Original Posted On: April. 3, 2021

Beta Read by:

Review Response:

A10riddick: NarutoXRoad is the pairing.

Samuel Santillan: I am glad you liked it.

MonoBani007: Thank you.

Dlowe2651: Here you go bro.

OKAY, LETS READ THIS SHIT! I DON'T OWN NARUTO OR D. GRAY MAN!

"Hey" = Speaking

'Hey' = Thinking

'Hey' = Memory

"Hey"= Noah Memory

Chapter 3: Shepherd's Guidance

Road's Dream Dimension…

Naruto stood before Miranda's clock with his eyes closed as he took a deep sniff of the old keeper of time.

"Well, is it the Innocence, Naruto?" Road asked as she wore Allen's discarded exorcist jacket.

"Yes, Lady Road, it is indeed the Innocence." Naruto stated as he looked down and saw Miranda in the fetal position, scared as she shivered under his gaze. "Miranda, please don't be afraid."

Naruto knelt down and reached out to her, only to stop when Miranda flinched, hands covering her head as she cried out.

"STOP, MONSTER!" Miranda shouted shakily.

Naruto felt the sting of hurt spread across his body.

"HOW DARE YOU!" The Pumpkin head Akuma shouted as it flew above Naruto angrily. "THE SHEPHERD HAS GRACIOUSLY OFFERED YOU COMFORT HUMAN! DON'T YOU DARE…"

"Enough, Pang." Naruto ordered as he stood up, the light obscuring his face.

Pang went silent as its anger was replaced by a sense of calm as it floated down into Naruto's arms.

"Kazekiri, Pang." Naruto called out to the three Akuma that came with him and Road. "Please remember, we are here for the Innocence. If she dies now, we could lose it."

"Understood, Shepherd." Kazekiri and Pang answered as Pang floated out of Naruto's arms, making him smile.

Road walked up to Miranda with her golden eyes sharp as she chewed on a sucker.

Miranda opened her eyes, only to scream in pain as her arms were forced against her clock before they were impaled with Road's candle sticks.

'That's for hurting Naruto.' Road thought as the sucker was shattered in her teeth.

"Where is Ice?" Naruto asked Kazekiri.

"We left him to fight those two exorcists, he should be arriving soon." Kazekiri replied as he felt happy and calm around Naruto with Pang.

"Yes, yes, he should return soon." Pang chanted. "Those two exorcists aren't strong enough to defeat Ice."

"I feel the same." Naruto said as he put his hands on the akuma's heads.

Road shuffled over to her throne in irritation.

"Mistress Road, do you think we should just send the Innocence to Lord Earl, Lero?" Lero asked as it floated around Road.

"I want to see where this goes." Road replied as she made a new lollipop.

Lero frowned in irritation at Road's attitude.

'He may not show it, but what that woman said hurt Naruto deeply.' Road thought as she glared at Miranda, who whimpered in pain as she weakly glanced at the two and the Akuma.

"Hey, hey, Shepherd, can we watch you finish that golem you started?" Kazekiri asked in excitement.

Naruto smiled as he felt his heart lighten.

He walked over to his small area, which had a small desk and box which he opened, reaching in to pull out a small amount of clay roughly in the shape of a fox.

"I don't know how to animate golems, but when this is over, I'll ask Lord Millennium to teach it to me." Naruto said happily as he held out the rough mass of clay to Pang and Kazekiri.

Road sighed as she watched this, a small smile on her face.

"Naruto, come here." Road said as she motioned for him to come closer.

Naruto obeyed, still holding his hopeful-to be golem.

Road reached up and ran her hand through his hair, making him blush at the contact.

"You are a sweet boy, Naruto." Road said softly with a genuine smile.

Naruto's blush deepened and he looked at the ground bashfully.

"T-thank you, Lady Road." Naruto stuttered.

Pang and Kazekiri smirked at this.

Before anything else could be said or done, Pang and Kazekiri left to help the third Akuma named Ice fight Allen and Linali, Leaving Road and Naruto alone with Lero and Miranda.

"You know you can't do this, Mistress Road! Bad, bad!" Lero shouted as he knew what Road was doing. "The Earl is not going to be happy if you skip school. You won't get away without punishment either, Naruto, for encouraging her, lero!"

"Shut up and be quiet, stupid umbrella." Road stated as she sat down.

"Please, please…" Miranda whimpered. "Let me go."

"If you die, we will let you go." Road answered. "But we need your innocence."

Naruto poured Road her tea and served it with some small tea sandwiches before he returned to his golem and started to add some more clay to it, forming the snout.

