Summary ~ The fight is almost over, but that doesn't mean that they are out of danger just yet. Will the cast be able to find their fate once the wheel starts to spin yet again? The conclusion of the arc is coming to a close, but will the ending be the one everyone is seeking?
Disclaimer ~ I don't own anything from Naruto / Ookami-san / DMC / Spice and Wolf in this story aside from the plot and moves.
So without further ado, on with the show…
'Internal thoughts'
"Speech"
"Demonic speech"
[Technique/jutsu]
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX
The night had been a tiring one for the three teen. They had fight to their utmost limit in order to preserve their life. No, it can be said that they exceed said limit making them feeling the toll of pushing one's body that far. Every muscle fibre, every joints, heck even their bones are feeling the strain from simply walking back to Saburou's home from the place they had their skirmishes earlier. The two girls plus boy, slowly walk under the dark sky with some noticeable limp in their steps. The boy is supporting the taller girl with her hand around his neck and his hand around her hip while the other girl simply walks unassisted.
They travel through the night silently, until the taller girl finally speaks.
"Neh Neko-senpai… how do you know we're in trouble back then?"
Saburou look at the bluenet in his arm before look forward again. He keeps on walking with nothing coming out of his mouth. Momoko deflated a bit from his dismissal, and turns her head away from his face from her earlier enquiry. Ryouko noticed her dejected look, shoot an angry glare towards their only male companion.
"Oii! Don't you hear her?"
"*sigh~*I heard her fine Ookami."
Finally giving a reply, he stopped walking which in turn stops the other two as well.
"And I don't really want to tell either."
"Neko-senpai… why can't you tell us?"
Saburou, clearly not comfortable with this question shut his eyes and glances away from the girls with a clenched teeth. He gritted his teeth with both of his fists balled to his side.
"Senpai… please…"
Momoko pleaded slowly as she took one of Saburou's clenched fist in both of her hand. Feeling the warmness enveloping one of his hand, Saburou in turn release his pent up stress, albeit hesitantly. It wouldn't do any good throwing a fit in front of the girls whom had no doubt experiencing the most terrifying night in their life. Exhaling, his shoulders dropped before turning towards the two girls' gaze. One with concern, the other with a tint of irritation and anger, but concerned as well none the less.
"…I … I'm ashamed of myself."
Gritting his teeth, Saburou finally let out his answer.
"I only manage to find you by sheer luck."
"…what do you mean…?"
Shaking his head, Saburou turns around and start walking again. Taking it as a cue, both girls jog to the both of his flank intent of knowing what his answer is. Saburou noticing the two girls obviously picking his sign that he want to explain further while walking, continue.
"It's really is dumb luck that I manage to get there just in time. I had a bad feeling a bit earlier in the night that seems to tell me to head inside my room and never come out this night. I don't know why, but it seems I'm not the only one to have that hunch."
The girls nodded, understanding what he said. They to, had that bad vibe which in turn drive them out too seek Naruto in the first place.
"If you noticed, there isn't a single soul outside this street. It had been that way probably throughout the whole city if I had to guess. Just as I step outside my house, there was… some strange feeling… I don't know how to put this feeling. It just seems to awaken my fight or flight instinct, making me very wary. It was vague, but I was sure I heard something in the direction to the park. I want to check it out, but I see a bunch of the yakuza start coming together nearby. I ignore them at first, actually going around them just to evade being seen by them."
Sighing again from the reminiscent of the memory, Saburou then turn his face towards Momoko besides him.
"…and in one of the routes to evade them, I see you at the end of a gun's barrel."
All three of them ended in an uncomfortable silence which seems to stretch throughout the walk. Saburou didn't have the courage to face the girls again so soon after admitting that he only managed to find them because of his luck on stumbling them. If he didn't… well, let's just be grateful that he did. However, his self-loathing was quickly dispersed when he feels a pair of hand snaked under his arm to hug him from behind.
"Arigatou, Nekomiya-senpai. Maybe it was really dumb luck but it didn't change the fact that you saved us."
"Kibitsu-san?"
"Yeah, you really save our butt that time."
"Ryouko-chan! Language!"
"Ookami-san?"
Ryouko roughly patted Saburou's back as Momoko release her comforting hug. Saburou, a little bit flushed with the brief contact of the developing girl stumble to the front a couple of time from the rough treatment of Ryouko comforting him. Still, a small smile is on his face as the little gesture from the two girls greatly lifts his spirit. Looking at the two girls, now with Momoko giving a blushing Ryouko a smothering hug with a wide smile and carefree face, Saburou couldn't help but give out a laugh when Ryouko's hand tried to reach him for help as her face is buried in Momoko's chest.
Maybe he finally manages to redeem himself for his mistake months ago.
"By the way, where do you get that log Neko-senpai?"
"Curse that insufferable wench. She took me by surprise with her sudden betrayal."
Nelo stands nearby the destroyed pedestal as he gathered the entire remaining demons that manage to pass through the rift before the pedestal was destroyed. Countless numbers of hell-spawn demon gather in front of him that covers the park in a blanket of dark matter. The most noticeable would be the four Hell's vanguard that stood at the front-most of the mass.
As Nelo eyed the remaining demons, he grunted before turning his back towards them. Eyeing the Otogibana City distastefully, he returns his attention towards the mass of demons.
"Our great Prince of Darkness had order us to take this filthy land of the mortal as our own. And we shall do so even if our soul had left our bodies. Failure is not an option even worth considering."
The shifting mass seems to roar of approval in their own way of making a cheer, some bash their blades to the ground, other just howl in the depth of the night. The tremor of their sounds shook the earth underneath with unholy fervor. Hefting the zweihänder with ease, Nelo then pointed its tip towards the city with a battle cry.
"For the Prince Mundus!"
The only answer to his battle cry is an explosion near with the massive pack of hell-spawn demon picking up dust to obscure the vision of the devil. Ridding the smoke screen with a powerful sweep of his zweihänder, Nelo was greeted with three figures walking leisurely towards the centre of the swarming demons.
"That's some neat trick kid. Mind teaching me some?"
"Hah, even if you did manage to learn it, you can never be as awesome as I am."
"Stop your bickering. You both know that I am the greatest of all."
The mortal and betrayer from before! It seems that he just might manage to extract his vengeance after all.
"You kids really need to play nicer. Can't you see we are disturbing the host?"
"That's the plan from the beginning wasn't it?"
That man.
Who is that man in red cloak? He is no ordinary mortal, he was sure of it. He's not some lowly demon as well. A devil? Here? No matter, surely he is here to accomplish the mission set by the prince for the glory of the underworld!
"You, the one in the red cape. Who are you? Do you wish to assist us in this skirmish in the human world as well?"
Dante turns towards the other devil with an amused grin on his face. Making a bravado by extending both of his arm to his side as if he was displaying the surrounding scene around him, he answer his reply with a subtle jab.
"Not very bright are you? Oh yes, I do want to massacre the human that I come here with and drink his spilled blood in a chalice. Of course not you dumbass."
"You! How dare you insult me! Destroy them!"
The shifting mass roared with a renew vigour as they charged towards their prey.
"It seems they are eager to die. As a queen, I'll be happy to indulge them in their desire."
