AUTHOR NOTE: Was asked to stay two chapters behind of the base, so as long as the base is continued, the reading story will too.
Hope you enjoy and support both the Base story and the Reading of my friend pain17ification's story, Gale Symphony.
Within the pure land; an old man with unusual features that included deathly pale skin, short-cropped white hair sitting atop his head, a beard that was just about as long as he was tall, eyes that were a deep purple wile also lacking sclera, and two horns atop his head looked over what he'd just finished recording and had used his Banbutsu Sōzō no Jutsu to create.
A book.
The brown cover had the swirl crest of the Uzumaki clan overlapping with a crimson-colored symbol that consisted of a rose encased in a pair of concentric circles. The title was written in beautiful gold leafing, and fraimed in the lines that were used on a piece of sheet music with each corner ending in blooming flowers that held white petals and pink cores.
Nodding to himself, the man smiled as he suddenly detected a sensation behind him that was seemingly paradox it nature; it gave off a presence that felt like it were both something and nothing at all at the same time, as if whatever caused it was nothing more than a living hole in the fabric of the world.
Turning, the man was greeted with the sight of a cute young girl with long black hair down until her hips and gray eyes. She was dressed in an outfit that was fit for Gothic Lolita girls, but hers' left her torso bare, save for two black, X-shaped covers over her nipples. Her ears differed from a normal human's as they had pointed tips, although her long black hair made that feature difficult to notice.
"Ah, Ophis-san. You made it."
"Sage," she greeted in return, though it came off as stoic. "Why did you request an audience with me?"
"Merely to exstend an invitation to see if you would enjoy this." the horned man said, presenting the book, "I was asked to compose this by someone that could pass as a dragon in human skin as much as you are."
" 'Gale Symphony'?" the girl read, raising a brow.
The Sage shrugged. "Multiverse counterpart of my son Asura's latest incarnation. For now, I need to make a request as to whom is brought together to read it."
Ophis blinked. Asura's latest reincarnation? This would at least be worth looking into then. The Sage's second son had always interested her. And she had made attemps to get his aid against Great Red. He had pointed out that he while he would have gladly helped her regain her home, his obligation to defend those who could not protect themselves from his brother Indra meant he was forced to decline.
Ophis had understood that, and had let the issue be. She had since developed seeing what each of Asura's incarnations were like as a type of hobby. And as an extra-dimentional being and aware of the infinate possibilites of the multiverse...
Her lips twitched in a near non-existent smirk.
"I'm listening, Hagoromo..."
Rias stared, confused.
She'd arrived after getting a summons from her older brother; Sirzechs Lucifer, along with Ajuka Beelzebub, Falbium Asmodeus and Serafall Leviathan, with instructions for her to bring her entire peerage for a meeting.
Seeing as it was from all four of the current Satans, she'd done as requested and gathered her peerage―Asia Argento, Yuuto Kiba, Issei Hyoudou, Koneko Toujou, Gasper Vladi, Rossweisse, Akeno Himejima, and Xenovia Quarta―and arrived at the designated meeting area.
What she hadn't expected was that the Governor General of the Fallen Angels and Grigori, Azazel; nor Michael, Gabriel, and Irina Shidou of the angels to be there.
"What's going on here?" Sirzechs said as the quartet which lead the Underworld arrived in their respective teleportation magic circles.
"Nii-sama...what's going on? I got a message about you wanting to see me and my peerage." Rias said.
"Same here." Azazel said.
"So did my sister and I. We were requested to bring Irina as well." Michael said.
"Well we four were informed similarily." Ajuka voiced.
"Message about a summons...? I never sent..." Sirzechs said, then his eyes widened. "It's a trap...!"
No sooner had he said that then a glowing, light purple array formed under them all. One of an ouroboros, an ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own tail, within the ouroboros was the image of two entwined serpents eating the tails of one another, thereby forming the symbol for infinity.
The array grew brighter and flashed as it caused the group to all cover their eyes.
When the light died down and they could all see again, the collective supernatural beings―both born and reincarnated―all gapped at where they found themselves. It was some kind of ruined cathedral.
The benches and chairs were destroyed, overturned, or rotting. Everything was covered in thick layers of dust, broken and rusted weapons and old bloodstains littered the ground, showing that there was a great battle that took place; or perhaps a massacre.
The windows' once-pristine stained glass were broken beyond recognition. Whatever images they had displayed were no longer visible, and sunlight broke through their shattered fraims from the wall. Pieces of them were scattered around the cathedral from the walls, ceiling, and supportive pillars.
And finally, six destroyed stone statues were seen; broken and damaged beyond repair. The destruction taken upon them was far more severe than the rest of the cathedral; as if the culprits wished to shatter and erase their very faces from the pages of history.
Asia, Xenovia, Irina, Gabriel, and Michael all looked horrified at the state of the undoubtily once-beautiful temple.
"Wh-who could've done this?! And why?!" Asia asked.
"When one faith seeks to replace another, this is the result. I never could support stuff like this, even before my wings were black. It put me out of favor with some in heaven for it. Makes me glad I Fell." Azazel said tightly, his fists clenching. Obviously, this brought up bad memories for the Fallen Angel.
