AN: Chapter El-Ev-En!
Never thought I would have made it this far, but to tell you guys a secret, I wrote Chapters 1-12 ahead of time.
As I have literally been updating every day so far, I think I've earned a bit of a clap on the back for it.
Now, this chapter is going to dive head first into some Canon! Yay!
Also this has some exposition on the AU divergence as well, so read it to find out what it was!
I have plans for when I want to introduce each girl into Naruto's harem, and since Akeno, Mittlet, and Kalawarner are now in the beginning stages, the next one will be Ravel, then Koneko and Kuroka, then Sona, Tsubaki, and Serafall, ending with Kunou.
Yep, that's it, unless the demands for other girls who aren't a whole lot older than him come in. I made the exception for Kuroka, Kalawarner, and Serafall, so no more!
Wash is already getting Rossweisse and Yasaka, so their out.
And yes, the countries and territories in the Elemental Nations are based off of Gears of War.
(Chapter 11- Hope For Peace then Screw it and Attack)
Naruto sighed happily as he, Mittlet, and Koneko ate the plate of chocolate chip cookies Akeno had made. Say what you will about her and her strange obsession with BDSM, but she was a damn fine cook.
Currently he and the rest of Rias' Peerage, alongside the two Fallen Angels and Wash, who claimed he couldn't allow so many students together without teacher supervision, were in the ORC Clubroom listening to Issei and Rias fight over the brunette's newest friend/potential love interest.
What had happened was Issei had taken Asia through the park ,after a few days of getting to know her, the same one he got tortured and murdered in, when they were attacked. Again.
Thankfully Volfe or Tenran weren't there, and the worst Issei got was a stab in the gut which healed very, very quickly thanks to some help from Rias. After they got back, Issei demanded that they go and save Asia, while Rias said that they shouldn't waste time and resources on basically a lost cause.
Issei was proclaiming loudly that she wasn't a lost cause and had a Sacred Gear, that even if it went against her wishes she could be reincarnated and never have to be alone again.
Rias had become so frustrated with him that she said if he went after her, then he was declaring himself a Stray Devil, and to not expect mercy from her.
He had to snort at that, quietly so no heard him. Rias may have been an heiress to a powerful Devil family, but she didn't have the bearing or demeanor to command just yet. Not like his personal hero from the Elemental Nations: Mangetsu Hozuki.
Mangetsu was the kind of man who you respected on sight, as he didn't accept any kind of weakness, or when it came to failure or quitting. He commanded with an iron and ruthless fist that wasn't tight enough to crush the people under his command, but firm enough to know that if pushed, you were dead.
He had taken by force, quite literally, the Executioner sub-group known as the Seven-Swordsmen of the Bloody Mist from it's previous leader, and since then their mission completion rate went up by at least forty-to-fifty percent. And while at first the other members didn't particularly respect the lean, soft spoken, feminine looking, kind man, they changed their tune when he had his own brother flayed, gutted, and hung from the gate post of the training camp under his command as a message, especially after his brother had repeatedly made it known that he thought Mangetsu was weak.
Naruto had only ever met the man once in his life, but he had been stupefied by the fact that such a soft-spoken man could be so cruel and heartless one moment, then kind and compassionate the next.
Yeah, if Rias had any kind of bearing Mangetsu had, Issei would never have even thought of defying her. But, then again, Mangetsu only got that bearing after a little over twenty years in the Executioners.
Give them a break, they didn't have the never ending resources or unwavering and absolute loyalty that Tyrus and Indiashka had. They literally had a mountain headquarters and some hidden bases where children were trained and then sent to the mountain headquarters. They had to supply their own food, weaponry, armor, and other such things on their own.
Granted, they made a lot of money doing the most basic of their jobs; that is, hunting criminals and killing them, but it also took a lot of money to keep everything going. But in a world where War was an everyday occurrence, and the fact that someone, somewhere, wanted another person or persons dead made them very needed.