"Don't go overboard Horo-chan. And if I caught you cheating with these fodders, I won't ever bake your apple pie ever again."
"*gasp* I promise to be good. Now take that back. Bake me those heavenly apple pies Naruto-kun."
"Yosh yosh (pat Horo's head). Now let's get this show on the road."
All three not-human readies their respective weapon as the demons close the gap between them. Yamato appears in Horo's waiting hand, Naruto grab a kunai on each of his hands that slid down from his cloak and Dante remove his guns from the holster and let the right hand wielded Ivory rest on his shoulder, seeming uncared for the hordes approaching.
"And what way better to start a party with some dose of music awesomeness."
Play track ~ A Song of Storm and Fire
"Now that's what I'm talking about."
The three dashes off to the opposite direction from each other as the mass of demons surrounding them. Horo, itching to test out her fully recovered power starts of a quick dash as she uses Yamato to cleave the first batch of demons nearing her. The scores of Hell's Pride never stood a chance as the O-katana cleave through their body, dispersing them as sand and shadow. Following with the initial attack, Horo slash Yamato vertically up, launching a couple of unlucky Hell's Pride into the air. She finished her combo with a vertical downward slash that took the airborned Pride along with some other on the back into the abyss.
"Hmpph. Fools, do you think you can stand up to the queen of Makai?"
"She really took a liking to Vergil's words. She's like a mini-him that likes red instead of blue!"
"I don't know if I should snap her out of it or encourage her."
Not wanting to be outdone by the redhead, Naruto sprints into the loosely packed demons. Using his kunais, he slashes everything that he passes through in a blur of yellow streak that wreaked havoc against the line of Hell's Pride and Envy. With the Prides dispersed, the tougher Envy seems to stagger since they are built to withstand knockback attack. Not stopping his dash, Naruto heads straight towards one of the Envy still standing with a spinning orb of energy in both of his hands.
"[Nikai Rasengan!] (Double Rasengan!)"
The two rotating mass of energy churns the flesh of the Envy, rendering it pulverised even before the two Rasengan managed to plough its way through the rest of the hordes behind it.
Dante meanwhile is busy counting his foe that he already kills off.
"Hmm that last Greed means that I already kill a hundred and nine demons. Meh, I guess that's good for warming up."
"What the hell Dante? When did you move to kill those guys? Wooaahh! Oy! Don't interrupt me when I'm talking! God damn Pride."
"Hey if you can't keep up don't blame it on me."
Putting back Rebellion to his back, Dante walks casually into the heart of the lesser demons. Pulling out Ebony and Ivory out his holster, he spins it a couple of time before grabbing it properly and lift it beside his head.
"Haahhh… so many demons, so little time. [Gunslinger!]"
Nelo watches as his forces were quickly disposed by the mysterious devil. Other might not see it but he who had been watching intently saw the whole thing even if it just a red blur that leave destructions in its wake. The flashes of blade, accompanied by the flying lump of burning metals that seemingly multiple by thousands had torn the demons almost simultaneously. He couldn't help but be impressed by the devils prowess. Captivated by the power displayed, Nelo almost got hit by the flying kunai that aimed at the back of his neck. Parrying it easily with his armored hand, he eyed Naruto that had appeared behind him.
"You and I have a score to settle."
"That we do. But this time the outcome is obvious. Now pray to whatever your deity is, for your judgement will be coming."
"Big word by the devil that was bitch slapped across the field."
Not affected by the taunt, Nelo launched from position with his zweihänder behind him held by his right hand. Naruto, now not carrying any noteworthy weapon, wisely evades the horizontal swing completely by ducking low. A few stray hairs were cleaved cleanly, showing how close Naruto's head come to be liberated from his shoulder.
'Guhh, this time he is not pulling any punches. Can't afford to take this easy anymore.'
With a quick cross of his fingers, two clone pop into existence before flanking Nelo with Rasengan in their hand. Nelo, even with never seeing Naruto uses his trademark moves before was not even showing a slight hesitation as he grab the clone's to his left by the arm, dissipating the swirling energy in its hand while he block the other clone's attack with the flat side of the zweihänder that was held so that Nelo got the other flat side of the blade propped against his shoulder. It seems that he is not taking any chances with the blonde anymore since he had seen the power that was wielded by Naruto from their earlier clash. The grinding power of the Rasengan tried to tear its way through but was unsuccessful. With a grunt, Nelo swings the clone captured by his left arm to the clone to his right, making the clone held by him as a makeshift bat. With a resounding pop, both of the clones are no more.
Yet, they had done their job well.
The clones were just a necessary distraction as Naruto stood completely still on a tree a bit further away from the scuffle. His previously closed eyes now open, showing a horizontal pigment pupil with orange marking extending diagonally upward from his eyelids.
"[Senpou: Sennin Modo.]"
Settling in his [Kawazu Kumite] kata, Naruto dropped down from the tree and waited patiently for his opponent to make his move. Not in the slightest intimidated by Naruto's significant boost of power, Nelo makes a new move that involved him being enveloped by dark bluish flame that makes him disappear from sight. Startled with the disappearance of the devil, Naruto starts to look around. He didn't see it, but his battle earned experience was coming-off like crazy which immediately made Naruto to side-roll away as a zweihänder that is held by both of Nelo's hand comes down from above in a vertical slash. The massive force behind the impact of the zweihänder against the ground leaves crevice with rock rutting upwards as the ground parted.
Naruto, barely makes it tried to back paddle to regain his footing only to be swarmed by the lessor demons that were nearby. Frustrated with his lack of damage done to Nelo, Naruto rushes towards a coffin wielding Hell's Greed before punching it in its stomach and launching it back against a Hell's Pride with a senjutsu enhanced kick. Using the master-less coffin, Naruto picks it up and use it as a battering ram that plough through the lesser demons. Slapping several explosive tags on the coffin, Naruto throw it straight towards the explosive wielding Hell's Wrath and watch it goes boom in a fiery ball of flame. As luck would have it, not mere moments after, he found himself again weaving through the slashes of the zweihänder.
Grtting his teeth as he again and again narrowly managed to avoid the massive blade by a hair width, Naruto blur out of existence with a quick use of [shunshin] to regain his tempo and second wind. Unfortunately for him, Nelo uses his own teleportation technique to follow him and appeared right in front of him and manage a good clean roundhouse kick that launch Naruto through a tree before skidding on the ground. Coughing a couple of time, Naruto get back on his feet glaring at the devil before him.
"It seems that you only manage to even come to the previous level of power when you are wielding the Yamato. A shame. Now you're not even worth my time or notice anymore."
"…"
Naruto didn't bother to reply that statement knowing it's partially true. Yamato did become a catalyst in accessing his latent power. Though, now that he had the experience of wielding the power, he can access it at any moment notice. However, Naruto forego that option since he never had the experience of using it bar when he fought Dante and Nelo once. And both of the time, he was not really in the right of mind and simply run purely on instinct, which could only take him so far.
Doesn't mean that this fight is over.
Starting a string of hand seal, Naruto end it with a hitsuji (ram) before slamming both of his hand to the ground. Immediately, a wall of earth rise in front of Naruto before spikes of varying size shoot out to Nelo with the intention of impalement. Unable to avoid all of the spikes, Nelo back track before jumps on the air to avoid the relatively straight forward attack with apparent ease.