"Odd thing to say considering Fallen Angels go out of their way to destroy all of the religious icons in churches they occupy and use as bases out of spite for their former leader." Michael pointed out.
"It didn't matter that we Fallen were forced back; Heaven deemed us traitors and we were cast out for the situation and circumstances being against us so that we had to retreat. And for that, we were stripped of their right to have a home to return to, and while devils still saw us as angelic, you "pure" angels saw us as demonic, so we Fallen had both sides hounding us. The only way to even temporarily set aside our pain was to give into vice, which blacked their wings just because we actually survived that damned war rather than getting turned into another mountain of corpses." Azazel said with a sharp from aimed at the gold-feathed siblings. "Going through that can leave a profound bitterness towards the ones that had forsaken you."
Both Michael and Gabriel winced, looking horrified. Too cruel a point, but too true to deny.
"Ok...so why were we brought here?" Iessi asked, looking around.
Koneko suddenly gasped, falling to all fours and her body started shaking
"Koneko! What's wrong?!" Rias cried as everyone ran over to her to see if she was all right.
"S-s-so much...c-cha-cha-cha-chakra...! I never...!" She faltered as she seemed to start hyperventilating, a her gaze fixed on the ceiling all of a sudden, prompting the others to do the same.
When they did, an odd, blocky black portal suddenly appeared near the ceiling above them and everyone else, tensed as a sudden feeling of immense energy output was felt. There was an odd ripping noise before a body was ejected and fell to one of the benches below, crushing it inward as the aged, decayed, and neglected wood gave out under the sudden impact.
"Owwww!" The person groaned, then pushed their way out of the splintered remains their impact had created, and stood, exposing a male around the same age as this in Rias's peerage.
He was tall with nicely tanned skin, marks on his cheeks that resembled three whisker marks on each cheek, and bright yellow hair that was spiky and stuck up in all directions like the spines of a sea urchin. He had on a slim, form fitting orange tracksuit outfit with black on the upper shoulders area and the color extending from around the neck and shoulders, down the front and sleeves, as well as around the waist, a white swirl on the left side, a red swirl crest on the back, orange pants, but his sandals that covered the instep and ankles, yet left his toes and heels exposed and the pouches at his waist and thigh were black. So was the headband he had on around his forehead with a metal plate and swirled arrow symbol of some sort.
He brushed himself off. "Good thing I didn't land on the arm..." he muttered.
His comment drew attention to the fact that his right arm was wrapped in white medical gauze, yet what was odd was his limb seemed functional. Then he stopped moving his wrapped arm.
"Ahh...dammit. wrist and joints locking again..." he said, annoyed.
Figuring whoever this was had injured himself, Asia was the first to act. She rushed to his side and summoned forth her Twilight Healing, covering the man in a bright glow.
"Urrgh," he groaned as the pain slowly receded. When it was gone completely, he took in a deep breath before smiling at the nun-turned-devil. "Thanks for that, nee-chan," he said, making Asia blush in embarrassment at the title.
"N-No! It was no problem at all, really!" she replied, waving her hands frantically.
He chuckled at her flustered face, then regarded everyone in the room with a critical eye.
"Can someone tell me where I am, please?" he asked politely. "Some portal technique opened up under me and now I'm here...where here is...and I'd like to see if I can get back home."
"I believe it would be more prudent to know who you are first," suggested Sirzechs as he stepped forward and stood between the young man and Rias in case he turned out to be a threat.
"Me? Oh, I'm Naruto Uzumaki, from the Hidden Leaf Village." The blond said, then took notice of Koneko. "Hey...she all right?" He asked, moving forward and clearly concerned.
"You…You're full of chakra..." the white-haired girl murmmered.
His eyes widened at that and squatting down in front of the young girl and examining her. After a moment, the blond nodded before his form became enshrouded in a flickering gold energy that had black markings on his torso. His eyes were a deep orange with slit pupils and two bangs shot upward in the form of horns.
Koneko was looking on in shock at how warm, bright and protective his chakra was. It was like the sun she loved to bathe in so much, or a nice warm fire she could curl up next to. It made her natural senses go into overdrive and she had to fight herself to stop from releasing her neko features.
He placed his fingers lightly on her brow and after a moment, the young catgirl gasped and her body relaxed.
"Better? Synced our chakra and sensory skills so that you can sense my chakra without being overwhelmed. Sorry my chakra levels overloaded your sensory abilities..." he said as he stood and the aura around him vanished.
Ignoring what he said, Koneko stood and hugged him around the waist and let out a pur. "...Mine..." she muttered in a daze.
"EH?! WHAT THE-?!" The whiskered blond yelped, then started trying to pry her arms off him, but being a [Rook], Koneko held firmly onto him.
"Koneko here is a Nekoshou. She likes your chakra."Ajuka said, his mind already functioning in terms of calculations to explain her odd behavior and realized what was going on.
Serafall giggled, finding the clingy kitty-cat's behavior cute.
"Ok...can someone please get her off me and tell me what's going on?!" Naruto strained.