Road ate them with a big smile as she drank her tea before the three akuma appeared, carrying Allen and Linali, both unconscious.

"Oh, Ice." Naruto said in sadness as he put his clay golem down and walked to the giant akuma.

Ice had been injured from his solo fight before Pang and Kazekir appeared to help him.

"These would not be so bad if Pang and Kazekiri were there from the beginning." Ice stated as his body started to heal as he dropped Allen and Linali.

"We were ordered elsewhere, stupid, so of course we couldn't help right away." Pang snapped.

Ice growled.

"Enough, children. We are friends here." Naruto said as he smiled, hands in the air to keep the two from fighting.

The three Akuma eased up and relaxed as Naruto's Soothing affected them.

"Now, what shall we do with them, Mistress Road?" Ice asked Road.

"Bring the girl to me, nail the boy to the wall by his left arm." Road ordered.

Naruto picked up Linali as Ice put Allen against the wall, Pang staking his arm to the wall.

"She is very pretty." Road said as she caressed Linali's face. "I have decided, I am going to keep her. Naruto, go get a nice dress."

"WHAT, LERO!" Lero shouted in shock.

"Of course, Lady Road." Naruto replied as he put Linali down and walked deep into the Dream Dimension and returned a few minutes later with a few dresses for Road to pick from.

"Hm…" Road hummed as she looked at the different dresses and looked at the sleeping Linali. "Okay, let's try this one."

Naruto turned away as Road stripped Linali to her underwear and dolled her up.

"Naruto, help me with her hair." Road ordered as the dress she picked fit Linali perfectly.

Naruto walked to the opposite side of Linali, a brush appearing in his hand so he could brush her hair.

'This takes me back.' Naruto thought as he smiled.

Flashback…

Naruto stood behind Road, whose form was much older looking.

"Fix my hair up, Naruto." Road ordered as she gave him the brush.

Naruto took it and nervously ran it through her hair.

"OW!" Road shouted in pain when Naruto yanked out a knock.

Naruto was punished by Road for hurting her and 'ruining her hair'.

Flashback End…

Naruto finished brushing Linali's hair, allowing Road to stylize it to be wavy.

"Black looks adorable on her." Road said childishly as she and Naruto heard a groan.

"ALLEN!" Miranda shouted when Allen's head lifted up, his hazy vision clearing to see Miranda staked to her clock.

"Miranda!" Allen shouted, attempting to move by stopping when he realized his arm was nailed to the wall. "What…"

"Mistress Road, why are you making her pretty?" Kazekiri asked.

"Weapons like you guys wouldn't understand." Road shrugged with a roll of her eyes. "An exorcist doll is a rarity you know."

"She is very lovely, Lady Road." Naruto praised as he looked at Linali. "But I believe you are more beautiful than her."

Road's pale cheeks brightened into pink, avoiding Naruto's gaze as she started to chew on some bubble gum.

Looking towards Allen, Road blew a bubble.

"So, you're awake?" Road asked as she moved from Linali, who was still unresponsive as Road cast a spell on her, making Linali open her eyes but remain unphased with everything going on.

"LINALI!" Allen shouted as he pushed forward, his arm preventing him from moving, making Pang cackle.

"You better watch what you say. It's Mistress Road's Doll now." Ice laughed out.

"She fought desperately to protect you." Pang taunted.

"So, you are called Linali?" Road asked as she caressed Linali's face before she hugged her. "Such a cute name~ Don't you agree, Naruto?"

"What…" Allen gasped out when he turned his head enough to see the blonde male.

"Yes, a very cute name, Lady Road." Naruto replied.

"You… came to buy a ticket earlier. You're Road?" Allen questioned, getting Road's attention. "Naruto… Why are both of you with the Akuma?"

Allen stared at them, activating his left eye's ability to see akuma.

'I don't see the souls of akuma in them.' Allen thought as Road giggled at his confusion while Naruto remained unexpressive. 'Wait, what is that?'

Above Naruto was a faint soul.

However, unlike akuma souls, which are chained down and in agony, this soul was calm and at peace, not a single chain tying it to Naruto's body.

"You aren't akuma… what are you?" Allen asked as he felt his breath becoming thin.

"I am a human." Road stated with a sick smile.

"So, am I?" Naruto asked since he was not entirely what he should be labeled.

Allen's eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

"What's with that face?" Road asked as she shrugged. "Can't humans be friends with Akuma?"

"Akuma are weapons created by the Earl to kill humans…" Allen stated desperately. "They target humans…"

"Weapons are used by humans to kill other humans, right?" Road asked sinisterly, taking enjoyment from Allen's despair.