Only to meet with an axe kick from above courtesy of Naruto.
The kick hits home, plummeting Nelo to the ground in an explosion of dust and debris. Not letting a chance to waste, Naruto follow through the attack with another ninjutsu, as he coated both of his arm in wind chakra and slash them diagonally down in front of him in the form of an 'X'. Two sharp wind blades tore through the dust before the impact to the ground dispersed the remaining dust in a gale of wind.
Only to reveal an empty crater.
"Doukou da!? (Where is he!?)"
As the still airborne Naruto frantically looks around, a smoking blackness descents on him from above. Widening his eye slightly, Naruto barely manage to put an arm to block a kick towards his head that comes from behind. The kick connects right below the shoulder and against the forearm of Naruto's left arm with sickening crack before rocketing him right to the ground with a resounding boom. Nelo slowly drops back onto the ground just outside of the dust cloud from the impact from before. As the breeze blow the dust away, Naruto lay inside the crater on his back with a bleeding head that goes down his forehead and left eye. His whole left arm looks battered and unmoving.
Grunting of pain in the crater, Naruto look with one eye as the other was forced to close by the flowing blood as Nelo walks calmly towards him. The steady clinks of metal meet metal steadily getting louder as he draws closer and closer to the downed ninja. Still unable to move properly with the battered body, Naruto grimace as Nelo lifts his zweihänder overhead with one thing in his mind.
"Die."
*SQUELTCH*
Horo watches in absolute horror as the blade descent. So much so that the fodders were able to get in a few clean hit at her back making her cried in agony. Though whether from the pain on her back or her heart, one could only guess.
"NARUTO!"
No… nononono…
Not when she finally have her body back. For so long she had hoped to gain back her real demonic body. Not just for the power she used to hold. No! It's not even about her. It's all about Naruto.
She knows.
She knows him well enough to know that he wants it very bad. But as much as she wants to give it to him, her body that was created with [Tamashi Saihon, Karada Dukuri] was incomplete.
She was barren.
So in retrospect, her death is almost like a token of payment for getting her demonic body back. While the condition of her getting it back was less than pleasant, in the end it was very well worth it.
When she had first encountered the Hell Vanguard, she painstakingly tried her best in deceiving Nelo. In the short moment of her interaction with the Devil, she had used the sadistic nature of the armor clad pawn of the Prince of Darkness.
She deliberately loses to the hell spawn.
Off course, she needs to make sure that Yamato won't fall to the wrong hand, so with her newly gained abilities with seals, engraved it to her body so that the ambient energy will be used to empower the ward that repels anything with a physical body away from her body.
Well, with the exception of Naruto of course.
While nowhere as skilled as Naruto, it gets the job done. It's a gamble, since her soul will be cut loose from the faux body, she will not be returning to the [Shiki Fuijin] in Naruto's body. Her soul would linger around for a while. And with the saturated demonic power in the city at the time, her soul will passively gather the demonic power not similar to youki and will restore her real body with time.
Sounds impossible. But then again, she's not human. Physics does not applied to everything the same way it was applied to human.
But that was where she forgets just who she is dealing with. Well at least, it was not the worst case scenario.
Being turned into a Devils Arm was said to be quite unpleasant.
By the time sense returned to her, she could remember the horror stricken face of Naruto on the opposite side. Nelo was standing right beside her, and start to mutter the gibberish praise to Mundus, blah blah blah, like she cared. Though, with just being incarnated, one tends to get… annoyed by excessive sounds. Yeah, that didn't end well for him didn't it?
And then of course their little play in the rain, just the two of them. Who knows playing tag can be that fun? Then, there was that weird meeting with her own soul manifestation. It was weird, but it does wonder to help her restore her memories of the past. Somehow, she feels even if she didn't quite manage to gain her memories, in the end she would still fall in l-l-lo-love again w-with Naruto.
But that meeting really helps. Naruto would be sad otherwise. Arigatou, atashi wa!
O-oh… and there was that petting session…
*blush*
But, that would mean nothing if Naruto is not here. Everything looks bleak and un-interesting. There is no way she could live normally without him. The one mortal she gave her heart to.
It's their fault. It's their fault. It's all because of them.
"Korosei… (kill them)"
They hurt him.
"Korosei…"
They kill him.
"UMAI WO KOROSEI DA!"
Horo slash a wide horizontal arc using Yamato. Despite the large area of effect that the swing covers, only a few of the Pride were caught. Frustrated with the kill count from her last attack, Horo roars and charge towards a new batch of the hell's spawn with the every intention of slaying more of them.
"Korosei…"
Horo's movement becoming more erratic and reckless with every swing. Her straight forward attacks are repeated, being the same over and over again. And with the third successive chain of her attacks, a sudden appearance of a Hell's Vanguard seemingly stunned the redhead, freezing her movement for one whole second. Then she glare the vanguard with the most venomous one she could ever muster in her relatively petite frame.
"You…!"
The Vanguard's scythe comes down on Horo, but she parried by bashing it with Yamato, causing a loud clang. However, with the weight behind the swing of the scythe, it was merely moved back to the starting position of the Vanguard to swing it down again. Side-rolling to evade it, Horo use the down-time of the Vanguard recovering from swinging down the scythe to give it a quick but relatively shallow slashes before ending it by sheathing Yamato back into its scabbard. With a sound of the click as the pummel touches the scabbard, Horo dashes at the Vanguard with an Iai Jutsu (quick draw technique), appearing on the other side of the Vanguard. As she appears again, she twirls Yamato a couple of time before sheathing it in front of her .As she gazes from her side, she can see the delayed moon-like crimson slashing motion that she leaves behind, shredding the Vanguard's shadowy cloak. With a pained screech, the Vanguard teleported away to heals its wound as the other fodder come back to surround her.
"Tch, I thought I had him for sure this time with that Rapid Slash. Sugi da (Next)!"
With that, she unsheathes Yamato and twirls it expertly before pointing right at the nearest thing.
Which just happens to be Naruto's head.
"Uhmm… can you please lower down Yamato from my face? It's getting a bit too close to my liking."
A few minutes earlier
At the execution site however, Nelo for the first time in the fight seems to be genuinely surprised as the boy from before is now switched for a scarecrow, one with straw filling and stick with some sort of charm all over its body. As he see the charms suddenly glow, the dreaded feeling he got instinctively made him to cover his face with his left forearm that was not carrying his zweihänder. Just moments later, the entire park was deafened with a loud explosion. The fireball rises into the air before turning into a plume of dark mushroom-like smoke.
"[Ninpou: Bakudan Kakashi] (explosive scarecrow)."
A few hundred metres away, Naruto kneel on one leg behind a tree as his remaining functional arm is holding the trunk as a stabiliser. That last trick had consumed all of his remaining altered explosive seal that resulted in a more powerful contained explosion.
"Did that get him?"
