AN: Okay, I've been called on it enough. The Fairy Pieces do exist, however, they are not used in standard chess, but rather in puzzles more than much else, or if someone wants to challenge themselves. With that out of the way, you who have bothered to say something can stop harping on it now. Besides, those notes were made with the limited knowledge I had at the time, and I'm too lazy to go back and update something so unimportant. On top of that, if you're going to bother telling me something like that after I've gone twenty or more chapters past that particular note, just send me a pm rather than a review.
On with the chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or High School DxD
Chapter 25
Naruto sat quietly behind the replica of the desk, inside the replica of the clubhouse. He stared at the general map layout of the area that had been recreated for the purpose of the match between himself and Riser Phenex, calculating odds and possible outcomes. He refused to lose even one of his people in this game, this farce of a war, to negligence.
"Gaki, I don't know why you're bothering to think so much." Zabuza growled, his position one of relaxed nonchalance against one of the walls. "I've seen the idiot's Peerage, not one of them could hold a candle to even that civilian-born girl."
"Hey!" Came a call from the opposite side of the room, Ayame looking mildly annoyed. "That 'civilian-born girl' has a name! The least you could do is use it, Zabuza."
The tall man just grinned behind a set of bandages that covered the lower half of his face. This bit of banter had been the norm between the two of them for years, and it helped alleviate the tension in the room. The two of them had actually formed an almost sibling-like bond, with Zabuza acting quite a bit like an overprotective brother. It was both funny and endearing to watch at times.
Naruto sighed, his hand dropping to scratch Kurama's ears the way they had found she liked. In the early time before the Match officially got underway it was quite permissible for them to have their Familiars with them. Some would never work, of course, Zabuza's leviathan and Tsunade's Stone Golem came to mind rather easily in that respect due to their size, but most everyone else had their Familiars out, taking a little bit of time out to bond further with them.
Naruto chuckled, "The match will be starting soon, everyone. You all know the rules, no Familiars allowed in the Game. Or at least, not ours since they're too strong. That especially goes for your Suzaku, Kushina."
The redhead pouted and stroked the breast feathers of her phoenix familiar. "She's only the most powerful of her kind to exist, why can't I keep her?"
Naruto's eye twitched, "Precisely because of that fact. That, and the fact that she's a phoenix. As much as I'd like to show Riser what a real Bird of Fire could do, it's against the rules."
It wasn't, not really. Oh, there were rules in place against using powerful familiars in these matches, but simply having them there? Yeah, that they could get away with.
"You could always keep Kurama with you, too," Kushina wheedled with wide and watery eyes.
Naruto sighed, "No, I can't actually. Same problem as Suzaku, and you know it."
Kushina just pouted more and snuggled her phoenix. She couldn't help it, the feathers were just so soft and warm. Contrary to popular belief, a phoenix was not made of flame, but rather born of flame, and as such was fully in control of it's own fire. Kushina wasn't certain why so many people kept getting the phoenix and the firebird mixed up, but it was an annoying discrepancy.
The bird looked smugly happy with it's current position of being clutched to Kushina's breasts, enough so that Naruto was tempted to allow Kurama to eat the damned thing... Unfortunately the bird was part of his end-game in a psychological attack on Riser. Whether it would work or not was a rather large question.
That and the stupid thing would probably give the fox some kind of indigestion.
He sighed, "Kushina-chan, the longer you take to send Suzaku away, the longer it will be until you see the kids again..."
If he had blinked, he'd swear he'd have missed it. One moment the phoenix was smug and snuggled in Kushina's cleavage, the next it had vanished with a squawk of indignation, leaving Naruto as the smug one. Kushina wanted to leave her children as much as any new mother, even if they did have excellent help in the form of Hana's Peerage, who had taken on the role of caretakers in the absence of their King.
Thinking of Hana's Peerage, he had to remind himself that she had acquired a new member recently in the form of a very rare cross-species, Sokamo Yume. The new girl was a crossing of so many different species, it actually made Naruto's head hurt to think about it, but she was great with the kids, and got along well with everyone else, so he did his best not to think about the Neko/Merfolk/Devil. It wasn't as if he didn't like her, but she was twelve years old, and from a complicated background, and quite frankly she just wasn't his type.
He forced his mind away from that topic. He had acquired enough women at the moment, two more finding their way into his harem alongside Grayfia, and he really didn't want any more. It was quite likely he wouldn't want to add another woman for the remainder of his days, and he was actually hoping that he could keep to that idea.
He shook his head. This was no time for distraction!
Maybe he needed a vacation?
Eh, he'd think about it after beating the crap out of Riser. That was almost certain to make him feel better anyway. Besides, the official countdown for the match just started up, another thirty or so seconds and both sides would be locked into the extra-dimensional space until only one side was left standing.
XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX
Rias sat amidst a throng of waiting Devils in a special viewing area, watching as the Rating Game was about to begin. Arrayed behind her at an assortment of other small tables, her Peerage watched in silence as a countdown started. It would be soon, the match that would decimate that arrogant fool Riser who dared tried to take her away from Naruto!
Rias blinked as she realized her hands were clasped in a white-knuckled grip, and her face was set in a very unladylike scowl. That simply would not do! She was a bride of Uzumaki Naruto. She could not show such an image to the public... Well, actually she could, she just didn't want to. It felt as though she looked anxious, as though Naruto had a chance of losing.
'Hah!'
Closing her eyes, Rias focused on relaxing herself. No matter how much she would enjoy seeing Riser being utterly humiliated by Naruto, she shouldn't allow herself to show it in a public venue like this. Whatever would people think ?
