A/N: ALRIGHT! This fic is in FIFTH PLACE for the most reviewed Overlord fic! Let's get it up to number one, guys! We can do it!

HELLO CHAPS~! Miss me? VIVA LA REQUEST YEARS! Well, I've been gone awhile, but I'm back. Lets just say there were...issues with my health and such. But those are behind me! I fear not the flamers nor the flames that they bring, for I am back and I am here to STAY!

Sooooo, time to answer your questions!

Q: How can Shaltear be part of the pairing? Aren't she and Albedo in love with Ains?

A: Albedo certainly is in love with Ains, but only because he warped something in her. I find her love for Ains rather amusing, really. Shaltear doesn't have such a solid rule, and as we have seen in the manga, the NPC's themselves can evolve and change over time, even think independently for themselves. Who is to say that Naruto can't catch her eye? That he can't impress her? Remember, he isn't exactly human himself...

Q: Will Naruto be in conflict with Ains, or will he help him? Will they be enemies?

A: Not enemies as of yet, but...well, future chapters should enlighten you.

Q: This has POTENTIAL. Will other characters like Yui from different animes/shows pop up in Naruto's little "family"?

A: Read this chapter to find out. It won't be too major. But it'll be amusing.

Q: Hey, when can we expect the pranks to start?

A: Pranks you say? Oh, there will be much more than that! Naruto isn't the sort to tolerate being looked down on or any of his allies for that matter, and pranks are his way of getting back at those he feels have earned his wrath, without killing them. There will be significant trolling in this story on both sides. Naruto and Ains are masters of such things.

Q: So, can we expect more children-like Yui-to be born into this world? As in little blond's running about? *wink*

A: BOLD AREN'T YOU?! Yes, that may well become a thing, but no so early!

NOW THEN!

LET THE CRAZY TRIP CONTINUE!

A LOT OF THINGS HAPPEN HERE!

Do try to keep up, my beloved fans =D

"...why are you sniffing me?"

"Because you smell wonderful!"

"OI!"

~Naruto and...?~

Install

Journal Log Entry: #2

What.

The.

FUCK.

What the hell what the hell what the hell whatthehellwhatthehellwhatthehellwhatthehell WHAT! THE! FUCKING! HELL!

What's going on here?!

This doesn't make any sense! How could this world suddenly become something else? Or is it somewhere? Somewhen? Gah! No sense! No sense at all! This! Was! A Game! I! Tell you! A game! Not real! False! A world of fiction dreamed up by me to assuage my guilt and loneliness! I crafted it with painstaking care! Nothing was left out! Not a single speck ignored! Granted, I wasn't exactly meticulous once I'd reached my goal, afterward though. I might've missed a few things, and allowed others, but still! Pretty damn sure my powers don't include warping the fabric of space and time itself!

Alright.

Freak out over.

Breathe, Naruto.

Breathe.

In and out.

In.

Out.

Innnnn...

...ouuuuuut.

Okay.

It doesn't bother me.

Nope. Not a bit.

It doesn't bother me, it doesn't bother me, it bothers me!

IT BOTHERS ME A LOT!

After my little fainting spell, I ordered Yui to summon the Guardians and Anbu Captains to the fifth floor in an hour. Why? Simple. I want-need!-a head count. Need to see how they react to me. Need to be sure this isn't a dream concocted by my broken mind. How will they see me? Will they respect me as loyal friends with genuine emotions? Or, will they try to tear my throat out for desecrating their memory? I'm not sure which would be worse.

I need to figure this out...

Because someway, somehow, my carefully crafted illusion has become a reality. That reality has trapped in a world I don't truly understand. By all rights I should be terrified. Horrified. In all the scenarios I'd planned for this was never one of them. I never expected to wake up one day and find everything to be REAL. My actions have consequences. If even one tenth of them are as real as Yui...well, I don't know what I'm going to do. I have to give orders. I have to establish balance.

But...is it so wrong for me to be happy?

Haven't I at least earned that right?

To enjoy this, for a while?

Just a little?

Shit.


(...The Seventh Floor of Konoha...)


Atop his throne, the Sage of the Great Forest looked up from his mental journal...

...and sighed.

"So that's how it is." he finished, instructing the kneeling individual with more than a touch of unease. "As Chief Scout, I am entrusting you with this matter." When the NPC didn't respond, Naruto gave another sigh and allowed himself to slip back into his cultivated persona. "Your orders are as follows. Firstly-you are to depart the Great Forest immediately and report back on our surroundings and any items of interest. Secondly-do not engage any enemies. Your life is of the utmost importance. Investigate any nearby settlements you find and report back. Do you understand?"

