Original Posted On Dec. 19, 2021

Beta Read by: Crowfeast

Review Response:

Redlox2: Happy to oblige.

Guest: Thank you, I will.

Calderoneric758: You will find out who the user is this chapter, don't worry. How did you know my idea?

Spellbat: That depends. I have a few ideas, *COUGH* ISSEI JUGGERNAUT* COUGH!

SolSparda369: I did think of having Zest be around Shirone and Kuroka's ages, but with how I am, I like her with Naruto so I would need her as an adult. She can still be friends with them, but will be a mother figure to them along with Hilda and Lucoa.

Megaslayer321a: Wow… fuck, you win. Congrats.

Rosaurocunan16: Essentially.

Children:

Yasaka

Partners:

Tamamo (Wife, Deceased), Lucoa (Girlfriend), Hilda (Girlfriend)

OKAY, LETS READ THIS SHIT! I DON'T OWN NARUTO OR HIGHSCHOOL DXD!

"Hey" = Speaking

'Hey' = Thinking

'Hey' = Memory

"Hey"= Sacred Gear/ Communication link/ Tailed Beast

Chapter 53: Culture Shock

Uzumaki Campsite…

"It's okay, just relax." Lucoa said in a calming tone as she applied ointment to the injuries of the White Dragon Emperor.

The young man gasped in pain from Lucoa's application, but tried his best to keep it quiet.

Lucoa had healed and repaired the major injuries, bringing him from death, but chose to use 'human' healing methods she had learned over the centuries from her own people and of the ones she had visited.

"T-thank you…" the young man gasped out in exhaustion but he made an attempt to stand up. "But I need to talk…"

"Don't move quite yet." Lucoa interrupted, pushing him down. "You may have been healed, but you still need to rest."

"I thank you for everything, but the master of this group…" the man forced out, wincing as the pinching pain in his torso ravaged his pain receptors. "If he is who I think he is, then I need to talk to him now."

Lucoa was about to push him back down, but Hilda helped him up.

"Hilda?"

"If he is going to be stubborn," Hilda said with a playful smile as she put his arm around her shoulder. "Then let him get hurt to prove our point."

"Thank you…" the man thanked again, though walking became a massive chore.

Meanwhile…

Outside the small clearing, Naruto sat in a tree, staring up at the sunset.

'Why did you stop me, Kurama?' Naruto thought as he entered the Tailed Beast Plane.

Before him stood Kurama, having delved deeper into the Tailed Beast Plane.

Kurama lay across his stomach, arms crossed as he stared at his friend.

"Why do you think, Naruto?" Kurama asked sarcastically as he reached up and picked his nose with his pinky.

"THOSE DRAGONS KILLED GRAMPA IROH!" Naruto shouted as he took a step forward, his hand at his side. "HOW COULD I FORGET WHAT THEY DID!"

Kurama sighed.

"You are stupid, aren't you, Konoha Villager." Kurama stated as he ignored Naruto's outburst.

Naruto's eyes widened.

"I AM NOT ACTING LIKE THOSE VILLAGERS!" Naruto snapped. "THEY LEFT ME ALONE! THEY COULDN'T SEE ME FOR WHO I WAS BECAUSE THEY WERE AFRAID OF YOU! THEY DESPISED YOU THUS THEY DESPISED ME!"

A look of remembrance etching itself slowly onto his face.

Flashback…

Naruto Uzumaki (Age 7) smiling as he ran through the park with several children that he had met that day.

"We should do this again tomorrow." Naruto said as he looked at them.

Verbal agreements were given, and soon, their parents arrived.

Night came and went, and Naruto stood in the park alone.

Naruto (Age 11) sat alone on the swing before the Academy, a look of gloominess and sadness pooling in his eyes as he watched the graduates with their parents, smiling proudly at them.

However, when they saw him, they would huddle together and whisper.

"Good, that boy didn't pass."

"Can you imagine if THAT THING became a ninja?"

"He'd probably turn and kill us all."

"What was the Fourth thinking when he let that thing live?"

"What is Lord Third thinking of letting it attend the academy."

Naruto would hear these things, but never understood as he gripped the swings ropes in his hands.

His heart pounding in his chest as his head hung low, hiding the swelling tears as the adults continued to glance at him.

To them, they saw a conniving fox, whose shadow resembled its 'true' form as the tails swirled behind it.

Flashback End…

"My god I'm stupid." Naruto groaned as he facepalmed.

"Took you long enough, idiot." Kurama mumbled as his face softened. "Look, I know you are angry with the dragons, as you should. However, you were taking your rage out on two people who had nothing to do with Iroh's death, which is something Sasuke did."

