Original Posted On: May 15, 2021
Beta Read by:
Review Response:
God of Crossovers: Okay, whatever.
Akuro361: I see and I like. I might do that because you have a point, Lulu Bell is only ever really relevant during the recapturing of the Akuma Egg.
Samuel Santillan: I'm glad you did.
Dlowe2651: Sorry, late post for this one. Don't want to fuck it up, you know.
Leo de Cielo: Oh, I have revamped Naruto's powers. Changed them completely to make them easier to describe. Naruto's 'power' is basically the Beowulf Gauntlets and Greaves from DMC, but with a fox theme instead.
Eternity456: Sorry for the late update. I want to take this one slow, make sure it is done right and so it might take time to post between my current titans of stories. But, I hope that doesn't deter you from enjoying this story.
OKAY, LETS READ THIS SHIT! I DON'T OWN NARUTO OR D. GRAY MAN!
"Hey" = Speaking
'Hey' = Thinking
'Hey' = Memory
"Hey"= Noah Memory
Chapter 6: Checking in on My Child
The Ark…
Road walked with a text book in her hands, reading for an assignment she needed to do, not paying attention to anything.
"Road."
Road looked up and smiled.
"Mikk." She exclaimed as she hugged him, making him chuckle. "You going out now?"
"Yeah, just finished losing to Naruto, so I decided to cut my losses and go on vacation." Mikk explained as he put Road down. "We had an… interesting conversation."
"About what?" Road questioned as she bookmarked her spot in her book.
"About you two kissing."
Road went red as she dropped her book, the bookmark falling out.
Mikk laughed at Road, stopping when a candle missile appeared.
"Alright, I can take a hint." Mikk replied as he walked past her. "See you when I get back."
Road picked up her book, using it to cover her red face.
She walked briskly through the Ark and stopped when she saw Naruto sitting on the floor before the Akuma Egg vault.
He was deep in thought as he looked over a list of Akuma he was needing to check on.
'Hm, the akuma we sent to kill the supposed 'vampire' hasn't returned yet.' Naruto thought in concern. 'Maybe I should go check this out.'
Nodding his head, Naruto turned to walk away, only to bump into Road, falling to the ground while the Noah didn't even budge a centimeter.
"Oh, I am sorry, Lady Road." Naruto apologized as he bowed. "I wasn't paying attention."
"It's no problem, Naruto." Road replied casually as she looked at the list in his hands, taking it from him. "This is your list of level Two Akuma."
"Yes, it is." Naruto said as he pointed at one name. "This one, going under the name Eliade, has not reported since she went to the Krory Estate to see what Cross Marian was doing there a few months ago. Since she hasn't reported anything, I'm getting a little worried."
"Oh, okay." Road said as she took his hand and pulled him down the hall. "Let's go ask the Earl…"
Few Minutes Later…
"Absolutely not." Earl said as he moved the food in the frying pan, making Road and Naruto freeze at him cutting them off midsentence. "Road is still in her punishment, so you two can't go together."
"But…" Naruto started to beg but was silenced when his creator held up his hand.
"I will assign you a partner, Naruto. Don't worry."
"I'm not worried about being alone. I can go check this out by myself." Naruto admitted, hand on his chest. "I just worry about who will guard the Akuma egg and Lady Road while I'm gone."
Road's heart skipped a beat with very small amount of rose tinting her cheeks at this.
"Hm, true. I can ask one of the others to help guard the Egg while you are gone." The Earl replied as he finished cooking lunch, turning off the burner and sighing, making Naruto's eyes widen with hope. "If you want to go, then fine, go. But do not do any unnecessary fighting or get attention from the exorcists should there be any. Just go and check on this… Eliade akuma."
"Understood, Lord Millennium." Naruto said happily as he bowed and left the room to get ready.
"You sure he is going to be okay." Road said as she watched her servant leave.
"I believe he will. This will be a good field test for him." The Earl said as he tapped a button on the wall. "Food is done. Come eat."
This echoed through the arc over microphone.
Sheril Kamelot, Jasdero and Devit, Skinn Bolic, and Lulu Bell entered and sat at a table with Road and the Earl as servant akuma served their meal.
"Hey, Road," Jasdero stated as he grabbed his twin, Devit. "Where is the fox at?"
"Yeah, where is he? We wanna play with him, Road." Devit stated as he pushed Jasdero off of him.
