Ronin forced the Kusanagi blade between its helmet and Samehada to block. The visor seemed to lock onto Naruto as its now free hand came back and wrapped around Naruto's neck.

"Naruto-kun!" Akeno shouted in despair. She released her wings and flew toward him but it would be too late.

Similarly, Haku could not use magic with Naruto so close without risking it hitting the both of them.

Tsunade's fist struck the elbow joint of the arm that was now crushing Naruto's wind pipe. At first, there was no outward reaction to the hit as the armored hand still continued to choke him. Then, the armor surrounding the area where Ronin was hit began to crack before it literally fell apart. The hand that held onto Naruto was forced to release him as the forearm fell to the ground.

Unable to move or breathe, Naruto fell to his knees as Kyuubi cursed inside of his head. He felt Tsunade's arms wrap around him as she carried him away from the piece of armor that now only had one arm. On the ground, his half-closed eyes watched as Tsunade knelt before him and summoned her Twilight Healing sacred gear, appearing as two rings on her middle fingers. A green light enveloped his neck as Tsunade's hands hovered above them.

The look of deep concentration his pawn's face offered was one that brought a smile to his face, no matter how much pain he was in. Just a few weeks ago, it had been her trying to kill him—now she was saving his life.

"Don't die...don't die," Tsunade chanted quietly to herself as she forced more of her energy into him.

Behind them, Akeno and Haku launched magical attacks of lightning and ice together in an attempt to bring the hulking figure to heel. Despite their best efforts, the attacks were completely resisted. Worse, the part of the arm that had fallen off was now being reattached to the rest of the body. Simply by Ronin holding the arm up to the socket, the lost portions of the arm regenerated and rebuilt between the arm and forearm.

Naruto felt some air finally reach his lungs and fell to the first instinct he had—cough up all of it. With Tsunade's hand on his back Naruto finally managed to sit up and take some unsteady breaths. Her healing was very impressive to have gotten him back up so quickly, and Kyuubi deserved thanks as well for keeping him on life support long enough for her to save him.

"Thanks," Naruto said between coughs. "Looks like I definitely underestimated this guy's strength."

"It took everything I had just to break his arm. What do you want to do?" Tsunade asked. The look in her hazel eyes told him that she was quickly losing confidence in their chances to win.

Naruto could not accept something like defeat after they came so far. With a bit of help he managed to get himself back on his feet and struggled to come up with a plan. His first thought to use Samehada in a sword fight was flawed from the start, since his only advantage was to tire his opponent by taking their energy.

Given Ronin's power in both attack and defense, they could not afford to play by his rules and have a proper sword fight. Naruto was sure to lose if they continued as they were—Samehada would have killed him if the Kusanagi did not. So, with that in mind he decided to change tactics.

"Okay, new plan!" Naruto exclaimed as he grabbed Akeno and Haku's attention. "I want you two to work together in a combination ice attack. Freeze everything except for his head!"

Akeno and Haku turned from Naruto to look at one another. They exchanged a nod of confidence before they began to build magic again.

"What are you thinking this time?" Tsunade muttered. As his comrades built up their strength, he gently pushed himself off of Tsunade's shoulder.

"This is a kind of challenge, right?" Naruto offered a rhetorical question, then continued. "If it is, then we have to humble him in order to get him to admit defeat. I'm hoping that knocking his head off will do it."

"_**And how exactly do you plan on doing that?**"_ Kyuubi said with no small amount of satire in her tone.

"We are going to play a little bit of leapfrog," Naruto said out loud, so both could hear him. "Tsunade, hit him with everything you have in one punch and then leap away. I'll be right behind you."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes as she tried to decipher what his plan was. As long as she followed his order though, it did not matter. He was confident that they could succeed. Naruto chose that moment to unsummon Samehada; he would have to conquer that enemy another time.

A powerful release of magic made them turn back to the battle and see that Haku had released a powerful stream of ice from one of her magical circles. The ice then traveled through a set of Gremory circles created by Akeno, exponentially enhancing its power as it passed through each one. The magical attack quickly surrounded the unmoving giant and did just what Naruto asked, leaving only its head uncovered.

The slightest bit of movement in the head meant that Ronin was resisting, but the ice held—for now.

"Go, Tsunade!" Naruto bellowed the order as she moved past him.

He could feel a great amount of energy build up in her fist as she closed the distance. They were about to see the full power behind the ex-saint's famous superhuman strength.

In his right hand, Naruto began to build up a large amount of daemonic energy and build it into a sphere. The same attack he used on Riser, but this time he would strike the same spot Tsunade hit on Ronin with the rasengan.

_Kyuubi, feed all of your energy into the rasengan!_

There was only a moment of hesitation before the fox complied. The swirling ball of mass grew larger with Kyuubi's energy, and darker than before. He could tell that the rasengan had been taken to an entirely different level with his queen's power.

_I think this deserves a new name._

Was the thought he had just as Tsunade's fist hit right between Ronin's eyes. The release of energy from the hit sent a shock wave flying out, kicking up dirt and flicking the wind out to hit Akeno and the others. Unfortunately, the punch was only enough to crack the hardened piece of armor. At the same time, the armor finally managed to shake the ice free from its body.

As Tsunade used her feet to leap back to safety, Naruto appeared behind her with his rasengan in hand. He extended his arm and pushed the attack directly into Ronin's helmet. The armor had no time to mount a defense like before and was forced to take the full brunt.

From the great force the helmet flew off from Ronin's shoulder as if it was a cheery plucked from its branch. The piece of armor was sent flying into the nearest trunk of a tree and shattered it on impact. The remnants of Naruto's enlarged rasengan began to dissipate in the palm of his hand. Before Ronin could try and attack him again, he leaped away in an effort to gain some distance.

Luckily, it seemed as if the fight had been taken out of the armor now that its head had been removed. It fell to one knee and then refused to move. The Kusanagi blade remained tightly in its one hand, but was not raised in a fighting stance.

_Let's call that the Tailed Beast Ball from now on, Kyuubi._

"_**I can't believe you were thinking of its name the entire time,**" _she angrily replied.

"Is it over?" asked Haku. She and the others had come over toward Naruto as they warily glanced at the armor, expecting it to move.

"Let's find out," said Naruto. He walked toward the armor and then directly past it without any response. After a bit more walking he had successfully retrieved the helmet and brought it back over.

"Naruto-kun, are you sure that is the right decision?" Akeno asked with narrowed eyes. He had been about ready to put the helmet back into place when her dangerous tone stopped him.

"Like I said, let's find out," Naruto responded over his shoulder as he finished placing the helmet in its proper place.

After a few moments the same magic that had reattached the arm did the same for the head. Ronin made a few small movements as it tested the seal on its neck before it brought its sword arm up. Rather than attack, however, it used both hands to offer the Kusanagi blade to Naruto while still on its knee.

"**Victor**," said the booming echo that acted as the armor's voice.

As much relief as he felt from being acknowledged as such, Naruto knew this was far from a victory. He had not come for a sword, but for a member of his peerage. He had no idea whether an evil piece would work on some armor, but Rias had told him that there were many secrets concerning the pieces that not even their creator could fully predict the results of.

Just like all things: it was worth a shot.

"Keep the blade, Ronin," Naruto said after a moment. The armor made no other movement as it still held the blade to him. "I want you to use that blade to serve me as your master."

Naruto tentatively touched the shoulder of the armor, yet still it did not move. When he reached out with his king piece, he felt the life within the armor resonate. His eyes widened in response to the price he had to pay to recruit the giant in front of him, but he knew that it would be worth it.

Naruto narrowed his eyes as he refocused on the unmoving armor beneath him. "I don't know why you are worth both my rooks, but I plan to spend an eternity with you finding out," Naruto said as he summoned both of his rook pieces. "From now on, you will no longer be known as Ronin. You are now Yoroi, the armor that will protect my family from harm."

Naruto inserted his two evil pieces into the thing's chest and watched with some satisfaction as they successfully entered. He decided it was best to give the big armor space as it still refused to move even after the ceremony was complete. The others remained quiet behind him, silently hopeful that his words had reached whatever spirit resided within.

Then, after what felt like eternity the armor slowly shifted so that it now stood on two feet again. With slow, practiced precision it sheathed the Kusanagi no Tsurugi back into its sheathe. Towering above Naruto and the others, he noticed the empty giant had craned its neck by the smallest amount so that it was now looking directly upon them.

"**Yoroi**," said the echo as it reverberated through their ears.

With just one word, Naruto knew he had made the right choice. His family had gained its rook.

* * *

_The chart on my profile has been updated to include Ronin, who will now be referred to as Yoroi (Means armor in Japanese, I got the idea from Kabuto's teammate in Naruto with the same name)._ _You might also be interested in the Harem spoilers as three new mystery women take their own spots. _

_One has already been mentioned in the story and is the focus of the next chapter, whereas the other two are for later (all of them are in official DxD lore). Their addition marks the end of the primary harem members, as I no longer have any women either from Naruto or DxD that I feel will appropriately fit into his relationship tree. There may be inklings, hints, or one-sided feelings with other girls in the future, but the harem women will at the very least have recurring appearances in some form or another._

_For those curious of story progression, we are currently between Light Novel volumes 2 and 3, which is between the First and Second season for anime watchers. The next chapter will be the second chapter of the intermission and will also begin to shift us fully into Volume 3 territory which deals with Kokabiel._

_Naruto's next target: Akeno Himejima!_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Highschool DxD**


	8. The Strongest Familiar

_Return of the Mammon Clan_

* * *

Naruto found himself sitting in the occult club room again enjoying the company of Rias and Akeno. He was sipping tea made by the queen as they waited for the rest of the club to arrive with the school day nearly over. Rias was at her desk looking over some documents related to her peerage's contract work.

Apparently they were being kept very busy by their clients. Rias was happy to note that if things continued she was sure that the members of the club could start appealing for promotion to Mid-class devils soon. It would mean more prestige and privileges to both them and the Gremory family as a whole. When Rias had said that she had almost looked like a mother that was proud of her child's report card, which made the entire scene all the more memorable.

Of course, Rias had encouraged Naruto to pick up similar work for him and his peerage. There was definitely some merit in doing the work as it offered worldly knowledge and connections. At the same time he felt himself conflicted with the ratio of time spent with reward received back. Perhaps he had been spoiled by his mother from a young age, but he had never considered contract work to be worth his precious time.

Maybe in the future when there really was nothing to do, then he would set his family loose. For now though he needed to consolidate his power base and focus on his original goal: expand the peerage. Then, it would finally be time to register as a participant in the rating games and accelerate his plans to reach for the 72 pillars.

"Naruto!" Rias exclaimed and broke his concentration. The teacup in his hands wobbled as he almost managed to drop it from surprise.

Naruto turned to look at the red head that had been calling his name. She had gotten up from her seat to now stand in front of her desk, with her arms crossed and eyes dangerously narrowed in his direction. Maybe he had been too deep in thought.

"Y-yes, Rias?" Naruto responded with no small amount of trepidation. He had quickly grown to respect and fear Rias when she was displeased with him.

The heiress' sharp gaze lasted on him for a moment longer before she began to soften up her disposition.

Rias uncrossed her arms and let a small smile slip through. "Honestly, I had to call your name three times..." Rias said as she shook her head. "I was going to ask for your help with something. Would you listen?"

Naruto shifted in his seat and looked at with Rias with some interest. Very rarely did she ever saddle him with requests or ask for his assistance, so he was sure it was something important.

"Of course, Rias," Naruto said as he offered her a smile. "What do you need?"

Rias' grin widened as he said that. "Thank you, I knew after I saw your battle with Riser you would be the perfect one to ask."

Naruto raised a brow as his thoughts traveled back to when he fought against the Phenex heir. What could she have been inspired by?

Rias walked over to join him on the couch and quickly settled herself closely next to him. Akeno was sitting across from them and silently enjoying her own tea. The three of them often sat together like this so no one felt uncomfortable as Rias took Naruto's hand into hers.

"When you fought against Riser," Rias began to speak, her voice somewhat quiet as she remembered the distasteful memories. Her fingers traced patterns in the palm of his hand. "You were able to condense pure demonic energy into a rotating sphere. You remember, don't you?"

Naruto started to catch on as he knew she was talking about the rasengan, a technique his father had developed. Apparently he had been working on it prior to meeting Kushina and, after he used it in a fight against her, she was so impressed that she made him her knight. There was more to the story than that, but he really had not wanted his mother to go into further detail.

"Yeah, the rasengan," Naruto responded. His eyes glanced down at the hand Rias was gently massaging—the same one he used to create the attack. "It was really hard to figure out. Shaping your energy can take a lot of work."

"Quite right," Akeno said as she joined the conversation. Her violet eyes became somewhat excited as she continued to speak with a light tone of voice. "I've been using elemental magic for quite some time, but I've never seen pure energy harnessed like that. It was very impressive, Ufufu~"

"That is what I want your help with," Rias said, her voice filled with determination. He noticed that her gaze had hardened from whatever decision she had made. "Would you please teach me how to control energy like that?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes at her request. It would be a tall order to meet if he considered how long it took him personally just to figure it out. On the other hand, when he started to learn the rasengan Naruto's magical ability was pretty unimpressive. With a dedicated person like Rias it may have been more realistic.

"Can you not?" Rias said after noticing his harsh gaze. She seemed to deflate somewhat with the courage from before now lost. "As I thought, I was being too forward."

Naruto's hand that Rias had been holding now wrapped her wrist. He offered her a friendly squeeze to get her attention.

"I didn't say that, Rias," Naruto said, smiling. His expression quickly became rigid again as he once again considered the thought of training her. "The training might take a while, and it can be really frustrating..."

Rias' smile quickly returned. "So you will train me. That's great news," Rias said with a relieved sigh. She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "Don't worry about the training. Rias Gremory will accept any challenge!"

Naruto's smile widened a bit as he figured she would say something like that. Her confidence was definitely one of her strong points, he had to say.

"Sounds like the perfect excuse for a date, Rias," Akeno noted as she muffled another giggle with her hand.

The Crimson Princess turned back to her queen with sharp eyes. "Are you questioning my dedication, Akeno?" Rias asked as her lips thinned.

Akeno's smile failed to disappear, despite Rias' challenging gaze. This was a dangerous game the two often played when in his presence. He almost felt the need to move further down the couch to get out of the way.

"Who knows?" Akeno responded with a cryptic shrug.

Before the two could go any further, the doors to the clubhouse burst open with a new presence. Everyone turned in surprise to see the bespectacled Aika Kiryuu leaning against the door frame. She was breathing heavily and had clearly run all the way there from the main school building.

"Aika?" Rias addressed the girl. It was not like her to act that way. "What has gotten into you?"

"President, Akeno-san," Aika belted out there names in between her sharp breaths. "I think there's trouble. The damn dragon has been freaking out all day."

_The Sekiryuutei?_

Naruto knew she had the Boosted Gear, one of the Longinus inside of her. He did not know, however, what kind of relationship if any the girl had with the dragon itself. If it was talking then that must have meant it could tell her all kinds of things.

Akeno's eyes narrowed a bit. "And what kind of things has the dragon been saying, Aika-chan?" She asked, with something more than curiosity in her tone. The queen was clearly concerned.

By that point, the brunette had finally managed to calm her breathing down. Aika joined them near the couches as she relayed to them what the red dragon had told her.

"Something about some familiar power nearby," Aika said, her eyes narrowing. With great force she started to shake her arm in frustration. "He just won't shut up about someone named Tomato!"

"Tomato?" Rias asked, her face mirroring the confusion of the others. The Gremory crossed her arms as she struggled to figure out the puzzle set before them.

"Are you sure you didn't mishear him?" Naruto asked. He highly doubted the heavenly dragon had been talking about some plant.

Aika bit her lip. "Hang on, the big guy is trying to talk to me again."

Everyone waited patiently for the girl to collect her thoughts. During her 'talk' with the dragon that went on in her subconscious, she remained completely stock still. It was almost creepy to watch as it reminded Naruto of a ghost possessing someone.

After a while the second year student finally started to move again. She sent a harsh glare to the back of her left hand, where her Boosted Gear was located. "You didn't have to spell the damn name out. I'm not an idiot, ya know!"

"Aika, what did he say?" Rias inquired as she tried to get the girl's attention.

"He said it was someone named Tiamat, one of the-"

Aika was cut off as Naruto stood up from his seat in excitement. Everyone turned to him now with surprise at his sudden reaction.

"Where is she?!" Naruto exclaimed as he was unable to hold himself back.

This was the chance he had been waiting for! With Yoroi now joining his family as a rook he felt like he really had a chance to at least confront the dragon. If he could just impress her she was sure to join him!

Aika recoiled from his sudden outburst. With the determined gaze Naruto was now leveling at her, she felt compelled to tell him everything.

"Well...hang on."

Aika proceeded to respectfully ask Ddraig for directions. That was a first in their relationship, all thanks to the very insistent Naruto.

* * *

Akeno and Rias went out into the hall of the old school building to see Naruto off. They offered him a small wave as he activated his magical circle and left them behind for a hunt. Aika had managed to narrow down the area the dragon was occupying rather well, given the pressure he put her under.

"Are you sure about this, Rias?" Akeno asked her friend now that they were alone.

"About what, Akeno?" Rias responded, her attention now shifted to Akeno. Despite the situation, the Gremory girl was rather calm.

Akeno narrowed her eyes a bit. "Do you really not want to go and help him? This is the fabled Tiamat he is trying to challenge, after all." The queen seemed tense in comparison from her concern.

Rias sighed and simply shook her head. "It's exactly because he is facing something as dangerous as Tiamat that I can't go," Rias said as her frown deepened. Her eyes made clear the internal struggle she was having with herself. "This is something he has wanted to accomplish since he was a child. If I were to go I would merely distract him."

The queen's eyes softened. "That is very mature, Rias," Akeno responded quietly. It was obvious to Akeno, her close friend, how much Rias wanted to ask him to let her go too. "If Naruto were mine, I would not want to let go of him with that kind of danger around the corner."

Rias' mood shifted as she sensed a change in the conversation. She now had her full attention on Akeno, who seemed to acknowledge the change in subject as well. That was a very direct thing to say, even for Akeno.

"Akeno," Rias' voice remained level and calm as she addressed her friend. Still, her gaze made it clear she very much wanted an answer. "Are you interested in Naruto?"

Akeno's face became lightly flushed as she offered her friend another smile. "As a healthy young woman who got read hero fairy tales just like everyone else, how could I not find someone like him attractive?"

She obviously was referring to the incident with Riser, but there was something else. Rias, as Akeno's close friend recognized it immediately as Akeno dodged the question.

"I asked if you were interested in him, not attracted," Rias responded.

Akeno's blushing face quickly changed into something of a poker face for her. "And if I was, what would you do?" She asked another question in turn. The queen's eyes narrowed with interest, and a hint of challenge.

"Akeno," Rias addressed her friend with a friendly tone of voice. She lacked the aggressive bite of a defensive girlfriend or lover that Akeno had been expecting. "You are my best friend. By now you should know I would support you either way."

"Rias..." Akeno was clearly humbled by the response. She had expected, perhaps even hoped, to be scolded for saying something so ridiculous.

"Really, did you think I would be able to keep him to myself?" Rias made it out to sound like a rhetorical statement more than a question. The king simply shook her head with an exasperated smile. "He let me know about the silly curse that afflicted his family. Really, what a hopeless man."

"Then, you don't mind if he..." Akeno's tone betrayed her hope that Rias would support a harem. She stopped herself when she realized how she was being too forward. "Won't you be jealous, Rias?"

Rias had already noticed the difficulty her friend had been facing over the subject. She let her hand fall upon Akeno's shoulder, forcing the servant to look at Rias fully in the eyes.

"Maybe, but that's normal isn't it?" Rias offered the upbeat answer to Akeno. "I know how much he loves me after the incident with Riser. So, no matter how many other women there are I know that those feelings won't disappear."

"..." Akeno opened her mouth but failed to come up with any words to speak. She was trying to find an excuse, anything to put up an argument as to why she could _not_ have Naruto.

Rias' smile grew wider. "I think that is his charm: all of those chains he talks about having are equally strong, no matter what kind of feelings are attached to them." she said with a tone of voice that could not be mistaken for anything but admiration.

"I suppose you have that right," Akeno admitted, a small smile gracing her lips.

Both of their thoughts alined perfectly as they thought about the blonde devil. He had managed to make the two friends reconcile in the end without them even getting into an argument.

"Speak with Naruto, this is something you two have to work out together," Rias said, encouraging her friend. Her soft gaze made it clear she had no plans to interfere. "You best hurry though. The slot of the second wife could disappear at anytime."

"Rias!" Akeno gasped as she had not expected her friend to say something like that.

Rias simply offered her another smile as she turned to enter the club room. The others had been waiting patiently for them to return. It would not do to leave them out for much longer.

"I'll need your help to keep the rest of them in line," Rias offered one last bit of teasing before she disappeared back inside.

Akeno remained in the hallway for a moment longer. Her thoughts were a mess of conflict as one side struggled to get her to take the next step, while the other constantly told her that she did not deserve it.

* * *

Finding the person he suspected of being the illusive dragon had been easier than Naruto had thought. The only new person that was talk of the town was the foreigner who had come to town recently for a press conference. She was the CEO of some private security company in Europe, and her underlings referred to her as Boss Dragon.

One might say too obvious, but perhaps that was the humor Tiamat enjoyed.

With the rest of his peerage Naruto had followed Aika's directions toward one of the many parks that made up the town. According to Haku who was more well read up on her arrival than anyone else, by that time today the press conference was already over. They could only guess she was taking a break and enjoying what the town had to offer.

An odd thing for a dragon to do. Upon arriving at the sparsely populated area they did not even need to spread out to find their quarry. A young woman, aged in her late twenties, sat upon a bench alone with a plate of dango at her side. Long cobalt blue locks of hair fell down the back of her white jacket and matched the color of the three intricate tattoos she had on her chest.

Naruto recognized the symbols as magatama—ancient Japanese jewels that signified health. He did remember something about her being a Japanophile, so he supposed it made sense.

It was difficult to tear his eyes from her chest considering the sheer size of her bust. It was hidden behind a low cut pink blouse with an accompanying brown pencil skirt that only fell to the middle of her thighs. She wore a rather revealing outfit for someone who was supposed to be hiding in plain sight.

_I wonder if all female dragons look like this?_

Naruto shook such thoughts from his head and readied himself. He had already summoned Samehada into his hands, evoking a similarly negative action from the sword as the last time. This time, however, he would have to deal with the pain alone as he wanted Kyuubi to be in her own body this time. To have any chance of humbling the dragon they needed numbers, and he knew that Kyuubi could only show her true strength when she was in her own body.

"Okay, go!"

From their hiding place in the surrounding trees, his peerage emerged and surrounded the woman. Despite their obvious battle readiness she completely ignored them and continued to eat the dango that remained on her plate. The sweet snack had her in such a good mood that she was smiling in the face of their threat.

"Are you Tiamat?" Naruto called out to her.

There was a moment of silence before Naruto felt an overwhelming aura emerge from deep inside their target. The shock wave that followed the release of her energy shot out wind with so much force that all of his peerage, even Kyuubi, were knocked off their feet and sent flying. Somehow the barrier around the park held, but he felt like that was done on purpose by the suspected dragon rather than their own strength somehow resisting her.

Naruto struggled to right himself as he felt Samehada twist and kick against his hold. He had never seen the thing act so strongly before and he struggled to hold it down. It was no use, however, and the sword managed to escape his grasp and slither along the ground over to the overwhelmingly powerful being.

The young woman had now chosen to stand from her seat on the bench. Her expression had quickly turned sour after his attempt to identify her. Samehada leaped up into the air and was quickly caught by her. To his astonishment the blade did nothing to stop her from holding it.

Somehow, Naruto managed to get back onto his feet, but his family was still nowhere to be found. They must have been launched far enough that even if they were able to recover, none of them would make it back to him in time.

_With that kind of power, she has to be-_

Naruto's eyes widened when he realized that the woman was now standing directly in front of him. Less than a moment ago she had been halfway across the park, but now she was so close that she was able to latch onto his wrist. It was from her apparent mercy that she did not crush it, or him, in one shot.

Instead, he noticed a blue portal with unrecognizable markings appear beneath their feet.

She gazed upon him with murderous eyes that shook him to his core. "You're coming with me," said the woman in a tone that made it clear she could kill him in a moment, if she so desired.

Together, they disappeared into a mote of light. Any hope of reuniting with his peerage was now lost as Naruto found himself at the mercy of the strongest of the Great Dragon Kings.

* * *

From out of the teleportation gate Naruto found himself in a completely different place. She had taken him to a golden beach with vast ocean surrounding them. Worse, she still had an iron hold on his wrist that would not budge.

She narrowed her eyes and offered him a smile. There was no warmth in the gesture. "No escape for you _now_," she declared. He felt her grip begin to tighten again.

As if he were a toy she began to swing him around above her head. With the whip of her arm she sent him flying down the beach at a nauseating speed. The coarse sand eventually forced him to stop, but his body refused to listen to his commands.

_That..really hurt._

"I'll bury you here before I go to finish off your friends," The person he now acknowledged had to be Tiamat made the threat as a passing statement, as if it meant nothing to kill them.

Despite his place on the ground he could tell her voice was growing closer. He struggled with himself to get up and managed to find the energy to stand on his own two feet. There was no way he could beat her on his own, and with her display from before he doubted he could have done it with all of his peerage combined either.

Still, the last thing he would do is die while lying on his back.

"That seal, you really are Tiamat then," Naruto confirmed his theory when she flashed another harsh gaze his way.

Dragons were known to have their own unique portals that made it easy to identify them. Tiamat was understood to have a portal reputed as deep blue in color. With her insane strength and magical prowess there could not be any doubt left in his mind that she was the real deal.

Which made it all the more frightening that she was his enemy.

"Congratulations on figuring it out," Tiamat said with no small amount of sarcasm. "My nickname couldn't have made it more obvious. Boss Dragon? Come on."

A dragon was making fun of him. Well, she was one of the Five Kings so it was not so far fetched to believe. Still, he had never imagined it would happen in his lifetime.

Tiamat's humor was quickly lost with another frown. "I've been enjoying my time in the human world, and so I don't take kindly to punks like you who try and bother me," the dragon explained as she gathered energy around her body.

"Tiamat-"

A powerful wave of energy fell over him just like the last time.

"How _dare_ you use that tongue of yours to utter my name?" Her dissatisfaction was made clear from the look of disgust that made it across her visage.

Kyuubi had warned him his chains would be of no effect against someone of her strength. Inside he knew that to be true after she decimated his peerage in their combined effort to bring her down. Still, as a Mammon he felt that they were his only option with his back against the wall.

A daemonic cloak of energy built around his body. Around his armor chains began to form as part of his signature attack.

Tiamat paused in her approach but did not look at all concerned. Instead she began to snicker at his attempt to defend himself.

"Do you really think that-" Her eyes widened as the chains launched forward with great speed and interrupted her.

Rather than dodge out of the way, Tiamat allowed the chains to wrap around her body. Despite being at the mercy of his technique, that arrogant grin of hers remained. Any moment now with that strength she had, Naruto knew she could snap his chains off without a second thought.

But, he would at least take some of her energy with him. He began to pull on the essence of the dragon and absorbed it into himself. Tiamat narrowed her eyes as she must have detected the pull on her spiritual energy.

