NOTE: THIS IS NOT MY STORY, NOR IS IT AN ADOPTION. THIS IS PURELY FOR READING PURPOSES. The author had his muse killed by the community, leading to him deleting this, and I've simply decided to re-upload it to be able to read it again. Don't go hassling the dude to revive it, or trying to get me to continue it.


Alright guys, so. As many of you probably already know, I'm a kind of mythology-nut. I love games and anime that have a lot to do with the Occult. And I wanted to write a NarutoxDxD crossover in a universe that is markedly different from the original canon universe.

Simply put, I wish to create a DxD universe where there are more demons, gods, creatures and all manner of SMT-esque characters. And Finally, I got around to doing it.

Now, this chapter is just a pilot, like every fanfic I write, I will give it a week or two to gestate and garner reader interest. If it does well, I'll continue with it. You all know the drill.

What more, you guys have barraged the review sections of both my other prominent fics, asking me for a harem, so, THIS FIC WILL GIVE YOU THAT CHANCE! (Albeit, not a very big harem.)

So, buckle up, guys. Enjoy!


Metempsychosis

Chapter 1

Rebirth


He was not sure how he had gotten here.

The last thing he remembered was facing Kaguya; Team 7, reunited for one final battle. He remembered the feeling of Hagoromo's power, coursing through his body, strengthening him. He remembered Sasuke, for once, fighting side-by-side him like the brother he had always yearned for. He remembered the final offensive, with him and Sasuke trying to use the culmination of the Yin-Yang release to seal the mother of chakra, the look on her face as their hands touched her. What he did not remember was what transpired in the aftermath. He didn't remember the sealing, he didn't remember the aftermath, hell, he didn't remember actually succeeding.

But the entity in his mind, it spoke otherwise.

The chaos of the Ten Tailed Beast was never meant to be embodied. Not in the mind of a single person, at least. Its power was massive, so much so that even keeping it dormant caused Naruto a perpetual dull headache. Even Kurama's sealed hatred form hadn't succeeded in disrupting his inner peace quite as much as the true Tailed Beast's mere presence did. And that itself, was the crux of the problem.

The seal wasn't meant to function this way. It was never designed to seal such endless power into a human. The last time this seal was activated, the moon was created. An astral body that the empty body of the Juubi would begrudgingly call home for eons. While that seal had been broken before its time, the seal meant to replace it was, in every way, identical to the original. So, why had it taken the Juubi and deposited it in his body? And subsequently, how had he gotten here?

'Here', in simple words, was very similar to the astral plane inhabited by Hagoromo's perpetual, disembodied spirit. A realm where no physical entity could, or would, ever disturb his ever-watchful gaze. So mired was he in his transcendent realm of heavenly presence that he hadn't been able to summon Naruto and Sasuke to his realm without them being on the very doors of death. But, if Hagomoro's world was an infinite expanse of white, this world was severely limited in scope. It was an arena, one of the few he had ever seen in his life, walls endlessly towering up on each side of him, their make indiscernible and foreign. Looking around, all he could find was a singular desk, placed smack-dab in the middle of said arena. Curiosity overriding common sense, he sauntered over to it. There was one singular file on the mundane-looking desk. The file itself was nothing out of the ordinary, except for one small detail peeking out from the singular slip of white on it.

His name was on the file.

"My my, can't you see the sign on my desk that clearly states that I'm out for lunch?"

The feminine voice prompted Naruto to turn around. The owner of the voice looked quite out of place in her surroundings. Mostly because of how plain she looked. Behind him stood a woman who would have looked perfectly at home in a shop, or a reception. She was plain as day, with long, brown hair and a receptionist's smile. Nothing about the woman felt right, especially in the ethereal world that Naruto so abruptly found himself in. But it was progress. The woman didn't seem as confused as him, after all. And she had a desk. The only people who had desks were people who had their shit together. And the woman in front of him was a perfect example of such a person.

"Ah, sorry about that. I was just wondering how I got here." Naruto sheepishly commented, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. The woman chuckled, apparently expecting his friendly reaction. Naruto caught on to this. How could he not, after all, when the only people that were used to his mannerisms were the ones he had spent his entire teenage life with? It was apparent this woman knew more than she was letting on, and Naruto would get to the bottom of this. But for now, he needed answers.

"Pardon me, miss," Naruto hesitantly began, "But where is this place exactly, and how did I get here?" On hearing the question, the woman smiled. Something about the smile put Naruto on edge. It wasn't just any smile, after all. It had a barely-restrained omniscient quality to it. This woman knew stuff, much more than he did, at the very least. And she knew that he wasn't capable of understanding half of it. Naruto didn't like being looked down upon, and by merely smiling at him, this woman had managed to completely put him on edge. Said woman then took her seat behind the desk and locked eyes with him. Her smile was unwavering, and extremely unnerving.

"I think you need to rephrase your question, young one. To explain where we are would be impossible for me. A fact that is in no way helped by the extremely limited intellect you humans possess," she said – no, quoted, as if reading off a script she'd done millions of times before – completely disregarding the angry expression on her companion's face. "What you should be asking me, Naruto Uzumaki, is why you are here," she concluded, doing nothing to mince her hurtful words. Naruto held back a string of expletives and asked her the needful. Her smile grew just a little bit.

"Well, the only reason you can be here is because you died."

Naruto stopped for a moment, his breath caught in his throat. It all made sense now. He didn't remember anything because there was nothing to remember. The Juubi was sealed inside him, and that was more than enough to kill any mortal, former jinchuuriki or not. But what that didn't explain was why he felt said power dormant in his body at this very instant. The Juubi was immortal, it definitely couldn't die. So why was it in this state? Sensing his confusion, the woman picked up the file in front of him and began reading.

"Naruto Namikaze, legally Uzumaki. Seventeen years of age. Died when the target of a sealing attempt was changed to him, locking the fully evolved Juubi inside him. Due to a clause pertained by an elder being, was able to kill an Immortal while doing so." She closed the file, dropping it back onto her desk. "I believe both you and I know who this Immortal is. Your ethereal body is currently disintegrating under the strain of keeping the Juubi's spirit at bay." That was all Naruto needed to snap himself out of his reverie. His body truly was, physically, deteriorating. He could see the tips of his fingers begin to disintegrate as the woman continued to speak, and it was terrifying, especially with how laissez-faire the lady appeared to be about it.

"You mentioned a clause. What do you mean by that?" he asked, eliciting a chuckle from his companion.

"That, would be me," she explained, her tone adopting a hint of mischief for the first time, instead of the bland monotony it has formerly exemplified. "And before you ask why. I did it because you, Naruto Uzumaki, belong to me."

Naruto took offense to that. He was his own man, made through combat, survival, and life experience. He had no one from the very beginning, and the only people with him at the end were the ones he had chosen to be precious to him. He was the very definition of a self-made man and this woman, someone who was clearly not human, much less connected to him in any way, claimed to own him? "That's bullshit!" He exclaimed, only for the woman to raise the file in her hand.

"This," she began, sounding less like a bored receptionist and now like a tired mother who was telling her child off for the umpteenth time. "Is a contract that claims that your soul belongs to me through the ages. The power you were born with; the life you were born into. It was all a part of this contract. If you doubt me, you may peruse this at your pleasure. Though seeing your current predicament, it would be in our best interest if I give you a shortened version."

The woman then got up and sauntered over to the rapidly disintegrating Naruto. "Are you familiar with the game of chess? No? Well, it doesn't matter. It is a game where two armies, black and white, fight each other till one side wins. The only winning condition is the capture of the opponent's king. Over a series of turns, two armies take turns to quell each other. There are six types of units. Pawns, which are basic foot soldiers. They are easily dispensable and hence, are the largest in number. Then there are the rooks, bishops and knights you only get two of each, and they are worth a whole lot more than a mere pawn. Then, there is the queen, the strongest unit on the board, funnily enough. And then, there is a king, almost worthless, and in need of constant protection. An acute reflection of human society, though a bit romanticized," she stated, confusing Naruto.

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked, only to be met by the woman's unnerving smile, her teeth suddenly become sharper and her eyes duller, almost like a serpent watching its prey, knowing there was only one outcome.

"If you consider the worlds to be chess boards, Me and my… partner… are the players. Except, we just put the pieces on the board, and they play the game out for us. Of course, worlds aren't just normal chessboards. For one, they are much more vast, so there are hundreds, if not thousands of pieces. It keeps things a lot more… interesting," she answered. "You, Naruto Uzumaki, were once lower than even a pawn on this board. Let us say that the powers inherited by you and the circumstances of your birth are what dictates a piece's worth. In that case, Sasuke Uchiha, a man born with great power, under dire circumstances, and generally revered by the public, was a queen." Naruto felt like laughing, but his disintegrating body reminded him that this wasn't really the time or the place to do so. "You, on the other hand, went through the traumatic experience of being orphaned at birth. You were left straddled with a Tailed Beast that you couldn't hope to control, with no bloodlines to speak of and with no mentor to help you become worthy and powerful." Her smile then dropped, leaving a very serious, business-like expression on her plain face, almost as if she the script she'd been reading off had been changed without her knowledge.

"But you didn't accept your fate. You lashed out, violently. You made friends, despite your heritage and means. You found mentors, and showed them your worth. You earned power, instead of having it showered upon you. You brought yourself into the chess match with an explosion, and ripped through it with impunity. You turned yourself into a piece that defied the basic laws of the game we immortals play. And that is why you find yourself here. Again, chained to a beast and left with nothing."

Naruto grunted, neither voicing affirmation or defiance towards her opinion. "So what? I did what was necessary to protect the ones I cared for. I don't need to answer to you. And you didn't dictate my actions, so I am barely even linked to you. So, why did you call me here? Was my torturous life not enough of a punishment? Or do you feel the need to gloat?"

This, surprisingly, elicited another smile from the woman. This one was genuine, and Naruto could tell. It was the smile parents gave to their children when they were proud. He had seen it on Sakura's mother's face too many times to count. And that itself was more unnerving than the fact that only the upper part of his body was now mired in reality, his limbs having spread into the air around him in minuscule particles, impossible for the naked eye to see.

"Your circumstances notwithstanding, the fact that you not only defied the rules of our game once, but twice, caught not only mine, but my partner's eye. You broke our universal, unbreakable rules twice, after all. And while similar anomalies have been detected in multiple worlds, you're the only one who has done it twice, in ways that were completely different from one another," she commented. Behind her, a black copy of Sasuke and Obito appeared, both sitting on different thrones of black. "Sasuke Uchiha and Obito Uchiha were both queens that belonged to my partner when our game began." As she did this, the statues began to morph. The thrones they sat on, faded to white, soon to be followed by the individuals themselves.

