BreakThrough

by NarutoPlug

Naruto Bael was born a low-class devil before the Great Devil War ever was a thing. Realizing how the devil-class system subjugated devils of lower class, Naruto will represent his origins as he rises and expose the corrupted system that he lives in, and he'll do it without the high-class devils even realizing it. Power of Destruction Naruto! Mass character crossover.

25. PostGameAntics

Ayo, ayo, ayo, it's ya boy, NarutoPlug, watching Game 2 of the NBA Finals right now, rooting for the Raptors of course.(remember our bet, Hardwin Potter…I'm taking that shit seriously *insert side eye emoji here*)

Really feeling the good feedback I got from the last chapter. Y'all were especially happy that I'm updating sooner. It's Sunday June 2, 2019, and I want to update this Saturday, June 8 (Edit: Whelp, looks like I didn't keep that promise, lol! It's June 13th now, but hey! At least I updated my story like I said I would).

I want to go back to the weekly updates cuz I know I'm gonna have to finish this story this summer before I go back to college for my sophomore year. The original plan I had for BreakThrough was about 30 chapters, just like The Corrupted Mind, but I think I may go past that as of now. Prolly somewhere around 35 chapters, which is good for y'all. You get more chapters to read and enjoy. I'll just have to work on stop being lazy, one of the goals I have for myself this summer, and get to crackin down on this story.

Also, I'm not sure if I'll start the Tannin fight this chapter…or if I do, it'll probably just be the beginning part of the Rating Game where all of Tannin's peerage members aren't revealed, so if you have a dragon that you want in Tannin's peerage, hit me up in the reviews and I'll take note of em. I check the review list all the time so I'll see it, for sure.

Also, I'm liking the word length of last chapter 14k words is a pretty good amount, huh? I've been working on keeping the chapters shorter, a compliant many of you have informed me about. As this story progresses, so does my writing skills. Thanks for stick with me this far everybody. Got love for all my supporters and haters, ya diggggg?

Let's continue the story.

BreakThrough

PostGameAntics

Four days later…

Bael Territory – Naruto's House

"You sure you wanna do this?" said a blue-skinned man with a grin that flashed his shark-like teeth as he grabbed his unnecessarily large sword that was wrapped in bandages. Small protrusions could be seen beneath the bandages as the sword shivered in anticipation for what may possibly happen.

"I told you, Kisame." said the blonde haired man adjacent of Kisame as he crossed his arms over his naked, chiseled chest, "We've gotta make sure we're not rusty…"

Both [King] and [Knight] were floating over the red lake that was behind the house training for the upcoming Rating Game with Tannin. On the beach watching the two was Anna, Yoh, and, surprisingly, the next door neighbor Misla Bael. Anna and Yoh stepped out the house to make sure the two powerhouses didn't hurt each other too much while Misla decided to watch to cure her boredom.

Kisame's shark-like grin only grew as he tightened his grip on Samehada, "You don't know how long I've been waiting for a rematch." he said, barely holding in his excitement.

"Probably ever since I was fully healed!" Naruto said with closed eye grin while scratching the back of his head, "It really has been a while, though. Last time we fought, you were serving the Old Satan Faction and I was a solider of the Anti-Satan Faction."

"I believe that we've fought at least five times before with no victory, right?" said Kisame, "Maybe today we'll get our answer!"

Kicking the training match off, Kisame jetted at Naruto with his Samehada positioned to crash into the Bael's side. The blonde [King] reacted quickly, taking a play out of Lee's book and ducking underneath the low swing in an impressive display of flexibility. Knowing that the shark man was open, Naruto kicked his right leg up, intending on upper cutting Kisame's chin.

Anticipating the move, Kisame opened his mouth as a concentrated jet stream of water crashed into Naruto's foot. Kisame grinned as Naruto's stomach was open for him to crash Samehada into, gaining a power increase as his sword absorbed some of Naruto's energy.

Not even bothered at the Samehada's sharp scales piercing his skin or the force of Kisame's swing, Naruto was knocked into the red water below but quickly answered back with a few shots of pure magical blast at Kisame before he was fully submerged.

"Dumb ass." muttered Kisame as he allowed Samehada to absorb the magical blast with hunger. Samehada quivered in delight at receiving a boost in power, a few of its scales jetting out of its bandaged prison. "Since you're in the water now…" Kisame was about to craft a spell but he suddenly froze, his body not reacting to his mental commands.

"You should know by now, Kisame." said a smiling Naruto as he burst out of the water with his right hand cocked back, "I'm a multi-tasker with my magic spells!" he shouted as he landed a powerful punch to Kisame's face.

Knocked out the sky, Kisame skidded against the surface of the lake before recovering, flying back after Naruto. 'Fucking smart ass…he must've filled those attacks with magic for a paralysis spell. Can't believe I forgot he could do that…' Kisame grinned evilly as he used the water from the lake to make eight sharks. The water-made beings locked onto Naruto and shouted after him with deadly intentions as Kisame followed behind.

'Diversion.' thought Naruto, instantly recognizing Kisame's plan as he countered the eight sharks with his Power of Destruction. The sharks were annihilated into nothingness, revealing Kisame with Samehada ready to steal more of Naruto's magic.

Dodging his first swipe, Naruto grabbed the scruff of Kisame's robe with his left hand, pulling him close and knocking the beastly man away with his right. Using the momentum of the punch, Kisame spun Samehada around, only for Naruto to fly over the living sword while shooting a closing-range blast of magic at Kisame's body.

Swiping through the attack with ease using his free hand, Kisame bum-rushed Naruto, only to be blocked with a defensive magic shield made by Naruto on the other side... However, the shield disappeared instantly as Samehada absorbed it, allowing Kisame to kick his [King] away and conjuring a magic circle behind him.

Small bullets of water in the shape of mini-sharks maneuvered around the blue-skinned man and at Naruto, who responded by destroying any approaching bullet with a wave of hands, releasing his signature Needles of Destruction out and stopping any attempt of harming him.

As he finished destroying all of the shark bullets, a massive water-made shark shot out of the water in front of Naruto with a jaw large enough to devour a house. Under the water, Kisame watched with a smirk as he awaited Naruto's next move.

Naruto looked on at the impending doom without worry as he held out his hand. Suddenly, before it could try to gulp the Bael down in one go, the shark stopped midair seemingly frozen in air. Kisame noticed a blue hue surrounding his creation and instantly knew the cause of his frozen minion, "That damn psychic shit…" he grumped.

"Sorry, Kisame!" Naruto shouted with a laugh as his snapped his fingers. The water shark was instantly disassembled as Naruto manipulated the being with his growing telekinetic powers. Naruto split the water shark into spinning tendrils and shot them at the submerged Kisame. Not giving his [Knight] any room to breathe, Naruto followed the water tendrils with a barrage of magic blast coming from a group of magic circles he summoned.

Flying out of the water, Kisame blocked the water tendrils with Samehada while countering Naruto's continuous magic blast with his own jet streams of concentrated water from a multitude of seals he summoned, proof of his mastery of magic.

Naruto was continuing his assault against Kisame's water attacks when, beneath him, another grinning Kisame jumped out of the water, taking the Bael by surprise. However, instead of attacking him, the other Kisame crashed into Naruto, turning into water. Soon enough, Naruto was entrapped in a sphere of water.

"Gotcha' now, dumb ass!" said Kisame, appearing above Naruto in a burst of speed. Samehada burst out of its bandages, its dangerously sharp scales ready to tear through the flesh of its master's enemies. Raising Samehada above the trapped Naruto, Kisame grinned evilly as he dropped the sword down, easily breaking through the heavy waters of his water prison and headed right for Naruto.

His grin only grew as he felt Samehada make contact with Naruto and watched with glee as Naruto was knocked out of the water sphere and into the bloody river below. Not easing up at the slightest, Kisame dropped to the surface of the lake and slammed his hand against it, "Time for a feast!" he yelled with as the water below his hand was molded into sharks. In a matter of seconds, hundreds of sharks filled the water and were all locked onto the sinking Bael, who was seemingly unresponsive. "You better stop playing dead before you end up as a snack!"

Knowing that he was in water infested with blood hungry sharks, Naruto was still calm as they all closed in on him. 'This is kinda fun…' he thought as a red hue slowly encased his body, mixing with the already red waters of the Underworld.

In just a few seconds, Naruto's body was surrounded by sharks, blocking any view of him. Kisame watched from the surface, narrowing his eyes as he didn't sense any attempt to stop his sharks. "What the hell is he doing…" he muttered to himself, "Well, if he dies, at least I can say I won our last match! AHahahaha!" he laughed.

Underwater, Naruto held his breath as he watched shark after shark, in even direction, crash into his aura and were diminished into nothingness, not harming him in the slightest. Using his telekinesis, Naruto started to slowly float up, still being assaulted by Kisame's sharks in all directions but still unable to break through his Power of Destruction shell.

On the surface, Kisame's eyes widened as he fly to his right, dodging a red beam of magic. Naruto's red body slowly resurfaced out of the water with the last of Kisame's sharks killing themselves against Naruto's Power of Destruction. "That was a nice little warm up, huh?" said Naruto, his eyes flashing a dangerous red as more magic poured from out his body.

Kisame grinned as he called upon his magic, matching Naruto's own outpour, "Ho, ho, ho buddy! This is what I live for!" Kisame shouted, gripping the enlarged Samehada as he readied himself for a second round. "You scared me for a couple seconds down there…thought I killed ya'."

"If I scared you, that must mean you care for, Kisame." joked Naruto as he crouched down, flexing his Devil wings out.

Kisame grunted as he prepared to flew at Naruto, his blonde haired [King] doing the same. However, before the two could collided against each other, Goki and Zenki, Anna' guardian spirits, blocked the two off, interrupting their battle.

"That's enough." said Anna, floating over the water with her Devil wings out, "If you two keep going, you'll seriously injure yourself. I don't feel like healing anyone today."