A laugh was heard and a redheaded woman dressed in a high-collared white blouse that was beneath a green loose-fitting dress seemed to shimmer into existance like a mirage forming. She wore a dark blue band on her left wrist, similarly colored combat sandals that had her toes and heels exposed, and a black clip that parted her hair to the left. Said hair was incredibly long, reaching down to her ankles with shoulder-length bangs that framed her heart-shaped face. Finishing off her look was a pair of expressive violet eyes.
"No problem, for the explination part at least, sochi." she said, smiling lightly.
Naruto froze, his jaw dropping and his focus fixed on the new arrival, "Kaa-chan!? Wha...how...I mean...oh, what does it matter! You're...!"
The woman went up and gave Koneko a look, "Off." she said, to which Koneko froze, then quickly (albet reluctantly) let go of the person who had such stunning chakra, only for the redhead to take take her place hugging him.
"Relitive of yours?" Azariel asked.
"Never seen her before in my life." The current Lucifer replied.
Letting go of Naruto and turning to the Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angel, the woman spoke with a smile.
"Alright, why don't I just explain a few things before we get started?" suggested the female redhead calmly, earning nods from the others. "Now, for everyone present with one exception that already knows-"she paused to give Naruto a smile before continuing, " -my name is Kushina Uzumaki, and yes, I'm related to Naruto here. I'm his mother. And I know why you were all brought here."
At that, Sirzechs blinked before sighing in relief. "Finally, now can YOU tell us what's going on here, Miss Uzumaki-"
"Ugh," she groaned, turning to him to show her displeasure. "Don't be so formal! It's really annoying, ttebane…"
"Uh, Kaa-chan, your tic..."
"What's that, Naruto-kun? You saying something?" Kushina asked, arching a thin brow at her son's voice.
"No, Kaa-chan!" Naruto said, his mouth clicking shut audibly.
Sirzechs, meanwile, blinked at the verbal tic at the end, and then sweatdropped at how annoyed she grew at using it. "I'll…try to keep that in mind then. Would you mind if we just used your first name?"
"That's what I was getting at, ttebane!" She twitched. "Dammit! I thought I was over that stupid tic!"
Coughing, so that his chuckle would be hidden, Michael smiled at the woman. "You were saying..?"
Kushina shrugged without a care and an easygoing smile on her face. "Right, right...sorry. As I was saying, I asked the Old Man to bring you all here. He even reconstruced my physical body so I could join you and we could all look over the life of one of my son's counterparts that lives in a reality that is linked to the one you all came from. Alternet reality that mixes our respective worlds. He put it down a book. I've got it with me."
Of all the things the older members expected her to say, THAT was not on their mental lists in the slightest. "Who is the 'Old Man', Miss Kushina?" Serafall asked politely. She was normally hyperactive and not one for formalities, but she could tell this redheaded woman was strong. It was enough to impress her; possibly enough to consider her a place in her peerage.
Before Kushina could answer, another presence made themselves known. "She speaks of Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, the Sage of the Six Paths from the Elemental Realm. An old friend of mine, actually." Ophis answered, stepping out from behind a particularly large piece of rubble.
"Ophis?!" many of the Three Faction members cried out in surprise, making her brow twitch.
"Refrain from your astonished cries before I reduce you to nothing," she calmly threatened. "I don't take kindly to bothersome noise such as that."
No one was dumb enough to comment.
"Can't we just get a summary or skim through this alternate life?" Azazel asked with a raised brow.
Shaking her head negatively, Kushina answered, "No, we need to see it through to the end. Trust me, pages go blank if you try reading them out of order like that. Don't worry though; your world has had time stop entirely while we're here. So, you don't need to be concerned or afraid of anyone noticing your absence. The Old Man promised me that."
That brought a great relief to the Faction Leaders, for they were concerned that being away from their home would leave it open to inevitable chaos.
"So," Issei began unsurely, "what do we do?"
Irina rolled her eyes at her childhood friend's rather childish question. "Well, the only way out is obvious. If we can't just skip, then we need to real the whole thing through."
At that, Ophis got their attention by clearing her throat. When they turned to her, she simply said, "Come."
Confused and curious, the others complied with her order and followed the petite goddess to a more open area of the ruined cathedral. It held a massive crater that was filled with transparent pink liquid. Curiosity got the better of Naruto, and he stepped up to it first, standing next to Ophis as he peered into the water. Before his very eyes, it shifted and swirled before it projected a reflection of himself.
However, the reflection was him as a child. It then shifted to him as a Genin before shifting to his older years, him in his Sage Mode outfit, Kyuubi Chakra Mode, Six Paths Sage Mode, and finally to him just after his final clash with Sasuke; wounds and all.
"What is this?" he asked, amazed at what just happened.
"A reflecting pool," Ophis answered calmly. "It reflects yourself throughout your life; which makes it the perfect medium for us to use."
"Use for what, Lady Ophis?" Gabriel asked, her tone respectful of the dragoness's position.
"We shall use it to show what is happening within the book Uzumaki had the Sage create," she answered, pointing to Kushina.
The redheaded woman took a glance at the pool before she smiled brightly. "That's a great idea. We can all get comfortable in front of it as we read." From her palm, she presented an intricate seal designed like a lotus flower that gave off a red glow. In a burst of smoke, a large book was seen in her hands and she gestured for the others to take their seats. "I'll read the first chapter; seeing as I asked the Old Man to make the book for us."
