Yo! Here comes the next chapter!

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A Sun's Devilish Maid

Chapter Three: Ahead of the Pack


"Nngh!" grunted Naruto, arm outstretched as he tried to send out his chakra in a specific manner. Sweat began to form and fall from his concentration and a sharp point made of golden colored chakra began to poke out of his palm. It poked outward for about three inches before the strain of concentration became too much and the Uzumaki stopped the technique.

As he panted hard from the exhausting jutsu, Grayfia approached him and handed him a canteen filled with cool water. He accepted it gratefully, but the maid frowned when she saw that his gaze was averted from her own, almost out of self-shame. He had been like this all morning, and it was starting to concern her.

Anko, who was giving physical conditioning to Yakumo, had also noticed and frowned. It wasn't like the gaki to be so subdued and withdrawn. So, she did something about it. "Oi Whiskers! What's with the brooding aura?"

Thankfully, that got the reaction of him turning to her dramatically and crying out, "I do not brood, sensei!"

"Then tell me what the hell you're doing now, McBroody!" teased the woman. "You and Ms. Maid are as silent as graves! The hell happened after training yesterday?"

To her and Yakumo's surprise, Naruto clammed up with a healthy blush on his face. The Jonin turned her gaze from him to Grayfia, going back and forth a couple more times before suddenly smirking. "Oh~? Did something happen last night, gaki?"

His blush grew, but he stayed silent. Unfortunately, Grayfia took his silence as her duty to answer. "After his training with you, Naruto-sama and I shopped for groceries, I prepared the evening meal, and then we turned in for the night. He and I shared the bed, and then-"

"Whoa, whoa, WHOA!" cut in Anko. "Time out! Bring it back! You two shared the bed?"

The poor Uzumaki heir felt like he could die under the grin his teacher was sporting. Grayfia had no such feelings, instead choosing to give the violette woman a hard look. "I performed my duties as Naruto-sama's maid. As his maid, and in order to better protect him from any kind of nocturnal threat, I stayed close to him."

Naruto had his eyes closed and sighed as he remembered the night before.

[Flashback]

He had just finished his shower and gotten into a simple shirt and sweats to sleep in. Getting into bed, he was about to shut off his lamp before a knock was heard. "Naruto-sama, may I enter?"

He sighed at her respectful title for him. He'd never feel used to such respect from anyone. But, he replied all the same, "Yes, you may Grayfia-chan."

Entering the room fully dressed, the she-devil moved over to her master's bedside, looking down at his laid form. "Naruto-sama, I must request that you move over a little."

He blinked at the request. "…Eh?"

"I need Naruto-sama to move over," she repeated as she, to his embarrassment, started to remove her uniform. After a moment, she was left in nothing but some dark blue underwear and a matching bra. Her hair tie had also been removed, allowing her silver tresses to flow like a stunning river.

"W-What are you doing?!" he exclaimed fearfully as she began to unhook her bra, turning away from her so that he wouldn't be caught ogling her naked breasts.

She frowned in worry at his actions. Why was he so afraid of seeing her in a state of undress? She was his – she had chosen to make herself his. As far as she was concerned, she belonged to him in every way, though she hoped that one day he would reciprocate her devotion to him.

In a calm, understanding tone, she attempted to explain herself, "I'm merely performing my duties, Naruto-sama. As your maid and guardian, it is my responsibility to stay by your side as you rest so that I may better protect you from any nocturnal threats. Given your newly-realized position, it shouldn't be too farfetched to expect any kind of attempt on your life."

He gulped, but remained facing away from her, his breathing labored with the fear he was feeling. "B-But, do you have to be undressed like that?"

Her brows furrowed further at his query and she leaned over to get a better look of his face. His blush was so strong that his face was glowing red, and his eyes were clenched shut. What surprised her, though, were the tears that were narrowly escaping through his clenched eyelids. The flattery she felt over Naruto's appreciation for her body despite his shyness about it was completely overshadowed by worry and concern over the degree of fear she could see in his face.

"Naruto-sama," she began softly, "look at me."

"N-No. I really shouldn't…" he uttered out quickly, his fear now evident in his voice.

She slowly snaked her hand around his chest, caressing it as she moved to get a gentle yet firm grip on his opposite shoulder. She heard him gasp and felt his body stiffen at the contact before she gently rolled his body around to face her. At this action, Naruto almost entered a fetal position, though he didn't turn away.