Naruto hope that the explosion was enough in order to put down Nelo for good. He was on his last leg now, seeing his [Sennin Modo] had vanish making him pant heavily as the aftereffect of the power boost tax on his body. Combine with his somewhat out of shape body with month of no heavy training cost him almost his life in more than one instance that night. Peering into the smoky remains of the park, he could see that fire had licked on more than ten of the nearby tree that hadn't been decimated by the explosion from before. The fire slowly spread as the wind blows the fire and ember to the neighbouring tree and grass in the park, slowly starting an inferno. It is, in a twisted way of humour, transform the park to a barren battlefield similar to one that existed in the underworld or limbo.
A fitting setting for the clash of the un-worldly being.
"You alright kid? You look like you went through a grinder."
"Ughh don't remind me. He pretty much busted my arm with one kick."
"Need a hand?"
"For what?"
At that moment Dante lift his Rebellion and point at the smoky screen. With a sudden burst of wind, Nelo appeared at the centre of the previous explosion with a roughed up and singed armor. And a note, his face is the epitome of fury. Dante then turn back to Naruto with a cheeky grin.
"For that."
Looking at the roughed up if still relatively unharmed devil in front of him, Naruto slumped to the ground. All that explosion and he is still standing? Damn, this is not good. Not good at all. Sure he hasn't let loose some of the more destructive jutsu yet, but that explosion is still pretty damn powerful. Looking at his busted left arm, he knew that this is not a fight he can win alone. With his left arm unable to move for a while, almost all of his jutsu that involves hand seal is, well… sealed. That only leave pure chakra manipulation, which he didn't have the time to refine and practice for a long while. Either way, outside help will definitely improve the odds.
"I don't have much of a choice either way. This arm will do more harm than good if keep on going against him. Think you're up for it?"
"Hah, cheeky brat. Don't worry 'bout me. Those little fries can't even make me break a sweat. A little challenging foe is just what the doctor orders. Now get going, you little redhead need some night long comforting."
"Youkarou. Gobun wo(Roger that. Best of luck.)"
With that, Naruto shunshin towards Holo, leaving Dante to the glaring Nelo. Resting Rebellion on his shoulder, Dante took a fleeting glance towards the redhead, being surrounded by hordes of demons and killing them left and right ruthlessly. Though with such reckless movement, the redhead keep on getting hit by the fodder, slowly wearing her down.
"Heh, the one that need luck is you. Lest you get pummel by the little firecracker."
*Present time*
Horo still holding Yamato at his face didn't make any movement to show her effort to move the pointy and sharp thing. Her eyes were obscured by her bangs, making her look very frightening.
"…you…"
"Um… hai?"
"…I thought you were dead."
Still watching the tip of Yamato right in front of his nose, Naruto could feel the sweats are forming a new sea from the back of his head. Shuddering before finally looking at her face, Naruto grin was strained as he use his functioning hand to pinch the flat side of Yamato to move the point away from between his eye. Pushing it to the side, he watches as Horo slowly lowers it to her side before looking back to her now visible eyes. They were puffy and had a tear mark at the end of both of her eyes.
Ahh man this is going to hurt.
"Surprise?"
"SURPRISE MY FLUFFY TAILS! SHII NE, ZASSHUN MONO DA! (Die, mongrel!)"
"UWAAAHHHH!"
Horo start slashing around in completely random manner befitting of her situation of a girl… Nay… a queen throwing a fit, as she tries to massacre the object of her ire in front of her.
"Horo-chan calm do- WAHHH! calm down. Why are you going all "tsun-tsun" all of sudden? GYYAAAAHHHH! Oh? You kill a Greed."
"UWAAAHHHH! Shii ne! Shii ne! Baka-baka-ruto! Do you know how worried I was?"
The scene of a crying girl swinging around a sharp and pointy stuff should never be attempted at home without any adult.
Then again, better if you don't attempt it at all.
As the murdering effort becoming less and less until no actual strength was carried behind the swing, Naruto gently catches Horo's wrist holding Yamato. Not feeling any more strength in her body, Horo let go of Yamato before hugging Naruto and burying her face in his chest. Ever so slightly, her shoulder jerks a bit as she sobs on his chest in turns makes Naruto gently cooing her and pats her head.
Well he would if he was not busy using the dropped Yamato to parry the onslaught of multiple Hell's Vanguard.
"Uhmm, Horo-chan? Mind doing the make-up… petting session some other time?"
"Iya da. It's comfy right now."
*twitch twitch*
"For Kami's sake woman, get off already!"
"Iya da! W-w-wait where are you touc-KYAAAA!"
Flipping Yamato on to the air, Naruto uses his right hand to firmly grab Horo's behind which causes the girl to reflectively snake her hands behind his neck, before spinning around to evade two blue-glowing-scythe-of-DOOM that is trying their best to eviscerated the two not-human. The sudden move surprise Horo into dropping Yamato's sheath on the ground, which Naruto picks up again with an agile footwork. Tossing the sheath a bit, he then kicks it hard by the end to make it rocket towards the Vanguard that had a scythe already overhead, ready to swing it down. The sheath hit directly on the Vanguard's ugly face, stunning it briefly.
Jumping onto the air, Naruto catches the still spinning Yamato with his mouth. Righting his position in the air with Horo still in his arm, Naruto landed on the ground only for slight milliseconds before he took off towards the stunned Vanguard. As he passes through, he uses the bladed weapon held by his teeth to good use as he manage to cleaved almost halfway through the cloaked Vanguard before the resistance was strong enough to stop the blade. Using the balls of his feet, Naruto turns around a complete three sixty degree before using the pointed O-katana to pierced the Vanguard all the way through. With one final anguished shriek, the Vanguard vanishes with dispersed shadow and dusts.
Panting slightly, Naruto let go of Yamato, letting it fall and stabs the ground. His face is contorted as he held in the pain from his injury from before. Horo was finally released from Naruto's confine was gently laid down feet first as he kneel beside her. His breathing is heavy with perspiration going down his face mixing with the blood and grime. In short, he is a total mess.
"Naruto-kun, daijobu ka (are you ok)?*gasp* Naruto-kun, your arm's are all messed up!"
"Haaahhh…haaahhh… daijobu da(I'm fine). Give it some time it'll be fine. Beside…"
Naruto looks around to see they are surrounded by the hell-spawns again. Though, with one of the Vanguard gone by his hand, err… teeth, some of it looks somewhat hesitant to approach.
"…these guys will be the perfect training dummy for my new power."
Once again releasing a potent youki out of his body, the red shroud covered Naruto's body completely. Along with the violent aura, a darker shade of red cocooned his left arm, no doubt in the healing process of the damaged limb. A look of pure concentration is on Naruto's face as he looked at his right hand in front of him, clenching and releasing several time.
"Mada da, motto tsuyoku (not yet, make it stronger)…"
The red shroud began to form bubble coming from his skins and Naruto's feature gets generally more feral as the whisker mark deepen and nails sharpen. His hair also becomes somewhat wilder. After a few moments his shroud darkens to a point only glowing eyes are seen.
"Motto(more)…"
The shroud then condensed and began to glow brightly, causing Horo near him to cover her eyes with her hand. After a few moment, the light finally faded making Horo able to see the aftermath. There standing right in front of her is the most handsome, the most rugged looking and damn right HOT male she had ever seen. Naruto is now standing there with deep crimson and slitted eyes and two kitsune-mimi on top of his head. Behind him is nine fluffy looking but no doubt strong tails gently swaying with a mind of their own. Both of his arms are now fine with Naruto looking at his left clenched fist with a satisfied nod.