"I don't need your damn healing!" shouted Kisame, his eyes jutting out of his head in anger, "I can fucking heal myself! Now get your ghost thingy out the way so I can kill him!" he said while pointing at Naruto, who was inspecting the small, bloody punctures on his body caused by Samehada's scales.

"No." the girl simply said, denying Kisame's demand without batting an eye at his anger towards her, "This was only a small training spar, but I knew if you two continued, it would be an all-out war."

"Buuutttttt, AAAANNNAAAAAAAAAA!" Naruto groaned childishly. However, a glare from the serious girl shut him up. "Okay. Since boss lady said it…fight's over." he said as he recalled his magic.

"No! No, no, no, no!" complained Kisame, "The fight's not over!" he grinned as he clenched Samehada and flew over to Anna, "Just a change in targets!"

Anna stared blankly at Kisame as he was about to slam the large Samehada onto her small, frail body. However, out of nowhere, Yoh appeared in front of his fiancée, Harusame in hand. Blocking Samehada with his sword, Yoh disappeared, shocking Kisame at his speed. "What the-

After images of Yoh danced all around Kisame as slashes appeared all over his body. The speed the younger Asakura twin was moving at was too much for Naruto's other [Knight] as Kisame was subjected to Harusame's sharp edge. Appearing beside Kisame, Yoh stabbed Harusame through Kisame's hand, forcing him to release Samehada. The shark man reacted quickly to Yoh's appearance with a punch, but Yoh teleported to Kisame's other side and connected an upward swipe to Kisame's underarm, slicing his skin open and causing a shower of blood to pour out.

Appearing next to his fiancée, Yoh created a magic circle over the duo, saving them from any of Kisame's blood. "You okay?" Yoh asked with a sideways glance to his lover.

"Yup." she replied simply.

"Good." Yoh said as he moved his headphones over his ears and continued listening to his favorite artist, Soul Bob, "~Hmmmm…standing under the sunlight…." he muttered along with the song.

"OUUCCHH! That shit hurt!" Kisame shouted as he placed a hand over his large gash, which was oozing massive amounts of blood. "What the fuck, Yoh! I didn't even do shit to you!"

"~Dada-Da!-da dada~…." clearly, Yoh was lost into the music in his headphones, ignoring the outside world in favor of his music.

"Owwie, owwie, owwie…shit, that burns." Kisame glared at the new hole in his hand, "How the hell does he move that damn fast!?"

Naruto shrugged, glad he wasn't at the end of Harusame, "Yoh's strong too, Kisame. There's a reason why he's a member of my peerage."

"Well, tell him not to do that shit again…" he grumbled as the hole on his hand started to sizzle and close, "Ah…that's better." he muttered as he started to heal all of his injuries. Samehada floated over to Kisame and wrapped its handle around his leg, supply its partner with magic to heal his injuries. Soon enough, Kisame was fully healed, but he wasn't going to attack again, "He just got the drop on me…If I would have known he was coming, I could have defended against him. I'm a [Knight] to, ya' know!"

"Sure thing, bud." Naruto said with a laugh as the group made their way back to the sandy beach. Once they made land fall, Misla approached the group with wet towels, "You two are very strong." she said as she held the tray out to Naruto and Kisame, "It was an enjoyable match to watch."

"Thank you very much, Misla." Naruto said, grabbing a wet towel for himself and wiping his face with it, "AHhhh! Refreshing."

"Hmph…appreciate it." Kisame said the woman, taking the other towel to wipe off. The former Lady of Bael smiled at the blue man before reclaiming her beach chair.

While taking a break on the sandy beach, Orochimaru, Naruto's only [Pawn], appeared from a magic seal next to his master. "I assume your training for the day went well?" he asked.

"It's good, but I don't plan on stopping for the day." said Naruto, laying his towel over his shoulder, "Got any news for me?"

"Yes, Naruto-sama. Your press meeting with Tannin is due in two days. It's a public appearance that will be filmed so we must prepare for it. The date of our Rating Game against Tannin will be decided then."

"Good. Anything else?"

"Yes. You have company awaiting you in the living room." answered Orochimaru, causing Naruto to raise an eyebrow in interest.

After cleaning himself up a bit, Naruto left the group at the beach and followed Orochimaru back into the house. Entering the living room through the screen door that led to the backyard, Naruto perked up at the sight of two familiar members of the House of Agares. "Ah! Lord Agares and his wonderful daughter, Lady Seekvaira. What a pleasant surprise." said Naruto, taking a seat on the couch across the father/daughter duo. "Sorry for my current attire…or the lack of it. Hehehe! I just got through with a training session with my [Knight]."

"You know, if you were anyone else, I would have banished you from my clan for appearing like the way you are." said the rough Lord with narrowed eyes, "But knowing how utterly insane you are and since I am on your territory, I'll allow it for now."

"Awww…" said Naruto, placing a hand over his heart, "What a nice compliment…"

Seekvaira glanced over to her father, "Are you sure you should be working with someone like him? He doesn't seem to take anything seriously."

Naruto sweat dropped, "You're just going to say that in front me like I'm not even here?"

"Yes." Seekvaira said blankly, causing a black cloud of depression to rain over Naruto, "It's not like you'll take me seriously anyway."

"Your daughter is mean, Agares…" muttered Naruto with a sniff.

Lord Agares grinned, but only somewhat. His natural mean-mugged face returned just as soon as it left, "While you may have your doubts, Naruto is the real deal and the only way we can make some changes."

"That's right, little Agares. I'm smarter than I look!" Naruto said with a childish huff.

Seekvaira rolled her eyes at the Bael, still not taking him seriously. "I came so I can hang out with Lee. Do you know where I can find him?"

A devilish grin grew on Naruto's face as he in acted his counterattack, "Oh yeaaaa, I know where he's at….You know, it's kinda interesting how you've grown to be acquainted with my only [Rook]….maybe you….I don't know…." Naruto somehow teleported in front of the now red-faced Agares heiress, his cocky grin inches away from the astonished girl, "Like-like him?" he said, his eye brows jumping perversely to add emphasize on what he was gunning towards.

"Wh-wha?" stuttered Seekvaira, her blush increasing in color as her embarrassment continued, "That's a prosperous accusation! I could never like someone like him!"

"Oh, okay." said Naruto with a shrug as he walked back to his seat, "I guess you wouldn't care that he's already hanging out with that other girl from the Devil Exams…."

"Other girl?" Seekvaira stood on her feet as an unknown anger flooded throughout her body, "What 'other girl?'" she asked/demanded for an answer.

"You know…that other girl with the sand." said Naruto, enjoying Seekvaira break out of her usual stoic image, "She befriended Anna during the after party of the Devil Exams if I remember what she told me correctly…I think it went a bit like this…"

Flashback – Two days after the Devil Exams

Old Royal Capital: Lucifaad Palace Ballroom

While Yoh was explaining to the group of their confusing love story, Anna decided to take a small break to fetch herself something.

'I can't sit over there any more…it's too embarrassing…' she thought as she approached the bar. From the corner of her eye, she saw Orochimaru and Naruto talking to each, but she didn't approaching, not wanting to disturb the two.

Taking a seat at the bar, Anna waited for one of the bartenders to serve her. She didn't want anything too strong. Being around Hao, she had taken up his adoration for red wine. 'I just wish they would hurry up with the service.' she thought in annoyance as she waited her turn.

While she didn't look in their direction, Anna noticed that someone sat next to her. However, she didn't pay them any attention as she was finally served by one of the bartenders. After she ordered, she sat in silence, ignoring all of the loud noise from the party behind her.

While waiting, another bartender approached the person sitting next to Anna, "Hello, madam. What would you like for the night?"

"Water." She didn't show it on the outside, but Anna mentally questioned the woman's choice of drink. 'Who orders water at a bar?...None of my business…'

"Water? Are you sure, ma'am? We have a variety of choices you can-

"I said I want water. Nothing else." Anna felt a small spike of KI leaking from the woman. That put the bartender on edge as he bowed before getting a glass for the woman's water.

It was then that Anna looked at the woman beside her and recognized her as one of the participants from the Devil Exams. It was Gaia, one of the Final Four who fought against Diodora Astaroth. She wasn't dressed up like the other Devils, but she didn't have the large gourd she was known for. "I like your style." Anna muttered, not even sure why she did so.

Receiving her water, Gaia glanced at Anna, studying the shaman. The two were quiet for a while, not breaking eye contact with each other as if they were having a mental conversation with each other.

"…."

"….."

"….."

"…."

"…My name is Gaia."

"Anna."

"You seem like….a reasonable person."

"Same….we should talk more."

"Agreed."

End Flashback

"I'm pretty sure that's how Anna explained it. Lee linked with Gaia again through Anna…" muttered Naruto.

The shell-shocked Agares heiress couldn't believe that Lee chose to go out with someone else without telling her, especially not Gaia. "Gaia! You mean that sand bi-

Seekvaira slapped both of her hands over her mouth when she realized that she was still with her father. Looking back at the elder Devil, her heart dropped when she saw his grin, thoroughly enjoying his daughter's outburst. "Ah….Forgive me, father!" she said with a bow, "I-I…I forgot my manners for a few seconds. It won't happen again!"

Lord Agares chuckled, something Seekvaira can say she's heard only a few times in her 18 years of life. She gulped, hoping that he wasn't disrespected with her outlandish behavior. "Naruto…" her father's deep voice entered her ears and shook her body, fearful as to what he would say, "Do you know where your [Rook] is along with this Gaia girl?"

"They should be somewhere around here on the countryside training." said Naruto, happy he got back at the younger girl, "Fly on, little one. You'll find them around in the nearby area."

After Seekvaira's departure, Naruto, Orochimaru and Lord Agares were finally alone to talk business. "You may want to watch your daughter, Lord Agares…If she continues to be with my [Rook], he may just steal her heart." he said with a chuckle.

"My daughter is smart. She hardly surrounds herself with any younger Devils outside of her peerage because of their stupidity and incompetence. If she decided to associate with your [Rook], then I don't have a problem…especially with how he handled himself in the Devil Exams." said the elder Devil with a grunt.