... That she was a vindictive little bitch of a Devil. When she contemplated that, she allowed a dark smirk to grace her lips. It was completely alright to be what one was, after all.
To her right, along a small table, sat members of Naruto's Peerage's Peerages... She got a headache just thinking about that term. Specifically though, it was Kurenai's Peerage Queen, Senju Hashirama and Gaara's, Tobirama. Rias still had a hard time of keeping a straight face when she learned what Gaara had been having the Suiton Master do for the past several months...
Make water for Sunagakure.
Sabaku no Gaara, her husband's Rook, had turned one of the most powerful shinobi in Konoha's history into a glorified water fountain! It was just too damned funny!
But Rias was starting to wonder why she didn't bother to watch the match from the nursery with Hana's people. The people around her were making bets against Naruto en mass, and it was pissing her off. The only ones to bet on Naruto's side were those who knew him, namely herself and her own Peerage. Though the odds of five-hundred-to-one would be a nice little pay out at the end of it all.
These soon-to-be-poor fools had no idea against whom they were betting.
While Rias was losing herself in a deluge of random thoughts, Hashirama was conversing in low tones with his brother. "They have you doing what?"
Tobirama sighed, "They have me finding or making water to turn Suna into a kind of oasis paradise. Well, Gaara-san also had me kill the Kaze no Kuni Daimyo for his restrictions on the military budget. That one I had no problems doing. Honestly, what kind of Daimyo doesn't realize that his continued safety hinges on his military? Especially as his diplomacy skills were worse than yours?"
Hashirama choked quietly. That was bad! Someone who had worse skills as a diplomat than he did? The elder brother shuddered at the thought. Hashirama's younger brother was strong, there was never a doubt about that, but his idea of diplomacy generally included the use of his beloved Raijin no Ken... But while he seemed to prefer brute force, it was also undeniable that Tobirama was better than him at diplomatic situations.
Kinda sad, in Hashirama's opinion.
"So tell me, Brother," Tobirama started excitedly with a slightly perverted expression, "What's it like to work for such a beauty like Kurenai-san? As her 'Queen' I'm sure she's got to be using you for so much more than keeping a reign on the other members of her Peerage..."
Hashirama deadpanned a stare at his younger brother. "Kurenai-san only has one other member, a young girl named Yakumo, from the Kurama clan of genjutsu specialists. As for what she has me doing... She has me assisting Sarutobi with village administration."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
Tobirama's expression went from excited to crushed in an instant when he realized that his brother wasn't fibbing. 'Such a beautiful woman, and she's not using him to satisfy her urges? What is she? Lesbian? ... That would be kinda hot actually, especially if it's with that purple-haired snake-user..."
"She joined Naruto-sama's harem."
Tobirama blinked. "What?" He asked intelligently, his brother's statement seemingly coming from nowhere.
Hashirama sighed. Honestly his brother had to be the most sex-obsessed person ever! -Good thing he hadn't met Jiraiya yet- "Kurenai-san. She joined Naruto-sama's harem last night."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"Dammit."
"Sorry." Hashirama wasn't, not really, but his brother's downfallen expression caused a small sliver of pity. Though he preferred not to think about his brother's thoughts on Kurenai, Hashirama had little doubt that they were beyond perverted.
"Oh, Tobi," Hashirama said as a thought struck him, "Your sword, that Raijin you were so fond of has been located..."
Rias stopped listening in on the brothers conversation at that point. She didn't need to hear about a sword or Kurenai joining the harem, she had been part of that not-so-little orgy. Kurenai had actually come onto Naruto under the role-play of the "Naughty Teacher", something Rias knew was a fantasy of many males, and Naruto proved to be no exception. Not that Rias blamed him, the red-eyed woman was beautiful and made for a teacher sexy enough that Rias willingly joined in on the play as a Naughty Student. Then Koneko added herself to the mix as a Naughty Pet, right alongside her elder sister. They had so much fun…
Blushing up a storm, Rias quickly regained control of herself. This was not the time to be thinking about the sexually promiscuous acts she got up to last night with Naruto and the rest of the Harem. No matter how much more pleasant the thoughts might be.
Turning her attention to her left, Rias took note of her friend Hinata's first Peerage member, who was none other than her brother's former Queen, Grayfia Lucifuge. The silver-haired woman was now Hinata's Queen, and had chosen to wear something other than her old maid uniform in light of her new "lease on life"... a white leather set of a front-zipped bustier/corset combo which accentuated her large bust, low-riding leather trousers -also white- that showed off her long legs, with matching high-heeled sandals, and a short crop-top jacket.. How she managed to find something like that skin-tight ensemble just that morning, Rias didn't know, but she heavily suspected that Naruto already had it on hand.
On the upside, Naruto had been proven correct that it had required a Mutated Queen to acquire the venerable woman. Which was one of the reasons why Grayfia went to Hinata, as one of the few to get such a Piece. That and Hinata had declared her Peerage to be primarily support-based, or for long-ranged combat, whether that range was magical or weapon-based. It seemed that the former Hyuuga was more of an archer than anyone originally thought as she appeared to prefer to hit her enemies hard from a distance without ever being known to be on the field.
It was apparently something Grayfia agreed with.
Sitting with Grayfia were singular members of a few other Peerages: Nagato's Queen, Konan; Kakashi's Bishop, Rin; Mikoto's Bishop, Mittelt -that one raised a few eyebrows, much like Rias' new Pawn, Raynare-; and Mei's newest member, her second Knight, a pale man by the name of Kimimaro. Rias didn't quite know what to make of him, he looked like a serious young man, but she had only just met him today. The only thing she knew about him was that he was rescued from a disease of some sort that would have killed him soon, and now he served Mei.