"Contact with you, though. Turned them into my queens, that too, without costing me anything. Under duress, pawns can turn into queens, but for an unknown piece to appear, one that can derail fate, able to rise from nothing and change what was originally a small part of an infinitely larger plan into a world defining event. The circumstances of its creation have to be… extraordinary." As she said this, her face was alit with something which could only be likened to orgasmic pleasure, a look of pure bliss and joy blossoming across her face. But as soon as it was there, it was gone.

She then pointed towards Naruto. "In the next 5 seconds, your body will shift to the board you will now be reborn in. Before you are born again, I will explain why I have done this. Why I have decided to give you a second chance, and what our new, revised contract entails."

Naruto was about to ask her another question, only to realize that his mouth had, at this point, dispersed. As the last vestiges of his eyes began to disperse into nothingness, he realized two irrefutable facts.

He was definitely speaking to a power that was above GOD itself.

And secondly, he really, really wanted to punch her.


The area Naruto found himself in was, for lack of a better word, beautiful.

He didn't mean that in the normal sense of aesthetic, gods no. The place was a wasteland. It looked like a cross between a ruin and wilderness. Except, taking one's eyes off the wreckage, the place exuded an almost otherworldly aura. Nature's power was extremely potent here, natural for a sage like Naruto. A purple miasma surrounded him, but he knew that it wasn't poisonous. Else, the world would be crying out in agony and forewarning him, wishing to save its avatar (as was the nature of sages).

Truly, the place would have been perfect to be reborn in, except for the inexplicable presence of one, gigantic dragon that flew above him. So massive was it that its shadow covered more land than even the largest cloud he had ever seen (and he had seen a lot of clouds, thanks to Shikamaru and his habit of lazy cloud-gazing). The creature was massive, and its power could easily be felt all the way to where Naruto stood, yet he knew that the creature was no match for the Juubi.

And that is when he noticed that his headache was gone, and so was the Juubi's conscious.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" His companion asked, appearing next to him. There was no flash, she merely wasn't there before, and then she was. He noticed the change in her attire, though, although the rest of her remained the same, as bland as ever. Her formal clothing was gone, replaced by long, flowing robes. A crown of thorns sat on her head, and in her right hand, she held a scepter topped by an effigy of two eastern dragons locked in combat. That all was trivial, though. What really made a difference was that he could now feel her power. And it made the power of the Juubi feel insignificant in comparison, a drop of water compared to a tap. Maybe trying to punch her wasn't such a great idea after all.

"If you're wondering why you're in such a desolate land, don't worry, you're not being reborn here." She stated, dashing Naruto's hopes. "This is merely an interstitial land, a place where the things that the powers that be forget wash up. One day, you will return here to claim an artefact that will help you on your journey." While she explained his situation, she pointed towards a tower in the distance. When Naruto had just appeared in this world, mere minutes ago, before the dragon had drawn his attention. He too had noticed a surge of power emanate from the tower. Almost as if there was someone, or something in there, calling his name. It was by no means, an unpleasant feeling, but it was rather sad that the feeling would stay like so till he could finally resolve it.

Which brought him to his next question. "So, how long till I'm able to make my way here?" he asked, prompting his companion to adopt a thinking posture.

"Honestly?" she began. "You could make your way here any time you feel it is necessary. But I would recommend waiting. The two powers that reside in this… dimensional gap, are very territorial. To claim your reward, you will have to fight them. Knowing their powers and yours firsthand, I'd wager the fight would last months. So, it would be best to come here when there is no one, or nothing, awaiting your return."

Naruto nodded, accepting the answer as the best he would possibly get. "And what about the Juubi?" he questioned. "His power seems to have become one with my own. My chakra reserves are massive, and my eyes, they feel different. Did you have something to do with this?"

The woman nodded, confirming his theory. "You should look into this," she spoke, materializing a small, handheld mirror out of nowhere. Naruto took it from her, and was shocked at what he saw.

He had the Rinne-Sharingan in his left eye. The coveted third eye of Kaguya. The connotations of his newly acquired eye was not lost on him. With the massive reserves of chakra left behind by the Juubi, he could very well destroy the entire world at will. Not that he wanted to do that, of course.

"You'll need it to fight the enemies you will face," the woman commented. Noticing him looking in the mirror. "My companion, Kath, is quite angry due to the fact that I hold your contract. The fact that I'm using you to replace this world's king, a creature who died to a neutral piece, has made him extremely angry at me. Hence, he too, will be able to bring multiple powerful pieces into play." She said all this matter-of-factly, as if she wasn't speaking of beings capable of bringing about the destruction of the world manifold.

"Neutral pieces? What are those?" Naruto asked. The woman's explanation had made it clear that she and her companion, Kath, waged war using their own pieces. Equating the game of chess to shogi, a game favored by the people of his time, Naruto was able to deduce that these neutral pieces were not normally a part of chess either, the woman seemed to have caught on to his train of thought, though.

"Neutral pieces are the will of the world. They are creatures who are not defined by us, not created by us, and cannot be manipulated by us. The two creatures that inhabit this plane are neutral pieces, in your world, the Tailed Beasts were neutral pieces. Every single creature that hasn't been pitted in combat by either me or Kath are neutral pieces. Hence, they outnumber us by the millions Though, most of them aren't powerful enough to stand in your way." The last bit was added as an afterthought, possibly to pacify Naruto, who was understandably, getting a bit jittery.

"So, you're going to put me in this universe as your greatest asset. But why?" Naruto asked, his list of questions running thin, and the answers he was getting were less than adequate. The woman's face grew ever so slightly grim, showing Naruto that he was, at least, making some progress.

"This world is on the precipice of a war. A war where sworn enemies fight together against foes that beguile their very existence. The last time this happened, both me and Kath lost our kings. And this time, without our kings, we have no way of protecting the people of this world. Kath doesn't really care. Apparently, his new king too shows a lot of promise. But I am going above and beyond to bring you into this world, so that you can turn my forces into an army capable of fighting a war." She locked her gaze with Naruto's own, her sight so keen it felt like it was boring a hole into his soul. "You, Naruto Uzumaki, are, simply put, my insurance policy."

Naruto stayed silent for a moment. He had merely one last question left to ask, and in his mind, it was the most poignant one. "Why me?" He voiced, his tone quavering, barely above a whisper. He asked the question, sure, but his mind already knew this answer. He needed to hear it. He had just come from one hellish war, and he was just about to be flung into another. The knowledge that there were powers beyond his understanding that dictated the condition was said wars did not give him much reassurance either.

"I chose you because you are… well… you," the woman nonchalantly answered. "You are tenacious, fierce, powerful and now, experienced. Most of all, you are borderline impossible to truly hate. You make friends faster than anyone I know. And you can redeem people that all others have lost hope in. That is why I chose you, Naruto Uzumaki. You are a man who defies fate, I need you on my side," she answered, her gaze still as strong as ever, no longer a boring desk jockey, now a Madonna who could lead armies of countless worlds to a hopeless battle in high spirits.

It was then that Naruto realized that the creature in front of him, no matter all her shortcomings as an omnipotent being, did truly care. She didn't bring him in because she wanted to win this. No, she could definitely have found someone stronger, someone who wouldn't have needed such a sacrifice to bring into this world. By bringing him here specifically, she had allowed Kath to gain a huge lead on her. She didn't care about the game like her companion seemed to.

With that in mind, maybe it wouldn't be too bad working with her.

"I believe it is time for you to go now," she stated. "You will remember all of this, that is my parting gift to you. You will also gain powers that are localized to this world. And I suggest using them unless you truly need to call upon the power of chakra." She then raised her staff. "I am taking a huge risk by placing you in this world. Kath has no idea that we are currently having this conversation, or that you are aware of the world I'm sending you into. Hence, I'd recommend not drawing his attention till it is absolutely necessary."

Naruto merely nodded as a multicolored beam shot from the staff the woman held. "My name is Framp. I thought you should know," she stated with a smile. Naruto responded with a bright one of his own as his body started to fade.

It was then that he realized that his body wasn't just fading. It was shrinking. He was rapidly losing the physical strength that he had gained through endless practice. He was de-ageing! The smile on Framp's face gained a comedic quality to itself as she noticed the changes occur. Naruto looked at her, bewildered, as his vocal cords devolved to a point where he was unable to hold a coherent conversation. The only thing that stayed was his expression of abject betrayal.

"The wonder of childbirth is a glorious thing, Naruto. And now, you get to experience it again. First hand and lucid!"


Demons, creatures of immense power that Devils simply could not match. History spoke of a time when Demons were abundant. When legions of thousands flew on wings of darkness, locked in a perpetual war against the creations of light. Each and every one of them possessed powers that made even the Longinus pale in comparison.

The end of the first great war was hard on them. Demons were limited in number, after all. And he who sat on his radiant throne in Heaven held the very power of creation. He could create an unlimited number of Angels. And no matter how powerful the Demons were, they were whittled down by endless armies of white. In the end, Demonkind was eradicated. But they left their legacy behind. Devils, creatures of lesser evil, but with the power to adapt and survive, who took charge of becoming what their progenitors could not. These Devils carried on the great war, even though they were a new faction altogether. They were slated to die, crushed by the massive hordes of Heaven.

But luck shone on them, and another faction was born. One formed by Angels themselves. Dissent in their ranks caused chaos, and many an angel found itself cast from Heaven, wings darkened by heresy. These blighted Angels formed yet another faction, comparable to that of Devilkind. And under the leadership of the crafty Grigori, christened themselves as the Fallen.

Thus ensued a three-sided war. A war that went on for centuries. In the first quadrant of the war, the Angels held firm. They dealt massive blows to both the Fallen and the Devils. Such was the war that waged between the three factions. For every angel they felled, five more would take its place. What more, the Archangels, resplendent in their glory, took the field of battle by storm. They were creatures born to fight Demons on equal footing, and to pair them up against weaker adversaries just led to indiscriminate slaughter. Many victories were earned this way, with Devils and Fallen quelled mercilessly by the radiant blades of God's greatest creations.

Till one day, out of the blue, things changed. The balance shifted, so to speak, and the only indication of that happening was the sudden increase in the ranks of the Fallen. The next times the forces clashed, the status quo had changed. Angels were no longer the radiant, indomitable force they once embodied. They fell to Devils and Fallen, and none rose to replace them. Archangels, creatures that once embodied true might, fell to their equals on the other side of battle. The Grigori charged through fields of battle, now able to take the fight to their erstwhile brethren. And the Devils bred. They bred at speeds that could give humans a run for their money. A new breed of Devil was created, by the mixing of bloodlines. Super Devils, they were called, lauded as beyond even Demons by some, and four of them convened to lead their separated armies as one.