Back to the story, Naruto sighed as Rias and Akeno left. Apparently while he had been thinking about home, Rias had decided she wasn't going to deal with Issei anymore, and left.
Looking at his friend, Naruto noted the set of his jaw and inwardly smiled at him. Issei hadn't come a very long way in his training, but he did uncover his Sacred Gear, a weird gauntlet that was red and had a large green gem in it. Naruto didn't know just what it did, but he was sure it would give Issei an edge.
Issei shook with anger as he clenched his fist. His eyes hardened into a look that Naruto had seen in Tyran soldiers when they saw friends or family in trouble. Huh. It looked like Issei had a bit of steel in him. "I don't know about you guys, but what Buchou just said was bullshit. We can't just let that sadistic bastard Volfe take her Sacred Gear! We need to save her! I know I'm not exactly all that close to you guys, and that you have no reason to help me, but please! Asia is innocent in all of this!"
Koneko spoke up in the same monotone she always had after a few moments of silent chewing, finishing her last cookie. "Issei, you're a perverted idiot but I'll help you."
Naruto looked at her in curiosity as Kiba agreed to go as well, making him snort when they looked at him expectantly. "Do you really think I'm going to let you guys fight Volfe and Tenran on your own? Hell no! They would tear you apart! Count me, and by extension Mittelt and Kalawarner, in!"
"Hey!" Mittelt snapped. "Why do we have to go?"
Naruto narrowed his eyes and gave them a smirk. "Consider it the chance to take your revenge against Volfe for everything he's done so far."
The two considered it for a moment and then nodded, replying at the same time. "We'll do it."
As for Wash, he was getting a bit fed up with the melodrama and thrust his hands in the air in exasperation. "Seriously?! You're really doing this to me?! If I don't go, then I'm a complete asshole, if I do go I might have to fight BOTH Volfe AND Tenran! How the fuck am I supposed to come out at the top on this!?"
"By coming along, Useless-Sensei." Koneko stated bluntly. What? She didn't like Wash. He looked way to flaky to her, despite him being a teacher. She ignored the dry stare she received from him. She wouldn't be changing her mind anytime soon, so he could stop with the look.
"Dammit..." Wash said as he stood. He might as well go, it would be bad karma on him if they all died and he didn't at least try to help them. "Fine, I'll go. But don't think it's because I want to save this Africa girl! I could give less than half a shit about her! I'm only going so that if you die, I can at least tell Renaldo I did my best to help."
Naruto shook his head at Wash. The man was terrible with names and could barely remember his name. It took him several months to even get it right half the time!
XXX-Line Break-XXX
Volfe grinned as he looked at the blonde girl Raynare had collected earlier that day. He had waited a long time for the chance to study a Sacred Gear, so finally getting a subject he could test was a bit exciting for him.
He licked his lips as he watched her from the shadows. If he did good here, then his Master would no doubt reward him for a job well done. If he played his cards right, he might be given the chance to usurp that Little Bastard as his right hand man.
But, he thought as his grin turned to a frown, his Master wanted him back that night to report, leaving only Tenran to make sure everything went off without a hitch. Normally that wouldn't be very bad, if only for the fact that Tenran had killed or crippled-beyond-repair most of the people who would have acted as guards out of boredom, leaving only the large man, Raynare, and a handful of Exorcists to ensure everything went off without a hitch.
Oh well. Tenran was more than capable of killing anyone who got too close, he just worried he might do something foolish, like kill the girl, before everything was done.
"Tenran," He called as he walked towards him, trying not to throw-up at the smell of the rotting organs his armor was covered in. How could he stand the smell? Didn't he wash his armor at all? And for that matter, why was he hitting his head against the wall? "Make sure that everything goes off without a hitch. If you fail, not only will I be punished severely, but you as well."
The large man studied Volfe for a moment and then snorted in disdain. "Weakling. So afraid of failure. If you were a REAL warrior, then maybe you would realize that I have this more than handled. Now, unless you have something good to talk about, shut up and let me prepare for battle."