Weird guy.
'Who else is in here... Oh! There's Onii-sama! Wait... what's he doing here? Shouldn't he be watching with Okaa-san and Otou-san?' Unfortunately, Rias found herself distracted from her thoughts as the signal to begin the match was finally given.
XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX
"So what's the plan, Boss?"
Naruto looked up at Zabuza's question, having been studying a general map of the area that was provided, "What else? We take them down, Elemental Style. The question is, do we want loud and noticeable, or quiet and unseen?"
"You know I'm always up for a good old-fashioned assassination-style showdown, Boss." Zabuza grinned, his pointed teeth showing as he had decided to forgo his usual bandage-mask.
"Well I think the idea of a 'Blow-them-all-back-to-Hell' style sounds fun!" Anko exclaimed enthusiastically.
"Any other votes?"
"I like the quiet version." Unsurprisingly this came from Gaara.
"Well I'm all for making it big and loud!" ... Kushina.
"We are ninja, I say quiet is our better route." Yugao stated softly from her place next to Hayate, who simply nodded his agreement.
"We are also soldiers," Kakashi pointed out, "We are very much allowed to be obvious."
"What do you think, Naruto-sama?" Haku asked quietly, prompting the attention to refocus on the red-haired young man.
"I think we can do both," He said mischievously. "Anko, Kakashi, Ayame, Tsukiko, and Tsunade make a big ruckus, get into their fights head-on, while the rest of us can take out the enemies quietly from behind. Hinata takes the roof, and shoots anyone she feels like, leaving the defense of the base to Mabui and Mikoto. We have more people than they do, so leaving a few behind won't be any problem. I'll wait for Riser to show himself, and I'll take Kushina with me." Looking around he saw numerous nodding heads, showing they were fine with the plan.
"Wait, why do you want me with you?" Kushina asked, somewhat surprised.
"Because if he pisses me off enough, I'll want to let Suzaku have a piece of him. I'm kinda interested to see what she'll do." He replied blithely.
Kushina blinked, "But we can't use our familiars..."
"Correct," Naruto said, "But there's no rule against calling them and then letting them loose..."
"Evil man," the redheaded woman laughed.
"Well, I am a devil." He replied with a smirk.
XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX
Sirzechs sat at a table not far from his former Queen, eyes narrowed in thought as he watched Naruto plan out his strategy. The boy was right, there was no rule against letting a familiar have free reign over it's actions in a Rating Game. It was simply that devils as a general rule didn't like things being out of their control, and since the rules stated that high-ranking familiars weren't allowed to be used -read as given orders- no one ever thought about it. There hadn't been a devil to date that had simply let their familiar loose on the enemy.
'We should probably amend that rule after this match.' Sirzechs thought to himself, a small sweatdrop forming. 'Can't believe it took this long for someone to find a legitimate way around that rule. Even if it's more like he bulled his way through rather than gone around.'
Despite his reservations, the former Gremory man couldn't help but admire how Naruto found that loophole. It seemed every time he turned around, the Uzumaki was finding another way around the rules to get what he wanted. It was a very devil-like way of doing things, and Sirzechs found himself in the unique position of feeling as though he should be taking notes.
He didn't pursue that thought very far.
On the upside, he could see Grayfia in her new all-leather outfit out of the corner of his eye, and honestly wondered why he never tried to tap her. She was a very beautiful woman, and the clothing she wore now only seemed to bring that out more. Too bad it was obviously too late for him, as even from where he sat, he could see the Uzumaki Whirl over her heart, marking her as Naruto's willing Mate. The young Maou wondered how Naruto had managed to get through to the frigid woman's heart, as she was always so serious whenever he had been around.
Mysterious.
That was the point when a finger poked his cheek from the side, bringing a certain other person into his personal space.
"Yaho~, Red-Kun!"*
'Oh, please God *mental wince* not her!'
Turning his head slightly, he got a full view of an impossibly large set of tits on a teenage girl of seemingly small stature. Sirzechs knew better though, this was Serafall Leviathan, another of the four ruling "Super Devils" like himself, and the one holding claim to the title of "Strongest Female Devil." For reasons unknown to the red-haired man, Serafall, or "Levia-tan" as she preferred to be called, enjoyed going around looking younger than her own younger sister, wearing a two-piece pink outfit with a pink wand that she thought looked like a "Magical Girl" costume...
Sirzechs always got a headache thinking about it all.
"Hello, Sera-chan," He said with a small sigh. Honestly, he wasn't sure if he wanted to see her at that moment, what with his thoughts in turmoil.
"Mou~! I've told you! Call me 'Levia-tan'!" She pouted. It was too cute to not smile indulgently at.
"I'll call you that, when Ophis settles on a gender," Sirzechs rejoined.
"We both know that will never happen," She snorted.
"Exactly."
"Mou~! Meanie!"
Serafall took a seat on the other side of the table from Sirzechs, quietly watching him from the corner of her eye, even as she pretended to watch the starting match. He'd been out of sorts lately, and it had shown to the rest of the Yondai Maou. Admittedly she was more worried about him than the others, but that was primarily because she'd harbored something of a crush on the man since they were children. She'd probably never come out and admit it, but Serafall was at least honest enough with herself to recognize that her crush had evolved into a love for her fellow Maou that she couldn't quite say was romantic.
Maybe with a bit more time... 'And maybe I should start acting like myself...'
XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX
Mikoto watched from the second floor as a small group of three of Riser's Pawns made their way through the forest toward the clubhouse. She'd have said they were sneaking, but... they weren't. They were arguing, loudly, as they went, each trying to one-up the other in their fantasies of their King.