They were led by Rizevim Livan Lucifer, the prodigal son of the original Lucifer Morningstar and the demon-mother Lilith. With his faithful followers and his co-leaders, he too, made the field of battle his home. But it was apparent that at this pace, the three factions would only end this war when none of them survived. To end this, one side needed a trump card.

And today, the Devils were fated to get theirs.

"The signs are right, the stars read true. It is just as that magician claimed. Today, a Demon will be born. Stronger than the Dragons themselves," Creuserey Asmodeus stated. The Satan faction had been waiting for this day for over a hundred years, ever since the early days of the war. The original Crimson King, a human sorcerer with no par, had decreed that there would come a day, a day where the boundaries between the Dimensional Gap and the worlds would weaken. A child would be born that day, a Devil child, who would be much more than just a simple Devil. Harnessing the power of the True Demons of old, this child would be the first Demon born in over half a millennium. And today was the day. The seepage from the world beyond the rim was at an all-time high, and the demonic obelisks were unable to keep the eldritch energies at bay, and Devilkind felt its effects. Even though the seepage was too tiny to be a threat, magicians had been out applying purging spell-shields around the abodes of the Devils from the greater families.

Little did the houses know, the magicians served a secondary purpose. Demons bred at an expedited rate, and there was quite a bit of bad blood between the families that were part of the 72 pillars. Childbirth was something they hid with utmost secrecy. And usually, the Four Great Satans let this breach in decorum be forgiven. After all, the children born to the families from the 72 Pillars were powerful, and would soon be unveiled on the field of battle, young and full of promise. But today, the need for knowledge was dire. And the magicians would make sure than any child born today would be reported. The future of Devilkind hung in the balance, hence, the need for them to obtain that child was imperative.

"The child will be identified by the end of the night," Rizevim Lucifer stated, taking a swig of wine from the glass he held. "What concerns me is how to deal with the child. By all means, a Demon is higher-up the food chain than us Devils. And if we forcefully take the child away from its house, we could face a rebellion the likes of which the Devil world has never seen before."

Kataera Leviathan, mistress of water, nodded in confirmation. "We'll have to treat the child with both respect and caution. We'll give it gifts. Servants and powerful child Devils from the Extra Houses. We'll call on Houses Lucifuge and Abbadon, they too are expecting to have children. We'll give the child's family more of a say in how we do things, that should be enough to guarantee their loyalty."

Shalba Beelzebub grunted in affirmation. "We buy the parents, and we spoil the child. Typical. I hope this Demon is worth it, though," He concluded, voicing the doubt that was on the minds of all four of the Satans. Some of the older Devils remembered the Demons. They remembered the chaos that a single one of them could weave. By all accounts, such power was terrifying. If the four Satans failed to muzzle the beast before it grew its fangs, they'd pay heavily for it.

But Devils were creatures that worshipped power. They were drawn to it like moths to light. And hence, their course was already decided. As they sat on their thrones, content in their plan of action, the doors to their antechamber opened, and in rushed a group of magicians. Their leader was a nameless Devil from one of the Extra Houses, but the details didn't matter. What mattered was the news he had brought.

"My lord!" he spoke. "The Phenex clan have delivered. It is a girl who wields the long-lost black flames!" If the four Satans were shocked, they did not show it. Lucifer simply beckoned to his assistant, a young, female Devil from House Sitri. "Lina, contact the Phenex. Tell them that their child will now be under the direct supervision and training of the Four Satans. Also, tell them that the firstborns of Lucifuge and the Abbadon will serve the child as her personal retainers." Lucifer then paused for a second. "Oh, and tell the current Phenex head that we're organizing a private party for the heads of the 72 Pillars to celebrate the birth of his child, the True Demon." He added the last part dully, almost as an afterthought, no real emotion going into it. The assistant nodded before using her magic to teleport off. As she left, the last thing she saw was a victorious smile on her lord's face.

It was in all this hubbub, that another child was born. On the outskirts of the underworld, in an old, dilapidated castle, the wife of Neuer Abbadon, Sheila, was giving birth. And unknown to her, the child inside her womb was very much aware of what the hell was going on, and was certainly not pleased at the person who had left him in such a state. As the child was delivered, he started to wail, his vocal cords still unable to form coherent words.

"He has a powerful voice, my love." Neuer commented, Sheila looked at her child, finding it hard to concentrate due to her drowsiness.

"He's beautiful," she said. And the child was, quite beautiful. A blonde, blue eyed boy. Showing the best traits of both his Abbadon father and Belphegor mother. Sheila smiled and looked up at her husband, the love of her life. "Dear, do you have a name that we can call him? I believe It should be the man of the house who gets the last say in such matters."

Neuer's smile dropped as he racked his mind for names that could embody the sheer amount of pride that he felt. Almost unbidden, one singular name came to his mind. It wasn't a word he had ever heard of, but for some reason, he knew the meaning behind it. Maelstrom, or as the easterners called it…

"Naruto. We'll name him Naruto. Naruto Abbadon." And if baby Naruto could have rolled his eyes, he'd have done so. As he was still trying to come to terms with his current predicament, Neuer handed him over to his mother, and looking up at her beautiful face, he realized why Neuer had done so.

"Who's a hungry little boy?" Sheila playfully commented, ignoring how tired she was, as a shadow felt over baby Naruto's face. As he realized that he was being breastfed, he tried to exhume another choice string of expletives which, of course, came across as nothing but a garbled cry.

His childhood did not look like it would be a good experience.


"Are you nervous, son?"

Naruto looked up to see the unchanging, forever-youthful face of his new father. It had been sixteen years since he was born, and even if he hadn't already been informed about the fact that he was born into a society of Devils, he would have easily noticed that his parents just didn't seem to age. Also, learning that they were hundreds of years old also told Naruto that the same detention of age would face him once he too passed his prime.

And the answer to his father's question was, of course, no. Naruto had faced much tougher opponents than the Phenex lord that was currently greeting the Lucifuge family head a few yards away from him. He had faced those opponents and persevered. A mangy bird with the powers of regeneration did not even faze him. After all, each and every power had a limit.

Notwithstanding, he had a reputation to maintain. He was a member of a family hailing from the Extra Houses. As such, he was expected to have a healthy amount of fear and respect for the members of the 72 Pillars. Hence, he nodded. Sadly, his father picked up on his emotional state and chuckled. "That was a good display, Naruto. The head of the Phenex family isn't the most powerful or impressive Devil out there, but he's not the reason you're here."

"I'm here because of the contract, right?" he countered. "The one that basically gives us up to the Phenex's first born, like slaves." Neuer was surprised again by how astute his child was. Of course, he had no way of knowing that Naruto's ideals and knowledge came from his last life. He chuckled once again.

"Think of it as an easy way to climb the political ladder. The child you will be… serving… is the reason the Phenex enjoy the exalted power they currently possess."

Naruto sighed. "The True Demon, right? If she's anything like her father, it will be quite disappointing."

Neuer locked his gaze with his son's, trepidation apparent in his amber orbs. "Do not underestimate the demon, Naruto. You are strong. Our power runs through you. The Hole is a power that took me thirty years to master, you did it in twelve. You might be a prodigy, but the Demon too is one." Naruto could see the concern his father felt. Sixteen years, this man had raised him, sheltered him and loved him. Now that it was time to for him to let go. His father couldn't protect him from the machinations of the Satans. And Naruto was more than okay with proving that he wouldn't need to.

"Ah, Neuer, how are you?" Lord Phenex greeted his father.

"Persevering, as we are oft known to do, Lord Phenex," his father commented, faked reverence apparent in his voice. T

The lord then took note of Naruto, a quizzical look appearing on his face. "This, I presume, is your son. What is your name, child?"

Not breaching decorum, Naruto bowed. "Naruto Abbadon, at your service, Lord." He greeted. Unlike his father, though, his movements and voice were ever so slightly stiff, a fact that the centuries-old Phenex patriarch caught on to.

"Ah, seems your kid has some spunk. Youth, such a brilliant time. When anything you do is never truly beyond reproach," he stated, the mirth in his voice surprising the shinobi-turned-devil. Apparently, the lord was comparatively much more easy going than most of the other royals he had met. A genuine smile came to his face. Maybe working under him wouldn't be quite as harsh a fate as he imagined it being.

"Excuse him, lord, it seems his mother and I have spoiled him a bit," his father said, covering for his transgression. Lord Phenex didn't seem to mind all that much, though. "He can't hide his feelings, seems to have a sense of pride, and looks pretty strong. I believe those are good qualities in any Devil, birth being irrelevant."

Lord Phenex then started to move off, beckoning Naruto to follow. As the two entered the building, Naruto felt his father's telltale demonic signature vanish. From here onwards, he was on his own. Well, him and the Lucifuge girl following him.

And boy, the girl was a looker.

Silver hair and eyes to match, possessing an aristocratic look that wouldn't be foreign on a woman of royal birth. Her skin was alabaster, and overall, she exuded this feeling of untouchability. She was strong, make no mistake. Much stronger than almost any Devil Naruto had grown up with (sans his parents and others who'd fought in the Great War). He would estimate that as she was currently, she'd be a low-Ultimate Class Devil. But her power lay in subtlety. Unless her opponent could read her like he could, he or she would be in for a surprise of a lifetime. As such, Naruto took the chance to introduce himself to his newest peer.

"Hello, I'm Naruto Abbadon. And you'd be?" The girl looked at him, taking a second to size him up. If she noticed anything impressive, she didn't show it. Which either proved that Naruto truly was good at suppressing the obscene amount of power he possessed, or that the woman was extremely good at hiding her emotions.

"I'm Grayfia Lucifuge. Please take care of me," she stated in a chilly, professional tone. Naruto sighed, if he was to work with her, he'd have to get through the shell she had around herself. That could take ages, and that would take effort. Still, it was something he looked forward to.

The company of three then came to an open arena. The fact that such a large structure was housed inside the Phenex estate showed Naruto the difference between the 72 Pillars and the Extra Houses. All the Abbadons had was a rickety, old castle. He could see the same look of wonder as he had on his companion's face. Comparatively to the Abbadon and the Lucifuge household, most other families had much less. The fact that this disparity existed did not go unnoticed by the blonde Abbadon.

