I. AM. BACK!
Now, I just like to say that I do have a life outside of fanfiction, so it does conflict with what I want to do. Believe me, I would like nothing more than to brainstorm new ideas for my future chapters, but life tends to get in the way of that.
Anyway, I was able to finish this chapter, and hopefully I will be able to work on the next chapter sooner rather than later.
In any case, I support constructive criticism and suggestions in reviews so that I could provide interesting work for everyone. Flames will be ignored entirely.
If you have any questions, please leave them in your review or PM me.
Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD, nor do I own Naruto. They belong to their respective owners alongside any anime character that may be seen in this story. I however, do own any OCs that I may create.
"Well…this is it," muttered Naruto as he looked towards the front gates of Kuoh Academy.
After getting dressed and bidding his old caretaker a good day, Naruto and Tsunade drove to a nearby café for some food, as Tsunade had yet to eat breakfast. It was also agreed that Naruto would have lunch on his own for the day, as both blondes didn't want Naruto's kitsune lineage out in the open. In addition, the young blonde was able to enjoy some nice bonding time with his surrogate mother, Tsunade feeling the same way with Naruto. Sadly, things came to an end as Naruto had to be at the Academy soon along with Tsunade being needed at the hospital.
Currently, the young blonde was a little apprehensive of facing the students and faculty of Kuoh Academy. Just before they had left his home, Xander had made it a point to inform Naruto that the school was actually ran by a family of devils. In addition, the military history teacher also informed him that Kuoh Academy's student council is made entirely up of devils, while there were several other students who might be able to sense his newfound chakra reserves. However, the blonde was more concerned with the female students and faculty. Should those women see him and his kitsune ears and tails…Naruto shivered at the thought.
"Thinking about how the girls will hug and pet you if they see your fluffy features," smirked Tsunade as Naruto groaned.
"Please don't tease me about such scary things. I tend to like not getting ripped limb from limb."
"I've had my own fair share of people invading my personal space too, you know."
"How'd you deal with them?"
"Kicked them in the balls and broke their noses. If they were from one of the Three Factions, I'd knock them through a wall," answered Tsunade in a cheerful tone, while Naruto gaped at his surrogate mother.
'Scary.'
"Relax. I know this thrust into the supernatural world is a bit overwhelming, but you're a smart kid, Naruto. I'm sure you won't have a problem with keeping your disguise up, so just go through the day like it was any other, okay?"
"Okay. Thank you, kaa-san," smiled Naruto as he gave his surrogate mother a kiss on the cheek before exiting the car.
"Bye, sochi," returned Tsunade, as she gave the blonde one of her genuine smiles, the kind she gave only to the closest people in her life. Waving at the young man who became a son to her, Tsunade shifted gears and drove away from the Academy's front gates. Having returned her wave with a smile, Naruto confidently walked onto the school grounds, feeling better after the small talk with his adoptive mother.
Unfortunately, his confidence wouldn't last for long as Naruto started to experience just how potent his new abilities are. As a member of the Yokai faction, Naruto knew that he would take on the characteristics of his animal relatives. Senses, instincts, physical features, the whole shebang. What Naruto didn't know; however, was that there were certain tiers when it came to just how strong these characteristics were. As a member of the kitsune species, even as a hybrid, Naruto's senses were greatly enhanced. From his sense of smell to his physical strength, everything was heightened. In fact, the only species of Yokai who were on par with the Kitsune clan were the Nekomata and Inu groups, with the Toads being a close runner-up.
Currently, Naruto was experiencing his heightened sense of smell and hearing. Through his sense of smell, the young third year was able to take in all the scents that existed around him, including pheromones. Meanwhile, his enhanced hearing allowed him to overhear the whispers and comments passing through the surrounding students. Unfortunately, this combination just reminded Naruto just how sought-after he was amongst the female population of Kuoh Academy. Needless to say, Naruto had the right to be both excited and nervous, especially from the comments that involved him, the girls, and melted chocolate.
Managing to take control of his blush, Naruto quickly moved closer to the trees, using his new senses to take in the nature surrounding him. While Kuoh Academy was a large campus with modern facilities, it still had quite a bit of forestry around it, allowing Naruto to take in the freshly cut grass and trees. In fact, the blonde took in more than just the sights and smells of the land, it was as if the blonde was feeling the very presence and life force of everything around him.
However, what Naruto didn't know was that he had some company that had escaped his notice. Hiding behind one of the trees was Koneko Toujou who was observing her senpai with surprise and a subtle amount of fear in her eyes. While the normally stoic young Nekoshou would spend her mornings walking to her homeroom and enjoy some sweets, the familiar feeling of chakra quickly broke her daily routine. While Koneko knew that everything in the world carried a certain amount of chakra, she knew that there were beings that were able to harness it to deadly effectiveness. Having felt the large amount of chakra that was very close by, the young rook quickly tracked the presence to its source, which happened to be Naruto. However, upon finding the blonde, Koneko was even more shocked at the feeling she was getting from him. While it was subtle, the young Nekoshou was definitely able to detect the blonde third year taking in minute amounts of nature chakra, which meant only one thing.