Again, in an effort to calm him, she softly reassured, "I'm not showing you anything that you didn't see on the night you treated my wounds, Naruto-sama. There's no need for you to be afraid." She brought her hand to his face and laid it there, caressing his cheek as her request turned into a gentle plea, "…Please…look at me?"

After a few moments, Naruto slowly opened his eyes and immediately sought out hers. What he saw there was shocking to him: this woman was gazing at him with tenderness, affection, and comfort. Her eyes were almost welling up, such was the softness he beheld within her eyes as they looked into his. Her dazzling soft smile only enhanced the emotions she was conveying to him through her gaze.

"Naruto-kun…" she began just above a whisper, causing his eyes to widen at the form of address she hadn't used before now. "I am yours. I will never, ever hurt you, or do anything to bring you to harm." Naruto's eyes began to well slightly upon hearing this before she continued, "When I say that I'm your maid, that's mostly for the benefit of others aside from us. But what I am to you is so much more than that. I've made a pact with you – the most sacred agreement that I, or any of my old house, could ever make with another. Even a marital bond isn't as binding as what I've chosen to gift upon you."

"W-What…?" Naruto breathed out, staring at her incredulously.

Her smile widened as she explained herself further, "I am your personal retainer, of my own free will and choosing, and I am happy with my decision. As such, I am yours, Naruto-sama. My services, my possessions," she caressed his cheek soothingly, "my body, my heart…my very life… And it's because you are the one I choose to give myself to." She rose up to stand tall and proud, causing his eyes to go even wider as her magnificent breasts jutted out with pride and dignity that was almost regal in its bearing. "Not only can you gaze upon my body as much as you wish, but you are the only man I will ever give that right to. You are the only man who will ever have the right to touch me. You are the only man who deserves these rights. You saved my life; so, I'm honored to give it to you in gratitude."

Giving him an encouraging smile, she nodded slightly, somehow giving him the message that he could, and should, rove his eyes all over her semi-nude form. Naruto was able to get the message and tentatively started doing just that. As he did, he noticed that Grayfia's smile widened even further; as if she was not only happy for him, but proud of him for doing so.

Seeing her master react so strongly to her also made her feel quite proud of herself. The she-devil knew she was beautiful beyond mortal compare or comprehension. There would certainly be nobody native to this world who would ever rival unearthly, immortal beauty such as that which Grayfia possessed. Even amongst the denizens of the Underworld where she had resided before being transported here, she possessed a beauty far beyond most of her peers! But there was something about giving this truly golden-hearted young man the confidence to look upon her that made her feel a sense of pride and accomplishment that was unfamiliar to her.

Once he was done eyeing her up and down, almost as if to commit her body's image to memory, he returned his gaze to her face and gave a weak smile; though she could see he was still nervous. She smiled in understanding and slipped into bed behind him, pulling him a bit closer to her and pressing her naked breasts into his bare back. She felt him stiffen slightly as soon as she made contact, but he slowly relaxed after a few moments. She did nothing more except to cover their bodies with the comforter.

"I promise I'll help you be more comfortable around me, Naruto-sama," she stated before she turned off the lamp. Resting her head on the pillow and bid softly, "Good night, Naruto-sama; my Naruto-sama. Sleep well."

He was barely able to whisper back, "Y-You too, Grayfia-chan."

[End Flashback]

The teen found himself barely able to sleep that night. He had never been able to picture himself sharing a bed with anyone; let alone a beautiful woman like Grayfia. His blush grew a bit when he remembered turning to face her sometime later in the evening and just watching her resting face. He remembered how calm she looked and how the moon peeked through his window, hitting her so perfectly with its glow.

Such an image would forever be remembered and held precious in his mind.

He was brought out of his reverie by Anko snickering. "I gotta say, gaki, you move pretty fast! Who would've thought you two would already be sharing your bed? Should we expect anything more soon?"

He groaned silently at her teasing, embarrassment returning. And Yakumo couldn't help commenting as well. "I think it's kinda romantic." The others looked to her and she rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on! Think about it! A woman finds herself rescued and cared for by a young hero?" she waved her hand to Grayfia and Naruto as she spoke. "She then chooses to repay him by offering her life to him?" Her tone was getting suggestive and she winked at Naruto, as if showing him that she knew what was happening. "And then, through all that they go through, both the woman and the hero's hearts find their way to one another." She sighed wistfully, her pink eyes gleaming with a mix of jealousy and longing. "I wish I could find someone like that."

