AN: Thanks to Crytach for the suggestion for a race for Soifon. I'll be doing some research into it, just so I don't get the facts wrong.
As always, thanks go out to my Beta, Dreaming of the Moon. Check his stuff out, if you haven't already!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Bleach, or High School DxD
Chapter 05: A Visit to the Uzumaki... And a New Problem?
Three months had passed since Ginjo Kugo had passed Cross of Scaffold to Naruto, and the blonde boy was finally starting to get the hang of wielding such a damnably large blade. Seriously, the thing was as long as he was tall! Granted that was the entire thing, but a good half of the length was the freaking handle!
Naruto also had to contend with an oddly aggressive and out-going Tier, who was suddenly flashing as much of her skin and other assets as she could without being sluttish. She was even starting to insist on helping him bathe!
He was starting to feel awkward around his, admittedly favorite, Peerage member. She was following him everywhere, insisting on being around him as much as she possibly could. He had little doubt though, that he would have welcomed her attention if Kushina hadn't come into his life.
Speaking of Kushina, she was actually encouraging Tier's actions, going so far as to invite the blonde woman on their dates! Oh, the embarrassment of the time he'd made a reservation for two... that was actually just last week, and it had prompted Kushina to finally lift the veil of confusion.
He had been beyond shocked to learn that because his uncle had told him to carry on the Ginjo name, he was now bound to take a second wife. She just had to be approved by Kushina first, and the redhead had chosen Tier. Why? He didn't know, and figured it would be better if he didn't ask.
Naruto shook his head and glanced around his personal training room, which he decided to share with Kushina and both Peerages... so it wasn't really "his" anymore. Either way, Cross of Scaffold was in his right hand, in it's initial state. Being a magical construct of sorts, the weapon didn't really have a weight to it, but the size did make it awkward to wield.
However, Naruto had been discovering that the sword, by itself, had at least one ability that he was finding somewhat cool: concentrate magic and then slash it forward in an arched wave that explodes on contact. The biggest downside that he had found about it was the staggering amount of magic it cost him. It wasn't an insurmountable quantity, but it was a good three times what he used for his highest level spell. Which basically amounted to one-quarter his full magic reserves.
Not fun. Cool? Yes, no doubts. But fun? No.
He glanced at a clock on the wall, 7am. Not bad, a three hour practice session. Naruto was certain that his old combat teacher would have been satisfied... for ten minutes. That woman was a slave driver!
Shrugging away the miscellaneous thoughts, he picked up his towel and headed for the attached shower room. He had just enough time to clean himself up, then meet Kushina and their Peerages for breakfast. Following that was something Naruto equally dreaded, and anticipated.
A week long trip to visit the Uzumaki.
XXXXXXXX- Break - Kushina's Room -XXXXXXXX
Kushina sat on a stool in front of a large mirror, Mikoto behind her with a hair brush. The older woman had a smile on her face as she gently ran the brush through the girl's long hair, marveling at just how soft she managed to keep it. Mikoto had been doing this since the first morning after she joined Kushina's Peerage, primarily as a method of getting to know the excitable girl better.
"I don't know why you insist on this morning ritual, Miko-chan," the girl whined.
"Because it allows us time together, Ku-chan," Mikoto giggled. "And, while it may be a bit presumptuous of me, when I'm doing this it almost feels like I'm spending time with my own daughter."
Kushina's petulant expression softened into a smile. She knew that Mikoto had always wanted a little girl, but was instead given two sons, one which went rogue and the other a reject of the clan... not exactly the greatest reputation to have as a mother. However, Kushina was certain that if the woman had been gifted with a daughter, the girl would have had suitors lining up for her hand.
Sighing, Kushina gave in, "alright, Miko-chan. But you know how hard it is for me to sit still, right? I could be spending time with Naruto-kun, planning pranks, watching Naruto-kun, eating breakfast, holding Naruto-kun, teasing Tier-chan, kissing Naruto-kun..."
Mikoto giggled, "sounds like you're already head over heels for this young man, my King. It's only been a few months, and he's your every second thought."