"Senjutsu," whispered Koneko.
Unfortunately, her whisper was all that was needed for Naruto to finally notice that he was not alone.
"I know you're out there. Come on out," called Naruto as he turned around, subconsciously ending his connection with the natural energy much to Koneko's relief.
Sighing at having been caught so easily, Koneko managed to put up her stoic expression once more before walking into her senior's line of sight.
For his part, Naruto merely raised a brow at the smaller, and cuter, student who seemed to have been spying on him. Recognizing her as the infamous 'mascot of Kuoh Academy', Naruto simply put on his usual bright smile and greeted the young first year in his normal demeanor. "Ohayo gozaimasu, Koneko-chan. How are you this morning?"
Koneko merely stared at the older teen before returning the greeting with simple nod and a small smile, Naruto's infectious optimism even affecting the reserved girl. "I am fine, Uzumaki-senpai."
Naruto shook his head. "Ne, Koneko-chan. You don't have to be so formal. 'Naruto-senpai' or just 'Naruto' is fine."
Koneko nodded her head and appeared to be contemplating something; however, the school bell ringed throughout the campus, indicating that it was time for everyone to get to their homerooms. Shaking her head, Koneko gave her senior one more look before turning around and heading towards her class. "Goodbye, Naruto-senpai."
Naruto simply rubbed his head in confusion before moving towards his own morning class. "What a strange girl," muttered the blonde.
Once she felt she was sufficiently far enough away from the blonde, Koneko let a slight shiver run down her spine. The older teen radiated with power, even if he wasn't consciously using it. In addition, it was incredibly warm and comforting, not unlike the relaxing warmth of a beautiful summer day. It actually took a lot of strength for Koneko to not give Naruto a hug, to embrace him and his comforting chakra like one would do with a giant plushy.
One thing was for sure. She would need to inform Rias and the others about Naruto's new abilities. After snack time, of course.
*Lunch Time*
"Man~ I really hope I get used to my new kitsune senses," sighed Naruto as he rested on the main building's roof, having already finished his lunch.
"At least Issei seems fine," muttered the blonde as he thought about his best friend. While he had been focused on keeping his ears and tails in check, it didn't keep Naruto from being concerned about his friend. Despite his former caretaker's assurances, Naruto wanted to check on the perverted boy himself before relaxing.
Fortunately, Naruto got his wish as he came across Issei with the other two members of the 'Perverted Trio' when he was on his way to gym class. Just as Xander had told him, Naruto was able to sense the dark energies that were usually associated with devils coming off the perverted brunette. Issei did appear to be a little crazy, and even a little weak, although Naruto simply believed that it was due to everyone forgetting about his supposed girlfriend, Amano Yuuma.
"Penny for your thoughts, Uzumaki-san?"
Jumping slightly from the unexpected voice, Naruto opened his eyes to see Souna Shitori and Tsubaki Shinra, the President and Vice-President of Kuoh Academy's student council.
As well as being devils.
This could be tricky.
"Well, this is a surprise. What would make the President and Vice-President of Kuoh Academy's esteemed student council want to seek me out? I know I haven't pranked anyone today, and I know for certain that I hadn't pranked your group since a month ago."
"Thank goodness for that," muttered Tsubaki as she slightly glared at the laidback blonde.
Ignoring Naruto's comment and her queen's slight animosity towards her fellow student, Souna analyzed the blonde teen before her, as she went straight to the point. "I simply have some questions that I would like to ask you, Uzumaki-san."
Naruto raised a brow, trying to keep a calm appearance. In truth, his thoughts were reeling from his current situation, as he tried to consider his options. The blonde knew that he couldn't escape Souna and her questions as she was quite the stubborn individual when it came to investigating for answers. However, Naruto knew that he had to be careful about how he would give his answers. Currently, he wanted to stay under the radar until he was ready to reveal himself. Sure, he had power. However, he didn't know how to call upon that power nor did he know how to wield it properly.
"Alright then. I'll try to answer your questions as best as I can."
Souna nodded, pleased with the blonde's cooperation. "I know that you are a smart individual, Uzumaki-san, and I know that you are not one to lie…"
Naruto grimaced, knowing that Souna was right. For all his talents, Naruto was a terrible liar. Whenever the blonde had tried lying to someone, that person would know what he was doing simply by looking into his eyes. His unconvincing tone certainly didn't help him any either.
Besides, Souna was simply too smart to believe in a simple lie.
"Therefore, I shall be straightforward. What are your intentions here, Yokai-san?"
Despite knowing that the cat was out of the bag, Naruto still had to raise a brow. "What makes you think I am a Yokai?"
Souna shrugged. "You do not radiate the dark energies that devils possess, nor do you emit the energies associated with the angels and fallen angels. While there is the possibility that you could be suppressing your power, I would still have been informed about you the moment you began taking classes in Kuoh. In addition, I do not feel the instinctive fear of danger coming from you that a devil may experience when close to an angel or fallen angel."