Unknown to her, a certain beautiful green beast sneezed and lost count of his exercise reps. He then decided to make up for it with an even crazier exercise.

Because of the teasing and commentary, Naruto began to feel lightheaded because of his blush and felt close to fainting. He was so focused on staying conscious that he missed Grayfia sporting a dusting of pink on her own cheeks. However, the woman had better composure than her master and was able to keep that reaction relatively unseen.

To her surprise though, she was the only one who heard Naruto mumble, "That…does sound nice…"

Her eyes closed and her lips curved into a faint smile at that, though she said nothing.

Anko rolled her eyes at her newer student's fantasy. "Yea, keep dreaming girl. At any rate, let's get back to training. We have the rest of this week before you two go back to the Academy for official," they saw her use air quotes for the word, "team placements. We'll also start taking missions that day; but they'll be stupid D-Ranks."

"What's wrong with those, sensei?" Naruto asked, finally calming down from everything.

The woman shook her head and sighed. "You'll see soon enough. Just…don't get your hopes up about your first mission. More than likely you'll be annoyed about it. I know that I was…"

Both Genin looked to one another before they shrugged. They'd just have to take her word for it.


Naruto was laying on the roof of his home, stargazing as he let his mind wander. It was the night before the Team Placements, but he wasn't concerned about them since he already had his team.

What he was thinking about was his situation with Grayfia. He'd be the first to say that he was happy she was in his life, because she had already been a great influence. She was kind to him, she respected him (even if he felt it was too much for a Genin like him), and she believed in him. He could count the people who acted the same on his two hands.

But, even with all of the support she was giving him, he still felt…intimidated by her actions; mainly the ones that would most definitely be seen as intimate in nature. He wouldn't deny that he felt…special at having such actions aimed towards him, but old memories overshadowed such feelings.

The teen didn't have the best of luck in regards to interactions with the fairer sex. Girls in his class saw him as a nuisance – except for Hinata, who just seemed nervous around him – and Sakura would never hesitate to bean him in the head for little things. So, it was easy to say that girls his age were difficult to be around.

However, they weren't the reason for his sheer anxiety when Grayfia presented her body to him that one night. No, the real reason for that was because of run-ins with older women in the village. Most were accidental as he wound up bumping into one or two a week and, due to his height, would inadvertently bump his face against their chest. He never really got the chance to apologize before he was labeled as a "pervert" by the embarrassed woman and chased off.

Though, that was nothing compared to that time. He shuddered at the memory, for it was a definite scar on his psyche.

[Flashback]

Ten-year-old Naruto was making his way home from the Academy. His spirits were down that day since he failed at the weapons training. Because of his depressed mood, his gaze had been at the ground instead of straight ahead. And it was once again, due to not watching where he was going, that would cause him to bump into yet another older member of the fairer sex.

As he turned a corner, he was unaware of a young woman – a recently promoted Chunin – turning the same corner, but from the other side. As such, he bumped into her by mistake. However, she was bigger than he was and ended up tripping over him. The result was her landing on top of his body. Unfortunately, Naruto had tried to grab onto something to stop his descent…and that something just so happened to be her chest. He cried out and removed his hand, looking up at the woman and stammering out a quick and loud apology.

The woman was a brunette with the same red fang tattoos on her face as his classmate Kiba; though had three ninken with her instead of the usual one that Naruto would see with most Inuzuka shinobi. She was gritting her teeth, and her bangs were overshadowing her eyes. Angered, she acted on instinct and screamed "PERVERT!" at him like most of his accidental run-ins with older women…but the rest of the encounter took a very different path than his past ones did.

Instead of slapping him and running off in embarrassment like every other woman, this one started to unleash furious rage upon the boy, straddling his stomach and pummeling the young boy underneath her without letting up even for a moment. Poor Naruto, having not been properly trained or prepared for a situation like this, was helpless against her onslaught. His attempts at crying out for help or mercy went unheeded, and mostly unfinished as she was beating him so furiously he didn't even have the chance to form words. His assailant, however, was screaming what could be called frenzied battle cries at the top of her lungs.

Naruto could feel his face began to swell and grow numb, and he started to feel dizzy and nauseous. His attempts to get his hands in front of his face to try and defend himself failed, as the woman eventually broke his fingers and then his arms to keep him from raising them again. Naruto didn't know what was happening – all he knew was that he was defenseless and helpless, and he could do little more than wait for this horrible ordeal to end. As he felt himself beginning to black out, the last thing he remembered was her three ninken attacking her and pulling her off of him.