No one argued with her as they took their seats. Naruto took his next to Kushina, not wanting to waste any future opportunities of bonding time with his mother. He had lost her twice(once at birth, and the next after she helped him fight Kurama).
No one could blame him for feeling a bit...clingy.
Gale Symphony
Chapter 1: Pilot Chapter
I liked to think of myself as an observant woman. After all, I share a territory with a rival of mine; and we both have eyes for talent.
Rias blinked, surprised. Huh...the opening was in her point of view? That was interesting.
Most of the humans here in Kuoh, however, didn't have the kind of talent that I needed. Some barely had potential, and it would've take much too long for us to bring them up to snuff for what lies ahead.
At that, the Devils and Angels both sighed. That was always an annoying factor in regards to the Evil Piece and Brave Saint systems.
Recently, I had been fortunate enough to gain a new [Pawn] who holds a Sacred Gear. I thought it was simply a Twice Critical at first, but I realized later on that it was actually the fabled Boosted Gear; one of the Thirteen Longinus. Alongside this [Pawn] was a new [Bishop] who also had a Sacred Gear; the Twilight Healing.
While both are great for my Peerage, they both still needed a great deal of help; Issei-san in particular. Sure, he had a great Sacred Gear, but he also had practically zero aptitude for magical capability.
Issei sighed. That would hurt more if he didn't know it was true. But he knew he could handle things just fine as it was with his way of doing things.
Looking over Kushina's shoulder on a curious whim at the next line, Rias cringed. Oh...she did NOT like this at all! She sat back down and flashed her [Bishop] an aplogetic look, knowing this was going to hurt.
As for Asia-san, she is much too timid and kind-hearted for what's to come. As much as I hate to admit this – even if it's just to myself – she may become more of a liability in the future; a crippling point that will tear us down.
Asia gasp, then looked at Rais with a hurt expression. A liability?! Rias considered her a liability?!
"For the record, Asia; other me." Rias said.
I also hate to admit that Sona might be a better [King] than myself. She picked her Peerage so easily, and she spent time and dedication into making them valued Pieces of her Peerage. She didn't wait like I did; something that has proven to be costly for me.
I was worried as the date for my meeting with HIM drew closer, and I couldn't help but think that – despite everything we've done thus far – my efforts won't be enough for what may come.
Asia perked up. Oh...Rias was just worried about having to deal with Riser. No wonder she was doubtful. She hadn't ment to upset the ex-nun by saying she was a liability.
Recalling what the Phenex had been like, that made sense. Asia had to confess she really hadn't been prepaired to deal with that and had been little more than a target that Rias had to keep herself between so Riser wouldn't hurt her. She still felt guilty about that at times.
I needed time to think, so I didn't show up for school and took a walk through my town. I had hoped to clear my head and come up with something; but the stress and anxiety proved stronger than I estimated.
It wasn't until I passed by a new music store – one that was playing some soothing music from their outdoor speakers – that I found something to help me calm down.
"Wonder what that was?" Irina asked.
"Story's switching to third person from here on out." Kushina said.
Rias Gremory curiously opened the door to the music store, taking a cursory glance at the different instruments and equipment that was
"Uh...shouldn't that be "were" rather than "was"?" Azazel asked.
"No. In this case, saying "was" is the correct grammar." Ajuka said.
"Shut it, Mr. Know-it-all." The Fallen Angel scowled.
on display. She saw guitars, pianos and keyboards, drum sets, different forms of brass instruments like trumpets and the like, and even some software that helped with musical editing and similar intentions.
Running the store was a woman with stunning white hair that reached her waistline, teal eyes that almost glowed, and a pale complexion that was flawless. She was dressed in a black button-down shirt, matching slacks, and white shoes. Around her neck was a tie that was as teal as her eyes while her hair had messy bangs; but they just added to her appeal.
The perverts all whistled at the sight of the woman. Not bad!
"Welcome," she greeted. "Can I help you with anything?"
"I heard music playing on the speakers outside," Rias answered. "It was nice, and I was just wondering who was playing."
"Eh...something pre-recorded, most likely." Kiba shrugged.
The woman raised a brow with an amused twitch of the lips. "Ah, I'm glad that someone appreciates his efforts. That would be someone who hangs out here a bit too much. He's in the back, if you wanna meet him."
"So it wasn't pre-recorded stuff after all. Interesting. Wonder who was playing?" Irina smirked lightly.
Nodding, the redheaded young woman gave a grateful smile. "Thanks."
"No problem. Oh, just to warn you," the woman began, "he's…not exactly someone who can hold a conversation."
Rias raised a brow in curiosity before she mentally shrugged it off and went to the back. Going through the door, her blue-green eyes widened slightly at the studio before her that was filled with state of the art equipment that looked far superior to whatever the store itself was selling.
"Holding out on the best stuff...isn't that bad for business?" Gasper asked Koneko, who shrugged
And, sitting at a piano with large orange headphones, was a blonde teen that looked to be her age. He had wild blonde hair that was slightly matted down by his headphones, and strangely whiskered cheeks that reminded her of Kitsune Yōkai.