Impossibly, the Chief Scout bowed deeper.

"Understood, Lord Naruto!"

Naruto shifted on his seat, restraining a wince.

"Are you sure about that...

It certainly felt strange speaking to a dead man.

...Neji?"

"Absolutely, sire!"

The individual prostrating himself before him was a dear friend, and never once had he called him that. It was...jarring to say the least. He was even wearing the same attire now as he had on the day of his unfortunate demise. And yet they were here, in this new world, having a conversation. A stilted one, mayhaps, but still...

"And stop calling me that."

Neji blinked, a look of dismay crossing his stoic features.

"But sire, for a supreme being such as yourself-

"Gah, fine, fine!" Naruto waved a hand, shushing him. "I get it. Now go. I expect your report in an hour."

"Yes, sir!"

"Stop that!"

The Hyuuga offered the ghost of a smile and departed in a swirl of leaves.

Not a moment later, Naruto's right eye began to twitch.

"Ruined, ruined, ruined!" he grumbled to himself, staring at his surroundings in vain. "When the hell did this happen?! My beautiful garden! Soiled!"

Where one to follow his gaze, they would soon see what had driven the blond to madness.

The seventh floor of Konoha resembled something out of a gladiator's wet dream; a towering amphitheater reminiscent of the great his very first Chunin Exam, so long ago. In the beginning it was a thing of beauty, a sheer and pure reflection of his trials so long ago. Now...well, the resemblance proved only passing at best. Still, it was the arena of Konoha...if their Chunin Exams had been in collosseum filled with torches and spikes and all other manner of garish instruments and overseers. It looked like a massive open-air torture chamber.

'My perfect world has been corrupted by those perverted idiots.' the blond quietly bemoaned, palming his face. 'This is what happens when I let others run loose in my paradise...

"Papa?"

Blue eyes snapped open with a start.

"Hmm? What? Who, now?" Naruto blinked, shifting against his throne. Now that he could actually feel it he was beginning to wonder if he should just melt the damn thing down and build a new one. Sitting on a throne of blades? What had he been thinking?! One of his more eccentric mates had insisted on it, and he'd let them have their way on a lark. They'd gone on about it being the pride of "The Seven Kingdoms" or somesuch, a passionate plea that eventually moved him enough to yield. He was beginning to regret that decision now, as he felt the sharpened swords dig into the back of his neck and posterior but he refused to show weakness.

What the hell was Game of Thrones anyway?

"You started muttering to yourself after Uncle Neji left." Yui stated, her soft voice drawing him out of his reverie once more. "Is everything alright?"

"T'was nothing," he muttered, reflexively slipping back into character. "I was merely pondering." Not a lie. He had been doing just that, but not on the matter she thought. She. An absent hand reached out, stroking her head and eliciting a pleased giggle from the girl. His girl. His daughter. Come back to him in this strange new world. He made no distinction. She'd been created to believe she was Yui. She acted like Yui. She did all the things his daughter had done while she was alive. She acted like her, and unlike the rest, had been painstakingly programmed with every memory he possessed of her, for he knew her best. She lived. Breathed. Had a pulse. She laughed. She cried. She smiled.

In his eyes, that made her Yui.

She simply had crazy magic powers this time around.

A bit of an improvement there, actually.

"Have the Floor Guardians been summoned?" he inquired, realizing his daughter was staring at him.

"Hai," Yui chirped happily, hands clasped behind he back. "Sasuke-san and the others should be here shortly."

Naruto nodded absently, tapping his fingers against the throne.

"Good, good...

"Neh, papa?"

"Hmm?"

Mismatching blue-red eyes turned back to his daughter, his head still swimming with dark thoughts. As such, Naruto found himself rather stymied when her small hand reached out and clasped his. Pale fingers gripped down on his armored gauntlet with surprising strength, snaring both it and his attention in one fell swoop. The quavering yet determined look in those silver-grey eyes did far more to rebuke him than any blow possibly could. Clasping his hand tighter, but tentatively, almost as if she were afraid he would pull away.

"Can we go out and play after this?"

Something in him melted.

...I'm such a fool.'

Shifting in his grand throne, the armored blond leaned forward and placed his free hand atop hers.

"Of course." he soothed, patting her head. "As soon as I've conducted my business with the others we can play to your heart's content." Dream or not, he was in no hurry to escape this world. If this was the one and only place where he could be reunited with his daughter, then here he would gladly stay.

"Yay!"

Her smile was pure sunshine.

Still, what was taking everyone so long?

