Edit: Oopsies! Made a mistake when I was making some last minute changes! Sorry for anyone who got confused. THIS is the new chapter haha. Also go pay some love to my one shot Heart Beatz yea? I've been told it's pretty depressing though so...yea...sorry
AN: First off I'd like to give a pretty huge thank you/shoutout to Rixxell Stryfe. You sir are pretty damn awesome! When I saw your review I could literally only gape in awe that someone would take the the time to write such a comprehensive review like that. My hat goes off to you.
I'm also glad to see the positive feedback the last chapter got. It was a pretty huge departure from the old incarnation and I expected some form of backlash for it but you guys surprised me once more.
I've personally not much else to say so I'll go ahead and hand it over to Kyram now.
Kyram's AN: I'd like to second that thanks - I spent about 20 minutes rereading that review, and it gave me a few ideas. I'm not sure how many I'm going to use, but it's appreciated nonetheless. On a similar note, I'd like to think that our story is pretty original (or at least, as original as fanfiction can be), in addition to being (as MothBallz said) a big departure from the original; I appreciate all the people who chose to read it, whether because of or despite those differences. Finally, sorry for the longer than average delay - real life got in the way.
Let's start the show!
"I wouldn't recommend doing what you're about to do Rias," Naruto muttered to his fellow red as they walked back to Kuoh Academy, Issei trailing behind them just out of earshot.
Rias turned a stiff glance at Naruto, realizing that he knew what she was planning to do. Remembering that Naruto was far more experienced when it came to leading people than she was, she decided to at least hear the Sage out before continuing any further.
Seeing Rias was willing to listen to him, Naruto called out to Issei, "Oi perv! Me and Rias-chan have some stuff to talk about. Tell everyone that we'll be back in a few."
Before Issei could even get annoyed at Naruto's nickname for him, the two redheads were gone in a crimson flash.
The Sage and Devil duo reappeared at a small cafe only a few minutes walk from the academy. The place had caught Naruto's attention when he had gone out with Koneko after one of their daily training sessions. It had the kind of sweets that appealed to the Neko's taste buds, and the sense of warmth and comfort it gave off reminded him of a certain ramen stand that he had frequented throughout his life.
It also helped that the owner of the place, a Keisuke Yamada, reminded him of Teuchi Ichiraku a great deal and even had a daughter who worked at the cafe with him.
Naruto was saddened to find that they didn't serve the sweet ambrosia that was ramen, but could make do with the sweets and tea they made.
Speaking of the father daughter duo, Fuyumi appeared with a bright smile at the table Naruto and Rias occupied.
"Ohayo Uzumaki-kun. What can I get you and your friend today?" The waitress asked, giving Naruto a wink when she said 'friend'.
Fuyumi was a cute young woman only a year or so older than Naruto, and stood at the tall (for a Japanese woman) height of five foot six inches with doe brown eyes and chestnut hair that fell in slight waves to just below her shoulders.
Naruto gave the girl a friendly smile, "I'll have the usual, thanks Fuyumi-chan."
Rias glanced at the menu before turning to the waitress, "And I'll have green tea and a taiyaki (1)."
The brunette gave the two another bright smile before saying, "Coming right up! Be back in a few."
Wanting to ease into the inevitable seriousness that would soon pervade their conversation Rias spoke, "Would I be right in guessing that you know this place so well because of Koneko?"
Naruto gave his fellow red head a small chuckle before nodding his head in assent.
"Yeah, that girl does love her sweets. But the owners of this place are also really nice people and the atmosphere is comfortable."
Rias looked around at the modestly furnished cafe, with comfortable looking black leather chairs alongside clear plastic tables. There was also a small stage with a mic and acoustic guitar, leading Rias to assume that they had an open mic night.
The walls were painted a light black, and there were curtains of the same color draped over the windows to make the room much cooler than it was outside as well as block out the sun. The far wall behind the mini stage, however, was a huge chalkboard that various people had doodled and written different things on. There were even several very well done drawings that caught Rias' eye for a few seconds.
The customers all talked quietly and among their own little groups, but it was clear that they were all content.