"Oh, you three are going to get it, now!" he barely heard her yell as she gave chase to them, leaving him lying on the streets. He lost consciousness a moment afterwards.

Days later, Naruto opened his eyes as he became conscious. Finding himself disoriented over waking in a different place than he last remembered being, he looked around to get his bearings, almost instantly recognizing the sterile appearance and smell of a hospital room.

"Naruto-kun?" he heard a relieved female voice greet him. He turned in the direction of the voice, thankful to gaze toward the sight of ANBU member Cat.

"Hi, Cat," he breathed out weakly, offering her a smile that was just as weak as his voice.

"You gave us quite a scare, there, kid." He could hear the relief and gratitude in her voice as she continued, "You've been out cold for three days."

Naruto's eyes widened at this. Three days?! He'd never been out for that long! Cat pulled a chair up to the side of his bed and began to explain what had happened to him and what had been done about it. She made sure to speak to him in a concerned manner, showing how worried she was for his well-being.

He liked Cat. She was always so kind to him and looked out for him more than even old man Hokage did on occasion.

After telling him what had happened, he was informed that his assaulter was a Chunin named Hana Inuzuka. Surprisingly, it had been Hana's mother, Tsume, who brought Naruto to the hospital after being led to his position by Hana's own ninken! Cat had also informed him that what Hana did to him was a crime, and that she had been arrested, interrogated and punished for her assault upon Naruto. The girl had apparently become absolutely mortified when her mother and Cat herself brought her to the Intensive Care Ward and she saw just what she had done to a ten-year-old boy. Cat had been charged with guarding his room by the Hokage himself, and had remained in the room the entire time, and this is where she had remained until he awoke. After explaining the story in full, she left the room to let him rest, assuring him that should he need her, she would be just outside the door.

It was a couple of hours later that he received another visitor. The woman who was entering the room had the red fang marks of the Inuzuka Clan on her cheeks, but unlike his assailant, who had straight brown hair, this woman had a head of hair that was as wild as a lion's mane. She was accompanied by a large wolf-sized dog with an eyepatch and one of his ears missing, as well as the three ninken that were with Hana when she assaulted him.

With a somber and apologetic frown, the woman introduced herself as she bowed humbly to him. "Hello, Naruto-san. My name is Tsume Inuzuka, and it was my daughter who put you here. I'm here to formally apologize to you on my clan's behalf and to let you know that not only will I be paying for your hospital stay personally, but my clan will also be compensating you for what you've suffered at Hana's hands."

"It's…nice to meet you, Tsume-san," he offered hesitantly, to which she gave him an encouraging and grateful smile.

"Naruto, my daughter has a few things she would like to say to you…" Naruto tensed up at this, his eyes growing wide with fear; a reaction which didn't go unnoticed by Tsume. "I assure you that she won't hurt you. And ANBU Cat and I will also be in the room so you'll be protected. Okay?"

Naruto took a few breaths and, feeling as though he could trust this woman, nodded his assent shakily.

Tsume smiled at him before returning to the doorway and looking around behind the door. "You can come in now, Hana. Cat, you should come in as well to help calm the kid's nerves."

Naruto gulped in nervous anticipation as he watched Cat appear through the doorway, followed by his brown-haired assailant. He noticed this time that her eyes, instead of gleaming with frenzied rage, were welling with tears of regret and remorse. It was clear she was attempting to school her features, but the moment she made eye contact with Naruto, any control she might have had over herself began to shatter.

As her face morphed into a grimace of sadness, sobs came up from her throat and her tears began to flow freely. She took two quick steps before falling to her knees and placing her hands and head to the floor. Naruto was taken aback by this, and even Tsume went wide-eyed in surprise at Hana's action. It reminded her of a gilty pack mate appeasing to their alpha.

"I'm sorry…" she cried out as she continued sobbing, "I'm so sorry."

She continued sobbing for several minutes while chanting out apologies with her head to the floor. She eventually picked her head up and rose to her feet.

"It wasn't your fault for what happened!" she cried. "I…I had just come back from a mission that went horribly wrong. I was upset and angry when you bumped into me. And when your hand landed…well, where it did…I…" Her sobs and tears intensified as she finished, "I'm so sorry! I just saw red!" She quickly ran up to him before anyone could react and threw her arms around his shoulders, crying into his hair as she held him to herself in a need-filled hug. Her voice was filled with tears as she continued, "I don't even remember doing what I did to you! I just remember losing my temper and snapping! I never imagined that I might almost beat a little boy to death! Please, forgive me!"