He tried to recall each of the Floor Guardians and their subordinates by heart and found that, suddenly, he couldn't. He knew many of the Guardians themselves, but then there was the Anbu Division and he'd never really spoken to many of them, save but for a handful. Not to mention the creations of his allies and there were no counting those. Oh, he knew his quite well, he simply realized that this "change" might have altered them, as well.

Part of him remained stoic on the matter.

He felt calm. Almost oddly so.

His panic hadn't lasted long at all, in fact, he found himself almost pleased by the situation. Curious, but pleased.

Still, an increasingly small part of him began to fret.

Then again, he was fairly certain some had followed his lead a touch too much and created characters of their own. Some had even gone a step further and used his "ideals" to copy existing ones into this world. That is to say others from different realms. Until now, he hadn't given the matter much thought. He was quite content with his family and the world he'd created. Let the other guild members create or recreate whomever they wished from their "shows" or "comics" and the like he'd decided, it mattered not a wit to him. They could play in his paradise as long as they wished, so long as they didn't break it.

Of course, that had been before everyone left. Before reality turned itself on its head and everything became real.

Now, chances were, he was going to have to deal with the fallout of their actions.

Anime.

Movies.

Television.

Who knew what-who!-manner of characters they might have created when he wasn't looking?

To be perfectly fair, Naruto never was and had never been one to indulge in such things. Not when he had a world to recreate. He certainly didn't know what anime or manga was for that matter. Despite his personal reservations at the time, he'd let his guildmates run wanton with their desires, banning only their most heinous creations when threatened by the Administrators. There was one blue-haired woman in particular who'd toed that line, dangerously so, until her maker's increasingly disturbing pastime's found him at odds with Naruto. Arguments ensued, followed shortly thereafter by chaos. In the end, the perpetrator was kicked not only from Konoha, but YGGDRASIL itself.

Supposedly he was languishing in a prison somewhere in Tokyo for deviant behavior.

The very thought made Naruto shudder.

As Guild Master, the choice had ultimately fallen to him whether he should or should not delete everything left behind by his former guildmate. Most of it proved simple. He'd auctioned off the man's armor and items in a fit of rage and the ex-guildmember's substantial fortune went straight to Konoha's coffers, as did everything he wasn't able to sell. But on a whim-he'd decided to let his creation be. Empathy, mayhaps? Knowing what it meant to pour your heart and soul into something, only to have it languish in limbo for eternity.

Perhaps that was an act of folly on his part. Still, he couldn't bring himself to regret it.

She'd been left to languish on one of the lower levels ever since, another testament to his weakness. He'd visited her on occasion to make certain she hadn't wandered off to one of the higher floors and each time swore he would delete her and end this pitiful farce. But always he came up short, unable or unwilling to simply wipe her from existence.

If she had indeed come to life with the rest of this world, that one might prove to be something of a problem child...

The name of "that man's" creation remained with him to this very day, if only because he hadn't bothered to remember that. A sadistic blade-wielding sorceress who specialized in all things ice. He'd taken a glimpse at her "backstory" once and it had been...worrying. Her creator had been had either been a monster, or an absolute demon for writing such a twisted past for her. Certainly some of those aspects qualified such a being as a devil? Something told him he was about get a crash course, in the near future.

As if waiting for that very moment, the door at the far end of the arena crashed open with a harsh bang.

His musings broken, Naruto looked up.

And blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Thrice.

Four times.

Only then did his brain reboot.

"Eh?"

Even from this distance his Keen Eye ability allowed him to make out her discerning features. As such he found himself face to face with a tall, beautiful and slender woman fresh out of a madman's demented dream, her deep blue eyes a near-flawless match to long, light blue tresses. Clad in a grey uniform that somehow succeeded in both clinging to her every curve while exposing an egregious amount of cleavage, she managed to convey a sense of regality and quiet menace all at once as his eyes trailed over her long sleeves, the blue scarf on her neck, and high-heeled boots. She also had a tattoo on her chest-and what a chest it was!-signifying some eldritch purpose he couldn't quite remember. He didn't have to. Because while he might not understand its purpose, he recognized her. And he knew that look in her eyes well.

All too well.

That grin told all.

"Ah, Darling~!" A voice clear as the coldest stream trickled through his ears. "So this is where you were!"

Naruto sweat-dropped.

"D-Darling...?"

"Auntie Esdeath!" Yui chirruped nearly simultaneously.

CRACK.

The blond's head whipped around comically and he felt something pop in his neck.

"Aunt?!"

Yui blinked innocently. "Is something wrong?"

Naruto's thoughts snowballed spectacularly after that.