After a few tense moments she still refused to break free of the chains. Naruto was completely baffled by her behavior as she simply stood there, unmoving. Was Tiamat so unimpressed that she was trying to give him false hope?

Tiamat's face had turned slightly red with a blush. Her lips mouthed something but he was too far away to hear. The last thing he needed was to further anger her by not listening, so he decided to speak up again.

"What did you say?" Naruto asked, his uneven tone revealing his nerves.

Was she going to let him go? Or was she merely going to curse him one last time before she sent him straight to hell? Naruto strained to listen as she seemed to say it again, this time with more feeling.

"Tighter..." Tiamat responded in a meek voice. All the strength she had from before had completely evaporated. "The chains...make them tighter!"

Naruto was unable to respond and did as she requested. In response, Tiamat moaned in pleasure and demanded more chains. More of his daemonic energy was released to form chains that wrapped itself around her voluptuous breasts. This ridiculous request of hers led Naruto to believe he was dealing with something as legendary as the Super S Class: the Major M.

"So...you want me to tie you up?" Naruto asked in an attempt to clarify the dragon's perverse request.

"Yes! Give me more, tie me up more!" Tiamat said as she writhed in his chains. Her moans got louder and louder the tighter his chains became.

What were the chances that the strongest of the Dragon Kings would be a masochist? Not only that, but Naruto was happy to note that she was a dragon masochist with a beautiful human form. He could not resist her request for more. There had to be a way to use this to his advantage.

"Okay, I'll tie you up as much as you want," Naruto said with a lecherous grin. With his arm directing his chains, they slithered around her restrained body. "But, you have to become my familiar and help me whenever I ask."

"Never!" Tiamat shouted in defiance. With a heavy blush and another moan that escaped from her lips, he knew she was just trying to act tough. Her voice had become high-pitched and cute since they started playing together. "Tiamat will never, ever help some lowly devil!"

Naruto started to make a fist as his chains tightened again. "Oh?" He asked, raising a brow in mock disbelief.

Under his harsh gaze, Tiamat squirmed with delight. Her moans grew louder and louder and he was actually glad she took them away to a pocket dimension. The last thing he needed was his friends to discover how much fun he was having at the moment.

"Tiamat.." The dragon muttered her own name through gritted teeth. Since her switch had been flipped, the dragon had started to refer to herself in third person. She moaned again as her restrained arms were forced above her head. The glare she sent his way offered him an empty threat and those pouting lips of hers offered nothing but mock defiance. "Tiamat has been a bad girl, she needs to be punished more before she can agree to work with some _disgusting_ devil!"

"That can be arranged," Naruto said with a grin. With a quick application of force Naruto had his chains literally rip her clothes off, leaving the dragon completely nude. "I can tell I'll need to punish you a lot, Tiamat."

_I will have to thank Akeno later for teaching me how to be a proper S!_

In a few moments he had already started to remove his own bodysuit. Despite her resistance, Tiamat watched him with great interest. He found that her eyes lingered on the area on his groin for far too long and tightened his chains to offer punishment. The ensuing moans acted as yet another wave of stimulation to Naruto as he found himself ready to continue with their 'game'.

"Tiamat will never..." The dragon was forced to pause in her declaration when Naruto forced her to kneel down upon the sand. Her eyes drifted to his groin and the blush adorning her cheeks intensified. Still, she managed to send another glare his way. "Tiamat will never be pleasured by some rotten devil!"

Naruto moved his feet so that he could now stand directly in front of her. Now that she was forced to look up into his eyes he felt even her playful strength begin to disappear into pure submission. She was quivering in what he could only guess was excitement. His hand reached down and hovered in front of her large breasts, but did not touch it.

Their gazes met as he chose to offer her one last way out. "Last chance: do you want me to keep going or not?"

If there was some chance this was a trick and not an act, he did not want to actually hurt the dragon. The last thing he needed was her coming after him the second he released his chains.

Tiamat narrowed her eyes and he saw a bit of her old personality return. The shift in her aura made him freeze as he felt some real killing intent behind the glare.

"If you stop, I'll definitely kill you," she whispered in a serious tone. Any hint of her previous playfulness was gone.

In response, Naruto gleefully grabbed onto her breast and kneaded it in his hands. This forced Tiamat to moan again from his harsh ministrations which left her mouth open and vulnerable. He lowered himself and forced his lips unto hers, muffling her attempt to protest. Rather than fight against him her tongue invaded his mouth an instant and quickly overpowered Naruto.

Before she could overwhelm him he was able to pull himself away. Tiamat still had her tongue out from how sudden he pulled away, her chest panting from excitement. He could already tell she was going to be a difficult one to master.

_Well, I'd much rather conquer her this way than fight._

"That was a naughty thing to say, Tiamat," Naruto said as he rubbed his lips dry. His fingers traced themselves along the lines of her jaw and then traced her open lips. He was pleased when she allowed one of his fingers entrance to her mouth and Naruto found himself resisting the urge to moan as she began to suck. "I think I need to put that mouth of yours to better use."

Tiamat released a sigh of disappointment as he pulled his finger free of the warm insides of her mouth. She followed his movements as Naruto gently placed one of his hands on the back of her head. Now with a strong hold on the blue locks of hair, he forced her to get closer. The dragon's eyes flicked between his sex and his eyes as her breathing became more erratic and excited. The scent of their pheromones served to stimulate the both of them as they approached the point of no return.

Mere inches from having her mouth occupied, Tiamat shot another glare up at him. "Damn devil..." she muttered one last spite-filled comment. If he did not know better, he could have sworn the edges of her mouth had curved up as she said those words.

He could almost feel the lust roll off of her as Tiamat opened her mouth wide and accepted him fully.

From there on out there were no more words exchanged between the two of them on that island paradise.

* * *

Naruto found himself lying on the warm sand of the beach and enjoying the sun, fully nude. While he usually did not take kindly to the rays of light, being a devil with a weakness to such things, somehow the person holding onto him tightly made those minor feelings of discomfort disappear. Pressed against his chest was an equally naked Tiamat, who was quietly mewling as his hands rubbed patterns into her back.

It was impossible to tell how much time had passed since he had been taken away to the alternate dimension, but the two of them had only recently taken this break to pause and rest from their lustful activities. The break was much more beneficial to him because, despite his considerable fortitude as a devil, he had nowhere near the stamina one of the dragon kings did.

Apart from some initial disappointment Tiamat had been more than happy to oblige him in his wish. In fact, the playful resistance she had exhibited before their fervent copulation began had been completely replaced with a dedicated act of submission. She was mere putty in his hands and had deferred to whatever he wished of her to do with a smile on her face.

_To think, I conquered one of the five great dragons through sex._

Just contemplating such an embarrassing thought was enough to make him blush. Needless to say, she had offered him an amazing experience that he had never felt before.

"Master," Tiamat addressed him in a meek whisper as she lay against his chest. She paused to kiss his skin before she gazed into his eyes with pure devotion. No matter how many times she gave him that look he would still melt on the inside. "Where did you learn all those techniques? You felt so good..."

Since they started their lovemaking she had not stopped referring to him with the deeply respectful title. It was on a similar vein to what maids called their employers, but had greater significance when one considered the intense amount of pride Tiamat had displayed in herself already. She seemed to enjoy addressing him that way and on the same vein, he did not want to upset a powerful individual like her by asking her to stop. Simply because he had avoided fighting by playing on her M tendencies did not mean that he had completely defeated her.

So with that in mind he decided that he would play the role of her master as best as he could. If he thought about it honestly, it was not such a bad role to have.

"Well, my mother taught me a few things," Naruto confessed to the dragon. In response Tiamat widened her eyes a bit but said nothing. "She said she just wanted me to be prepared in the future. Apparently she couldn't entrust that part of my education to anyone else but herself."

Naruto inwardly reflected on his dubious admission and knew that there was truth behind it. His mother had been his teacher concerning everything he ever needed to know as a devil, as it had just been the two of them. She had told him that to be a proper heir he needed to know many things about women, especially how to make children. For her that meant extending his lessons to the bedroom for 'practice'.

_It was no surprise that I became attracted to her._

Of course, his mother kept the relationship strictly for educational purposes. Once she felt he had learned enough she quickly weaned him off of her usual services. Perhaps she even hoped that he would find someone else to do it for him when he went to the human world, since he knew she could still recognize when his eyes would fill with lust at her naked body. To still tease him even after acknowledging his feelings displayed how cruel his mother could be in the journey to see her goals come to fruition.

Naruto refocused his eyes on Tiamat as she had grown quiet during his introspection. He allowed one of his hands to wrap itself around her waist while the other collected her chin and forced her attention back to him.

"Back to business," Naruto said with a smirk. She sighed in delight as he forced their bodies to press against one another. "Are you going to become my familiar?"

Tiamat's smile widened. "Of course, master!" Her eyes turned seductive. Tiamat's fingers traced lines across his chest as her voice became low and sultry. "Just remember that every time you summon me, we have to have another...session. With the chains, too."

Naruto chuckled as Tiamat's blush intensified as she offered such a tame title to their lovemaking. She really was a perverted dragon, but he liked that about her. It made her interesting.

"That can be arranged," Naruto said. His hand around her waist drifted lower until he was groping her entire cheek. She gave him a satisfying mewl as if she were sensitive to such a simple touch.

Tiamat's arm went lower until she had begun to massage and pull on his sex again. She maintained her lovely innocent gaze even as she stroked him. A smile emerged as she managed to make him groan in pleasure.

"I'll be sure to service you properly too, master," she said, slightly muffled as she began to lay feather kisses upon his chest.

Naruto captured her chin again and forced her to stop her ministrations. With one swift motion his lips covered hers and before long their tongues were engaged in a fierce battle of supremacy. Unlike before when Tiamat still struggled against him, she quickly surrendered herself to him and let the insides of her mouth belong to him. He felt her hot breath hit his lips as she panted and moaned under his offensive.

After the long conquest of Tiamat's mouth was complete, Naruto eased his lips back from her. A thin trail of saliva connected the two of them still.

Naruto's smile turned a bit devious as he offered her one last peck on the lips. "You are now my lovely dragon, Tiamat."

In response to his declaration of ownership, Tiamat's blush intensified. In a daze of heat she offered him a satisfied look.

"Thank you, master!" She exclaimed. It was such a cute voice that, accompanied with her joyous look, made his heart melt.

* * *

Though it had been difficult for him to pull away from Tiamat, he had managed to resist her long enough to get dressed in his armor again. They had to return to his friends at some point to declare the battle was over. He still was not sure how to best explain things though.

Naruto turned toward the female dragon who was standing nearby, still nude. It looked like she had been waiting for him to finish. With his eyes now on her Tiamat created a blue magical circle beneath her own feet and allowed a bright light to encompass her. In the blink of an eye she was clothed in her usual business attire again as if nothing had transpired since they first arrived.

"Tiamat," Naruto addressed the female dragon as she approached. "How long have we been gone?"

The powerful creature smiled with some sense of pride and held up one finger. "I manipulated the flow of space and time to bring us here," she explained with a full grin. "Only a second or two has passed back in the real world. Your friends will be none the wiser."

That was a relief. If they were gone too long the others might have lost hope.

"Wow, you really are amazing!" Naruto exclaimed.

The confidence his lovely western dragon had a moment ago evaporated under his genuine praise. A familiar look of submission returned as she began to blush.

"Th-thank you, master," she said while stuttering, unable to properly return his gesture.

Now that his thoughts had drifted back to his friends and the battle they had been so thoroughly engaged in before, he remembered something. A surge of adrenaline built inside of him as he remembered Samehada had openly rebelled against him and leaped into the willing arms of Tiamat. He had forgotten to ask how she had managed to tame it so quickly and without effort.

"Tiamat," Naruto said with a suddenly serious tone. His aggression made her immediately shrink and timidly wait for more. "How did you get my sword Samehada to trust you so quickly? I've never seen it act like that before."

Tiamat's eyes widened a bit as she seemed to remember. With one hand held out she summoned another magical circle and brought the sword in question back out. Just like before she was able to wrap her hands around the handle without it doing a thing to try and resist.

"Ah, Samehada sure has grown since the last time I saw it," Tiamat had a wistful look of nostalgia as she spoke in a soft voice. "To think its been so long since it was born. Just remembering the pain makes me _squeal_." She added the last part in a high-pitched whine of excitement.

"So, wait..." Naruto mumbled as he tried to analyze her indirect confession. What exactly was the relationship? "You are...?" His eyes widened as he caught on.

Tiamat noticed the look in his eyes and offered him a soft, almost affectionate smile. "Yes, for all intents and purposes you might as well call me this little thing's mother." One of her hands grabbed the bandages that kept the skin of Samehada hidden. "Though, it was created by shaving off my dragon scales rather than through mating."

_Dragon scales...then-_

"...!" Naruto choked on his own breath as Samehada's bandages were removed in one swift motion. He had only been able to imagine what it looked like as his mother warned him never to remove the bandages—they acted as power limiters and without them, Samehada would surely kill a wielder it did not approve of by swallowing them whole!

Beneath the bandages Tiamat revealed the true image of Samehada; a series of cobalt blue scales, no different from the color of her hair, that were bent outward to act as the weapon's true attack. The farther from the hilt the larger and more pronounced the scales became until he noticed that Samehada indeed had a mouth with which to eat from. Inside of its gullet he could recognize a sea of sharp teeth, not unlike that of a dragon or shark, with which it could do some serious damage if it were able to properly latch on.

"The humans who made this called it 'Shark Skin' because they thought that was what I was," Tiamat explained with a tone filled with no small amount of resentment. "I had been traveling underwater when my tail had been caught on one of their nets. It must have shaved off some of my scales as I pulled away."

The sheer power of Tiamat was put on display when Naruto thought about the situation regarding Samehada's birth. If just her scales were full of life and power, enough to create a sentient weapon, then her own strength was immeasurable.

"Samehada never let me hold it like that," Naruto muttered, still in disbelief to how calm the blade was in her hands. "It would always claw at me and not let me use it."

"Mm, I'm not surprised an offspring of mine was being unruly," Tiamat said with pride, though she then offered Naruto a sympathetic smile. "Let me speak to it for a moment."

The dragon grew quiet as she and the sword silently communed. Naruto noticed Samehada ceased its subtle movements and even closed its mouth in what looked like silent concentration. After a few moments the dragon king opened her eyes and offered him another smile.

"I've properly taught him now, master," Tiamat proclaimed with no small amount of glee. She then held the hilt out for Naruto to take.

At first, Naruto was hesitant to take the weapon into his hands. With a reassuring nod from Tiamat he allowed his hand to carefully wrap around the weapon's handle. He waited for the inevitable moment the barbs would spear through his flesh, but they never came.

"Wow," Naruto said, gently raising and lowering Samehada. It was a little heavier without the bandages containing its power, but it still felt usable. "What did you tell it?"

Given her usual, prideful self she offered to her subordinates he could only guess what harsh words she had used to make it listen. If Samehada viewed the dragon king as a mother too then there was no doubt it would heed her wishes without fail. Mothers could be scary like that, Naruto thought.

"I told him to be nicer to you," Tiamat said with a shrug. When Naruto looked at her in disbelief, a small blush came over her cheeks. "I also...told him to think of you as its daddy."

A silence came over them as Naruto heard the words repeat over and over in his head. This living sword now thought of him, the one who was wielding it, as his dad? Was that possible?

"Eh?" Naruto exclaimed, still in shock. He managed to calm himself enough to form words after a while. "Seriously...I can't believe it listened."

Tiamat offered him a smile that was not unlike one Kushina had offered him in the past. It was one loaded with hidden intentions.

"I was very persuasive, master," Tiamat said, cryptically leaving the detail to his imagination.

No matter what he was just glad that now he and Samehada could properly work together. That would make future battles a lot easier on him.

"Well, thank you very much," Naruto said after a moment. He used his magic to wrap the bandages back around Samehada and was pleasantly surprised to see it accept them without complaint. "This will be a big help in the future."

"I suppose you will want to return to your friends then?" Tiamat asked with a little bit of disappointment. She was no doubt sad to see their time alone end.

Naruto unsummoned Samehada so the 'mother' and 'father' could have some time alone. He wrapped his arms around her waist and brought the dragon close. Rather than take her lips he went below her neck and kissed the blue magatama in the center of her chest. He knew the tattoos were sensitive spots for her with their previous activities and was satisfied to hear her groan in pleasure.

"Master, please don't tease," Tiamat muttered under her panting breath. His lips assaulted her neck before reaching her jaw. The blue lipstick she once wore had disappeared to reveal the dragon's bruised lips, lips that Naruto captured with his own for what felt like the thousandth time.

Naruto separated from her and offered her a small grin. "You won't be able to call me master in front of the others. Try saying my name."

The thought of returning back to the normal world made Tiamat turn serious again. He knew that despite the comfortable way she was acting with him now, the personality she offered back in the real world was no lie either. Smashed together, Tiamat's prideful and submissive personalities must have clashed often inside of her and yet she had managed to pull a ruse that had fooled him even until the last moment.

If she had to hide their relationship he had no doubt she would do a better job than he ever could.

"No need to worry, Naruto," Tiamat's voice rose in confidence. That annoying ounce or two of pride that oozed from her usual tone had started to come back as well. The old Tiamat was back. "I have no intentions of letting the others see the real me. You only get to see that side when you and I are alone, ok?"

"That's fine," Naruto said before suggestively raising his brow. "I don't want anyone else to see you like that, anyway." Tiamat's blush returned and made him chuckle. "You are **my** lovely dragon, after all."

A blue circle of magic appeared beneath them to open a portal out of the pocket dimension. With a gentle push she put some distance between them so the others could never tell what might have transpired. Still, he saw the last remnants of her M side come out as her submissive smile flashed for a second.

"Yes, I am _your _dragon," Tiamat whispered in agreement as the portal enveloped them in a bright light.

He hoped to return to that island paradise very soon.

* * *

Back in the Underworld, Kushina sat upon her throne and reviewed the letter her son had recently sent her. It detailed some of the most recent events concerning the expansion of his peerage and his successful taming of the elusive dragon Tiamat. As she looked over the document her excitement could only grow stronger as she anticipated that not far from the future, her son would finally be able to return to the Underworld and join her.

Once he had his full peerage, they could finally dedicate themselves to returning themselves to the 72 pillars. The Mammon would rise again and it was in no small part thanks to her son's efforts. She was so proud of him that it almost made her regret that she was unable to be there and support him now.

But her role as matriarch required she stay behind. No matter how humble it was, the Mammon stronghold was their home and not so easily abandoned. Besides, she had to remain stalwart against the other families in the Extra Demons. If they discovered her son had left, they might try and take advantage of the situation.

Interference with her plans was something she could not allow.

Rather than interference, however, Kushina was met with an interruption in the form of a familiar golden portal that appeared before her. The Mammon narrowed her eyes as she recognized the unique seal of the old Leviathan family. Out of the light of the magic came a woman with tanned skin, and a head full of brown hair tied up in a bun. She wore the outfit of a noblewoman, though the cloth was thin and revealing.

_Katerea._

"Kushina-dono, a pleasure," Katerea offered the pleasantries with a smirk after playfully bowing. "I come bearing another offer, to ask that you stand with the us against the current Maou."

Kushina narrowed her eyes. "I may have entertained your wishes in the past, Katerea, but I have already made it clear I want nothing more to do with your ilk," she said with a sharp edge to her tone.

Naruto was her shining hope for the future of the clan. She no longer needed to entertain the thoughts and feelings of these rebels in her house.

Katerea did not even flinch upon receiving the denial. "I thought you would say something like that," the Maou descendant said. Her devilish smirk grew wider. "Though, I'm afraid you have _already_ been recruited."

The Mammon matriarch rose from her seat. Daemonic energy began to pour from her body. "_What_ does that mean?" Kushina inquired with a harsh tone.

With a wave of her wand Katerea summoned another portal at her side. From the light stood a little girl with a black dress and pointed ears. Despite her naïve appearance, Kushina hesitated when she identified the girl as Ophis—the god of dragons, someone infinitely more powerful than either of the devils present.

_What is a being of power like it doing here?!_

Kushina's thoughts did not have time to wander as Katerea motioned toward the new arrival.

"Ophis has already given you a _blessing_ from the last time we tried to recruit you," Katerea elaborated as if she was trying to remind Kushina of a familiar memory. Behind her glasses, those eyes of hers narrowed. "The time your _husband_, Minato died."

The last of Kushina's mental limiters seemed to disappear as she let loose all of her energy. For this unworthy person to speak of her husband's death like it was nothing—it was unacceptable.

"Don't ever speak my husband's name, witch!" Kushina exclaimed. She held up her hand prepared to use her magic to force them out. "Leave my presence, at once!"

Katerea chose to ignore her threat and instead turned to Ophis. "Ophis, the person in front of us will be very useful. You should control her," she advised the dragon with an added giggle.

Ophis, in turn, looked from Katerea to Kushina. Similar to the Mammon she brought up her arm and pointed it at Kushina.

Before Kushina knew what had happened she felt something inside of her body twist and turn. Her concentration failed as her magical energy disappeared and left her at the mercy of the two trespassers. Then, a dark energy started to seep into her body from somewhere deep inside. The corrosive nature of the thing inside of her made Kushina howl in pain and fall to her knees as she struggled to stay conscious.

Katerea's cackle only grew louder as she climbed the steps to join Kushina on her dais. Her lavender eyes glanced over Kushina's nude body but reflected no sympathy for the great amount of pain she was suffering from.

"It's regretful we were unable to complete this ceremony the last time, but that damn knight of yours got in the way," Katerea said with a frown, her tone holding nothing but hatred for Kushina's deceased husband. "At the very least, we were able to get one of Ophis' snakes inside of you. Which is just enough to disable even someone as _arrogant _as yourself."

Kushina managed to crane her head so that she could look up at Katerea. Rather than beg or plead to the wannabe Maou, the red head leveled a glare that promised retribution.

"My son...he will..." Kushina released another cry of anguish as the pain was increased. Still, she managed to finish her threat, almost out of breath. "He will, definitely kill you..."

"I assure you my dear, that's impossible," Katerea said, returning the glare with one of her own. She wore a confident smile as more of Ophis' snakes slithered across the floor toward Kushina. "Because, _you_ will be the one to kill Naruto."

The snakes assailed Kushina and, one after the other, forced themselves down her throat. Made of dark energy, their foreign presence overwhelmed Kushina' mind with pain. Her face was etched in silent agony as she lost all control of her body and slumped over. The Mammon matriarch's body was completely encased in the black shroud of energy like a cocoon.

Satisfied, Katerea descended the stairs and rejoined Ophis. Together they watched as the energy overwhelmed Kushina's body and suppressed her consciousness with one they could control. With her body to do with as they pleased they could easily control the young, weak Mammon heir.

Rather than try and play games of manipulation, however, Katerea and the others had settled on something much more simple, much more _vicious_.

The black shroud slowly dissipated to reveal Kushina's motionless body on the floor near her throne. As if given a silent order to stand, the pale body forced itself to rise to its feet. Her movements were a bit sluggish at first, but by the time Kushina had come down from the throne to stand before them her body was again moving as freely as it had been before, when it had been under the woman's own control.

Now though, it was Ophis' plaything. And what was Ophis', was Katerea's.

"Open your eyes, dear," Katerea ordered with a satisfied tone of voice. Her grin widened when Kushina did just exactly that.

Those violet irises were now surrounded by a deep abyss of black. The change of color in the sclerae was the only sign of anything being amiss with the Mammon woman.

"We still have some time before the main event, so let's return home now," Katerea said with no small amount of glee. She swung her wand and forced another portal to appear beneath them. "I'll be sure to find _something_ entertaining to do with you."

In a flash of light the three figures disappeared from the castle. A few moments later a powerful explosion rocked the castle's foundations, and then another. Soon the entire building was collapsing in on itself from the vicious attack that was set to leave nothing standing.

All under Katerea's watchful gaze.

* * *

_Another chapter down. The idea for Tiamat's personality really came out of nowhere as I was reading the wiki regarding Akeno's sadistic tendencies. I thought to myself that it would be interesting to have a character that was in Naruto's group who was completely the opposite and enjoyed receiving pain instead. My thoughts on her sort of took off from there on how to incorporate her into the story. It is definitely some indulgence on my part, but Highschool DxD has a bunch of interesting personalities in it so I felt it was a good addition._

_What bigger surprise could it have been to have one of the most powerful dragons in existence have hidden masochistic tendencies? I mean, with Naruto's chains and chokers it only seemed to make sense he would be the one to conquer her in the end. Good thing he chose to use those chains as a last ditch effort. I struggled to come up with a way for him to conventionally beat her, or at least put up a fight, but there really was no way. At his level he and the rest of his peerage just stood no chance against someone who was ranked directly below Ddraig and Albion._

_Some of you may have guessed which one Tiamat is in the harem chart already, but now that she has been properly revealed, her name has been appropriately filled in._

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Highschool DxD**


	9. The Three Heavenly Dragons Meet

_Return of the Mammon Clan_

* * *

_So, we are entertaining the likes of **them** now._

Naruto thought to himself in exasperation as he sat with Rias in the occult club room. Behind them was Akeno along with the rest of Rias' peerage, minus Yuuto. The knight had been off his game lately after he got some sense that some Holy Sword users had come to town. Akeno and the others all looked rather serious considering this meeting was unexpected, to say the least.

Kyuubi was in attendance as well, near Naruto's side of the couch. He could practically feel her emotions bubbling up too.

On the other couch across from them sat two girls, both cloaked in the Church's white. At least one of them was a Holy Sword user, as evidenced by the wrapped thing being held by one of them. Any devil in close proximity to one was bound to get at least the faintest feeling of chills.

"I am Xenovia," said the girl with blue hair, with a single bang tinged green. She seemed particularly apathetic as her golden eyes gazed upon the devils. Her focus seemed more on the wrapped sword she held onto so tightly.

"And I'm Irina Shidou," said the other one with light brown pig tails. Contrary to her friend she seemed to be in a chipper mood.

"Thank you for your cooperation in agreeing to meet with us," Xenovia said as she bowed her head slightly.

"It would be rude not to, right?" Rias responded with a cheeky smile. She was on her top game today as she kept her arms crossed and eyes locked on the two Church members. "Now, what reason would servants of God have to speak to a Devil?"

Irina's smile faltered a bit. "Although one has yet to be found, the Church has cared for the remaining six Excalibur swords by spreading them out between three divisions: the Protestants, Catholics, and the Orthodox church," she explained by offering some background information. Her tone lowered a bit as she got to the heart of their problem. "Three of those have been stolen by fallen angels."

"Stolen?" Aika muttered. It was hard to believe after all that such valuable artifacts could be easily taken.

Xenovia motioned toward the wrapped thing in her arms. "The ones that we have are this, the Holy Sword of Destruction, Excalibur Destruction..."

Irina brought her arm out from under the cloak to reveal something wrapped around it. "And my Holy Sword of Mimicry, Excalibur Mimic!" She pointed toward the thick string that was banded on her bicep.

Rias maintained a placid smile, but Naruto could tell she was growing impatient. "So, what do you want from us?" Rias asked as she returned them to the primary conversation.

Xenovia narrowed her eyes a bit. "This particular problem is between us and the fallen angels. We can't afford to fight a three way battle with the devils of this city," she elaborated further. Still she failed to get to the point.