"Yeah, but I can't forgive the dragons."

"I am not saying you have to, Naruto." Kurama said as he poked Naruto with his clawed finger.

Naruto took a deep breath and smiled.

"Thanks, Kurama" Naruto replied as he felt better. "Sorry for my attitude."

"Don't worry, I'll always be here to beat sense into you." Kurama chuckled as Naruto exited the Plane. "You have a visitor."

Naruto's eyes fluttered open, allowing him to see that the sun was closer to setting than it was a few minutes prior.

"Hey, Naruto!"

Hearing Hilda's voice, Naruto jumped down from the tree and landed a few feet away from Hilda and the young man.

"Oh, hey." Naruto said as he raised his hand in a wave.

"Surprising as always, anyway, this one wanted to talk to you, even though Lucoa said otherwise." Hilda said as she helped the young man sit.

"Thank you." He said as he leaned against the tree, gasping for air.

Naruto sat down, using Matatabi's chakra to create a medium sized fireball that illuminated the darkening area, and took in the young man's appearance.

He was a tall, thin young man of seventeen or nineteen years with bright scarlet red spiked hair, pale skin, and dark eyes.

He wore a medieval-looking navy blue tunic with red-orange trim, with a brown belt around his waist that was unbuckled with the tunic open to reveal his bandaged chest.

On his legs were large black boots with orange two rings around the top of each boot. The cuffs of his long sleeves are black with orange zigzagging trim separating the cuff from the navy-blue part of the sleeve. He sports a long, flowing cape around his neck which is black on the outside and silver white on the inside.

Said clothing was very regal, albeit frayed in some areas and damaged outright in others.

'Most likely from his fight from earlier.' Naruto thought as he leaned forward, clapping his hands together.

"I am Naruto Uzumaki, it is a pleasure to meet you." Naruto said as he smiled.

"I am… Lance…" the now named Lance replied as he nodded in a bow as Hilda stood to the side, acting as a potential enforcer if either side got violent. "As you know… I am the White Dragon Emperor of this Generation."

"Yes, I can see that." Naruto joked as he looked at Lance's red hair. "Hilda said you wanted to talk to me?"

Lance nodded, and with great pain, forced himself to his hands and knees, pressing his head into the dirt.

"Please, Great Sage of Creation and Destruction." Lance begged. "Please train me!"

Naruto blinked in stupidity as Hilda nearly lost her balance.

"Uh, can I have a reason why?" Naruto asked as he regained his composure.

"BECAUSE I WANT TO CHANGE THIS FATE, THIS CRUEL DESTINY OF MINE AND THE DESTINY OF THOSE WHO WILL COME AFTER ME!" Lance declared as he raised his head.

Naruto saw a burning inferno of determination and guts.

"I don't want the White Dragon Emperor's after me to suffer like I have, both in home life and against the Red Dragon emperor." Lance continued as he shook, wincing in pain.

"What do you mean?" Hilda asked as she knelt down and helped Lance sit down.

"I… I was cast out of my home when I awakened by Divine Dividing." Lance admitted, his hand clapped over his eyes as he bit his lip. "My father is a nobleman, and when I awakened my power, he forced my mother and I out, saying I was the child of a dragon."

He took a moment to breathe.

"Mother and I lived alone for two years before she died, cursing me for taking her away from her life of luxury." He continued, tears streaming down from his cheeks. "I was thirteen when this happened, and I have been alone with Albion ever since. He taught me as much as possible and I achieved Balance Breaker a year ago."

'Damn, this kid is a prodigy.' Hilda thought as she looked at Naruto, who was basically thinking the same thing.

"I never wanted this power, but I never saw it as a burden or curse, until…" Lance said as he uncovered his eyes to stare into Naruto's. "Until Albion told me of the eternal rivalry that he has with Ddraig the Red Dragon. I don't want to kill people. I'd rather have a friendly rivalry!"

"If I trained you, would you still fight the Red Dragon?" Naruto asked cautiously.

"Only if they started a fight." Lance admitted as he held up his hands. "I want to change this tradition into something beneficial, not something brutal. If I could change that, I would be able to die happy!"

Naruto went quiet.

He crossed his hands in thought, the eerie silence creeping as the sun set and the dark blue sky was lit up by millions of stars.

"This isn't about dying or the legacy we leave behind." Naruto stated as he stood up.

He approached Lance.

"If you have the guts to never give up, the drive to defy the odds, and the willpower to turn destiny on its head, then take my hand, and learn what I have to teach!" Naruto declared as he held out his hand toward Lance. "Your dream, to change the future for the better, is amazing. So, take my hand and together we can change tradition for the better, Lance."

Without hesitation, Lance took Naruto's hand.