'What the hell's going on, here?!' Backing away, mind reeling, he struggled to understand this sudden and unexpected turn of events. 'I didn't add that! Wait. Did I? No! I would've remembered! Did someone mess with their backstory? No, I would've been notified if something like that had happened! Did Esdeath's creator write something like that in her own backstory and now its affecting reality? Is that it? Damnit, Go-kun! You just had to get the last jab in, didn't you?!'

"Mah, Darling? You aren't thinking of running away from me, are you...?"

"Run?" Naruto's head snapped up. "What are you talking ab-

He suddenly realized that Esdeath was still advancing.

A feral gleam glimmered in her ice-blue eyes.

The dark elf nearly choked on his spit.

'Oh, crap.'

That was all he had time to must before the bluenette burst into a mad giggle and burst forward at the speed of sound. She did not pause nor did she slow down; simply launching herself from one end of the arena to the other in a single leap before throwing her arms around his neck in a hug. The sudden and sheer momentum behind the embrace caught the Sage woefully off guard, slamming him off his feet and back against the throne with a dull thud. It wasn't enough to do any real damage mind you thanks to his Passive Regeneration, but he now had a rather buxom beauty in his lap. And for the life of him, he didn't know what to do with her!

"Ah, my precious Darling," A wet tongue flitted between full lips as Esdeath ground herself against him, her expression bordering on euphoric. "You summoned me!" she purred, nuzzling his cheek with her own. "After all this time! I'm so happy!"

Her lips brushed his whilst her hips continued that infuriating motion, and Naruto found himself suddenly very, very, VERY glad he was wearing armor. Hypothetical erections and all that.

'Wait, wait, wait! Get ahold of yourself, me! Think this through!'

"I did?" he managed to get out. "You are?"

"Hai!" Her face was eagerness personified. "As Head Torturer, I watch over this area with Madara-sama. So when your summons reached us, I hurried here ahead of him!"

She did? Hmm. Semantics.

Then the rest of her words hit.

Naruto swore.

Madara?

Right.

He'd almost forgotten about that wily ol' bastard. That he'd even bothered to create him in this world. Not one of his better ideas, there. To be fair, he'd been feeling spiteful at the time, and he'd tried to scale down the man's madness the best way he could, by simply cutting it out. Less crazy was always a good crazy, in his mind. WAY less crazy. It also brought up the manner of loyalty. Yui was Yui, so he didn't doubt her, but he had yet to confirm the loyalties of the rest of the Great Forest beyond her and Neji. Still, there was one way to confirm his hypothesis.

"Alright, that's enough." he commanded, narrowing his eyes at Esdeath. "Get off. Yui's watching. There will be time for this later."

Esdeath's response was as swift as it was immediate.

"Ah! Yui-chan!"

"Eeep!"

The little girl scarcely had time to squeak before the ice-wielder bolted off the blond's lap and swept her up into her arms. Holding her tight. Naruto openly guffawed at the spectacle, barking out a soft chuckle as he saw how flustered the normally stoic Yui became once she found herself trapped in the bluenette's bosom. Not surprising really, given the woman's monstrous strength...

A thought occurred to him, then.

"Esdeath."

"Yes, Darling?" dropping Yui, the woman's face once more composed itself into a cold mask. "Is there anything else you require?"

'Again, with the Darling, oi?! But still, this is a good opportunity.'

Naruto took a moment to contemplate just that.

"Well, I wanted to test some things...

Blue eyes fluttered in a blink.

"You mean a spar?"

Naruto shrugged.

"Well, yeah. That'd work...why are you smiling, oi?"

Esdeath's only response was a soft hum.

"No reason...

"Riiiiiight."

Her lavicious grin reminded him of a panther about to pounce. A hunter, at the peak of their chase, their climax. And that look was locked on him. Oi, oi, oi! Who had a smile like that?! Was she even human?! Realizing he might've just invited a quite literal ice queen to his doorstep, Naruto reached behind his back. Sure enough Death's Scorn was there; the weapon seemed to sing in his hand, eager and willing to do battle. Giving it a light twirl, the dark elf deemed it satisfactory and against his better judgement, leveled it at Esdeath.

"I'll be intruding for a short while, then." he declared.

"Its no intrusion at all!" Esdeath shook her head rapidly, her eyes glazed. "Please, give me all that you are!"

'Alright, Go-kun was clearly off his rocker when he made you...

Glancing at his staff, he frowned.

Focused. Felt the power within.

Harnessed it to the staff and-

"Let's see here...Lance of Ice!"

Esdeath merely batted the projectile aside.

"You should know better than to use ice-

Naruto's only response was a toothy grin.