"Your powers of deduction are incredible," drawled Naruto as he crossed his arms.
"Please answer my question, Uzumaki-san," replied Souna, indifferent to his sarcasm.
Naruto sighed, knowing that he may very well have to speak the truth about his heritage. "I don't have any evil intentions, if that's what you were thinking, Souna-san. Truthfully, I only discovered my abilities and my heritage this morning. I've been focusing to keep my new traits hidden all day."
Souna nodded, somewhat relieved that her feelings did not betray her. While she had known Naruto long enough to know that he wouldn't purposely harm anyone, she still had to look out for her friends, including Rias and the members of both their respective peerages. There was also the fact that Naruto was an unknown variable to her, and Souna did not like unknown variables of any kind.
"So what species of Yokai are you, Uzumaki-san?"
Naruto sighed. "I'm a Kitsune," replied the blonde as he allowed his ears and tails to appear.
As the three of them were on the roof and away from the edges of the main building, Naruto had deemed it safe to show his animalistic features to the two young ladies. Unfortunately, Naruto felt that his earlier fears were gratified the moment he saw the looks that Souna and Tsubaki were giving him. However, Naruto sighed in relief when the two young ladies didn't make any sudden moves or ask him if they could pet his ears and tails.
Tsunade had already done enough of that before they left for the café anyway.
For their part, Souna and Tsubaki were able to show an amazing amount of restraint, although Tsubaki did mutter a small 'kawaii' from seeing the adorable tails and ears pop out. However, those feelings were quickly shoved to the side when Tsubaki noticed the professional and analytical spark in her King's eyes.
"You're a Kyuubi no Kitsune, Uzumaki-san?"
Naruto nodded. "I am, although I was probably one of the very few Kitsunes in history to be born with nine tails. As I have mentioned before, I apparently have an incredible amount of power, but I don't know how to access or even control it yet."
"I see," began Souna before looking at Naruto right in the eyes, "please join my peerage, Uzumaki-san."
Naruto blinked. "Eh?"
"I asked if you would like to join my peerage. You have a great amount of potential, and I'm sure I could help you reach your full potential by joining my peerage."
"Thank you for the offer, Souna-san. However, I am not interested in becoming a devil, or even be a part of someone's peerage," declined Naruto as he shifted slightly, a little uncomfortable with the President's sudden offer.
Souna nodded in understanding. "I apologize if I appear to be too sudden with my offer, Uzumaki-san. Like all devils, I wish to form a powerful peerage, but I am not one to force people to become members. While I would like you to have accepted my offer, I can see that you are currently overwhelmed with your recent discovery."
"Thank you, Souna-san."
"Although, I believe a proper introduction would be appropriate now that you know what we are, Uzumaki-san."
"I would like that," smiled Naruto, as he stepped forward and held his hand out to the two young women.
"My name is Naruto Uzumaki, newly discovered Kyuubi no Kitsune. Nice to meet you."
"It is nice to meet you as well, Uzumaki-san. I am Sona Sitri, heir to the Sitri Family," introduced Sona as she accepted Naruto's handshake.
"My name is Tsubaki Shinra, Queen of Kaichou's Peerage. Please take care of me, Uzumaki-san," bowed Tsubaki as she also shook Naruto's hand.
"Neither of you need to call me 'Uzumaki-san' you know. 'Naruto-san' or just 'Naruto' is fine," smiled Naruto as he hid his kitsune features once more.
"I will consider it, Uzumaki-san. Although we are acquaintances for now, I see no reason as to not become friends later on," smiled Sona.
Naruto chuckled. "I'm sure it would be nice to get to know more about you and the rest of the student council as well, Sona-san. Still, I have to ask. How did you know about me in the first place?"
"Your presence felt different from before, as if there was a change in your strength. However, it was through Rias that I decided to confront you."
"Really?"
Sona nodded. "Rias told me about her reincarnating Hyoudou-san before school. She told me that there was a second patch of blood on the ground, a small distance away from Hyoudou-san's corpse. It obviously meant that a third party was involved."
"And by sensing my awakening powers, you figured out that I was involved with what happened to Issei," added Naruto, receiving a nod from the President.
"However, that still led me to wonder about your situation, Uzumaki-san. Rias told me that there was quite the amount of blood from the second patch, meaning that you had to have received a very serious wound."
Naruto grimaced as he rubbed his stomach. "I was stabbed by a dagger made out of light."
"That leads me to my next question, Uzumaki-san. Who saved you? You said it yourself that you had only discovered your kitsune heritage, meaning someone had to have healed you."
Naruto sighed. "You're too smart for your own good, Sona-san."
"So I have been told," smirked the President.
"It was Xander-jiji. He saved me from dying."
Sona nodded, revealing that she already had her suspicions. "I see…"
"He doesn't plan on causing any trouble either," quickly stated Naruto as he waved his hands a bit, "far as I can tell, he doesn't really want to be involved with the Three Factions."