Ah. So that was what he was doing. Turning and repressing a snarl of anger, Volfe pushed a hand through his hair with a frown. Something was telling him he should stay here and make sure that things went smoothly. It was that same something that had let him escape from Tyrus all those years ago, and it had never failed him before.
Oh well, he thought as he left the building. It wasn't like Tenran would fail, right?
XXX-Line Break-XXX
Naruto and his Shadow Clones all surrounded the church, eyeing it warily as they did. His sense were screaming at him that something big and dangerous was in there.
He wasn't entirely keen about finding out what it was.
Naruto just sighed as he stood in his tree, finding it stupid to be hiding in it. Both Volfe and Tenran were very good at sensing and hiding from people. They had to be, after all. They were some of the most wanted people in the world.
Chances are both had already sensed him and prepared to fight. He just hoped Issei didn't do anything too stupid and try to fight them on his own. He wasn't strong enough for that yet.
He tensed as the doors to the church opened and a hulking figure walked out. He stood at least over ten feet in height, which made him Tenran despite Mittlet saying he wasn't that big and argued that he was only seven. His armor was blood red plates that covered his chest, back, and arms, while around his waist was a red sash like cloth that had armor on it. He had no shoes that he could see, and on his head was a smooth red helm that covered his head entirely. In his hand was a massive war-club that had three giant stone like rings around it, each one thick and heavy.
Naruto mentally prepared himself when Tenran spoke in the deep and steady voice that barely hid his glee for the coming battle. "Come out, Little Wolf! I know you're there! I can sense you! There's no use hiding! Let us see who is truly the superior warrior; The Little Wolf or the Great Bear!"
He took a breath and jumped down from the tree branch, hitting the ground without a single sound. Walking as calmly as possible, Naruto spoke to the others through his earpiece that he had been given by Kiba to keep in touch. "Guys, wait for my signal before rushing the church. I'm going to lure Tenran away and give you guys a shot. But once I do, don't waste it."
Just as he passed the treeline, Naruto felt more than saw Tenran's beedy, battle-mad eyes immediately hone in on him. Shaking the feeling of dread that filled him as he walked closer and closer to the massive man, he took a breath.
He wasn't afraid to die. No, dying didn't scare him. What did, though, was the fact that if his plan didn't work, then Tenran wouldn't even hesitate to obliterate him, his friends, and the hunt Rias and Akeno down, only to do the same to them as well.
Since his emotions had returned, he had found himself spending more of, and enjoying, the time he got to with his fellow Peerage members. Never in his life had he ever felt as wanted by anyone as they did, and even though his trust in Rias had basically been shattered into a million pieces, he still cared for her to as much an extent as he could.
Even if it killed him, he wouldn't let anyone hurt them. Even if he was torn apart, had his legs ripped off, his arms cut off, his eyes gouged out, his tongue removed and was beheaded, he would crawl from whatever death held him and destroy anything that threatened them. Because now he was a King on a throne, surrounded by people who genuinely cared for him.
And for that, he would kill even Gods to save them.
So as he got closer and closer to Tenran, he felt his confidence grow, newfound strength entering him as he stopped not even ten feet from the massive man. Tenran eyed him for a moment, his grin small and psychotic as he began to chuckle. "Truly, you are the most brave of men, Little Wolf, as many men far greater and far stronger than you have face me and died just from seeing me. Warriors many times your size and strength have died by my favored war-club, Tartarus, and yet here you stand, unafraid and with the eyes of a True Warrior. Tell me, Little Wolf, what is the name of my next opponent on my road to the Last Battlefield?"
Naruto looked up at the man and began to speak after a moment. "I am the one who is called Naruto, Soldier under the Heiress of the Gremory Clan. I am also the one who challenges you."
Beady eyes stared down at him seriously at that. "A Challenge, eh? You do know, boy, that the Tyran custom of Challenge is a very serious matter? That it is a fight to the death, correct? That I have never lost?"
The blonde just smirked confidently. "Well, there's a first time for everything, isn't there?"