"Falling Fireball!"

A massive ball of flame burst into existence over her head and dropped in the next instant, drawing a delighted cry from Yui and a wide grin from its intended target. Esdeath's rapier flashed upwards to meet the searing sphere, effortlessly bisecting the blazing oval in a single, flawless stroke. Bifurcated by the blow, the smoldering halves slammed into the arena floor at her feet in a cloud of black smoke. Almost immediately, enchanted seals caught the intense magics and caused them to gutter out almost immediately. It did nothing for the haze obscuring her vision, however.

It was into this fog that Naruto struck, slicing downward in a sharp vertical motion.

He never made it.

Instead of tasting flesh his staff found itself impeded by a wall of ice; a stray thought converted his staff to blade form once more, and the frozen barricade parted before it like butter. Her rapier was there to greet him for the merest of moments, the unexpected strength of his blow driving her back half a pace. Taking hold of her wrist, the blond swung her down into the ground, momentarily forcing the bluenette to give ground once more. This drew a snarl from her and her knee shot up, smashing into his nose to drive him away.

Now it was Naruto's turn to retreat, rubbing his face.

'Just now...I didn't feel anything. Why?'

"Such strength!" Esdeath exulted, grinning as she brandished her blade. "As expected of my Darling!"

Blue-red eyes snapped towards her.

"Why thank you!"

That was all Esdeath heard before Death's Scorn descended again, the last word punctuated by a roaring wall of fire.

Naruto had to give her credit; because she retaliated almost immediately, diving out of the way and hurling a dozen skewers of ice towards him, burying the frigid splinters against his ribs. Again, there was no pain. He didn't even feel it. The light knock-back effect gave him pause, but still, he felt naught but the slightest twinge. One some level part of him became aware that he'd sustained some semblance of damage, of course, but the injury itself so minor that by the time he used Life Essence to glance at his health, his Regeneration had already restored it. There wasn't even a wound!

'Alright, either my Hit Points or insanely high, or she isn't trying to hurt me. Let's see if we can change that'

Thrust a hand forward he called upon his dwindling MP once more, and was well rewarded for his efforts. A trio of scarlet circles sprang to life before him, the spell leaping to his lips even as he focused and narrowed it to a single, focused point. Around him, his mana took another significant dive as its master declared:

"Maximize Magic: Vermillion Nova!"

For the first time since their battle had begun, Esdeath cried out in genuine pain.

Engulfed in a column of fire, she staggered back a step, her hat disintegrating as she hurriedly cast it aside. Her ice magic flared not a beat later, extinguishing the roiling pillar of flame, leaving her slightly singed. Well. Perhaps he'd gone a bit overboard with that spell. Esdeath looked like she was actually hurting now, favoring her right side

"Hehehehe!"

He wasn't expecting the laughter.

"Ah, my Darling!" she cackled in dark exultance, eyes wide with malevolent glee, "That really hurt!"

'Are you a masochist or a sadist, oi?!' Naruto blanched inwardly. Outwardly, he grinned.

"If you have a problem with it then make me stop, Esdeath!" he declared.

"Make you stop?" she balked. "I want you to hurt me more!"

"Then attack me with all that you have!"

It was exactly the right thing to say.

Blue eyes narrowed to hungry slits.

"Triplet Maximize Magic: Hail Pounce."

Naruto watched the azure aura stem from her body, restraining a frown.

"Now why does that sound ominoooooooooooh...

His words trailed off as a towering shadow swam into existence overhead. The towering glacier-for nothing less could possibly describe its majesty-was a sight in-and-of itself, easily large enough to plug the arena three times over and crush everyone within. It seemed to remain stationary and airborne only through the sheer will of its mistress. Then it fell from on high, eclipsing every thought, blocking out all the stars in the night sky, and coming for them all. Despite himself, Naruto felt his jaw briefly come unhinged. That was overkill, wasn't it? Definitely overkill. It had be overkill. The very idea of a spell so ludicrously overpowered even existing in this world was enough to boggle the mind.

But it also made him wonder, just a little bit...

Then he started casting.

"Greater Hardening." Naruto remarked quietly to himself, his body shimmering as the requested buff took effect. "Greater strength. Penetrate up."

'Wait. Why am I doing this? Let's try something else.'

Slowly, painstakingly, he opened the fingers of his right hand, this time without channeling MP of any sort, reached for the wind. Could he perhaps use chakra in this world? To his initial disappointment and surprise, he immediately felt his Mana Points drain despite his deliberate effort not to use them, but on the same level the wind answered, gathering in the palm of his hand. Push. Pull. Rotation. Bent to his will like an eager servant to form a Rasengan. Not satisfied with this paltry achievement and keenly aware of the glacier bearing down on him, the Sage pushed the element still further, bade the air reply.