Oh god she can't help it.
"KYAAAAA! Naruto-kun, ravish me!"
*sweat drop*
"Errr… maybe later?"
"Mmmkay!"
Trying to pry the glomping demoness off of him, Naruto could only sweat drops some more as she moves from snuggling his neck to his tails. Then again, who could resist those?
They're really fluffy.
Wiggle wiggle.
"Well then… soro soro honki masu yo(time to get serius)."
CLANK CLANK CLANK
"Come on now, don't tell me that's all you got. And here I thought you would make a good workout!"
"My offer still stands, unknown devil. Join us and together with the Prince of Darkness Mundus we shall conquer the entire mortal realm."
"Thanks. But no thanks. The demon world suck ass. They don't have any pizza!"
Both devils are facing each other with a considerable amount of space between them. But the truth is, the distance really doesn't make a difference between the two since they both could cover the distance in split seconds. Dante let his Rebellion simply lay on his shoulder in a relaxed manor as the wind made his still pristine coat tails to flutter.
Nelo however seems a bit more winded as new scruff marks shows on his armor that no doubt had been delivered by Dante as the sharp cut marks matches perfectly with a bladed weapon. His cloak is also tattered and only a little bit more is left that doesn't even go below his waist.
"Why!? Why do you refuse to gain more power?"
'Wait, where have I heard that before?'
As Nelo ask the question, Dante face scrunches up as a distant memory resurfaces. Shaking his head and ridding the somewhat unexpected memories, Dante look back towards Nelo. Letting Rebellion down so that the tip is touching the ground, he spins it by the pummel making the broadsword creates some sparks due to the frictions against the floor. Doing so for another two times, he finally lifts it and put it back to his awesomely and magically sword sticking back.
"I got nothing against more power. I just don't like you, that's all."
Angry by the nonchalant remark, Nelo disappear in a flaming blue haze and appearing directly in front of the red clad devil. Following his forward motion, Nelo thrust his zweihänder with every intention of stabbing the infuriating thing in front of him. Dante not in the least afraid of the fast attack side roll to evade and stands back up immediately of returning the favour. Grabbing Rebellion from his back, he twirls it once before letting the sword pulls him forward with great if not greater speed then Nelo's lunge.
"[Stinger!]"
The [Stinger] was just shy of his target as Nelo uses his zweihänder to parry it just to the side of his body producing sparks, missing it by mere inches and tries to counter attack. With the lunging motion merely rerouted, Dante passes Nelo without stopping, a chance that Nelo uses fully and deliver a heavy roundhouse kick towards the exposed back of the neck of Dante's. Seeing the kick however, Dante duck down as he spins on the ground, making him to skid backward with one hand on the ground to help him stabilise.
What Nelo didn't see is Dante have his Rebellion in a reverse grip behind him with the bladed part cackling with red lightning as he charge up his attack even before he fully stops. Smirking as Dante heard tell-tale sound of a successful charge, he let his attack literally…
"Fly!"
The dubbed [Drive] tore through the clearing as a red crescent energy moving towards Nelo. Giving a disgruntle hissed, Nelo disappear again in his flaming haze and appears right in front of Dante again with his zweihänder overhead and already coming down.
"Gotcha! One two!"
Surprised and unable to stop his zweihänder in time, the dual attack of [Overdrive] hits home, sending Nelo careening back and tumble down for a few dozens of feet or so.
Not wasting any opportunity, Dante rushes forward with every intention of being in the offence. As he runs forward, Dante holds Rebellion behind him ready for a punishing overhead slash. Nelo not one of the elite for nothing, heft up the zweihänder and hold it in front of his downed body as the slash come on top of him with a loud boom. Somehow managing to stop Rebellion from bisecting him, Nelo kicks Dante's chest, sending him flying to the opposite end.
Dante lands roughly on the ground and skid for a while on his back before finally manage to spins his body and leg so that he stop skidding in a prone position. Coughing a few time from the forced exhalation courtesy of an armored grieve, he then use Rebellion as support to help him on his feet again. Nelo as well is now back on his feet, both taking these few lapses in the fight to gain a breath.
*Sound track ~ Devils Never Cry*
"Getting better. I might go as far to say that I underestimate you a little."
"Indeed. You had proved yourself a worthy opponent. Tell me, fellow devil. What is your name? Why does crossing blade with you… brings in the feeling of nostalgia?"
"You too huh? I can do that, but where's the fun in that?"
"Hmmph, then I suppose we do this the easy way."
"We let our blade do the talking!/ We let our blade do the talking!"
The two devils continues their onslaught as they dashes straight towards each other and met with a dazzling light show as sparks fly produced by the grinding of two blade. Both Dante and Nelo locks their sword and tried to overpower the other for a few seconds before Nelo changes the angle of his sword, making Dante to loses his balance and falls to his front. Using his free hand, Nelo backhanded Dante's face, throwing him back and to the ground.
Undeterred, Dante quickly pushes his leg up and pushes the ground with his hands to the ground, back-flipping back on his feet. Spitting a glob of blood to the side, he brought a fist to wipe the smear with a scowl.
"If this busted lip is going to mess up my luck with the ladies, I'm gonna get angry."
Un-amused with the injury to his face, Dante get back right at Nelo with haste. Chaining quick slashes that doesn't carry any major weight behind the slash, Dante gets his flurry of attack to force Nelo maintained his defence without a chance to counter-attack.
"Tch."
Nelo was keeping up Dante's slashes, however his attacks were very précised. In a way, Dante had managed to set the tempo of the fight to his rhythm. Each attacks leads to another and Nelo had no choice but to raise his defence without a chance to return attack or getting any chance to back off.
Waiting for a change of rhythm, Nelo keeps on parrying and blocking Dante's assault. Not a moment later, Dante's vertical slash was parried and Nelo uses his zweihänder to rebound the attack making Dante's sword swings upward and left his defence in shamble.
"Shit!"
"Your life is forfeited!"
Nelo lung forward right into Dante and tackle his body using the shoulder. As Dante was thrown back, Nelo brings down the zweihänder with mighty force. Barely able to block the slash, the black zweihänder manage to come down on Dante's chest. Hard.
"Guwaaahhhh!"
Tumbling back, Dante was thrown across the clearing. Finally stopping, he managed to right his body to get one knee down on the ground while holding Rebellion with both hands as a crutch. He had his head down as his hair overshadowed his eyes.
Nelo eyed Dante as he slowly walks towards him.
"Do you see now? The power that Mundus brought? With his power, we wil-"
Nelo's speech was interrupted as a small laugh was heard in the clearing. Dante's shoulder rises up and down as he chuckles quietly.
"Ahhh. I can see that. I can see it perfectly."
"Then-"
"So that's why…"
Dante rises back to his feet, and take one step forward.
"I hope you won't disappoint me. [Trickster!]"
With that Dante vanish with a blur.
"What!?"
Not expecting that move, Nelo was introduced with a heavy blow directly on his back with a kick. Stumbling forward, he tried to return the favour and lash out with a decapitating side slash but Dante had already moved from that spot and [Dash] right under the zweihänder before uses Nelo as a stepping stone and jump off him.