Her sobs continued as Hana, in addition to holding onto him almost as if he was a lifeline, was now peppering his face with kisses as well. Naruto, feeling his own tears, slowly put his arms around the girl, not knowing what else to do, and certainly not knowing what to say.

"Please," she begged anew, "Let me make this right, somehow. I'll do whatever it takes, okay? I'll…I'll teach you any skills I have that you want to know. I'll buy you food whenever you need some! I'll even let you sleep with me if you want! Please, let me make this right, somehow! Please!"

Everyone took note of how desperate and sorry she was by her tone.

Naruto's hold on the girl tightened, his own tears now coming unbidden. As reluctant and as frightened as he was, he couldn't turn away such a heartfelt apology, especially when he could easily see that she was truly broken over what she'd done to him. As if she could feel his terror, she pulled back and placed her hand gently on his face before kissing him directly on his lips. It was one of assurance so that she could show how regretful she was; so she took care not to give any mixed messages. This somehow seemed to calm him down, at which point he promptly passed out.

The damage however, despite Naruto and Hana's burying the hatchet, had been done to Naruto's psyche – he would find himself instinctively wary in the presence of older women, especially when they appeared to be volatile.

[End Flashback]

Now, in the present time since that day, Naruto has already been incredibly nervous, if not on edge, around older women. Whenever one would interact with him, he would instinctively tense up his body and look for any means of escape.

There were a couple of exceptions, fortunately. However, those exceptions took some time to get past his psychological walls. Anko was one, having gotten through to him with a shared love of pranks and a similar "mask" like his own. Cat was another, but he had known her for a long time.

Surprisingly, Hana was another. It took a long time, but she had eventually gotten through to him when she saw him tending to an injured cat (which happened to be a certain infamous hell cat). The two grew closer over medical training; though not in a ninja sense. Naruto just lacked the control for such things, and he never would have that kind of control given his lineage.

But, that didn't mean he couldn't learn other kinds of medical practice. And with Hana's help, Naruto had been able to get enough experience as, in professional terms, a field medic. It was this experience that played a huge factor in his tending to Grayfia's earlier wounds.

Though, old scars never fully heal. Even with nearly a week of having her share his bed, Naruto was still on edge around Grayfia when she went to sleep. He felt silly about it, not to mention embarrassed, but he couldn't help his natural reaction.

"Naruto-sama?" called Grayfia from behind him, earning his attention. "It's getting late. I've prepared your bed for you."

He returned his gaze to the night sky, sighing softly. "Thank you, Grayfia-chan. I'll be inside in a moment."

"Of course," she replied, but she stayed out on the rooftop with him. "Is everything alright, Naruto-sama?"

"…Just thinking about some things," he answered after a moment. "Silly things…"

She frowned at his distant tone. She could see that these so-called silly things were truly troubling to him.

"Naruto-kun," she said softly, causing him to turn his gaze to her once again. She slowly approached him, bringing a gentle had to his face when she was close enough. To her comfort, he relaxed at her touch and she mentally noted that his whisker marks were sensitive areas. With a saddened and longing gleam in her eyes, she spoke up once more, "I wish you would talk to me. I'm here for you if you need someone to speak to."

"I know you are," he immediately returned, showing his confliction through his gaze. "But this is…something I need to sort out myself. Please understand…"

He was surprised when he saw her shed a single tear down the right side of her face. Removing her hand from his face, she gave him a sad smile. "Of course. Your private affairs are your own. Forgive me, it wasn't my intention to pry."

"No, it's fine," he assured with a faint smile in hopes of reassuring her. Standing up and heading inside he informed her, "I'm going to wash up before bed."

"Yes, Naruto-sama," she answered with a respectful bow before following him inside.

Later that evening, Naruto once again found it difficult to sleep; but this time it wasn't just his anxiety. His back was to Grayfia on the bed and he sighed softly so as not to wake her.

'I feel like such an ass, now. I didn't mean to hurt her feelings. Dammit, why is this so hard?' he asked himself. 'She won't hurt me like Hana once did… But still I… I feel so nervous…'

As he was trying to sort out his troubles, he was unaware of Grayfia, still awake, staring at his back with a concerned expression. Her silver orbs softened and she was restraining herself from reaching out to him; from holding him close to comfort him. She had to take things slow with her master, otherwise he would likely shut her out.