The girl blushed, her face matching the color of her hair. "I can't help it, Miko-chan. It just feels so... right, to be with him."
"Hm," Mikoto hummed in thought, running the brush through the long red locks. "And what about Tier-san? What made you approve her, when it was obvious that even Retsu-san had a little something for him?"
Kushina sighed, her bangs hiding her eyes, "because, as much as it pains me to say it, I know she will never try to one-up me. Retsu-chan is a very dominant personality, there would be times where she would attempt to control the flow of the relationship, and I can't have that. Yoru-chan is too much like me, and it's never a good idea to have too much of any one personality in such a relationship. Soi-chan is obviously uninterested, so even if I offered she'd shoot me down. I suppose I could have chosen from my own Peerage, or even an Extra Devil family, but it just feels weird to try and think of sharing Naruto-kun with one of you. As for the Extra Devils... They just never crossed my mind."
The woman sweatdropped. All the previous reasons were fairly well thought out, but the Extra devils didn't even enter in to the equation? She couldn't help the small chuckle that bubbled up as she hugged the girl from behind, "oh, Ku-chan, whatever will I do with you?"
Kushina grinned impishly, as she raised her head just enough to look into the woman's eyes in the mirror, "I don't know, Miko-chan... maybe have a double wedding? I know Retsu-chan and Madara are still feeling each other out, but I saw those looks you were giving Byakuya last month. I guess you really like the strong, noble types, huh?"
Mikoto blushed profusely, she had been so certain the two of them were being discrete. She had actually started "dating" Kuchiki Byakuya about a week after the fiasco with Sasuke. Something about him drew her, the serious facade that hid a caring heart, the way he never let anything weigh him down... he even managed to ride out one of Naruto and Kushina's pranks with elegant poise.
Neat trick, that. Mikoto had almost begged for his secret, but he seemingly took pity on her and told her anyway. "No matter what, don't react. It kills their fun."
Words to live by in the Peerage of a prankster.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about, Kushina," the woman tried to divert, if she allowed the girl to continue this train of thought, Mikoto had no doubt she -Mikoto- would be embarrassed all day! "Oh, look at the time! Naruto-sama should be heading for breakfast right now!"
In a heartbeat, the stool was empty of a certain redhead, and the bedroom doors were swinging on well-oiled hinges.
Mikoto breathed a quiet sigh of relief. It looked like she dodged a bullet there, thank the Maou for an easily distracted King like Kushina. She placed the brush she had been using down on a large dresser, and turned to follow the girl, only to find her King looking back at her from the doorway with a wide grin on her face.
"Oh, Miko-chan, don't think I forgot about you and Byakuya-san!" Kushina sang out before vanishing.
"Damn it," the woman muttered. She'd never hear the end of this.
XXXXXXXX- Break -Breakfast Table -XXXXXXXX
Naruto sat at a small table, Kushina and Tier on either side of him. Glancing to his left at the blonde woman, he was glad she had decided to return to her original outfit, as the one he saw her in a few months ago after the Girl's Night was just too stimulating. That damned skirt rode up her hips with every step! While it was a nice view, he didn't really need to know she liked white g-string thongs.
The upside to that event was that Kushina joined her in wearing that outfit, and he learned that his now-favorite redhead liked violet. Now that was a sight Naruto would treasure, and revisit many times in his dreams.
At the moment, however, Naruto's focus was upon two couples, one fairly obvious, and the other attempting to be discrete: Madara and Retsu, and Byakuya and Mikoto. The first two were obvious, if only for the fact that they made no attempt to hide their growing interest in each other. There were even bets on just when, how, and in what setting the two would officially hook up.
The latter two, though... Byakuya's performance of nonchalance was perfect, save for the fact that he was always prompt in responding to Mikoto's requests. Whereas Mikoto was always casting glances at the serene man, and always fidgeting in his presence.