"[Gunslinger!]"
Removing both Ebony and Ivory from the holster, Dante dive towards the ground as he shoots hundreds of bullet while still spinning in the air. His trademark [Rain Storm] however wasn't doing too much damage against the armored devil. Nelo used his armored gauntlet and shield his exposed head from the annoying projectile.
"One can play the same game as other. Tch… to think I've been pushed this far…"
Blocking another kick coming from above as Dante descents with the zweihänder, Nelo pushes him off with a mighty heave. Then with his free hand, he opened his palm towards Dante as shimmering energy taking the forms of sword appears behind his head.
"That's…!"
Dante seems to recognise the energy projectile was stunned.
"Go! [Summoned Swords!]"
Still stunned, Dante flesh was pierced by several of the [Summon Swords]. Being hit by his right bicep, right chest, and both of his thighs, Dante was forced to his knees as his leg was now unable to support his weight.
"Guuuhhh!"
Seeing Dante on his knee, Nelo walks slowly until he is right in front of him.
"Foolish. It would spare you the pain if you simply join us."
Then, Nelo held his zweihänder back.
"But alas, you had denied the privileges offered by the Prince Mundus…
As Nelo said that, he lunge the black zweihänder through Dante's heart.
"Guhaaakkkk!"
Bloody spits escape Dante's mouth as the blade go through his chest. With what was left of his energy, he glares murderously to his opponent.
"…"
Dante's mouth moves with a barely audible whisper that manages to quirk the interest of Nelo.
"I don't suppose you could talk louder. You weak dying self is such a disgrace that you couldn't even musters up strength to speak clearly."
"I said…even after all this time… I still am the one with a sword through me on the ground…"
With a grunt, Dante stands back up and delivers a spinning back kick with enough force to displace the wind explosively as his boot met metal. Nelo, unsuspecting that the downed Devil from before still alive and kicking, as in literally have enough energy to kick him, was blown back towards a tree. The impact leaves deep indent on the trunk and a breathless Nelo.
Pulling the zweihänder out of his chest by gripping the flat side with both of his hand, Dante remove the unwanted addition to his body out with a spray of blood in one go. Huffing, he held the zweihänder and examined it before tossing it back to Nelo.
"Take back your little toy. I was actually planning to just play around until those two finish wrapping things up. But shit just got real…"
With a massive explosion of saturated demonic power, a red lightning falls down directly at where Dante was standing before. This in turn causes the area to be surrounded by a thick smokescreen.
Nelo getting out of the trunk walks through the blinding smoke and retrieve his zweihänder on the floor. With such thick smoke, he couldn't see what had happened to the unknown devil. He did however, feels that enormous spike of power level from before. And the aura was so vast and contained, he is shaking in terror with just that alone. Such amount and control…
And then, all of the sudden the wind picks up and the smoke screen were blown away. Now at the spot the previous unknown devil stands is a red humanoid yet thoroughly demonic armored devil (DMC 4: Dante's devil trigger).
"Let's end this. Fighting you will not be fun anymore now. Maybe under different circumstances, but not like this."
"Hmmph! How cocky of you. Do you think you could best me with that little power-up?"
"Think? Hell no. I know I can. In fact I will end it with one more move. Now come at me!"
Dante finish his speech by throwing a hand toward his back as his extend a leg back straight and in keep his body in a low position.
"[Royal Guard!]"
Not waiting for anymore invitation, Nelo rushes forward with every intention of ending this extended fight. Even with the surging force of dark nature coming full force directly, Dante doesn't make any move to reach his trusty Rebellion.
The attack comes with a flurry of heavy slashes that is intertwined with various punch and kicks as well. But all the attacks were not having any effects as Dante raises one arm in front and bend it upward while the palm is facing the sky. He reinforce his blocking position with his other had supporting the below the elbow. He never really called out the technique's name, but he dubbed it as the [Royal Block]. Thing is, he needed to time so that the block is just before an attack lands.
Shouldn't be that much of a prob!
Nelo seeing none of his attacks are having any effect starts to feel the creeping feeling at the base of his spine going up ever so slowly. Could this be? Is this the feeling where one's couldn't settle down his nerve, the ever feeling of anxiousness unable to be shaken away?
Is this fear?
No!
No! He refuses to be intimidated by this unknown devil.
"[Summoned Swords!]"
The entire place was swarmed with hundreds if not thousands of ethereal swords with Nelo standing in front of them. His composure was shaken enough that he chooses to launch an all-out attack instead of careful planning and technical strikes that doesn't require as much energy as this attack. No one… NO ONE MAKE A FOOL OUT OF NELO ANGELO!
"Skewer that son of a harlot!"
Seeing all the zooming projectile heading towards him, Dante reaches out towards Ebony and Ivory.
"So you do know how to swear. Cute."
With his demonically charged guns, he let the bullets fly with the fire coming out of the nozzles tinted with red. Red bullets met blue swords. The clashes causes an explosive sound of epic proportion that the closes thing coming of equivalent will be a cement truck being blown up with 500KG of plastic explosive.
Well at least that's what I can think of anyway. Credit to Mythbuster.
The projectile duel ends with dust blanketing the area. Even when there is nothing visible, the sound of metal coming together is unmistakeable. With another resounding boom, a shockwave blow all the smoke away, revealing the two devils locking swords. Where the metal met, with such force pushing both of the sword together, the friction produce such energy to make both of the blade to glow red-hot.
"You claimed to end the match with one move. It already had been two."
"Wrong. I never move from this spot yet. And all I've been doing is countering. I didn't make any move to attack yet."
That is true. Dante haven't move from his spot yet.
"You know what they said…"
Suddenly, Rebellion glows with a brilliant white before dispersing as shimmering orbs. As the solid sword completely disappear, so did the only thing holding Nelo's zweihänder from coming down on Dante.
Thinking he finally have the upper hand, Nelo wasted no time to deliver the decisive blow towards the red devil. However, just before the bladed edge of the zweihänder meets the armored neck of Dante, he felt all the momentum from before to be completely halted.
"Strike three and you're out. [Sword Master!]"
Nelo's zweihänder was stopped by a black gauntlet that glows with unholy white light. The glows seem to come from other part of Dante's body as well. His other arm, both of his leg, and the brightest seems to come from his chest.
A [Devil Arm], Beowulf.
Alarmed with the new weapon, Nelo tries to back off. But no matter how much strength he put in, the zweihänder refuses to budge. Instead of just blocking the zweihänder, Dante had also griped the edge of the blade like a vice, unmoving and strong. Taking a step forward, Dante pulls his free hand backward as he gets directly under Nelo's guard.
"Check this!"
Before he knows what happens, he could see the brightening dark night sky as he feels his feet leaves the ground. He faintly feels the stinging numbness underneath his chin and around the back of his neck. No doubt because of his head forcefully thrown back violently.
"[Rising Dragon!]"
The air shook as the concussive wave of compressed air travelled outward from the impact zone with a definitive sonic boom. As the uppercut connects moments ago, a tower of light follows both of the devils upward and pierce the sky.
*sound track end.*
"What's that?"
A roughed up Naruto looks at the pillar of light from where he was standing.
"I'm not sure."