Naruto's jaw dropped. No way! His other version of himself?! THAT'S who had been playing?!
He was surprisingly dressed in the Kuoh Academy uniform, but his tie was loosened and the top button was undone; giving him a more comfortable look.
Naruto made a face. Uniforms? Ties? Ugh...gag him! The lack of originality and identity made him sick!
The blazer of the uniform was draped over one of the chairs in the studio, and he seemed to be lost in the music; music she couldn't hear because his headphones were plugged into the speakers.
Naruto hummed. True, he wasn't very orented or inclined with music, but it seemed his other was. Then again, he was usually training.
She spotted an extra pair by the computers and sound systems, so she walked over and put them on before plugging them into another auxiliary port.
As soon as she did, she felt the soothing sounds of the music produced wash over her. Its effect was almost instant, and she felt her worries drown away in the sound. The gentle sounds of the woodwinds blended so beautifully with the strums of the guitar at the beats of the drum. And at the core of it all was the piano keystrokes that were supplied by the blonde seated away from her.
Relaxing into her seat, she closed her eyes and simply enjoyed the music with her enhanced Devil senses. It was a wonderful feeling; having her troubles simply fade away with the symphony. She recognized the style as jazz in nature, but it held a certain flair to it that she couldn't help to appreciate.
The blond Uzumaki blinked. What was Jazz?
Slowly, the music faded into silence, and she opened her eyes to look at the blonde teen. He slowly opened his own, and they were a stunning shade of azure blue that looked to be as deep as the oceans themselves. A faint smile was seen on his face, one that only enhanced his natural roguish appeal.
Issei gave Naruto a dirty look at that.
"Hmmm...that is true." Xenovia said as an off-handed comment, studying the image and then the actual Naruto. That description fit.
Naruto blushed at that, much to his mother's amusment.
She smiled as well and removed her headphones just as he did. She slowly made her way over to him as he pulled out a small laptop and typed in some notes. He must've heard her approach, for he looked up as soon as she stepped onto the smooth carpet his piano rested on.
"That was wonderful," she praised, earning a curious look from him. "Your music," she clarified. "I listened to you play."
Realization hit him, and he turned back to his laptop with a noticeable flush on his cheeks.
'Huh… He must not receive many compliments. I can't believe I never noticed him before at the Academy. He's definitely got a face to remember with those markings.'
"Thanks...but as for seeing me in a school, I don't do well in a classroom. Paperwork, test scores, and lectures only confuse and bore me. I learn better by actually doing." Naruto told Rias.
She nodded. A Kinesthetic learner.
The door to the studio opened, and the woman at the front walked in with a small smile. "Alright, Naruto," she began. "Time for you to get going. It's been well over the hour you requested."
He turned to her for a moment before closing his eyes with a defeated sigh. Nodding in understanding, he packed up his laptop in its carry-on case and shouldered it while carrying his schoolbag lazily by its top strap. As he walked out, he grabbed his blazer and carelessly laid it over his other shoulder before waving at the woman.
She in turn waved back with her smile becoming a grin. "See you soon, yeah?"
He waved over his shoulder as he left the store, Rias and the woman exiting the studio to reenter the main room of the building. "I see what you mean about him not being a conversationalist," the Gremory Heiress mused aloud.
"Wonder why?" Serafall asked.
"Wait...you're an heiress?" Naruto asked the youngest redhead present.
She nodded. "Don't make a big deal of it. I like being treated as if status isn't a factor."
He nodded.
"Yeah, that's how he was when I first met him. Took me weeks before I figured out he was mute," she replied offhandedly, catching Rias's interest.
"Pardon?" Naruto asked. Mute?!
"Mute? I thought he just kept to himself?"
"Well, that too; but he showed me he was mute after a couple of weeks. It was during one of my random spiels that I asked his opinion on, and he just answered back in Sign Language."
"Oh…" That must've been why she never really noticed him. In Kuoh, a majority of the students were rather loud and excitable; especially when certain people were within view.
Rias and Akeno shared a grin at that. Being Kuoh Academy's "Two Great Ladies", they knewexactly what that line was talking about!
"How often does he come here?"
"A few times a week. He's always working on different tracks, and he told me that he wanted to make a CD someday when he was finished."
"How long has he been working on it?"
Here, the woman smiled fondly and looked at nothing in particular. "Going on two years now…"
"Say what?!" The Occult Reserch Club members said, surprised.
"Impressive dedication." Michael said, his sister Gabriel nodding.
"Two years?" Rias repeated, shocked at how long it was taking.
"The first year was actually me showing him a few things; mostly how to use the editing equipment in the studio. After a while, he found his own groove and rolled with it; pun intended."
Everyone snickered at that.
The two women shared a small laugh at the simple joke. "Well, thanks for introducing me and telling me a bit about him."
With that, she walked out of the store and headed back to the Academy. She took hurried steps down the path Naruto walked before she spotted him a fair distance away, sporting his orange headphones once more as he strolled down the sidewalk. Not wanting to lose him in the crowd he was about to cut through, she hurried after him.
"Oh?" Kushina said, grinning deviously as her eyes glinting with a playful wickedness that was just itching to cause trouble! "What is this? An attractive young lady showing interest in my son, eh?"