Naruto would admit to finding it somewhat amusing. First, he and Kushina were brought together, then Madara and Retsu seemingly found each other, and now it was Byakuya and Mikoto. Three pairs were emerging from their combined Peerages, and the young man could barely hold in his smirk.
However, no matter how amusing Naruto found the situation, he'd never bring it up verbally. Byakuya would deny or ignore him, and Retsu would scare him. Those two were just no fun some times!
... Okay, Byakuya was never fun. That man seriously had no sense of humor! The few times Naruto had attempted to solicit either aid or reaction from the man, both had flopped spectacularly. It was just enough empirical evidence to force Naruto's hand.
He quit attempting to use Byakuya for his pranks. It just didn't work.
Now Naruto watched as his Peerage mingled easily with that of his fiance. It was interesting to see, Grimmjow and Zaraki being kept in line by Tsume and Gai, Hiruzen and Ulquiorra played chess -current score was 120:130 if Naruto remembered correctly-, Anko was teasing Ichigo about virgins, Konan had seemingly joined the "Lazy Party" of Starrk and Kakashi, leaving Tsunade to have a rather lively discussion about physical techniques with Yoruichi. Soifon, as usual, simply watched over Yoruichi from a "respectable" distance -Naruto snorted at that, hiding behind a pillar is not his idea of "respect"-, and Toushiro sat quietly beside his bubbling wife.
Naruto still had to scratch his head and wonder just how those two ever became a couple. His attention had been on helping Toushiro gain control of his ice magic, and then Rangiku showed up and didn't leave. The next anyone knew they were married, and everyone wondered just how drunk she got him to do that.
That was almost six years ago. The two of them now even had a child, a girl named Haku. Sweet kid, seemed to have a bit of a crush on Naruto though.
With a sigh, Naruto put down his utensils. "Alright everyone, I assume you all remember what we're doing today?"
"Of course, Naruto-sama," Retsu replied softly from her place by Madara, "we are to visit for the week with the Uzumaki family."
"Right as always, Retsu." the blonde boy said. "Directly after breakfast, we'll teleport over. This is hardly formal, so there's no need for those damned carriages."
Kushina giggled, "but Naruto-kun, if we don't take the carriages, you and I can't have some alone time."
Naruto just stared at her. He would readily admit that he had fallen for her, and fallen hard, but he hated carriages. And it was for one reason: he got motion-sick.
Odd how he didn't have the issue with cars, or boats, or trains, or anything else. It was just carriages. He had no idea why.
"No. Carriage." He said firmly, causing the girl to pout. "If we must travel by mundane means, we can take a car, but I will not bother with a carriage."
Kushina blinked. "Car? You have one?" She sounded excited, and her hopeful smile proved it.
It was Naruto's turn to blink, "you've never been in one?" A shake of her head was the response he received, "well then, the car it is then. Retsu, would you be so kind as to deal with the particulars?"
The woman rose gracefully, "of course, Naruto-sama. I suppose the custom red your father gave you last year will suffice?"
"Yes, I think that one would be perfect." He replied easily. "Maybe load up that as well."
"As you wish," Retsu said, bowing slightly and leaving to make certain of the arrangements.
Kushina looked at Naruto, "'that'? And what might 'that' be?"
Naruto just chuckled, and tapped her on the nose. "A surprise, my dear."
"Mu!" She pouted again, her cheeks puffing out cutely.
He almost gave in. Almost.
XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX
The two groups gathered outside the front door of the mansion, waiting for their ride to show up. Just as Zaraki was about to complain, a very stretched out red vehicle pulled up in front of them. On the doors were the Namikaze House crest, reminiscent of a cresting wave, and it was clearly large enough to fit both Peerages comfortably.
Kushina almost swore there was room for a Helipad!
Well, there was something else at the back of the car, but she couldn't actually tell what it was. The mere fact that it was clearly capable of easily containing both full Peerages, and was probably tall enough that Zaraki, the tallest person in the group, wouldn't have to stoop to move around in it was destroying her idea of the word "limousine".
This thing was more like a semi truck with an attached fifty-foot trailer!