More interesting than the arena itself, though, was the person who was currently using the arena. Misshapen forms of monsters lay burnt and charred around the periphery of one young, black-haired girl, who for some reason, gave Naruto serious Uchiha vibes. Other monstrosities stepped over their forebears as they circled the girl. On closer inspection, Naruto could see that even though the girl looked a bit winded, there wasn't a single scratch on her beautiful, immaculate visage. He could swear that there was some genetic imbalance that allowed Devil women to all be beautiful and… for lack of a better word… bountiful. As the monstrosities leapt at her, wings of black fire shot out of her back, surprising Naruto for a singular instant. He made to compare these black flames to those of Amaterasu, but the comparison fell short. While dangerous, the black fire that the Phenex used could not care to the god smiting hellfire of the Uchihas.

But the fire was still potent, as it ripped through the monstrosities without even a shred of resistance, transforming bones and flesh into ash and smoke. Naruto had to admit, he was impressed, though very little. As the girl faced off against her final opponent, a beast larger than the others, she noticed her father at the entrance of the arena. In order to make a show, she flew out of the path of her enemy as it charged. She then stayed in the air, right behind the creature, who had now found new targets. Naruto smirked.

"She's testing us." As he stated the obvious, the monstrosity charged towards him and Grayfia. The Phenex lord behind them noticed how Naruto's body tensed up in anticipation, similar to that of a man who was used to mortal combat, and relished every single moment of it. The creature then leapt, closing the distance between itself and its new targets. Grayfia was the first to react. Naruto's doubt was confirmed when a giant block of ice erupted from the ground, forcing the creature to slam into it mid-leap. Naruto followed up by jumping high, surprising his peer with the sheer amount of physical force such an action would require. He then locked his gaze on his target, which was currently struggling to regain footing. Naruto grinned, as he remembered the flair his friend and his mentor had used this certain skill with.

Naruto used a Devil sigil to shoot down, his foot aimed directly at the creature's head. As he connected, he felt the creature's armor crack, he felt his leg meet and pass through pliable flesh, almost like passing through wet paper. As he finally landed, he smirked.

"Dynamic Entry."

"Hmm, you two, you're strong. I wasn't expecting you to be able to take down that creature without my intervention," the Phenex heir spoke as she walked up to the two Devils that would now be under her command. The smirk on her face was ecstatic, and served quite well to place ease all comparisons Naruto could make between her and the Uchihas. Hell, no Uchiha could emote half as well as his 'master' was currently doing.

"My name is Aria, Aria Phenex." The girl pushed a stray length of hair out of her eyes. "I don't care who you are, but I care if you're strong enough to stay alive. From today onwards, you will be working under me. As such, your only job is to support me on my jobs. I hope you two will be able to do the needful. For your sake, purely, because if your efforts are sub-par, you'll be replaced, the Satans and their contracts be damned."

Naruto and Grayfia nodded in unison. The former intrigued by the confidence the Phenex exuded, even without any prior true combat experience. And the latter instantly enamored by the professional attitude her new superior embodied. Satisfied with the response, the Phenex member turned to retreat from the arena, beckoning her new followers to come with her.

"Oh, and by the way, welcome to the strongest team the Underworld has seen in centuries."


"Of all the missions we could have possibly gotten, why have we been sent to the human world?"

Naruto spared a second to look at Aria. Thirty years had passed since they became a team. Thirty years of painstakingly being the glue that held together his team, and he still couldn't understand why Aria hated the human world. Over the course of them being a team, they had completed more missions than any other team on record. With their varied powers and skills, no mission was ever too hard for them. Which is why it was coming as no surprise that the three of them were now only contracted for missions that were nigh on impossible for other teams to do. Which was partly why they found themselves currently in Greece, a country which, under great leadership, was proving to be the most dominant nation in the world.

By leadership, Naruto meant Sacred Gears.

It had taken the blonde shinobi a while to grasp the concept of these sacred gears. Relics bound to humans by God (still weird to know there was a guy who had the capital G and all that, but he digressed), that provided them a means to defend themselves against the occult. In theory, it was easy to understand. But considering the fact that these were weapons that could kill Gods, he figured there was a secondary reason for their existence as well. Though the entire concept of a human taking on a God amused him a bit. Who would be that suicidal, after all?

If the Juubi still had a will, he was sure it would be laughing inside him right now.

"Gremory and his team were severely injured in this area. They reported that the forces here could cause a hitch in our plans. We're here for pre-emptive defense. Consider it a holiday, guys," Naruto commented, lying down on a rock and choosing to ignore his teammates in favor of looking at the setting sun.

Aria sighed. "Gremory and his three mooks are merely inept. It wouldn't take much to send them scurrying away in fear. Could be a single Angel for all we know."

Behind them, Grayfia made a disappointed sound. "They aren't that bad, Aria. They did give us quite a fight during our Ultimate Class tournament match."

Naruto sighed. "Doesn't change the fact that they would have lost, had the examiner let us go on. None of us truly went all out in the fight, Sirzechs was constantly using his true form, while the rest too were going all out already, stalling for him. Aria didn't even use her flames, and I didn't even have to use the Hole."

Grayfia sighed. "Well, it isn't their fault that the two of you are monsters."

Naruto chuckled. "The only monster on our team is our resident Demon, I'm just a simple medic," he concluded, earning a blank stare from both his teammates.

"You might be a medic," Aria started. "But not many medics can punch an Archangel six ways to Sunday. I think Raphael got a little cranky when my flames proved to be greater than his, but I wasn't the one who punched Raziel through a mountain."

Naruto groaned. "Don't remind me of that guy, he was too mysterious for his own good. Kept going on about how I wouldn't understand half the stuff that went on in his mind."

Aria just shrugged. "I feel his pain; you are a grade-A dumbass after all." Naruto let the comment pass, but noticed how Grayfia chuckled. It was good for her, being herself once in a while. It took Naruto the better part of a decade to get her to break character, and even now, she'd go back to being what society expected her to be all the time.

"Well, look who's laughing. Mind sharing the joke with little old me?" Naruto commented, making Grayfia choke on air.

Aria, not one to miss an opportunity, pressed where it hurt. "Bet she's thinking of Sirzechs right now. Tell me again, what is it about him that you find cute exactly? Cause I still cannot see it." Naruto butted in again, seeing his opening.

"Mou, you find that dullard cuter than me? My, I should dump you for that, Grayfia-chan!"

A dark shadow passed over Aria's face. Naruto had forgotten that she did not like it when Naruto brought up his relationship with Grayfia when they were working. Said something about it 'breaking professional decorum.' So, Naruto decided to shut up. Grayfia, having gotten the point, concluded her answer as fast as she could.

"Definitely not cuter than you, Naruto. And I didn't ever call him cute, I just said that I found the passion he had behind his entire 'equality' speech during the examinations quite admirable. That is all."

Aria cleared her throat loudly, getting their attention. "So, the scouts state that Gremory's little gang were last seen along the northern ridge of Mount Parnassus. The mortals in the area too have reported occult phenomena along said region. As of now, we will split up and search the mountain for the perpetrators. When you find them, report to me. Our communication glyphs will be active till the end of the mission. Do not engage alone. Now, go!"

Naruto nodded as he summoned his wings. His companions followed suit. They flew up, gaining altitude over the mountain. As they reached the peak, it became increasingly apparent that whatever had taken out Gremory's group had in fact been much, much more powerful than any stray Angel.

Because the top of the mountain was ravaged, completely obliterated from the face of the earth.

"Oh, so it is one of those days."


"Longinus. Of all the blasted things it could have been, it's the Longinus. Two of them!"

While Naruto could definitely sympathize with the frustration his 'master' felt, he felt his role was better served by thinking of a way to resolve the bloody mess that they had gotten into. The two Longinus in question were the Divine Dividing and the Boosted Gear. Locked again in endless battle against each other.

And oh, what a battle it was. They had been fighting for the entirety of two days or more, considering Gremory's clique had gotten here around that time frame. Their weapons were battered, and even their balance breakers were beginning to crack. Most of all, their surroundings were what painted a better picture of their battle, their battleground reflecting this, or the lack thereof.

The mountain peak had been decimated to the point where the two Dragon-wielders were now fighting inside a crater of their own making. If they had noticed them, they didn't show it. So engrossed with each other were they that their surroundings simply didn't matter. Such was their hatred for one another, such was a rivalry that transcended past multiple lifetimes.

"They haven't noticed us yet. We might be able to call for backup. Possibly get a Satan to help us out," Grayfia added. While it was true that the three of them had yet to be discovered, exiting their current hiding spot would increase the chances of that happening manifold. It was a risk, yes, but so was fighting them. If push came to shove, Naruto was more than sure he could take them down, Dragon and all. But he didn't wish to reveal the extents of his power.

"We should fight them. There are two of them, and they have obviously been at this for a while now. They are weak, we are strong. There is no need to involve the Satans," Aria stated.

Grayfia gave her a disapproving stare. "Weakened they might be, but they are still Dragons. I don't think it is a good idea for us to engage them, period." As the two bickered on, Naruto noticed the warriors stop fighting. In unison, their armored heads turned towards the group of three Devils.

"Guys, I don't think we get to choose any longer." Naruto stated, pointing towards the two warriors, who were now aiming their cannons at their motely group.

Aria was the first to react, her wings of fire already extended in anticipation. "Team! Scatter and engage!" she yelled as she dodged the two blasts of obscene power that headed her way. She then maneuvered mid-flight and delivered a blast of fire to the white warrior. Naruto meanwhile, accelerated straight into the red knight, who swung his sword (seemingly an extension of the Boosted Gear, possibly some form of a Subspecies Balance Breaker) in response. The sword was trapped mid-swing by Grayfia's ice, allowing Naruto to punch the red knight into the mountain. Having distanced themselves, both sides regrouped.

"You survived our initial barrage. Impressive, for Devils," the white knight spoke, ephemeral blue motes of power dispersing from the ethereal wings on his back.

The red knight dislodged from the mountain and flew up, joining his white rival. "Indeed, you are better than the last four. They weren't even worth killing."

Aria smirked. "If you are trying to compare us to Gremory and his flunkies, you're making a very wrong comparison. We're leagues above those buffoons." She chuckled. "Do give me your names before you keel over and die, though. I like to know who my victims are." Behind her, Naruto sighed, leave it to Aria to taunt opponents that could kill her twice over before she could so much as blink. The two knights took her impending threat as something of a joke, as was made apparent by their laughs.

"Sure, princess. My name is Davion, Scion of the Great Welsh," the red-scaled knight proclaimed, bashing his sword on his cannon.

His companion, though, was a lot subtler in his retort. "I have no name, but you may call me Aspro."