Sona sighed. "Even so, you do realize I have to inform the others as well as my superiors, correct? They will need to know that our teacher is aware of us, even though he means no harm."
Naruto nodded. "I understand; however, please do not confront him. He just wants to live in peace and doesn't want to be bothered by the Three Factions."
"Very well. I shall inform my superiors of this, but I will need to know what Melee-sensei is in order to help prevent my superiors from making any rash decisions."
"That's just it…I don't know what Xander-jiji is. He just told me that he's a dimensional traveler," explained Naruto as he sheepishly rubbed his head.
Sona and Tsubaki stared at the blonde with questioning looks. "A dimensional traveler?"
"Yeah."
Sona grasped her chin. "Well, I'll see what I can do. Although, I am surprised to hear that. Dimensional travel is a very advanced technique to perform, and only a very few can actually perform such a feat. The main reason being that it requires a monstrous amount of power."
"You're going to have to speak with Xander-jiji if you want to learn more. I'm sure he'll answer your questions, provided they aren't too personal. He was always protective of his past."
Sona nodded, thanking the blonde for his advice. Nodding, Naruto bid the two student council members a good day just as the bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch period. Giving the two young ladies his usual bright smile once more, Naruto turned and made his way towards the stairs.
"He is certainly an interesting person, Kaichou. Although, I do find it surprising that you wished to recruit him without investigating him further."
Sona nodded, understanding her friend's surprise. "Despite his pranks and rough nature, he is a good person with good intentions. As for my sudden offer, I just had a feeling that he would become someone great in the future. The number of his tails and his level of power are a testament to that. Besides, he could become a great ally to us one day."
"There is also the matter of informing your sister about Melee-sensei."
Sona groaned as she thought about her older sister. "I'm sure we'll figure something out. After all, Uzumaki-san did say that Melee-sensei had no intention of causing any trouble with the Three Factions."
Tsubaki nodded, as a faint blush dusted her cheeks. "Still, he did look very adorable with those ears and tails. It took me a great amount of strength not to touch them."
"You're not the only one," muttered Sona as her cheeks also burned red, her eyes lingering towards the stairway.
'I wonder if those whiskers make him purr…'
*Later*
"Xander-jiji," growled Naruto as he kicked the front door of his former guardian's home open. Stomping into the living room, Naruto found his former caretaker grading some leftover assignments at the dining table, a sandwich hanging from the man's mouth. Blankly looking up, Xander merely raised a brow at his former charge's irate expression, long having gotten used to the younger man's occasional short fuse.
Quickly finishing his snack while still grading papers with both hands, Xander smirked a bit at the blonde's twitching left eye before looking up further to see Naruto's left fox ear was also twitching in frustration. "Rough day at school," drawled the military history teacher.
"You knew I'd have trouble with my new yokai senses didn't you," growled Naruto, his eye and ear still twitching.
Xander nodded, still holding his smirk. "Guilty as charged. However, Tsunade thought it would be best for you to experience your enhanced abilities first hand."
"That was a dirty prank you two pulled, Xander-jiji," groaned Naruto as he collapsed into the seat in front of Xander.
Xander chuckled, as he set aside the pile of graded assignments before getting up and walking into the kitchen. A few minutes later, the military history teacher returned with a steaming bowl of rice, meat, and veggies. Placing the small meal in front of his former charge, Xander grabbed the clipboard that was set next to the papers, flipping through several of its pages. Thanking his former guardian, Naruto heartily dug into the meal.
The moment he was finished, Naruto leaned back and patted his stomach with a satisfied sigh. However, the young third year immediately straightened up before staring at Xander, his features becoming serious.
"Xander-jiji," started Naruto, gaining the teacher's attention, "I was confronted today at lunch by a pair of devils you warned me about."
Xander raised a brow. "Oh? Which ones?"
"Sona Sitri and Tsubaki Shinra."
"Of course," sighed Xander as he rubbed his temples, "The Sitri Clan was always a smart bunch. Truthfully, I'm not surprised, but I still need to know what happened."
"They were suspicious about me being a potential threat and actually mentioned about confronting you as well."
Xander nodded at the blonde's words. That Sona Sitri, just like her ancestors, was a very thorough individual when it came to analyzing possible threats and noteworthy individuals. "Anything else?"
"Sona-san asked me to join her peerage, but I declined. She told me that she'd have to inform her superiors and friends about us, but won't do anything threatening so long as we don't cause any trouble."
"Unfortunately, trouble always seems to find people like us," grimaced Xander before nodding. "This doesn't really change anything, but I'm sure you'll be getting a message from Rias and her peerage soon enough. They probably didn't since she still has to ease Issei into the whole supernatural world."
"So what happens now?"
"I'll have to make some changes, but if what my gut is telling me is true, then you'll be facing a lot of powerful enemies and individuals."
"Are you sure?"
"These feelings are what helped me stay alive for a long time, kid. You'll learn soon enough."
"So, what are your plans in regards to my training, Xander-jiji?"