"Nevertheless, I'm sure you have some information for us, as do we." said Orochimaru, standing behind his [King], "Since you were busy these past few days, we weren't able to tell you about the meeting with the Satans and the council."

Lord Agares hummed in thought before speaking, "I don't know what happened in that meeting of yours, but I believe that you are now in the sights of the Bael Council." he started, gaining the interest of the two other Devils in the room, "Just yesterday, the Bael Council was held a meeting called by Zekram-sama, the former and First Great King of the Underworld, which is highly unusual as he doesn't attend any other meetings. Also another abnormity is that I was denied access to this meeting. As you know, the House of Agares serves as the 'moderator' of the Bael Clan to the Four Satans and the other Devil Clans-which is why I was angered at the fact that not one member of the Agares Clan was invited to the meeting you all had."

Orochimaru nodded, "I was confused as to why there wasn't an Agares member at the meeting, but those of the Sitri and Gremory were allowed….must be nice for a clan to produce a Satan…it has its perks."

"Something I hope you plan on fixing in the future." Lord Agares said, his eyesight centered on Naruto.

"That and many things, Lord Agares." Naruto replied while lacing his fingers together, "You said that Zekram-sama was the one that called for the Bael meeting yesterday. He must have told them about what he learned from the meeting…"

"And what in particular was talked about during the function?" asked the dirty blond Agares leader.

"Basically everything deal with Naruto-sama's past…including his seal, the process of freeing him from his seal, Rating Games, memory seals, and finally his previous relationship with Serafall and current with the Seraph of Heaven, Gabriel."

"Everything I've told you in prior conversations was brought up at the meeting, so you weren't really missing anything important." said Naruto, continuing off of his [Pawn], "If anything, you would have wasted your time being there."

"Negative." Lord Agares said in robotic-fashion, "If Lord Zekram was attending the meeting, then my knowledge of the man tells me that he was the one that brought up your relationship with Gabriel."

Orochimaru and Naruto gave a look at each other, confirming Lord Agares assumption, "That's a problem that I've been meaning to talk to you about. With this plan of yours to become Great King…while it works on paper, there will be a few things that can hinder the success rate…especially your relationship with the Angel."

Naruto's eyes narrowed, "What seems to be the problem with it?"

Ignoring the Bael's change in tone, Lord Agares continued, "I know things about Lord Zekram that many do not…for one, his obsession with keeping the natural balance of factions is one of his darker elements. You're relationship with Gabriel goes against everything he believes: Devils and Angels do not mix. While he believes that we can be allies and live peaceful, Zekram firmly stands on the fact that Devils and Angels shouldn't be involved in any type of unhealthy, romantic relationship…and he's not the only one.

"I don't believe the Underworld is ready for one of its leaders to be romantically involved with one of the leaders of our natural enemies. Your association with the Seraph will surely be used against us in our quest in making you Great King."

"You say that Zekram is against any relationship similar to the one my master is in." said Orochimaru, "Has he ever enforced those beliefs."

The Agares leader nodded, "On a few occasions. Devil/Angel relations are very, very rare. Whenever Zekram gets involved, the situation usually ends without violence. However…there has been times when Zekram, partnered with certain churches, would kill both the Devil and Angel/Priest in a relationship to keep the status quo that dictates his every life choice." he finished.

Both Naruto and Orochiamru eyes were slightly wide at the revelation. Who knew that the former Great King known for his positive, peace-loving personality had such a dark side? "This complicates things…" muttered Orochimaru.

"No it doesn't." said Naruto, surprising the other two Devils, "I don't care about what Zekram deems 'right'. With my accession to Great King, traditions will definitely be either challenged or obliterated. My relationship with Gabriel won't stop me." he said with authority, not taking no for an answer.

"I don't care about your relationship with the Angel…even if it is taboo." said Lord Agares, "As long as it doesn't interfere with the plan, then we can proceed without worry. However, I know that won't be the case because of Zekram. When you reveal your plan to everyone and you are still with the Seraph, he will act."

"So you're also telling me to end my relationship with Gabriel?" said Naruto with a knowing smirk.

"I'm telling you to watch your back." replied Lord Agares in his usual rough voice, but with a small amount of KI backing his words.

"So be it." muttered Naruto, closing his eyes, almost as a sign that their current conversation topic was over.

Sensing the tense atmosphere, Orochimaru decided to continue with a different matter at hand, "Have you heard about our upcoming Rating Game against Tannin?" asked the snake man to the Agares leader, "I for one am looking forward to fighting against one of the most prominent peerages in the Underworld."

"I actually did here murmurs about what happened between you and Tannin during the meeting." said Agares as he glanced over to Naruto, "First of all, you carried yourself in a very unprofessional matter in a room filled with royals."

Naruto sweat dropped, "That's just how I handle myself, Mr. Stick up my ass!" he finished while sticking his tongue out at Lord Agares.

Orochimaru face palmed at his master's actions, "Please forgive my master, Lord Agares. Anna and I have tried to get him to act more professional, but does not listen during our lessons. His attitude is something you'll have to get used to because there is no teaching him." he finished with a sigh.

"Hmm…" hummed Lord Agares, "We'll talk more about that at a later date. What concerns me is the outlandish Rating Game with Tannin." he said, catching the two buy surprise, "I know that you are strong, Naruto, but I am not sure you can defeat Tannin."

Naruto, disappointed, sighed while shaking his head at Lord Agares lack of confidence in him. "Come on, Agares….I thought that I had earned your trust by protecting your daughter in the Devil Exams…"

"You have earned my trust, but all of your advisories in Rating Games were nowhere near the level of skill of Tannin and his peerage of dragons." said the Lord, unsure of the Naruto's chances against the massive dragon, "Tannin is an Ultimate-Class Devil for a reason. Even myself, Lord of Agares, can't defeat Tannin."

Naruto looked back at his [Pawn] with a dumbfounded expression, "Did he just say that we're weak?" he asked Orochimaru.

"He didn't say we were weak in particular, Master. What Lord Agares means is that we're just weaker than Tannin-sama." explained the snake man.

"Well he obviously doesn't know anything about us then." he said with a childish huff, "We can beat that overgrown lizard and his team of pet snakes for sure! I don't know what the hell he's talking about!"

Lord Agares stared blankly at the blonde Bael as if he was crazy, "You honestly believe that you can win against an Ultimate-Class Devil?"

Naruto smirked as he leaned his head into his open palm, "You underestimate us, Agares. I came back from an almost comatose-state that would have likely killed me if I would have stayed in that seal. My peerage members are undeniable some of the most skillful Devils collected into one peerage. We also have an advantage in most of our skills not being known since only Hao and Lee are the only ones that have shown their main abilities during Rating Games. I have the all the confidence in the world that we shall defeat Tannin-Ultimate-Class Devil or not…he's just another opponent."

"Do you have a strategy then?" asked Lord Agares, interested in hearing Naruto's game plan on defeating the reptilian powerhouse.

"Plan?" Naruto coughed on his own spit trying to hold in his laughter, "There is no plan! Just go with the flow! Man, Agares, you really are a funny person…" he said with a giggle.

'He's hopeless…' thought Lord Agares as he watched Naruto enter into a giggle fit. "Just make sure that you win…It would look bad that the person that wants to be the ruler of the Underworld to lose such a major Rating Game."

"Please," said Naruto, waving off the man's warning without worry, "spare me the warnings. Don't worry, Agares. I'm going to win, and I'll look cool while doing it, so just sit back and let me deal with all the other stuff."

Lord Agares sighed, "If that's what you want, Naruto…is there anything else we need to discuss before I take my exit."

"Actually, there is one thing that we need to discuss together." said Orochimaru, "One of goals from the meeting was to find other possible supporters for Naruto's goal of becoming Great King. We've noted a few names that we may be able to sway to our cause."

"And these names are?" asked Lord Agares with a raised eyebrow.

"Falbium and Ajuka." said the snake man, "They were the ones that were more vocal about their displeasures of Naruto's sealing and seemed to take his side throughout many of the topics discussed a few days ago. Plus, having two of the Four Satan's support will be a major bonus for us."

"I guess you want me to handle those two since you have to prepare for you Rating Game." said Lord Agares.

"It would be convenient for us since this will be a big Rating Game. We don't have time to spare." replied Naruto's [Pawn].

The leader of Agares nodded as he stood from his seat, "Then I'll work on it. I wish you well during your match against Tannin. Orochimaru, make sure your [King] doesn't do anything idiotic."

"Hey!" said Naruto with a glare, "I can watch my own back, thank you very much!"

"I shall do so, Lord Agares." said Orochimaru with a bow, ignoring his [King]'s antics, "I also wish you well in your endeavors. If you need anything, we'll be here."

"Yeah…see you later, Agares." Naruto said with a wave as the dirty blonde Agares leader disappeared via teleportation seal. "I like him…he's nice."

"A very powerful ally." said Orochimaru, "I'm glad we share an alliance with him…and hopefully our numbers will increase in the near future."

"Whelp! I guess it's time to get back training!" said Naruto, standing up from his seat and headed outside with Orochimaru following his lead, "I wonder what I should work on next…" the shirtless Bael thought out loud as the duo made their way to the backyard.

"While it is good to practice on your spells and physical body, Naruto-sama, I believe we should practice your illusionary skills as well."

"Ohhh…you are right, Orochimaru." said Naruto, "I do have this illusion that I'm working on…maybe you can be my test subject for it, hehehe!" laughed Naruto, causing his [Pawn] to sigh, not wanting to be his master's training dummy for the next few hours.

Timeskip…

Phenex Castle – Indoor Training Facility

Inside of the massive Phenex Castle was a large training room for the members of the head family of the Phenex Clan to use at their disposal during all hours of the day. Said room was made out of red, stone-like material sturdy enough to be hit by powerful fire spells without being damaged in the slightest. The room was illuminated by columns of fire in each corner, creating a dark atmosphere.