Hilda sighed in a smile.

'Good, now we have another person join this family of ours.' Hilda thought as lance collapsed, wailing in pain.

Elsewhere…

"DAMN IT!" Blamuro Belmont shouted in agony as he disengaged his Balance Breaker.

He had long wavy light brown hair tied in a loose pony tail. His attire consisted of a sleeveless red suit jacket with white pants and knee-high boots.

"That bastard, interrupting my fight with the White Dragon." He howled in pain as he pulled out the black rod from his hand.

"Oh, you poor dear."

Blamuro froze as he felt a dark presence behind him as he turned to see the speaker.

"Who are you!" Blamuro demanded as he summoned the Boosted Gear.

The speaker smiled.

"I am no one special," they said as they kept the soft smile on. "But I am someone who can heal you, and give you power to defeat who hurt you?"

Blamuro's interest was piqued.

"Strong enough to kill godly beings?" Blamuro asked as he quirked an eyebrow inquisitively. "And to avenge my ancestors, Leone Belmont who was slain by the Descendent of Dracula, Akasha Tepes."

The soft smile widened, hiding a hidden agenda.

"Of course, all I ask is for your time, as power isn't gained in a day." The man replied as they extended their hand, revealing a Pawn.

"I am Blamuro Belmont." Blamuro said as he accepted the offer.

"I am Euclid Lucifuge."

Next day…

Naruto yawned as he bathed in a nearby river, which was being heated by Kokuo's Boil Release.

"Are you sure that this is okay, Master?" Lance asked nervously as he stood next to Naruto in the water.

"Yeah… why?" Naruto asked before he was splashed in the face by Zest.

"HAHA, got you sensei!" Zest laughed as she wore nothing as she bathed.

Lance became red in the face and covered his eyes.

'Oh, I see.' Naruto thought as he remembered the cultural differences. "Lance, where we come from, the student's bath with their masters. So, it will be that way, just relax."

Lance attempted, but couldn't fully relax as Zest swam through the water.

His eyes following her body's every movement.

"If you keep staring, she will poke your eyes out." Naruto commented as he relaxed, floating with the river's stream before stopping himself with his chakra.

Lance turned, facing dry land as he washed himself.

"Breakfast is done." Lucoa called out as she and Hilda finished cooking.

Booking it from the river, Lance, Naruto, and Zest were dressed and served their breakfast.

Zest and Lance hesitated to eat as Lucoa, Naruto, and Hilda dug into their meals.

"Hm? Is something wrong?" Naruto asked as he looked at his apprentice and student.

"Uh… these are bugs…" Lance said as he looked at the 'meal'.

In his bowl were steamed worms and on the side were two larvae balls.

"It's good old stamina food." Naruto repeated, chuckling to himself as he remembered Shima and Fukasaku.

Zest, who had the same meal, shakily took her chopsticks and pinched some worms.

"T-t-thank you for the… meal…" Zest said before she shoved them into her mouth.

"WHAT!" Lance gasped when he saw Zest slurp them up.

Zest gasped. Her eyes wide.

"It's delicious…" She mumbled stupidly.

Zest scarfed down the worm ramen and ate the larvae balls.

'I didn't think I would eat that quickly, but it was filling.' Zest thought as she realized what she had done.

"Eat up, because there won't be any meal breaks for several hours." Naruto told Lance.

"Okay, Master." Lance said as he sucked in his guts and tried the worm ramen.

Ten Minutes Later…

Lance heaved for the last time, a pile of bile before him.

"Well, give it a few days and your tummy won't be picky." Zest said as she rubbed his back.

"Alright, that's enough for breakfast." Naruto said as he stood up. "Thank you, Hilda, Lucoa."

He kissed them on their cheeks and then turned to his students.

"Alright you too, time for your torture."

"Uhm, don't you mean…"

"Did I stutter?"

Two Hours Later…

Lance was gasping as he ran weakly.

His lungs burned and his legs had no feeling in them as his sweat coated his body.

"God… why…" he gasped out as his body was ravaged with pain from his wounds and his now exhaustion.

"Come on, Lance, we still have another ten miles." Naruto chided him as he kept easy pace with Lance, showing no sign of exhaustion.

Naruto was carrying a large backpack full of things, which Lance didn't know what was in it.

"Ten!"

"Yep, now hustle your buns." Naruto said as he turned and saw Zest a few dozen feet behind them.

Like Lance, Zest was exhausted and soaked in sweat, as Naruto had forbidden the use of chakra to enhance her ability to run.

"Come on slowpokes, we aren't getting any younger." Naruto called out as he took the lead and left Zest and Lance in the dust.

"I hate sensei/master." They said in unison.