All in all, the place had a very calm and welcoming atmosphere that betrayed its rather large size and the amount of people who occupied the various chairs and tables.
"Yeah, it's a really great place to come and just be among friends," the Gremory heiress said with a small smile.
Within a minute of saying that, Fuyumi had come back to the table carrying Rias' tea and cake along with Naruto's usual, which consisted of a cup of iced coffee and a biscuit.
"Here are your orders. Let me know if you need anything else," and with another smile Fuyumi took her leave.
The two red heads began quietly eating their food and enjoying each other's presence. To the other patrons of the restaurant, other than their striking hair color, the two looked like a regular teen couple out on a lunch date.
"What do you mean I can't go near Asia-chan!?" Issei shouted angrily.
Rias sighed as she rubbed her forehead in frustration at her Pawn's seemingly selective hearing. He had ignored her saying that he could see Asia on their territory and instead latched onto not being allowed to go to the church, resulting in her current annoyance.
"Gaki pay attention would ya? Rias-chan didn't even say that so you're getting upset for no reason," Naruto spoke from his spot on the couch. As per usual, a certain Neko was happily occupying his lap whilst indulging her sweet tooth.
Rias shot Naruto a grateful look before continuing, "You have to understand, Issei, now that you're a devil there are rules you have to abide by and things to be aware of. One of those things is your weakness to anything having to do with the Biblical God; churches and the like included."
"How does that have anything to do with me seeing Asia-chan?" a still frustrated Pawn questioned.
"Baka! If you hadn't noticed, that Asia girl is a nun, which means she LIVES in the church. We're not saying you can't see her at all but that there are certain restrictions you have to abide by," an equally frustrated Naruto shot back.
Jeez, if this is what I was like when I was younger it's no wonder people got irritated with me! Jiji must've had the patience of a saint to put up with me.
The brunette pawn finally huffed, showing that he finally understood though he didn't necessarily like it. Issei then bowed to Rias, "I apologize Rias-senpai."
Rias only sighed and nodded her head at him, keeping her arms crossed, "I'm just trying to look out for you Issei."
Issei grudgingly nodded back, before turning and walking out the door.
The Gremory heiress sighed yet again as she plopped herself down into a chair tiredly. Only seconds later, Akeno was setting a tray of tea down on the table. Rias gave her Queen and best friend a small smile of gratitude.
"It'll all play out alright Rias-chan. Kid's stubborn as hell, but deep down he knows that you're right and that you only have his best interests at heart. Just give him some time and he'll come around," Naruto calmly said as he stroked a purring Koneko's hair.
"Thank you Naruto-kun, for everything. That could have gone terribly if you hadn't helped out," Rias said, honestly expressing her feelings of deep gratitude to her fellow red head.
Naruto gave her smile before picking up his Senjutsu student and placing her on the couch, causing the young girl to pout. After stretching out some kinks that he had gained from sitting for so long Naruto spoke up again, "No problem Rias-chan. Always happy to help, but right now there's something I gotta check out."
Rias rose as well and stepped to his side as the Uzumaki opened the window, letting in the cool afternoon breeze.
"Well, is it something I can help you with? It's the least I could do in return."
Naruto just gave the busty devil a warm smile before engulfing her in a hug.
When Rias felt Naruto's arms circle around her body and the accompanying warmth that seemed to constantly exude from his person, she blushed heavily. The two had been closer and much more intimate before, what with Rias finding Naruto's bed preferable to her own but it had pretty much always been her that initiated the contact. In one move the Sage had managed to do something that nobody else had been able to – getting Rias to feel something...foreign to her.
How far this romantic attraction she had for the enigmatic and powerful being went and what it meant for them in the future remained to be seen, but if Rias had any say in it she was going to try and make sure it meant something.
"Thanks for volunteering, but it's nothing I can't handle. I might be gone for a few days, but if you need anything just throw this somewhere and I'll be there as fast as I can ok?" Naruto said, handing her an intricately designed kunai.