Naruto began to tap his foot in an effort to calm his growing frustration. If the Church goers noticed they made no mention of it.

Rias' eyes sharpened a bit. "Your tone is awfully condescending," Rias noted, still with a polite smile and soft tone of voice. If a fight were to break out she would surely not be the one to cause it. "You thought we would side with the fallen angels and do something with the Holy Swords?"

Xenovia's gaze hardened into something of a challenge as a heartless smile graced her lips. "Devils despise holy swords. In the end, you have the same benefits the fallen angels have by taking them."

Naruto felt Rias' temper rise as her aura flashed. If one were to look into those blue orbs they would find them replaced with blood red.

Rias' peerage seemed to pick up on their president's dissatisfaction as well. They became tense as well.

"If we must, we will completely destroy you," said Xenovia, with no shift in her tone. "even if you _are_ the sister of a Maou."

"Watch your tongue," Naruto offered them his first words of the meeting. A harsh gaze was sent from him directly to the two Church women. "You don't start offering threats if you want to negotiate."

Xenovia's glare shifted to him. "Oh? Are you her mate? I'm afraid I don't know how such things work with devils, so forgive my ignorance," she confessed. There was no genuine sound of apology in her tone, however.

Irina looked between Naruto and Rias. "Wow, I've never seen a devil couple before. How many sins have you committed already? Do you live in sin together?" She asked with what seemed like genuine curiosity. Perhaps she did not realize how rude it was to be so forward with those kinds of questions.

_They both seem to be pretty naïve for 'normal' humans._

The crimson princess shifted in her seat. "What we do together is none of your concern," Rias said with another loaded smile. "And if you know anything about me, as the sister of Sirzechs Lucifer, then you should know that I don't make deals with fallen angels. In the name of the Gremory family, I will not do anything to harm our reputation."

Xenovia seemed to offer them a genuine smile. "I am glad to hear that. It is exactly what our superiors wanted to hear," she said, though her gaze refused to soften. The look offered almost seemed like she wished they said the opposite. "I am sure the sister of a Maou would not be so foolish."

"Then, you must know that I won't side with you and your god, correct?" Rias asked, though she said it as if they already had an answer.

Xenovia's smile faltered. "Of course. We simply wish you to pledge to non-intervention during this ordeal," she said.

Rias smiled. "Very well then," she assented to their request without delay.

As soon as they felt their business was concluded, Xenovia stood up from her seat. Irina quickly followed in her stead.

"Thank you for your time," Xenovia said as she made it clear their desire to leave.

_Good riddance._

Naruto thought with some relief. Their arrogance was getting on his nerves.

"Would you stay for some tea?" Rias asked. He felt her hand rest upon his thigh, quieting his tapping foot.

"No thanks, we cannot befriend devils," responded Xenovia. The both of them then began to walk out. "We shall take our leave now."

Despite saying that, Xenovia turned to look at the collection of devils one last time. Her eyes quickly stopped as they passed Asia Argento, Rias' bishop.

"I've been wondering since we met you with Hyoudou Issei," Xenovia said, addressing Asia. "Are you really Asia Argento?"

In response, the timid blonde girl lightly gasped from their attention. No doubt she was surprised they recognized her, or perhaps she had been hoping they would not.

"Y-yes," Asia stuttered out an affirmative.

Xenovia's eyes narrowed a bit. "I never thought I would see a witch here," she said.

The title made Asia gasp more loudly, this time in shock. Clearly it was meant as some sort of insult due to her previously being a member of the faith.

Asia was forced to look away as now both Irina and Xenovia looked at her. Whereas Xenovia failed to hide her disdain, Irina's curiosity got the better of her again.

Violet eyes flashed with interest next to Xenovia. "Oh, you're that ex-nun who became a witch?" Irina asked. She began to smile, though her expression felt out of place with the choice of words. "I _did_ hear something about your exile, since you could heal devils and fallen angels, but I never imagined you would become a devil."

By this point, the other devils were now watching Asia with some concern. She was not handling their words very well as the poor girl seemed to have frozen up.

In an effort to calm herself, Asia gripped the edge of her skirt. "I..um.." Asia mumbled to herself as she struggled to come up with a response.

"To think that a saint has become a devil," Xenovia said with clear disappointment laced in her tone. "Nobody is perfect, I suppose."

"Shut the hell up!" Aika exclaimed as she was unable to hold back her feelings anymore. She now stood between Asia and the Church women in an effort to shield her from their harsh words. "You don't know anything about what Asia suffered."

"Aika-chan..." Asia muttered, surprised her friend would go so far.

Xenovia seemed to ignore Aika and her outburst. "Do you still believe in God, Asia Argento?" she asked.

Irina offered her compatriot a disparaging grin. "Come on Xenovia, she's a devil. What kind of question is that?"

"No, some blasphemers still feel guilt after their fall. She may still retain some faith," Xenovia responded, her eyes still locked onto Asia. "I can sense it in her."

"Oh really?" Irina asked with genuine interest. She then turned to Asia. "Asia-san, is it true you still believe in the Lord, even though you are a devil?"

Asia had tears welling in her eyes. "I-I just can't let it go, I suppose," Asia mumbled, loud enough for everyone to hear. "I believed in him all my life, after all."

Xenovia's grip around the Excalibur Destruction tightened. "If that's the case, then let us kill you now," she said, with no hint of sympathy in her voice.

Asia gasped and looked Xenovia in the eye with nothing but terror.

"Whatever you have done, God will surely forgive you," Xenovia said, continuing her earlier thought. Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "I will punish you in the name of God."

Rias stood up from her seat. "That's enough," she said with a harsh tone. Whatever diplomacy she had offered before was gone the moment they insulted one of her servants. "I won't allow you to belittle one of my family."

Xenovia smirked. "I am not making fun of her," she said. "This is my duty as a woman of the faith."

"You two are the real witches!" Aika shouted. "Asia suffered so much for your faith, and she was always alone. None of you ever really cared about her!"

"A saint needs only the love of God," Xenovia noted. "If she desired more, then she was not fit for the title."

The bespectacled girl pointed a damning finger at them. "Screw you, and your faith!" Aika exclaimed. Both Irina and Xenovia both seemed affected. "You're all idiots for not understanding Asia's kindness!"

Asia began to smile again, despite her tears, under Aika's defense.

Xenovia narrowed her eyes. "What are you to Asia Argento?" she asked.

"Her family, friend, _and_ comrade!" Aika announced without delay. "If you do anything to Asia, I will definitely beat every last one of you." The challenge Aika offered was a rare one, as she was often so laid back. It just showed how serious she was about wanting to protect Asia.

"Hoh?" Xenovia whistled. "May I take that as a challenge to the entire church? What a bold devil you are."

Rias held up her hand toward Aika. "That's enough, Aika," she ordered.

"No, Aika's right," Naruto said as he too chose to stand. "Listening to these two prattle on from their high horses has really gotten me worked up."

"Naruto?" Rias said as her tone softened. She had not been expecting him to say anything.

Akeno offered the king a concerned look but said nothing. Kyuubi offered her first smile of the entire meeting as she realized Naruto saw things her way.

No one said a word as Naruto walked past Rias to stand directly in front of Xenovia. The blue haired girl begrudgingly had to force herself to look up and meet his sharp gaze.

"I shouldn't have to remind the two of you, that when you ask someone for a favor, you shouldn't go acting like a bunch of stuck up brats," Naruto said as his anger got the better of him.

"Naruto-kun!"

"Naruto, don't!"

Both Akeno and Rias preached he calm himself as they felt his energy begin to surface. They quieted when Naruto turned his gaze back to them, his eyes still harsh.

"These two need to be reminded that they are no better than us," he said.

If Xenovia was concerned she showed no signs of it. "Shall I take that as a challenge as well? Don't think for a moment I will hesitate to strike you down simply because you are Rias Gremory's mate!"

"Xenovia!" Irina shouted rather severely. "We can't go wasting our energy on the devils. Let's go!"

Neither Naruto or Xenovia moved for a while. Finally the girl from the Church took a step back and joined her comrade near the door. Without another word they proceeded to leave without further incident.

The group seemed to heave a collective sigh, but Naruto's temper was slow to leave him. They had really gotten him riled up the way they said those things.

"Um, Naruto-san," Asia addressed Naruto from behind. He turned to see her and Aika both standing there, smiling. "Thank you for the things you said."

"Yeah, thanks. It meant a lot," Aika said in agreement.

The thought of Rias' family being linked to him as well brought some warmth to his chest. Despite his handling of the situation, he saw Rias in the back now smiling at him and her servants. They all had their own bonds together, after all.

"That's what family is for," Naruto said as he offered them a toothy grin.

* * *

Upon arriving back at the house, Naruto and Rias immediately noticed Fuka was leaning against the front door. Rather than be in her usual teasing, chipper mood, Naruto could tell something was wrong. Fuka's lips were stuck in a harsh frown and her body seemed rather tense.

"Fuka, what's wrong?" Naruto asked. He had never seen her like that before.

Fuka's eyes focused on him. "I need to speak with you about something," she said in a rather serious tone. "It's important."

Naruto and Rias exchanged glances. She offered him a simple nod before going inside, passing Fuka. The fallen angel was then joined by Naruto in their front lawn.

"What's up?" He bid her to continue.

Fuka hesitated as if to calm her nerves. "I've been hearing some rumors that a fallen angel by the name of _Kazuma_ is in town, along with a bunch of others," Fuka said, saying the man's name with venom. "He was...my old master."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Master?" He said with some confusion.

"Yeah," Fuka echoed. She garnered a far off look in her eye as she no doubt thought back to those times. "A servant of Kokabiel, one of the fallen angel leaders: he and the rest of them believe the fallen are the strongest, and that we should rule Heaven instead of the angels."

Naruto's brow raised upon hearing the outlandish claim. After meeting Fuka and fighting against fallen angels after arriving in Kuoh, he had definitely come to respect their abilities. At the same time, claiming to want to rule Heaven was a stretch of a goal, to say the least.

"I used to believe everything he told me," Fuka admitted with a shrug. She seemed to hold nothing back as Fuka offered her past to Naruto. "I was one of his lieutenants. It was thanks to him I received my sacred gear, Paralyzing Touch." Her fingers instinctively touched her neck, where the gear itself was embedded.

Naruto remained quiet and decided to wait until her story was finished. There was clearly a reason why she was telling him all this. It was obviously important to her.

"I was also his favorite," Fuka said, purposely not alluding to what that title might mean. "Until one of the other lieutenants, Fuen, managed to get him something he had wanted for a _very_ long time."

Just from the way she recounted the tale, Naruto could tell she held no love for Fuen. Similar to Kazuma her name was not something that easily rolled off Fuka's tongue.

"An angel, one that he had lusted over prior to his fall," Fuka said, her voice growing quiet. She was beginning to show difficulty in recounting the tale. "They started by ripping her white wings to shreds...then things only got worse from there."

The pain of having one's wings ripped off was said to be one of the worst things to suffer from. Physical agony was one thing, but a person's emotional pride in what was essentially an extension of their body was difficult to bear when it is taken away so suddenly, and so brutally.

Fuka's eyes were cold as she continued. "I can still remember seeing the white feathers flutter down to the ground, dyed with blood."

"That night, I went to the dungeons where they were keeping her," Fuka said as her right hand started to shake. Naruto recognized it as the hand she used to hold her spear of light, normally. "After everything they had done to her, she was down there praying so peacefully."

Silently, tears began to roll down Fuka's cheeks. She was able to suppress the sobs that were threatening to come out.

"She turned to me, saw the spear of light in my hands, and confessed that I was exactly what she had been praying for," Fuka admitted. She had to cover her mouth to stifle the mewling. "The last thing she did was apologize, for having her death on my hands."

_An angel from beginning to end._

She brushed the tears away. "Ever since then, I've been on the run from them," Fuka said as her voice's strength started to return. "I don't want to see another war where murder and rape are free to happen like that."

Naruto admitted that Fuka was starting to sound more and more like she had the temperament of an angel over one of the fallen. She displayed a level of morality that Naruto had yet to see in any of her compatriots, and he knew that was what drew her to him. That was definitely what made Fuka stronger.

"If we find Kazuma and Fuen, leave them to me," Fuka asked that of him. "I want to be free of this curse."

"Of course, Fuka," Naruto spoke up now that her story had finished. "I understand."

Just as they were prepared to head inside, the front door opened in a hurry. Rias poked her head out around the corner and quickly noticed them. She ran up to Naruto with a panicked look that was rarely something seen with Rias.

"Naruto, I received an urgent message from my familiar!" Rias divulged. The familiar had been out looking for Yuuto the last he had heard. "One of the Church swordsmen were found wounded outside of town."

Naruto's eyes widened. Had they already found the fallen angels?

Rias seemed to notice his gaze and shook her head.

"It gets worse," she said. "One of the fallen angel leaders, Kokabiel, is at the school building. Sona is already heading out, and we need to go as well."

Naruto quickly remembered the name of the fallen angel leader and turned to Fuka. His knight seemed to be off in her own world after Rias said that person's name. He could feel her anger returning.

There was no choice then. They had to go now and find out what was going on.

* * *

Now at the school building, Naruto was joined by Rias and Sona as the three High-class devils. Together, their peerages had gathered around them to form what amounted to a small army of devils.

"We've created a protective barrier around the academy," said Sona, the class president. She, along with the rest of the student council, were floating in the air with their hands alight with magic. "If all goes well, we should be able to contain the damage with it."

Now, surrounding the academy, was a glass-like dome. It would be maintained by directly sapping the energy of the Sitri family of devils, so that meant Sona would have to sit out of the fight.

Still, Rias wore a smile of confidence. "Thank you, Sona," she said to her friend. "This will really help."

"No sign of Kiba or that Xenovia girl," Aika muttered, her tone laced with worry.

"He will definitely come," Koneko muttered.

Sona's skirt fluttered as she floated in the air. "We will do our best to maintain the barrier, but the school building may not remain intact," she offered the report calmly, though Naruto could sense some regret. "It is is shameful loss, I'm afraid."

At his side, Rias narrowed her eyes. "I won't allow that to happen," she offered a resolute declaration.

Sona glanced behind her. "There is still time, Rias," she said. "You should call your brother."

Rias offered her a wry smile. "In that case, shouldn't you call your sister?" she said in return.

"That would be difficult," Sona admitted. "I'm sure your brother loves you dearly. He will surely act."

Naruto noted the look of restlessness on Rias' face. To hear such advice from a close friend would make even Rias' pride falter.

"I have already contacted Sirzechs-sama," said Akeno from behind them.

Rias turned back to her queen, anger rising. "I didn't ask you to do that, Akeno!"

Akeno narrowed her eyes but chose to stand her ground. "Rias, I know you do not wish to cause trouble for your brother, but our enemy is one of the leaders of the Fallen Angels," Akeno explained with an even tone. She was truly showing her ability as a rational queen. "Even with all of us, this person is out of our league."

Rias narrowed her eyes at Akeno's words. Deep inside, all of them knew the words Akeno spoke were true. For devils of their stature, however, it was hard for Naruto and Rias to hear such things and not take them without some kind of insult.

In response to their sharp gazes, Akeno's eyes softened. "Let's take the Maou's helping hand, this time," Akeno said with a smile. When Rias merely sighed in defeat, the queen's mood lightened further. "I appreciate your approval, President. The reinforcements will arrive in an hour."

Rias offered her queen another wry smile. "Always one step ahead of me, are you?" she said, before turning her attention back to the school. "An hour it is, then."

"If that's the case, then I'll summon my own ally," Naruto said, bringing their attention back to him. "Tiamat is said to be as strong as the Four Maou, right?"

"Eh?" Aika grunted in surprise. She still had not heard of Naruto's successful taming of the dragon. "You actually found her?!"

Naruto offered the girl a smile as he channeled energy into the bonding seal he made with Tiamat. Whenever he needed her, he could send her a signal using that seal of his. The same could be said for the dragon, as a familiar was just as much a partner as a servant.

Before too long, a blue dragon gate appeared next to Naruto. Out of the mote of light came the mature western dragon, still in her human form. Cobalt eyes wandered the crowd that had gathered around her, and Tiamat quickly received many surprised and interested gazes from the others.

"Tiamat, welcome back," Naruto said to her, casually referring to her by name. The dragon turned to face him, eyes narrowed. "I need your help with something."

"This had better be good, punk," Tiamat said, as prideful as ever. "I had better things to do than come here."

"A fallen angel leader, Kokabiel, is threatening this town," Naruto said. With that name dropped Tiamat finally started to take him seriously. "I want your help to stop him."

Tiamat's eyes narrowed. "Sounds like a lot of trouble," muttered the dragon king. Then, she shrugged her shoulders and sighed. "But, what is a familiar to do but support their partner?"

Naruto began to smile, as did the others, with her agreement to join in.

"**Tiamat! Good to see you are as prideful as ever!**" Said a loud, booming voice from behind.

Everyone turned to look at Aika who, on the back of her left hand, had a glowing green spot where her Boosted Gear jewel resided. Something that could only be the Sekiryuutei itself had spoken from inside of her.

"That you, Ddraig?" Tiamat asked, though it sounded like she already knew the answer. "I can't believe I have to go and work with _you_."

Naruto narrowed his eyes as he sensed some serious issues between the two of them. Considering they were both dragons he thought they would have at least been amicable with each other.

"What's wrong, Tiamat?" Naruto asked, concern laced in his tone.

"**I'm surprised to see you were finally tamed, haha!**" Ddraig bellowed out, only serving to anger the blue dragon more.

Tiamat narrowed her eyes at the talking jewel. "At least I still have my own body, Ddraig!" she exclaimed with no small amount of distaste.

The two were starting to sound more and more like irreconcilable lovers.

"Either way, we should head inside," Rias said, interrupting the two dragons in their fight. She led her peerage ahead of Naruto's, in hopes of keeping the two dragons calm and separate.

Naruto followed her in from behind, with Tiamat close to him. Her mood had dropped somewhat with the presence of the Red Dragon Emperor, but she was still with them at least.

"So, are you going to tell me what the problem is?" Naruto asked after a while.

Tiamat sighed, but quickly gave in. "Before Ddraig and Albion, the Two Heavenly Dragons, were sealed I challenged the both of them," Tiamat explained to a now thoroughly astonished Naruto. "I was already known as the strongest of the Six Kings back then, so I thought I would try to become the Third Heavenly Dragon."

Tiamat as the Third Heavenly Dragon? That was a thought that could easily bring fear into the hearts of many.

"Whereas Albion, the Vanishing Dragon, respectfully declined my request..." Tiamat's anger began to flare again. "Ddraig laughed in my face. I haven't forgiven him since then. No one should ever take me so lightly as to laugh."

"Well, let's try and work together," Naruto said with a soft tone. He did not want her to start getting angry with him, either. "Once this is over you won't have to talk to the Sekiryuutei, okay?"

Tiamat turned to him with sultry eyes and leaned in close. "Once this is over, you and I have _a lot_ of catching up to do," she whispered into his ear with a cute voice. Her M side showed for a second there.

Naruto nervously swallowed as he remembered the stamina Tiamat had displayed before. He was going to have to save his energy during the actual battle if he wanted to survive what was sure to come after.

Their group had passed through the school building and had now emerged into the quad. Under the barrier the sky had turned blood red, and Naruto quickly noticed a throne of sorts was floating above the school. There, he could recognize many fallen angels surrounding a larger one, with five sets of wings.

_That can only be Kokabiel._

"Kazuma and Fuen..." Near his side, Naruto heard Fuka whisper their names with disgust.

She must have recognized her old acquaintances in the crowd of Kokabiel's servants. The threads of fate were starting to come together as they were all forced to meet.

Elsewhere, Naruto saw a golden light flood into the sky. There, someone was undergoing a ritual to do something with what looked like the Excalibur swords. There was also that same exorcist from before, the one named Freed, hanging around nearby.

"Finally, you arrive!" Kokabiel shouted from above. "Have you brought with you your brother Sirzechs, Rias Gremory?" His sickening laugh made it clear that he was enjoying himself.

"I'm afraid you will have to deal with us instead!" Rias exclaimed. Despite being faced with an enemy leader, Rias failed to allow her smile to falter.

Kokabiel seemed to lose some of his excitement from before. "Very well," he said with some disappointment. "Then, I'll give you something to play with."

From beneath the throne a magical portal appeared and enveloped the area in harsh flames. A hole in the ground was created for a three-headed dog to climb out of. Naruto recognized it from the legends.

"Cerberus: gatekeeper to Hell," Naruto muttered under his breath.

The devils readied themselves to fight as the dog reared its ugly head their way. Unfortunately, the fallen angels were not willing to keep idle as it looked like they would come and fight as well.

"Rias," Naruto addressed the Gremory girl, forcing her to look toward him. "My family and I will handle the fallen angels. You take the dogs."

Rias paused to consider it, then began to smile. "Very well," she said in agreement. "We will reunite and deal with Kokabiel together then."

"I will join you!" shouted a feminine voice from behind.

They turned to see Xenovia on the school rooftop. At her side, a familiar knight made his appearance.

"As will I," said Yuuto Kiba.

With their allies united to face their enemies, Rias and Naruto reluctantly parted ways. The fallen angels were all the more willing to follow when Kazuma caught sight of Fuka in their midst.

* * *

Fuen and Fuka met in the air as their light spears clashed. Over and over, the two fallen fought against one another in a rivalry that went back many years in time, and that was covered in the blood of innocents.

"I should have never let Raynare finish you," Fuen said as their weapons met again. "It was always supposed to be my honor, anyway."

Fuka smirked. "You were always too weak to do anything for yourself," she said, forcing Fuen's anger to rise. "You always went running to Kazuma when things didn't go your way."

"You know nothing!" Fuen shouted as she pushed away from Fuka. With her hand up, she created dark circles of magic on the ground.

Her attack forced the earth itself to rise up into jagged spears. The sharpened rock shot up to try and impale Fuka, but the knight's supplemented agility made it difficult for the fallen angel to hit her.

Fuka held out her own hand as if to ready magic.

"As if!" Fuen shouted, laughing as she did. "You have no magical talent. How could you-"

A magic circle appeared behind Fuen and a spear of ice stabbed through the fallen's stomach. The wounded woman screamed in pain as she futilely tried to pull herself off the ice. It did not take long for Fuen to realize that she was completely trapped, but not in a construct of Fuka's.

"You are right, I don't have any talent with magic," Fuka said, leisurely floating over to join the mortally wounded woman. The red head grew a triumphant smirk. "But, I have a family now. A _real_ one."

Fuen looked down toward the ground and saw Haku, Naruto's bishop, with her hand raised. She was the one who had summoned the ice on Fuka's signal, just as she was the one that had been supporting Fuka the entire time. That was her duty as bishop of Naruto's family, and that was what made them a family in the first place.

Now, Fuka once again summoned a spear of light. The weapon she once used to put the angel out of her misery would now finally be used to take one final stab of revenge for her life.

Fuen did not even have time to scream as the spear was forced through her head.

* * *

Naruto and Yoroi stood across the field from Kazuma, who hovered above the ground with his pair of raven wings. The suit of armor had readied its blade and remained at Naruto's side, waiting. Unlike his rook, however, Naruto felt there was no need to ready a weapon to deal with the scruffy looking man.

"Hehe, so Fuka sided with you, eh?" Kazuma called out to them with a devious smirk. In his hands he held a monk's staff as what could only be his weapon. "I can't tell you how many times I've bedded her already. Is she still a screamer?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes dangerously. "You're disgusting," Naruto said. His aura began to pick up around his body. "You don't know anything about Fuka!"

"I know she betrayed me!" Kazuma exclaimed as his temper boiled over. "All for some angel—she forgot what side she's on!"

"Fuka saved that angel with mercy!" Naruto responded with equal ferocity. "She's finally found herself on the right side, away from you!"

Kazuma used his wings to gain altitude and hang above the devils' heads. With one hand on his monk staff he used the other to build up light energy. The spear he was building continued to grow larger and larger.

"I've had just about enough of you!" Kazuma shouted. With the flick of his wrist he sent the golden javelin streaming down toward them.

It was larger than anything Naruto had seen an angel make before. Appropriate for the lieutenant of Kokabiel, but nothing his family was not prepared to handle. As if to accentuate his point Yoroi shifted so that he now stood between Naruto and the fast approaching light weapon.

"Yoroi, smash it to pieces," Naruto said to his rook.

The suit of armor steadied both hands on the hilt of its blade. It allowed the spear to get close before it swung out the Kusanagi blade in a single, lateral arc. With perfect precision the light spear broke into two pieces and disintegrated without touching its target.

Before Kazuma could even analyze what had happened dozens of crimson circles appeared in the air. Chains flew out from them and forced the fallen angel to swing low to the earth to dodge. With Naruto's guiding motions the chains did not stop and continued to give chase even as he hovered inches from the ground.

So focused was he on the magical attack that he failed to keep track of Yoroi. With surprising speed the hulking samurai had slammed itself into Kazuma. The rook's chest was like a stone wall and forced Kazuma to stop and fall to the ground in pain.

He must have quickly noticed what had stood in his way and again tried to use his wings to fly away. Yoroi was too quick, however, and was able to fit a vice like grip around the feathered appendages.

"Le-let me go!" Kazuma exclaimed. He screamed in pain as Yoroi proceeded to rip the wing right off of his back before latching onto the other one.

Naruto was satisfied to see the fallen angel had been subdued. He turned to look over toward Fuka's battle and saw that she had just finished. Their previous conversation was not forgotten by the Mammon, and so he turned back to Yoroi and the crying Kazuma.

"Hold him for Fuka," Naruto ordered. The suit of armor offered him the slightest of nods.

Wings sprouted on his back as Naruto took off for another battlefield.

* * *

Not too far away, Tsunade and the fallen angel Fudou exchanged blows. Their bodies were a blur of movement as fists and feet went flying against each other. Both were reputed close combat fighters, with Fudou being one of the most heavyset fallen angels Tsunade had ever laid eyes upon. He was able to keep up with her speed rather well and his defense had been greatly supplemented by some sort of diamond armor that surrounded his body.

At the same time, both of the fighters reared back their arms and threw another jab. In the middle their clenched fists met in a battle of strength. The earth cracked beneath them as the excess force exploded out from between their bodies. With their momentum spent the two leaped away from one another for a short rest.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes on his hand and realized the diamond armor still had not managed to crack.

"Not bad," Fudou said while flexing his arm. His smile widened with arrogance. "But, my sacred gear, Diamond Aegis, is invincible."

Now at full height, Tsunade let her body become loose and relieved the stress on her muscles. The inklings of energy building up could be felt as the blonde built up her power. With deep and calm breaths, Naruto's pawn began to push her body to its prime level.

Tsunade began to smile. "If I were still a saint, then I definitely would have had a hard time," she said to her opponent with a growing sense of sarcasm. That smile of hers quickly shifted to a smirk as the ground beneath her began to crumble again. "But, things are different now that I'm a devil!"

_Promotion: Queen!_

In a flash of movement Tsunade had disappeared from view. Fudou looked left and right as he found her impossible to track. His eyes flicked below him as he saw Tsunade reappear, low to the ground, with her arm already rearing up into an uppercut. Too fast for him to dodge his reliance instantly shifted to Diamond Aegis as her superhuman fist was sent straight into the underside of his jaw.