"Well, we know that training you to control your new abilities is essential, but you are still a young man with a life of your own. Fortunately, we can take things slow for now and teach you most of the basics. There are some things that you will need to know about first though," answered Xander.
Naruto nodded, as he put away the bowl, a look of determination crossing his features. "What do I have to do, Xander-jiji?"
Xander hummed for a moment as he followed Naruto into the kitchen before setting the clipboard down after nodding at his work. "I plan on working with you on your chakra control and energy usage training. While I do not have chakra, I do have my own form of energy. The theoretical concepts are very similar, and I've worked with many chakra users throughout my lifetime so it shouldn't be too difficult," started the teacher.
Naruto nodded before his brow furrowed a bit. "About that…"
"Yes?"
"What are you, Xander-jiji? You told me that my mom was a Kyuubi no Kitsune, my dad a ninja, Jiraiya a sage, and Tsunade-kaachan being an Angel. But what about you?"
Xander hummed once more in thought before looking at his former charge. "Well, I'm actually something much older than Tsunade. Rather, I used to be from a much more ancient faction."
"Used to be?"
Xander nodded. "After a few…incidents, I decided to leave and try to build a new life. I had planned to live peacefully, so I decided to come to this world. Unfortunately, I didn't know how young this world was and actually ended up arriving in humanity's earliest eras. As I watched the world form, I eventually got involved in the Great War between the Three Factions."
"But why did you leave," asked Naruto, curiosity in his tone.
Xander shrugged. "I felt that I was no longer needed."
Having known his former caretaker for so long, Naruto knew that he was treading into uncomfortable waters for the older man so he decided to quickly change the subject. "So what were you?"
"I was a Guardian of Gaia."
"Guardian of Gaia?"
Xander nodded. "Yes. The Guardians of Gaia was the first organization that was ever created. It was formed by the Celestials, the first, and immortal, Primordial Gods. It was through them that the multiverse was formed. Once the dimensions were formed and life began to inhabit them, the Celestials found that they, and by association their children, could not look over every dimension, especially since new ones were constantly coming into existence."
"And this led to the Guardians of Gaia being established," added Naruto, to which Xander nodded.
"Indeed. We worked through the shadows to help keep the struggle between good and evil balanced. However, we did interact with the dimensions from time to time. I'm sure ancient groups like the Three Factions know about our existence, especially amongst the older members."
"So, you were like a secret Green Lantern," smirked Naruto.
Xander chuckled but nodded nonetheless. "In a way. But we've gotten off topic here. Right now, we need to talk about your training. There'll be more time for stories later."
Naruto nodded before laughing. "I guess calling you 'Xander-jiji' was always appropriate."
Xander scowled. "I've still got a few years of life left in me, gaki. Now, as stated before, I will be teaching you on harnessing your chakra and helping you with energy manipulation. Meanwhile, Tsunade will be helping you with healing and taijutsu. While most Angels and Fallen Angels rely on their light magic and weapons, Tsunade is one of the few who are highly skilled in hand-to-hand combat. We'll also be working on teaching you techniques that your father, your mother, and Jiraiya all knew. We'll also bring in some of our other friends and comrades to help you train. With what we've got planned, not only will you be able to control your new abilities, but you might even surpass your parents."
"But how will I be able to learn Jiraiya's and my parents' techniques? I know that you and Tsunade can teach me the basics and theories, but your styles must be different from theirs, right?"
Xander nodded. "You are correct in that regard. That is why we are going to a special location tomorrow. It helps that today's Thursday. Once you're done with your meeting with Rias and her peerage, I'll be taking you to that location afterwards. Today, I'll work with you on accessing your chakra and helping you keep your hold on your human appearance. Tsunade will stop by later today to check in on your training. She'll teach you the healing arts once she feels that you are ready."
Naruto nodded, as he helped Xander clean up the table until a thought crossed his mind. "Xander-jiji."
"Yes, Naruto," asked Xander as he turned to face his former charge.
"Do you have a title? I may not know much about the Three Factions, but I do know that Michael holds the title of Archangel. I'm pretty sure Tsunade-kaachan also has a title as well."
Xander smirked at the clever young man. "You always were a smart kid. Yes, I do in fact have a title. So does Tsunade, but I'm sure she'll tell you if you ask her."
Once done with the cleaning, Xander gestured for the young blonde to follow him. Making their way out of the kitchen and outside into the backyard, Xander turned around to face his student. "To first answer your question, my title was Hierarch of Dimensions," started Xander as he clapped his hands together before slowly pulling them apart, a transparent bubble with an indigo aura forming between his palms.
As the bubble continued to expand, Naruto looked in awe at what was actually within the globe-sized object. Between his former caretaker's hands was the Earth itself. It was as if Naruto was looking down on the planet from space, he could even see the moon orbiting around it. Chuckling at his new student's surprise, Xander eventually brought his hands together, shrinking the viewing portal before closing it altogether.
"…That was cool."