But it was getting hard for her to continue doing so.

'Naruto-kun…' she thought sadly before slowly succumbing to slumber.


Naruto yawned in his seat in the classroom. He was hoping to catch a few winks before Iruka arrived to assign the teams. It wasn't like he and Yakumo, who was seated next to him, needed to be there. But, they couldn't just leave and Anko had told them to wait there for her.

Turning to his sole teammate with a tired look, he asked in a hushed tone, "Could you put up a genjutsu around me so it looks like I'm still awake? I'm gonna pass out any minute…"

She gave him an understanding smile and nodded. "Sure. What are teammates for?"

He smiled back gratefully before he rested his head on the desk, almost instantly falling asleep. Yakumo, true to her word, put up a genjutsu around him and sat patiently. No one seemed to take heed of it except for Hinata Hyuuga, who looked at Naruto in concern.

Meeting Yakumo's gaze, the genjutsu user shook her head with a smile and mouthed, "He's just tired. He'll be fine".

Relieved, Hinata nodded in thanks before turning back to face the front of the class. Iruka had finally arrived and was giving one last speech to inform them of what they should expect, and be expected of, as shinobi of the Hidden Leaf. After the speech, he began to call out the teams. Teams 1 through 6 were filled with most of the class, but none had the clan heirs/heiresses in them.

Finally, the man reached Team 7. "Under the guidance of Kakashi Hatake, Team 7 will consist of Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno," he ignored her joyful cry, "and Sai Shimura."

Sasuke said nothing, but he had a thoughtful look on his face at the identity of his new sensei. Sakura was fighting herself not to go into a happy rant about her team; specifically a certain teammate. And a rather pale Genin offered a polite smile to his new teammates, but it weirded them out instead of endeared them.

"Under the guidance of Kurenai Yuhi," no one noticed Yakumo clench her fists, "Team 8 consists of Shino Aburame, Hinata Hyuuga, and Kiba Inuzuka."

The three Genin moved to sit next to one another. Kiba was grinning confidently while Shino was unexpressive, at least to the other students, while Hinata offered the two of them polite smiles.

"Team 9 is still in commission. Under the guidance of Asuma Sarutobi, Team 10 will consist of Choji Akamichi, Shikamaru Nara, and Ino Yamanaka."

The three were already seated together by coincidence. Choji was smiling contently, happy to be teamed with his friends. Shikamaru sighed at being teamed with Ino, but he knew their fathers all wanted this; so he said nothing. Ino grumbled at not being teamed with Sasuke, but she said nothing either. Like Shikamaru, she knew her father wanted to recreate the legendary trio he had been a part of.

"And lastly, under the guidance of Anko Mitarashi, Team 11 will consist of Yakumo Kurama and Naruto Uzumaki," finished Iruka, catching many student by surprise since they were under the notion that Naruto had failed. Not to mention the team only had two Genin compared to every other team. "Your teachers will be here soon, so please be patient and welcome to your first day as Leaf Ninja."

With that, he made to leave, but a bundle crashed in through the window before it unfurled and a banner was seen hanging up. The banner stated "Team 11's sexy sensei, Anko Mitarashi" and said woman stood proudly in front of it. "Alright brats, follow me to Field 17!"

Yakumo gently nudged her teammate awake and the two of them followed Anko out of the window she had just broken. However, the rest of the room's inhabitants looked on in confusion at the sight of a silverette woman in a uniform waiting for them. What confused them further was how she offered Naruto a bow before she followed him after the eccentric Jonin.


"This is bullshit," Naruto grumbled as he and Yakumo painted a fence that bordered someone's home. "How is this a mission?"

"These are just glorified chores," Yakumo added, scowling at the fence in front of her.

"Told ya," was all Anko said as she watched them work beside Grayfia. The Jonin had told the devilish maid that she couldn't help Naruto since it was his team's mission, and she wasn't a part of the team technically.

"How many of these do we have to do before we can get a better mission?" Naruto asked as the two Genin finished their mission.

Anko raised a finger and opened her mouth to answer, but she paused. Closing her mouth, she scratched her cheek and chuckled awkwardly. "Actually, I don't really know how many…"

That earned her three reactions: a madly twitching brow from Naruto, a palming face from Yakumo, and Grayfia rolling her eyes.

"Hey, come on! Cut me some slack here, guys!" cried the violette Jonin. "This is my first time actually being a sensei to anyone, so I'm learning as I go; just like you!"