"Gaah!" Fudou groaned as his body shook with the force of the attack. A sickening crack could be heard as the Aegis began to show signs of breaking.

From below, Tsunade bent her knees and then launched herself into the air with him. With Fudou still stunned from the initial blow her rapid strikes against his chest and face were met without resistance. More fractures and gaps began to appear as the Diamond Aegis was overwhelmed from the combined power and speed of the pawn, now turned queen.

"Haah!" Tsunade let loose one last shout as she put all of her strength into one last strike.

The power behind the hit made Fudou shoot out straight like a bullet. His body tumbled into the ground at such speed that the earth shattered and crumbled.

Tsunade landed back on her own two feet and walked to the edge of the crater. She peered down at the bottom to find Fudou lying there, motionless. What was left of the glass-like armor lay scattered around the fallen's body, completely shattered.

* * *

With the last of the Cerberus summons defeated by Rias' group with a considerable amount of help offered by Xenovia, they were offered a chance to regroup. Kiba had just finished his confrontation with Valper and Freed, awakening his balance breaker and developing the first Holy Demonic sword. Now together they stood against the only enemy remaining: Kokabiel himself.

"I'm done with watching," Kokabiel announced with no small amount of excitement. His smile had curved to inhuman proportions. With his five pairs of wings he flew down from his throne to hover above Rias' group's heads. "Rias Gremory, come at me with everything you have! If you want to save this pitiful city, defeat me!"

Rias clamped her jaw as she struggled to come up with a plan of attack. She and the rest of her group had already suffered light wounds and their clothing was ripped and tattered. Worse yet just dealing with the Cerberus summons had expended a considerable amount of their energy.

"Aika!" Rias addressed the pawn behind her. "Build up all of your power and prepare to transfer it to us!"

The bespectacled girl narrowed her eyes. "Right!" Aika exclaimed and held up her sacred gear.

Boost!

Every ten seconds the Sekiryuutei's power would double based on the strength of the individual user. That meant they would have to hold out for at least a minute before she could offer them a substantial powerup.

Together, Rias and Akeno sprouted their wings and flew up into the air. Both summoned their magical circles and released a torrent of combined destruction power and lightning.

"Ikazuchi!"

"Begone!"

Akeno and Rias deposited all of their remaining magical strength and emotion into that attack. Kokabiel held his arms out and took the stream of energy without batting an eyelash. The sheer power caused the insides of his hands to suffer burns but the rest of his body escaped unscathed as the last remaining bits of magic dissipated into nothingness.

The fallen angel leader began to cackle with great fervor. Somehow he had gotten enjoyment from their futile struggle against him. Rather than offer a counterattack he continued to laugh at his own twisted sense of humor.

His red eyes wandered over to the still flying devils and locked onto Akeno. She narrowed her eyes in response and readied her defenses.

From her response, his smile grew. "You deferred to the devils, wielder of Baraqiel's power?" Kokabiel called out to her, eliciting a response from the queen.

Gathering power at the tip of her finger Akeno summoned another bout of electricity from the sky. With all of her power now built into the lightning Akeno released all of her fury at Kokabiel. The stream of lightning was vicious and unrefined, showering the fallen angel leader with sparks as he used his wings to protect his body.

Akeno's violet eyes pierced her enemy like a sword."Don't you dare..." More power seemed to surge out from her body as the lightning intensified. "Associate me with that name!"

Though it was spirited, Akeno's assault was short-lived as she ran out of energy. Now out of breath the queen could only glare at her opponent as he released his winged shield.

Kokabiel began to laugh again after forcing such a reaction to happen. The frustration and anguish written across the young woman's face brought him great satisfaction.

"I can't believe the daughter of Baraqiel would be here, serving you, Rias Gremory," Kokabiel confessed, his grin widening. Power began to build in his hands as he readied another light attack. "I might as well take her as a plaything to stir up trouble with him!"

Rias and Akeno were taken by surprise with his sudden declaration. The fallen angel rushed forward with a powerful gust from his wings straight at the two girls. Out of energy, neither of them could move out of the way in time.

With all the strength she had left Akeno pushed Rias as far away as she could. It was the least she could do as queen to prevent Rias from coming to harm.

"Akeno!" Rias exclaimed. Worry was etched into her features as she fell away from her friend.

_Sorry, Rias._

Akeno offered the crimson princess a smile before she turned her attention back to Kokabiel. The fallen angel was almost upon her now and she had nowhere left to run, nor the energy to do so with.

A chain wrapped itself around Akeno's waist, surprising everyone present. The queen naturally latched onto the seemingly familiar energy and had her eyes trace it back its source. There on the ground, near Aika and the others, was Naruto with his full daemonic aura unleashed. The chain wrapped around her was one of many he had spawned as a similar one had latched onto Rias as well.

"This person isn't yours to have, Kokabiel!" Naruto shouted up at the fallen angel, who had been forced to pause in his attack. "She is someone precious to Rias, and me!"

Akeno's face became flushed with heat as Naruto confessed such intimate feelings. She hesitated, unable to believe that these were his real feelings all along. Had she been holding back for no reason all this time?

* * *

Naruto forced his chains to recede and with them Rias and Akeno rejoined the group. Both devils had assembled their peerage on the ground as they stood united against Kokabiel. Tiamat was not far from her place at Naruto's side either as she quietly watched the events unfold.

"Thank you, Naruto," Rias said as she joined him. A smile finally managed to grace her lips now that the couple was rejoined since the start of the battle.

"Yes, thank you," Akeno agreed, an affectionate gaze piercing through Naruto.

Asia had already started to heal the queen as they had a moment to recuperate. The fallen angel leader remained in the sky, still with a smile on his lips, as he enjoyed their continued resistance.

"How interesting!" Kokabiel called out to them. His eyes rested on Naruto. "I've never seen those kinds of powers before, boy! What family do you hail from?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the direct request. "I'm Naruto Mammon, heir to the fifth Maou's legacy!" He exclaimed with pride. Leader or no, Kokabiel would not intimidate him so easily.

"Ah, that's it," Kokabiel said, as if he had remembered something. "No wonder I can't recognize you. Mammon was the one that never went to war!" His dark cackle seemed intended to make fun of the apparent cowardice displayed by the previous Maou.

Rias failed to hold her tongue any longer. "What does that have to do with anything?!" She exclaimed from the exhaustion of dealing with Kokabiel's toying with them.

The fallen angel's red eyes narrowed. "If he had gone to war, he would have ended up like the rest of the Maou, and even God himself: dead!" Kokabiel's laughter grew louder as he enjoyed the look of absolute shock that crossed the devils' faces.

"God is...dead?" Xenovia, the only holy woman of the group, muttered. She was in complete disbelief.

Asia, a former nun, simply fainted from the stress. Aika was able to grab her and lay her down against a nearby tree to rest.

The rest of the devils took the information somewhat better, yet still the consequences of such a world without God quickly filled their thoughts. What ramifications that had come with the end of the Great War, without a God to lead the religion, and how had it come to affect their society today?

"Hehehe! Isn't it wonderful? The thought of your entire world crashing down upon you?" Kokabiel said while laughing still. With both hands pointed at the sky he began to build up the largest light spear of the night, easily capable of dwarfing the school building. "Allow me to send you straight to hell, so you can join him!"

On either side of Naruto, Kyuubi and Tiamat made their appearance. Both of them were Naruto's most powerful allies, and their only hope of surviving such a vicious attack.

"Kitsune," Tiamat addressed the nine tailed fox, forcing the queen's attention on her. "If you want to do any serious damage, you had better unleash your real power. Otherwise, you will surely die."

The observation took Naruto by surprise as he had never been able to tell that Kyuubi was not fighting at full strength before. She had always been capable of handling herself against their opponents before, so he never gave her true level of power any thought. If she really had been holding back, he could not begin to fathom what her true strength looked like.

"I had been hoping to save this for my return to Kyoto," Kyuubi muttered as a bright light began to build around her. Her tails fluttered behind her as a great amount of wind began to pick up around them. "But, if its against an opponent like this then I have no choice."

"Naruto!" He twisted his head back at Rias' call. "Aika's power is almost complete. She can transfer it to all of you!"

"Save it for Naruto, Gremory girl," Tiamat called over her shoulder. Her narrowed eyes remained focused on the light spear being built. "He can have the killing blow."

As expected of the strongest king Tiamat seemed to have little concern, despite the danger they faced. Still, there was no doubt that Kokabiel's attack would cause untold destruction if they allowed it to land. They would have to put all of their strength into their counterattack to prevent him from going any farther.

"Someone with this kind of strength, so it must be you! Tiamat!" Kokabiel exclaimed. Above his head the light spear had finished forming. "So you chose the devils, too. I may not get Sirzechs or Leviathan, but at least I can have your challenge!"

At his call, Tiamat narrowed her eyes. "You're just some punk trying to cause trouble," Tiamat said, shrugging her shoulders. The lack of concern she offered only seemed to enrage Kokabiel further. "The only reason I bothered was because I was called here by someone. You aren't worth my time, otherwise!"

In response to her denial of his worth, Kokabiel let loose a howl of frustration. With all of his strength Kokabiel released the spear of light and sent it tumbling down toward the entire group of his opponents.

A blue magical circle covered the sky above the school and separated Naruto and the others from the oncoming spear. He was quick to recognize the familiar markings and turned his attention to Tiamat, whose eyes were only slightly narrowed in concentration.

"I'll handle the spear," The dragon said as she built energy. Beneath her feet the ground began to crack and rupture. "The counterattack will be for the Kitsune to handle."

"Very well," Kyuubi offered in agreement. The power in her body had reached immeasurable levels in comparison to before.

Above them a powerful release of energy could be felt as the spear of light impacted the outside of the barrier. The light weapon maintained its shape as it pushed against Tiamat's defensive circle.

"With Aika's power, I'll deliver the finishing blow," Naruto said as a reminder to the powerful women on his side. There was no way he was going to be left out of something like this.

Tiamat began to float before she shot into the sky with great speed in a matter of moments. Without even needing to spawn her dragon wings she was already to the spot where her barrier was holding back the spear. The blue shield then disappeared and allowed the light spear, albeit severely weakened, to continue on its path to the ground.

Power was built up by Tiamat and spread into her arm as the spear headed straight for her. With a swing of her arm, the dragon sent a single punch directed right at the tip of the light. There was a moment where the two powers silently clashed against one another before the weapon spawned by Kokabiel shattered into nothingness.

Before Kokabiel could even offer a reaction to the destruction of his attack, a powerful magical presence could be felt erupting on the ground. Kyuubi held her arms out in front of her and fanned her tails out to her sides to channel her magical energy.

A dozen Mammon circles appeared in front of her and released beams of highly concentrated white flames. The powerful attack was aimed directly at Kokabiel, who was forced to take shelter beneath his wings again.

"Fox Fire: Stream Barrage!" Kyuubi announced the name of her technique. All around her the energy whipped up the wind and made the blinding attack even more difficult to observe.

The night sky was lit up with the kitsune's infamous flames, said to burn hotter than most dragons'. Despite Kokabiel's shield forcing wave after wave of the flames to fly past him, the streams were only growing hotter.

Kyuubi growled from her opponent's continued resistance and poured more magic into the attack. Now, all around the battlefield more magical circles appeared and released similar flames. The fallen angel was completely encircled by the attack.

"This power is...amazing," Rias mumbled in awe.

"She easily rivals the Ultimate-class devils..." Akeno noted in agreement with Rias' observation.

The rest of the group was similarly unable to bring words to express the shared feeling of astonishment. No words were necessary though, as Kyuubi was too focused on her attack to even take them as a compliment.

Naruto watched his queen continue the obviously taxing technique with a look of great respect and awe. He had never imagined that Kyuubi had been hiding something like this from him.

Tiamat landed next to Kyuubi and seemed satisfied with the attack's level of strength. Still, there was a hint of her usual arrogance that flashed across her lips as they turned up into a smile.

"I can't help but want to join in too!" The dragon exclaimed. From within her mouth Tiamat released a thin blue flame streak that traveled up into the air, weaving around Kyuubi's beams like a stream of water.

The deep blue flame latched itself onto Kokabiel's wings and refused to die out. Over the sounds of Kyuubi's attack they could hear the fallen angel leader yelp in pain.

Akeno's violet eyes narrowed on the attack. "The flames that are said to be unquenchable," she muttered. "I never thought I would get to see them."

Transfer!

Aika's hand tapped Naruto's shoulder as she transferred the stored power of the Red Dragon Emperor to him. Around his body Naruto's daemonic energy exploded into something that easily overshadowed those present. Everyone's eyes shifted to Naruto as he summoned his sacred gear's weapon, Flying Thunder God, in one hand.

Tiamat felt herself blush from the pressure Naruto was releasing. With the chaos going on around them no one was able to notice the dragon as she once again became enraptured by her master's strength.

With a flick of his wrist Naruto sent the kunai flying up at Kokabiel. Still distracted by Kyuubi's unrelenting assault the fallen angel paid no mind to the miniscule piece of steel as it flew past, above his head. Only when he felt the overwhelming presence flare above his head did the fallen angel look up.

What he saw made his eyes shake in dismay.

Naruto was now above him, floating with the grace of his wings. With both hands angled above his head Naruto had built up his daemonic energy into one single attack, supplemented further with Aika's boosted energy. The swirling sphere above his head was a dark crimson as its size easily dwarfed the fallen angel.

"Giant Rasengan!" Naruto exclaimed as he brought his hands down, flinging the rasengan down at Kokabiel.

The moment the rasengan impacted the battered and bruised fallen angel, his body disappeared under its weight as the sphere was sent flying down at the ground below. Kyuubi canceled her attack and fell to her knees in exhaustion just as the rasengan hit. A massive crater grew as more and more dirt and rock was flung up into the air and disintegrated into nothingness.

Tiamat swung her arm out in front of her and deployed a bubble to protect them from the fast approaching shock wave. Despite their relative safety no one could see anything with the sharp winds flinging dirt up into the air.

Naruto floated above the aftermath and felt himself suddenly feel very exhausted. He had literally poured every ounce of strength he had into that single attack, and it showed considering how little was left of the school grounds.

His eyes widened in surprise when he noticed a figure moving inside of the blast radius. Kokabiel had somehow managed to survive the attack. With a closer look one could see that all of his wings were ripped to shreds and his body was barely standing, but the fallen angel leader was still alive.

"I..will not be defeated...by some child!" Kokabiel declared, his movements and tone fueled with hatred. Despite that, the strength he had to back up that statement seemed lacking.

The fallen leader managed to take a few more unsightly steps before he collapsed unto the ground. At the same moment, the barrier built by Sona was shattered by something covered in bright light.

Like a meteor the light flew straight down to the ground where Kokabiel now rested, unconscious. The figure that Naruto now identified as someone wearing an oddly familiar suit of armor lowered themselves to pick up Kokabiel by the scruff of his neck.

Unable to maintain his place in the sky Naruto let his wings carry him back down to the earth. The others quickly joined him as Naruto fell to one knee in exhaustion. Rias dropped to his level and pressed his head into her chest, displaying the Gremory girl's great concern for him.

"Naruto, I'm so relieved..." Rias muttered as he continued to be pressed further into her bosom.

"**Hakuryuukou!**" Aika's Boosted Gear lit up as a deep voice filtered out from inside of it. Ddraig, the Welsh Dragon sealed within the Longinus, made his presence known to all. "**Do you plan to leave without greeting me, Albion?**"

"The gauntlet...is talking again?" Rias said under her breath. She looked upon the green jewel with surprise.

"It can speak?" Kiba muttered, equally astonished.

Now in front of them was the person Ddraig had addressed. They wore a splendid set of white armor made to look like a winged dragon itself. The Vanishing Dragon, the White Dragon Emperor, had made his first appearance before them.

The white dragon armor seemed to turn toward Aika, and Ddraig. "Coincidences do happen, it seems," said the distorted voice, hidden behind the helmet. "Before we meet again, grow stronger. Host of the Sekiryuutei!"

Aika was unable to respond. She was clearly in shock that this person was supposed to be her destined rival. The disparity in their power levels was plain as day.

The white dragon held Kokabiel with one hand and then the body of Freed with the other. It then turned to glance at the kneeling Naruto and Rias. Both of them became tense under the dragon's gaze.

"If I cannot find satisfaction in the Welsh Dragon, at least I might find a rival in _you_," The dragon wielder said.

"**Until next time, Ddraig.**" From within the white armor itself came a deeper voice. "**To you as well, Tiamat.**"

"**Yeah. See ya later, Albion,**" Responded the Boosted Gear.

Tiamat sighed. "You two are as insufferable as ever," she muttered under her breath. With their appearance the dragon king's good mood had disappeared.

The heavenly dragons exchanged casual goodbyes. The atmosphere was oddly calm after the new arrival had so directly challenged those present to a future battle.

As quickly as he appeared, the Hakuryuukou disappeared in a bright light. The devils were once again left alone as their enemies were spirited away, leaving in their wake a thoroughly destroyed Kuoh Academy. What mattered was that everyone in their group had managed to survive and that they had been successful in their fight.

With the help of Rias, Naruto was able to stand up and survey the area for himself. His attack had done a lot more damage than he thought. The crater easily took up a majority of the quad and made their school almost unrecognizable.

"What a mess," Rias said as she scrutinized the torn landscape before them. "We'll have to coordinate with Sona to get this fixed by morning."

"Truly, Naruto-kun, you are a rough boy. Ufufu~" Akeno said as she giggled.

Naruto felt a blush come over his cheeks as they teased him. The amount of work it was going to take to fix this place was going to be a considerable amount.

A powerful grip wrapped around his wrist and he quickly identified Tiamat had joined him at his side. The blush was light enough that only he could see from that distance. He quickly realized what she wanted.

_For every summoning, she needs a session._

"Ah Rias," Naruto addressed the girl next to him. "I'll be back in a little bit. Tiamat needs to speak with me."

"Alone, I'm afraid," Tiamat quickly added. She was still acting as her normal, prideful self.

Rias' eyes widened by their sudden request. "Eh, but-"

Her protest quickly disappeared as Naruto was taken into one of Tiamat's portals, along with the dragon.

One should not underestimate the libido of a female dragon.

* * *

After a particularly exhausting _session_, Naruto was returned no later than a few seconds after he had left. Suspicious though it was that he had even less energy than from before, Naruto was able to convince Rias to give him some time to rest in the club room. Somehow the old school building had survived the entire mess relating to Kokabiel.

Akeno had been nice enough to volunteer to escort him back. The entire trip he could feel her eyes on him as if something had inherently changed between them. Given his obvious exhaustion Naruto's brain was not in a position to further analyze such obvious advances on the vice president's part.

"Ah..." Naruto eased himself back into the couch. It simply felt good to rest.

"Ufufu~" Akeno's giggle carried over from somewhere behind him. "Shall I make some tea?"

"Sounds good," Naruto muttered as his eyelids drifted closed. He did not want to fall asleep but with so much of his daemonic energy expended there was nothing else to do.

Something warm and soft found itself resting upon Naruto's lap. There was a moment of disorientation as his hands began to grope whatever had straddled him. When he got another soft giggle as a reaction, Naruto forced his eyes to open.

Now sitting upon his lap was none other than Akeno Himejima, Rias' queen. His hands had found themselves resting on her bare thighs. Akeno's face was mere inches from his own and he found her violet orbs too stunning to turn away from.

Her soft gaze was supported with a light blush across her cheeks. "Naruto-kun," Akeno whispered into his ear. Her hot breath and close proximity both got his blood pumping as he felt a familiar rush of adrenaline hit. "Would you have an affair with me?"

Naruto found himself completely flummoxed with the situation. A similar blush showed up on his cheeks.

"Akeno, what do you-"

Those soft pink lips interrupted his attempt to protest as Akeno kissed him. One of her hands forcefully yanked his up from her leg to press against her chest. Through a combination of these actions and their effects, the queen began to moan against him.

Despite their exhaustion, Akeno was relentless and forced her way into his mouth. The strength of his defense diminished as he too began to moan in pleasure. Akeno's hips ground into his waist as their collective heat grew from excitement. In response, Naruto's hand went up from her thigh and found itself gently guiding her movements from a tight grip around Akeno's shapely hips.

Finally they were forced to back away for air. Akeno refused to go far though as she pressed her body closer and closer to his.

"I don't mind being second or third," she whispered. He felt her tongue assault his ear and found the act oddly arousing. "Since the moment you wrapped your chain around me, I'm yours. Right?"

"Akeno..."

Naruto knew at that moment that her feelings had finally reached his.

"I have an answer to your previous question," Akeno said, a playful grin on her lips. Those same lips then stole another peck. "I love you, Naruto."

Naruto began to smile once he heard those words reach him. "I love you too, Akeno," he said with a great amount of relief. The tension that had existed between them had become too much for him to bear.

"My my, a hot and sweaty confession like this is really exciting, no?" Akeno asked with an excited voice. The heat between them only seemed to grow the more time passed. "I'll take a choker of my own now, okay?"

Naruto felt himself chuckle a bit. "You really want one of those, don't you?" He asked in a playful tone.

Akeno giggled again, teasingly pulling herself back a bit. "My S level may be higher...but the thought of wearing something so _possessive_ really gets me excited, you know?" Akeno's true feelings were admitted without hesitation. Again she leaned in close to his ear to whisper something only for him. "I want to carve your name into this body of mine. To only be yours."

There were no more words that needed to be exchanged as Naruto captured her lips.

* * *

In the Underworld, hidden away from devil society and the Four Maou, was the compound that once acted as one of the many strongholds of the Leviathan family. Thought lost in the Great War, the deceased Maou's descendant had since taken up residence with her loyal followers and turned the place into a stronghold that now acted as one of the many bases of the resistance movement against the current devil government. Within this place was one of the co-leaders of the Old Satan faction, member of the terrorist organization Khaos Brigade, and Leviathan descendant by the name of Katerea Leviathan.

In a large chamber, decorated with the gold and purple tapestry of her family, Katerea sat resting upon the cushioned throne in which she commanded her servants. Across her lap lay her wooden stave, the focusing object she used to better channel her magical energy as was taught to her by the previous lady Leviathan. Her legs were crossed over one another and a bored look adorned her face as she was at a loss of what to do.

The slight jingle of the chain wrapped around her wrist brought her bespectacled eyes down to look at what laid directly at the foot of the throne. Blood red hair fell flat down the pale, nude back of Katerea's newest slave: Kushina Mammon. Though hidden from Katerea's perspective by the mane of hair the chain wrapped around her wrist fed back to a black collar that was cinched tightly around the Mammon's neck.

Kushina lay splayed across her throne's dais in a welcoming pose for any who would approach for an audience. Her bare body was on display, as it so often was before, but only Katerea could touch what had become her prized doll. With the snakes still deep inside of the captured woman, suppressing her consciousness, she followed whatever order Katerea had given her with not a sound of protest.

A devious smile wrapped about the Leviathan's lips as she thought over how easy it had been to acquire Kushina for her collection.

_To have such a proud woman like you as a slave brings me nothing but satisfaction._

Her musings were interrupted as a new portal appeared before her. With narrowed eyes she quickly recognized the gold and black pentagram as the son of the Beelzebub family, Shalba. Katerea's nose crinkled in disgust as the man appeared from the confines of the teleportation wearing the armor and cape of a nobleman.

Behind her glasses, Katerea narrowed her eyes. "Shalba," Katerea greeted him with no small amount of distaste. Already, the man's dark eyes revealed their lust for the two women in front of him. "Why have _you_ come here?"

"Katerea, I see my visit was made with good timing," Shalba said with a lecherous grin. He flicked a blonde lock of hair away to get a better view of Kushina. "A new pet, I presume?"

With a strong tug on the chain, Katerea forced Kushina back toward her. "Yes, I finally got one up the Mammon matriarch. I decided to take her as a prize," Katerea explained, though it was made clear that his focus still lay elsewhere while she spoke.

As if Kushina were a piece of meat his hungry eyes sized her up. "Before I move on, perhaps I could ask you to part ways with her," said Beelzebub. The man took a step forward and motioned toward the chained woman. "Of course, I would offer you an appropriate payment."

"..." Katerea narrowed her eyes with discontent.

Not one to care, Shalba continued to speak. "To have the descendant of the Mammon carry the next Beelzebub heir would bring greater fame to my house," he offered an unnecessary elaboration she felt was more to his own entertainment than anything else. Shalba failed to lose his cruel smirk even after he finished speaking on the subject.

_This man has much more than making heirs in mind._

Katerea had known him for long enough to see how he treated his concubines. There was no affection or care offered by the man—he simply took what he wanted from them, when he wanted. The women in his house went further than simply being parts of his collection, as they were outlets for his abuse. This man ruled women through power and fear, nothing more.

Without a doubt, Shalba Beelzebub disgusted her.

Her lips curved with unbridled loathing. "You are a _disgusting_ barbarian, Shalba," Katerea professed with little hesitation. The Maou of the "Old" Satan faction as they were called had publicly acknowledged each other as equals, so she would not hold her tongue to speak what she knew to be the truth. "Do not look at _my_ slave with such lustful eyes. She is mine to do with as I please, not yours."

Shalba was not deterred by her vehement rejection. He took another step toward the throne in what could only be an attempt to push Katerea over the edge.

His conniving gaze met her sharp one. "Why should it be a problem to make such a trade? We plan to institute slavery once we take back the Underworld anyway," Shalba said with a shrug. "Can I not be allowed to start early?"

"I'm afraid the problem is you have started in the first place," Katerea offered her response as soon as the words left his lips. "As the one to capture her, _I_ shall be the one to have the final say in what is to be done with her. My answer is _clearly_ no."

Throughout the exchange of words that subtly decided her fate, Kushina Mammon remained silent. Whatever words she would have liked to offer them were buried deep beneath the layers of control exhibited by Ophis' godly powers. Darkened eyes akin to the void stared at what lied directly in front of her body, with no thought resting in her mind more complicated than to wait for her master's next order.

Shalba sighed and offered them a shrug. "Very well," he said, relenting in his vicious attempt. His eyes flashed with a similar interest again. "But, please keep in mind that I would pay a high price for her."

With that dreadful talk finished Katerea was once again reminded of the fact that he had not come to this place invited.

"Why have you come before me?" Katerea asked with the tone of a demand.

Shalba's grin seemed to widen. "I have come to confirm that you do not wish Creuserey or I to participate in your little debut," he said with some amount of jest. Clearly he found her plans to be lacking or perhaps naïve in comparison to something of his own creation.

"It was _I_ who convinced the Nilrem magicians to join us," Katerea declared, her voice raised with great pride. In excitement, she shifted her legs and leaned back against the chair. "And it was _I_ who brought the Hakuryuukou to our side. This coup is mine to have, _alone_."

His disgusting smirk had disappeared as his expression turned rigid. "You will surely die, you know?" Shalba offered it as if the thought had somehow crossed her mind. There was no sympathy in his voice.

Katerea's harsh gaze made it clear she disagreed. "With Ophis' power, and the Vanishing Dragon set to run amok, I'm afraid you will be _gravely_ mistaken," she said with no small amount of confidence. Her wrist tugged on the leash, bringing her guest's attention back to Kushina. "_She_ will attend as well."

A familiar look of cruelty flashed across Shalba's visage. Whatever his imagination had conjured up she was sure he was far off from his mark. Though, Katerea's plans for Kushina were anything but considerate to the feelings of the matriarch, or the child she would leave lying dead in ashes.