In the middle of the massive room sat Hao Asakura and Riser Phenex, legs crossed and eyes closed. The duo were completely silent as they meditated, listening to the columns of fire flickering quietly in their individual corners. Hao was at peace, taking in deep breaths while letting out satisfying exhales, content with the current mood. Riser however…

"How long are we going to stay here? Riser has better things to do than sit in a dark room." said the arrogant Phenex boy.

The now disrupted Hao growled as he opened his amber eyes to the world. "Why are you talking?" asked the annoyed Asakura.

"You told me that you would be training me. Riser does not consider this to be training." he replied, secretly sick and tired of the rough floor hurting his backside.

Hao rolled his eyes at Riser's arrogant attitude, not that he wasn't use to it. It was just very annoying. "Meditation is a form of training. It allows one to connect with their magical reserves and gain a better understanding of it….this exercise also increases our awareness and other senses…if you would shut up and focus then it would be working for you by now."

"Riser understands the reason of meditating, but this exercise is for baby Devils trying to get in touch with their magic. Powerful adult Devils like us shouldn't waste time with such meaningless charades." replied the blonde Phenex.

"Your annoying banter has me debating on whether I should bite your head off or not…" muttered Hao, causing Riser to tense up. Behind him, the head of the Spirit of Fire appeared, chuckling into the younger Devil's ear.

"You know…it is a very uncomfortable experience being detached from your body…" muttered Riser, glancing from the side of his to see if the fire monstrosity was still behind him.

"And it hurts my ears hearing your wining voice." answered Hao, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath, "You need to meditate…your spirit is filled with rage, influencing your decision making during our spars and in your Rating Games. Thinking rationally during tense situations is a mandatory characteristic for a successful [King]."

"Riser means not to offend, but your [King] doesn't portray the type of [King] you describe." said the boy.

Hao actually sweat dropped because he knew he couldn't deny what was true. "My master…is a special case…" answered Hao, trying to think of a logical way of explaining how Naruto acted as a [King], "He….is a wild card…"

"A wild card?" Riser said with a growing smirk, "Hmph…That isn't very [King]-like now, is it?"

Hao shot his pupil a blank stare, "I know what you're doing, but I can't try to defend my master because you're right…Naruto-sama has many unhealthy elements to his personality that isn't very [King]-like…especially when it comes to associating himself in a professional manner."

"Riser senses a 'but' is coming..."

"You'd be right." said Hao, "While he is nothing short of a lunatic, when he needs to be, Naruto-sama is the smartest Devil you can meet. He can be calm and collected one moment and wild and outspoken the next. He adapts to situations the best way he deems fit. While it may tarnish how other's opinion of him, those who know Naruto-sama knows that everything he does has a meaning behind it."

Riser hummed before speaking, "Can you give Riser an example of your [King]'s smart but wild antics?"

Hao smirked, "He was the one that told me to do something crazy during our match against your peerage, leading to me almost devouring your younger sister." Before Riser could voice his own opinion, Hao cut him off, "While he didn't tell me what exactly to do, he wanted me to do something drastic…something that would leave a lasting impression. My actions with your sister were both wild and genius. Wild because killing a child of the prominent Phenex Clan is never a good idea. Genius because of what happened because of Ravel's life on the line. Sirzechs recalled a Devil from death in a Rating Game, an obvious display of favoritism. I'm sure he still hasn't recovered from such an act till this day."

Looking over to Riser, who seemed to be deep in thought, Hao asked, "Do you hate my master for what he told me to do to your sister?"

Again, Riser was silent for a few seconds, debating his answer within his mind. Hao allowed the boy time as he returned to his mediation. It took a few minutes of silence, but Riser finally voiced his answer to Hao's question, "The old Riser would have hated your [King] for his actions against my sister…but now that I know why he did it…and that my sister was never going to hurt in the first place….I say that Riser doesn't hate him but doesn't hold any good feelings for him either."

Hao nodded, "That's a reasonable answer, Riser…taking the time to collect your thoughts to determine how you really feel is a good step.

Riser grunted, as if he didn't care for the Asakura's compliment. Hao smirked, but it wasn't one of his cocky smiles of dominance. It was genuine. "I feel like you're starting to like me, young Riser."

"…..I can tolerate your presence better…that's all….."

Hao chuckled, "Wrong answer." he said as the Spirit of Fire appeared behind the boy and chomped down on the upper half of his body. Hao continued chuckling as Riser's body reformed before he started shouting curses at the older Devil.

After the blonde Phenex finished his cursing spree, Hao slowly stood up, gaining his pupil's attention, "Come on. Let's go somewhere else."

Riser snorted as he followed Hao's actions, "And where are we going?" he asked.

"To my house." he said, surprising Riser, "I'd like to see how you handle yourself around real monsters. They're training for a Rating Game we have coming up…maybe the experience can give you a few tips in how you need to carry yourself. You can bring someone from your peerage if you'd like, but not all. I don't want to be blamed for bringing so many random people to my master's house." he finished as he lead the younger Devil out of the training room.

Minutes later…

Naruto's Peerage House

Appearing in front of a large, three story house, Hao, Riser, and Yubelluna, Riser's [Queen] that joined her [King] at his request, started to make their way to the front door. Being their first time, Riser and Yubelluna were examining the beach-like environment. "This is nice…" said Yubelluna, her melodic voice cutting the silence, "This is my first time here in the Bael Territory…but it seems were far from any civilization."

"My master likes his privacy, as does the rest of his peerage members." said Hao as they walked up the pathway to the front porch, "Just make sure you two don't do anything stupid, understood?"

Riser snorted arrogantly, "Stupid? Riser Phenex and any member of his peerage is far from stupid."

"Watch your step."

Riser halted his steps while taking a glance beneath. Fear quickly overtook his body as his foot was inches away from a 6ft python coiled around itself. Sweat started to accumulate as the sleeping snake opened its eyes, locking onto Riser's fearful blue. "Rule number one is to always watch your step. Orochimaru has many of his little critters around the house acting as guards. Step on them and you'll receive a dosage of venom that's harmful to even Devils."

Riser silently nodded as he stepped over the snake that hardly cared for the Phenex's presence. If he was with Hao, then the blond boy couldn't be an intruder thought the snake as it uncoiled itself and slithered into the grass, off to find a better spot to rest.

Entering the house, Hao led the duo through the living room and to the backyard where everyone was. Sitting on the porch overlooking the beach was Anna and Yoh, sitting in beach chairs as they watched Kisame training on the beach by himself.

Yoh was the first to notice his brother's presence, along with the two following him, "Oh, Hao. You brought guest?" asked the younger Asakura, pulling his headphones back to better communicate with the newcomers.

"Correct. As you know, I've been with the Phenex's these past couple of days. I brought Riser and his [Queen] over so they can observe our training regime." said Hao, taking one of the free chairs for himself.

"That's nice. Hi, I'm Yoh, Hao's younger twin brother." Yoh said with a wave before pointing to Anna, who didn't care about the newly arrived group's presence as she stared off in the distance, "And this is my fiancée, Anna. I'm sure you remember us during our Rating Games or our other Rating Games against other peerages."

Riser grunted at Yoh while Yubelluna bowed politely. "Hao, what is this?! They aren't training like you said they were! They're lounging about like they don't have a care in the world!" complained Riser, hoping that he would be able to watch the Hao's allies that he gloated about being productive rather than lazy.

"We're not doing anything because we don't want to do anything." muttered Anna, already finding the Phenex's presence annoying, "If you don't like how we do things here, go home."

Before Riser could retort, Hao stopped him, "Calm yourself, boy. I brought you here so you can watch us train, not start a fight. If you want a closer spot, go down to the beach with Kisame, the blue-skinned man." he said while pointing down at the beach where Kisame was seemingly talking to Samehada, "Leave us."

"As we shall." said Yubelluna, grabbing Riser's arm and pulling him down the pathway before he could cause anymore problems, "Let us meet this Kisame, man, Riser-sama."

"….and when ya bit em', ya gotta do it like this!" said Kisame, flashing his fangs to his partner while doing a chomping-like motion, "See? If you would have done that when we were fighting the fucking idiot, we could have drained more of his magic and could've won!" he explained, getting a whimper as a reply from the living sword.

Kisame glanced behind him when he heard someone walking behind him, "Eh, who the fuck are you?" he said while grabbing Samehada just in case things got tricky.

Riser stepped in front of Kisame, arrogance rolling off of him in waves, "I am Riser Phenex, third son in line to be heir of the Phenex Clan. This here behind me his my [Queen], Yubell-

*CHOMP*

Riser froze as he registered the sight of Samehada taking a bite out of his lower arm. "….AAAAAAAAHHHH!" he shouted after a few seconds of disbelief as he tried to free himself, "Get this disgusting thing off of me!" he yelled.

"Alright, Samehada! Good girl!" Kisame said with a thumbs up, his eyes gleaming with happiness.

"Riser-sama!" Yubelluna tried to pry the demonic sword off of her master, but Samehada had a firm grip on Riser's arm while draining his magic. The [Queen] only managed to free her master from Samehada's large maw when the sword suddenly started to cough.

"Eh, what's that?" said Kisame as his partner returned to his side, "His magic taste like dry ash…spicy dry ash?"

"What the hell is that thing!?" shouted Riser as he held his recovering arm, "I demand that you kill it instantly as punishment for disgracing me!"

"Shut the fuck up, you scrawny little brat!" growled Kisame, scaring the two younger Devils, "What the hell are you even doing here, huh? Are you trespassing on my land? I don't fucking like trespassers!"

Yubelluna jumped in front of Riser, protecting him from the quickly approaching Kisame as she shot the explosive magic she was known for at Kisame, causing a large explosion of flames.

She was shocked when Kisame walked out of the explosion with no injuries in sight, "What was that supposed to be? There was hardly any magic in that spell to call a snack." Using his large hands, Kisame grabbed the purple-haired woman's face and forced her to her knees, "You better get to talking if you don't wanna die…"

"Get off of her!" shouted Riser, his flaming wings sprouting out of his back as he charged at the shark man. However, Kisame easily subdued the Phenex with his other palm, eating away with his magic. "Damn, Samehada was right…you're magic does taste like spicy dry ash…disgusting."