Glancing at each other, they narrowed their eyes before looking away.

'This guy is weak.' Zest thought as she continued to run. 'Why is sensei even training this human? He should focus on me only.'

'Master said Zest will be my sibling-student.' Lance thought as he ran. 'But she is nothing but rude and disrespectful to everyone.'

'I will show sensei/master that I am the one he should be teaching.' Both Zest and Lance thought as they ran faster, trying to out do the other.

So focused were they that the two forgot how tired they were.

A random Stream…

"Took you too long enough." Naruto said as they arrived. "Don't make much sound, you'll scare away the fish."

Confused, Lance and Zest saw Naruto was fishing, beside him were to more fishing poles, a bucket with no caught fish, and some bait.

"Come, fish with me." Naruto said as he patted the spot beside him as he pulled in his line, a moderate sized fish on it.

"Huh…"

Naruto turned and looked at the two.

"What, come on." He said as he tapped the space beside him again. "We need fish for dinner tonight."

"Couldn't you have asked Lucoa and Hilda…" Zest started to say before she was silenced by Naruto waving off her statement.

"Today is their training day, so I decided to go easy on you two." Naruto said as he waved off the conversation. "Besides, you don't want to be around them when they train. You're more likely to get hurt."

Lance collapsed.

'All that running… just for fishing.'

"Hey, hey, don't die on us yet, Lance." Naruto said as he reached over and picked the teen up, propping him up and putting a fishing pole in his hands. "Come on, you too, Zest."

Huffing in irritation, Zest took the remaining pole, baited it, and cast it into the water.

The three sat in silence as they fished.

The sounds of Nature, birds chirping, the wind blowing leaves on trees causing them to rustle, the sound of the stream gently moving to the south west.

Naruto smiled as he pulled up a large fish.

"How are you doing that, Master?" Lance asked as he and Zest had yet to catch a single fish of any size, while Naruto had now caught five.

Naruto didn't respond as he unhooked the fish and put it in the bucket.

Zest watched as Naruto baited his hook carefully.

'I see...' Zest though as she took notice of what Naruto was doing.

Lance glanced over toward Zest as she closed her eyes.

'Hm?'

Lance watched as Zest's chakra flowed throw the pole and string.

'Is that what master is doing?' Lance thought as he looked at Naruto's pole.

Indeed, Naruto's pole had his chakra in it, but it was refined and thin, unlike Zest who was pushing more chakra into her fishing pole.

Lance baited his hook and cast his line.

'I will try to be more like Master in this endeavor.' Lance thought as he focused some magic into his hands.

With some difficulty, his magic transferred into the fishing pole and its line, but it was not thin and refined as Naruto's, but was smaller and more controlled that Zest's.

The ripples in the water were night and day.

Naruto's didn't cause any.

Lance's rippled the water enough to be visible, but not a disturbance.

Zest's, on the other hand, was rippling wildly within the water.

"Hey, keep it down." Naruto said as he took notice that the fish were being scared off. "Zest, you're releasing to much chakra. You need to dial it back… a lot."

'So, it was training!' Zest and Lance thought as lightning struck behind them.

Zest nodded as she cut her chakra off.

Taking a deep breath, she refocused once more, and while it was still wild, it was much smaller than before.

Naruto smiled proudly.

'I have smart students.' He thought proudly as they all caught big fish together.

"My fish is bigger."

"What are you talking about? Mine is bigger by four whole centimeters!"

Zest and Lance clashed heads, trying to force the other to submit.

"Okay, okay, that's enough." Naruto said as he separated them. "Come on, we need a few more. This amount won't fill any stomachs."

"Yes, Sensei/Master."

The trio spent several more hours fishing until they left.

"So… are we…" Lance nervously asked before Naruto took off running.

"Oh, you can use your powers on the way home." Naruto shouted.

Without hesitation, Zest channeled chakra into her legs as Divine Dividing appeared on Lance's back.

"I'll get there first!" they shouted as they took off, leaving a large dust cloud behind them as they chased after Naruto.

'This is going to be an amazing rivalry.' Naruto thought as he could tell they were challenging each other. 'And hopefully, they will become friends too.'

Chapter 53, DONE!

Lance is basically Lance from Pokemon, with his Heart Gold/Soul Silver design.

Well, this chapter was fun. It might not have hit all the notes I wanted it to, but I am sure it worked.

It was a nice easy-going chapter, with something from Naruto's past and how he had forgotten something important.

Lance and Zest's rivalry will be fun to write and hopefully, you guys enjoy it.

Nothing else to say besides ask for a review if you enjoyed the chapter, and if you disliked it, please review anyway as your input does help me become a better author.