Which is pretty much what it's base was, but she didn't need to know that.
"Alright everyone, let's get in, and get on the road. It's a long ride to the Uzumaki Estate," Naruto said, opening the door.
This action was yet another of the things that endeared him to his Peerage. Where most devils would simply let one of their servants open the doors for them, and stride around arrogantly, Naruto willingly did menial tasks like that for himself or his people. He even sometimes went down to the kitchens to help with cooking, and there were times he joined the maids in cleaning. These seemingly minor things had made him insanely popular among not only his Peerage, but the other house servants as well.
Kushina and Tier stood beside Naruto as the others climbed in, wanting to enter with him. Consequently, they entered just before he did, as he also closed the door behind him. They sat down, and Naruto hit a button.
Kushina raised an eye brow, but was answered by Tier. "That tells the driver that everyone's aboard and seated."
"Oh," the redhead replied with a look of sudden understanding. It made sense, as she couldn't see the driver, and apparently the driver couldn't see them, so that button would be necessary.
Then her eyes landed on a large, lengthy object covered by a sheet of some sort. With yet another questioning look, she caught Naruto's attention and gestured at the object. A sly expression crossed his features.
"It's a surprise."
She pouted, but Tier came to her rescue, "it's his Bucephalus."*
"His what-now?"
Tier nodded once, "his motorcycle. It was custom made for him before his mother died, and like the original Bucephalus, it allows no one else to ride it."
Kushina blinked, looked at Naruto, whose face was reddening, and back to Tier. "A motorcycle with a mind of it's own?"
"Um, yes and no..." Naruto said softly, obviously uncomfortable, "it's more that it's start-up is locked to my Bio-electric signature. Mom thought it wouldn't be enough to discourage thieves though, and added in a powerful spell to burn and shock anyone else who tried to start it."
The girl's eyes widened. That was a nasty surprise! Noting her expression, Naruto rushed to explain.
"I helped her with it, or rather, I studied the spell extensively after she was gone. I know how to add other people to it's 'safe list'. I was going to add you, and take you for a ride on it a bit later."
"Oh." Kushina sat there, blinking as she took in the information. His mother was apparently paranoid enough to add a powerful spell to both burn and shock people, who weren't her son, who tried to steal his motorcycle. He apparently even had a license for it, because he said he was going to take her for a ride on it, and the Underworld had similar vehicle laws as the Human World did. No driving without a license for it, though they had the age limit a little lower than the Humans did.
Wait, even still, he'd had the bike for at least three years, if it was given to him before his mother died. Damn, that meant he had one Hell of a Mom, to give her child such an incredible gift. Kushina found herself feeling somewhat jealous, as the only thing she had received from her mother wasn't something that could be brought out and bragged about.
Then something else came to her, and she had to ask, "how is the spell powered? I mean, every spell has a limit... right?"
Naruto nodded, his discomfort increasing. "Ah... it's... *mummblemummble*"
Kushina's eyebrow quirked, "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. What's it's power source?"
The blonde boy sighed, his head dropping in resignation. "Mom found a Sacred Gear that produced a certain amount of energy without limit, and sealed it into the engine."
Blink. Blink. Blink. Blink. Blinkblinkblinkblink!
"What?"
"I said, Mom sealed a Sacred Gear into the engine. One that produced unlimited energy to a certain level."
"I thought that's what you said." Kushina promptly fainted.
Madara chose that moment to speak up, his face creased with curiosity. "Is there really such a Gear, Naruto-sama?"
Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, still uncomfortable with the current topic. "Yes, and no, Madara. There was such a Gear, now it's my engine."
"Ah, I see." Madara's eyes slid over to the covered motorcycle, "and did this engine come with something... extra?"
Naruto grimaced, "thankfully, nothing major has appeared... yet."
"And if it should, in time?"
"I'll deal with it then."
Madara nodded. He wasn't quite certain that Naruto would be able to handle it, should a problem arise, but he figured that if either Kushina, Retsu, or himself were nearby it could be dealt with fairly easily. Failing that, there was always the option of destroying the motorcycle and then rebuilding it.