"Wha...what's happening…" Riser instantaneously felt weaker as half of his magic reserves disappeared. 'This feel…is worse than when Hao's spirit would bite off half my body…my magic is...almost gone…' he thought as fatigue replaced the energy he had seconds ago.

"Release them, Kisame." said Hao, walking down the pathway leading to the beach, "They're my guest. I brought them here to watch how we trained but obviously they always find themselves in some sort of trouble."

"To be fair, Mr. Hao…that man's….thing…attacked my master first…I was o...only doing my job…..as [Queen]…." said a tired Yubelluna as Kisame released the duo. Here magic reserves were nearly depleted, so she was in a worse condition than Riser.

"You need to tell us when you have guest over and control them better, you idiot." said Kisame with a grunt, attaching Samehada to his back, "I could've killed em' if you hadn't said anything sooner."

"Honestly, I thought they would have been able to handle themselves." said Hao, picking up the two by their collars, "You two disappoint me."

"S-shut..up…" muttered Riser as he stood up with Hao's help, "I didn't know his sword had a damn mouth. Nobody would suspect that."

"Which makes my girl all the more special…" said Kisame, receiving a purr from the demon sword in return, "If they came to train, you missed out. I'm finished for the day and I'm sure Orochimaru and the idiot is coming back from their own session."

"Kukuku…" said the familiar voice of Orochimaru as he appeared from a teleportation seal, along with Naruto, "Seems like we're right on time."

"Yo, everybody!" Naruto said with a wave, "Oh, it seems like we have some guest? Who are these two?" he asked no one in particular.

"I brought them here, Naruto-sama. He's the Phenex I'm looking over and this is his [Queen]." said Hao, "I wanted them to see how we trained, but I guess I brought them to late in the day."

"We can still spar!" shouted Naruto excitement, pumping his fist in the air, "Come on, Hao! When was the last time we fought together? Let's test our might against one another!"

"No." Hao plainly stated, "The last time I fought you, I couldn't move my body for days. I'm never fighting you again for the rest of my life."

"You know what…" said Kisame while scratching his chin in thought, "I forgot all about that! Ha! He really did beat the shit outta ya' a couple of months ago! I don't think I made fun of you for getting knocked around like that by a cripple!" he laughed while slapping Hao on the back.

Riser snorted, holding back his usual arrogant chuckle, "You lost to your master while cripple?"

"It's a long story…" muttered Hao, growling at his blue-skinned comrade.

"Well, since we're through training for the day, maybe your two friends can stay over for dinner?" suggested Naruto, "Uhh…what are your names again?"

"I am the all powerful Riser Phenex, third son of Lord Phenex and third in line to become leader of my household! You should respect that I am even here as I am a royal Devil from one of the most prominent Devils Clans in the Underworld!"

"And I'm Riser-sama's [Queen], Yubelluna." said the very mature woman with a bow, "Thank you for opening your home to us."

"No problem. It's the least I could do for the peerage I ordered Hao to wreck." Naruto's shit-eating grin invaded his face as he remembered who Riser was. He couldn't help but take delight to Riser's attitude doing a one-eighty, turning him into a blubbering fool as he tried to explain why his peerage lost. "Let's get in the house…I'm exhausted."

"Does anyone know where Lee and Kuroka are?" asked Yoh who had secretly joined the group down on the beach amidst their conversation.

"Lee is still with Seekvaira and Gaia…He'll be back on his own time. Kuroka is up there…" stated Naruto while pointing up to the roof of the house. Sure enough, the Nekoshou was sitting on the roof, meditating quietly. She seemed to be in a heavy concentration as she practiced gathering Senjutsu at a faster pace. It would be helpful for their coming battle against Tannin.

"Should we leave her up there for now, Master?" Orochimaru asked their blonde-haired [King].

"Yeah, she can take care of herself." said Naruto as the group followed him inside his mansion, "I wouldn't want anyone disturbing me while training, so I'll leave her be for now." Opening the screen door leading to the kitchen, a heavenly smell assaulted Naruto's nostrils, causing him to drool, "Is….is that what I think it is…"

Standing in front of the large stove in the kitchen was Anna, wearing a pink apron and a ladle in her hand, stirring what seemed like soup in a large pot. "Miso…" she whispered, only sparing her [King] a glance before returning to her cooking.

"OOHHHH, AAANNNAAA!" Naruto teleported to the younger girl's side and hugged her, rubbing his check against her's in a loving manner, "That's why you're in my peerage. Such a nice person you are!"

Anna blushed in embarrassment as the group behind her snickered at her uncomfortable predicament. She wasn't going to throw Naruto off of her like how she would do Yoh since he was her [King], so she remained in the uncomfortable position while the others laughed quietly.

"That's what you get you devil bitch…" whispered Kisame, stealing Yoh's phone and taking a picture of the awkward/funny scene, "Make sure you send that to me."

"Absolutely." replied Yoh, sending the photo to everyone in Naruto's peerage that had a phone.

Moments later…

"Itadakimasu!" shouted a happy Naruto as he dived into his first bowl of Anna's ramen.

"Ya know, for a disgusting person, you can really cook some noodles." said Kisame between his slurps, almost matching Naruto's speed of eating.

The newcomers watched the duo in disgust as they ate like animals. Riser had to hold back bile entering his mouth as the horrific scene continued with noodles and soup falling out of Kisame's mouth. What made it even worse was Samehada cleaning up its master's mess by licking up anything that landed on the table with a shriek of happiness as the flavor filled the demonic sword's mouth.

Riser's face was frozen in disgust as he couldn't even eat his own food anymore; Yubelluna in a similar predicament. Noticing that the two weren't eating, Naruto slurped some noodles into his mouth before asking, "You two aren't eating? Do you not like the food?"

"Riser's not hungry anymore." said the Phenex, pushing the bowl away from him.

"I agree with my [King]…thank you for the offer anyway, Ms. Anna…" said Yubelluna, pushing her bowl away from her as well.

Said girl jumped and had to hold back a shriek when Naruto and Kisame climbed on the table to retrieve of the two's bowls. With Kisame taking Riser's and Naruto stealing Yubelluna's, the duo returned to their seats and finished their own bowls and moving on to the next.

"I know you're disgusted…" said Hao, who was sitting next to Riser and eating his food like a regular person would, "You just have to get used to it and ignore them like the rest of us."

"You said your [King] was wild and smart…I see that much, but I don't see much of his smart side." muttered Riser.

"He barely uses his brains for anything." muttered Anna, using a napkin to dab the sides of her mouth with etiquette, "Only when fighting is when he uses his smarts."

"I can hear you…" said Naruto with sweat drop, "I'm literally right here."

"I don't care…..idiot…" Ann muttered, causing Naruto to slump in sadness.

"Why doesn't anyone like me…" he said as a cloud of depression rained over him.

"Let's give Naruto-sama a break, you all." said Yoh, the voice of reason, "He's pretty smart….when he wants to…"

"Not helping, Yoh…" Naruto said with a grown, pushing his depression cloud away so he could focus on eating his ramen.

"Well, I'm sure you have a plan for our Rating Game against Tannin." said Yoh, catching Riser's attention.

"You all have a Rating Game against Tannin, an Ultimate-Class Devil?" he asked with shock.

"Yup! Lookin' forward to it too!" replied Naruto.

"That's impossible! Why would you even agree to such a one-sided battle?" shouted Riser, surprising everyone at his sudden rage, "Even I, the great Riser of the Phenex Clan, couldn't beat Tannin, so why would you even accept such challenge when it will only end in your embarrassment?!"

Naruto simply raised an eyebrow at his guest, "Uhh...first of all, you're not that strong to begin with…I remember clearly that my peerage beat you with ease, so I'm pretty sure that you couldn't beat Tannin, hehehe!"

Riser growled in embarrassment, "Th-that's beyond the point I'm making! Why challenge Tannin if your loss is inevitable?"

"If my loss is 'inevitable', then I never would have challenged him to a Rating Game." Naruto said with a shrug, "I challenged him because I know we'll win. That's that."

"Ya' damn right we're going to win." said Kisame, taking a break from eating to join the conversation, "Fuck him and his team of lizards. I'm expecting their magic to taste pretty good. What'cha say, girl?" he said while rubbing Samehada affectionately, "That's a good girl. That's a good girl~"

"As much as you don't believe we can win, I assure you, Riser Phenex, that we will." said Orochimaru, "I'm just as confident in everyone here that we will win. While I do expect the match to be our most difficult to date, I whole-heartily believe that we will win."

"….how can you saw that so calmly?" asked Riser, still not understanding how they weren't succumbing to the pressure of facing Tannin.

"It's really nothing to worry about when you think about it." said Yoh, setting his chopsticks in his bowl, "We're strong. Everything is gonna work out in the end, so there isn't a reason to get all angsty about it."

"It'll all work out in the end?" Riser muttered, "Is it really that simple to you?"

"Well, maybe you can't relate since you are a part of the royal family of Phenex, "said Naruto, "but don't worry about us, Riser. We'll get through this."

"I-I wasn't worried for you all at all!" he sputtered out, "Hao kept talking about how strong you all were and I was just here to make sure he wasn't lying!" he said with a huff as he sat back down in his chair, "If you all are so calm, then you must have some type of strategy to defeat Tannin and his peerage of dragons."

"Knowing Naruto-sama, he probably doesn't have a strategy at all…just rush at the enemy is what he usually says." said Orochimaru before taking another bite of noodles. 'Hmm…this is very good…Anna should make something with eggs next time…that's my favorite…'

"Actually, that's not true." said Naruto with a sly chuckle, "I actually thought of a plan this time…my secret weapon!"

"Secret weapon?" said Riser, highly interested in Naruto's plan, "And what would that possibly be?"

Naruto pointed to the ceiling with a smile, "She's sitting on the roof…My protégé will finally get the shine she deserves."