If only she could release the control at the very moment Kushina caused the death of her son. Katerea would surely wish to treasure the look of sheer despair that she would be wearing.

Alas, even Katerea was not that cruel.

* * *

_This took me forever to write. I think its mainly because I really am excited for the next chapter. No updates to the chart this time. _

_The next time around, we should be ready for the Three Factions Conference. And we finally get to meet one of many special characters: Jiraiya Lucifuge! The perverse uncle of Grayfia, and adviser to Sirzechs Lucifer-sama himself._

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Highschool DxD**


	10. Three Faction Arc Interlude

_Return of the Mammon Clan_

* * *

On yet another beautiful day in the quaint town of Kuoh, the Occult Research Club had volunteered to clean up the academy's pool in the aftermath of the Kokabiel incident. They were joined by Naruto Mammon and his peerage, which then turned the club activity into a proper group party. In a way it was their victory celebration for defending the town and defeating one of the fallen angel leaders—no small feat.

Naruto had just finished taking a dip in the pool and was now sitting atop his towel. Rias and Akeno were closeby on their own towels, as they had been swimming with him too. The queen was proudly sporting Naruto's family collar around her neck, along with her blue and red two piece swimsuit. Rias continued to wear her own and contended with Akeno by wearing a white, ringed two piece bikini.

As much as Naruto loved how much fun they were having, the tensions had started to rise while they had been swimming together. Naruto never realized it before now but Akeno loved to offer him copious amounts of personal attention, which significantly bothered Rias when she could not have the same. Luckily, their ire had not been directed at him yet, but Naruto knew it was only a matter of time before he got caught in the crossfire.

On his right, Akeno scooted closer. "Naruto-kun," she addressed him as her arm wrapped around his. That sultry smile meant there was some foul play involved. "Could you help me with my sunscreen? I can't reach all of my back."

Naruto could already feel a dangerous aura build on his left. They looked together to find Rias quietly simmering with a very harsh glare leveled at the two of them.

"I'm afraid that isn't possible, Akeno," Rias answered in Naruto's stead. Her tone was level, but it had an edge that could cut. "Naruto still needs to apply oil to _my_ back. Right, Naruto?"

His eyes darted back and forth between the two girls. They looked at him expectantly, as if the answer was plain as day.

_Is this the trouble I'll have to deal with?_

Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat as he quickly realized there was no right answer. There was either holy lightning waiting for him, or the power of destruction.

"Rias, Akeno," Naruto spoke to the both of them. His eyes traded attention back and forth. "I'm sure there is a way I can help the both of you..."

"Do you hear that, Rias?" Akeno looked toward her friend with a challenging gaze. "You are making this difficult on him. I asked first, after all."

"What?!" Rias exclaimed as she struggled to keep herself calm. She pointed an accusing finger to her queen. "I'm the first! The privilege of having him first belongs to me and me only. You can't have him!"

Akeno narrowed her eyes a bit but kept the same devilish smile. She stood up to her full height with Rias quickly following her. No words were spoken as the two brought their hands up and began to build energy.

Naruto knew that the area he occupied was soon to become a battlefield and struggled to find a way out. The rest of the group were off doing their own thing, purposely ignoring Naruto and the altercation happening in front of him.

"Ever since you got your own choker, you've gotten overconfident," said Rias. "Akeno, don't think I'll go easy on you simply because you are my friend."

"Ufufu~, who is overconfident in their place now, Rias?" Akeno said while giggling. Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "If I didn't know better, I'd say my presence has made you nervous. Is that true?"

They were only a few words away from starting the next war, and Naruto was still in the middle of no man's land. He noticed Fuka laying on her beach chair, where she had up until that point been enjoying the sun in peace, was now signaling for him to come over with an alluring finger.

Short term safety overrode all of the danger messages his brain was sending him about relying on Fuka to get him out of woman trouble. Naruto got on all fours and started to crawl away, under the noses of his two overbearing lovers. He felt the heat scorch his back as the first of the explosions were set off, but dared not to look back.

Naruto let loose a breath he had been holding as he arrived at Fuka's side. His knight offered him a look of amusement as she no doubt found his troubles entertaining to watch. Her eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses, but he could tell she was genuinely enjoying herself.

For a moment his troubles were forgotten as he felt relieved to see Fuka back in good spirits since her debacle with Kazuma and Fuen was resolved. She had hidden her discontent skillfully, but he figured out after the fact that the entirety of Fuka's stay in Kuoh prior to meeting him had been a stressful journey for her. To know that he had been able to help her get through the worst part of her life made him feel like he had finally been able to repay her somewhat for joining him.

"Looks like you made it out of there just in time, Naruto-kun," Fuka said, gesturing over his shoulder. Naruto managed to glance back and see the spot he once occupied was now burnt to a crisp. The two female devils were continuing their dangerous dodge ball match on the far end of the pool.

Naruto sighed and shook his head in exasperation. "I still don't know how to handle those two. Thanks for getting me out of there, Fuka," Naruto offered her his thanks with a bright smile.

"Oh, don't worry too much about it," Fuka said as she waved his concerns away. "As much fun as I have teasing you, it's not the same when I watch someone else do it."

Naruto's proximity to Fuka finally made him check out her swimsuit, and a part of him soon wished that he had not. The sling bikini, colored black, was essentially two strings that did nothing to cover her bosom and converged into a small cloth that covered her groin. Over her nipples, that were completely uncovered, Fuka had placed two latex pasties in the shape of black hearts.

As a fallen angel hybrid and a young woman at that, Fuka had a great body. If not for her lightly tanned skin and birthmark under her lip, the red headed woman would have reminded him somewhat of his mother, Kushina. It quickly became difficult for him to tear his eyes away and Fuka caught onto his act rather quickly.

"Like what you see, _my king_?" Fuka asked, teasing him with his title. She quickly developed a loaded smile and he knew trouble was being hatched.

From the opposite side of her chair Fuka grabbed what looked like a bottle of suntan oil. The orange container was soon thrust into his hands as his knight stretched the slings of her bikini aside to reveal her chest.

"But..." Naruto struggled to get out the words he needed to argue with. This was exactly the same situation that got him into trouble in the first place.

The sunglasses were removed from her eyes to reveal another steamy gaze. "I'll let you rub it _all over_ me, Naruto," Fuka said as she offered him full access to her chest and stomach. "Those two aren't even paying attention. It's just you," she pointed a finely manicured finger toward him. "And me."

_I'm going to regret this._

Naruto resigned himself to his fate as he prepared his hands with a fine sheet of the slick substance. His servant seemed to purr in satisfaction as his hands began to wander over her stomach and chest. The stickers covering her were almost like a second skin, so he had no trouble going over them to get a full coverage over her breasts.

All the while, Fuka refused to stop making small sounds of pleasure that he knew were meant to tease him. Naruto's hands fell back down her well defined stomach and brushed the area near Fuka's groin. He wondered how far he was allowed to go, but quickly reined himself in when he remembered how much fire he was already playing with.

"Naruto," Fuka's hot breath whispered into his ear. A hand wrapped itself around his chin and forced him to look back at her widening grin. "I never got the chance to properly _thank _you for before."

With her free hand, Fuka grabbed a hold of his and forced him to go _underneath_ her bikini. Naruto's fingers were now in close contact with Fuka's lower lips, and he was sure he could feel a new wetness that was not the oil. The vice like grip she kept over his wrist forced him to remain in such a compromising position.

Fuka groaned in pleasure as she moved her hips and forced herself to grind against him. She had him like putty in her hands with her expert teasing. Something like this was an enjoyable game for the fallen angel turned devil.

"Fuka, this is dangerous," Naruto said quietly. If it were in a different context he might not have minded, but he could almost feel the eyes staring into his back.

"I know," Fuka admitted with a devilish smirk. "Isn't it exciting? I _love_ this feeling."

With her fingers still wrapped about his chin, she forced their bodies closer. Fuka's grin was lost as she neared his lips with her own. There was almost a sense of reverence as she gently kissed him. That feeling was soon lost, however, as Fuka's excitement got the better of her and a tongue forced its way into his mouth.

_At least she isn't stealing my energy this time._

Paralyzing Touch remained dormant as Fuka forced herself onto him with passionate lust. Her soft moans echoed into him as their tongues played with one another. The fingers he had so carefully kept unmoving near her sex began to tease and play with Fuka, and he could feel her hips buck against him.

Unbeknownst to him, Fuka had more control over herself than he did and managed to open one eye. She quickly assessed the two powerful presences that had gathered before them and understood that her moment was over.

With practiced grace, Fuka extricated herself from their intense lip lock. She offered him a sympathetic shrug as his confusion quickly shifted to terror.

"Naruto-kun."

"Naruto..."

Two ominous voices echoed from behind him. Before he could even turn around to request forgiveness, Naruto found both of his cheeks were pinched with a very painful grip. The subtle difference in size and strength told him that both Akeno and Rias had elected to take hold of him.

With some ridiculous amount of force, Naruto felt himself being roughly pulled along the sidewalk and away from Fuka. His lovely knight offered him another wave goodbye before she turned her attention back to sunbathing.

Fuka's sunglasses were placed back on as she rested on her seat. "Thanks for the oil, Naruto-kun," Fuka whispered under her breath.

A mischievous smirk returned to her lips.

* * *

Naruto and Rias were lying together in bed that night. They were exhausted from the day's activities but had managed to stay up for a while longer and talk. The nights were often the only times they got to have to themselves so their bed conversations were becoming a more common occurrence.

Aquamarine eyes flicked up to meet his. "I'm glad we got to have so much fun today," Rias mumbled into his chest. She was using his arm as a pillow and had pressed herself against Naruto's chest. "Things are only going to get more stressful with the factions meeting here."

Naruto's arm forced Rias closer. "Yeah, it was good to see everyone cut loose and enjoy themselves," Naruto said with a bit of a smile. Not even the prideful Kyuubi had resisted the chance to enjoy the pool.

"My brother will most likely want to talk to you again," Rias said with a bit of apprehension. Her fingers began to trace invisible lines over his bare chest.

Naruto's lips thinned as he thought about meeting the Maou. "Well, I'll probably have to invite him over then."

He noticed Rias begin to frown as she pulled herself up. "That means we won't be able to sleep in the same room," she said with some frustration.

Naruto resisted the urge to laugh at her pouting face. It was rare to see Rias act like that since she often made sure she got what she wanted.

"Don't act like that," Naruto whispered into her ear. His fingers began to dance along her side, eliciting a bit of response. "We just have to make sure they don't find out."

Rias was able to resist his attempts to tickle her and continued to sulk. He brushed a lock of crimson hair that had fallen over her eyes, and he noticed she was still pretty worn out. Just to have that conversation she must have been struggling to stay awake, so it was no surprise she was in such a mood.

_I guess I'll just have to cheer her up._

"Let me give you some service then, to make up for it," Naruto said as he grew a devilish smirk. "Lay on your back and rest on the pillows."

Rias narrowed her eyes in confusion but did as he asked. With all of her clothes already removed for bed it saved him all the trouble of stripping her. He lifted himself so that he was now hovering above her, with his hands on either side of her body.

"Naruto? What are-"

Rias was silenced by his lips. The kiss was fast, meant only to silence her protests.

"Just enjoy this, Rias," Naruto said as he began to lay kisses along her jaw and down her neck. "And try not to be loud. The others are sleeping, remember?"

His lips moved past her neck and continued to taste the skin of her collar. They quickly moved to the space between her breasts and his tongue began to trace along the edges of her areola. Naruto shifted his weight onto one hand so he could use the other to tease one nipple while his tongue did the other.

Now that he had moved onto Rias' breasts proper, the girl beneath him began to squirm. The mewls and hushed moans were music to his ears and acted as encouragement to continue. Rias failed to keep her hands to herself as one began to comb through his wild blonde hair, and the other latched onto his moving arm.

"Naruto..." Rias muttered between light gasps. "I...can't..."

His lips traveled lower and kissed the snow white skin of her stomach. Naruto loved how soft Rias was as he guided his tongue around her bellybutton. Rias acted so mature for her age, and yet her body constantly reminded him of her young innocence. It made playing with her like this all the more fun.

He stopped his ministrations and met her wanting gaze. "It's going to get better."

The heavy blush splayed across her cheeks told him she was already feeling the effects. Perhaps she could even guess what his plans were. Her hand remained on his head but made no motion to stop him, so he continued.

Naruto laid one feather kiss near her groin before he skipped straight to the insides of her thigh. His lips continued to tease around the growing heat he could feel between her legs. This was the first time he and Rias had ever gone that far together, despite their nude sleeping habits.

Her back arched in pleasure "Naruto..."

Rias' desperate call for him to continue made his next target clear. He worked his way back up her thigh and did not stop that time until he found purchase at her lower lips.

The moans would have surely woken up the entire house, had Naruto not already put a spell up to cancel the noise. He was just delighted to see her fail so perfectly to keep her voice down, and the embarrassment it caused her.

* * *

The next day had Naruto in his usual spot on the couch in the old school building. Rias had decided to distance herself from him physically and sat at her desk. There was a considerable blush splayed across her cheeks that seemed to have lasted since last night to the afternoon. Everyone had surely noticed but no one had made any mention of it, no doubt in respect to their president's privacy.

Whenever he tried to make eye contact with Rias she would consistently dodge him by looking away. He found her embarrassment to be cute, though it was a bit frustrating that she got so embarrassed over something that was not even sex.

Akeno had just finished her brew of tea and brought it over for everyone to partake. She then took a cup and offered it to the reclusive Rias, who accepted it with mumbled thanks. The queen then proceeded to sit next to Naruto in the seat that was usually reserved for the crimson princess, now left vacant.

Together, Akeno and Naruto sat quietly and enjoyed tea while they listened to the others pass the time with small talk. In effect they were simply waiting for Sirzechs to show up as he had informed Rias that he would make an appearance some time today. He had given his own peerage free rein to do as they wished, simply because the occult club room was too small to comfortably house all of them. Whenever he invited Sirzechs over they were sure to meet with him anyway.

Akeno subtly leaned closer to him. "You must have done something _very_ naughty to make Rias this quiet," she whispered sensuously.

Naruto detected a hint of excitement her voice that was not uncommon with Akeno. She had quite a wild imagination, though this time around her guesses might have been close to the actual mark.

Naruto smiled. "She was upset about something so I decided to cheer her up." He shrugged with a nonchalant tone. "I had no idea she would get this embarrassed."

They were able to keep their voices down so the others did not notice, but Naruto could swear he could feel Rias' piercing gaze in the back of his head. Teasing her like this by speaking with Akeno was simply icing on the cake.

"Ufufu~" Akeno covered her mouth as she giggled. "Might it be too much to ask you do the same for me some time soon?" He felt one of her hands rest upon his thigh. "I might get upset too, if you don't."

Naruto set his tea down on the coffee table. "If you put it that way, then I have no choice." He turned to meet Akeno's seductive gaze with a teasing smirk. "I wonder what _you'll_ taste like?"

There was a moment where Akeno lost her usual confidence and seemed genuinely surprised. His direct way of telling her of the previous night's activities had quickly been analyzed and understood clearly by the queen. The blush that adorned her cheeks was a rare one of modesty, or perhaps she was merely imagining the act.

Before he could flirt with Akeno further a bright light enveloped the room as a familiar magical circle appeared. Everyone quieted as two figures made their appearance. One was immediately recognized as one of the Maou, Sirzechs Lucifer, who was also Rias Gremory's older brother. Next to him, dutiful as ever, was his wife Grayfia Lucifuge, well known throughout the Underworld as 'The Strongest Queen'.

"Hello everyone." Sirzechs eyes swept over the gathered devils. "I hope you are all doing well?"

"Onii-sama?" Rias stood up from her seat, surprised by his sudden entrance.

Akeno and the other two that already knew the Maou knelt before him. Asia, Xenovia, and even Aika remained standing as they had never been formally introduced to Rias' older brother.

Naruto chose to stand and respectfully nod toward the new arrivals, but as an Extra Demon, he had no obligation to bow before the Maou. The older man did not seem to be put off by this and remained in good spirits as everyone offered him their silent greetings.

Sirzechs' soft gaze fell on Asia. "Are you Asia Argento?" he asked.

Asia, who had been staring at the Maou with an awe-inspired face, was taken by surprise by his question.

"Y-yes, I am." Asia fumbled with her skirt as she often did when she was nervous.

Sirzechs' bright smile seemed to assuage her concerns. "Thank you for caring for my sister. I've heard many good things about you."

"I-I'm flattered, sir!" Asia locked her shoulders in response to his sudden praise.

"No need to be so tense," Sirzechs said. "I'm here on personal business, not as a Maou."

Asia blushed. "Y-yes, sir."

No doubt Sirzechs' laid back personality would need to grow on her first. Aika and Xenovia too seemed to be learning a lot about him from that simple encounter.

Rias passed Naruto and stood by Asia and Xenovia. Her brother had yet to greet her, and she seemed to be just as surprised as everyone else. It was true they had been expecting the Maou but not on an informal basis. The talk of the three factions conference was all they had heard about so Rias had been duly prepared for such an occasion, but not something like this.

Rias' brow furrowed. "Personal business?" she asked.

Sirzechs nodded. "Yes, but that can wait a moment." He noticed Aika standing near Asia. "You must be Aika, the host of the Sekiryuutei. My sister has told me many things about you." His smile quickly put the girl at ease.

"Ah, yes. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lucifer-sama!" Aika said with some excitement. She adjusted her glasses and looked over the Maou.

A blush adorned her cheeks as she whispered to Asia. Naruto could just barely hear her say something about a certain part of the Maou's body, which then caused the innocent sister to blush.

If Naruto didn't know better, he could have sworn he saw a light shade of pink invade Grayfia's cheeks for a moment.

Xenovia stepped forward. "Are you really one of the Maou?" Not waiting for a reply, she continued. "Pleased to meet you, I am Xenovia."

Sirzechs continued to smile, despite the interruption. "Nice to meet you, Xenovia," he replied. "When I heard the wielder of Durandal had joined my sister's family, I could hardly believe it."

"I am still struggling with my decision to become a devil," Xenovia said. "Sometimes, I still regret it." She held her chin in serious thought. "Why _did_ I become a devil again?" she asked no one in particular before she began to ramble under her breath.

Sirzechs began to wholeheartedly laugh at Xenovia's eccentricity. "My sister's family never fails to make me smile." His gaze settled on Xenovia again. "Xenovia, I hope that you do your best to the support the Gremory with my sister."

Xenovia stopped fidgeting. "I can't possibly go against the words of Lucifer, the legendary Satan," she replied with confidence. "I will do the best I can."

"Thank you," Sirzechs said. "I look forward to seeing your talents put to good use." He looked over his sister's shoulder. "Naruto-kun, it's good to see you so close to my sister. How have you been?"

Naruto came forward to stand between Rias and Akeno before the Maou. "My family and I have been doing well. It's good to see you in high spirits, Sirzechs Lucifer-sama." He returned Sirzechs' smile with one of his own.

"Yes, I've been looking forward to this visit." Sirzechs looked between Rias and Akeno. "Rias, Akeno. Are those two necklaces what I think they are?"

The two girls were surprised he noticed so quickly. Their fingers instinctively touched the pendants that were held so close to the neck.

Akeno smiled. "Yes, Sirzechs-sama, I accepted it from Naruto-kun. I am very happy," she admitted with a light blush.

Sirzechs smile seemed to brighten. "I'm glad to hear that. I have never seen such a smile from you before."

Naruto knew that Akeno was Rias' first servant she took on. They had known each other from a young age, and the queen lived with Rias in the Gremory manor since they were children. The both of them looked up to Sirzechs, and from what he understood the Maou saw Akeno as another little sister to take care of.

_I'll be in real trouble if I don't make them happy._

"And you, Rias?" Sirzechs turned to his sister. "Are you, 'happy'?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Rias said, offering her brother a wry smile.

Sirzechs laughed again. "Good, that's very good indeed." His gaze went back to Naruto. "Please continue to take care of Rias and Akeno. I know I'm leaving them in good hands."

Grayfia seemed to stir from her quiet vigil. "Please don't say such rash things, as Lord Gremory has still made no such decision." Her words were quick to censure her husband.

Naruto gently wrapped his arms around both girls' waists. "My chains are holding onto them now, Sirzechs Lucifer-sama, and they won't let go no matter what," he said with confidence.

Akeno and Rias both managed to blush. Neither of them made any move to pull away from his hold, however. On the contrary their bodies seemed to relax with him so close.

"Very good," Sirzechs said. His gaze shifted back to his little sister. "Then, I'm sure you are wondering what I'm doing here by now. Right?"

Rias crossed her arms. "Of course," she replied calmly. The excitement from before had been lost.

"Well, I'm here to enjoy Parent's Day. Of course." Sirzechs' chipper response took them all by surprise.

Rias bit her lip. "Grayfia, you told him didn't you?!" she shouted in frustration. The maid in question offered no response.

The Gremory heiress rarely enjoyed it when Sirzechs offered her personal attention. She almost suffocated from his attention as a child, and though she enjoyed it for a time Rias struggled to escape from his shadow. No doubt she was afraid Sirzechs might shirk from his duties as a Maou for her sake, which was something the dignified princess would not accept.

"No need to worry, as Father will be attending as well." Sirzechs said.

"You are a Maou now." Rias looked away in embarrassment. "Petty things like this shouldn't distract you from your work."

Sirzechs' gaze narrowed. "I am here for work, too," he told Rias. "I would like to host the conference for the three factions here, in this academy."

"H-here?!" Aika said while stuttering.

Everyone seemed to mirror Kiryuu's surprise. They would have never imagined the academy would be selected of all places.

Sirzechs adopted a bashful smile in response. "Yes, though I hate to admit it but I am unfamiliar with the area," he said. "I'll have to trouble Rias and all of you with helping me, I'm afraid."

Naruto stepped forward. "It's no trouble, Sirzechs-sama. When Rias told me you were coming I had actually planned on inviting you to stay at my house." Naruto motioned toward Sirzechs and Grayfia. "Would you two please stay the night with me and my family?"

Sirzechs smiled. "That is a wonderful offer, Naruto-kun." He glanced at his wife, who made no motion to disagree. "Then, we will accept. Please take care of us."

Rias turned toward Naruto. "Naruto, will you be inviting your mother?" she asked.

Naruto shook his head. "No, my mother keeps busy with her duties in the Underworld. I'm sure she would respectfully decline, as she has in the past."

It was unfortunate as Naruto would have loved to have his mother stay with them. If anything he just enjoyed being in her company since he felt so comfortable with Kushina. Still, he respected his mother's wishes and focused on what was in front of him, for the sake of the clan. There was always time for celebrations later, she would say.

"That's unfortunate, I would have loved to speak with her again," Sirzechs said. "But, I can assure you that tonight will still be full of fun. I had Grayfia bring along some picture books for you to see."

Rias raised a brow in suspicion. "Picture books?"

Sirzechs nodded. "Yes, picture books. Of you and Akeno when you were younger." His gaze shifted to Akeno. "You must come Akeno, otherwise we just won't have the same kind of fun."

Akeno blushed at his words. "If it is a request from a Maou, then I have no choice but to accept." She turned to Naruto. "I'll be in your care as well, Naruto-kun."

Naruto's smile brightened. "That sounds like a great idea. I can't wait to see what you guys were like."

"Ufufu~" Akeno giggled. "I'm happy to hear that, Naruto-kun. Rias seems to be struggling though."

The crimson princess had blushed when her brother elaborated on the nature of the pictures. She was clearly not enthused at their excitement of seeing her at such a young, vulnerable age. Naruto had to wonder if there were any embarrassing pictures they might have saved. If Sirzechs truly did dote on Rias as a child, he was sure there were plenty to look at.

* * *

That night, Naruto and the others had finally retired to the living room from the feast they had just finished eating. The meal had been a combined effort with Fuka, Haku, and Grayfia handling the cooking. It had been a delicious variety of exotic meals, both from the human and devil worlds.

Naruto sat with Akeno and Rias on either side of him. Sirzechs had already offered him an album to look at, so it sat upon his lap. Across from him sat the Maou on another couch with Grayfia not far off. The others had either retired to their rooms or were still in the dining room, eating their fill.

"Ria-tan sure is cute, isn't she?" Sirzechs said. His excitement had grown to another level now that they were sharing this moment together. "She made such a cute face while she slept, right?"

There were an assortment of pictures that showed Rias while she walked through the Gremory manor, and where she played with what looked like a Chinese Qilin statue. There were more where she was indeed sleeping in her bed as her mouth made little shapes of her breathing cutely. Rias had long hair as a child too, so she was almost a perfect image of her older self.

"These are really cute, Rias." Naruto turned to the girl in question. She had her arms crossed and was looking away in embarrassment. "I can't believe you had this same beautiful hair as a kid."

His compliment made Rias turn back toward him, still blushing. "Y-You think so?" she asked.

"Yeah," Naruto said. "I really hope that we can have a daughter with that same hair. Don't you?"

The comment about children got everyone's attention. They were still pretty young to talk about it, but Naruto had no intention of leaving Rias anytime soon. He figured that he should simply speak what came to mind when he first saw the pictures.

"I'm glad you think so, Naruto." Rias' blush had deepened.

Sirzechs got up and offered Naruto another book. "Here, you best move onto Akeno. My sister is sure to turn into a tomato at this rate." His smile meant that he was fine with the comment from before, too.

"Oh my." Akeno suddenly became a bit sheepish. "Please don't laugh too much. I was still under Lady Venelana's care at the time, so I was learning to become a proper girl."

Sirzechs waved Akeno's concerns off. "Akeno is being too formal. She was really excited back then to live at the manor."

Naruto started to flip through the pages. Most of the images involving Akeno had her running about or playing with Rias. There were a few that Sirzechs managed to take while Rias' mother was teaching Akeno, and in those she seemed to take the lessons very seriously. Overall though, he could see that playful smile Akeno always wore shine through.

"You're right," Naruto said. He then turned to Akeno. "You look really cute, Akeno. I'm happy to see that you still have the same carefree smile from back then."

Akeno blushed. "I...inherited my looks and attitude from my mother, I think."

"I hope that, if we have children, they have the same smile as you do." Naruto pointed at one of the pictures of her happily playing. "Your playful attitude is something I really love about you, Akeno."

Sirzechs leaned forward in his seat. "Oh, so you've noticed. How about her laugh? Isn't it the cutest thing?" His excitement picked up again as he asked Naruto the questions.

"Definitely. She's really cute when she laughs," Naruto replied. "She always makes me smile when she giggles."

Akeno must have not expected them to say such things as she quickly became flustered. The queen was often very forward and honest, so to see her act like that made Naruto find her very cute.

"Please don't compliment me so much." Akeno looked away, cheeks burning. "You'll make me blush."

Rias smiled. "Even you can make an unpleasant face, Akeno?"

For the first time, everyone proceeded to laugh at Akeno's expense.

* * *

Naruto laid in bed staring at his nondescript ceiling. The room was particularly quiet that night as he found himself alone. Grayfia had taken Akeno and Rias to sleep in the same room as her. Sirzechs had a room to himself and Naruto regretted the fact he didn't invite him to stay in the same room.

Given how used he was to having someone to talk to, or to hold in Rias' case, Naruto was unable to sleep.