The metal was a black so dark that it seemed to absorb the light around it, and etched into the metal was a series of complex and overlapping symbols and words that confused and intrigued the Gremory Heiress.
"What is this for exactly?" Rias asked curiously. Both Akeno and Koneko were also equally curious about the strange blade and were staring at it along with their King.
"You know how I do that flash thing?" A grinning Naruto asked.
No matter how old he got he would always be excited to brag about one of his moves, especially one that his father had created and that he had then improved upon.
When Naruto saw all three of the girl's nod their heads in affirmation he continued, "Well that technique was actually created by my father, with my mother's assistance. Originally he had to use tri-pronged kunai with markings similar to that to mark where he wanted to 'flash' to. When he died he had been working on a way to eliminate the need for the markers, so when I got my hands on his notes for the technique I continued where he left off and was able to perfect it and eliminate the need for the markers by combining it with a power that my mom passed down to me. But I do still know how to use the technique with the markers and they do have their benefits."
"They act like flares don't they?" Rias asked surprising Naruto.
People had always asked why he still made markers when he had mastered the technique already and he had always had to explain it to them in detail, yet Rias guessed it from just hearing him explaining the basics of the technique.
"Uh...yeah, they do. When they're thrown or plunged into something they start sending out pulses of energy to me and so allow me to know exactly where you are so I can then 'flash' there at the speed of light."
"Ara ara, that's a very interesting technique. Your parents must have been geniuses to come up with such an impressive move, using nothing more than a few rune like symbols and their own power, but I am curious. What is the technique called?" Akeno commented.
"Yeah my father was actually considered a prodigy and hailed as a hero because of this technique as well as his other unique jutsu. With just the two moves he was able to wipe out a whole battalion of enemy nin in the blink of an eye. It earned him the moniker of Kiroii Senko (Yellow Flash) and a flee on sight order from our enemies that had never been heard of before. The two moves themselves were called the Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God technique) and the Rasengan (Spiralling Sphere)," Naruto said looking up at the sky, losing himself in thoughts of his parents and how they would feel about the decisions he'd made.
This was not lost on any of the girls or Kiba and Issei who had made their way into the clubroom as quietly as possible after seeing the look in the Sage's eyes.
Rias decided that this would be good time to unravel more of the mystery that was Naruto before he left for the next few days.
"And what about your mother?"
"She was just as feared and revered as my father and was known across the nations as the Konoha no Benihime (Crimson/Bloody Princess of the Leaf). My father was good at seals, far more than almost everybody else, but my mother? She was a master at them. Everything my father knew about seals he learned from her. She was also known to be deadly with a blade."
Naruto turned to Rias with a look in his eyes and a smile on his face that shook her and caused her to begin to blush heavily. He then reached his hand out and softly grabbed a strand of Rias' striking hair.
"You two actually have a lot in common. She also had fiery red hair and a natural sense of beauty that left even my father in awe. She originally hated her hair since she was teased because of it as a child, but grew to love it because my father said that it was one of the reasons he had fallen for her."
Naruto then laughed and turned his gaze back to the sky, leaving a weak kneed Rias to try and regain her composure.
"When I met my mother later in life I actually told her that I wished that I had her red hair instead of my father's blonde. Funnily enough that came true after I said it."
Kiba chose this time to ask his own question, "Naruto-senpai you were blonde originally?"
"Yup, though my hair was a much darker shade than yours. People used to say that it was 'sun-kissed'."
"What were their names?" Koneko asked quietly.
And to the shock of everyone there they saw Naruto's sapphire eyes glisten before they saw a few tears trail down his face. No one had expected that. For the short time they had known him they had all begun to see Naruto as a pillar of strength that could never crack or crumble, a powerful being that stood above most, and yet before them there he stood, a Sage and a man that had done and seen so much throughout his short life crying at the memories of his parents.
"My father was Minato Namikaze and my mother was Kushina Uzumaki."
No one said anything for awhile, too shocked to say much of anything.
Issei however was the one to break it.
"What...happened to them?" The girls shot him a nasty look at asking such a question in such a brazen manner and even Kiba shook his head in disappointment.