Kushina stirred, and opened her eyes to see Naruto looking down at her. "Naruto-kun, I had the strangest dream... you had a motorcycle that could solve the human world's power consumption by producing unlimited energy."
"Ah-hah-hah," Naruto laughed nervously. "That... wasn't a dream, Kushina-chan."
Her eyes flew wide, "what?!"
"You're also overlooking the fact I said, 'a certain level'," he said dryly. "It can only produce so much power, but it does so without a time limit. It's just enough to power the spell, and maybe a bit more. Certainly not enough to solve the Humans' problems."
Kushina looked suitably chastised. Of course the Sacred Gear in question couldn't be that powerful, otherwise it wouldn't have been used in the engine of a machine like his motorcycle. There were even a fair number of Sacred Gears that could theoretically be used for such an operation, it was simply that she couldn't recall any such thing working before.
"Oh," she said in a small voice.
"Naruto-sama is glossing over one potential issue, however," Madara said, hiding his glee at Naruto's sudden glare. "Using a Gear in such a way, it becomes possible for it to gain a certain level of intelligence. An 'Ego', if you will."
"Huh?" Was Kushina's intelligent answer. Hey, she just woke up from an unintentional nap, her brain wasn't firing on all cylinders just yet.
"He's saying that eventually my bike could get a mind of it's own due to the Sacred Gear," Naruto stated with a glare for the dark-haired man.
"Ooooh... wait, what?"
Naruto sighed, "this is possibly the first successful experiment in using a Sacred Gear as a mechanical power source. It's not proven, but there is a theory that it might gain it's own mind somehow. BUT," he threw another glare at Madara, "it's only a theory."
"How would that work, exactly?" She wondered.
Both Naruto and Madara shrugged. "Like Naruto-sama said, it's only a theory. A possibility, but it's the idea that power attracts power. In other words, it is possible that a disembodied being of similar power, in this case electrical, could be attracted to the unoccupied Sacred Gear, and take it over as it's own."
"I'm lost."
"It's similar to willingly Sealing one's self into an object, in this case the Sacred Gear." Starrk said from his laid-out position on a nearby seat.
"AH! I get it now!"
"Really?"
"Yup!"
Naruto shrugged. "Okay."
Kushina rolled her eyes, "you're saying that if someone like, say... Raijin, the ancient Japanese deity of lightning, suddenly lost his body, he could be attracted to your engine, and take up residence on a permanent basis."
Naruto blinked, then facepalmed hard. "You just had to put a name out there... And not just any name, but the name of an ancient deity that has long since lost all of his freaking worshipers, making him a displaced entity!"
"Huh? What? Is that bad?" She looked back and forth between Naruto, who kept his face in his hands, Madara, whose face looked like he just ate a lemon, and Starrk who no longer looked like he was going to sleep at any second.
"YES!" All three men shouted at once.
A sudden burst of light, and a bright spark of electricity arced straight toward the covered vehicle.
Apparently Kushina had forgotten one tiny little factor about deities that lost their worshipers: so long as they were mentioned out loud, they continued to exist, and thus retained some semblance of power. Normally this isn't a bad thing, as they still controlled some of their former domains, which meant that they could eventually regain those lost followers, and their proper places amongst the Pantheons.
The downside to losing all of their worshipers, but still being known of, is that they become displaced, with no ties to any one location, area, or even a particular world. This grants them a certain level of freedom to manifest in whatever location their name becomes used. As they are no longer a practicing deity, they aren't actually stepping on another deity's toes by entering their territory. They basically become wandering spirits without a home.
Kushina accidentally named such a displaced deity. One that had a large affinity for lightning, and was known to be more than a little cantankerous and bloodthirsty. And it was now housed within the engine of Naruto's motorcycle.
"Oh, this is so not good," Naruto muttered.
The upside? Well, Raijin was always more of an elemental spirit, which made his domains, and his power, rather limited.. somewhere in the middling range. He had lightning bolts, thunder waves, and was said to be of limited intelligence.