_I hope everyone is comfortable at least._

His body tossed and turned to either side of the bed as he struggled to get comfortable. If it was just for one night he could find some way through it. His mother would surely laugh at him for how pitiful he was to be unable to sleep without someone nearby.

Just when Naruto finally decided to rest his head on the pillow, he heard the door open. Anyone could recognize the telltale sound of a doorknob clicking or the wood of the door frame rubbing against the wall. Still, he could not even hear the person's footsteps they were so silent.

Naruto pulled himself up to meet the intruder. When he went to look, however, no one was there. He could have sworn the door had been opened, but the door itself was still firmly shut.

"My my, what a _naughty_ boy."

Naruto twisted his head around to see Akeno behind him, on the bed. She playfully stuck her tongue out and seemed amused at his surprise. Akeno was wearing a black transparent nightie with nothing under it but a lace thong.

Naruto raised a brow. "Akeno, what are you doing here?"

Grayfia had made her invitation quite clear that they were to stay away from him that night. On the other hand, Akeno could definitely be a little mischievous herself.

Akeno shrugged. "I managed to sneak away," she whispered into his ear. There were sultry undertones within her gaze and smile. "Tonight, I want to sleep with you."

_There is a double meaning in there._

The covers were lifted as Akeno observed his body in full. She seemed to confirm her own suspicions when she found him naked, her smile widening.

"But, Grayfia-"

Akeno offered him a wink. "Don't worry about her." Her hands latched onto the bottom of her nightie. "More importantly, it seems I need to follow the host's rules and strip if I want to sleep in this bed."

Without delay, Akeno pulled the nightie off of her body. There was a wonderful bounce as her absurdly large breasts were jostled up and down from the movement. The thong was quick to come off as well, with both articles of clothing left to the cold wooden floor. Her last touch was to remove the yellow ribbon in her hair, which allowed the raven black locks to fall freely down her back.

The queen pulled herself over him and then straddled Naruto's lap. With one hand she pushed against his chest and forced him to lay back down. His struggle to resist became quite real when he felt their lower parts begin to grind against one another.

Akeno brought herself lower so that she could reach his lips. At the same time he could feel that her hands had begun to wander along his chest. Naruto did not resist as her mouth fell upon his, and the kiss itself was soft yet passionate—a contrast to Akeno's previous aggression.

Naruto pulled back a bit. "How did you get away?"

There was some delay as Akeno continued to kiss along his jaw and neck. The feather kisses she offered him were filled with love and wanting. He could tell that there was some pent up energy that Akeno had been meaning to let out, and she finally had her chance now that they were alone.

She lifted her head to meet his gaze. "Rias has said before that I have some skill when it comes to moving without being seen." Her fingers began to trace the whisker marks on his cheek. Akeno moved her hips to further grind against him. "Would it be too much if I asked you take me, here and now, under the same roof as Rias and one of the Maou? Just the thought of it gets me _hot_."

Naruto could feel his sex getting slick as she ground against him. He could tell very much that Akeno meant every word of what she said, and as exciting as it was, there were a lot of dangers of trying something like that. Compound onto the fact that he would rather their first time be romantic, and his excitement faded somewhat.

Still, he had no desire to stop. Akeno had suddenly made his restless night a lot more fun.

"Come here." Naruto's hand was on the back of her head as he forced her back down. Their lips crashed into one another and Akeno moaned into him.

With his other hand around Akeno's hip Naruto used the grip as leverage and flipped them, so that he was now hovering over her as she laid flat on her back. Any protests she had were quickly silenced by another peck on her lips.

"I want our first time to be special, Akeno," Naruto told her. One of his hands began to cradle the side of her head as their eyes met. "I really love you, and Rias. Both of you are my most precious people."

Akeno's violet orbs glistened in the moonlight. She looked so beautiful, yet so vulnerable at the same time. With all of his strength Naruto wanted to protect her, so that he could have more moments like this.

Akeno's hand wrapped around his. "As long as we can make it fun together, I _suppose_ I can't complain. Ufufu~" She started to giggle. "Besides, I can't afford to risk your health should Grayfia-san find out."

That threat sounded all too real to Naruto and he was glad Akeno understood the gravity of the consequences.

Naruto's lips met hers again. "We don't have to stop here, though." His head traveled farther down to her neck, where the Mammon pendant lay. "I still need to find out what _you_ taste like."

Akeno's moans grew louder the lower he got. Just like with Rias he offered Akeno's breasts a considerable amount of attention as he teased and played with the nipples, alternating between his fingers and tongue. Her breasts were arguably bigger than Rias', but they rivaled each other in softness and made it impossible for him to easily choose a victor.

The way Akeno squirmed under him meant he was doing something right. One of her hands gripped him by the hair, albeit somewhat painfully, but he let her guide him lower with gentle pushing. There was a look of sheer ecstasy she shared to him as Akeno watched him go down on her.

Now Naruto found himself completely hidden under the covers, only visible from the small lip that Akeno held open to see him. He was very close to his target now, and as he continued to bring his tongue and lips lower, he felt a certain fuzz tickle his chin.

Akeno twitched. "I-It's shameful of me to say that I have not properly prepared myself. Do you mind?" The look of embarrassment she offered him was almost as sweet as her skin.

Naruto smiled against her skin. "I love everything about you, Akeno." His lips kissed the tuft of hair. "It makes you look mature, too."

Akeno's hand forced him lower. "My my, I don't think I can contain myself much longer. Let me apologize now for the mess," she said.

The bed had yet to be dirtied contrary to Akeno's words, but given her excitement it was surely only a matter of time. Rather than tease her like he did with Rias, Naruto felt the strength behind Akeno's hold on him. She wanted him right at that very moment.

So, he didn't hesitate and let his tongue directly enter her folds.

Akeno's moans only got louder and he very much hoped the sound seals would hold. The hold on his hair became like a vice as she forced him into her groin. The S side of her was showing as she aggressively ground herself against his lips, but he knew that to hold onto Akeno, this was something he would have to weather.

At that moment the door was opened and light footsteps could be heard. Naruto stopped in his efforts to pleasure Akeno as the young woman had suddenly stopped moaning. He tried to get a better look at the situation from under the covers, but he could only see the inklings of a smile on the queen's lips. Had they been caught and she was playing coy?

_I think I'm about to die._

"Akeno!" The harsh whisper was easily identified as Rias. "It was unfair to leave me behind, you know!"

Akeno covered her mouth. "Ufufu~, my apologies Rias. But, I had to catch up with you somehow." She used her hand to push him into her crotch again. "I wanted to take the lead this time."

No doubt Rias' suspicions were raised by Akeno's obvious innuendos. Naruto decided that it was best he play along for now, despite his concerns, and let his tongue escape from his mouth again. If he really did love the both of them then he should be allowed to do something like this, right?

"Where is Naruto?" Rias asked. From the volume of her voice he could tell she was close now. "And why are you naked?"

The blush from Akeno's cheeks had to be visible at that point. Ever since Rias had come in and caught them he could feel Akeno twitch and writhe in excitement. She really must have enjoyed the thrill of being in such a compromising position.

Akeno shrugged. "Who knows?" Her smile widened mischievously.

There was simply no fooling Rias with a performance like that, but Naruto knew Akeno wasn't trying. She wanted Rias to catch her red handed—that's just how she was. Unfortunately, she forgot that it would be Naruto that would get punished instead of her. As if to offer him the coup de grace, the raven haired woman's hand refused to let him escape from the compromising position he found himself in.

The covers were lifted and Naruto's eyes flicked up to meet Rias'. It was rare to see Rias actually clothed in sleepwear, and he took a moment to appreciate the matching red nightie and thong that was not unlike Akeno's. Rias' eyes flashed from aquamarine to a dangerous crimson in a matter of seconds as the danger became real.

Akeno's smile widened. "Now now, Rias. We wouldn't want Grayfia-san or Sirzechs-sama to notice we are in here, right?" Her gaze narrowed with satisfaction as the crimson princess reluctantly calmed her aura. "That would be a big problem for our lovable Naruto-kun, after all."

Rias crossed her arms with indecision. "Fine then," she said with a defeated tone. Her eyes narrowed again as her hand reached out and began to pull on Naruto's cheek. "But _you_ need to be separated!"

"O-Ow, Rias...calm down!" Naruto felt himself being pulled farther up the bed until he was forced to lie down.

Akeno and Rias then shifted so that they were on either side of him. Whereas Akeno was still in a good mood, Rias was struggling with how to handle the situation she found them in. There was no doubt in Naruto's mind she was trying to come up with a proper punishment for him.

Rias sighed. "Really, you are _too _selfish to do such things to the both of us and receive nothing in return," she told him. "_I _am supposed to be the one to spoil you as my precious Naruto, and my future husband."

Akeno turned to Rias. "My my, those are some bold statements to make," Akeno said through a devilish smile. Her eyes narrowed as they focused back on Naruto. "You made me feel _really_ good, Naruto-kun. But, even as a bully, I can't allow my future husband to ignore his own needs."

As if to accentuate her point Akeno held his sex in her hands. The excitement from their earlier activities had left him hard, which was obviously something that pleased the queen if the excited look on her face was evidence enough.

Rias' smile seemed to mirror that of her friend. "Then, shall we do it together, Akeno?"

"It's time we properly return the favor, Naruto-kun," Akeno said. She began to lick her lips in excitement. "I want to see how long it takes before you start _moaning_. Don't disappoint me." Her S side emerged as she prepared to torment him with pleasure.

Rias had already shed her own clothes to join them properly. The two girls looked between one another before they slowly began their descent down his body. Their playful giggling quickly turned into muffled moans and groans as both took him on fully.

The tables had turned on Naruto as it was now _his_ turn to hold in his gratified moans.

* * *

The next morning came too quickly for Naruto as he found himself lying in bed, still exhausted from the night's activities. Rias and Akeno had woken up a bit before him to get themselves dressed again. They planned to infiltrate Grayfia's room before she discovered they were missing. Unfortunately, the three of them had slept in rather late so their chances of success were slim.

It still brought Naruto some satisfaction as he watched the two girls prepare. If he survived long enough to reach married life with the two of them, he knew his days would be filled with bliss. They were cute together as they fretted over their appearance, ensuring that the clothes were not rumpled or out of place.

Akeno went back over to the bed and kissed Naruto on the cheek. "Thanks for last night, Naruto-kun." Her gaze turned sensuous. "You tasted _wonderful_. Ufufu~" She left his side with a peck on the lips.

Rias approached with a narrow gaze. "That's inappropriate, Akeno," she told her. Rias' lips then covered his as they shared the short, loving gesture. "I'll see you soon, Naruto." Rias smiled.

The two girls reluctantly left his side and went for the door. Before they could even touch the knob, however, it was opened from the outside. Sirzechs and Grayfia entered together in their normal clothes.

Naruto and the girls were completely stunned into inaction for a moment. Embarrassment washed over him as he realized that he was practically naked, save for the blanket over his body, in front of a Maou. Worse, that same Maou was the older brother of the woman who had shared his bed last night.

_So this is really when I'll die._

Last night had been a miscalculation of his own mortality on his part. This time, however, there was no mistake that he was in trouble.

The girls covered their bodies the best they could from the new arrivals. They were quickly confused when Grayfia revealed two blankets held in her arms, which she then used to cover the both of them.

Neither Sirzechs nor Grayfia seemed particularly surprised to see them in such a compromising situation. Given their preparations, perhaps they had even been expecting it.

Sirzechs refused to drop his usual grin. "I'm glad to see you are all enjoying yourselves. My suspicions were correct, after all."

"Onii-sama..." Rias' confusion was obvious in her tone as she held the blanket tight to her body.

Even Akeno was taken aback at how casual he was approaching this situation.

Sirzechs' gaze fell on Naruto. "Naruto-kun, may I ask what your plans are for today?" he asked.

Naruto had to resist the urge to show his confusion from the offered question. The last thing he had expected was to hear such a normal conversation point be offered. Perhaps he had a way out of this if he played his cards right.

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "I was actually going to go see my mother. Since Sirzechs Lucifer-sama is here, I thought it might be best to try and invite her," he replied.

Earlier he had hesitated at the thought of calling his mother to the human world for such a simple occasion as Parent's Day, but after further thought it had sounded like fun. He would finally get to show her around Kuoh and maybe even see what his mother acted like outside of the castle, around others.

Sirzechs' smile faltered a bit. "I see. Then I regret to say this, but I must ask you to postpone that invitation," he told Naruto. The Maou narrowed his eyes. "Today, I'm having a preliminary meeting with the leaders of the other factions. There are a few people I would like to introduce you to, and I'm afraid it may take all day."

Naruto found it odd that Sirzechs would want him, of all people, to meet the other leaders. The Extra Demons were already well known to stay out of the politics of the Underworld, and they were a sore spot for the current government to deal with. It was true that Naruto and his mother wanted to return to the 72 pillars, but he doubted the other faction leaders would understand the complexity of their situation.

It could reflect poorly on the Maou if he brought Naruto with him.

If that fact bothered Sirzechs, no one would be able to tell. "Please, I ask this of you." The Maou gestured to him with some regret behind his eyes.

Naruto smiled. "If it's a request from a Maou then I can't refuse."

Grayfia approached the two girls and quietly began to lead them out of the room. No doubt those two needed to be dressed as well for the day to come.

"My Ladies, I will be sure to give the both of you a proper lecture on common decency and bedroom etiquette later. It seems your studies have slipped since the last time," Grayfia said to the both of them as she led them out of the room.

The look of terror on either of their faces was somewhat enjoyable for Naruto. Despite her polite address to the both of them, Grayfia's thinly veiled threat was clearly something that did not sit well with either of them.

Perhaps he had finally lucked out this time around.

* * *

Together with Rias and Akeno, Naruto walked with Sirzechs and Grayfia as they headed toward what the Maou referred to as 'mutually neutral' ground, located somewhere in the urban center of Kuoh. There, they were set to meet with the leader of the fallen angels, as well as the angels that still resided in Heaven. Naruto still failed to see why his presence was necessary, but all the same, he was interested in speaking with these illustrious figures.

"A word of warning, Naruto-kun," Sirzechs said from in front of him. The Maou turned back to look at him. "There is another devil that will be joining us shortly. He's an adviser of mine, and Grayfia's uncle."

At the mention of their relationship, Naruto's eyes glanced at the maid at Sirzechs' side. She was a stone wall of emotion, as always, but the way Sirzechs introduced this person made him think there was something wrong.

Akeno's giggle brought his attention back to her. "Ufufu~, I wonder how Naruto-kun will handle Jiraiya-sama's perversions." Her devious smile seemed brighten from an overactive imagination. "Perhaps I should tell him about the times Jiraiya-sama tried to peek on me and Rias."

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he came to realize just what kind of person this Jiraiya fellow was.

Rias crossed her arms. "Truly, he is the incarnation of lust." A light blush splayed across her cheeks as she no doubt recollected from previous encounters.

Sirzechs chuckled. "Well, he is known as the Perverted Hermit of the Underworld. I'm afraid none of us are without our quirks."

The lack of response from Sirzechs concerning a person who spied on Rias astounded Naruto. As a protective older brother he would have pegged the Maou for setting his foot down. The two of them must have had a close relationship then.

Naruto looked to the silent maid. "Grayfia-san, is all this true?" he asked. She would know her uncle best.

"I'm afraid so, Naruto-sama," Grayfia said without turning to look at him. Her eyes were focused on the path in front of them. "I ask that you don't fall for his tricks. It would bring great dishonor to me if I were to allow that man to convert you to his side."

Sirzechs stopped walking, which lead the rest to follow his lead. "Speaking of that man, there he is."

In front of them, through the crowd of humans, was a rather large man in the dress of a devil nobleman. His frayed, whitish-gray hair had been pulled into a ponytail that fell down his back all the way. Underneath his eyes were two long red lines that fell down to his chin, where Naruto then saw a charming smile splayed across his lips.

Jiraiya raised his arm. "Oi, about time you two showed up." His feet carried him up to the Maou. "Though, I have to say I found _some_ ways to pass the time." Jiraiya's eyes wandered the crowd, many of whom were women. "The human world is truly wonderful, eh Sirzechs?"

Sirzechs smiled. "It's good to see your spirits are high, Jiraiya." The Maou stepped aside so that the younger group was now in full view. "Allow me to introduce you to one of my newer acquaintances." Sirzechs motioned toward Naruto with his arm.

Jiraiya's devilish smirk widened. "Naruto Mammon, I remember the kid." He approached Naruto who felt a little intimidated by his familiarity. "I saw your match against Riser. Believe it or not, I was there too."

Sirzechs ran a hand through his crimson locks. "Ah yes, I seem to have forgotten," he said bashfully.

"After seeing that fight I knew you had some potential," Jiraiya said. "Believe me, when you've been around some of the most powerful devils in history, you tend to get a sense for it."

There was no arrogance in his tone despite him talking with such experience. If anything the old man seemed genuinely friendly, which made Naruto all the more confused as to what his true nature was.

Jiraiya closed his eyes. "Now...allow me to properly introduce myself." He suddenly took a step back and started to make some uncomfortable pose. "I am the gallant, the fearless, most interesting man in the Underworld, the one who is beloved by all young children and their beautiful mothers as Satan White, _and_ with a bit of a perverse-"

Jiraiya was interrupted as Grayfia slapped him over the head, rather loudly, with a harisen fan. Sirzechs' friend had been progressively getting louder and louder in his self-declaring introduction that they were starting to turn heads. Though the fan was simply made out of paper, given its large size and the strength behind the Strongest Queen's hit, Jiraiya was appropriately stunned into inaction for a moment.

Grayfia, composed as always, showed no strong emotions in the aftermath of the attack. She quickly disposed of the fan and returned to her place at Sirzechs' side. The Maou himself was struggling to hold back his laughter, but his wife's sharp gaze quickly turned him silent too.

Grayfia's gaze then shifted to Jiraiya. "Jiraiya Oji-sama, please refrain from such lengthy, self-deprecating speeches for the duration of your stay here. We cannot afford to intimidate the other leaders, or our own kind for that matter, with your usual antics," she said with a sharp, almost motherly tone. Naruto could sense the exasperation emanating from Grayfia, as if she had given such a lecture to him in the past many times.

Jiraiya rubbed his head in pain. "You know, all I can feel is ice from your tone when you talk like that, Grayfia. You used to be such a loving niece when you were smaller!" He replied to her in a childish tone.

Grayfia closed her eyes. "Please do not bring up superfluous things prior to the meeting."

Her rejection, in an almost comical fashion, hit the man harder than any slap. Naruto still found it difficult to lock onto just what kind of person this Jiraiya fellow was.

Akeno leaned in close to Naruto. "Jiraiya-sama is known as the Perverted Hermit because even though he loves women, he hasn't managed to settle down with anyone yet," she whispered. "Believe it or not, most of his peerage are either men or monsters, and he still hasn't used any of his pawns."

Sirzechs' gaze fell upon Naruto."Naruto-kun, before the meeting I'd like to tell you about how Jiraiya and I came to be in the places we are today." He motioned toward the recovering old man. "You see, Jiraiya was once the bodyguard and adviser to the original Lucifer. He even acted in the Maou's stead when he went off to fight in the Great War."

Naruto's eyes widened when he realized that this perverted old man was in such a powerful position before. True enough, as Sirzechs began to delve into Jiraiya's past, the devil turned somewhat serious again.

"Naruto-sama, you may already know this, but Jiraiya Oji-sama and I are from the Lucifuge family," Grayfia said. "Perhaps the revelation would be less surprising if I were to tell you the Lucifuge are well known as servants of the Maou Lucifer. Our strongest were always selected to act as his advisers and bodyguards, and we were the only family ever trusted with such duties."

Now that she mentioned it, Naruto seemed to remember his mother mentioning something similar in the past. She also referred to Grayfia as a 'traitor' the first time they met, which must have had something to do with how Grayfia had left the Extra Demons.

Sirzechs nodded. "Yes, and as such, Jiraiya was very loyal to the Maou Lucifer, as we all were at the time." He then narrowed his eyes. "Unfortunately, when the 72 pillars began to grow weary and tired of the war and the deaths it was causing, Lucifer refused to hear our complaints. And so, the Anti-Satan faction rebelled while the four Maou were away from home."

Jiraiya shook his head. "I told Lucifer to listen to the people, but he thought we were close to winning. In public I kept supporting him and went against the rebels, but in secret I pledged my support to Sirzechs and his group."

Grayfia nodded. "I too fought against Sirzechs and the other rebels for a time, but when the original Lucifer died on the front, the obligation to serve the Maou no longer clouded my judgment."

"These two then came over to our side." Sirzechs motioned to the Lucifuge. "And, with their key supporters dwindling, the Old Satan faction was forced to flee in exile. Given his invaluable support and experience with the Maou, it only made sense to bring Jiraiya on as my own adviser, once I was selected for the role of course."

Jiraiya then held out his arm to Naruto. That was his proper introduction, offered by those who knew him best.

"Nice to meet ya, kid," Jiraiya said with a smile. "Something tells me we'll be seeing a lot of each other in the future."

Naruto grew a smile of his own. "Yeah, it's a pleasure." He took Jiraiya's hand and shook it.

Rias and others looked on with similarly satisfied looks on their faces.

Jiraiya began to grow another devilish smirk. "I hope you can introduce me to some lovely single ladies you may know, or perhaps I can meet your mother?" The old man rubbed his chin in perverse thought. "You already took dibs on Akeno and Rias, from what I hear. Good for you. I can definitely see why." A light blush came over Jiraiya's cheeks as his eyes began to wander.

Naruto crossed his arms. "I don't mind introducing you to my family, but my mother and the others are off limits."

"Eeeh?" Jiraiya groaned in disappointment.

Rias took a step forward. "Jiraiya-san, Naruto holds his family in a similar regard to the Gremory. You won't see him give them up so easily," she explained with a smile. Her hand brushed against Naruto's.

"Ufufu~, I'm afraid you won't be able to spy on us without repercussion anymore, either." Akeno's giggle was offset by her dangerously narrowed eyes. "Now that we're taken by Naruto-kun, he's obligated to hunt you down, Jiraiya-sama."

"Jiraiya Oji-sama, what is the meaning of this?" Grayfia stepped toward her uncle, who was now thoroughly sweating from the pressure. "When was the last time you spied on Rias-sama? Did I not make it clear last time that such acts will not be tolerated?"

Before Jiraiya could be crucified by his immediate family, a shout carried over the crowd. Everyone turned to see an older man in a red buckled trenchcoat. He had a mop of messy black hair, but his bangs were tinged a dirty blonde. There was a great power emanating from inside of him that instantly made Naruto suspicious.

"Good to see the devils made it, eh?" said the man as he came to stand with them. "It almost looked like you had started the party without me!"

Jiraiya grinned. "Azazel! It's been way too long!" The two of them embraced in a friendly hug. Jiraiya's smirk turned devilish again. "We have to go find somewhere to talk after this whole conference is done. Know of any good spots?"

Azazel offered him a hearty laugh. "That's why I like you Jiraiya, our brains are wired the same." The new arrival wrung his arm over Jiraiya's shoulder to bring him close. "Some girls of mine opened an Oppai bar not far from here, we should definitely go and have a drink."

Jiraiya's eyes widened in excitement. "Oppai bar? Run by fallen angels? Now _that's_ a gift from God! We definitely have to go. It's a promise!" He held out his pinky finger.

Azazel recognized the gesture immediately as they proceeded to swear over their little fingers, now intertwined. Everyone else watched their perverted interaction with varying degrees of unease.

Sirzechs craned his head back to look at Naruto. "Together these two are known as the Perverted Hermit _Duo_ of the Underworld, for obvious reasons. Please try and get along with the leader of the fallen angels, too." His smile hid some of the embarrassment he must have been feeling.

"Naruto-sama, please show restraint and not become like them," Grayfia said in a rare bout of emotion.

Naruto noticed the so called leader of the fallen angels approach with Jiraiya in tow. The two of them seemed to be rather close friends, and considering what seemed to be a shared hobby that was not all that surprising.

Just like Jiraiya, Naruto felt that Azazel was charming and easy to talk to. His smile was friendly, if not a bit arrogant, which gave him the appearance of a properly confident leader.

Azazel held his hand out for the Maou. "Sirzechs, I know I probably shouldn't meet you before the meeting starts but hey, why not?" He then shook with Sirzechs when their hands met.

"It's good to see you in high spirits, Azazel," said Sirzechs.

"I also heard you were bringing along some interesting folks, so I wanted to meet them early." Azazel brushed past the Maou and stood before Naruto and the girls. "Nice to meet you, I'm Azazel. Governor of the fallen angels." He offered his hand for Naruto to shake.

"A pleasure," said Naruto as they shook.

"I've heard good things about you, kid. Especially about Fuka and Akeno here." Azazel gestured to the girl on Naruto's right. Akeno was surprisingly tense in the leader's presence. "Please continue to take care of them."

Naruto raised a brow. "You know Fuka?" he asked.

Azazel nodded. "Yes, she was once a treasured subordinate of mine. Unfortunately she got swept away by that rat, Kazuma. Good riddance I say." He then made a face as if he had said something wrong. "Oh, I probably shouldn't say that about one of my own, huh? Well, whatever. You'll hear it in the meeting soon enough."

Naruto shrugged. "You said you know Akeno too?"

Azazel glanced toward the girl in question. "Yes, she is my close associate's daughter, and I like to try and take care of her as my own family."

Oddly enough, Akeno refused to say anything to this so-called 'family' member of hers. There seemed to be some tension forming between the two of them.

"Azazel-san, that's enough," Grayfia said. "We really shouldn't keep Michael-san waiting."

Azazel sighed. "Damn Angels are a stuffy bunch, aren't they? Stiff as a board." Then the man shrugged. "Fine fine, let's get this over with anyway."

The fallen angel proceeded down the sidewalk with Jiraiya not far behind. Sirzechs silently bid Naruto and the others to follow as they continued on to the meeting.

Naruto wondered just how involved he was going to get with these people in the future. For world leaders they seemed like an odd bunch.

Maybe that was why he was already growing to like them, though.

* * *

_I originally planned this to fit all of the three faction conference in one chapter, but the more I started writing I realized just how long the chapter would have been. So I decided to split it with this relatively peaceful, fluff-filled chapter as a type of interlude._

_The next chapter will involve the conference itself as well as its immediate aftermath so that we get ourselves ready for the next arc. Look forward to properly meeting Naruto's next bishop as well._

_I made some stylistic changes to the harem chart and re-uploaded it, as well as added a character or two. The color changes actually have some significance, but the details won't be offered until those events come up in the story. Feel free to come up with assumptions and such if you would like._

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Highschool DxD**


	11. Three Faction Conference Part I

_Return of the Mammon Clan_

* * *

In the bleeding orange of the sunset, Naruto and Rias were on their way back home in the aftermath of the preliminary meetings between the three factions. Akeno, as well as Sirzechs and the rest, had already went their separate ways back to their living arrangements. The streets were quiet now that the long day was over so the two devils felt free enough to simply walk together and talk.

With their hands entwined, they looked like a normal couple by all means.

Naruto looked at Rias. "So, I finally got to meet the leaders." He lightly shook his head with a growing smile. "It was really surprising to see them all so laid back."

Since they were among some of their greatest enemies, Naruto would have thought for sure at least the angels would be uncomfortable. Somehow though everyone managed to stay completely civil and seemed to enjoy themselves for the meet and greet.