'New Academy Students are quieter than this in the classroom! ... Okay, now that's just pathetic!' The Matriarch thought to herself as she saw two of the three girls get caught in a hanging-net trap. Naruto had done that on a lark, and it actually worked. The third girl just stood there, doubled over in laughter, and unwilling to assist her two fellow Pawns.
'I think I'm actually doing them a favor with this...' Mikoto thought, as she formed a half-ram handsign, and detonated a series of explosive tags set around that trap.
[Three of Riser Phenex-sama's Pawns have retired]
"That was beyond pathetic," Mabui noted clinically from her place beside Mikoto. "It was as if they never once thought that they could lose."
"I think young Riser's hubris rubbed off on them." Mikoto responded, her tone conveying her complete disdain of the subject.
"Probably," Mabui agreed.
XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX
Naruto looked up as he heard an explosion, and saw a small fireball from the direction of the clubhouse, followed swiftly by the notice that Riser was now down by three Pawns. "That... was far more effective than I thought it would be," He admitted to Kushina.
For her part, Kushina was gaping at the sight. She couldn't believe someone had actually fallen for such an elementary trap! It was literally one of the oldest in the book! Right up there with the pit-fall! Hell, even Sun Tzu*, who wrote the damned book wouldn't have expected anyone to fall for such a one-dimensional trap!
"... That was pathetic," She deadpanned.
"Yeah... the only way it could be worse is if we had gotten Riser with it."
"... Yeah, that would be sad," She said with a glance in his direction. "Wanna try?"
"... ... Kinda."
XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX
Riser Phenex, third son of the Phenex Pillar Family, could only stare in shock out a window from the third floor overlooking the direction of the enemy's base. Three of his people taken out in one blow? Who had that kind of magical prowess on this upstart's team? Only Riser's Queen was noted for her use of bomb-type spells.
Hell, he'd never even heard of someone else who utilized bomb-type spells. He certainly didn't, preferring quick-burst or flamethrower styles. His younger sister didn't, she preferred shaped spells, such as launching an actual firebird. His eldest brother didn't even bomb-type spells, and he'd been in the Great War alongside Lucifer-sama!
On top of that, his resistance to fire was partially passed to his Peerage members. For a single spell to overcome that resistance... He didn't want to think about it. He was a Phenex! He was immune to all manner of fire! He ruled Flame and Wind! He had nothing to fear!
... Right?
Maybe he should send the rest of them out there... just in case.
XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX
Tsunade walked out of the treeline, her destination clear: the new school building, and the Student Council Room where Riser made his base for this match. At the sound of the explosion, she briefly glanced back, before snorting when she heard the announcement that three of Riser's Pawn's were taken out.
"Honestly, children these days." She muttered to herself, "Always so flashy. I just know Naruto was behind that somehow."
Tsukiko chuckled as she came strolling up beside the blonde woman. "I know what you mean, but that was sad. Three of them in one blast?"
"Mah, mah," Kakashi said as he came out of the trees. "There's no need to be too harsh, you two. These children are amateurs after all."
"Amateurs or not, Kakashi," Ayame scoffed, "That was simply bad. I'm originally a civilian and I wouldn't have fallen for that!"
"Well, that's true," the man replied with his signature eye-smile.
"Who are you calling amateurs?!" Came an indignant female voice.
Across the way from them was a small group of four, one of which was blonde. Three of them arrayed themselves behind the blonde girl, signifying that she was either of higher rank within the Peerage, simply more important than them, or both. The shinobi could only wonder if they realized how much information they were giving away with how they presented themselves.
"Well?!" The blonde girl demanded, "Who are you fools calling amateurs? We've been in many Rating Games before this, and won a good three-quarters of them! It's you, who have never been in a match, who are the amateurs!"
"Ravel Phenex, correct?" Tsunade asked, her tone filled with amusement.
"That's right!" The blonde girl replied haughtily, "At least you savages can recognize your betters!"
"Well, little girl, we're soldiers. We are trained from a young age to fight, so knowing someone fell to such a pathetic trap... I'm sure you understand," Tsunade said in an insultingly patronizing voice.
Ravel's face lit up, whether in embarrassment or anger was up for debate.
"You're going down for that," A dark haired woman with a half-mask on her face growled.
"Oh, I highly doubt you could do anything to me, little girl," Tsunade replied smugly.
"And why would you say that? Our numbers are equal!"
"Really?" Tsunade raised a skeptical brow, "Weren't there four of you a moment ago?"
[Riser Phenex-sama's Bishop and Knight have retired]
Ravel and Half-Mask looked behind themselves to see the disappearing bodies of their companions, and the silver-haired man from before standing over them with a red lance in hand. He just gave them a lazy wave, "In their defense, Gae Bolg is just plain cheap. I mean, a spear that inverts causality? That's the definition of cheating, right?"
Ravel couldn't keep the gobsmacked expression from her face. This lazy bum had the legendary Gae Bolg?! She'd heard that it had been recovered by one of the more reticent devil families, but it had been one of the Uzumaki retainers?! How was she supposed to fight that? She was almost certain that reversed causality was one of the things that her regeneration wouldn't work on.
"Hm? Ah, don't worry," Kakashi said with his usual eye-smile. "I'm not the one you have to worry about. That would be them..."
Ravel turned around just in time to see her only remaining companion flicked away by the monstrous hidden strength of Tsunade's finger.
[Riser Phenex-sama's Rook has retired]
"EEP!"
"Hm..." Came a speculating voice from behind Ravel. She turned and saw a kind-looking young girl in what seemed to be a chef's outfit. "Maybe you're just not suited to this kind of thing? I think you should just quit now, child."