Not really much of a consolation.
"Ah! A body! At last!... Wait, what is this?!"
"A motorcycle." Tier stated, being one of the few without dropped jaws.
"Why would you place a Sacred Gear within such a thing?!"
"Because Kana-sama wanted to make sure the machine couldn't be stolen," she replied immediately.
"The machine?! Who cares about the machine?!"
"Naruto-sama does. It was a gift from Kana-sama."
There was the generalized sounds of spluttering, and incoherent mumbling, before a sigh was heard. "You mean to tell me, that I just bound myself to a Sacred Gear that is sealed inside of a machine? A machine that is incapable of moving on it's own?"
"That would be correct."
"God Fucking Dammit."
"If it's any consolation, this was hardly my intention." Naruto said, walking over to the still-covered bike. "I never wanted someone, or something, to become stuck in my bike."
"Get this tarp off, I want to see you."
Naruto shrugged, and grabbed the tarp, pulling it off in one sweep. Kushina looked at the machine, blinked, and looked again. yup, she wasn't imagining things.
Kushina would admit to many things, one of which being that she enjoyed the occasional video game. One of her all-time favorites was Final Fantasy VII, which was probably the most popular in the long-running series. What she was looking at right now, was a crimson and sable version of the same thing that Cloud drove on his group's way out of Midgard, just with an extended seat to fit a passenger.*
This thing actually looked like it belonged to a devil. Which was fitting, considering it did.
The front tire swiveled a little, "Huh, whaddya know? I can move a bit... hm... likely-looking lad. Race?"
"Devil."
"Family?"
"Namikaze and Ginjo."
"... The Soul Magic and Fullbring clans?"
"Yes."
"Position?"
"Heir. To both names."
One could almost hear the spirit blinking. "Well dayum! You done good there boy! Maybe this won't be so bad. This form of mine have a name?"
"I was using 'Bucephalus', the same name as Alexander the Great's horse."
"Hm... That'll do. For now at least. Can't very well use 'Raijin' anymore, seeing as I'm bound."
Naruto looked at Kushina, then to everyone else, and noted each of their expressions mirrored his. Shock, surprise, disbelief, and incredulity. This was going WAY too easy! And did it speak with a Southern American accent for a moment? What was up with that?! Shouldn't a Japanese spirit use a Japanese accent?
"Well... I could use 'Ixion' or 'Sleipnir' I suppose..." Naruto mused, not realizing he had spoken out loud.
"Not bad choices, think I'll take Ixion though. I ain't pissin' off Odin just 'cuz you want a bitchin' name for a mount." You could practically cut the sarcasm with a butter knife. Though it made sense, who wanted to piss off Odin?
Naruto sweatdropped, "right... Ixion it is..."
"Come to think of it... what is an 'Ixion' anyway?"
"Hm? Oh, it's the name for a summon beast, coincidentally it's a horse of lightning." Naruto explained, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Does this summon beast still exist?"
Naruto shrugged, "hell if I know. I'm not a summoner. But I got it from a video game, so maybe?"
"Hm... shouldn't be stepping on any toes then."
"You're afraid of an electric horse?"
"I can't move freely, boy! I'm stuck with this body now, and I don't want to be blasted into spare parts."
"Good point. Would this be an appropriate time to mention that your casing is primarily formed from adamantite?"
A pregnant pause ensued. One could just imagine the look of sheer disbelief that would otherwise have been on the Raijin's face.
"... Yes. Yes, this is a very good time to tell me what this body of mine is made from."
Naruto held back a snicker of amusement as he could just tell the spirit was blinking in surprise. Shrugging, he said, "I will admit I wasn't paying complete attention when Mom was going over it all, but I do remember her mentioning an oricalcum frame, wyvern hide seating, and Hellfire rubber for the tires to compliment the adamantite parts."
"... Boy... just how much money did your mother sink into this thing?"
The shock and awe was obvious in the spirit's tone, and Naruto couldn't withhold his grin. "I've been tempted to think that she bankrupted the Ginjo name to make it."