Aria's smile grew wider. "I am Aria Phenex, True Demon of the underworld. Now, do me a favor and try to put up a good fig-" Aria's taunt was cut midway when Aspro flew at her with speed that she couldn't hope to match. She was barely able to avoid his sword as it pierced the air where her head was a second ago. She lashed out with a kick, only to be blocked by the knight's seemingly impervious armor. Naruto moved to intercept, but was forced to defend against Davion, who moved in between him and Aria at speeds rivalling his eternal nemesis.

"Now, it wouldn't be sporting if I allowed their fight to be interrupted, so, why don't you fight me instead?" The dragon knight spoke as he lashed out at Naruto with his sword. Naruto easily dodged it and planted another fist on the knight's face. This time, though, the knight wasn't flung quite as far as he was last time. "The same tactic won't work against me twice!" he stated. Naruto then felt the knight's already immense power double. "You'll have to do much more than that to take me down."

Before Naruto could react, the knight was behind him, his charged arm-cannon pointed right at Grayfia. Naruto reinforced his wings with chakra, intercepting the blow. Sadly, he couldn't completely block out the explosion. As a result, Grayfia was knocked away, unconscious, and Naruto was sent spiraling off the mountain.

Aria saw this and grimaced, the knight fighting her was the wielder of the Divine Dividing, and he knew how to use it. Every time they two connected, she felt her power dip by half. The Phenex regeneration was keeping her in the fight, but it was almost impossible for her to gain any distance from her quarry. She had to do something, and fast.

"Is this much fight enough for you, princess?" Aspro commented as he lashed out with his sword again. Aria found herself eating her own words as the sword nicked her stomach, halving her power again. The only way she could win here is if she used the one attack that reinforced her belief that she truly was a demon and not just a devil. She sent a giant blast of fire at her opponent. It served its purpose, as the knight chose to disengage. She then willed all her fire into existence, surrounding herself in a giant ball of black fire, the all-consuming light of which blotted out the dull orange rays cast by the setting sun.

"Witness the true power of a Demon! Supernova!"

The ball of fire then began to expand outwards, destroying every single thing in its reach; rocks melted under the sheer heat of what amounted to a small star. The dragons raised their arms in defense, incapable of escaping the rapidly expanding ball of doom.

And for a second, there was silence.

Then, the ball of fire dispersed, the flames burning out, running out of demonic energy to feed their existence. And Aria dropped to the ground, unconscious. Before she hit the magma underneath her, Naruto appeared in a burst of speed, catching her unconscious body. She'd be alright in thirty minutes, thanks to the regeneration factor of the Phenex. Naruto would have transported her back to the foothills, like he did to Grayfia. But currently, he had bigger issues.

As the light from the supernova faded, Naruto realized that in their last bid for survival, the two knights gave up their bodies to their tenants. In the crater now stood two dragons, each resplendent in their own bodies. Each capable of destroying the very mountain they stood on, and each, staring at the Devil responsible for their current predicament.

"That stung," the dragon who was once Davion commented. Contrary to what he said, his scales weren't even charred by the flames, seemingly unaffected in the slightest.

"Who knew that the little bird held such power?" his rival chimed in, spreading his wings. "Still, now that our pesky hosts are out of the way, we can fight with our true capabilities," the dragon, Albion, commented.

The other dragon, though, seemed to have eyes only for the Phenex who had cost him his mortal host, his current form nothing more than a transitory masque, as no human body could hope to withstand the full, unfiltered power of a Dragon inside of them. "Be that as it may, I cannot continue our fight till I know that nothing else will interrupt it. I believe we'd be best served by removing that pesky bird from this mortal plane."

Naruto chuckled. "I'm afraid I cannot let you do that. It would reflect poorly on me as her retainer if I allowed her to fall prey to two overcooked wyverns."

The red dragon, Ddraig, chuckled. "Even in the face of death, you find the time to crack a joke," he started. "But what can you do? Your master in indisposed, and your other companion might as well just die, for all she's worth."

Naruto let out a laugh, confusing the two dragons. Their confusion only grew when one of the boy's eyes morphed into a red ripple, commas dotting it. "You two are Dragons, that might be true. But you were enslaved, forced into prisons of iron, and left to rot," he stated, angering the duo he currently faced. "Now, let me remind you of something you seemed to have forgotten in your delusions of omnipotence."

"Chibaku Tensei (Planetary Devastation)!"

The two Dragons were instantly surrounded by an endless barrage of rocks. The two Heavenly Dragons were lifted up, their bodies crushed by countless amounts of molten rock that together, formed a gigantic, cohesive sphere. As the planetoid was lifted above the mountain, all that protruded from the giant planetoid were the heads of the two dragons, bewildered and, for once, afraid. Because the devil who they thought of as worthless now stood beneath them, a gigantic, ethereal monster with ten tails surrounding his body. And where the… thing's mouth should have been, a gigantic orb of darkness was forming. So great was the orb's power, it was hard to even look at it, their instincts screaming at them to run, that their fate was sealed the moment it touched them. As the orb stopped growing, the blonde Devil smirked.

"Let me remind you what fear is. Bijuudama!"

That night, the True Demon of the underworld was welcomed back by the Satans themselves. The story that she had single-handedly taken down two dragons with one attack was spreading through the masses like wildfire. The confused Phenex was informed by her partner and medic that the Dragons perished in her flames, consumed by the supernova. Something she was reluctant to believe, but was forced on her due to lack of evidence that proved otherwise.

That night, there was a great celebration in the underworld. As the True Demon had triumphed other the Heavenly Duo. The title of Dragonslayer would precede her name forevermore. And there was nothing she could do about it. Her retainers too, were praised, to have been able to fight against the Dragons alongside her, even though they were both incapacitated early on.

And that night, a young reincarnated shinobi slipped away from the party, his secret safe with him.


Two hundred years.

Two centuries had passed since the fateful day Naruto was reincarnated in the Underworld. The first century had been comparatively simple, if not overly exciting. Him, Grayfia and Aria had spent the entirety of their first century taking an active part in the war of the three factions. They had proved that they had no equal on the field of battle. Numerous were their victories, and their losses were none. Their prowess on the field of battle had earned them both, accolades and status. And with the public being acutely aware of their power, they had become three of the most known faces in the Underworld

The Dragon Slaying Demon, Aria Phenex.

The Ice queen, Grayfia Lucifuge

And the Smiling Face of Death, Naruto Abbadon.

Naruto still found it weird how even his position as a medic still didn't change people's perception of who he was. After all, he had fought off many strong foes during his time on the field. But both he and Grayfia paled in comparison to the popularity Aria had received. The Four Satans took every chance possible to shower her with praise and adoration, and she basked in it. She was a household name in the Underworld, and had rejected hundreds of suitors from multiple great families. She was what every Devil aimed to be. And for her, it was glorious.

As such, Naruto didn't care about fame. And that paid off as the second century of his life took a turn for the worse. The War was coming to an end, as was apparent to see. The forces of Heaven and those of the Fallen could no longer support an all-out war. Archangels and Grigori had fallen in battle, and there was no way to replace them. Heaven simply couldn't push on at the same pace as they once did. And less Angels meant less fallen. On the other hand, Devils were still reproducing, creating new soldiers bred for war, albeit not at a grand pace. Hence, the Satans made the push to keep the war going. Their goal was simple, to eradicate their timeless enemies once and for all.

Sadly, even the Devils had their limits. Taunting the Fallen and the Angelic Host could lead to the two sides uniting against them. The Underworld could not survive such a pincer attack (it was doubtful that even the Demons could have), and the War, hence, promised mutually-assured destruction. Devils, being creatures that valued power and survival over everything else, were divided between two factions. These factions were united by their primal instincts. One wanted to fight and attain more power for Devilkind, while the second simply wished to survive. And hence, the Underworld devolved into chaos. Devil killed Devil in the city streets. The opposition, led by the Houses Gremory, Sitri, Glasya-Labolas and Astaroth, gained many supporters, thanks to the natural leadership skills that Sirzechs possessed. But for all their numbers, they lacked military prowess. On the other hand, the Satans had their pieces, they had Ultimate Devils by the dozen, and like a cherry on the metaphorical cake, they had the True Demon and her two retainers, more alike a force of nature than anything.

And hence, the two retainers were the ones sent to quell the largest groups of resistance. Aria was too powerful to be sent, considering someone needed to be ready to defend the Satans themselves, as if their own powers were not enough. Hence Naruto found himself embroiled in civil conflicts around the nation. Many a time, he had faced heads of the 72 Pillars, only to leave them in a pool of their own blood. It wasn't something he enjoyed doing, sure, but it was his job. And the sooner it ended, the more grateful he'd be. He didn't care which side won. He had made his mind to leave either way.

The moment this war ended, he'd leave for the dimensional gap. The nagging feeling in his head was growing, it had been growing over the last decade. And now, the means to get to the elusive dimensional plane were within his grasp. The power of the Hole, which he had gained from his Abbadon heritage, had evolved. And it had opened up a new world of possibilities for him.

Added to that, he had no ties left to the Underworld. In order to be recognized by the Satans, Devils from the Extra Houses had to cut all ties with their families. By ascending to the rank of an Ultimate Devil, Naruto had done so, as had Grayfia. He was no longer accountable for his house, and his parents understood that.

Even in gatherings, they no longer acknowledged his existence. That was the curse of being a member of an Extra House. He had never made any real friends during his two-hundred-year long life. Devils were a secretive bunch, and their friendships were decreed by contacts and alliances more often than not. Aria didn't care where he was, she had her family and the Satans on her plate already. And his last reason for staying, Grayfia, had broken up with him mere weeks ago.

Which is why it came as quite a surprise when she asked him to meet her in a secluded location in the city's slums. Grayia wasn't one to ask for favors. In the century and a half that he had been with her, not once had she asked for a single one. And now, merely a few weeks after having broken his heart, she had asked for her first. This vexed the blonde Devil, and that led to him strolling down the slums that he was once brought up in. He only remembered some of the streets, but being two hundred years old did that to even the best of memories. Things had changed, times had changed, people had risen from these streets, and people had drowned in their own blood in these streets. But he stayed constant.

"Naruto! This way!"

The blonde was broken out of reminiscence by his ex's stern voice. Looking around, he found the source of the sound a little further down the road, poking her head out of an abandoned house, resplendent in her beauty even with the disconcerted frown on her face. Naruto followed her lead into the house, tuning out her voice as she thanked him for coming to her aid. He steeled his heart. He was by no means okay with the proximity he currently held with the woman he had loved for so long. But she had asked for a favor, and he would grant it to her.