Ravel's mind was in turmoil. No one had ever dispatched her brother's Peerage this easily. The Spear of Mortal Pain she could understand, somewhat, but a finger-flick?! What in the name of the Eternal Inferno was she supposed to do about that?!
"Y-yeah, maybe.." The young girl said nervously. Then she spotted a small red, scale-like object on the brunette's right hand. 'Twice Critical? In a Peerage of monsters like this? Is she an anomaly, or a pity-party? Maybe... Maybe if I can take her out, I'll at least have reduced the enemies by one!'
Ayame sighed. She saw the sudden look of desperation within Ravel's eyes. So to stop the attack she knew was coming, Ayame simply smashed her fist into the girl's face. Her Twice Critical activated, enhancing the blow by a factor of two, but with a small twist Ayame picked up from Tsunade, she made an oxygen explosion, which snuffed out any possible flames from being created for a short period of time. Which also dismissed Ravel's regenerating fire from healing her.
[Riser Phenex-sama's Bishop has retired]
"Well, that was fun." Kakashi quipped as Ayame shook a numbness from her hand. That little exploding air trick always left her with a pins and needles feeling after.
"You know, I wonder why no one else ever noticed that fire can't exist without oxygen to fuel it?" Ayame asked.
XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX
"That makes seven of fifteen, sixteen if you count Riser himself," Hashirama noted quietly to his brother.
Tobirama nodded, "The kid's people are doing pretty good. That's almost half of the enemy forces, without so much as a single loss on their side. Not to mention, a damn good question at the end there. Even magical fire is still fire. Without oxygen it can't exist, and becomes a static charge that dissipates into the atmosphere or ground."
Hashirama sighed, "I figured this would be one-sided, but this is a little ridiculous. So many here were touting the Phenex boy's achievements in these games."
"I know what you mean, Brother," Tobirama said. "On the upside, I'll be making a killing on the bets I placed on Naruto-san's win. The odds against him in the pools were almost astronomical, damn near a thousand-to-one. And I bet in pounds of gold, so it's even sweeter!"
"Just where did you get that kind of money?"
"Gaara. He wanted to hedge things further for Suna's benefit."
"What did he do? Give you the entire treasury to work with?"
"Basically."
"Oh, my."
That last comment wasn't Hashirama's. No, it was the redheaded girl not far from them. Rias had also bet heavily in Naruto's favor, and knew the odds given against his victory weren't small, not by a long shot. She felt it would be a good time to rephrase her earlier opinion.
"Those poor soon-to-be-bankrupt idiots."
They had obviously never heard of the one truly Golden Rule: Never bet against Uzumaki Naruto.
XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX
Zabuza looked down a group of the enemy, three of Riser's Pawns and one of his Rooks. His glance slid to Haku, who crouched near him on the ceiling of the gymnasium. Using coded hand signals he taught the girl over the years, they discussed possible strategies.
{Well, I could always just drop down and butcher them} Zabuza signed.
{Absolutely not} Haku retorted quickly {I know you, Zabuza-san. You'll go too far, revel in the bloodshed, and possibly actually kill them. So, no.}
One plan down. Killjoy.
{Well, I suppose the Kirigakure no Jutsu is out of the question as well then?} Zabuza signed, wondering why she was killing his fun.
{Of course not} Haku signed back {Unlike your first idea, you don't go overboard when you utilize Muon Satsujin in the mist}
Zabuza released a small sigh, inaudible to the prey below. He was undoubtedly proud of the skill and ability Haku had achieved over the years under his teaching, but she was a major buzz kill. Not that she wasn't right, but that didn't make his own point any less valid either.
With a single seal, the man began to condense the water in the air into a dense mist, perfect for his personal killing style. He did have to wonder why they had left the doors open though… it made detecting his technique almost impossible as they would most likely assume the mist just rolled in.
"What the heck?" One of the twin catgirls below shouted in surprise, "Where did the fog come from?"
"It has to be the enemy!" The one with her hair in buns and a chinese dress declared. It seemed that there was at least one reasonably intelligently member down there.
An unnerving chuckle in a deep, gruff voice echoed all around them, "So we got a smart one, eh? Tell ya what, Girlie, there are eight vital points to ensure a kill, either slow or swift: kidney, lung, jugular vein, heart, brain, liver, spine, and clavicle vein. I'll even let you choose which one you die from!"
Xuelan, the girl in question, was one of Riser's Rooks, and a master of hand-to-hand combat -in her own mind, maybe-, but she had never felt like this before. This aura was suffocating, and the unnatural mist wasn't helping her nerves! She could just barely see her three companions… wait, she could only see two, where was the third?
"Come on now, if you don't choose quickly, I'll choose for you!" The same gruff voice resounded harshly in her ears, unnerving her further.
'Wait! He said I could choose. Then I can block him! If I can block him, I'll be able to see him! If I can see him, I can hit him!' Xuelan thought to herself.
Taking a breath, the girl steeled herself, "I choose heart!"
"Okay," a softer version of the same voice said directly into her ear, just before she felt herself impaled. Looking down, Xuelan saw the blade of an enormous zanbato sticking out of her chest. Her eyes had just enough strength left to see that the mist was lifting, and her three companions were laid out with what she thought were some kind of large needles in their necks.
The last thing to register with her shocked mind were the words: [Riser Phenex-sama's three Pawns and Rook have retired].
Zabuza stood up, hefting his blade over his shoulder to rest. "That leaves, what? The fuck-face, his Queen, and two Pawns, right?"
Haku sighed as she appeared behind him, "I really wish you wouldn't call people such things, Zabuza-san. However, you are incorrect. The enemy still has one Knight."