Grayfia sighed at her argument and suggested, "Perhaps it would be best if we spoke to Hokage-sama about this, Mitarashi-san?"

She sweatdropped at the looks she was getting from her students and the she-devil. "Yea, maybe it would…"


Anko's brow was twitching irritably as Sarutobi chuckled at her question. "Somehow, I'm not surprised that you're asking me this question, Anko," he commented, making her brow twitch again. "But, to answer it, there is not real set number of D-Rank Missions that a team must take before going on a C-Rank. It mainly depends on the input of the sensei, and the report on their progress that you are to turn into me weekly."

"Oh yea," she said with a snap of her fingers before she pulled out a small scroll and tossed it to the Hokage. "Knew I was forgetting something…"

Naruto and Sarutobi chuckled at that while the older man looked through the report. His smile remained as he read it, nodding at certain points before something made him raise a brow. "You had a run-in with Kurenai? I take it she wasn't exactly confident about Yakumo's reinstatement as a kunoichi?"

Naruto sighed at this while Grayfia frowned. "That's an understatement…" grouched the Uzumaki.

"That woman has too little faith in Kurama-san," Grayfia added.

[Flashback]

Naruto and Yakumo were on their fourth day of training, and they had been coming along nicely. The Genin kunoichi was already showing how much progress she had made under Anko's intense physical regimen while Naruto had finally succeeded in forming a single chakra chain for each arm.

Now, they were standing in front of Anko with a blank paper in their hands. "What you two are holding is what is publically known as chakra paper. What it does is show you what elemental affinity you have. Many things can happen depending on the affinity you have. For example, a fire affinity will burn the paper while an earth one will make it crumble away into dust."

"So, we just apply chakra?" Naruto guessed.

"Yep. Now, go ahead and-"

"Anko!" cried out a familiar voice as a woman with raven tresses and wine red eyes dropped down onto the training field. Standing up, she gave Yakumo and Grayfia a glance before refocusing on her friend. "What's this I hear about the Kurama Clan letting Yakumo out?"

Anko rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Seems pretty obvious. She was helped and given the OK to reapply as a Genin." She waved an arm to the other two and finished, "It was thanks to the gaki and Ms. Chambermaid that she was able to get helped. Then the old man gave her the clearance to rejoin the ranks."

Yakumo was glaring at the Genjutsu Mistress, holding herself from doing anything rash. It also helped that Naruto had placed a hand on her shoulder to help calm her down. The Uzumaki then spoke up, "Grayfia-chan was able to get Yakumo's demon to form an agreement with her, and the two merged into a single being."

"You actually had her accept that demon?" Kurenai asked in shock. "Why on earth would you do that?!"

Grayfia was the one to answer. "Both Kurama-san and her inner demoness had been sharing a body and psyche for too long that separating them from one another would've been detrimental to her health both psychically and mentally. I spoke to the succubus and had her make an agreement with Kurama-san that would benefit them both."

"And you're sure that was wise? Aren't succubae famous for their tempting ways and cunning?"

The silverette woman easily held back her smirk. "Not to worry. I made sure to make the message very clear with that temptress. And it was Naruto-sama's idea to have me assist her with her issue after having sensed the darker nature within."

The red-eyed Jonin turned to the blonde Genin at that. "You sensed her?"

"More like I sensed the negativity coming from her. I'm able to pick up darker emotions and intentions, so I was able to feel Yakumo and her demon. I then told old man Hokage, he gave me permission to visit her, and the rest you know."

"Not like it really matters to you, right?" growled out Yakumo. "Since that day, you gave up on me, and for years I was left locked away out of fear! And all the while, you, the teacher that should've supported me and guided me, went on with your life without a damn care in the world!" Her pink eyes began to gleam dangerously at Kurenai. "You have no right…no right to interfere with my ninja career! You had your chance and you blew it; so, do me a favor and fuck off, Kurenai-sensei! And for the record, don't talk about me like I'm not here WHEN I'M STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!"

The woman recoiled at the tirade Yakumo had just given her and looked to the others, only to see no support whatsoever from her; not even from her friend. Trying to save face, she left without a word, but she mentally promised to keep an eye on the kunoichi.

[Flashback End]

"I see," noted the Hokage. "Well, whatever the case, it was my approval that led you to helping her. As such, my word is final."

The Kurama heiress smiled and bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

"Of course. Now, I don't see in here what your affinities are? If you two would please…?" he asked while Anko handed the two of them another sheet of chakra paper.