Naruto eyes became dull yet still he wore a small smile that showed the conflicting of emotions that ran through him.
"They died on the day I was born. Sacrificed their lives so that I could live mine and also gave me the power and tools to become the person I am today."
Again no one said a word or made a move.
Rias was left in shock at all she was finding out about this….man that had stepped into her life. She knew that he had fought in a war, was raised and trained to be a killer, and could see the the kind of person he was, but in this moment she was finding out more than she had ever been able to when she asked questions about him. He was almost baring his naked soul to them. Sure she knew there was more to him; more people who affected him and other events that molded him, but the emotions that were seen in his eyes and heard in his voice when he talked about his parents showed that they meant a lot to Naruto.
Koneko was equally as shocked. To her he was her pillar, a standard to which she could and should compare herself to her. He was her sensei, a powerful being who had mastered an art that could make someone as powerful as a god, yet he never let that go to his head. Naruto was a humbled man, a light to her and those whose lives he had touched. To see her sensei, her role model, her pillar look so….fragile and so human made her admire him even more. If he could reach heights that so many sought to without sacrificing who he was, without giving up the bonds and people who shaped him then so could she.
By baring his flaws, his humanity, Naruto had become even more perfect to Koneko.
Kiba was lost in his own thoughts. Naruto was something of a measuring bar for Kiba. He far outclassed the Knight in almost every aspect and yet was still someone you would be proud to call a friend. Kiba also knew that there was more to Naruto, a lot more, and that quite a bit of it was much...darker and more horrifying than losing his parents at birth. Kiba had a feeling that his own dark past with a certain church experiment paled in comparison to Naruto's shadowed past, but if Naruto could conquer that to become stronger and stand taller then so could Kiba.
Issei was left feeling both inadequate and grounded at the same time. Here he was complaining about becoming a devil and whining about not being able to see a girl he had not even known for an hour, and then there was Naruto. He had lost his parent's when he was born. That alone shook Issei. What would he be like if he didn't have his parents? Would he even be alive without the two people that loved him unconditionally and had cared for him without expecting anything in return. The love of a parent was something that could never be replicated or replaced. Naruto had lived his life never knowing that love.
The Queen Akeno was also shaken up by the whole thing. On some level she connected with Naruto, having lost her parents at a young age. Yet that also meant that she couldn't connect with Naruto. She had known the love of her parents, the warmth of a mother's hug and the security of a father's arms for as short as it was. Naruto hadn't, never had, and probably never would experience any of those things. It saddened her to know that someone so...amazing had suffered something like that.
Naruto turned his head to them, unashamedly showing the sadness in the form of tears trekking down his cheeks, and smiled.
"Sorry for that. Didn't mean to dump all of that on you guys and don't worry Issei. Was only natural that you asked that question."
Naruto then fully turned and gave a tight, warm hug to each of the girls. Rias returned the gesture and even pecked him on the cheek. Koneko just nuzzled her head into his chest and clung to him tightly. Akeno smiled a genuine smile and returned the hug. Kiba and him shared a firm hand-shake before he ruffled Issei's hair jokingly.
"Well I'll be back in a few days. Try not to get into too much trouble!" and with a last laugh and smile Naruto was gone in a crimson flash.
"...Buchou?" Akeno spoke.
"Yes Akeno?"
"I just realized something. Uzumaki-kun said that his parents died when he was born right?"
Rias turned a curious glance at Akeno, "Yes he did. Why are you asking though?"
Akeno shook her head, "Because he said that he met his mother later in life, and the way he spoke about the two meant that he had met them both personally…."
"Are you suggesting that he was lying Akeno….?"
Akeno immediately waved her hands in defense, "Of course not Buchou! But I'm saying that there's more to it. Dead people just don't come back to life, even for a short time, unless there was some foul play or something."
"...you're right. There's still a lot more that he's not telling us." Rias said resolutely, gripping the kunai Naruto had given to her chest.
"Damnit!" a sweaty and frustrated Rias cursed.
We find said red haired Devil in a predicament she would have rather not be in.