Allen stayed silent as this truth hit him like a train.

"The Millennium Earl is my brother. We are the chosen ones." Road stated as her pale skin started to darken to a gray-brown, as multiple crosses were etched across her forehead. "You exorcists don't know anything do you? You are the chosen of a false god."

Road licked her thumb as she pressed her gum against it to throw it away.

"We are the True Apostles chosen by God." She declared. "Noah's family."

"Noah's family…" Allen whispered. "Human…"

"SHHHHHHH!" Lero shushed as he got into Road's face. "Mistress Road, SHHHHHH! You're not supposed to talk about the family with clueless outsiders!"

"Uh, why?" Road questioned dully.

"YOU JUST CAN'T!" Lero screamed as tears spewed from its eye sockets. "And besides, the Earl hasn't planned for a scenario with these people! Not only do you take me out without permission, you go and do this without telling anyone! The Earl is going to spank you!"

Road deadpanned.

"The Millennium count isn't going to do something like that to me." She stated.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Lero screamed before Naruto grabbed Lero's pumpkin head in his hand, his eyes becoming red and pupils becoming slits as his whisker marks thickened.

"Be quiet, Lero." Naruto ordered harshly.

Lero shook as it nodded its head before Naruto let it go.

"Woah, the Shephard was angry." Ice whispered loudly.

"Never seen that before." Pang stated making Allen's eyes widen.

'She is 'Mistress Road' and Naruto is 'The Shepherd' the Akuma mentioned…' Allen thought as he watched Road sit next to Linali.

"I am just giving the story a bit of dramatic flair to make things more interesting." Road stated as she cupped Linali's chin. "Something like this won't affect the Millennium Count's Scenario."

Allen had enough, and with two attempts, yanked his arm off of the wall, the stakes going through, leaving large gaping holes in his Innocence.

Naruto, Road, Lero, Ice, Pang, and Kazekiri were wide eyed at Allen breaking free, his arm falling to his side.

"Why are you so angry?" Road asked softly as she walked up to Allen, having Naruto follow her.

Road sat on Allen's legs

"Don't you believe us when we say we are human?" Road asked as she reached up and touched Allen's cheeks, making Naruto grip his hands together before Road hugged Allen.

"Warm, aren't I?" Road asked sincerely. "Isn't this what its like to touch another human?"

Allen gritted his teeth.

His damaged Innocence moved, positioning it to attack Road from the back.

"Even though you are the same as other humans, why…?" Allen asked shakily. "Damn…"

"'The Same'…" Road asked sickly with a dark smile. "Not quite. Naruto, be a dear an…"

Naruto's hand grasped Road's cheek, dug into her cheek until it pierced her flesh and he grabbed her jaw bone.

With a violent jerk, Road's face and jaw bone were torn from her body before Allen, his eyes wide in horror as Road's blood splashed across his body.

"Wha… How… how could you do that to her!" Allen shouted at Naruto, going silent as he saw how Naruto did it.

Naruto sported a a set of black gauntlets and greaves with a somewhat animalistic look. The gauntlets vaguely resemble a fox's head, with fangs and mane. The greaves look like clawed legs. Both had glowing veins that have gray light of glowing Dark Matter, the Life Blood of Akuma, flowing through them.

His face was covered in what appeared to be a… muzzle. It wrapped around his face, like a face plate, but it was shaped like a snout with jagged teeth. (2)

'What is that…' Allen thought before he felt Road grab him, her face reforming as the muscle tissue started to sew itself back together.

"We are the 'Supermen' who inherited the Genes of the Noah, Man Kind's oldest apostle." Road said with a broken jaw, thanks to her Dream powers. "We are different from you low lives."

With that Naruto pressed one of the clawed fingers against Allen's left eye, and with one movement, he cut deeply into the eye.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Allen screamed in pain as Naruto pulled his blood-soaked paw away.

Road smirked as she grabbed Naruto's wrist and licked the blood, making Naruto blush under his mask.

Chapter 3, DONE!

Well, well, well… seems that Naruto's power is revealed.

1 The gauntlets and greaves are Beowulf from DMC, just fox head instead of the demon dog.

2 Its basically a snout made of metal with jagged teeth, for biting opponents and something else that will be revealed later.

What did you think of the chapter? We see Naruto's Soothing power a bit more, seeing it affects Akuma much easier than it does Noah. And then the bonding between Naruto and the Akuma was cute to write.

Anyway, please review if you enjoyed, or hated, and let me know what you thought about the chapter.