The man grunted, "I'll call them as I see them, Haku. And that bastard is a 'Fuck-face' if ever there was one."
She shrugged, and adjusted her Hunter-nin outfit a little. Prolonged activity always made it ride up her ass, and she knew if she left it that way she'd be hot, bothered, and horny as hell, well before the match ended. She was already going to be nearly begging Naruto-sama to give her relief later, that extra bit of stimulation was entirely unneeded.
XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX
Karlamine stood in an open field, hand on her sword. Unlike most of Riser's Peerage, she had a code of honor still remaining within her. That code demanded she face any opponent openly, and overcome them in pure bladed combat. So she stood and waited, til two flickers of motion at the far treeline caught her attention.
"I am Riser Phenex-sama's Knight, Karlamine! Will one of you be my opponent this day?" She called in formal challenge.
The two shinobi blinked, looked at each other, blinked again, and shrugged. Karlamine could see them somewhat clearer now, one woman and one man. Both dressed in the manner she'd heard people of high rank and skill did from that other world. Honestly she would admit to being excited to fight one of them, having never had the opportunity to cross blades with a real "ninja" before.
The man stepped forward, "Gekko Hayate, Uzumaki Naruto-sama's Knight."
The woman stepped up beside him, "Uzuki Yugao, also Uzumaki Naruto-sama's Knight."
Then they spoke in tandem, "Before that we are Shinobi. And Shinobi...," They vanished in an instant, only to reappear crouched behind Karlamine with their swords piercing through her back and out her chest, going right through the protective plate she wore. "... Don't fight fair."
[Riser Phenex-sama's Knight has retired]
XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX
Naruto stood out in the open, in the center of the recreated tennis court. Kushina was just a little behind and to his right, and he he stared up at the third floor window where he could see Riser's baffled expression. The red haired young man was honest enough to admit that the expression brought him no small amount of satisfaction.
"So, Riser," He called up to his opponent, "You gonna stand up there all day, or are you gonna come down here for your personal beatdown?"
Riser recovered enough to sneer. "Why should I waste my time? You'll just lose to my Pawns!"
Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Really? You mean those two?"
He motioned to two shadowed figures trying, and failing miserably by shinobi standards, to stealthily creep around to his blind spots. Two flashes later, and the figures in question were transfixed momentarily by an arrow apiece. He loved Hinata so much sometimes.
[Riser Phenex-sama's two Pawns have retired]
"That leaves you and that Queen of yours, Riser!" Naruto called out tauntingly. "Come on! This has been the most boring fight I've ever had! New students at the Academy would do better!"
The sad things was that in Naruto's opinion, those new students actually would probably be more of a challenge, if only because they were kids, and kids think so far outside the box they ask what a box is. Everything Riser had done so far had been true to his form. He sent a group of his Pawns to the enemy base to Promote themselves. He'd had another group of his people try to hold the largest neutral point that reasonably sized, the gym. And he'd tried to sneak people around and attack the enemy King from behind.
It was all so very boring!
Naruto sighed, "Riser, have you been watching the same one-sided beatdown that I have? You haven't scored a single one of my people, and you're down to just you and that 'Bomb Queen' of yours. Face it, you're so badly outclassed it ain't even funny!"
Riser scoffed, "Your little mind-games aren't going to work on me, you pathetic little peasant! The Uzumaki have been dead to the Pillars for nearly two decades! You don't have anything that can hurt me! Your clan never did! I am a phoenix! I am immortal!"
Something whizzed right by Riser's cheek, causing him to jump to the side in surprise. A moment later, and he was engulfed in an explosion that leveled the part of the building he had been standing in.
[Riser Phenex-sama's Queen has retired]
Naruto stood still, eyes trained in the general direction that he figured Riser would "revive" in. Almost a minute later, and a pillar of fire erupted, and a fresh Riser stepped out of it. Everything from his clothes to his annoying smirk was perfectly intact.
"It took you long enough to get back, Douche." Naruto commented lazily, "I was about to go home, you took so long."
Riser's smirk shifted to a scowl, "I don't know how you managed to delay my resurrection, but it won't do you any good. I'm still immortal, and nothing you do will keep me down."
Naruto locked his bored gaze on Riser's, "Oh, I don't know about that. I'd either kill your body, or finally break your psyche so badly that even the Sitri family wouldn't be able to put you back together. They specialize in healing, don't they?"
"You?" Riser asked incredulously, "You? Break my mind? Hah!"
"Look down," Naruto suggested.
Compelled to do so by some unknown morbid reason, Riser did indeed look down. All he saw was an odd-looking knife with four red-lined tags attached to it. Looking back up, his raised eyebrow asked the question he was thinking, "What good is that going to do?"
"The knife isn't very important, but the tags..." Naruto shrugged, "Those are military-grade demolition tags. Half of one of those is what took out you and your Queen a few minutes ago. Think what four complete ones could do. Here's an idea: potential collapse of the false dimension we currently stand in. At the very least, they could completely erase the oxygen needed for your fire to reform your body."
Riser froze. He looked around him, finally noticing that he was actually a few feet below the surface, in a crater where the replica school had stood. If Uzumaki was right...
Naruto found another level of satisfaction as he watched realization dawn in Riser's eyes. It was more fun to let them come to the possible conclusions, but Riser wasn't really intelligent enough to do so on his own. The blonde bastard didn't even know that his mind was already getting fucked with. There was no way for Naruto to get his hands on military-grade demolition tags, he wasn't even allowed to make them, despite having the knowledge to do so. No, those were fakes, they wouldn't even detonate, but Riser didn't know that. The Phenex boy didn't know a damned thing about Fuinjutsu, he was simply going to have to take Naruto's word for it.