Before he could continue, a magic circle appeared in the middle of the table. From it grew a hologram of a familiar face, 'Hello? Is this working?' said a feminine voice.

"Hey look. Gabby's in the middle of the table." said Kisame, "What's going on girl?"

'Hello everyone! I'm so happy to see you all well!' she said with her usual excitement at seeing her favorite peerage, 'It's been far too long! I must come and visit you all in the Underworld so time soon!'

"It hasn't been that long, Gabriel, but it's nice to know that you miss us." Yoh said with a laugh.

"Is something a matter, Gabriel? Why are you calling?" asked Naruto, surprised at Gabriel's random call.

'Oh! I must tell you, Naru! I have some free time from my priorities from Heaven and was wondering if you wanted to go on a date tonight?' the Seraph said with an innocent smile.

"Eh? A date?" replied Naruto.

A few minutes later…

After a long day of mediation and concentrating on absorbing Senjutsu, Kuroka opened the sliding door and entered the living room of the house. She had been working all day on her Senjutsu control, not talking to anyone in favor of working on her control. While she was already a master at Senjutsu, along with the other spells she favored, Kuroka wanted to be ready when going against Tannin's peerage, knowing that this would be her toughest battle yet.

"NYaaaaa~" she yawned before the smell of dinner entered her nostrils. While she did smell from while on the roof, she ignored it so her concentration wouldn't waver. However, her training for the day was over and the Nekoshou was hungry. "I'm sttarrrving…" she said as she slowly walked into the kitchen, only to hear whispers coming from the dining room. Interested in seeing everyone else, she changed directions and walked into the room, "Hello, nya!" she said with a wave.

However, she was greeted with silence. Even the two people she hadn't seen before we're silent, but she summed it up to them being confused just like her. "Uh…is everything alright?"

"Uhh, yup! Everything is quite alright, hehehe…" Yoh said with an awkward laugh.

Raising an eyebrow, Kuroka took notice to the spot that Naruto would take, the head of the table, was empty. She was sure that he was here earlier? "Hey, where did Naruto go, nya?"

Hours later…

Tokyo, Japan

"You should have been there, Gabriel! I acted so official and cool during the meeting! It was like I knew what they were going to say and how I they were going to say it! I answered all their questions with confidence and poise…man, you should have been there…" said a blonde-haired man as walked next to a beautiful platinum blonde-haired woman.

"I'm so glad you handle yourself in such a formal setting, Naruto. I know you don't like that type of crowd at all. I'm sure Orochimaru was proud of you." said Gabriel with a laugh.

"Yeah…but enough of that….what's been going on with you?" asked Naruto as they continued their walk with no set destination in mind.

"Things have been slow up in Heaven." she started while moving a lock of her elegant blonde hair behind her ear, "Since there has been a decrease in Devil/Angel/Fallen Angel disputes, it hasn't been as busy since the Three Factions Meeting. We Angels still have large amounts of work to be done, but it's more on the positive side, which involves less fighting and hurt. I've had more time visiting churches around the world and making sure they are following protocol."

"That's nice. I've got a Rating Game against Tannin soon…"

"Tannin? That seem so dangerous, Naru!" she said while covering her mouth in shock, "W-while I do believe in you, isn't going against Tannin a little extreme? He seems really strong compared to the other peerages I've watch you face on film."

"Don't worry, Gabriel." said Naruto with a wave before setting both of his hands behind his head, "My peerage members and I aren't worried at all on how the conclusion of this Rating Game will be. We'll win a hard-fought victory. I'm really looking forward to it."

"Is there any way I can help?" she asked with worry.

"If you can, will you be able to watch the live stream of the Rating Game. I don't think it will last a long time, but with you watching I feel like I'll fight more efficiently." Naruto said with wide-puppy eye dogs.

Tears filled the Seraph's eyes as she jumped Naruto, hugging him into her heavenly breast, "Of course, I'll watch your Rating Game as soon as it starts, and I won't tear my eyes away from it unless necessary. I'll support you the whole time!" she cried.

The blond male laughed as he freed himself from his companion of the night, "Hehe! Thanks, Gabriel, but you don't have to cry about it. I knew you were going to support me. If you can't watch it live, we'll watch the recording of the game at a later date."

"No, but I will watch it live, Naru! I must pray for you while the game is happening to give you extra strength!" she said with a cute fist pump, "I have to make sure my favorite peerage is in top condition to fight against an opponent like Tannin."

"Oh? So my peerage is your favorite?" said Naruto with a sly grin, "And why is that?"

The Angel blushed as she looked away from the Devil in embarrassment, "Be-because…everyone in your peerage is nice…" she stuttered.

Naruto's grin only grew in size as he continued to push, "And who on my peerage is the nicest, hmmmm?" he asked.

"W-well…..uhm….Yoh is a very nice person…" she muttered, scared she would hurt his feelings.

"Oh, Gabriel! You don't have to lie! You know I'm the nicest person on my peerage! Hahaha!" he laughed.

"Forgive me, for I cannot lie."

"Hahaha-oh yeah…" Naruto slumped sadness as he realized that Gabriel truly meant that Yoh was nicer than him.

The Seraph started to panic as she grabbed onto Naruto's arm, "But that doesn't mean that I you still a very nice person, Naruto! You've helped your peerage members from their past struggles and helped them find their place in the world! You've done so much good and you may not even realize it…"

Naruto hummed as stopped moving, causing Gabriel to do so as well, "I'm guessing there's a reason why you don't consider me to be the nicest person on my peerage, huh?"

The Angel nodded sadly as she stared at Naruto's eyes. Because of their similar height, she matched his intense gaze with her own without having to look up at him, "While you are a nice person, Naru….I sense a lot of darkness within you as well….It's something that you try to hide from everyone but it's blatantly obvious to me…"

"Blatantly obvious?" Naruto smirked, "And what does this 'darkness' of mine look like?"

Gabriel frowned as she poked Naruto in his chest, right where his heart is. "Right here….in the center of heart…it's like a cold…cold dark hole….."

Naruto's smirk disappeared as he registered the woman's words. A sharp pang of guilt pierced his heart as he couldn't deny the truth of Gabriel's revelation. He sighed, running a hand through his spiky hair while doing so. He didn't think that Gabriel could read him so well, revealing even his darker side that he kept hidden. 'I guess there is no hiding from her…which is scary.'

Naruto's sudden silence worried Gabriel, "Please…tell me how you feel." she said while placing a hand on his cheek, "I feel as if you have so much to say but keep everything locked away. Maybe you will feel better if you just talk to me."

Again, silence blanked the atmosphere as the two entered another staring contest. Gabriel's lower lip shook somewhat as she anticipated Naruto's answer. She didn't want him to be mad at her, but she knew her close friend needed to express himself more if he wanted to manage the dark hole he had in his heart.

"Would you like some ice cream?" he asked suddenly, surprising the Seraph. Pointing behind her, Gabriel turned to see a convenience store on the other side of the street. There was a poster outside on one of the windows advertising the store's icy delight. "Let's talk over some ice cream. There's a park somewhere nearby with benches we can sit and talk this out."

Gabriel nodded and watched Naruto enter the store. After buying the ice cream and leaving the store, he handed Gabriel her treat and led her to the nearby park. After taking a seat on the first park bench they saw, Naruto unraveled his ice cream from its wrapper. "Mmmhmmm…cookies n' cream…." he moaned as he licked the cold sweetness with satisfaction.

"And which flavor did you get me?" Gabriel asked as she examined the ice cream's wrapper, "Butter Pecan? I've never had that flavor before?"

"I think you may like that flavor. It's really good…plus, I wanted to ask you a question that I haven't gotten an answer to."

"Oh really, and what may that be...oh, this is good!"

"When somebody says the word 'pecan'….is it pronounced 'pe-can' or 'puh-con'? Since you've been around for a long time, I thought you may know the answer…"

"Silly, Naru. First of all, never talk or mention my age…secondly, it's pronounced 'pe-can'. If I hear a Christen pronounce it as 'puh-con', nine times out of ten, they're probably going to the Underworld."

"Oh, glad you cleared that up for me."

Another round of silence started as the two ended their interesting conversation in favor of finishing their treats. While the atmosphere between the two wasn't awkward, it wasn't comfortable either. They knew of the approaching topic and how sensitive is would be.

There were few people in the park with them, with the occasional stranger passing by the quiet duo. By now, they had finished their ice cream and were sitting in silence, just waiting on the other to start the needed conversation. However, the two found comfort in listening to the surrounding sounds of the park instead of each other.

It was Naruto that decided to cut the silence between the two, "How long have you sensed this 'coldness' in me?" he asked.

"When I first met you…..and not the you when you communicated through those orbs of yours…when I saw your weak body laying in the bed back in Kuoh. I immediately sensed it but decided not to speak upon it because you were so nice to talk to during our travels with Kuroka. I when I kissed you in order to heal your injuries…I shivered at the coldness of that evil….it's not the evil that every Devil was born with…it's something different…and far scarier…"

Glancing at the silent Bael, Gabriel asked, "Naruto…why were you gone for so long? Why couldn't you talk to me personally instead of using that orb of yours? I need an answer." she almost demanded.

"To make a long short, a group of High-Class Devils didn't agree with a relationship I had with a girl during the Civil War…the girl came from a royal family and I was a simple Low-Class Devil. While I was strong, my social class really put people on edge and didn't want me with her…so they sealed me away…I was stuck in there for over 500 years before my peerage freed me."

Shock was evident on the Seraph's face as her body started to shake. Tears pooled on the edges of her eyes before slowly falling down her soft cheeks. Naruto sighed and scooted closer to Gabriel so that he could hug her, comforting the angel during her small break down. "This is why didn't want to tell you, Gabriel. I knew you wouldn't like it…"

"I…I knew something was wrong…" while she was crying, Gabriel was still able to form clear words. Wiping some of her tears with her sleeve, the Seraph continued, "Only communicating with your orb form…not being able to tell me everything about you…I hypothesized that your real body was stuck somewhere, but it confused be because it was like you weren't doing anything to free yourself, only training Kuroka for the time we were together."