"Naruto is going on a mission." Road said as she dug into her food.
"By himself?" Lulu Bell asked as she took a glass of wine and sipped from it. "With his powers, you believe it is wise…"
"Like I told Road." Earl said as he cut into his steak. "It will be a test run to see if the seal I placed on him will contain without a Noah accompanying him. Afterall, a baby bird has to grow and leave the nest someday."
"Tells me, Duke Millennium." Sheril said as he sat next to Road, holding her in his smothering arms. "Why do you keep such a beast near you? It was because of him and the Fourteenth that the Ark was damaged to the point we had to anchor here in Japan, which let that bastard Cross chain it down further."
The Earl went silent as he put his cup of wine down, his eyes behind his glasses narrowing as he glanced at Sheril, who shivered under his gaze.
"Why I keep him around is because I don't want to lose another precious person to me, especially my son." The Earl admitted clearly. "Even with what happened, I… I…"
Tears welled up in his eyes.
He vanished from his chair and appeared in the corner of the room, sulking.
"Why did you have to bring up the Fourteenth…" The Earl sniffled as he shuddered, crying in depression.
All the present Noah glared at Sheril.
"Oh, there, there." Road said as she broke free of her adopted father's grasp and walked to the Earl, patting his massive back with her tiny hand. "It will be alright."
Next day…
Naruto sat atop a flying akuma in the shape of a Chinese dragon, specifically made for stealth missions, but transportation for one was a side job.
"Thank you, Sui-Long." Naruto said as he jumped off the Akuma's back. "Pick me up tomorrow morning!"
"UNDERSTOOD, SHEPHERD!" it shouted as Naruto landed in the trees, falling through the branches until he slowed in the thicker, stronger ones near the bottom.
"Okay…" naruto whimpered. "That was stupid."
Naruto shook himself off, slight steam rising from his flesh as the small cuts on his body started to heal quickly as he jumped out of the tree.
"So, there it is. Krory Castle." Naruto said as he put his back pack back on.
Inside the Castle Grounds…
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" A fully grown man cried out as he held a woman in his arms. "I DID IT AGAIN!"
Before the cute couple, was a fang-bite ridden corpse of a human disguised Akuma.
"There, there, Master Arystar." The woman said soothingly in comfort. "It's okay. It was an accident."
Arystar Krory the Third hiccupped as he nodded.
"Thank you… Eliade." He thanked as he held her, caressing their cheeks together, making him blush before letting her go.
Eliade blushed, covering her face with her hand as she looked away.
"Master, I shall dispose of the body with a proper burial." Eliade informed. "Please, go get some rest."
She leaned in and kissed his cheek, making him go red more with steam puffing from his ears as he swooned to his room a gushing happy mess.
Eliade turned to the dead Akuma.
'You pour creature.' She thought as she picked it up and walked down the mansion halls. 'Couldn't evolve past Level One and you were caught and devoured by Arystar's Innocence.'
She walked through the great hall, which was covered in massive amounts of flora and a few huge plants in the corners.
Eliade smiled as she walked through the home that she shared with her beloved Arystar.
All the while holding a corpse.
She walked outside, grabbing a shovel and casket, putting the body inside before hauling it easily to the cemetery.
After a few minutes, she finished burying her former comrade.
'Good riddance.' She thought before spitting on the grave marker that she put into the ground amongst the rest of them. 'This world doesn't need ugly creatures like you. It only needs beautiful things. Like me and Arystar.'
Regaining her composure, Eliade returned to the castle gate, only to freeze when she saw someone walking toward the gate.
"Can I help you?" Eliade asked as she approached this 'stranger'.
He turned, facing her with their eyes locking.
She dropped to her knees with her eyes wide in fear as she shook.
"My Shepherd." Eliade stated in terror. "It is an honor to be in your presence again."
"Hello, Eliade." Naruto said in a friendly tone as he recognized one of his 'sheep'. "I was worried about you."
He approached her and squatted down, offering her a hand.
"Come on, we don't want that pretty face of yours to get smudged by the dirt here, do we?" Naruto said with a smile.
Eliade felt her body ease and relaxed as she took his hand.
Not out of love, but emotional attachment by the fact that unlike the Noah, the Shepherd of the Akuma treated them like his family, and as family, he loved them.