The redhead teen had to hide his laughter, there was no way to get half a tag to explode! That had been a simple Level Two Exploding Tag common to all chunin shinobi. Genin were relegated to Level One, and jonin were allowed Level Three. Only Anbu and the Hokage were capable of requisitioning anything higher.
... Okay, not just them, retired bastards like Kakashi could still get them, and so could high-ranking Samurai, but that was the end of the list. Naruto, as both a chunin and Clan Head couldn't touch them unless he cut himself from the Shinobi Program and went into business as a civilian. Even then, he'd only be allowed to make and sell, never use.
Where would be the fun in that?
Naruto blinked. DAMMIT! He'd gotten side tracked in his thoughts again! That was seriously annoying. How did that shit keep happening...?
"You have two choices, Riser. Give up, or I take you out." Naruto said, his tone never leaving it's bored state.
Riser's glare shot up to him, a snarl present on his features, even as Naruto saw something in the blonde's eyes snap. "Never! I will win! I will have Rias! I will break her! I will mold her! I will whore her fine-ass body out for favors! I will own the Gremory House! She'll be nothing more than an over-priced fuck-toy!"
Naruto's eyes hardened, his gaze rose to where he knew the viewing spell was watching from. "My advance apologies, Lady Phenex. He needs to die."
XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX
In the audience, Aurora Phenex, Lady of the Phenex house, nodded solemnly. "Do it, Uzumaki-dono. That trash is no longer my son."
Her husband, and others sitting with them, looked at her in understanding. Not shock, not surprise, but understanding. Riser had just declared, in front of practically every other devil, his plans for his former fiance.
Even devils had ethics.
XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX
Dyrnwyn seemingly jumped into Naruto's hand from it's sheathe, it's blade wreathed in white flame. But there was something off, bursts of purest black intertwined with the white, as if not one, but two of the sword's flames had been accessed at the same time.
"Fourth Flame, the Sacred Fire. A Holy Flame of healing, for those who are not of the darkness." Naruto said calmly, his voice not carrying even a hint of his no-doubt murderous intentions. "And the Seventh Flame, the Divine Flame of Sin Cleansing. A flame said to burn at temperatures exceeding that of the sun, capable of burning seven days and nights without fuel. Either one would do to destroy you, Riser of No Importance, but I'm feeling more than a little pissed off."
"Who do you think you're fooling?" Riser scoffed, "Fire can't hurt me, you ignorant shit!"
"Mortal flame, no." Naruto admitted, "But neither of these are mortal. Both have roots in the supernatural. The Sacred flame is straight from the very essence of the Heavens, Holy in every possible aspect. The Divine is the essence of Amaterasu's Wrath, which is composed of the anger of all gods, everywhere. Believe me when I say that these can and will be your end, Riser."
"But you don't have any Holy element!"
Naruto shrugged, "Yeah... don't need it for this. Each of Dyrnwyn's Flames has an 'emotion' it's attached to. The Holy flame is connected to love. In other words to unlock it, I have to unequivocally love the person I'm thinking of. The Divine flame of Amaterasu is linked to unholy, righteous anger. To put it in simple terms your pea-brain can understand, I have to be pissed off to the same level as God was when he flooded that human world for more than a freaking month."
He paused for a moment to let that sink in, "Guess what that means, Riser?"
Riser didn't respond, he couldn't tear his eyes away from the flames dancing around Naruto's blade. He actually felt the heat! That shouldn't be possible! Phenex members were immune to fire! They had been that since they were first blessed by the phoenix!
"You know, Riser, I'm not going to play around any more. I had a plan, one that involved Kushina's familiar. You should recognize it, after all.. your family takes their name from the thing." Naruto mused, his eyes never leaving Riser's sweating face, "But I've decided I'm simply going to erase you."
A simple, single thrust, covering nearly fifty feet of cratered space, was all Naruto did. His strike went straight through Riser's chest, impaled the heart, and set the man on fire. The immediate screams were horrendous, as the Holy fire burned away the man's phoenix-granted blessing of immunity and resurrection, even while the black Divine fire burned and tortured him. Naruto pulled his sword out and turned his back on the screaming and writhing form of the man who was once Riser Phenex.
Naruto looked up at the same viewing spell as before, and spoke coldly. "He's done. He'll burn for the next seven days and nights, but he's finished. The only thing to remain will be the King Piece he was infused with. This match, is over. I. Win."
XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX
There was silence in the viewing area. Not a single person dared to move after witnessing the end of such a long-awaited match. They could still hear the blistering screams of undulating mass of burning flesh, etched forever into their memories.
It was a great shock to every devil watching. That any one person had at their disposal the means of erasing such blessings. The watching nobles were now terrified of the power that the young Head of the Uzumaki wielded.
Slowly, a light clapping sound could be heard. Every other person in the room turned in surprise to find that Aurora Phenex had begun to applaud. What was more, she had a smile on her face! She was soon joined by Rias, who bore a bright grin on her own face, and soon all watching members of the Peerages associated with Naruto and her were clapping wildly.
Rias was ecstatic. She was finally, and truly, free.
Well, she was bound to Naruto, but that didn't count! That had been her own choice, her freedom to give. And she wouldn't trade it for anything in all the worlds.