"Ara, ara...looks that way, Kushina! My bouchou! See something you like, do you?" Akeno teased, her expression matching the Uzumaki woman's.
Rias and Naruto both blushed and gulped. The former of which let out a squeak of "help me..." while Narito buried his face in his hands. Ok...Akeno meeting his mom was a bad idea!
As she power walked – so that it wouldn't look so strange – she pushed her senses outwards to try and get a feel for the blonde teen. She didn't know why she did, but a nagging feeling in the back of her mind prompted her to do so.
And what she felt echo back to her made her glad she listened to that feeling. She felt an above average level of power from Naruto, with most of it centered around his upper chest; just below his neck.
"Guess my energy core is located in a different spot in that reality..." Naruto mused.
A surge of excitement rushed through her, and she smiled brightly before changing her pace to a light jog.
She noticed him pause in his own steps and turn back to look at her with a raised brow. This only made her mentally smirk, for there was no way he would've known she was coming since he was wearing those headphones. It meant that he must have sensed her approach; which further proved that he had some hidden power.
"Back turned, can't hear her coming...something had to let him know." Rossweisse said, having served as a valkyrie, she'd seen various levels of situational awarness and several factors that contributed to them.
Pleased to see that he waited for her to catch up to him, he regarded her silently with his brow still raised. "I was hoping to walk with you back to the Academy," she answered his silent question. He tilted his head and raised a hand to speak to her in Sign Language; something she hadn't needed to know beforehand. "I can't understand what you're trying to tell me, Naruto-san."
The two ninjas raised brows at that. Handsigns being used for communication? While they did understand the concept...trying to do that back home could have gotten them attacked since the one who you were trying to communicate with would assume you were attempting to use a jutsu on them.
He blinked in surprise and narrowed his eyes slightly.
Seeing the accusation, she raised her hands up placatingly and explained, "That woman at the store told me your name. I apologize if I'm coming off as rude." His accusing look sobered to a casual one, making her smile. "I don't think we've ever met before today." He shook his head, prompting her to offer him a hand. "I'm Rias Gremory. It's nice to meet you, Naruto-san."
He looked at the offered hand for a moment before he took it in his own and shared a shake with the beautiful redhead.
"'Scuse me?!" Naruto yelped as his voice rose an octave. Face blazing so much he felt dizzy and he was sure he didn't have any blood in the rest of his body.
"Well, seems you got a bit of something from your dad personality-wise!" Kushia teased gleefully, beaming.
"Awww...look, he's all embaressed!" Serafall and Akneo cooed.
The remainder of the group all looked at Naruto with sympathy...well..Issei looked like he wanted to strangle Naruto, but he held himself back. Rias was a beauty, after all; and if Naruto had gotten a thing for attractive redheads from, then that made sense. He still didn't like it, though.
Rias herself, however, quickly came to Naruto's rescue by snatching the book and picked up on the reading to got everyone's attention back on the book to give him time to relax.
Once his hand was free again, he set down his schoolbag and pulled out a small notebook and a pen before scribbling something quickly on it.
Turning it to her, she read, "I'm Naruto Uzumaki. Nice to meet you too."
She nodded after reading it, prompting him to put the notebook in the small pocket on the front of his shirt; something that wasn't on standard uniforms.
"Needs to carry that notebook somewhere if it's how he communicates with those that don't know sign language." Gabriel said with a nod.
Kushina, meanwhile had noticed the book was missing, then shot Rias an annoyed look and snatched it back from her.
She said nothing about it, simply falling in step with him as they headed for the Academy. As they walked, she noted that he was a head taller than she was, and his marked cheeks looked natural instead of drawn on. He also had his headphones hang around his neck, resuming the music at full volume so that they could project it loud enough to hear.
"Are you a part of the Music Club, Naruto-san?" she asked, getting a headshake from him. "Really? I'm surprised. You definitely have talent."
"That is a bit surprising. Though for sure your other self would be." Asia pointed out.
Naruto shrugged, "This is a different version of me. I have no idea why he wouldn't, but hopefully it'll be explained.
He looked away from her at that, and she noticed his cheeks were once again flushed, proving her earlier theory correct. He really didn't get many compliments if he reacted so bashfully.
Akeno licked her lips with her eyes gleaming. Oh...no doubt at all that her other was going to enjoy that!
"Did you try to apply for the club before?" she continued, earning another shake of the head. "Why not, if I may ask?"
He pulled out his notebook and scribbled his answer before handing it to her. "I didn't feel like it. I've listened to them before, and I don't like the style they use."
"Hmm… Yes, I suppose a clash of styles would be problematic…" She handed him back his notebook and continued, "Well, have you signed up for any club?" She was pleased to see him respond in a negative, this time giving her more attention. "You know that Souna will scold you if you don't join one, right?"
Rias blinked, then smirked along with the rest of the Occult Reserch Club. Oh...this was gonna be good! It was obvious what other-Rias was after and what she was doing.
"I tend to avoid her whenever she's nearby. I have more than enough tardies and absences to warrant punishment."
"Naruto-!"
He paled. Oh SHIT!
Rossweisse quickly moved and positioned herself between Naruto and Kushina, shielding him.