"... Sounds about right... just how paranoid..."
The spirit was obviously mumbling to itself, so the others turned their attention away. Naruto took up a seat along the side away from the now-possessed motorcycle, Kushina and Tier joining him swiftly.
"That really went far better than I could have hoped for," he muttered quietly to the two women.
XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX
Several hours passed since the episode with the newly-christened Ixion, hours spent doing anything but paying close attention to the possessed motorcycle. The reason? Well, it seemed that Ixion had a habit of talking to himself out loud, and it was somewhat disconcerting to listen to a motorcycle talk.
Finally Naruto stood up, and walked over. "Say, Ixion, how do you feel about getting out for a bit? I had the bike loaded up for that reason after all, and to give Kushina a chance to feel what it's like to ride one."
"Hm... not a bad idea, Boy. I'll admit, being stuck as an inanimate object was not my best possible idea. Getting out would be a good way to test my new limits. But isn't there a spell that keeps anyone other than you from riding me?"
"Ah, that? That's keyed to the start-up. With you in there, the bike's practically primed to go whenever, so it shouldn't be a problem, but I was going to modify the spell to allow her anyway." Naruto replied easily, his hand hovering over the side of the engine.
Yet again, Naruto got the impression of the spirit blinking. "You know how to do that? I'm in here, and I don't know how to do that."
The boy smirked, "I watched Mom put the spell in, and have studied it extensively... or as much as I could in the years since her death. Outside of my family magics, I'd say there isn't a spell I know better."
"... If I blow up, I'll never let you on, even if you rebuild me."
Naruto's smirk grew into a full blow laugh, his hand lighting up with an intricate glyph. "Fair enough. Kushina, your hand, and a bit of magic please."
She was at his side in an instant, seemingly teleporting in her excitement. Kushina extended her hand, a small glow of her own magic suffusing the outstretched limb as it made contact with Naruto's. A Brief flash, and the glyph under his hand had changed slightly, chains wrapping around the outer layer.
A nod of satisfaction from Naruto told her that it had gone correctly, and she was now entered into the glyph's matrix. Naruto glanced over his shoulder at Tier, and motioned with his head for her to join them.
"As long as I have it active, Tier, I figured I'd add you as well. Never know when my loyal Knight will be in need of a powerful steed," he said teasingly, his eyes dancing with mirth and affection.
Tier rolled her eyes at his joke, but walked over and added her own hand and magic to his his. Another flash of light, and the chains were now interspersed with what appeared to be the toothed maw of a shark. Fitting, since Tier had an incredibly high affinity for that particular creature.
Naruto let the glyph fade back into the engine, and felt more than satisfied. It had been difficult, the new sweat on his brow was testament to that, but it was also proof that his studies had paid off. Adding Tier had probably been pushing it though.
"How's that feel, Ixion?" The boy asked, curious to know if the spirit could feel any difference.
"... Odd. I feel as if my territory has increased, and... something more..."
The engine roared to life a moment later, surprising everyone. Just as surprising was a new decoration that appeared on the side of the main tank: Two lightning bolts in a double-helix and meeting to form the head of a horse facing forward.
"I can start up myself now... I wonder if that means you have accidentally granted me the ability to move on my own..."
Naruto grinned, "if so, let's not try that out in here, alright?"
"Agreed, as a courtesy, if nothing else. I'll say it now, Boy, if you have indeed managed to give me self-mobility, I will carry you or one of those females without complaint."
Naruto's breath hissed in surprise, his eyes widening in unadulterated shock. This was far more than he could have hoped for. Spirits were prideful, and rarely could a devil, another innately proud species, gain one as a willing ally. The fact that this entire series of events had been one giant cluster-fuck for the spirit in question, and Naruto had no reason to even hope that it would react with any sort of gratitude.
Then something registered in his mind, and his eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "My name, by the way, is Naruto."
"Are you yet an adult?"
"Well.. in some ways..."
"Yes or no."
"Technically? I'm only fifteen, so that would be a no."