"Ehh…" Naruto shrugged his shoulders awkwardly as he tried to come up with an explanation, "For most of the time I was sealed, I really wasn't trying to get out…well…I kinda was, but it just took a while for everything to be right…I had to wait until it was my time until I ordered my peerage to free me….it was a complicated process, Gabriel…"

Gabriel glanced at Naruto out of the corner of her eye. Her right leg was jumping with impatience as she bit her bottom lip, something that her Devil friend noticed. "Is something wrong, Gabriel? "He asked with concern, "If you have a question, I'll answer it truthfully. I won't hide anything from you."

"The girl from your past….is it Serafall you're alluding too?"

This time, it was Naruto to be shocked as he stared at the Seraph with surprise, "How…how do you know?" he asked, a little tense with Serafall being brought up in their conversation.

"I remember…before you left with your peerage during the night of the Three Factions Meeting and after Vali was revealed to be with the Chaos Brigade...I overheard the short conversation you had with Serafall. She said that she still loved you, but you dismissed her without replying, leaving the scene. She seemed to be saddened as she left…I wanted to ask you about it, but I knew it wasn't any of my business…" said Gabriel.

"Yeah…she's the girl I'm talking about…" Naruto said after a few seconds of thought, "Her family, along with a few others, didn't like our relationship. I was still a Low-Class Devil at the time while Serafall was one of the few Devils suggested to become a new Satan because of her efforts in the Civil War. I could have ended it early and saved myself, but I loved her too much to let her go…guess I paid the consequence then, huh?"

"And they sealed you for that?" she muttered, in shock of what Naruto went through.

"Yup…over 500 years of being in a box…" he replied, "Thankfully, I weakened the seal before it was complete, so I developed my communication orbs to pull my conscious out of the seal and collect my peerage members throughout the years…."

"500 years of solitude and darkness…." she muttered, hugging Naruto closer to her, "It explains why you act the way you do…"

"Hey!" Naruto glanced down at the Seraph with a question-able look, "What does that mean? 'Act the way you do.' What's wrong with the way I act?"

Gabriel instantly waved both in her hands in defense, "N-not that there's anything wro-wrong with how you act now, Naru! I love and enjoy you and everything you stand for! It's just that I've noticed how damaging your experience in that seal had on you!"

Taking a few short breaths to calm herself, Gabriel gripped the sides of her robe as she continued, "I was worried about you, so I started to ask around about you…before you disappeared. Many people told me that they remember you used to act more serious and collected compared to how you act now…along with the random giggles you have…personality switches…and when Orochimaru told me of the times you would sleep in your closet for some reason he couldn't reveal at the time…you telling me about being sealed for so long really answers a lot of questions I had."

"Wow…" Naruto said, blindsided by Gabriel's analytical skills, "Seems you really have me figured out."

"I care for you…" she muttered with a shy smile, "I wanted to make sure you were ok…and it sadness me to find out you weren't all along. You don't have someone to relate to, and you don't want to look weak in the eyes of others so you've created a façade to protect yourself. That isn't healthy, Naruto."

"A façade…" he said, staring up at the starry night sky with an uncomfortable smile, "A façade to hide the black hole in my heart….story of my life…"

"Naruto…." while he didn't have any outside reaction, he was slightly surprised at the serious tone in the usually happy Seraph's voice, "What is this 'plan' of yours that you haven't told me about?"

"I plan on dethroning the Great King of the Underworld." he said without hesitation, staying true to his promise of answering all of Gabriel's questions, "The Bael's are doing a terrible job in their effort to help govern the Devils side of the Underworld. I plan on taking charge, seeing as I'm a Devil that is powerful and has gone through each major stage of social class ranking…the fact that I am a master at using my clan's signature ability, Power of Destruction, if I play my cards right, I'll be able to make my dream reality…"

"…and in the long run, get revenge for all of those that have done wrong by you, correct?" the Angel finished.

Naruto chuckled as he continued to gaze at the night sky, not brave enough to see Gabriel's tear-filled expression. Gripping her side tighter, but not enough to hurt her, Naruto thought of his next words. "Well, your night lying…" he said after a few seconds of silence, "While I don't really care about Serafall anymore, there are those that need to be put in their place. They've not only hurt me, but others less powerful than them. There needs to be a change, something I plan on creating." he said with determination.

"While I do agree that it's unhealthy for a corrupt government to use its power to control its citizens, I don't agree with you overthrowing the Bael's in the name of revenge under the guise of an honorable cause." said Gabriel, "You hold an immense hatred for the Bael's for what they did to you. You feel betrayed that your own clan would seal your for their own selfish desires. If you want to conquer your hatred and continue your journey with good intentions, you must learn how to forgive."

"Forgive? You do realize that I'm a Devil?" the Bael said with a smirk, "That really isn't in my blood."

"Even with that immense darkness in your heart, you are still a good person, Naruto." said Gabriel, "While it may be hard, it isn't impossible. You are different than the rest…I can tell…another reason why I enjoy being with you so much…"

The blonde Bael had to hold back a flinch when Gabriel leaned into Naruto's body, laying her head on his shoulder. While he was still on the outside, his mind was rampant with thoughts as he digested what the Seraph told him. He wasn't one for forgiveness and peace, especially towards those that hurt him. He was at a disadvantage from the beginning, being born into the low-class with his father being a solider for the Anti-Satan Faction and his mother a maid for the royal Bael family. Working from the bottom, he fought his way to the top during the Devil Civil War and made a name for himself. He shouldn't have gone through what he did and just thinking about it made his blood boil.

'But then she comes around…' he thought as he glanced down at the top of Gabriel's blonde hair.

Other than his peerage members, Naruto considered Gabriel to be one of the best things to happen to him since being sealed all those years ago. She was honest, caring and pretty fun to have around. He smiled at the times he shared with Gabriel while he was training Kuroka. Even though he wasn't physically there, he thoroughly enjoyed the Seraph's presence. Her innocent nature and heavenly laugh was something that he needed…something that fueled his drive to free himself so that he could meet her without the need of his communication orb. Seeing her for the first time through his own eyes, a feeling inside of the Bael appeared, one that he hadn't felt for someone in a long time.

'I'm a bad person….'

"Alright…" Naruto said, catching the Seraph's attention, "While it won't be an immediate process, I'll work on letting go of my hatred…if that makes you happy."

For a second, his body was overrun with guilt for lying to the Angel, but all of that guilt washed away when Gabriel's smiling face registered in his ocean blue eyes. "Really!" she said in happiness as jumped him, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly, "Oh, God bless you, Naru! I'm so proud of you!"

Naruto chuckled as he hugged the beautiful woman, "Hehe, alright now, Gabriel. I'm glad that you-OW! Dang it, that hurts!" he yelled as he hissed in pain, Gabriel's prayer coming back to bite him.

After numerous pleads of forgiveness and making sure that he was okay, Gabriel and Naruto returned to their original position with the Angel laying on the Devil's shoulder while he had his arm wrapped around her. The two entered a comfortable silence, finding tranquility in one another's body heat. There weren't any other people in the park, so the duo was able to enjoy their moment in solitude.

"Gabriel…" the Angel perked up at the sound of Naruto's voice, "Earlier you said that you love me and everything I stand for…did you mean that?"

That Seraph's face lit up with a heavy blush, understanding the implications of what she said earlier. She hadn't even realized what she said before because she was so caught up defending herself. "Uh..Uh...well….y-yes, I did mean that, Naruto."

"In what way?" he asked immediately.

The color of Gabriel's blush now rivaled that of tomato as she stuttered, "R..roman-man..tically…"

"Romantically?"

The Angel nodded into his shoulder, hiding her red faced, "Yes, that would be the correct way to describe my fe-feelings of you."

"Hmm…me too."

Naruto smirked when he felt Gabriel's shaking body suddenly freeze at his words. Slowly, the Seraph pulled herself from his shoulder and moved to position her face over Naruto's. Her eyes were wide as she slowly digested what the blonde Devil said. Her lips were moving as if she tried to talk, but she couldn't form words due to the shock of Naruto's revelation.

The Devil chuckled as he pushed a lock of the Angel's long, platinum blonde hair behind her ear, "I've been feeling this way for you for a while now. Sorry if I'm late to admitting it to you."

"F-for...for how long h-have you felt this way…..about me?" she muttered, locking her eyes onto his.

"The moment I first saw you with my own eyes." he admitted, "When you came to heal my weak, broken body. I don't know why these feelings for you developed the moment I saw you, but it hit me hard the first time I saw you."

"I…grew feelings for you while traveling with you and Kuroka." she started, her blush calming somewhat, "You were so exciting to be around and I hadn't had so much fun before. It was during a time I had a break from my duties in Heaven and you and Kuroka really helped me relax. Your attitude and jokes…everything about you was amazing to me, regardless that our only form of communication was through a spell. Those feelings only grew over time when I finally got to officially meet you a few months ago."

The Angel placed her soft hands on the Devil's whiskered cheeks, not breaking their intense eye contact. "I really do love you, Naruto Bael."

Closing the distance between them, Naruto muttered before their lips connected, "I love you too."

Their second kiss, while short, was filled emotion. The world was drowned out to the duo as they packed everything they had into their connection. Their eyes were closed as the feeling of pure love washed throughout their bodies along with a pleasure knowing that the two had finally admitted themselves to each other. The quietness of the park acted as a blanket, comforting the two as their lip lock grew in intensity.

Just as quick as it started, it ended as Gabriel slowly pulled away. Her heart was thumping in joy now that she had finally admitted her love to her blonde friend and knowing that he felt the same way only made things better. However, she was shocked as she looked at the blonde's dazed face.

"Naruto…..you're crying…"

Pulled out of his love-induced daze, Naruto was surprised at Gabriel's accusation. However, after reaching up this face, his astonishment only grew when he felt a lone tear falling down his right eye and water accumulating in his left. "Oh….I am…."