Xander smirked before clapping Naruto on the back. "My powers allow me control over different dimensional planes and universes, and to a certain extent, space and time. You, however, will be learning the shinobi and sage arts. Hell, Tsunade and I might even teach you some of our techniques if we feel you're up for it."
"Really," asked Naruto with stars in his eyes.
Chuckling once more at his student's enthusiasm, Xander nodded. Clapping his hands together, Xander formed another sphere only this time it was transparent and encompassed the entire backyard. Humming in satisfaction, the military history teacher looked to see Naruto stretching and warming up.
"Eager little bugger, aren't you?"
"Well, how can I not be after what you and Tsunade-kaasan told me about my heritage? I'm going to train my ass off to make Jiraiya and my parents proud!"
"I'm sure they're already proud of you, kid," chuckled Xander as he stepped closer to the blonde.
"Okay. As you know, today's training will consist of you unlocking the rest of your chakra and maintaining your human appearance. You've already unlocked a fraction of your power when you gained your kitsune features. Now you just need to get the rest of it."
"So how do I get to my chakra? I know that it's the power formed by mixing my physical and spiritual energies, but I don't really know much about it."
Xander hummed. "Well, you have the basic knowledge down. However, chakra is also about endurance and balance. Your physical and spiritual energies must be balanced in order to properly cast the chakra techniques that you want to perform. For example, if you lack physical energy, then you must train your body to increase your endurance and stamina. For the spiritual aspect, you must increase your experience and consciousness. This mainly comes from studying and meditation. Fortunately for us, you already have a firm grasp on balancing your two aspects. However, your endurance is something of another matter."
Naruto nodded before blinking. "What do you mean? I have plenty of stamina!"
"For a normal athletic human? Yes, you do. However, shinobi are anything but normal. Your time with Jiraiya should have given you a glimpse of how eccentric shinobi can be."
Naruto blanched. "Please tell me I won't turn into a super pervert!"
Xander chuckled. "Not if Tsunade has anything to say about it, but I digress. The point is, you need to focus on increasing your endurance and stamina to the levels needed to control your chakra reserves."
"So how big are my reserves?"
Xander shrugged. "That's what we're going to find out. The bubble I created is a barrier designed to keep others from sensing the power of those inside it. It'll also make us invisible to prying eyes. For now, focus on meditating. Search out your chakra. Once you have reached it, embrace it and unlock your power."
*Naruto's Inner World*
Nodding, Naruto sat cross-legged before clasping his hands together. Slowing down his breathing, the young kitsune slowly tuned the outside world out, silencing his mind as he went into a meditative trance. As he descended into the realm of his own soul, Naruto was pleasantly surprised to feel that his soul felt warm and comforting, almost like a small fire within a hearth. Focusing on this feeling, the young blonde soon felt something large, very large. Reaching forward, Naruto grasped onto the warmth, allowing it to surround him like a blanket.
'I feel…warm…powerful…loved.'
Suddenly, the world around him blew up in a color of orange.
*Real World*
Xander frowned as he glanced at his watch. Although he knew that it was different for each person to unlock their chakra, it would normally take a few minutes for one to reach their reserves. In addition, the individual's chakra would pulse once or twice before fully unlocking. It was as if Naruto's chakra was…
Xander's eyes widened. "Oh shi-"
*WHOOSH, BOOM*
Xander grunted as he slammed against the barrier, feeling the full power of Naruto's massive chakra reserves. Coming off as shockwaves of energy, Xander could see that Naruto's entire body was covered in a fiery orange cloak, the blonde's tails moving along with the current of power. After several moments, the shockwaves and wind began to lighten as Naruto took a deep breath. Soon enough, the power ebbed away until the chakra fully dissipated.
Upon opening his eyes, Naruto was greeted with a stunned Xander openly gaping at him. Laughing, the young kitsune quickly burned the image into his mind as it was very rare to see his former guardian lose so much of his composure.
Shaking his head, Xander scowled at his young student before sighing.
"I had almost forgotten how potent a kitsune's chakra was. Haven't experienced something like that since your mother," grimaced Xander as he cracked his back.
"Believe me, Xander-jiji. You're not the only one surprised. I didn't think I'd be this powerful, or feel this warm," smiled Naruto, his tails swishing happily behind him.
"I'm just glad the barrier was able to hold out," grunted Xander, as Naruto nodded understandingly.
"Now that my chakra's unlocked, what's the next step?"
"Now we need to work on your chakra control; however, you must first learn the basic hand signs of the shinobi arts," answered Xander as he began showing the basic forms.
Seeing his student pay close attention to the hand signs, Xander then had Naruto go through the hand signs so that the young blonde could commit them to memory. Correcting him when it was needed, the military history teacher nodded in approval after about a half-hour of having Naruto go through the sets.
"Shinobi, like your father and Jiraiya, use these hand seals to help perform their chakra techniques. As a kitsune yokai, you technically do not need to use them; however, your mother found them to be particularly useful when your father taught them to her. Master shinobi are even able to perform their techniques quickly with little to no hand signs at all."