The day before Issei had found out that the young nun he had made friends with was actually the holder of a very potent healing Sacred Gear. On top of that she was being held against her will at the church by several Fallen and excommunicated Priests and exorcists. Her situation went from bad to worse as the nun overheard one of the Fallen talking about forcibly taking her Gear out of her, even if it meant her death.
She had barely been able to get the message out to Issei before they found her and she was taken back to the church, presumably so that the Fallen could go through with their plan.
Issei had of course been vehement that they go and help Asia and save her life. At first Rias had been against the idea because she didn't want to disturb the balance that was the cease fire between the Three Factions. It was at that time that something odd happened.
(Yo yo time for a flashback kiddies! ~)
"Issei you have to understand that-," was as far as Rias got before there was a poof of smoke in the middle of the club room.
All members were instantly on guard knowing that only people keyed into the protective runes and charms could teleport into the room directly without Rias' say or prior knowledge.
Everyone's eyebrow rose as in the middle of the room, seated on its haunches was a rather large, the size of a kitten, amphibian wearing a sleeveless kimono top. What was even stranger was that the toad was munching on what looked to be several sticks of pocky.
The thing then turned its gaze to Rias and her peerage before raising a flipper...hand...limb and casually called, "Yo!"
Issei was the only one to freak out as Rias had yet to explain to him what familiars were, which is what everybody thought the small thing was.
It then turned its eyes to Rias before hopping onto the desk in front of her.
"Red hair? Check. Porcelain skin? Yup. Large….assets? Haha check! Boss sure knows how to pick em!"
Rias had to refrain herself from hurting the toad at the assets comment, if only out of curiosity as to how it knew who she was and who its boss was.
"Ara ara, and who would your boss be Toad-san?" A curious Akeno asked.
The boss glanced at Akeno out of its peripheral vision before turning its attention back on Rias, "Sorry girly Boss didn't mention you so I can't disclose that info. I'm just here to deliver a message from Boss to you Gremory-hime."
Rias only rose an eyebrow at the title, "Well then can I have the message?"
The toad chuckled, "Right right sorry!" The clothed toad then cleared its throat before continuing, "Rias that cute little nun that the perv made friends with is in big trouble. The Fallen that have her are acting outside of the orders of the Grigori Governor so you can take care of them without worrying about any political backlash. The humans have also been excommunicated from the Church so they are free game as well."
Rias' eyes widened as she realize who had sent the toad.
"Your boss is Naruto-kun?"
The toad then gave her a thumbs up...somehow, "Yup! We toads are the personal summons of Naruto-oyabun!"
"Wait so it's not just you then?" a curious Kiba asked. He had heard of powerful Devils being able to have several familiars but the way the toad worded it made it sound like there were more than just a few of them.
"Nope! Boss usually uses me to deliver messages. When he needs battle help though he'll call on Gamakichi, though Gamabunta also likes to come out every so often, but since Boss has gotten so strong recently he hasn't really needed the help so him and Bunta-jiji usually just sit around and drink."
Koneko chose this time to chime in, "Wait, you're the toads who taught Naruto-senpai how to use Senjutsu aren't you?"
Whilst still munching on the pocky the toad answered, "Well not me personally. That was Shima-baasama and Fukasaku-jiisama."
"So where is Naruto-senpai?" Koneko asked.
Truth be told she had been missing Naruto quite a bit and it had only been a few days since he had left. She still kept up with her Senjutsu training so that when Naruto did come back she could show him what she could do.
"Uh..well...Boss said you might ask that. He kinda told me not to tell you guys that bit of information only that he would probably be back in another day or two."
The toad began to sweat as a deadly aura surrounded Rias and she set a glacial stare at the toad.
"Do you know where Naruto-kun is?"
"...yes," The toad replied in such a small voice it almost went unheard.
"Where. Is. He." and it came out not in the form of a question but as a demand.
"Uhhh…...gottagobye!" and with a poof of smoke the toad was gone.
(BACK TO THE FUTURE!..haha...get it? Cuz it's a movie and….yea I'll just go now…)
After that little incident Rias had decided to help Issei save Asia. What she hadn't expected though was a psychopathic Exorcist with a fetish for killing Devils, four mildly powerful Fallen, and a league of annoying rogue Priests.