And the air answered.

A keening shriek rose around him all at once, filling his ears with the humming cry of billions of miniscule air blades. His penultimate technique chirped sharply as he focused on them anew. To his great delight, the spell compacted still further when he forced his will upon it, though restraining it as such quickly sapped his Mana to the point of oblivion. But it worked! Delighted he stepped back and assumed a pitcher's stance, arm cocked and ready to throw the snarling sphere into the rapidly falling berg.

A lone word snaked past his lips.

"Rasenshuriken."

Then he launched it.

Esdeath must've realized his intent; because she snatched hastily summoned a dome of ice to protect herself. Yui simply raised a magic barrier of her own. Each had good reason for this; having sensed the sheer power of the rapidly ascending sphere, a sphere that had just made contact with the falling glacier and oh dear-

The resulting explosion was nothing short of cataclysmic.

And woefully short-lived.

Great chunks of ice imploded as countless microscopic blades went to work against them with single-minded resolve; tearing into the tundra at an insatiable pace. Within seconds the once formidable falling berg found itself rendered into so many harmless snowflakes beneath the vigorours attack. Soon not even those remained as the hungry needles of wind sought out, exterminating them with great prejudice. Esdeath's icy cocoon only fared marginally better, shattered and sundered in its last defiant act of defense, while Yui having distanced herself from the attack, hadn't sustained so much as a scratch.

Both were looking at him, utterly baffled.

Naruto stared at his hand as the last of the snow guttered out, frowning thoughtfully.

Any delight he might've felt was masked by the strange sensation emanating from his right arm.

This.

This was confusing.

He most certainly hadn't been able to toss jutsu around in this game. Yet using magic just now, he'd managed to create an amalgamation of the Rasenshuriken. But it cost mana. As he thought, chakra was not so easily accessed in this world, if at all. Could it be that he'd have to rely on his own raw strength and MP to survive in this new realm? Or could he use Mana to recreate his lost skills. Hmm. Thoughts for latter, he supposed. If it was indeed possible, he would find a way.

Still, as tests went, so far, so good.

Spells and buffs seemed to function properly. He just had to think and focus, though they seemed to drain his MP more than expected.

But what about strength...?

He had to know.

"No more magic!" he instructed of Esdeath. "We'll be attacking physically from here on out!"

A manic gleam entered the woman's eyes as she scrambled upright.

"Please do!"

And he did.

His first swing barreled through Esdeath's guard with punitive ease, shattering the defense she feebly tried to form. The second drove her back onto her right foot. The third forced her to physically lock her saber against his staff to avoid falling, straining against him before the fourth. Fifth. Sixth. Seventh. Eighth! With each successive strike, each ring of metal against metal, his bloodlust rose, the sheer thrill of the fight rising to swallow him like a great wave, an undertow dragging sense to the bottom and leaving only a coursing red tide in its place.

"Ora, ora, ORA!" he laughed! "What's wrong?!"

This body seemed as strong as he remembered, perhaps even more. How long had it been since he'd given himself to a battle? Since he'd thrown away thought and rationale for the sake of a good fight? It felt...freeing, glorious in its majesty, this elegant dance of death they weaved. A dance in which he slowly overpowered his opponent, beating her back with every successful swing of his sword. Was this him? His own will? Or perhaps some part of the body he now inhabited? He didn't know. Didn't care. In this instant he didn't care.

Catching her blade, he swung down!

"ESDEATH!"

She struck in the same instant, her rapier's edge colliding with the jet-black staff.

"NARUTO!"

Steel met steel and the world trembled.

THOOM!

The resultant shockwave momentarily extinguished the torches in the arena, plunging the floor into darkness. By the time they sputtered back to life and illuminated the area, it was over. Yui blinked slowly, rubbing the soot out of her eyes and struggling to make sense of hat she was looking at.

Slowly, a wide smile dawned on her youthful face.

Esdeath lay pinned to the wall on her back, the edge of Death's Scorn brushing her neck. Her own weapon reduced to little more than a shard in her grasp. She was still smiling somehow, despite her injuries. Despite his own raging battle fever, Naruto found himself matching the grin. Something deep within him remained overwhelmingly satisfied by her efforts here today; the red haze that once obscured his vision had receded at last, his thought his own once more.

And then she spoke.

"Have I satisfied you, Darling?"

His instinctive answer was yes, but something in him pushed the word aside and ventured into the realm of grandiose.