Horo, also being covered with tattered and stained cloths walks up next to Naruto as she look towards the now dissipating column of light.
"Let's go check it out. We're finish here anyway."
"Umu. Iko (let's go)."
The two teen leaves the place which was left torn asunder. The entire place was littered with deep gashes as well as several craters on the ground… and some trees as well. Some of the branches were still smoking, the leftover of burned leaves disintegrate and turn to ashes as the wind blows. One lone pride was on the ground, twitching as it struggles to get up again.
Yet the struggle was futile as it then fell back down and turns to sand.
"Oh, how the mighty have fallen."
"…damn you."
"What? Just because you lose doesn't mean you can be an ass about it. I won! Fair and square!"
Dante is standing above the downed head of Nelo, making it looks like Dante is dangling down from above by Nelo. After that last hit, Nelo couldn't move any one of his limb. Well, maybe he could but he can't continue on fighting.
"As much as it pains me to say… I had been bested. Before you end me, tell me. What is your name?"
"My name?"
Dante then bends down so that his face is directly above Nelo's. Doing so, the front side of his jacket opened up, letting an amulet to dangles down. Nelo's eyes widen with recognition as he saw the red gemmed wrought with silver necklace.
"Vergil… Dante… happy birthday you two."
"Wow, cool!"
"I want chocolate!"
"No! I want chocolate!"
He can see a lovely blonde woman giving her twin son a pendant for each. One red and the other blue. Both of her son have silvery white hair with one preferring to wear in red while the other in blue. Their mother gave the pendant on their 8th birthday. It's called as The Perfect Amulet. The blue one belongs to the eldest, Virgil. The other belongs to the younger one…
"Well it's…"
"Dante…"
"…yeah."
Both remained silent as they gaze into each other's eyes. Finally, Nelo…
No, Virgil…
Finally, Virgil stands back up unassisted. Although a bit wobbly, it proves that standing is not much of a problem for him in the time being. Dante meanwhile straighten up on his feet as well.
"…"
"…what?"
"Hmph."
"Oh come on. Years of not seeing each other and the first thing you say is an excessive exhale through your nose. Ohh I feel sooo loved."
Sarcastic aside, both sons of Sparda couldn't help but grin lightly from the harmless banter. While both admitted that they don't necessarily like each other, they don't actually hate one another. Hate is a deep word and held significant amount of dislike and animosity.
To put it simply, they're cool.
"You've improved, Dante. When the last time we fight on Temen-ni-gru, you couldn't hold a candle against me."
"Hah! Say's the man that got his ass handed all the way to the Netherworld."
Umm, at least I hope it is harmless… right guys?
Dante suck in a deep breath before releasing it slowly. Time had been a great teacher in helping one to controls your feeling.
Dante refuses to use the word Lady used. Hot-headness my butt. There isn't such a word!
"So? What happen down there?"
Virgil swipe his hair back once with his hand before looking back towards Dante.
"I tried to defeat Mundus on my own. But after the fight against Arkham and you, I was left too winded to go against him."
"You got your ass handed… again."
"No. I do not. I was merely… making a tactical retreat."
"Read: runs away."
"Running away and a tactical retreat are not the same. Running away means you could not win and flee without any thought on fighting again. Tactical retreat is to flee in other to come up with a new plan for getting the upper hand for the next battle."
"Uh huh. So a glorified running away."
Bash!
"Ow! Hey, what's that for?"
"Do you, or do you not want to hear me?"
"Oh… right. Sorry."
Dante could only sheepishly rub that the back of his stinging head. Huffing, Virgil continues.
"I manage to occupy Mundus with thousands of the [Summoned Swords], which in turn gives me some time and room to get out of his stronghold. It took me some time to regain all of my power back. So I went on a journey in the Netherworld, or Makai in the word coming out of the mouth of my apprentice, to gather strong allies to help me defeats Mundus."
"That little redhead firecracker?"
Virgil nods solemnly as he look up to the dark, now dawn sky.
"At first she's an eyesore. Nothing more than an annoying girl with a head full of pride and… hmm, what's that word. Split personality?"
"Tsundere."
"Yes, to go from a rampaging girl denied of her precious toy to a scared lover thinking of her significant one to leave her. It's… really annoying."
"I can sense a 'but' here…"
"…but that annoyance, slowly turns to an endearing quirk of her. To see her from stomping down the ground when I refuse her, to that bright smile when I finally agreed. In the short time I interact with her, I couldn't help but imagine it. What would it feel like to have a younger sister? And not an annoying brother who couldn't keep his mouth shut."
"Hey now! That's mean!"
"I could only wonder. Will this how it feels like to be living peacefully with a family? Could this actually happen if mom didn't get killed…?"
Both of the devils couldn't help but stares down the ground when this topic was brought up. Nobody knows of the fate that befell Sparda as he vanished without a trace. To make matters worse, within a short time after hordes and hordes of demons attack their home with their vengeance against The Dark Knight, Sparda. The two sons of Sparda survives, but his wife does not.
"You mellowed out a bit."
"... that may be so. But I can't deny the short time I spend with Horo brings out my humanity that I hate once back out a bit."
Both fell silent for a moment. Then, two new energy signature heads straight towards the twins. Virgil closes his eyes as he could recognise one of them. Without any more word, he turns away from the incoming visitor and walks away.
"What now? Going back to be a fodder?"
Virgil stops dead on his track. Glancing back towards Dante, he answers back.
"I'm not a fool Dante. And neither are you. Mundus powers are already trying their best to corrupt me as we speak. This persona won't last very long. I can only last so long before succumbing again to his power."
"What about her?"
Both of them took a glance towards the direction of the approaching demoness and her escort. Virgil hesitates for a moment before steeling his resolve. Turning back once more, he walks away from the clearing before stopping for one last time.
"Dante."
"Yeah."
"Please take care of her. I don't want to let her see her nii-sama fallen like this."
And after that, Virgil vanishes forever with a blue flame. Just as the two other not-human drops down on the clearing.
"Dante! What the hell happen?"
Both of the two new guests look around to see the thrashed place. Many of the trees had been cut downed in two cleanly while other looks like a wrecking ball had gone through it.
"You have to ask? I kick ass that's what happened!"
"Please refrain from using such vulgar word in front of me. It's unsightly."
"Yeah yeah. Love you too. So, finish wrapping things up yet? Or do you need the great Dante again to clean up your kiddies' mess?"
"Why you!"
Both her tail and her ears stand straight up like a fox ready to pounce. Only for it to both stiffened for a moment and slowly fell down.
Not wanting to be the one to clean up the real kiddies' mess, Naruto gently coaxed Horo out of the fight by patting her head and behind her kitsune-mimis. With his magic hand, it didn't take long to make the regal queen into putty under his hand. Plus, hearing her purr is always nice.
"*sigh*… look, we've finished cleaning up the fodder before we come here. I'm not seeing any dark cold and heavy looking black armor swinging around a broadsword anymore either, so I'm guessing that things are wrapped up at this end as well?"
"You bet, kid."
"Hmmm Naruto-kun. Behind the ear please~"
"Hai hai. Anything for you, Horo-chan."