Tenran growled lowly as he shifted his club into a two-handed hold. "I am going to enjoy crushing you to dust."
Naruto justed shifted so he could more easily move left or right around the massive man. "That's if you can."
The two stilled as the air became silent, waiting for the other to make a move. Naruto knew if he made the first move, Tenran would win. The man was well known to be incredibly strong. If he made even one mistake and took a single hit with that club, it was all over for him. Despite his healing Tenran swung hard enough that even the hardest material Naruto knew of, Indiashka Steel, shattered like glass.
Suddenly, Tenran moved, charging at Naruto with his shoulder in an incredibly fast dash that he barely avoided, and then retaliated by sending a single bullet of Chakra at his skull. The massive man vanished in a flash of speed and appeared above him, bringing his club downwards toward him at a blinding pace.
Twisting, Naruto latched onto the metal of the weapon and held on for dear life as it slammed into the ground, causing a twenty foot wide and six foot deep crater to form in the earth.
Grabbing the larger man's shoulder, Naruto got him in a lock that would hold him for just long enough to get the others into the church.
"Guys! Run! Get into the Church and find Asia! I've got Tenran!"
Said man turned and watched as several others burst into the clearing, making him snarl in fury before grabbing Naruto with his free hand and sending him to the ground, stomping hard on his stomach, making the blonde spit out blood as his lower intestines almost liquified under the pressure. "Insignificant Shit!"
Bringing Tartarus up and then down, Tenran was disappointed to hear the sound of it striking the ground, while Naruto managed to pry the larger man's foot off of him just in time.
Bringing one of the kunai from his tool pouch at his side, Naruto jammed the sharp blade deep into the kneecap of the Bull like man.
Rolling to dodge a wild counter, Naruto took a minute to assess what he had to work with.
Using Respira would be a bad idea. Tenran was too fast and agile for a man his size to be caught by it, and Naruto could only hold it for a few minutes, tops.
Destruction was out, as well. It took too much Chakra and was too unreliable to use in a battle like this. Not to mention it would require him to have time to regrow his arm after using it.
Shadow Clones and swarming would just be a waste of Chakra on his part, as they wouldn't really do much to the man other than give him more than one target to swing at. Not to mention they would all be destroyed in one swing, if those two craters were anything to go by.
Dammit, he swore as Tenran recovered enough to charge again, causing the blonde to dodge to the left. He needed time to come up with a strategy. The only one he could really think of was using Kaguya's Chakra, and that left him drained after each use, meaning he wouldn't be able to assist the others if he beat Tenran with it.
Closing his eyes, he made the decision and powered up into his Ten-Tails Chakra Mode, or as Issei called it, the Okami (Wolf God) Cloak. Opening his one eye, Naruto glared angrily at the now grinning Tenran. "Don't expect to leave this battlefield, Tenran. I won't show any mercy."
Tenran let an even larger grin show as he dropped his club, for a moment, leaving a large dent in the ground as he did so. He began to take his armor off, each piece being thrown to the side and leaving an even bigger crater than the last, until he was bare chested, showing the massive amount of muscle on his body. "Good, good. Now i won't have to hold back anymore. No more slow and steady. Speed, fast, faster! Show me the way to the Last Battle, Naruto! SHOW ME THE PATH TO NIRVANA!"
And then he was gone. A blink and suddenly Naruto was flying back through several trees as his chest screamed in agony. Sliding across the ground for a bit, Naruto barely rolled out of the way as Tenran's massive foot cratered the ground his head was at.
Zipping away in a flash of light, Naruto slid to a stop and glared at the man, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth as he did.
Yeah, he was in for a long fight that night.
AN: I am cutting it there. The fight between Naruto and Tenran comes next chapter, as I feel that I should focus the entire chapter on it. Don't worry, it's going to be a good one.
As for Tenran's appearance, well, look up the Brute Chieftain from Halo Wars, and you'll get a good picture of him.
Now, if anyone has any questions, PM me.