"Were there others aside from my mother who were able to use these hand signs?"
Xander nodded. "A few, but they were those who were completely trusted by the shinobi clans. Even then, those people were sworn into secrecy, including your mother. Remember, shinobi are very private people when it comes to their abilities and secret techniques. They always feared what might happen should shinobi knowledge ever fall into the wrong hands."
Naruto nodded in understanding, as he silently promised himself to fully master any techniques that his parents and godfather might had left him. Meanwhile, Xander smirked at the familiar fire burning within his young student's eyes.
"For today, we'll be working on increasing your chakra control. From what I've sensed, you have much more chakra than I had originally anticipated. I'll need to inform Tsunade so that we can make sure you'll be able to control all that power. Therefore, I shall demonstrate your first training technique."
"And that is," started an excited Naruto.
"Tree climbing."
"Tree climbing," deadpanned Naruto, his excitement immediately dying.
"Not in the conventional way. Watch."
Seeing that he had his student's undivided attention, Xander focused his energy to his feet, causing them to glow slightly. Walking over to the tree that Xander had planted years ago in the backyard, the military history teacher firmly placed one foot on the tree. Planting his other foot, Xander then casually walked up the side of the tree until he stood upside down in front of Naruto from one of the large branches. Slightly enjoying his student's awed expression, Xander gestured to his gravity-defying self.
"This is tree walking, shinobi style. It's one of the most basic chakra control techniques that a shinobi can perform. Its main purpose, aside from allowing the user to stick to solid surfaces, is to help beginner shinobi get a fix for how much chakra they should use to power their techniques. This is what you'll be working on for the next few days."
"Sweet! So how can I do this, Xander-jiji," asked an excited Naruto as Xander descended from the tree.
"Simply focus a portion of your chakra to your feet and then do what I just did. However, you'll need to learn how much chakra that is required. If you use too little chakra, then you'll fall off the tree. If you use too much, then you'll end up blasting yourself off," advised Xander as he tossed a kunai to the blonde.
"Use the kunai to mark your progress. In addition, a running start usually helps with the exercise."
"So how much chakra should I use," asked Naruto as he gripped the kunai.
Xander shrugged. "You'll need to figure it out by yourself. I don't have the ability to see chakra within the body, only sense how much someone has."
Naruto nodded as he hummed in thought, taking in his former caretaker's words. "I guess I'll just have to experiment then…"
Taking a deep breath, the young third year began pooling chakra to his feet. After a few minutes, and believing that he had the right amount, Naruto raced towards the large tree and made his first attempt to climb it.
*BOOM*
Which promptly ended in failure. The young third year was only able to get one foot firmly planted on the tree with the bark immediately splintering and launching Naruto straight into the air. If it hadn't been for Xander's barrier, Naruto would've been launched straight into the second story window of the next door neighbor's house. Slamming into the ground, Naruto groaned a bit before looking up to see Xander smirking.
"Like I said. You have massive reserves."
"I get it," grunted Naruto as he got up to try again.
"Your mother had the same problem when she first trained with Jiraiya and your father. Try thinking about a drop of water when you gather your chakra. That's what helped her," advised Xander, to which Naruto nodded.
This time, the young kitsune was able to get up five feet before being blown off again.
"Very good," nodded Xander, as Naruto spat out some grass with a grin.
"I'll get this technique down by the end of tonight," grinned Naruto as he tried again.
"Humph, eager little bugger," sighed Xander before smirking.
"Hey, Naruto!"
"Yea-Gah!" cried the teen as a pellet slammed into his side, a splatter of paint decorating the ground and his clothes a bright orange.
Getting up, Naruto quickly checked his side before freezing at the sound of a gun being cocked. Robotically twitching, the kitsune looked up to see his former guardian loading up a paintball gun while setting down a bucket filled with small rocks.
"W-Where did you get those, Xander-jiji? And, w-why do y-you need them?"
"Hm," acknowledged the teacher with a tilt of the head. "I did say that I'd help you with keeping your human appearance didn't I? Think of the rocks and paintballs as simply…assistive materials."
After finishing his loading and grabbing a few stones, Xander grinned viciously at his student. "Now get back to your training," ordered the teacher before shooting a few pellets at the panicking blonde.
"You suck, Jiji," screamed Naruto, barely dodging several of the pellets and stones shot at him.
"Now don't be like that! After all, your mother was the one who used this trick when the others and I were training," laughed Xander as he continued to shoot the blonde.
*SPLAT*
"That hurts, damn it!"
"I believe your mother's words were: 'Suck it up and take it like a man, dattebane!'" grinned the military history teacher.
"You're enjoying this way too much," cried Naruto as another pellet hit his right shoulder, disrupting his focus where he once again launched from the tree.
*Hours Later*
The moon shined brilliantly through the second story window as Tsunade and Xander tucked an exhausted and unconscious Naruto into bed.
"I still can't believe he was able to make that much progress with the tree walking exercise," muttered Xander as he gently closed the door to leave his student to the realm of dreams.