Under normal circumstances her and her peerage could have dealt with them all with relative ease but it seemed that the Fallen had been prepared and had the Priests coat the inside of the Church with charms that weakened Devils. As it was they could still pull out a win but it would be a difficult thing to do, especially when they were trying to stop Asia from being ritualistically killed for her Sacred Gear.
That's when things went to complete shit.
The crazed Exorcist Freed didn't like losing, especially if it was to a Devil and so as a last gambit he had pulled out several vials of Holy Water. He then bathed himself in the stuff as well as coated his blade in it before throwing what was left towards the unsuspecting Koneko.
Fully healthy a high ranking pure blooded Devil would be left with severe burns from the blessed liquid. However Koneko was not at full strength nor was she as powerful as a pure blooded high ranking Devil and even worse she was about to take the brunt of the acidic liquid.
Without even thinking Rias tossed the kunai she had received from Naruto with all her strength and desperately called out, "NARUTO!"
All eyes were drawn to the speeding black knife as it neared the floor at Koneko's feet while the Holy Water was also hurtling towards the stunned Neko.
To everyone's shock a crimson flash appeared in front of the frozen Neko who was then wrapped in the cloak of the figure that appeared from the flash.
The vials smashed against back of the cloak, serving to only soak the piece of clothing.
"You ok Koneko-chan?" rang the voice throughout the church.
The young Senjutsu-user turned a wide-eyed gaze at the person who had engulfed her in his cloak, ultimately saving her life.
"Naruto-senpai?" came her shaky voice.
The figure then rose to his full height and let down his now wet cloak before grinning his signature foxy grin, "Well I'm certainly not ol Saint Nick or anything."
Koneko then wrapped her arms around a chuckling Naruto's abdomen.
"Rias-chan call everybody back. I'll take it from here."
Rias only nodded her head before Kiba, Akeno, and a hesitant Issei sped back towards their King near the entrance of the Church.
"I'm gonna need you to go with them ok Koneko-chan?"
Koneko wiped her eyes of the few tears that had escaped her eyes before nodding and rushing to join the rest of the Peerage.
The sound of flesh hitting flesh then echoed throughout the church.
Freed with a crazed but pissed glint in his eyes had a fist caught in Naruto's hand.
"How the hell are you not dead yet!? I'm covered in Holy Water! Your heathen ass should be burning right now!"
"Me a heathen? Sounds funny coming from an excommunicated Exorcist don't you think? Now normally I'm not one for unnecessary violence but you made two mistakes. You tried to kill my cute student and you also harmed the cute nun over there. Sorry buddy but I don't let people like you get three strikes."
The next sound that reverberated through the church was that of bone being broken.
Freed crumpled onto the white marble floor of the church in a fleshy mass of pain, only his open mouth and wide eyes expressing the amount of pain he was in.
In the blink of an eye Naruto had crushed the bones in his hand while also delivering a swift kick to his leg at the knee, snapping the joints, tendons, and other assorted body parts located there in two.
That's when Rias and the others noticed his eyes. The normally azure orbs that carried warmth and kindness in them were now two chips of ice colder than the tundra of Antarctica. This wasn't Sage Naruto. This wasn't prankster Naruto.
No this was the Naruto that had led the Shinobi Alliance against the megalomaniac Tobi. This was the Naruto that had housed the Kyuubi in his body for seventeen years of his life and had paid the price for it.
Standing before them was the Hero of the Fourth Shinobi World War.
Without even turning his gaze from the other priests and Fallen that were now staring at him, Naruto picked up the fallen form of Freed before tossing him into the air like one would a pebble. Before anyone could anything Naruto had flashed through a series of hand seals and was now cupping his mouth.
"Katon: Karyuu Endan (Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet)."
The stream of flames formed the massive head of a roaring dragon whose heat was easily felt by all in the church, causing those closer to the source of the flames to begin to sweat. The dragon then swallowed the form of Freed Sellzan, bathing the psychopath in flames.