"We need to hurry; their condition is worsening," she exhumed, leading Naruto into what appeared to be a basement shelter. As his demonic eyes stabilized to the darkness, what he saw stunned him. The place Grayfia had led her into was the medical chamber of the very foe they were currently fighting. And on the three beds lay the people who were spearheading this revolution. Serafall Sitri, Akuja Glasya-Labolas and Falbium Asmodeus. Beside them stood the heart of the revolution, Sirzechs Gremory himself. The three incapacitated Devils were in bad shape, their powers were being rapidly dispelled by the black goo that covered them, and Naruto knew where the goo came from.

But that wasn't the question that came to his mind.

"Grayfia," he begun, his voice filled with steel, cold as the Ninth Layer of Hell. "Why have you called me here?" The silver-haired Lucifuge flinched at the tone. It wasn't something she had ever heard or seen Naruto use, but here he stood, unmistakable in his resplendent power and understandable confusion.

She cleared her throat, shaking off the effect Naruto had on her. "They faced Lord Barbatos in battle, while they did take him down, they were struck by his attack. We cannot get the substance off them, and our healers can't do anything. I need you to help," she said, a slight, pleading tone accompanying her erstwhile formal request.

Sirzechs, feeling the need to join in, walked up to the shinobi. "Naruto, I know this is sudden, but you are possibly the only person who can help us here."

Naruto locked his eyes with the Gremory heir. "You started this war, Gremory. You knew going in that there would be casualties. Yet, when faced with the death of your comrades, you come to the enemy for help." He drew a kunai at speeds that the red-haired Devil couldn't even dream of being able to follow. "Give me one reason not to strike you four down and end this war right now."

Before the red haired Devil could respond, a wall of frost appeared between him and the blonde. Naruto jumped back, surprised by the sudden attack. He regained his bearings in record time, as he drew his second kunai. Before he could respond, though, he caught sight of his assailant. Grayfia, the woman he loved and cherished, now stood between him and the four seeds of rebellion, her arms defiantly channeling her potent ice magic. "If they die, so do I," she stated, glaring at Naruto with defiant eyes. For a second, Naruto had the urge to respond in kind. But then his high faded and he realized who he was facing.

"You know that what you're doing is tantamount to treason? That you'll be killed if you are discovered?" Naruto asked, his voice uncharacteristically concerned. Sirzechs stepped out from behind the wall of Ice, his face hesitant, his gait heavy.

"Naruto," the redhead began. "If the Satans win this war, it won't matter. We'll all die." He then walked over to the blonde Abbadon and handed him a scroll. "That is a list of the families that have been eradicated by the wars. And this." Sirzechs handed him another scroll. "Is the list of Devils that can reproduce. You should definitely read that one, your name is on it." Sirzechs then sat down next to his immobile comrades. "Read them and see why for yourself."

Intrigued, Naruto went over the scrolls. The revelation that the information held caught him by surprise. "Only forty of the seventy-two families remain, and only seventy notable Devils can currently breed. These numbers are paltry compared to what the Satans revealed!" Sirzechs nodded in response.

"We cannot continue our war with Heaven, even given time. Our race is too broken to go to war." Sirzechs revealed. "And yet, the Satans want to throw us back out there, spilling our blood to wage a war none of the three sides want. And if we, by some miracle, win. They plan to throw us against the humans. And you, of all people, know how dangerous humans can be, when given the right tools."

Naruto nodded, moving over to the three incapacitated Devils. He could save them, but doing so would make him an accessory to treason. While he could easily escape the Underworld, he didn't want to leave the people he cared for here to rot. "Sacred Gears," he stated. "God's gift to mankind, weapons we are not well-equipped to fight."

Sirzechs nodded, trepidation easily visible on his face. "So, will you help us, Naruto Abbadon?"

The blonde didn't respond verbally, instead, he summoned the green, healing chakra he had become known for using to great effect. "If we plan to take down the Satans, we need to act fast," he commented, as smiles of relief spread on the faces of both his companions. "Your companions will take a week to heal. Once the week is over, you must retreat from battle. I have seen how you fight, and trust me, you're not even in the same league as the Satans." He then pointed at Grayfia. "Take her with you, I will guard these three. Secure a place where you four can train. Once they are healed, I will relocate them there."

"And what do we do then?" Sirzechs questioned. "The Satans won't just sit quietly while we grow stronger!" He was silenced by Naruto's raised hand.

"Grayfia and I will create time for you, a year at max, six months' minimum. I will personally oversee your training, make sure you can defeat the Satans. We strike at the end of next year."

Sirzechs was flabbergasted. The man who was willing to take him down a mere minute ago was now offering to take on his comrades as pupils? "You'd do all that for our revolution?" He asked, again, his gaze was greeted by the unflinching cerulean of the man who he had just haphazardly drafted to his cause.

"I'm not doing this for your revolution, make no mistake." Naruto then gazed at Grayfia, her lovely visage still doing unspeakable things to his mental state. "I don't care who wins this war, I will fight in it and see it to the end, that is all I promised myself. I'm doing this because she asked me to."

"In for a penny, in for a pound, huh?" Grafia commented, her rare, playful side shining through in her moment of happiness.

Naruto too, chuckled dryly. "Ah, a British proverb, how suitable."

"Now, move. We do not have a minute to waste."


The next year was remarkable in Devil history for two reasons, one, the spearheads of the revolution, Gremory and his alliance, disappeared from the field of battle. They were replaced by the True Demon's two retainers. Being members of the Extra Houses, they were taken as a joke. Their feats of combat were originally taken as byproducts of being on the same team as the True Demon, and they were all but expected to keel over when faced by a Devil from the families.

That, was their gravest mistake.

Naruto and Grayfia ripped through battlefields, both winning the revolutionary armies many battles that were considered unwinnable. Alone, each of them proved equal to an army, together, they resembled a primordial force of nature. They kept the forces of the Satans at bay, and they did so in the most effective manner possible.

By kidnapping the Devils that lead those armies.

Which lead to the second reason. Many such armies later chose to align themselves with the revolutionaries. Their heads defecting to the other side of the field of battle. Sirzechs was a natural-born leader, and he was well versed in the dealings of the court, thanks to his upbringing as a Gremory. He cut deals where he could, took hostages where he could, and tortured whoever was left. Most Devils broke at his feet, joining his army, be it for political gain, self-preservation, or plain old fear.

All this time, as the war raged on, Naruto spent time with the four Devils who had their eyes on the thrones that the Satans currently called their own. He trained them whenever he could, bringing out their potential, of which there was no lack. Powerful bloodlines bred powerful children, and these were the best of the best. He grew close to three, Serafall, Falbium and Akuja. The first was childish, but powerful. She held her morals above all, and would never abandon a teammate. She was instantly smitten with him, but would never show it, much to the dismay of her teammates. Akuja was a smart man, and Naruto, with his knowledge of war, was more than a match for him, on the training field and off. Falbium was lazy, a trait he shared with his current trainer. They would often talk when they both rested, gazing at the fake sky of the Underworld and staring at fake clouds blow past.

The one he couldn't bear was the Gremory. While he could understand that Sirzechs wasn't an evil man, he did not like the self-righteous posturing the Devil was so fond of. His aristocratic, passive way of dealing with issues was anathema to the blonde Devil, who preferred to solve his issues with a much more active approach. Still, the man held his ideal above all, and he could respect that. Apparently, that was what drew Grayfia to his cause.

One year, he had spent, repeatedly smiting the four Devils to the ground, over and over again. Yet, they would always get up. And every time they did, they came at him stronger and smarter than before. Before long, he found himself using the power of the Hole to fend them off, and at the end of the year, they were hitting hard enough for him to take them seriously. If anyone could do it, other than him, it would be them.

Trained and rested, today was the day that they assaulted the Satans' seat of power, Castle Inferno. Their army was currently battling the main force directly under the Satans, the largest army of the Underworld. It was all a ruse, as the six Devils who truly mattered made their way directly to the castle.

"Are you sure we're ready for this, Naruto?" Serafall asked, her beautiful face set in a permanent frown.

The blonde nodded. "As ready as you'll ever be. You four, with Grayfia, pose a serious threat to the Satans in there." Naruto pointed at the castle. "I, meanwhile, will buy you the time necessary to take them down. Once the battle begins, I will be unable to provide you guys support, so everything that happens in there is up to you."

Grayfia cocked one eyebrow, slightly surprised. "Why? Where will you be?" she questioned, earning a chuckle from her ex. Naruto then looked up towards the sky.

"In our year of training, I believe you guys have forgotten that the Satans have one final line of defense." It took his companions a second to realize who he was talking about, and Serafall was the first to respond, her mouth agape in abject terror.

"No!" she exclaimed. "Shit! How could we have forgotten? The Demon guards the Devils that dwell within. It was the only part of the revolution that we could never figure out a counter against!" her voice gained a pleading quality. "Naruto, you can't! She's a Demon, both literally and figuratively."

"But so is he," Grayfia stepped forth. "Naruto himself is a Super Devil only in name. I could hold her back, but not for long. Among us, he's the only one who can buy us the time needed to fulfil our objective." There was terror in her voice, but it was restrained, as much for her own sake as her companions.

Sensing the tension, Naruto chuckled. "It's okay, guys. I was on her team for the better part of a century. I have some tricks up my sleeves. I'll make sure to buy you enough time to complete your mission."

His laugh was the final straw, as Serafall began to cry. Sirzechs stepped forward as well, concern apparent on his face. "What good is our victory then? If we lose you, we lose everything!" he stated, making Naruto laugh again.

"Now now, you're exaggerating things. You have a dream, an Ideal. And I'm willing to take a dance with death, just to see it fulfilled." He lied, he had no intention of dying. "And I told you once before, Gremory, you started this war knowing full-well that there would be losses. Have the backbone to finish what you started… Plus, I'm not going to die here. I have a few things to do before I keel over."

Sirzechs nodded. "I'll keep you to that. Best of luck," he muttered, before running off towards the castle, where his date with destiny awaited. Grayfia gave him a single nod, a grateful look on her face. Naruto expected nothing more.

Akuja stopped for a second, offering his hand to Naruto, confused he shook the proffered hand, eliciting a smile on the grey-haired demon's face. "That," he stated, "is a bond of brotherhood. It promises your safe return. Don't you dare break it." Naruto smiled and nodded, choosing to remain silent. The Devil then ran off after his friends.