XXXXXXXX- Ending Notes -XXXXXXXX
Alright, someone asked me for an updated Harem list, so here we go (in no particular order): Hyuuga Hinata, Uchiha Tsukiko, Uchiha Mikoto, Uzumaki Kushina, Nii Yugito, Samui, Mabui, Senju Tsunade, Yuki Haku, Tsunami, Inuzuka Tsume, Inuzuka Hana, Konan, Rias Gremory, Himejima Akeno, Kuroka, Grayfia Lucifuge, Kurenai Yuhi, Tojou Koneko, and Terumi Mei.
Others have been asking about Kimimaro, so here he is. Now a member of Mei's Peerage, and while I considered both Suigetsu and Chojuro for the position, I gave it to our resident bone-user instead on someone's recommendation.
Other Confirmed Pairings: Itachi/Ayame, Yugao/Hayate, Gaara/Sakura, Kiba/OC (Tamaki)
Anko is... complicated. Currently she's shacking up with Zabuza, but that may change later, I dunno. I DO know that I will not put her with Naruto.
* Red-Kun: this is in reference to Sirzechs donning that stupid "Satan Red" outfit in "The Heroic Oppai Dragon". ... Though it could also be in reference to his hair color.
*Sun Tzu: author of the book "The Art of War", which is still used in military training to this day.
Uzumaki Naruto (Kyuubi no Kitsune, Kurama) (Summon Familiar: Gamakichi/Toads)
[Queen] - Senju Tsunade (Stone Golem) (Summon Familiar: Katsuyu/Slugs)
[Bishops] - Yuhi Kurenai (Garuda), Terumi Mei (Lava Serpent) (Contract Familiar: Sanbi no Kyodaigame, Isobu)
[Knights] - Uzuki Yugao (Cait Sidhe, Graymalkin), Gekko Hayate (Griffin)
[Rooks] - Nii Yugito (Nibi no Bakeneko, Matatabi), Sabaku no Gaara (Ichibi no Tanuki, Shukaku)
[Pawns] - Hatake Kakashi (Storm Hound) (Summon: Ninken), Samui (Sylph), Uchiha Tsukiko (Fire Dragon), Ayame (Oni, Tabemono), Inuzuka Hana (Liger) (Haimaru Triplets), Yuki Haku (Ice Elemental, Buffy)
[Empress] - Uchiha Mikoto (Yatagarasu)
[Amazon] - Uzumaki Kushina (Phoenix, Suzaku)
[Princess] - Hyuuga Hinata (Undine)
[Dragon] - Momochi Zabuza (Leviathan, Nessy)
[Wazir] - Mabui (Raijuu)
[Knightmare] - Mitarashi Anko (Salamander) (Summon: Snakes)
Uzumaki-Inuzuka Hana
[Queen] - Inuzuka Tsume (Kuromaru)
[Rook] - Inuzuka Kiba (Akamaru)
[Pawn] - OC: Uchiha Tamaki
[Pawn] - OC: Sokamo Yume
Uzumaki-Senju Tsunade
[Queen] - Sarutobi Hiruzen (Summon Familiar: Monkey King Enma/Monkeys)
[Bishop] - Shizune
[Knight] - Jiraiya (Summon Familiar: Gamabunta/Toads)
[Rook] - Haruno Sakura
[Pawn] - OC: Uchiha Isao
[Pawn] - OC: Uchiha Tatsu
Uzumaki Mabui
[Queen] - Kuroka
[Bishop] - OC: Yayoi of Tetsu no Kuni
[Bishop] - Kalawarner
[Knight] - OC: Tatsu of Tetsu no Kuni
[Pawns] - Various OC's from Tetsu no Kuni
Uzumaki-Terumi Mei
[Queen] - Hoshigaki Kisame (Summon: Sharks)
[Bishop] - Utakata (Rokubi no Namekuji, Saiken)
[Knight] - Hozuki Mangetsu
[Knight] - Kimimaro
[Pawn] - Shizuka of Nadeshiko
[Pawn] - OC: Uchiha Shou
Uzumaki Kushina
[Queen] - Kakuzu of Taki
[Rook] - Hidan of Yugakure
Uzumaki Samui
[Queen] - Fu of Taki (Nanabi no Kabutomushi, Chomei)
[Knight] - Kirabi of Kumo (Hachibi no Ushi-Oni, Gyuki)
Sabaku no Gaara
[Queen] - Senju Tobirama
[Bishop] - Temari
[Knight] - Baki
[Pawn] - Kankuro
Ichiraku Ayame
[Queen] - Uchiha Itachi
[Bishop] - Guren
[Knight] - Uchiha Shisui
[Pawn] - Yukimaru
Yuhi Kurenai
[Queen] - Senju Hashirama
[Bishop] - Kurama Yakumo (Cerberus, Sanka)
Uzumaki Nagato
[Queen] - Konan
Rias Gremory-Uzumaki
[Queen] - Himejima Akeno (Mini Oni Tribe)
[Bishop] - [Sealed]
[Bishop] - Asia Argento
[Rook] - Toujo Koneko (Magical Kitten, Shiro)
[Knight] - Yuuto Kiba (Magical Bird)
[Pawn] - Hyoudou Issei
[Pawn] - Raynare
Uzumaki-Uchiha Mikoto
[Pawn] - Mittelt
Hatake Kakashi
[Bishop] - Nohara Rin
Uzumaki-Hyuuga Hinata
[Queen] - Grayfia Lucifuge
And finally, Dyrnwyn's flames to date:
1) Mortal - orange/yellow, standard body-damaging fire
2) Cold - blue, attacks the mind
3) Darkness - violet/black, attacks the soul
4) Sacred - white, Holy flame. Typically for healing, but when used against Devils...
5) Demon - crimson, attacks existence.
6) ?
7) Divine - pitch black. Yes, this is the same as the Amaterasu flames of the Mangekyo Sharingan.