Rias offered him a wry smile. "Yes, they all seemed very comfortable with one another. Most likely given their level of power, they all felt rather assured meeting equals in such a normal environment." She began to snicker. "It was unfortunate you could not meet Serafall Leviathan, the Maou in charge of foreign affairs. No doubt she was doting on her sister, Sona."

Naruto's brow raised in surprise to hear of Sona's relation to the Maou. There had been no indication that they were related before, as Sona did not seem to take pride in such things or talk about her sister.

"So Sona is related to a Maou too? You guys really were meant to be friends, huh?" Naruto told her.

Rias' eyes reflected a sudden exasperation. "Yes, I suppose you could say that. We both know the struggles of having a relative in that position, and we trade stories often."

The struggle of being related to a person in such a person of power must have been real. Naruto knew nothing about it so he could only offer the smallest notions of sympathy.

They turned the next corner as they began to near their home. Naruto stopped walking, as did Rias, when they spotted someone leaning against one of the walls of a nearby residency. That person seemed to have been waiting for them as they got up from the wall and turned toward Rias and Naruto. It was a person with dark silver hair and icy blue eyes in the dark dress of a devil youth.

A powerful presence was resting inside of this person and Naruto could feel it easily. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he felt that power was familiar.

"Hello there, Mammon and Gremory," said the young man. "I am Vali, the White Dragon Emperor." His voice reeked of confidence, almost arrogance.

Rias' eyes widened. "You're the..."

With great speed Vali disappeared in a blur movement. Naruto tightened his grip on Rias' hand and readied himself for whatever the dragon had planned.

In the next instant Vali reappeared in front of Rias, his finger held inches from her forehead. His earlier movement had been too fast for Rias to track and so, after she finished blinking, the Gremory was taken by complete surprise to see him in front of her.

Vali snickered. "You're defenses are wide open..." He then narrowed his eyes at Rias. "Interesting, very interesting! This is your doing, right?" He turned to Naruto as he seemed entertained.

"As if I'd let you get through so easily," Naruto said. His aura flew out around them and painted the area dark crimson.

Rias narrowed her eyes. "What..."

She noticed something and held her arm out in front of her. A thin layer of energy was surrounding it, and the aura had extended around her whole body.

Vali had stopped moving on his own accord and had chosen not to strike the Gremory girl. However, he had quickly made the discovery that Naruto had extended his own aura to Rias in order to protect her. Just like his chains, the thin coat of visible energy was physical in nature and could protect her from such a kinetic attack. Such a thing would interest Vali simply because daemonic energy, manifested in an aura, was difficult to turn into a physical object, especially given such a short window of time.

With Vali momentarily distracted by the maneuver, Naruto had also taken the liberty of using his unleashed aura to form additional chains. They floated around Naruto's body, mere inches from Vali given their proximity, ready to attack should the Vanishing Dragon host get any further ideas of aggression.

"What the hell are you trying to pull?" Naruto put himself between Rias and their supposed opponent.

Rias narrowed her eyes. "Yes, if you are affiliated with the fallen angels then you should know by now we avoid-"

Vali lowered his finger. "Well, the truth is I've already spoken with the Sekiryuutei as well." He smirked. "I simply wanted to become properly acquainted with those I see as rivals. Face to face."

Rias' eyes turned red. "What have you done to Aika?" she asked with a dangerous tone.

"I simply introduced myself, as I've done with you." Vali waved his hand as if her concerns meant nothing. "Your two knights offered me quite the welcome as well."

Naruto crossed his arms. "And what have we done to warrant this introduction?"

Vali smiled, as if he were glad such a thing was brought up. "I wanted to see who the person was that overwhelmed Kokabiel, the warmongering maniac, and I'm pleased to see its a devil."

"What does me being a devil have to do with anything?" Naruto asked.

"I've drawn some parallels between us, simply put." Vali shrugged. "Though your father was a reincarnated devil and my mother was a pure human when I was conceived, we both received our sacred gears thanks to that blood."

Naruto's body tensed uncomfortably. "How do you know about my father?"

"If you were to look at your own level of power, how do you think you would rank in comparison to the strongest individuals in the world?" Vali continued to speak, purposely ignoring the question. "I asked the same to the Sekiryuutei, and truth be told you are both considerably weak."

Rias stepped forward. "What are you getting at?" She took hold of Naruto's hand.

He could feel the sweat accumulating in her palm. Rias was extremely worried at the moment, and Naruto couldn't blame her. They were dealing with someone that had the power to beat Tiamat, and he wasn't exactly speaking in friendly terms.

Vali nodded. "Though I say you are weak, I know you have the potential to become stronger. And I ask that you do, so that when I see you again the next time, you can properly entertain me with a fight."

"You want to fight me?" Naruto asked in astonishment.

Vali shrugged."That's my goal: to fight strong people." His feet carried him past the other two. "But such a thing can wait for another day. I have plenty of business to attend to still."

With Rias, Naruto remained flabbergasted on that street corner long after Vali had disappeared. Such a challenge from one of the Longinus users was not something to be taken lightly. In a way, at his own level of power in comparison, it would surely be a death sentence.

Rias' tightened grip on his hand meant that she had found a similar conclusion. He held onto her with a similar strength in an effort to comfort her. There was too much for him to live for to go and die just for Vali's sake.

To train and become stronger was something he desperately needed. Naruto did not need Vali to tell him that, though. To protect those precious to him was all the reason he needed.

* * *

On the day of the official meeting between the three factions, Naruto and the rest of his peerage were still at home. Rias had gone on ahead to ensure things were going smoothly there, so he was only now getting dressed in his school uniform. It still felt like his addition to the meeting was more at a disadvantage to the devils than anything, but apparently Sirzechs and Rias both wanted him there.

If they said so then he had little choice but to obey.

Standing in the doorway waiting for him was Kyuubi, his queen. As his strongest follower it was her duty to escort him to such a function like this, so she dutifully waited for him. An interesting note that Naruto had observed was that, despite her admitting to wanting to meet strong people, not even Kyuubi was impatient for them to go to the meeting.

Maybe the fact that these were the leaders of the three factions was enough to humble her fighting instincts.

Naruto's thoughts caused him to glance toward the kitsune. "How are you feeling, Kyuubi?" He continued to button his white undershirt.

She grunted. "With the three leaders around, it's enough to make me pause." Kyuubi crossed her arms. "More importantly, this meeting marks a change in politics. What's your plan, going forward?"

Naruto raised a brow. "Why do you ask?"

It wasn't like Kyuubi to take interest in the actions he took unless they immediately affected her. He had thought that perhaps she had been humbled by their past fights, or that maybe she simply had no desire to weigh in on a devil's affairs.

Kyuubi narrowed her eyes. "I have my own goals and desires to follow, after all. The aftermath of these talks might set you on a path that could lead me closer, or farther away from such things."

During the fight with Kokabiel, she indirectly expressed one of her goals was to return to Kyoto. To do what there, Naruto had no idea. That desire could obstruct the goals of his family if they were to overlap, and so he felt it important to take his own interest in the nine tailed fox's future.

Naruto put on his black blazer. "Well, with any luck I can find another bishop soon," he replied. Naruto turned to face Kyuubi as he finished dressing. "From there, we start training for the rating games. I still have to help Rias too." Naruto's gaze hardened. "What did you have in mind for yourself? Does it have to do with Kyoto?"

Upon hearing the name of her birthplace, Kyuubi tensed. Clearly his thoughts were close to the real answer. The nine tails came further into the room to stand across from Naruto.

"I don't think I'm ready to tell you about that yet," she replied. Kyuubi then shrugged. "But yes, it does involve me returning to Kyoto."

Naruto shifted. "Then promise me that you will take me along whenever you do go back." He smiled wryly. "I need to keep my queen safe and out of trouble."

With her power, Kyuubi was strong enough to handle most of the trouble that could come her way on a daily basis. But Kyoto would be different: she would be among those who were as potentially as strong as she was, and she would be far from home and the rest of the family. He went through a lot of effort to keep her as his queen so he wasn't about to let her leave his sights.

Kyuubi growled. "I don't need you there to babysit me." Her eyes softened a bit. "Your offer is a nice thought, though." She shrugged. "I know I can't run around recklessly with those devils after me. And I don't exactly have a welcoming committee waiting for me, either. You will probably have to come along anyway."

"Well, as long as you understand that then I won't push your any farther," Naruto said.

Kyuubi paused. "It's almost time to go, right?"

Naruto glanced outside and knew a considerable amount of time had passed since Rias had left. They would be expecting him shortly, and the last thing he needed was to hold the meeting up with tardiness.

"Yeah, let's go see the others," Naruto told her.

Together they left his room and proceeded to make their way downstairs. The rest of his peerage had assembled at his request in the family room, and had been impatiently waiting for Naruto's arrival. Haku served tea while the others made small talk the best they could. Yoroi stood off to the side and almost seemed like a decorative ornament with its usual silent act.

Everyone turned their heads as Kyuubi and Naruto entered the room.

Naruto glanced around the room. "Good to see you're all energetic." He smiled. His gaze hardened after a moment. "The meeting should be soon. Since I was involved with the Kokabiel incident, they want me to attend." Naruto shrugged after his family gave him odd looks. "I don't get it either, since both Sona and Rias plan to go as well. But, the devils are already going to outnumber the other guests, so I can't bring all of you."

They all accepted his explanation with a nod. Given their involvement, the three High-class devils had an obligation to all go, regardless of the fact that everyone could offer the same story. At the same time, it would be unnecessary and could even be construed as threatening to take their entire peerage. Rias had the exception from her brother Sirzechs, but Sona and Naruto had no such excuse.

Naruto glanced toward Kyuubi, who was leaning against the wall nearby. "As my queen, Kyuubi is expected to attend," he said. The nine tailed fox did not appear surprised. Naruto then turned to Yoroi. "In case things get bad, it makes sense to take my toughest member. Yoroi, you'll back me up."

The armor shifted. "**Yoroi. Follow.**" It nodded.

Naruto then looked at Artemis, his knight. "You will be coming too. The council wants to hear more about your conception charm."

Artemis narrowed her eyes. "I will go then." With a fist over her heart, the demigoddess saluted him.

That left Haku, Tsunade, and Fuka out. Naruto wanted to bring them along, if anything to make sure they did not feel inadequate to the others, but they had to respect the rules. Hopefully they would understand.

Tsunade leaned back into the couch. "So that leaves us here, huh?" She sighed.

Naruto offered her a sympathetic gaze. "I'm sorry. I wish I could bring all of you, but those are the rules." He looked at the other two. "Consider it free time. Once the barrier is put up around the academy, no one will get in or out until the meeting is over anyway."

Haku sipped her tea. "It can't be helped," she replied calmly. There was an air of serenity around her.

Fuka shrugged. "I am a little jealous you would pick ol' statue instead of me." She hiked a thumb over her shoulder toward Yoroi, who did not react in the slightest. "But, I suppose it means I won't have to suffer under that pervert's gaze." Fuka seemed to remember a particularly irritating person.

Did she know about Jiraiya?

"Well, we will try to be back soon. Have fun!" Naruto waved goodbye as he headed out into the foyer. Kyuubi and the others chosen to come followed behind him.

It was finally time for the conference to begin.

* * *

"Excuse us." A muffled voice came through the heavy wooden doors of the academy lounge.

The door quietly swung open and allowed Naruto to come face to face with the others present. His family was the last to arrive as Kyuubi and the others filed in after him. Everyone had their eyes on them and while most were welcoming, Naruto could feel at least one intense gaze settled on his group.

Inside, the gathered faction leaders were seated at a luxurious round table with classic decorations scattered about the room. If one were to look outside they would see the sky had turned into an aurora of changing colors as the school was locked behind powerful barriers to prevent outside influence. Further, hovering in the sky in similar positions as their leaders, High and Ultra-class members of the three factions stood vigil over the academy and against one another in case the talks broke down.

At the table was Sirzechs Lucifer and Serafall Leviathan, both in noble attire, as the representatives of the Underworld. Directly at Sirzechs side, with hands clasped behind his back, was Jiraiya, the Maou's adviser. Further behind them were the other devils called to the meeting from the Sitri and Gremory groups: Sona and her queen Tsubaki, as well as Rias and her entire peerage save for Gasper, the mutation piece bishop. Serving tea and attending to everyone was the ever dutiful Grayfia Lucifuge, wife and queen of Sirzechs.

The Archangel Michael, with his golden wings unfurled, sat comfortably on his side of the table. Behind him was a white winged angel, a beautiful golden blonde beauty. Both of them appeared to be in good spirits despite the obvious tension that came with being in the presence of sworn enemies.

Azazel sat with a bored look on his face. His chin was resting on his knuckle as the Governor of the fallen angels stared off into space. Behind him, leaning against the wall, was Vali, host of the Vanishing Dragon. He too must have shared his benefactor's feelings and looked impatient.

Sirzechs smiled. "Allow me to introduce the new arrivals," he said to the others. "This is Naruto Mammon, a devil of the house of Mammon from the Extra Demons. With his own peerage, he also became involved in the Kokabiel incident when he aided my sister, Rias."

Michael's soft gaze shifted from Sirzechs to Naruto. "Thank you for your hard work," he said while smiling. "Please allow me to express my gratitude once more."

"Sorry about that." Azazel glanced their way. He did nothing to hide his smirk. "Seems like one of my guys caused you some trouble."

Naruto found Azazel's nonchalant delivery of the apology to be frustrating, but there was little to do about it. With a silent gesture from Grayfia, Naruto led his peerage over to the wall that was already occupied by Rias and the other younger devils. The crimson princess and her queen waved a silent hello to the new arrival as they were farther down the line. Next to Naruto was Xenovia and Kiba, Rias' knights, and they both nodded in turn.

Sirzechs returned his focus to those at the table. "Now then, that should be everyone. I believe we should begin the meeting right away." He flicked his eyes between the opposite leaders. Whatever cheer he usually had gave way to a stern visage—he had become the Maou Lucifer. "To start with, I believe we should make it clear that the people present here are aware of the forbidden subject: the non-existence of God."

No one seemed to object to his claim. Sona and her subordinate must have been informed by Rias or perhaps Leviathan herself. Grayfia and Jiraiya did not seem particularly fazed either, though for devils of their status to know such a thing was not a surprise.

"Then, shall we proceed?" Michael said.

Azazel snickered. "Do as you please, Michael. You're among equals, after all."

From there, Naruto slowly began to lose his focus on the meeting as the leaders spoke about current politics and issues of their own factions. As an Extra Demon, Naruto was not aware of many of the subjects they spoke of and could not hold a candle to their intimate knowledge of such things. Instead his eyes wandered about the room and observed those in it.

The intense gaze he had felt earlier had originated from Vali, he quickly learned, as the silver-haired youth was still staring in Naruto's direction. There was something sinister behind that sharp gaze of his, and it bothered Naruto. Did he want the three factions to start a fight here, simply so he could have an excuse?

_I wouldn't put it past him._

Some time passed as the leaders continued to speak in controlled tones. Whereas the devils and angels were on their best behavior, it appeared Azazel was intentionally agonizing everyone by playing coy with his cryptic answers. That must have been an extension of his childish attitude he displayed earlier with Jiraiya, Naruto thought.

Speaking of the old man, Naruto was pleasantly surprised to see the Hermit was holding himself to a certain standard of civility. Though his back was facing Naruto, he could tell Jiraiya was handling himself well as he did not say anything out of turn and would only rarely whisper something to Lucifer's ear in private. Despite the many women around him, Jiraiya's eyes did not seem to wander either. This was his "professional" personality that he assumed when things needed to get serious.

Sirzechs turned in his seat. "Artemis, would you care to speak now?"

The goddess bowed and stepped forward to join them. Rias had already given a brief explanation regarding Artemis' birth charm during the preliminary meeting a few days ago. Given such a proposal the three leaders had been ecstatic to meet the person capable of creating such magic.

Michael welcomed her with a smile. "When we first heard of your magic, I was admittedly skeptical. After your associates informed of us of your origins, however, I began to realize that such a thing could be possible after all."

Azazel flicked his eyes up and down Artemis' figure. "Yes, the Olympians have always kept their magic, and themselves, in tip top shape. Helps when you have a bunch of gods rather than one, I suppose?"

"I wouldn't go so far as to praise us, Azazel," Artemis told him. "Rather, because there are so many gods in existence, we are in a near constant state of war. If it isn't between members of the Hellenic court, then its our Latin counterparts invading."

Sirzechs nodded. "Since you have had your share of war, you must then realize how useful such a thing as a birth charm would be for our factions."

"Our ability to reproduce and offer balance has never fully been restored since God's passing, I'm afraid," Michael said with much regret. It would hurt him the most, considering he is the one filling in that role now.

Serafall squirmed in her seat. "So, is it really true that your magic can promise a child. In any instance?" She seemed somewhat excited.

Artemis shook her head. "The act to procreate must meet the same prerequisites as always. If I were to offer a birth charm to a woman, she could not engage in a sexual act with another woman and bear a child from the encounter." Serafall deflated upon hearing that. Artemis continued, regardless. "However, if that woman were to have sex with a fertile man, as long as she was ovulating at that time, then my charm can ensure a child will be conceived from such an event."

Jiraiya raised a brow. "And how exactly do you 'bless' them? Is there a ceremony of some kind?"

Artemis shrugged. "All I need to do is touch the woman after a short preparation of magic. The magic is then transferred and the charm is complete. It is so subtle that the woman cannot even tell if I blessed her or not, whether they are aware of magic or not."

"Amazing," Michael said from astonishment.

"Truly." Sirzechs echoed him.

Azazel shifted in his seat. "The question now becomes, how do we use this to our advantage? We can't simply ask the lovely goddess to touch all the women in the world, right?"

Naruto furrowed his brow as his thoughts caught up with the leader's. They had to find a way to mass produce said charm for it to even be anywhere near effective. Not to mention that it would hinge on all three factions working together which would be stretch to consider.

Sirzechs nodded. "We devils have considerable industry and research already invested in the topic. With Artemis' support we may be able to find a way to create a charm in a consumable form, or at the very least replicate the magic," he said.

"I'm afraid replicating my magic for others to use would be impossible," Artemis said. She placed a hand over her chest and the skin began to glow gold. "My ability to offer such charms comes from the blood of the original Artemis herself. Even I do not truly understand how the process works. Such things have been lost to time."

Azazel's gaze sparked with interest. "So that's how you guys work. I always wondered how you managed to resurrect humans to take your place." He pointed a finger at her chest. "You ingested her blood, the famous Ichor nectar, didn't you?"

Artemis narrowed her eyes at his quick deduction, but nodded. "Yes, that's right. The Ichor does not fuse with our bodies, but rather resides in our chest. That way, it can be extracted and used again, should I fall in battle."

"Now that's pretty cool," Azazel said while snickering. "I wonder why our God never thought of that."

Michael's soft gaze remained on Artemis. "Is there truly no way for us to use your charm effectively?" He seemed crestfallen at such a loss.

Artemis' lips thinned. "Though others cannot replicate my charm, it is true that I can extend the power to food or drink. My devil king's lover has informed me of a family that does something similar: the Phenex clan with their tears. Perhaps I could make such a product as well to offer to those wishing to reproduce."

Rias blushed to be referred to in such a way. She was made to suffer from Akeno's giggle at her own expense.

"And that would be for her devil king to have the final say in, of course," Sirzechs said. His eyes glanced back toward Naruto.

"What say you, 'devil king'?" Azazel said with a smirk. "Want to help repopulate the world?"

Naruto crossed his arms. "I have no objections to Artemis creating such a thing, if she wants to. However, for the sake of my family and our ambitions, we would need to be assured profit before we could proceed."

The last bit he spoke had been offered by Rias herself. She told Naruto about the Phenex and how their family was one of the most wealthy in the underworld because of their monopoly over the Phoenix Tears. If Artemis really could create such a thing, even in small amounts, Naruto and his mother could patent the product under their own name and make a fortune all their own.

When he asked why Rias would tell him such a thing, she said it was only proper to help her future husband create such a foundation for himself. He was naïve to the way the devil society worked and so she would help him in matters such as that.

_She's really a life saver, that Rias._

"You'll make a killing, I'm sure," Azazel replied. He turned to the Angels while smiling. "Everyone is clamoring for kids these days. Especially Gabriel, right, Michael?"

"I would appreciate it if you left my sister out of your fantasies, Azazel," Michael coolly responded.

"Haha!" Azazel chuckled. "So I was right! Really, she hasn't changed a bit."

Sirzechs looked at Artemis. "Thank you, that will be all."

Artemis returned to her place as the discussion took off again. Before long, however, there was a short pause and Naruto's attention shifted back when he heard Sirzechs say something interesting.

"Now then, Rias. Could you offer your report on the incident a few days ago?"

Rias noticeably stiffened. "Yes, Lucifer-sama."

She did not stand alone, however, as Sona and Akeno both joined her. They began to recite the details of the personal account that was sent to the Underworld in the immediate aftermath of the Kokabiel situation. The leaders all had their own personal reactions that varied greatly over the course of the story.

Naruto noticed Rias was shaking and realized she was nervous. He couldn't blame her considering who she was speaking to, especially since she was reciting an official report of events. If she said something wrong it would be possible she could insult someone, or have them question her integrity, or _all_ devils.

"-And that is all. That concludes the report of what I and the rest of my household experienced." Rias offered them a curt bow with her speech finished.

Sona nodded. "I, Sona Sitri, validate this account with my own."

Sirzechs offered his sister a small smile. "Thank you. Go ahead and return for now."

Serafall winked. "Thanks Rias-chan, Sona-chan!"

All three of the young devils bowed and took their place at the wall.

Naruto and Rias' gazes crossed for a moment. He offered her an assuring nod, to let her know she did well. A bitter smile graced her lips as she tried to cheer up.

Sirzechs' gaze focused on those at the table again. "Now then, Azazel, I want to hear the opinion of the Governor of the Fallen Angels concerning this incident."

Azazel seemed to rouse himself from whatever thoughts had entertained him at the call of Sirzechs. The older man failed to answer immediately, however, and his eyes drifted past the demon lord. Naruto recognized that the gaze was sent toward him.

"I suppose that's fair, but we seem to be missing an important part of the equation." Azazel pointed a finger at Naruto. "Shouldn't we hear what the kid who defeated Kokabiel has to say about it first?"

Michael narrowed his gaze a bit. "That would certainly have some value..."

Everyone's focus then shifted to Naruto as he was forced to come forward. He had hoped to avoid such a thing as his side of the story had already been offered by Rias and the others. The last thing he wanted was to have to recite the same thing over again.

Naruto shrugged. "I'm afraid that I don't have much else to offer you. Rias Gremory's report on the matter was supplemented by my own account, after all."

Azazel snickered. "Well normally I wouldn't push the issue, but there is definitely a reason why the devils brought you, an Extra Demon, along to this meeting," the governor replied. His devil compatriots narrowed their eyes in response. "I'm trying to figure out what that reason is. Perhaps it has something to do with you being a descendant of the fifth Maou, Mammon."

Sirzechs shifted in his seat. "That has nothing to do with the boundaries of my question," Sirzechs said with a low tone of voice. He was not happy with the direction Azazel was taking them.

The governor did not seem to care as he continued to smile in the face of their annoyance. It almost seemed like the conference itself was a joke to him.

"My mother and I aren't a part of mainstream devil society, so our name should carry little weight in this conversation," Naruto tersely replied. "I'm only here since I was asked to be by Maou Lucifer-sama."

Azazel's gaze turned sharp. "Of course that may be true in the _mainstream_ devil society." He then shifted his gaze to Jiraiya. "But the devils here might disagree with that sentiment. Your name carries a lot of power in it, Naruto-kun. Why else would Jiraiya be brought out for a meeting like this?" His gaze then shifted to Serafall. "These two could handle things just fine, and yet he just decided to tag along? I don't buy it."

"What are you getting at, Azazel?" Jiraiya asked, making his debut in the conversation. He seemed tense as well.

Azazel sighed in exasperation. "What I'm getting at, is that the Maou must have some plans for this boy; plans that make him significant enough to have him join this conference, despite his testimony being unnecessary." His smile turned devious. "Perhaps, you plan to consider him for the vacant Maou slot you've had since the end of the Great War?"

The room was shocked into silence from Azazel's bold claim. Murmurs spread through the devils present as they wondered whether it could be true. Sirzechs and Serafall offered no immediate response and instead offered their fallen angel compatriot a glare of censure.

Naruto himself was unable to say anything as he struggled to comprehend such a thing. No one had ever discussed such a matter with him, and he had never considered it a possibility before. There was no way someone like him was ready for such a task: if anything, his mother would be better suited for such a role.

_Jiraiya said we would see each other more often. Was this what he meant?_

Michael offered the devils a concerned glance. "Azazel, I believe you went too far..."

"Hmph." Azazel entwined his fingers together on the table. His intrepid attitude continued. "If we really are sharing our state of affairs, then this should be nothing." He met Sirzechs harsh gaze. "So, what's it going to be?"

"I'll have to ask you don't make presumptive claims into our affairs," Sirzechs replied. He ignored Jiraiya's signal and continued. "The boy is here at my request and that should be good enough. If not, then consider him a suitor for the Gremory heiress if that would satisfy your curiosity."

Rias lightly gasped in response to Sirzechs' announcement. For him to say such a thing so callously meant that Azazel had truly touched a sensitive spot for the Maou.

Azazel clicked his tongue. "Well, if you don't want to play then I suppose there's no point in continuing." He offered them an exaggerated shrug. "Listen, Kokabiel kept quiet about his operation from the other leaders and acted independently. I had Vali handle the situation as an extension of goodwill. Now he is imprisoned in Cocytus and won't come out anymore. All of that was in the report sent off to your side, right?"

Michael sighed. "The situation was clearly a terrible thing to happen, but as I understand it, Kokabiel acted against your orders, correct? That would mean he was dissatisfied with your leadership decisions."

"Mm. That's right," Azazel replied. "I don't have any interest in wars or fighting. You must have saw what he had to say about me in the report as well."

Azazel was the one to lead his faction out of the Great War first. The Fallen were incredibly vicious during the war and had made great headway in the front, but at the cost of a great amount of lives. Apparently the Governor had suffered too many personal losses and gave the order for the fallen angels to cease all conflict: an order that was still in effect, and the order that Kokabiel went against.

"Azazel," Sirzechs said, addressing the other man. "I'd like to clarify your stance about desiring non-conflict. Our reports have told us you have been gathering Sacred Gears for decades now. We believed you were preparing to go to war against us, but now I'm wondering if something has changed."

Michael nodded. "Yes, when I heard you had gained the Vanishing Dragon, I became wary of a new conflict. I have been pleasantly surprised to see nothing of the sort has occurred. Why is that?"

Azazel's smile turned bitter. "It has to do with my research into the Sacred Gears. If you're both so worried, should I send you research materials as well? Even with the research, I still have no interest in war this late in the game. 'Don't interfere with human politics' and all that, you know?" Azazel shrugged. "I have no interest in trying to influence religion for the angels, or business of the devils." His eyes wandered the room. "Really, do you all trust my side the least?"

"That's exactly right."

"Yes, true."

"Perfect score!"

Michael, Sirzechs, and Serafall had their opinions coincide at the same moment. It must have hurt the pride of even someone so laid back as Azazel to hear it said so definitively.