Falbium simply stared at Naruto, his blank look unfazed despite his current predicament. "Don't die," he offhandedly commented. "It would be too much work, arranging a funeral." Naruto chuckled. "Duly noted." He responded, getting a nod out of the lazy Devil, who then sauntered off after his comrades.

"Naruto," Serafall began, her voice quivering. "Please, live. That's all I ask. Please. Promise me, just this once." Naruto paused for a second, genuinely touched by his fellow Devil's sentiment. He had to remind himself again, as he found himself doing over the last two hundred years, that these were Devils, closer to humans than the monstrosities he had faced throughout his life.

Uncharacteristically, he hugged her, bringing her close to him. "I promise, Serafall, that I will live."

Serafall, while initially surprised, broke down in his hug, clinging closer to the Devil she had grown closer to in one year than any other. "When you come back, we'll have a party. Once that is done, I have something to show you," Sera quietly commented, breaking the hug and slowly walking off. A few yards away, she turned to get one final look at the person she had fallen in love with, before averting her eyes and dashing off.

"Well, that was a thing. You can come out now, Aria," Naruto stated. He knew she was there; she had been there from the very beginning. Listening, observing, biding her time. He knew why she let them go. She didn't care for the Satans. Through the entirely of the conversation, her eyes were only focused on him. As she stepped out of the shadows, he took a moment to size her up. She had definitely grown stronger, much stronger. She held around herself an aura of abject betrayal. But even surrounded by all that negativity, she was undeniably beautiful.

"What a sappy goodbye. Makes it hard to see why you would abandon me for them," she stated, bitter poison lacing her words.

Naruto sighed, "I do not abandon my friends, Aria. You are on the wrong side. The Satans will only cause the destruction of our race." Naruto would have explained the reasons why, but Aria wasn't in a mood to listen.

"I don't care about those old hoots. I care about the fact that both you and Grayfia defected. You left me here, alone. They wouldn't let me defect, after all. I was their trump card. They took my family hostage, even my little brother. And then, they dared me to defect." She spoke, her volume rising in anger, the temperature increasing, tongues of flame randomly flickering into existence. "Not once did you tell me your intentions. One day, I was cheerfully having lunch with you, and the next thing I know, you descend on the field of battle, slaughtering the Devils you once fought for!"

Naruto grimaced. "There was a reason for my actions, I would tell you, but you aren't willing to understand."

A smile appeared on Aria's face. Not one of the genuine smiles that Naruto had once become so used to, but a feral, cold one. "I got my explanations a long time ago, you lying filth. When were you going to tell me about the Dragons?" she shot back, surprising Naruto. She noticed his hesitation and chuckled. "When you decided to betray me, I asked for permission to leave for training," she elaborated, tossing him a proverbial bone. "I left this world, and headed to the human realm. There, I found Dragons. Two of them. And I fought them, over and over again. They were named Tannin and Tiamat, two Dragons much lower on the food chain than the ones I 'supposedly' killed. And let me tell you, Dragons don't burn easily. They laughed at my fire, telling me that Dragons were fire incarnate, just like us Phenex. Fire feeds them, it can never get through their scales. The Dragons themselves wield flames that could then, put my own to shame." She smiled again, this time, her smile was akin to that of a maniac. "One year, I fought them, I traded fire against them. And by the end of it, I was barely able to force a draw. And you know what makes this worse? Both these Dragons once faced losses against the two I killed, or should I say, you killed, oh True Demon?"

Naruto didn't flinch. Aria was always perceptive, and he knew that one day, his secret would be revealed. She wasn't quite done yet, though. "You were born on the same day as me, but no one cared, so mired were they, looking for the Demons in houses of nobility, that they never considered that maybe, just maybe, they were looking in the wrong place after all… It doesn't matter though. Today, I will take you down, with the powers that I have earned. And all will be right with the world again."

Naruto smirked, but there was no mirth behind the action. "I do not wish to fight my first and best friend, Aria. But something tells me that if I don't, you'll go after Grayfia." His eye morphed, red replacing cerulean in a flash of dulled light, darkness drawing closer to him, as if it were welcoming him. "And that, I cannot allow. So come at me, Aria Phenex. Show me your power, student of dragons!"

"With pleasure!" the black-haired false Demon yelled as she charged at her erstwhile best friend.


"WHY!"

Aria yelled as an unseen force broke her body yet again, propelling her through dozens of buildings and delivering her into the tarmac. Her regeneration kicked in instantly as she propelled herself off the pavement, which was duly destroyed by a fist, followed by the body of the man she had decided to fight. They had barely been fighting for a few seconds, yet her body had been incapacitated at least a dozen times. If not for her regeneration, she'd have been rendered unable to fight in the first few seconds of combat.

To add insult to Injury, Naruto wasn't even trying to kill her. He was only trying to take her out of the fight each and every time he appeared in front of her, with speed that she couldn't hope to match, his fist drawn to deliver a punch, she could see the pain and regret in his eyes. He didn't want to fight her, but her anger won't let her concede. Not that she had any chance. The Naruto she currently faced was possibly the greatest adversary she had ever gone up against. Even the combined might of the two Celestial Dragons paled in comparison to the sheer amount of power she could sense from her erstwhile friend.

"WHY!?"

She yelled again, firing a blast of fire that could damage even a Dragon, shot with the intent of incinerating the one man who kept her sane, even with the pressure exuded by the Satans and her family mounting on her head. The blonde just casually swatted the flames aside, as if he were merely effortlessly gesturing and not touching flames which burned as bright as the sun.

He locked eyes with her again, subjecting her to his emotions in the process. She closed her eyes, completely disregarding the punch that threatened her own well-being. Again, she found herself in pain, both mental and physical. She forced her body to straighten midair, her broken bones creaking in disagreement. As Naruto closed in, she prepared her final strike, feeding all her demonic energy to her flames. This attack was capable of forcing Dragons to pause, And Naruto was, for all his strength, still just flesh and bones, no more metaphysical than her.

"WHY CAN'T I KILL YOU?!"

Her Supernova engulfed the man she once called her best friend. The fires consumed all, destroying an entire city block. As the fires burnt out, her vision went hazy. But even through her clouded vision, she could make out the blonde Abbadon's form, still unhurt. As she floated out of consciousness, her body fell. Her fall was cut short, though. As something caught her mid fall. She made a conscious effort to stay awake, her vision clearing for a brief moment. She saw the man she had irrevocably fallen in love with, and she saw the tears in his eyes.

"I understand now," she whispered. "I cannot kill you, because I love you." Once she had spoken the last syllable she let unconsciousness take her. Naruto wiped his tears. All things considered, this was a better outcome than he expected. He could now understand why the Phenex felt so betrayed, he cursed himself for not noticing the signs. Not noticing the pain that she must have felt, seeing him and Grayfia together for centuries. His best friend had left him with some complex emotions. He could deal with Devils, Angels, even Dragons.

But such emotions? Not really his cup of tea.


Devils and humans share many characteristics. In many ways, they are different. For example, a Devil is born much more durable than a human will likely ever be in his or her life. A Devil will live longer, far longer than any human. But then, there were similarities too. Most of these similarities manifested in the mind, rather than physically. One of these similarities was their mutual respect for tradition. As such, the four seeds of revolution were now to be crowned as the new Satans, each taking over where the last left off. Added to that was the fact that the 72 Pillars, or whatever was left of them, would still retain the majority of their power. What more, they would now create a council of peers, one which could, and would influence the decisions of the new Satans. Meanwhile, in all the bureaucracy, the Extra Houses were yet again, forgotten.

More power to the powerful, none for the weak. Classic Devil logic.

While Naruto did not regret his choice, he did feel angry. The law that Extra Devils had to denounce their families in order to be recognized by the 72 Pillars wasn't revoked. But now, Extra Devils did not need a sponsor or a master in order to take ascension exams. Which meant that Extra Devils could now work to get to the same level of social power that Devils from greater families enjoyed from birth itself.

How pathetic. But still, it was progress, and that was what mattered.

"Sitting here, away from the party, how typical."

Naruto was brought out of his thoughts by the voice of his best friend. Apparently, a day was enough for her to heal off most of the damage he had caused her. Still, seeing the bandages around her waist did send a pang of guilt straight through his conscience. Aria noticed this and tutted disapprovingly. "You did what you had to. I can't hate you for it. I came here to apologize; I was out of line. You didn't abandon me; I was just too stubborn to notice what was going on around me."

Naruto shook his head. "No, neither of us are to blame. The blame lies solely on the heads of the old Satans, and they got their just desserts." His response got a smile from his companion.

"That they did," she agreed. "So, what's your plan now?"

Naruto thought for a second, "For one, I have to figure out my emotions, thanks to you," He spoke, making the black haired Phenex blush. "I believe me and Grayfia have to talk. Even after all this, I still do love her." He stopped, though, as a concerned look appeared on Aria's face. "What?" he asked, "did I say something wrong?"

For a second, Aria went silent. Before Naruto could ask her what was wrong, she locked her gaze with his, fear and concern clearly visible in her gaze. "Naruto… Do you know why I left the party, even though I was technically a guest of honor?" Confused, Naruto shook his head. The Phenex continued. "In the middle of the party, Sirzechs left the podium, he walked over to Grayfia, who is still not recognized as a member of the high class society." She then choked, confusing Naruto even further. "In front of the entire gathering, he asked her out," Aria continued, noticing the suspended horror on Naruto's face.

"And she said yes."

The glass in Naruto's hand shattered, startling Aria and splashing whatever was left of his drink. That son of a bitch! Now he understood why Grayfia was so protective of him, going as far as to betray her own faction to side with him. And in his folly, he had simply made her romance a reality. He now realized that she didn't break up with him because of her war duties, that notion had gone out of the window the moment he learnt she defected. But because she had her eyes on another. And he had gone out of his way to make sure she and the man who stole her from him were safe during this pointless war.

Oh, how naïve, he should have noticed. Thinking back, he realized that throughout the one year that they were all together, her loving gaze was only meant for the new Lucifer. She used him, and it was very apparent that she got what she wanted. It made sense now, why she wanted him to face Aria. She couldn't bear to face her erstwhile rival in love when she herself was trampling on the heart of the man who, for the better part of two centuries, belonged solely to her. How cruel.

Naruto laughed, his mind trying to comprehend why she would do such a thing. But then again, it was obvious. He wasn't enough for her. And maybe Sirzechs was. A Devil who would have died in a failed revolution was worth more to her than the man who, on countless occasions, saved her life.

"Pathetic." He commented. "I'm being petty. But I don't know how to stop it." Luckily, he didn't have to. As two soft, feminine hands encircled him, pulling him closer.