"Throughout all these years, you have been dominated with an iron hand." He declared proudly, taking her by the shoulders with both hands, causing her blue eyes to widen. "When your back should have been broken you stood tall. Though the one who created you left you to rot, you still rose beyond him. To stand against me and cast such a mighty blow. I'll give you this...at this moment...you are strong!"

Her eyes watered.

"That's the greatest compliment you could give me...

"OI!"

Whatever response Naruto might have mustered was summarily drowned out by a loud shout.

Naruto arched an eyebrow.

"Hmm?"

Red-blue eyes swiveled in place and found themselves riveted by a familiar crop of purple hair. That, and the fishnet mesh the owner of said hair wore. Or maybe it was the trench coat? Hmm. Problematic. Well, even in another world, Anko was still Anko, he supposed. Eyes the color of poisoned honey glared bloody red daggers at Esdeath, snake-like slits narrowed intently on the battered woman. For a fleeting moment he struggled to remember why her eyes reminded him so much of Orochimaru's-ah, right. She'd absorbed the old snake bastard towards the end of the war when he'd tried to take her chakra. Good on her. Better the crazy woman you knew than the madman you didn't.

Of course, said woman was now bearing down on Esdeath with an aura of pure malice, so...

"What the hell are you doing with Naruto-sama?!"

'Again with the 'sama' oi?!'

The bluenette smiled gracefully.

"Whatever he wants me to, bitch."

"Hah?!"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Esdeath's laughter muffled itself behind her palm. "I thought I heard a dog whining for her master's attention, but it was just you."

Anko hissed fingers clenching into claws. "Why you sadistic little...! I'll poison you to death!"

"Not if I freeze you first." the Head Torture replied genially.

"I'll cut your heart out!"

"I invite you to try."

"That's enough, you two." a harsh voice interjected. "Can't you see your antics are upsetting the Supreme One?"

Grateful for the interruption, Naruto performed a sharp about-face, leaving the two women to bicker at his back.

"Oh, thank god. You have no idea how awkward that was getting, Sasuke!"

At the mention of his name the Uchiha shuffled forward.

As if he'd been frozen in time from the moment of their final parting, Sasuke Uchiha stared back at him, his visible eye, that of the Rinnegan staring calmly outward at him. Overwhelmed by emotion, Naruto nearly gave into his relief and clapped the man on the back, pausing only at the last instant when the Uchiha drew up short. Others were arriving now, but he paid them no mind. He was still trying to reconcile the fact that his good friend and rival was standing here before him...

"Yo," He settled for a teary grin at the sight of his old friend instead. "It really is good to see you again."

The man in question paused.

"Informal as ever, Naruto-sama."

Naruto croaked.

"Sama?"

"Floor Guardians of Konoha!" Yui barked suddenly, causing him to start. "Bow before your lord and master!"

There were a fair number of them indeed.

Numbering nearly ten in all, as one, they dropped to a knee, and he found he recognized them at once.

"Guardian of Floors One and Two," Sasuke exhaled quietly. "Uchiha Sasuke. I bow before the Supreme One."

"Guardian of Floors Three and Four." Gaara exclaimed in his gravely voice, "Sabaku no Gaara. I bow before the Supreme One."

"Guardian of Floor Five." Mei purred, her green eyes locking with his. "I bow before the Supreme One."

"Guardian of the Sixth Floor," Anko Mitarashi grinned, momentarily breaking character, "I bow before the Supreme One."

"Guardian of the Seventh Floor and Head Torturer," Madara and Esdeath intoned. "We bow before the Supreme One."

"Guardian and Eighth floor," Killer Bee rumbled, "Need I say more?! I bow before the Supreme One fo' sho!"

"Guardian of the Ninth and of the Sanin," Jiraiya grinned cheekily. "I bow before the Supreme One."

"Captain of the Floor Guardians and your Daughter." Yui declared solemnly. "I bow before you, Papa."

"All Hail the Sage of Six Paths!" she declared!

"Banzai!"

As one, they lowered their heads.

"All hail the supreme one!"

"Banzai!"

Naruto blanched, mortified.

Why were they bowing?!

The very idea of it should've been foreign to him; yet, part of him actually enjoyed it. To his great disgust. Frantically, he waved his hands!

"HEY! Guys, c'mon! Don't bow!"

In the end, a swirl of leaves saved him from the faux pas.

'Oh, thank god. That was getting awkward.'

"Naruto-sama." Neji declared somehow managing to kneel and bow all at once. "I have returned. I come bearing important news."

"Oh...ah, good! Neji!

"Report."