Dante looks at the two love bird as Naruto continue to work his magic on top of Horo's head. Her tail are flickering left and right with unrestrained glee as he keep on going with his administration. Dante couldn't help but smile.
'Don't worry bro. She'll be just fine.'
"So let's get this straight. This pedestal here is used as the medium to open up a path to the Netherworld…"
"Makai."
"…or Makai, and now with half of it already destroyed, you can't closed it normally."
"That's right."
"So you need to use Yamato to act like a key to close the portal on both sides."
"Yup."
"And you're telling me. Why?"
After the three finally made it to the pedestal that the hordes of demons come from, Dante begins to explain what made the pedestal tick as well as how to shut it down. Not exactly familiar with all the terms being thrown around, it takes some time for Naruto to fully grasp the working mechanics of the convenient teleporting device.
Wait, teleport?
"Dante, what are you trying to pull here?"
Dante just shrugged it off.
"Nothing really. Just explaining things that might be interesting for you. Since you're not from here and all."
"Naruto-kun…"
"Are you trying to tell me this can connect back to my world?"
Naruto grabs Dante's cloak and pulls him close. Dante lets him as he can see clearly the anxiety in Naruto's eyes as well as the rekindled of the used to be extinguished fire of hope. Horo looks worriedly between her lover and her beloved brother's twin. The topic of the Elemental Nation was almost a taboo to talk about when Naruto was around. Months of failed trial had left him bitter and unable to keep his head cool enough to continue his way without blowing of some steam.
Usually by blowing up things. Like that mountain that one time.
The other way involves lots and lots of rough, hot, steaming…
Whoops, that wasn't supposed to be public.
"…"
"…"
Naruto scowling face met Dante's indifferent one. This might be the key to go back home. And this jerk didn't even elaborate on his claimed. Did he enjoy torturing a man that is helpless and desperate? He is a devil after all.
Well, technically half-devil.
"Look kid, I said it might just be a possibility. I never said it will work. I don't want to get your hope up too much."
Slapping the holding hands away from his coat, Dante turn back towards the half-destroyed pedestal.
"Now then… Red, if you would be so kind…"
"Call me that again and I'll be kind enough to send you the other world. And it's not among the living one."
Materializing Yamato, Horo toss it towards Dante which the latter catch it above his head without turning his head around to see it coming. Letting it go, Yamato drop from above, only to be grab by Dante's other hand by the middle of its scabbard behind his back. Turning his head slightly over his shoulder, Dante reveals a small smirk.
"Sure thing… Red."
"I'll eat your brain! Rawwrrr!"
Sighing again, Naruto could only shake his head in exasperation as he looks at the scene of Horo chewing Dante's head. Though for the most part her effort seems useless as Dante walks away without a care as blood slowly flows from his scalp down around his head, making his hair turn to reddish tint as well.
Well… at least it's amusing to look at.
"So? What exactly I have to do?"
Naruto had never been known to be a patient man.
Dante, after prying Horo off his head before setting her down on her behind on the ground finally replied.
"Yamato will act as a key that opens a doorway. Then, it's all about you making your way back home."
"…what's the catch?"
"It's a one way trip, Naruto-kun. If you went back, you will never see your cute little kouhais anymore."
"It's entirely your choice kid."
Naruto weigh in the pros and cons as he stares right down to the ground.
"I…"
He can go back to Konoha. He can meet his friends again!
"I…"
He can sit on his head on the cliff overlooking Konoha again. To see the civilian greet him warmly as he makes his way to Teuchi-ji-san and Ayame-nee-chan ramen store again.
"I…"
He can see visit baa-chan's and ero sennin's grave again… talking about everything and nothing.
"I… want to go home…"
"…"
"Ara? Ryouko-chan, what are you looking at?"
"…Iya, nande monai. (no, it's nothing)"
"Girls, I've made some hot chocolate. I hope it's not too hot."
After the three arrive at Saburou's home, the feline-like teen wasted no time to heat up the water in the bath for the girls to use. Thankfully, both of the girls were tired enough that no funny business happened while they bath together. Taking the dirty clothes, Saburou take extra precaution to not let his eyes and hand to wonder around while he picks up the lingerie.
Well, at least not too much.
Taking two sets of loose Kimono that belongs to his mother, Saburou neatly place them back to the clothes rack near the entrance of the bath. At the moment, both of his parents are out of the city in an outstation near Tokyo, which he was very relieved to happen. It will be very awkward to explain two dirty and roughed up girls coming home with him at this time of the night. Hell, it's already morning.
The three teens slowly savour the warm drinks in a comfortable silence.
"I wonder if Naruto-san and Horo-san are alright. They didn't answer their phone when I tried getting in contact with them."
"Naruto-senpai is strong. He is the kind of guy that won't die even when being killed."
"Ara ara, such devotion! Maybe I should tell Naru-nii how much Ryouko-chan has faith in him."
"B-b-baka yuna! (don't be stupid!) L-like I care if that idiot die! He can go away from here as far as I concern. Hmpph!"
Turning her head away from the knowing stare of the other occupants of the room, Ryouko let her mind wander as she gaze out of the window in the room. Momoko, have her face softened as she too let her mind wonder as she slowly swirl the hot chocolate in her hands.
"Ryouko-chan, don't say something so sad. What if he really leaves us?"
Both Ryouko and Saburou look at the Momoko after she softly murmurs under her breath. Maybe she just talking to herself, but that didn't change that they both hear it nonetheless.
"It's not that hard to imagine it. Both Naru-nii and Horo-nee are already attending high school while we are still middle school students. By the time we'll be in high school, both of them will already graduate and looking for a job or further studies. Even if I cannot see Naru-nii continues on answering exams."
Both Momoko and Ryouko giggle as Saburou crack a smile thinking about a loveable blond idiot sitting in an exam hall for ten minutes before finally break down with a steam coming off his head.
"Naru-nii entering my life is probably the happiest moment for as long as I remembered. I… I don't want that to end."
Tears drips onto Momoko's hand that was on her lap. The very thought of his beloved brother not being there for her anymore shred her heart in the worst way possible. He, the president of the Otogi Bank had first been her first crush, after he had lent her an umbrella during a rainy day which she had forgotten to bring one herself. She can still remember his smile when he simply walks under the rain before turning back to her to reveal a foxy grin that made her heart skip a beat.
To think that she could never see that smile again, broke her heart.
"Momo-chan-senpai… I… I'm sorry. I shouldn't say those mean things."
"Iye, it's not your fault Ryouko-chan. Beside, Naruto-ni-san will never abandoned us!"
Momoko wipes her tears before smile brilliantly. That in turn, makes both Ryouko and Saburou to smile as well.
Their senpai really is one of a kind.
XxXxXxXxXx
AN~ Well… it's been so long after I went and update this story. Most of the reason for that will be on the writer's block that hit me. Though, the lack of review didn't help either.
As you can see for yourself, it had come down to this. And Naruto finally chose what he want. Will that means that this story is ending? To be honest, I'm not too sure. In one direction, the appeal of finally closing the book for this story without too many loose end IS kinda appealing. BUT, I feel like a cheater for not writing any canon storyline.
So… I'm standing at a crossroad with two path. My dear reader. Please help me decide. I've post a poll on my page. You can decide there.
Shawn-san out~