"You don't have to bear this pain alone, Naruto," Aria spoke, shedding her own tears. It was so shocking that Naruto stopped for a second. Aria was a Phenex, and a Phenex's heart only wept for those they loved. It was then that Naruto realized how much he meant to her. How her heart wept for the broken person his love had left him. And in that moment, Naruto did something that he should have done a long time ago.

He kissed her.

If she was surprised, she didn't show it. What she did show was eagerness. As her hands went to places that were socially out of bounds. Naruto relaxed in her grasp, as she activated her teleportation glyph, taking them both back to her mansion. He was hers now, even though he wouldn't stay. At least, he was hers for the night.

And she would make sure to savor every bit of it.


"Are you sure you have to leave?"

Naruto dressed in front of his lover, giving her a free show as he did. Last night had been… eventful, to say the least. He hadn't made love with such passion since his first night with Grayfia, all those years ago. And even though she lacked the experience his past lover possessed, she made up for it with her endless stamina. The Phenex regeneration factor truly was a godsend when it came to one's sex life.

And afterwards, Naruto had enough time to sort out his feelings as well. He couldn't let Grayfia's… choice… get to him. And he couldn't let his newfound love keep him from his destiny, especially considering the fact that his destiny was literally nagging him in his head. As such, he had to leave, and he had no plans of returning. Sadly, his second chance at love would have to be a long-distance affair.

"No can do. I don't want to take the blame for breaking your back again, old woman," he joked, causing his lover to pout. He made the mistake of looking at her, in all her playful glory. The woman he had been around for almost all of his extremely expansive life. And the urge to stay rose up in his subconscious yet again. Thankfully, he was able to quell it. Though it was by no means an enjoyable act.

"What about the others? Not going to say your goodbyes?" she asked, gaining a blank look from the blonde Abbadon.

"Well, to be very honest? No. As of this moment, my parents haven't been allowed to even think of me as their son for almost two centuries. The people who I brought to victory, I couldn't care less about. And the woman I love, well, she already gets to say goodbye."

Aria blushed again, but smiled through it. "Well, they do know that you defeated me, all five of them. If you stay, they'll probably give you a position of power," she commented. "Though as I say that, I am constantly reminded of how you've shunned the limelight all your life, Mister Demon."

Naruto chuckled. "You understand me so well, don't you?" he spoke, getting ready to call on his family's power. He was stopped, though, by two arms encircling him. Deciding that maybe, he could stay for a few more minutes, he turned around to see the smiling face of the lover he should have chosen far earlier.

"Take this," she spoke, handing him a vial with a gold chain attached to it. Instantly, Naruto was stunned. In his hands was a vial of Phenex tears. And he knew that they were her own. No Phenex would part willingly with the tears of his or her comrades. No, this was her telling him that she truly loved him, and that those feelings were here to stay.

"Are you sure?" he asked her. "Considering who you are, I believe there will be hundreds of Devils vying for these tears pretty soon." His response gained a beautiful, melodic laugh from his lover.

"Let them try, if they can't beat me, they can't have me. Consider it your prize for beating me fair and square."

Naruto's smile then dropped. "What about your family? Are you sure they're okay with you giving your tears to a lowborn Devil like me?" he questioned, making Aria shake her head.

"I don't care what they think, honestly. I outrank them on both the social ladder and the power scale. They cannot choose the person I marry, or if I ever do marry, considering you're too preoccupied to be mine." She then giggled. "And anyone who tries to lay claim on me has to prove himself to me. After all, a strong Devil can have multiple consorts." She then locked eyes with him, a wistful expression spreading on her face. "And something tells me that I'm probably not going to be the last woman who catches your fancy."

Naruto scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Yeah, you probably don't have to worry about that. I'm not the most attractive person out there by a long shot."

That line had an immediate effect on Aria, who looked at him with a blank stare, surprised by his cluelessness. "Naruto, you might be a knucklehead at times, but other than that, you are kind, strong, and genuine, not to mention handsome." She then moved off, deciding to put on some clothes herself. "All I ask is, even when you find someone else, or many such 'someone's, don't forget about me."

Naruto smiled. "What did I do to deserve someone like you?" he asked, only for a mischievous smile to appear on her face.

"Well, you ignored my feelings for the better part of two centuries. Maybe that?"

Naruto laughed, "Taking potshots already huh? But seriously. Thank you, Aria, for… everything," he said sincerely, as the true power of the Hole manifested in front of him, pulling him into the gap between dimensions. As he left, another stray tear leaked out of his lover's eyes.

"Barely been a second since he's gone and I already miss the idiot."


The Dimensional Gap was just as he remembered it. But in his defense, it was a rather hard to forget kind of place. This time, though, he felt his demonic power unravel slightly as he passed into the dimension. Without Framp's power shielding him from its power, the dimensional pull threatened to tear him apart.

But he was stronger than that. For the first time in centuries, Naruto entered his true sage mode, letting the power of the Juubi protect him as ten truth-seeking spheres appeared behind him. His body stabilized, but he had definitely attracted attention. A fact that was made clear by the shadow above him, and the woman who had suddenly appeared next to him.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my area?" the Dragon above him roared, as it settled down whipping up a gigantic sandstorm as he did so. Naruto was actually forced to use wind manipulation to brace himself. The woman, if that was what she truly was, needed to do no such thing, as the dust simply seemed to avoid her lithe frame.

Naruto sighed. Both, the woman and the Dragon, were almost equal in power, and if push came to shove, it could take him months to take them down. And while time really wasn't an issue, he would rather spend the same time doing something constructive rather than fighting two creatures who apparently owned this dimension.

Hence, he simply released his chakra. All of it.

The effect was instant, as both the Dragon and woman were forced to the ground, unable to move. Meanwhile, Naruto walked over to the tower which held his object of fascination, completely ignoring the Dragon's bellows, insisting he come back and fight him like a man. The woman, though, did not take her eyes off his retreating figure even once. This Devil was special, someone who could help her reclaim her dimension from her showoff of a rival.

As Naruto entered the tower, he was greeted by the skeletons of creatures that couldn't possibly be human, or even anything close. Many of them had multiple arms, while some had tails. They looked like what you'd get if you cross-bred the most ferocious animals you could find. As he climbed the tower, the number of corpses increased. Till he reached the top, where the ground was completely covered with them. He ignored the crunch of breaking bones under his feet as he walked over to the item that called to him.

It was a golden spear. Unadorned, save for one straight line of red that ran through its length. There was nothing quite so remarkable about it, except for the simplistic beauty which underlay it and the faint pulse of power that emanated from it. Curious, he pulled the spear out of the ground.

All of a sudden, the spear began to unravel. And he was assaulted by painful flashes of memories. Memories that showed him the earth, before humanity lay claim to it. Memories of a war, and a fight against a creature, who looked and felt like a father. As these memories flashed through his head, the weapon's history was made clear to him. Wars had been waged for it, nations destroyed while defending it. It was, after all, creation willed into the shape of a weapon. As the memories faded, he smiled. The weapon that had assimilated into him, had a history. And as it had a history, it had a name.

"Samsara. How quaint," he whispered. The spear taking shape in his hands as he called its name. Sadly, that was all. The nagging was now gone, but with its disappearance, there was nothing there to replace it. No sense of adventure, no prophecy, no call of destiny left. All that remained was him, and the two creatures that had recovered from his initial display of power. As they flew to the top of the tower, the woman having taken her true form, that of a black Dragon. Naruto got ready for battle.

After all, he had time to kill.


"I'm surprised you applied for this kind of job, Mr. Uzumaki. Considering your degrees and accolades, I believe you might be overqualified to serve as a mere student counselor."

In the countless years he had spent exploring the vast reaches of the human plane. Naruto had been many things. He had been a warrior, an explorer, a doctor, a scientist, a bureaucrat and even a host, on multiple occasions. Truth be told, he was more than overqualified for any job a human could possibly have, period. He had been to more universities than he could count, devouring knowledge at unprecedented speeds, thanks to his Shadow Clone Jutsu. But then again, one of the upsides of being a Devil was that no matter what job you applied for, you could always look like it was your first. The power to change one's appearance was formidable indeed. Coupled with the seals that blocked his demonic signature, it was the perfect guise.

So confident was he, that he was even taking up a job in a city that served as a stronghold for multiple Devil houses in the human world.

After all, it was his self-appointed job to watch over them. Out of sight, out of mind.

"I've always had an interest in pursuing teenage psychology. These are the formative years for children, and I believe the best way to learn how they form their world-view is to observe teenagers from as close as you possibly can. Hence, my choice." he answered. The school's headmaster, a balding man in his fifties, gave his papers another once-over. But Naruto knew his ruse. The decision was not his to make. That honor belonged to the Devils who owned this school. And right now, he knew that they had already come to a decision.

The headmaster closed his file with a smile. "You drive a hard bargain, mister Uzumaki. I believe we'd be best served by having a man of your stature on board. Welcome to Kuoh academy." The man offered his hand, which Naruto shook posthaste. "We'll just file your papers; you can start your work anytime you see fit next week. We'll be looking forward to hearing from you."

Naruto nodded. "Thank you, now, I believe it is time for me to excuse myself," Naruto said, detecting a familiar energy signature outside the room. Shaking the headmaster's hand one last time and wishing him well, the blonde Uzumaki exited the room, almost running directly into a boy who seemed to be looking for a hiding place. Seeing his chance, he hid behind the tall and broad shouldered blonde. Just as he did so, a horde of angry females ran past, not even sparing a second glance at the strange man in the hallway, their tunnel vision too strong.

"Whew! That was way too close!" the boy exclaimed. Naruto's face paled as he felt the insatiable emotion of lust mixing with fear that the boy seemed to exude. So overpowering was his lecherous intent that the blonde Devil almost couldn't believe that this boy was the holder of a Longinus. Specifically, the Boosted Gear.

"Well, they sure seem to have it out for you. I'm Naruto Uzumaki, by the way." The blonde offered the brown-haired kid his hand, which the boy promptly shook. Inside him, Naruto felt the Dragon's energy shift, instinctively recoiling from his touch. Not noticing the subtle shift, the boy smiled back at the much taller blonde. Apparently, the boy wasn't even aware that one of this world's strongest existences currently dwelled inside him. "Issei Hyoudou. Nice to meetcha!" The boy introduced himself. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to make sure whether my friends are alive or not," the boy barked, running off in the direction he came from.

Naruto chuckled, this would be an interesting year.


And that's the end of chapter 1, as always. If this gains traction, I'll update this one too. Again, Follow, favorite, review. Peace out

-CruelRuin