Yakumo was handed a paper first and flowed her chakra into it. After a moment, it crinkled and collapsed in itself until it was rolled up into a small ball.

"Nice one," praised Anko with a smirk. "You have a lightning affinity, which is pretty rare outside of the Hidden Cloud."

Naruto was then handed his and it split in two as soon as he put a small amount of chakra, separating the paper into two perfect halves. "Well…from what Anko-sensei said earlier about the other two affinities, and how obvious it would be for a water one, I'm guessing my affinity is wind?" he asked.

"That's correct," Sarutobi confirmed. "Like lightning, wind natured chakra is very rare her in the Land of Fire and the Hidden Leaf. I only know of two other people with that kind of affinity, and one of them you've already met. However, I wouldn't recommend asking for his assistance since he can be fairly…intense with his methods."

He nodded in understanding. "Who would you recommend then, old man?"

"My son has a wind affinity like you, but since he has his own team, it'll be difficult to find time for him to help you. Although, I will tell you the first step to gaining control is to split a leaf in half with your chakra. Give it a try when you have a free moment."

"Right," agreed Naruto with a grin.

"And for you, Yakumo, I only really know of one practitioner of lightning jutsu; sans myself, of course," continued the Hokage.

"And there's no way that lazy pervert will just actively help you," added Anko. "I can talk to him, but he has his own team as well."

"In the meantime, I'll give you the first step as well. What you need to do is grab a small piece of metal, and then you're going to try and electrify it with your chakra."

"I see," replied the kunoichi with a nod of understanding. "I'll be sure to practice, Hokage-sama."

He nodded in return before he finished the scroll containing Anko's report. "Well, I can agree that this team has already placed itself ahead of the pack since you all began to train a week in advance. I can also see that it would be a waste of time to have your team perform D-Ranks since they're mainly meant to help establish teamwork. However, I can't just send you on a C-Rank on your own so soon."

"Meaning…?" pressed Anko.

"I want your team to act as backup for another team. That way, you can all get a feel for a higher ranked mission while also lowering the risk of being overwhelmed."

"What team?" asked Naruto.

"Team 9, which consists of Might Guy, Neji Hyuuga, Rock Lee, and Tenten," answered Sarutobi.

To the surprise of the other three, Anko groaned and moved to a wall to bang her head against it. "Why, old man? Why set up my team with Mr. Youthful?"

"They're the only Genin team that I have for you to leave the village with. Besides, his team is one of the most qualified."

"Dammit," she muttered before sighing in defeat. "Fine, we'll join them. What's the mission?"

"Your team and Guy's will be responsible for escorting the Prince of the Crescent Moon Kingdom back to his home. Expect this mission to take a minimum of one month," explained the Hokage as he tossed Anko the mission scroll. "Your teams leave in the morning."

"Yes sir," saluted Anko, fighting another defeated sigh as she led her team and Grayfia out of the office. "Alright you two, get plenty of rest and make sure you have all the supplies you'll need. Long missions like this will always wear away at your stock." Both Genin nodded. "Chambermaid," she ignored Grayfia giving her a look, "you should be free to go with us since you're the gaki's personal aide. However, since I'm in charge of him, I'm also in charge of you. Understand?"

Grayfia narrowed her eyes before she nodded slowly. "For now, Mitarashi-san."

"See you all tomorrow," bid the Jonin as she left.

Yakumo turned to her teammate with a small smile. "Until then, Naruto."

"Yea. Hope you rest well," he bid as she left. Turning to Grayfia, he asked, "Shall we get home?"

"Yes, Naruto-sama. I'll be sure to prepare your things for tomorrow," she replied as they started walking home.

"Thank you, Grayfia-chan. I appreciate it."

She looked to him as he smiled, making her return it. "It pleases me to hear that, Naruto-sama," she returned as she grabbed his arm with both of her own, walking home arm in arm with him and leaving Naruto a blushing, stuttering mess every step of the way.


And there we are with this Naruto/Grayfia story's third chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it!

In case you don't know, this mission that Teams Guy and Anko are going on is based on the third Naruto movie, Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom. I won't go into too much detail about it, but I will say that the final member of Team Anko will be introduced in this chapter.

Also, the final member will not be from the Naruto or DxD universes.

On a final note, I'm happy to name my friend and valuable partner ncpfan as this story's coauthor! Thanks for everything, my friend! I greatly appreciate your help!

Until next time!

pain17ification