In some odd way it was almost as if the Exorcist was being baptized one last time before going on to be given his final judgment.
When all was said and done not even ashes remained to be seen.
All present could only gape in shock. Rias nor her peerage had seen this side of Naruto nor had they seen any of his abilities outside of the Hiraishin, his physical strength, and his skill with a blade, and none of that had been seen in actual combat. Sure they knew he was powerful but what they had just seen was a confirmation of that power.
The Fallen and the rest of the rogue church members were sweating in fear.
This guy had appeared out of thin air and in the span of a minute had dispatched one of their stronger numbers by breathing fire like it was a normal occurrence. The fact that he had done so with a straight face and not once looked like it required any kind of effort on his part was what was even more frightening, even for the Fallen.
The next words to come out of Naruto's mouth sent everyone there reeling in shock.
"By order of both the Governor General of the Grigori, Azazel, and Gabriel of the Seraphs you are all to be disposed of and Asia Argento is to be freed."
Edit: I was originally gonna cut it here but because of how long it took for me to get this out I figured that as a consolation I would include some of what I had for the chapter after this. So keep going!
For a few moments no one said a word or moved a muscle, too shocked to do much else except breathe. How could one not be surprised by what the red haired sage had just said? He had openly claimed, in so many words, that he was acting on orders received from two of the most powerful Angels ever (Fallen and otherwise) to destroy this small enclave of Fallen and rescue the young nun.
Finally the silence was broken by the Fallen garbed in a trenchcoat and fedora. The man began to laugh out loud as if he had just been told the funniest joke he had ever heard.
Naruto was unfazed by this. He had been subject to worse at the hands of the villagers and sometimes his own comrades so some no name Fallen whose power was equal to that of one of his fingers wouldn't faze him.
However what came out of the laughing Fallen's mouth was not what everyone expected.
"Finally! Someone to give me a challenge! A true warrior! I can see it in your eyes boy. You have blood on your hands. You've watched as the life drained from the eyes of your enemies. Perfect!"
Naruto merely narrowed his eyes as he realized just what was going on. This man didn't want Asia or anything grandiose. He was the type of being who reveled in the feeling of battle, the feeling of your life hanging on the line; the adrenaline pumping through your extremities as you fought for your life.
And Naruto would lying if he said he didn't sympathize with the man on some level. Maybe it was because he had been exposed to Kurama's chakra in the womb and then had it coursing through his body for his entire childhood and well into his teen years. Maybe it was because the Uzumaki were infamous for their tenacity in battle.
When you can live through wounds that would down lesser men then you tended to throw caution to the wind.
Maybe it had to do with him suppressing his darker emotions for the vast majority of his life.
Naruto didn't know nor did he really care, because when it was all said and done he was the same way. He loved the feeling of a good fight. He loved hearing the blood pounding in his ears. He relished in the feeling of overcoming his opponent.
But this Fallen Angel wouldn't give that to him.
He had faced down the demon Moryo when he was still some snot nosed brat. He dominated Pein, albeit with some help, a man with the power to crush the entirety of Konoha with a single phrase. He fought the megalomaniac Obito, a nin who had bested his own father and was said to be nearing the level of Madara Uchiha himself. Hell he had stared down and went toe to toe with Kyuubi in her full Bijuu form for the right to use her power.
This fallen from grace Angel was nowhere near strong enough to compare to him.
And he was going to show him that.
"As true warriors I believe it fitting that we share our names so that we may recall this glorious moment. I am Dohnaseek," The Fallen said with a flourish, taking off his cloak and hat.
"…Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto," was Naruto's clipped reply.
Dohnaseek called a light spear into each of his hands, "Then let us begin Uzumaki Naruto!"
The black winged angel tore off in a burst of speed, a crazed grin on his face.
Raynare who was watching from afar had a brief moment of déjà vu as Dohnaseek sped towards Naruto, the Sage not moving a muscle.
Right as Dohnaseek had extended an arm to pierce through Naruto with one of his light spears, the Uzumaki dropped into a crouch and using the leg muscles he had trained since he was a child exploded upwards, his fist slamming harshly into Dohnaseek's abdomen.