"Out. Of. The. Way." The kunoichi growled.
"No. It isn't even the actual him that's skipping class, so why should he be punished for it. I'll move only when you either calm down or kill me." the former valkyrie said firmly, eyes narrowed.
Naruto gawked at Rossweisse, stunned. Damn...did this woman have backbone! Facing down his mother when she was in full "Red Hot-Blooded Habanero mode" like that without a speck of fear.
Naruto was impressed.
She giggled at his blunt response. "Somehow, I'm not surprised; no offense." He shrugged and waved her off, a small smile on his face. she mentally noted that it was a nice smile.
Rias and Naruto flushed again.
"What if I offered you a way out of trouble?" He raised a brow before motioning her to go on. "I run the Occult Research Club, and I'd like to offer you an invitation to it."
"And here we go." Kiba said.
He looked skeptical and wrote down, "Why? I've never really shown interest in the occult before."
"You don't need to have an early interest to become a member. Besides, you won't know if itdoes interest you unless you give it a try."
He turned away with a thoughtful expression, and she mentally hoped he would agree to join. It was an agonizing – for her – couple of minutes before he turned back to her and shrugged with a faint smile, nodding afterwards in agreement.
"Baited, hooked, and reeled in." Xenovia sighed. Sure the O.R.C. members weren't evil devils, but it still gave off the vibe that other-Rias was taking advantage of his troubles for her own gain. Or maybe that was just her upbringing in the church talking...and to be honest, they hadn't done a very good job of that, as was evedent by her lack common knowledge on the life of a normal person and had to learn how to integrate herself into ordinary life.
Honestly...the way she'd been raised had caused her to be so lacking in how to be an ordinary person that one of the things she'd done after being excommunicated from the church and deciding to join the Occult Research Club as Rias' second [Knight] because she had nowhere else to go after learning the truth of God's death was bring a box of condoms to school on her first day!
She gave him a beautiful smile in response that made his cheeks flush once more. "Excellent! I'll come find you after classes are over!"
He blinked at how quickly she wanted him to join before noting how they had already walked through the gate and were on the school grounds.
"I'll also talk to Souna and ask her to back off on scolding you," she continued before adding mentally, 'And also to back off in general. Good thing I noticed you first. Take that, Sona!'
Serafall huffed, glaring at Rias, who just smirked.
He nodded in understanding, and she bid him goodbye before heading off to her current class. Holding up his wrist, he checked the time and saw that he had history next. With a grimace, he ignored the schedule and headed for the school's roof.
Kushina and Rossweisse had another staredown at that. And yet again, Naruto admired the silverette's courage.
He wasn't a history buff, and he wasn't planning on becoming one.
"So, I believe he has a Sacred Gear," Rias concluded, informing her [Queen], Akeno Himejima.
"What a Sacred Gear is will be explained later. But I will say this much: a very special type of equipment." Azazel said.
Akeno tapped her chin thoughtfully, giving a small hum as she went over what her [King] and closest friend had told her. "Uzumaki… Uzumaki… I don't think I've heard much about him. I suppose any rumors about him are as silent as he is."
"That was terrible." Gabriel said with a shake of her head, both for the joke and the insensitivity of it.
"That was in slightly poor taste," Rias admonished.
"Ara, my apologies."
"If I am going to add Naruto-san into my Peerage, then I want the rest of us to welcome him fairly and not poke fun at his mutism. I'm going to bring him here personally, so please make sure the others are here beforehand."
"Is mutism even a real word?" Falbium yawned.
"Yes. There is "Selective mutism" disorder, after all." Azazel pointed out.
"Yes, Buchou."
Finding Naruto was a bit more difficult than she thought. After getting a copy of his schedule from Sona, she expected to find him in his calligraphy class. Instead, she was informed by the teacher that he was absent and that they hadn't heard from Naruto all day; neither have his other teachers.
"Wow, not hearing form a mute..." Issei said, only to yelp as Xenovia punched him in the arm.
"Not funny." she frowned.
"Ok, I get it, bad joke..." he said, nursing his bruse.
So, while she outwardly made it look like she was searching for him, inwardly she used her senses to find him. She got a response from the roof, and she made her way there to see him leaning against the railing with his hands in the air in front of him. She raised a brow when she saw that nothing was there, but then noted that he had his headphones on again.
"Yeesh...your other is really attach to those things, isn't he?" Serafall said.
Naruto nodded. Looked like it!
She saw him swaying his head to music she couldn't hear, his fingers dancing in the air as if they were hitting the keys of a piano. Realization came to her as she saw that he was playing along with the music, immersing himself in it despite not having a live instrument in front of him. Such dedication to an art made her unconsciously smile, for she believed that he could apply that dedication to other areas; namely to her Peerage.
"That kind of dedication...my wife would like it, I just know it. Her family always did respect things like that." Sirzechs said.
Walking over to him, she wasn't surprised to see him stop playing when she got within a certain distance. He turned to her and removed his headphones, giving her a small wave in greeting.
"I was looking for you, Naruto-san," she informed him. "I told you I would find you after classes ended, remember?" He nodded once. "Well, come along, then. I'm going to take you to the clubroom now to meet the others."