"Understood." the scout dropped to a knee before him, one fist pressed into the dirt. "I have discovered two items of interest," his old friend began humbly. "The first seems to be a village of some sort. The second is a large structure far to the southeast of us. Regrettably, I was attacked and forced to retreat before I could properly inspect it. I believe it is a tomb."

Naruto frowned.

"A...tomb?"

Neji nodded.

"Well, we'll keep it in mind."

If this new world did indeed have other denizens, he was in no hurry to provoke them. He'd asses his surroundings first, ascertain where the wilderness ended and civilization began. With that in mind, he ordered Neji to observe this "Carne" village and await further orders.

"There is one last thing I would like to ask." he intoned, yielding at last to his curiosity. "What am I to you all? First, Sasuke?"

"Our leader." Dark eyes met his unflinchingly. "The one who built this great village and strives to protect it. A goal to strive towards."

"Gaara?"

"One who always takes others into consideration before acting." the redehead intoned.

"Neji?"

Blank eyes regarded him. "A thoughtful liege who cares for his minions."

"Mei?"

Full lip quirked in a small smile. "The man who cast his existence aside to bring us back from the brink."

"Anko?"

"A merciful ruler who stayed with us to the very end."

"Esdeath?"

"The epitome of perfection. And the man I love!"

"Er...right. Madara?"

The ancient one seemed to consider that for a moment before he replied. "You are a man with an ideal who stands above all others, who strives to create peace. You cast all aside before you in your wake, as a Supreme Being should." Unbidden, he shoved his head deeper into the dirt. "I am humbled to serve you."

"Bee?"

"A thrivin' ruler who goes with the flow. Sage of the Sixth Paths, your strength ain't for show!"

Naruto nearly face palmed.

"Jiraiya?"

"The epitome of a gutsy hero."

Naruto colored a bit at that.

"Lastly, Yui?"

His daughter beamed him a beatific smile.

"Everything."

A silence followed.

Naruto chuckled into the palm of his hand.

Then, surprising even himself, he began to laugh.

It was a deep, throaty sound; one that had no business issuing forth from a man's mouth. Yet it did all the same. His cackle caught the assembled guardians completely unawares, several of them starting violently as he doubled over, physically clutching at his stomach to prevent himself from coughing. Yes, yes, yes! He understood now! He'd been a fool to ever doubt himself in the beginning!

Simple.

It was all so simple!

"I see...I see! So that's how it is!"

Still chuckling, he spread his arms wide in benediction.

"Then, as Leader of Konoha, I command you...

Mismatching eyes gleamed brightly.

...GO OUT INTO THIS WORLD AND SPREAD MY NAME!"

A/N: Naruto and Ains meet next time, I promise! It just felt forced cramming their encounter in there at the end. Expect to see things from Ains's perspective as well, next time!

Aaaaaaaaaand there we go! An ageless, immortal, or at the very least, ridiculously hard to kill, Uzumaki Naruto, in the Overlord Universe. Expect all sorts of hell to break loose in the most silly and inane of ways! I eagerly await your reviews and responses to both that fic, and this! Don't worry, some scenarios may prove quite different from the one in the show, but I want to dedicate a full chapter to each at the least, not to mention the INSANITY that will come about when Naruto inevitably encounters Ains himself. Look forward to it, ya know!

So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Review, Would You Kindly? And of course, enjoy the preview! Hope it makes you smile. And Review! Or face the wrath of AINS! BAHAHAHA! I'm also switching things up here! Tis a short one, but it sets things up with a BANG!

(Preview)

Shaltear lifted her dress in a demure curtsy, bowing politely.

"Pleased to meet you, Lord Rikudo-sama."

Naruto blinked.

Tilted his head.

"Lord?"

"Of course." the vampiress replied, preening at the inquiry. "Any enemy worthy of Ains-sama's respect deserves to be called as such." Red eyes regarded him intently, burning like twin coals in the darkness of the night. "Truly, it was fortunate of me to encounter you here. Now I do not have to ask Ains-sama for his permission to seek you out and kill you. Even if you are a Supreme Being."

The Leader of Konoha sighed.

"Kill me? Seriously? For wha-

CLANG!

His arm snapped up catching the lance.

"You are a threat to Ain's-sama's ambition." came Shaltear's reply, her petite mouth splitting in a wide grin as she struggled against him. "Even if he does not realize it, I cannot allow that to pass."

Blue eyes burned gold.

...well, that's fucking adorable."

Shaltear blushed, and subsequently grimaced. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to trample you now. For his sake, of course."

Naruto beamed. "I invite you to try."

R&R! =D