The fallen angel leader sighed. His playful spirit from before seemed to have diminished somewhat.

"Fine fine, say whatever you like." He waved their concerns off like they were children. "I thought you guys might be better than God and the last generation of Maou, but you are just as troublesome." Azazel suddenly began to smile again. "Let's make peace then. That's what you both wanted right? Angels, and devils too?"

"...!"

Everyone was stunned to silence again with Azazel's request on the table. What had been a dig against the fallen angel faction's reputation had quickly been turned on its head as the key word was spoken for the first time. Such a thing had been in the back of their minds when the conference had been called, for it to be outed so suddenly was not something anyone could expect.

Michael smiled. "Yes, I also planned to offer peace to the Devils and Grigori. If we were to continue the stalemate at this point, things would only get worse. I offer this as the leader of the angels now, because, the original cause of war that was God and the old Maou are now gone."

Azazel broke out laughing in response. "Even though you were so stubborn about supporting God before, now Michael speaks the truth."

The Archangel's visage turned solemn. "I have lost many things precious to me. However, I can't pine for such things to return to the present. To guide the humans properly, we members of the Seraph must continue in our father's footsteps and take the right path, for here and now."

"With those words, in the old times, you would definitely have fallen by now," Azazel told him. "But since you took over the system, the world has gotten better. It's totally different since the time I fell." The fallen leader offered them a real smile this time.

Sirzechs smiled too. "We are the same. Even if the old Maou aren't here, we devils have moved forward for the sake of everyone. If another war were to pass, we would be destroyed too."

Serafall nodded. "Mutual destruction is something that would surely occur if another war was to pass," she offered the grim prediction with a delicate look. "If that were to happen, the human world would end too. We can't allow something like that to happen."

"The world moves on, even without a God," Azazel said, his teasing mood now gone.

"That settles it then," Sirzechs noted with a smile.

Everyone was able to relax as Grayfia began to offer refreshments in what must have been a break in the discussion. The conference had been going on for at least an hour at that point, so all three sides were able to enjoy a moment of peace.

That peace was broken when Michael focused his attention on Aika. The two of them began to speak concerning a promise they had made earlier for Michael to hear out Aika's wish. The Sekiryuutei host asked him about Asia and Xenovia's exile, and that began a discussion that enlightened Naruto and the others on the so-called 'System of God' that Michael took over, and how it ran on the power of the prayers and followers of God.

Asia and Xenovia had to be excommunicated in order to preserve the illusion of the old system of beliefs. If they were accepted without repercussion, people would doubt the Church and in turn, the Church would doubt the Angels. As bitter and difficult as it was to accept, Naruto could find little fault in Michael's reasoning.

The girls who had now become devils were forgiving of the Archangel, as they too understood. Their transformation had brought them a considerable amount of happiness that they lacked in the care of the Church. In the end, it was more of a loss to the angels than it ever was to the girls themselves.

Azazel had been listening quietly for a while to their discussion. He seemed somewhat interested in the group as he stared at Asia. The blonde noticed his presence and quickly became nervous from the attention.

"I heard it was one of mine that killed you. Sorry about that," Azazel said that to Asia without reservation.

"How can you say it like that?!" Aika exclaimed. Behind her glasses, her eyes shook with frustration. "Both Asia and I were killed by that person. How can you act so high and mighty about it! We're devils because of you!"

Azazel narrowed his gaze, but kept smiling. "Do you regret becoming a devil? Seems to me you are having plenty of fun."

Aika seemed confused at his question. "Well, I don't mind it so much. Everyone has been nice to me and helped me get through it, but still..."

Azazel shrugged. "Even if I were to apologize now, it's too late to change things. I have to give you something in return to make up for it, right?" He craned his head to look behind the chair. "How about we get an impression of the world from two very powerful people first. Vali, what do you want?"

Vali smirked at the simple question. "I just want to fight strong people. That's it."

"Well, you can get that without war." Azazel offered him a wry smile. "Plenty of strong people out there in the world." The fallen leader then turned back to Aika. "And what of you, Sekiryuutei?"

Aika struggled to answer such a loaded question. She fidgeted with her skirt a bit and twirled her braided locks of brown hair.

"Well, I'm not really a big fan of all this fighting we've been doing. Really, I'd rather just hang out I guess." She still sounded unsure of herself.

"As one of the strongest people in the world, you must have some aspiration. Devils are all about desires, so what is yours?" Azazel was trying to coax out her real feelings.

Rias approached her pawn from behind. "That's right, Aika. You've never told me what your real desire is." She placed a comforting hand on the dragon host's shoulder.

Aika giggled nervously as a blush splayed across her cheeks. "W-Well, I wouldn't mind having a harem of my own, ya know? Of handsome men, of course. I already have a list of measurements and types to look for."

Her honesty was very telling, even if it took a bit of work to get her to admit to such things. For a woman it wasn't such an odd to dream to have, especially for a devil.

Azazel chuckled. "That sounds pretty reasonable, though I have to wonder about how the dragon inside of you feels about that."

Aika grimaced at the thought of her sacred gear. "The damn dragon is always complaining about something or other. What matters is that I plan to use that power of his to protect my friends, that's it." She smiled, as did the rest of Rias' peerage.

Unfortunately, the entire conference was overtaken by a chilling sensation—one that traveled through their bodies like a snake.

With the blink of an eye, the world around them turned a sickly purple as time was frozen.

* * *

Naruto blinked and found himself back in the present. Around him the others were in varying states of movement, while others were completely frozen in the dark aura surrounding them. How much time had passed since he fell under the time dilation effect? More importantly, how did such a thing occur during the conference?

He felt an odd weight in his hands and glanced down. There, growling beneath the bandages, was Samehada. Somehow, it had come to his side and saved him from whatever had afflicted Akeno and the others. Similarly, Kiba and Xenovia had both found themselves saved by their own swords of Holy and Demonic natures.

"Ah, looks like the Mammon kid is back." Azazel glanced his way from the table.

Sirzechs sighed. "Good. We will need all the help we can get, I'm afraid."

Michael had gotten up from the table to look outside near the window. His bodyguard, the angel from before, was similarly frozen in place. Only a scant few of the people in the room were still capable of moving. Those with immense power, or the blood of gods and dragons, were up and moving.

Somehow, Kyuubi and the rest of Naruto's peerage were still awake. On the other hand, everyone save for Rias' knights and Aika were down, and the same went for Sona and Tsubaki. Rias herself had been saved by her proximity to Aika before the attack had hit, and she appeared to be handling the transition well.

"Eh? What the hell happened?" Aika glanced left and right at Asia and the others who were still frozen.

The building around them shook. If one listened closely they could hear the sounds of distant explosions outside. With the elaborate barriers that had been setup prior to the meeting, such an intervention should have been impossible.

"Only those of us with power were able to resist the effects," said Vali. He gestured toward Naruto and the other devils. "They were rescued by their swords. We have our dragons to thank."

With Samehada, it was literally an extension of Tiamat's body. A dragon of equal strength to the current and previous Maou, her strength would have been enough for her to resist the effects as well. Naruto had her to thank, indirectly, for being his savior.

"Who would dare attack this place?" Kyuubi asked. Her blood was coming to boil from excitement.

"We seem to be dealing with a well coordinated-"

"Terrorist attack."

Sirzechs was interrupted by Azazel as they both attempted to answer Kyuubi. The younger devils were genuinely surprised to think someone could have the audacity to attack the conference, whereas the leaders and Vali almost acted as if they had expected something like that to occur—they were so calm in the face of danger.

"Perhaps you should join me." Michael looked back at them from the window. "Our uninvited guests have made their appearance."

Everyone made their way over to the other side of the room so that they could look out into the grounds. With that view, they were able to see a large, unidentifiable magical circle hung above the academy. In droves, hooded figures appeared through what must have been teleportation magic and started to launch their attack on the building. Beams of light were fired from their bodies and impacted the magical seals that had been erected to protect those inside.

"Who are they?" asked Xenovia.

Rias narrowed her eyes. "Those must be magicians. Humans," she noted with some surprise.

Magicians, that was a term Naruto had heard about from his mother a few times in the past. Humans that had learned from supernatural beings how to create magic, through the use of equations and calculations rather than the power of imagination and emotion. There were apparently many varieties of magicians as they often banded into groups of like-minded individuals; this group must have not been fond of the three factions to make such a bold attack.

Naruto's father had once been a magician and so he couldn't help but have some shed of respect for these individuals. At the same time, they were threatening everyone present with their vicious attack. He would not forgive them for taking such a brash action.

Azazel's smile was fearless. "Magicians, huh? It seems their power is on the same level as some of our mid-class members, so I wouldn't be too worried."

"Don't get hasty, Azazel," Jiraiya said, his face grim. "I doubt magicians alone would have the power, or the motive, to pull off something like this. The real ringleader has yet to show themselves."

The fallen angel shrugged in response. What they knew was that, regardless of who was behind the attack, they were on the clock to find a way to stop them. Barriers or not, the enemies numbers were only increasing.

Michael narrowed his eyes as another barrier fell to the assault. "More importantly, we must identify the cause of the time dilation," he said.

Sirzechs sighed. "It can only be Gasper-kun's sacred gear, Forbidden Balor View." He narrowed his eyes after a moment. "That wouldn't explain how they pulled off something of this scale, though."

Azazel held up a finger as if to signal he had the answer.

"They must have forced his sacred gear to enter Balance Breaker form. That is the only explanation for how the field is still expanding, and why we need to stop it before it takes us over too," he explained.

Rias stepped forward as her body was overcome with a dangerous power from inside. She was seething with anger, a side of her Naruto had only seen once—during the battle with Kokabiel.

"I won't forgive them for manipulating one of my family members. Never have I ever been so insulted like this! Just how could they get so much information on Gasper, and this meeting..." Rias spoke faster and faster as she got herself worked up with anger.

"Someone on the inside must have told them," said Naruto.

Kyuubi snarled at the thought. "A traitor."

"Our soldiers are trapped as well," Michael observed.

Indeed, in the sky above the academy, all three factions had their soldiers frozen in time. They were easy shots for the magicians as the barriers surrounding them broke apart. When the magic bullets impacted their bodies, they dissolved into nothingness. Whether they were killed or transported away was unclear from their limited perspective, but either way, those present in the conference were now alone against the invaders.

"The Gremory family is truly dreadful, huh?" Azazel said while smiling. The leader then squinted his eyes in concentration.

Outside, countless light spears formed and began to rain down upon the army of magicians. They formed golden barriers of their own, but the magnitude of Azazel's attack pushed through them like it was nothing. The humans fell in droves, but more quickly took their place from the portal overhead.

"They won't be routed so easily, it seems," said Serafall, her eyes narrowed.

Sirzechs joined them. "Indeed, which means we have to focus on undoing Gasper's Balance Breaker."

"I will go!" Rias said with determination. "Onii-sama, Gasper is my servant. He is my responsibility to take back."

There was a fire burning behind her blue eyes that so often was revealed when something involved one of her family. No one could have doubted Rias' will to see such a promise through.

Sirzechs laughed. "I understand your personality well, Rias. However, how will you get to the old school building? Transfer magic has been blocked and the route is littered with magicians."

Rias began to smile. "I've kept an unused Rook piece in that building. Just in case something like this might have occurred."

Grayfia nodded. "Castling could work in such a situation."

Naruto knew castling was a move that could be used by the king piece to switch places with their rook. It could only be used once, in chess and in the rating game, but for a situation like this it was their best chance. They could bypass the enemy's defenses without them even realizing it.

_Good thinking, Rias._

"It would be reckless to go alone," Sirzechs told his sister. He then turned to Grayfia. "Would it be possible to send someone else with my magic combined?"

Grayfia considered it for a moment. "Given a short amount of preparation, a simple ceremony could be built for the magical transfer. One person could go with Lady Rias."

"Then-"

"I'll go, Sirzechs-sama!"

Naruto was interrupted by Aika, who shouted over him. The Sekiryuutei host's eyes were burning, just like Rias. She had her own personal reason for wanting to go too.

"Aika..." Rias was astonished by her choice.

Sirzechs turned to her. "Are you sure?"

Aika nodded. "I took on the responsibility of training Gasper. It's only right I go and save him too."

Naruto wanted to argue but he knew that Rias' peerage was a family. They had taken care of one another long before he had ever met them, and the same principle rang true even with him there.

Azazel approached Aika. "Then, Sekiryuutei. You better take this." In his hand were two bracelets.

The bespectacled girl glared at him. "My name is Aika Kiryuu, old man." Nonetheless, she grabbed the two bracelets and examined them. "What are these?"

They were simple, silver jewelry pieces with a single azure ornament in the middle. If they were coming from the Governor, the bracelets had to have some sort of significance.

"Well then, Aika, use one of these on Gasper. It should help him control his powers a bit better," Azazel replied with a smirk. "Use the other one on yourself, and you can enter Balance Breaker temporarily. It will suffice as the conductor, for a short time."

Such power in a small package—something to be expected of the fallen angel leader. His research must have been at least somewhat fruitful if he could create such a thing.

"We are almost ready, Rias-sama," Grayfia said.

A simple pentagram had been drawn onto the floor. The maid then transferred some sort of energy to Rias, no doubt to help them channel Sirzechs' energy to her.

"Vali," Azazel addressed the boy who had remained isolated in the corner. "Go outside and wreak some havoc to keep those magicians out of our hair."

The Hakuryuukou smirked and got himself off the wall. "You sure you don't want me to take out the troublesome vampire kid too? It would be faster."

Rias and her group quickly took offense to his words, which caused Azazel to sigh in exasperation.

"Seriously Vali, choose your words more carefully. We are trying to make peace here, okay? Saving one of the Maou's family would be beneficial to us in the long run."

Vali maneuvered over to one of the windows and opened it. "Fine, I just hope these magicians can occupy my precious time." With silver wings, he flew out into the sky and began to do battle with them.

Before long, he activated his own Balance Breaker and became the Vanishing Dragon's host proper. With his speed and strength, the magicians were effectively stymied in their assault.

"Then, we should head out as well," Rias said to Aika.

Before she joined Grayfia at the pentagram, Rias stopped by Naruto. They shared a quick embrace as his arms wrapped around her. Somehow, this felt even more dangerous than Kokabiel's attack. Splitting up like this just didn't feel right between the two of them.

"Be careful," Naruto whispered into her ear.

"I know. You too." Rias tightened her hold of him.

"Rias-sama, you shouldn't wait too long." Grayfia stood waiting with Aika.

Together, the Gremory and Mammon shared a short kiss goodbye before they were forced to part. Their eyes did not part, even as the magical energy enveloped both Rias and Aika. In their place, a red rook piece fell harmlessly onto the floor.

Sirzechs took the piece into his hand and examined it for a moment. He would hold onto it for safekeeping until his sister had returned.

"Once Rias rescues Gasper, we can begin our counterattack," he said to the others.

From behind him a golden magical circle appeared within the room. Everyone backed away from it as they knew only an enemy could use teleportation magic.

"Sirzechs-sama," Grayfia said, alerting the Maou of this new presence.

Naruto narrowed his eyes. Was this the so-called ringleader of the attack?

_Wait, I've seen this crest somewhere before._

"This circle, it can't be..." Sirzechs narrowed his eyes in recognition.

Serafall too seemed to follow a similar train of thought as she seemed tense. Azazel had the confidence to laugh out loud.

From out of the light appeared a woman in the dress of a noble devil. The buxom figure was tanned, and light brown hair was in a bun atop her head. She had a pair of pink glasses on, not unlike Tsubaki's, but behind the lenses there was a sinister look coming from those lavender eyes.

"Katerea..." Naruto muttered.

Kiba turned to him, stunned. "You know her, Naruto-kun?"

"Hello _Maou_ Sirzechs-dono, Serafall-dono. How _do_ you do?" Katerea said in a fearless tone. She was smiling of all things.

"That magical circle, you must be from the old Leviathan family," said Xenovia. "I've seen it in books from the Vatican."

"Correct, low-class devils, _I _am Katerea Leviathan. The _rightful_ heir to the Leviathan name and the position of Maou, a title that was _stolen_ from me." Her glare then shifted to Serafall.

"Katerea-chan, what are you doing here?!" Serafall exclaimed.

Naruto knew there could be only reason why Katerea had left her hideout in the corners of the Underworld. She was there to assassinate the Maou—the goal she has had since the beginning. The plot she tried to wrap his mother and father in was all coming to a head.

Katerea reacted as if Serafall had bitten her. "Serafall, you _little_ wretch. _You_ are the one who stole the title of Leviathan from me. If not for you, _I_ would be Maou!" she replied with a harsh tone.

Serafall was taken aback by her attitude. She had nothing to respond with, but nothing she said would soothe the vengeful spirit of Katerea.

Sirzechs remained calm in the face of danger. "We can rest assured then that you are the one leading the magicians?" he asked.

At that, Katerea's good mood returned. "That's right, Sirzechs-dono. We members of the true Maou faction, have aligned ourselves with the Khaos Brigade."

"So, the feud between the old and new devil faction has boiled over. You guys sure are difficult."

Azazel laughed as the tables had suddenly turned. Before, the fallen angels had been the ones crucified for Kokabiel's actions; now, the Old faction of devils had already outdone the former's actions with a single stroke.

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. "A coup d'etat? Really, Katerea?"

Katerea adjusted her glasses with a sour look. "I have nothing to say to the _traitor_ Lucifuge. You have _no_ place in the new world we plan to build, and _neither_ do the rest of you for that matter."

"A new world? So you mean to say this goes farther than a simple rebellion," Michael said.

"Correct, Michael. With Ophis' help, we plan to _rebuild_ the world." Katerea swung her arms out with the grand announcement. "First, we have to destroy this one and properly bring chaos back to those living complacent lives, like you all."

"Hehe. Chaos? New world? What a joke." Azazel said, figuratively spitting in the face of the descendant of Leviathan. "Villains who talk like crazed revolutionaries are always the ones to die first, you know?"

Katerea's rage boiled over. "How dare you! A disgusting crow...has no right to say such things!" She swung her staff and the room around them was enveloped in a bright light.

The ensuing explosion rocked the foundations of the school as Katerea's powerful magic obliterated an entire wing of the building. Fortunately, the three leaders had formed a barrier out of their magic to protect the others. Jiraiya and Grayfia had also managed to bring Sona and the others who were frozen into a close circle to better cover them.

Katerea floated above them with a sinister grin splayed across her lips. Her cackle carried down to them as she stared down at them as if they were insects to be squashed.

"The three leaders working _together_ to create a barrier. How grand!" Katerea lowered herself back to the ground. She remained fearless in the face of the alliance, however. "I see you are taking this _seriously _then. Good."

"Katerea, do you intend to follow through with this threat?" Sirzechs asked. He was still trying to pursue a diplomatic solution, even after all this.

Katerea's smile turned devilish. "That's right. You weren't a bad Maou, Sirzechs. But you weren't the best, either." She swung her staff and created another portal. "Allow me to welcome another guest that feels the same way as I do."

In response to Katerea's announcement the others quickly became suspicious. Naruto in particular was concerned that Katerea had convinced one of the other families to join in. Could it be Beelzebub or Asmodeus? Both of them had considerable power and would most definitely make things difficult for those gathered here.

_It can't be..._

From out of the portal emerged the slender figure of a woman. She wore a dark bodysuit of some sort that held tight to her skin and cut off at the neck. Crimson hair fell down her chest and back with the bangs held off to the side with a single dark clip. The eyes that had once been shut now opened to reveal blank irises, dyed violet, sitting in a sea of black.

And around her neck was a collar made fittingly for some animal, cinched tightly to the pale skin.

Naruto's breath came out in shallow bursts as his mind struggled to come to terms with what he was seeing. The deathly aura that surrounded her could only belong to one devil in the entire Underworld: the one he loved and treasured the most. Such a thing could not be so easily faked and Naruto knew Katerea was not lying— something about that wicked smile on the Leviathan heiress' lips meant this was a 'gift' meant only for him.

This woman could only be Kushina Mammon, his mother. The aura she released was dark and twisted, but everything else was just the same as when they last met.

The only thing Naruto could think about was the horrors that his mother must have suffered while he was away. How long had Katerea held Kushina within her grasp without him knowing? Just the thought of it made his blood boil.

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. "Is that..."

"Naruto's mother, Kushina." Sirzechs shifted uncomfortably.

The air around them grew heavy as a powerful energy began to release itself. Those present quickly found the source to be the young Mammon heir as he stood there, with his back hunched and fists clenched, shaking with rage. A dark aura surrounded his body as he released his power without any concern for the consequences.

Naruto took a step forward and the earth buckled beneath his foot. Wind and dirt whipped around his body as if he were an avatar of destruction itself. His eyes, now a bloody red, were locked on the perpetrator of the heinous crime.

"How dare you..." Naruto's steps grew more rapid as the volume of his voice increased. "How dare you touch my mother!" He shot forward with a burst of speed, his fist reared back. "I will never forgive you, Katerea!"

The distance between the two devils closed in the blink of an eye. Naruto's speed seemed to rival that of the fastest of knights as he brought himself upon Katerea. Power flowed through his arm and became visible to the naked eye as it was set to hit her directly in the head.

Katerea failed to lose her conniving smirk despite the imminent danger. She simply waved her arm before her in a lateral motion, and then waited. The Leviathan made no motion to dodge the brutal frontal assault.

In a blur of motion a red and black shadow appeared between Naruto and Katerea. Kushina anchored her body to the ground and threw her arm out toward Naruto. Her hand latched around his wrist and held on tight, forcing his momentum to come to an immediate stop.

Mother and son had their eyes meet, and Naruto knew there was nothing of the Kushina he loved left. This was a husk and a puppet, with the strings being held by that demon woman not so far away.

"Naruto!" Kyuubi's voice carried over the din of battle.

Kushina's other free arm had built up a considerable amount of energy. She reared her fist back and prepared to deliver a powerful jab to his vulnerable body. With the vice grip she had on his wrist he would not break free so easily.

Naruto scowled and focused his energy on Kushina. When her fist threatened to slam across his cheek the blonde disappeared in a flash. The hand that had grappled with his wrist now reached for air as the controlled Kushina was momentarily stunned by his sudden escape. In the next instant Naruto appeared in the air, directly behind his mother, and planted his feet upon her back. Like a diving board he pushed off from her body and sent himself sailing through the air straight toward the now vulnerable Katerea.

The bespectacled woman bit her lip and waved her staff. A golden barrier appeared in front of Katerea's body as she gathered powerful magic in an attempt to stop him.

_That won't be enough to save you!_

Naruto's aura turned into physical form around his body, coating his skin like a fiery armor. A primal roar emerged from his throat as he threw himself at the person who took something so precious to him. She would pay for her insult to the Mammon—for tainting his mother's image.

A chain wrapped around Naruto's stomach, then another around his arm. Soon more of these black, serpent-like extensions forcefully held onto parts of his body and stopped him in his tracks. The energy felt so familiar yet so vile at the same time; Naruto grimaced when he realized it was his mother. Over his shoulder, he could see his mother's aura flare around her back, the corrupted chains spawned from there.

With a sudden pull, Kushina sent him flying backward and away from Katerea Leviathan. He turned his body so that he was now facing his mother fully, but he was too slow to react in time. Naruto's face flew directly into Kushina and her waiting palm, his nose cracking from the pressure. Her dainty fingers that had once gently caressed his cheek now dug into his skin like hooks.

Now literally in her clutches, Kushina tightened her grip on Naruto's head. With all of her strength she slammed Naruto's body into the ground beneath them. The earth, already crumbling from the two destructive auras above it, gave way and pushed inward on itself to create a large crater.

Naruto found himself wracked with pain and unable to lift his body from the rock it was now embedded in. The cold hand that had held him now returned to its owner's side, limp. There was a moment of hesitation in his mother's movements that almost made him believe she was fighting the control. In reality, he noticed this respite was offered to him only because someone else had chosen to join them in the crater.

A tail of fur lashed out at Kushina's backside which forced the controlled Mammon to sidestep. She then turned to face her opponent, a seething kitsune that was baring her teeth, and leaped back to gain some distance between them. Naruto was out of danger for the moment, but his queen walked silently passed him intent on finishing the fight for him.

A crimson strand of energy wrapped itself around Kyuubi's wrist and forced her to stop. She glanced behind to see that Naruto had now pulled himself from the rubble, and his aura had been extended to hold Kyuubi back.

"What are you doing? You obviously can't fight her in your condition." Kyuubi glowered at Kushina. Despite her apparent anger, her body itself was in prime condition for a fight. "I'll make her end quick, I assure you-"

"No one touches my mother, except me."

Kyuubi quieted as Naruto flashed to her side. His harsh words left no room for argument, even if what she said made sense. It was true that Naruto would be emotionally compromised in the fight against his mother, and he might hesitate to land a finishing blow. There was still a part of him that wanted to believe that the real Kushina was still inside, waiting to be saved.

But, there was another reason why no one else could go against her.

"A mother and son battle royale, _how_ entertaining!" Katerea cooed from the top of the crater. She had been watching the proceedings with great interest.

Naruto ignored her, as difficult as it was. First, he would have to deal with his mother before he could seek revenge.

Kyuubi growled at his attitude. "But-"

"Only **I** can stand against my mother's Aura Tangent." As if to accentuate his point, Kushina formed a dozen more black snakes around her body. The energy surrounding her expanded again in the face of a strong opponent. "She taught me everything I know, after all."

Around his body, Naruto's crimson aura shifted and swirled around his body. The Mammon's true signature technique, the ability that set them apart from the magic their devil comrades wielded, was in fact their own pure daemonic aura turned into a physical object. One of the most simplest representations of the technique was the chains Naruto could create, but the aura had so much more potential, and it was powered by the emotions of the devil that wielded it.

_What we lack in magical prowess, we make up for ten fold in stubborn determination._

Kushina's eyes narrowed a tiny fraction, as if to acknowledge he had finally become a threat to her. Energy built around Kushina as something round began to form between her breasts. A head of crimson hair pushed itself out from within.

"What the hell..." Kyuubi seemed repulsed by the body that was emerging from within Kushina.

Naruto struggled to swallow the lump building his throat. Whatever Katerea had done to manipulate her power, she must have underestimated his mother's existing strength. This forbidden technique that Kushina was using was something Naruto had only seen used once, and it would almost assuredly sign the deed to his destruction.

Now fully separated from the original Kushina was a perfect clone of her. The madness did not stop as not one, but two more emerged from the original body. These copies took their place around the original and developed their own auras. The only discernible difference was the sclerae had lightened to an ashen shade.

"Shadow Splitter..." Naruto muttered under his breath.

With this move, Katerea's forces had fully shifted into Check.

Only time would tell how long until the eventual Checkmate would follow, with Kushina's full power now unleashed.

* * *

_The chapter length once again got away from me. Seems like I won't be able to wrap all of it into one single part after all. Probably best that way, my pacing has already gotten a bit off track since the last chapter. This should get it back to normal._

_Technically Naruto's newest bishop has been revealed. For them to officially join the family, however, it will have to wait until the next chapter. Speaking of next chapter, it's going to be considerably shorter since its basically the tail of the conference as we wrap up the fights and prepare for a radical shift to Naruto's current goal._

_An image of Kushina's bodysuit is on my profile. Credit is given to the original lineart artist, I simply colored it and added a few bits and bobbles. You can see the Mammon pendant as well._

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Highschool DxD**


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