Nodding again, Naruto put away his headphones and gathered his bags; stuffing the school blazer into his schoolbag so he wouldn't have to wear it. His clothes also remained loose, which she couldn't blame him for. For girls as gifted as her in certain areas, the uniforms were very restricting.
"Thanks for getting it." Naruto muttered. Uniforms...ugh! Hated them...
Issei pouted. He liked the girls uniforms for that very reason!
Leading him out of the main school building and for the older one, she guided him inside and took her position behind her desk while the other members of the Occult Research Club regarded him. He couldn't help raising a brow at the members, not expecting them all to have something in common.
The Occult Rescerch Club members all snickered at that. Oh...if only other-Naruto knew...
For starters, Akeno was one of the Two Great Ladies of the Academy. She had her own fanbase, just like Rias did. It wasn't exactly surprising to see her in the club, though; considering how often the two were seen together.
"Rias and I are best friends, so why wouldn't we be together often?" Akeno said.
Kiba Yuuto, who was regarded for his politeness and good looks, was a surprise. Naruto had seen him a couple of times helping the Kendo Club, and he thought his fellow blonde was a member; despite the club being comprised of nothing but female students.
"You'd be surprised how often that's been brought up to me." Kiba admitted.
Koneko Toujou was known as the School Mascot for her adorable looks. Honestly, Naruto couldn't blame the students for seeing the petite girl that way. Her features reminded him of cats, and he absently wondered if she styled her hair to look like folded cat ears.
Koneko made an iffy motion with one hand. Not too far off, considering her other hadn't shown what she actually was.
Issei Hyoudou was a definite surprise to see; considering who he was and the relentless rumors (read: facts) about him. He was a pervert of the highest order, and he was damn proud of it.
Kushina lowered the book and glared at the boy in question. Great...a Jiraiya Junor. "Naruto...if he gets his parts removed, you are not to save him until AFTER he's made to suffer genital nullification by getting his penis and scrotum destroyed or removed in some way, shap or form and is made to live the remainder of his life as a eunuch! Is that clear?!"
"Tell my other that!" Naruto said, scooting away from his mother as the other males all covered their parts with their hands and following Naruto's example and putging space between themselves and the Uzumaki woman, Issei utterly horrified.
Ok...MILF or not, that Kushina woman was NOT to be neared...EVER!
Naruto couldn't help but praise him for being so adamant in his beliefs and admirations, absently finding himself jealous of how vocal Issei could be while he couldn't utter a word.
And lastly was Asia Argento, the newest girl of the school that was rumored to be staying at Issei's home. He didn't bother listening to rumors, preferring to determine the worth of them with his own eyes and ears. Based on how close Asia was sitting to Issei, Naruto couldn't deny that something was going on between them. Perhaps a crush on her part for the resident pervert?
Kushina muttered something about sealing formulas, brainwashing, and bombs being used to castrate someone at that.
Absently, he remembered his late mother telling him that You don't always choose who you fall in love with. Along with that was something along the lines of Look underneath the underneath; something that a family friend always like to say.
Asia flushed. Love?! Well...there was no denying she did feel strongly for Issei.
The rest of the Occult Reserch Club's female members looked miffed at that.
'Huh… Wonder how Kakashi is doing, anyway,' he mused before Rias spoke up and reclaimed his attention.
"Everyone, this is Naruto Uzumaki," she informed. "He will hopefully become the newest member of our club."
He raised a brow at the hopefully she threw in there. Wasn't he already accepted by her?
The others introduced themselves. Akeno's voice held a slightly sultry undertone that he easily picked up. He couldn't help but blush at her voice, and at how she looked to him with interest.
"Bashful one in the crosshairs...he's doomed." Azazel said, knowing what Akeno was like.
Kiba was as polite as always, offering a smile and a handshake that Naruto readily accepted. He was always happy to get a warm welcome.
Kiba shrugged. He saw no reason not to give a warm welcom to someone that could become a friend, after all.
Koneko was rather stoic in her greeting, which strangely only added to her natural, catlike charm. He didn't understand it, but it probably wasn't important; so, he simply gave her a wave.
Issei looked to him briefly before turning away with a grumble of damn blondes trying to steal his harem. A sweatdrop formed on the back of Naruto's head at that. Wow, was this guy insecure. He was mute, and he still had more confidence in himself than Issei seemed to have.
"Ok, that was hurtful..." Issei muttered.
Kushina smirked darkly at that, amused.
And lastly was Asia, who walked over and gave a polite bow in greeting that he returned. Her innocent aura was absolutely adorable, and he found it an endearing quality that would hopefully remain with her. Innocent people tended to have the most impactful opinions, he believed; for they weren't yet biased by the beliefs of others.
Asia smiled at that.
"Now, Naruto," Rias continued, getting his attention once more, "you probably noticed that I said you would hopefully become a member, right?" He nodded with a confused expression. "Well, the reason for that is because your acceptance is entirely up to you."
He raised a brow at that, even more confused than before.
"There are things you need to know before I ask you if you wish to join us." She paused to take a breath before looking to him seriously, making him pay closer attention. "Let me tell you about the Three Factions…"
"That's the end of this chapter." Kushina said, "Who's reading next?"