"No, I wouldn't." She said in a calmer, more chipper tone. "But, may I ask why you have come all this way?"
Naruto looked up at the 'older' woman.
"I was worried about you." He said honestly with a sad expression. "You were sent here to check to see if the Innocence Cross Marion brought was still here. You haven't reported anything since you arrived. I had… assumed the worse."
Eliade felt saddened and shook her head.
"There have been no complications." She reported. "The Innocence is still here, safe and sound in my grasp."
"Then why didn't you bring it back?" Naruto asked in a more serious tone, making Eliade sweat.
"Because…" Eliade started to say before pausing, her throat feeling dry and parched. "The Innocence found itself into a new host. The Master of this Castle. Arystar Krory the Third."
Naruto tilted his head.
"You care about him, not as food, but as a treasured person?" Naruto asked curiously.
"Yes, Shepherd." Eliade admitted, not seeing any reason to lie or hide anything as she smiled brightly. "I love Arystar very much."
Naruto smiled and motioned for her to kneel down.
Once she did, Naruto patted her head.
"I am so happy, my dear." He told her in a proud, happy tone that a father would use for his daughter when they found the love of their life. "But next time, please report this type of thing. I would have come and picked up the Innocence and allowed you to stay."
Eliade smiled.
"Please, do spend the night here, Shepherd." Eliade urged politely. "Arystar would be happy to meet you."
"Well, if I am not intruding…"
"You wouldn't be." Eliade stated as she opened the gate and allowed Naruto to enter.
Few Minutes later…
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
Naruto covered his ears with both hands as his eyes crossed and ears rang as Arystar screamed in surprise when Eliade brought Naruto to meet him.
"Eliade, why did you allow him in?" Arystar begged in fear as he gripped her shoulders gently. "I'm dangerous. He could get hurt. And he is just a child."
"Ahem." Naruto coughed as he pulled out an ID. "I am actually an adult."
Naruto walked up and held it out to Arystar to see.
"Hello, I'm Naruto Shepherd. It is nice to meet you, Arystar Krory." Naruto greeted.
Arystar stood behind Eliade, unsure what to do.
'He looks so young.' He thought as he looked at Naruto's ID, seeing the verified age. 'He must have a growth defect that keeps him so small. Does this mean… could he…'
Vivid flashbacks of a younger version of himself holding a ball appeared in his mind. Children screaming and running away as he cried, shouting in fear that he was a vampire.
"Were you… bullied?" Arystar blatantly asked.
"For what?" Naruto asked as he put his ID away and stepped closer to the adult, who stepped further behind Eliade.
"Being short?"
"No, not really bullied, but I was harassed." Naruto stated in a faux sad tone to sell the lie. "However, I was urged to rise above adversity and I have grown stronger because of it."
Arystar faltered as he looked at Naruto. A warmth building as he stepped out from behind his beloved Eliade.
"Aren't... aren't you scared of me?" he asked, his sharp fangs being shown. "Aren't you afraid of me being a vampire?"
Naruto blinked, subtly glancing at Eliade.
"Well, why would I be, Mr. Krory?" Naruto replied with a tilt of his head. "Vampires are a fairy tale. And you are too nice to be a vampire."
Arystar felt himself become choked up.
His entire life he had lived in the castle.
He had been raised by his grandfather, Arystar Krory the First, and had never left the castle except in small pilgrimages to the nearby town as a young child with his grandfather.
His eyes watered as he tried to keep his breathing calm, but the overwhelming happiness he felt from what he had been told was something he couldn't keep in.
Naruto was snagged in his arms as the grown man cried.
"YOU ARE A GOOD MAN!" Arystar cried.
"Thank… you?" Naruto replied as Eliade sighed.
"I'll go get lunch started." Eliade stated as she went to the kitchen. "Play safe you two."
Chapter 6, DONE!
Sorry it took so long to get this out, things with Werefox of Bael and Sage of Legend took my focus, but here it is.
I had a lot of fun this chapter. I know, it focused on Naruto, Krory, and Eliade, but to be honest, with how fast the Vampire Castle Arc goes in D. Gray Man canon, I didn't feel all that sad when it concluded.
Now, a serious question: Should Naruto be at the castle when Lavi and Allen arrive?
If you enjoyed, please leave a review. If you hated, leave a review. It helps me become a better writer.