The laws of motion took over and the Fallen Angel was sent at breakneck speeds into the roof of the church. It was then gravity's turn and the still out of wind Dohnaseek plummeted back towards the cold marble of the floor, the sound of bones cracking echoing through the church yet again.
Dohnaseek once more surprised everyone when he began to shakily make his way back to his feet, a mad chuckle issuing from his lips.
"Yes! This is it! This is the kind of battle I was looking for! If it means throwing the three factions back into war for this then I'd gladly do it!"
Naruto's eyes narrowed and his fists clenched as he turned an angry gaze at the barely standing Fallen.
"You're willing to put thousands of lives on the line needlessly to satisfy your own blood lust?"
In response Dohnaseek laughed, "Of course! This is what it's all about! Those unfit to do battle like this do not need to live. That human Darwin had it right. Survival of the fittest!"
The next instant Dohnaseek had a length of glowing blue chain wrapped around his neck, lifting him off the ground and stopping the flow of oxygen into his body. Angry azure chips of ice stared him down.
Everyone followed the chain and were surprised to see that it was coming directly out of Naruto's back like it had always been there.
"People like you disgust me. It is not the job of the strong to pass judgment on the weak. No, it is the job of the strong to ensure that there is peace and fairness, to help the world flourish. "
Dohnaseek's own eyes defiantly glared right back before he managed to choke out, "You are no warrior. Just some tree hugger."
Naruto grinned right back, "Funny. I hail from the Village Hidden in the Leaves and I'm a Sage so you're right, I am a tree hugger." The next instant his eyes had returned to the hardy glint of steel they had been before.
Before anyone could blink they saw yet another chain burst from Naruto's back before it sped straight for Dohanseek, piercing the disgraced Angel through the heart in one clean shot.
"And I never claimed to be a warrior. I'm a shinobi. I abide by my own set of morals."
Both chains receded back into Naruto's back, leaving the corpse of Dohanseek to fall lifelessly to the floor, staining the white marble floor around it with the red liquid of life.
Without even turning to face the group of rogue priests Naruto spoke in a low voice seeped with danger, "You have one minute. If you are not out of this church in one minute your life is forfeit."
Looks like Naruto has been up to quite a bit in those days he was gone! Where did he go? How does he know both Azazel and Gabriel? Why did they specifically ask HIM to carry out their orders? So many questions! All to be answered in the next chapter!
Now for some AN's.
Kyram's AN: (1) For those who are curious, a taiyaki is a cake shaped like a fish. It's typically filled with red bean paste, but there are other options (chocolate or sweet potato for example).
Mothballz AN: Sorry for such a long wait for this chapter. I went on spring break which means I took off to Las Vegas with some friends for a few days and then got busy with a bunch of other stuff (gaming, music, etc.) so I wasn't able to write for awhile which means Kyram had nothing to edit and just a whole lot of other things.
As we've both stated before we are rather busy people so we write when we can and all.
On another note me and Kyram tossed around an idea about Omakes. What we're thinking of is using the omakes to show you what we do with flames! (sparked by one of Kyrams comments about flames) This may or may not involve the characters themselves and, hell with as few flames as we've been getting may just turn into regular ol' omakes.
You guys like the sound of that? Got your own suggestion? Let us know by pming us, reviewing, etc etc.
ONE MORE THING!
Do me a huge favor guys and go and head to my profile. On there is a link to a video my friend posted of us fucking around on one of the very many games we all play together.
We're trying to get a big thing going and could use some support so if you guys would be awesome and click the link please do! Every view we get counts!
Edit: This was actually supposed to be up a few days ago but unfortunately Kyram was unable to do much editing due to things going on in his own life, which he can't be faulted for. Nonetheless it had been quite a while and my inbox was getting clogged by people asking when the new chapter was coming out so I made due.
Things like this happen, thus is life. Hope you enjoyed the new chapter and fret not, the next chapter is already under way so you won't have to wait too long for it!
Until next chapter!
Peace out!