"Are you okay? Is something wrong?" she asked with worry evident in her voice, wiping some of the tears away with her sleeve.

"No…" Naruto's grin was brighter than ever before as he started to cry for the first time in centuries, "You just don't know how happy you've made me, hehe!"

One week later…

Underworld: Capital City of Lilith

"Hello, Underworld! This is URGA (Underworld Rating Game Association) on NTN! I'm your host, Ernie Johnson, and I'm sitting here with some legends in the game: Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith! Today is the day that we've all been waiting for! In just a few minutes, we'll get to witness the Rating Game of Naruto Bael, the 'Compass Needle of Victory' and newly nicknamed 'Low-Class [King]], face off against the Ultimate-Class Devil coming out of retirement, the all-powerful Tannin!" exclaimed the older gentleman wearing a black suit and fashionable bow tie. "Kenny, we'll start with you…who wins this Rating Game tonight?"

"Tannin. That's it." said Kenny without hesitation, "I don't know why Naruto Bael accepted this challenge. We saw what you did against Rai Agares a few months ago….We've watched you defeat other notable peerages. Hell, we saw him outsmart and defeat Loki, a God of Norse mythology…Even with all that, this is Tannin we're talking about. The only advantage Naruto has in this fight is youth. Tannin hasn't fought in a Rating Game in two-three hundred years. Naruto's peerage has only been in about 7. This was a dumb, arrogant-filled decision made by Naruto and I don't expect this match to last long."

"I agree with Kenny." said Shaq with an insanely deep voice, "This is the first move Naruto has made since his re-emergence that I don't support. Tannin is simply too strong for him and he'll be embarrassed with how this Rating Game follows through."

"You know what…" said Charles, the last commentator at the table, "I've got Naruto with this one…"

Charles was met with a collection of groans of disapproval from his fellow sport casters, "Now, hold on! What do we know about Naruto? He doesn't accept challenges he knows he can't win. While Tannin's peerage is one of the most powerful peerages in the Underworld….this is Naruto Bael we're talking about…"

"Charles, don't make me flip this god-damn table over so I can slap some sense into you." replied Shaq, "Tannin vs. Naruto Bael…..and you're picking Naruto…the guy that's only been in seven Rating Games, compared to Tannin's dozens of victories…"

"You damn right I'm picking Naruto and he's gonna make all of y'all look like some fools!" said Charles, expressing himself by slamming his fist into the table, cracking the surface.

"Well, then, let's show some video of the Naruto Bael and Tannin's press conference from a few days ago." said Ernie as Shaq and Charles started to argue in the background.

…

…

The camera cut to a different setting with Naruto and Tannin (in his chibi form) sitting behind a long black table with microphones set in front of them. Between them was reporter asking questions about the duo and the Rating Game.

"Tannin, we'll start with you. What do you expect out of this Rating Game?" said Doris Bourke, moderator of the press conference, "What are you looking for from this Rating Game against Naruto Bael?"

"To start, I was honestly getting bored sitting in my cave for a so long with no action." said the chibi dragon, getting a few laughs from the audience watching, "My entire reason in becoming a Devil and living here in the Underworld was for the resources here necessary for my species survival. Now that we've made some advances in restoring the multitude of Dragon Apples trees in Dragon Mountain located in the Gremory Territory, I've decided to return to the Rating Game scene…and what way to make my grand entrance is by defeating one of the most popular peerages of today."

"Wow, what a great way to compliment and diss me in the same sentence, lizard." said Naruto with an eye roll.

"For the fifteenth time, you stupid delinquent! . !" shouted Tannin in a fit of anger.

"The only thing about you that resembles a dragon is your attitude problem." said Naruto nonchalantly, angering the Ultimate-Devil even further.

"And what about you, Naruto Bael?" asked Doris, turning towards the blonde-haired Devil, "Why challenge Tannin-sama in a Rating Game?"

"Well Doris, apparently there are Devils and lizards…"

"Hey!"

"…out there that doubts me and my peerage's capabilities. Going off of the fact that I've fought my Rating Games in the name of all the Low-Class Devil who don't have many opportunities, I do this to show them that it is possible to grow higher in social ranking without joining a peerage. Through hard work, dedication, and diet filled with pickles, anything is possible." he finished with a strong nod.

"Excuse me if I didn't hear your right…did you just say a 'diet filled with pickles?'" asked Doris.

"That's right, Doris." Naruto pointed at the camera and gave it an intense glare, "And remember kids…eat your pickles, hehehhaahahahHAHAHAHAH!"

…

…

The camera then flips back to Ernie and the URGA on NTN. Charles and Shaq finally calmed down during the break but the studio was a mess because of their outburst. "This Rating Game will really be something special everyone! Thanks for watching URGA on NTN and you'll see us again after the Rating Game is finished."

"Go Team Pickle Rick!" shouted Charles.

"Do they still call themselves that?" Kenny asked as the show slowly faded away.

Rating Game Dimension: Dragon Mountain

"Good evening, participants. My name is Jeagu and I shall be the announcer for this Rating Game. The rules for this Rating Game will be the standard: the [King] that retires first losses! The environment for the game will be the Dragon Mountain, home of all Dragons here in the Underworld. Promotions are allowed once a [Pawn] has entered enemy territory. Good luck to both peerages. You may now begin."

"While I understand they gave Tannin an advantage by having the dimension modeled after his home…couldn't they have given us a better base?" said Yoh as he inspected the cave they were in that acted as their base.

"YOSH! I believe that this is an excellent hiding spot for us, Yoh!" shouted the ever energetic Lee as he did a few push-ups, "I am ready to get back in action and show the Underworld my YOUTH!"

"While I understand that our usual style is coming into a battle with no plan….but do you really not have a plan, Naruto-sama?" Hao asked his [King], who found a comfortable plot of dirt to sit on.

"Uhh…plan? Do you know who you're talking to?" said Naruto with a sarcastic tone, "Of course I have a fucking plan!"

"And what plan is that, Master?" asked Orochimaru.

"Simple…attack!" replied Naruto as if It was the most well-thought plan.

"Sounds like a good fucking plan to me!" said Kisame with a thumbs up, Samehada shrieking in agreement.

"That isn't a plan at all." muttered Anna, disappointed but not surprised at her master's planning ability.

"You all really expected there to be a plan? They're lizards! We don't need a plan to beat some stupid little bugs." said Kuroka, taking a seat next to her [King].

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, Kuroka. You'll be the main one leading the peerage." said Naruto with an eye smile.

"Nyahhh! Why do I have to do it?" shouted the Nekoshou.

"Because when was the last time you really got the chance to go out there and show everyone just how powerful you are?" said Naruto, "Take this opportunity to face off against as many little lizards as possible! Show them why I made you my [Queen]!"

"But I wanted to be lazy while everyone else did the fighting!" she cried out.

"Whoops, not gonna happen! Now get up girl and go kick some ass!" he said with a clap.

Kuroka grumbled as she stood back up, patting her kimono clean of any dirt on her ass. "This is stupid, nya. I wanna go home."

"The sooner you beat their ass, the sooner we can go home." said Naruto with an eye smile.

"Something is nearby." alerted Anna, causing everyone to look outside, awaiting their guest.

Landing a few feet outside the mouth of the cave was one of Tannin's peerage members. It was an orange dragon with a cream yellow underbelly. The dragon, who seemed to be almost two meters in height (6 ft), had a set of large wings with a blue-green underside. Two, small horn-like protrusions jutted out the back of its head and the tip of its tail had a small flame, completing the dragon's biology.

The small dragon growled at the group as it blew out black smoke, a sign of its eagerness to fight. "Hoho! This one seems like a real hottie!" said Kisame, gripping Samehada's handle, "Let me at this one." he said with a wicked smile.

"Actually, Kisame, let me have this one." said Orochimaru, surprising the blue-skinned man, "This one seems to be one of the weaker members of Tannin's peerage of dragons. While my poisons are strong, dragons have a naturally strong resistance to toxins. I believe I'll be more effective picking off the weaker members while everyone else goes after the stronger members."

"That's actually a good plan now…" muttered Yoh, with Lee nodding his head in agreement.

"Alright, Orochimaru. He's yours." said Naruto, "Move him away from the entrance of our base, though. When you do, we'll move out! Let's go Team Pickle Rick!"

"Why is that still our official peerage name, nya?" asked Kuroka, "Why can't it be something better, like Team Kuroka or Team Milk and Cookies? Milk and Cookies taste good together, nya?"

"Team Funbari Onsen?" suggested Anna.

"No, because all of those names are stupid. Let's ride out, Team Pickle Rick!" shouted Naruto as they advanced.

…

…

…

…

Wheeww…finally got that one done.

Sorry for the late update everybody! Got caught up with my sleep and shit. Still a recovering college student, ya diggggg?

This was more of a chill chapter with not that much happening. However, next chapter we get into all of the violence and amazing fighting again! Yaaaaa! Something I'm good at typing! Fight scenes!

Anyway, I'm still taking suggestions for Tannin's peerage. There are still five possible peerage members for Tannin to have if you all have any suggestions. I got a couple good ones last chapter but I'm still looking out for any other interesting ideas I can play with.

NARUTOXGABRIEL! Congratulations to all of the NaruxGabby shippers out there (cuz I know it's a lot of yall). I really do like those two as a couple and I've been dying to type up with their little moment! I hope you guys are happy!

Heheh….ah, I'm such an evil little guy….all the NaruxKuroka and NaruxSerafall people probably hate me right now…

Next chapters gonna be filled with all types of awesomeness, including beam struggles, hand-to-claw combat, and all the other good shit! So stay tuned!

REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! NarutoPlug likes seeing his supports thoughts!

But yeah, that's it for me.

NarutoPlug, signing out.

Like a real nigga should…

Tannin's Peerage!

King: Tannin

Queen: ?

Rook: ?

Bishop: Red Eyes B. Dragon (Yu-Gi-Oh)

Bishop: Blue Eyes White Dragon (Yu-Gi-Oh)

Knight: ?

Pawn: Charizard (Pokémon)