Sure enough, the young student was able to surprise both his teachers by completing the chakra control technique in a single day. Although the teen wasn't a master at it, Xander could see that he had proficient skill with the technique. With enough practice, the military history teacher knew it wouldn't take long for Naruto to master the technique.
"Well, what did you expect? He is Kushina and Minato's little boy," smirked Tsunade as she followed her longtime friend to the kitchen.
In truth, Tsunade had only been able to witness a part of her surrogate son's training. Due to her busy schedule at the hospital, Tsunade arrived hours after the training session initially began, only to find the backyard littered with rocks, paint stains, and Naruto-shaped craters. Still, the experienced angel was glad to see her surrogate son having only chakra exhaustion and some bruises as his injuries.
Well, that, and the fact that Naruto had finished all his homework before he made his way to his former guardian's home. Training may be important, but the boy still needed to make sure he was on top of his education.
"True. He has his father's skill, but his mother's determination," hummed Xander as he fixed Tsunade and himself some tea.
"I still can't believe you threw rocks and shot him with paintballs," glared Tsunade as she took the steaming cup from the teacher.
Xander chuckled. "I believed it to be a good way to help the kid keep his concentration on his human appearance. After the first few rounds, I can safely say that he has a good grip on his illusion. A few more training sessions like the one today, and he should be ready for whatever the world is set to throw at him in the future."
"Is there really no way to keep him out of all this," whispered Tsunade as she stared into her cup.
Xander sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "We both knew that this was going to happen sooner or later, Tsunade. All we can do is help prepare the boy."
"But he's not ready! He'll never be ready to…to…"
"Face the people who killed his family and godfather," finished Xander as he looked up into Tsunade's worried and tired eyes.
Eyes that a mother would have when faced with the possibility that her child could be taken from her.
"We can't stop him from searching them out, Tsunade. He might not be saying it out loud, but we both know that he'll try and avenge his parents if given the chance."
"I can't lose him, Xander. Not like how I lost Jiraiya, Dan, and Shizune."
At the mention of his friend's lost childhood friend and love, her first lover, and her first student and surrogate daughter, Xander looked down in regret, appearing to age heavily before the worried mother.
"We won't lose him, Tsunade. He's a fighter. Just like everyone else we've known," muttered the teacher after a few moments of silence.
"And look what happened to them," Tsunade hissed before settling back into her seat, "Plus, Naruto's not the only one I should be worried about, idiot. How are you holding up?"
"…I'm fine."
Tsunade shook her head and glared at the man, some of her old fire returning to her. "Don't give me that crap, Xander. We've known each other far too long for that."
Xander sighed. "I haven't gone back into my depression if that's what you're asking."
"You haven't gone back to going into that room again, have you? Ever since Naruto moved out, my suspicions have been growing by the day."
Xander grimaced as he rubbed his chest, lingering where his heart should be. "I just wanted to reminisce about the old days."
"Those days are gone, Xander! You can't bring them back," whispered Tsunade as she leaned back into the chair. "No matter how much we want them back."
"That's easy for you to say. At least you can still die and join your loved ones. I can't," scowled Xander, as he glared hatefully into his cup.
Tsunade stiffened at her long-time friend's words, as she knew that the former Hierarch was right. Despite what many members of the three factions believed, there was in fact an afterlife for the devils, angels, and fallen angels, as well as for many of the other supernatural species that inhabited the world. While most believed that they would simply fade into the void or go through a form of reincarnation as regular humans, Xander had revealed and even shown several members of the three factions, including Tsunade herself, of the mysterious lands that would become their eternal home after death.
Discovering that she would eventually reunite with the friends and family she had lost, Tsunade was beyond relieved to learn that a happy ending would come to her, and to so many others, after so many centuries of struggle and loss. The veteran angel was certain that the others who had also been shown the hereafter were ecstatic as well.
Unfortunately, Xander didn't have the same luxury as her and the rest of the supernatural world.
Unable to respond to such a statement, Tsunade simply allowed the awkward silence to encompass the room. Having learned of his story as well as seeing some of his memories, the angel knew that there was nothing she could say that would make the man before her feel better.
As she sipped her cup and allowed the comforting warmth soothe her body, Tsunade couldn't help but stare at her friend, old memories and images ghosting over the tired man.
Soon enough, Tsunade saw Xander's dress shirt and tie fade away, replaced with scratched armor that was stained heavily with blood. His hateful glare morphing into an emotionless expression, battered, bruised, and smudged with dirt, sweat and blood. However, Tsunade could see that behind the impassive façade was a soul that was tired and filled with pain, regret, and despair.
As the ghostly image returned to her memories of long-ago, Tsunade could not help but wonder what it would have been like to have experienced Xander's life.
Looking into his amethyst orbs, the old angel could tell that he knew what she was thinking, and his eyes gave the answer clearly.
No. She most definitely did not want to know.
And there you have it, folks! I hope to read your comments soon, and am willing to answer any questions.