"Then you are a boy, and as such I will call you 'Boy'. Should you live to see adulthood, I may consider changing it." Ixion stated logically.
Muttering imprecations beneath his breath, Naruto moved toward the front end, to ask the drivers to pull over long enough for him to unload the bike. He wanted to go for a ride, and no disrespectful name would stop him! Besides, he had promised Kushina a ride, and Namikaze-Ginjo Naruto always kept his promises.
XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX
It turned out that, yes, Naruto did indeed managed to give Ixion independent mobility. So, much like a horse, all Naruto had to do now was lean in a direction to get the bike to go where he wanted. Although Ixion still allowed him to manually control everything, as they were in the infancy of their new "partnership". They would practice moving together at a later time. And with Kushina clinging tightly to his back, her long red tresses flying in the wind from beneath the helmet he gave her, Naruto felt beyond satisfied as he enjoyed the ride.
The path to the Uzumaki Estate was a rather scenic one, filled with flowering cherry and plum blossoms. Beyond those was something of a prime-evil forest, not too different from the Familiar Forest, just a fair bit more dangerous. Only the Uzumaki ever really ventured within, and even then it was a rare occurrence.
According to what he could hear from Kushina, at any rate.
Currently the two of them were riding several car-lengths behind the giant rig that carried their Peerages, as Naruto had an idea with which to wow the Uzumaki with. Kushina wasn't certain it would wow her family, but it would certainly be something different and make a rather strong impression on the children of the clan.
But for now, Naruto drove, and Kushina held herself to him tightly, both enjoying the experience of riding together...
"... If you two get any closer, you'll have sex on my chassis."
XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX
Uzumaki Mito stood out front of the main house of her clan's Estate, resplendent in a lavender kimono. Arrayed behind her were several leaders of branch houses, all powerful in their own right... though she could wish that some of them would lighten up a bit.
Especially the Ishida Branch Family, who stood a little apart from the rest of them.
Ishida Ryuken, head of the Ishida branch of the Uzumaki which split from the main family centuries ago, stood prim and proper in a pristine white suit carrying a five-point blue cross over his left breast, his young son Uryu at his side. Ryuken's ancestor had found a way to tap into the latent spiritual energy of the world around him, and used it to create his very own magic, which he called Kuinshi, or Monk of Destruction. The name was fairly apt as the ancestor in question went into seclusion in a human monastery directly after passing the reins to his son.
However, after centuries the Ishida family was about as different from the Uzumaki as the humans were from devils. They looked similar, and that's about where it ended. In fact, the only true similarities were a sharp facial structure for the males, and slightly more cherubic features for the females. Where every other Uzumaki had red hair, to one degree or another, the Ishida had coal black, or the rare white such as Ryuken sported. Where the Uzumaki enjoyed bright, diverse colors, the Ishidawore white with that blue five-point star. Where Uzumaki had a love of fun and excitement, the Ishida were pragmatic and very much dour.
There were many who thought that there was no Uzumaki blood left in the Ishida family, but anyone who met them on the battlefield quickly changed their opinions. While they lacked the Sealing and Chain magics of the Uzumaki Main family, they certainly still held the same flair for dramatic battle and the sharp tactical mindset. There were few who desired to face the Ishida across the field of battle, and those who did often found themselves wishing they had left well enough alone. Usually accompanied by comments such as: "now I see the resemblance".
A loud horn sounding broke Mito out of her thoughts on her family's semi-estranged cousins, and she refocused on a... semi-truck?
Blinking a bit, she took note that the truck was still there, so it wasn't just a figment of her tired imagination. There really was a large red semi-truck-like vehicle heading toward them.
'And I thought our family had a flair for the dramatic... Haruo, I think I may have to give you this one...' Mito thought with a sweatdrop forming on her brow.
The truck pulled to a stop with the right side facing the gathered Clan, still at a respectable distance. The two Peerages filed out and lined up, one Peerage on each side, each member across from their respective Piece in the other Peerage, save Ichigo whose counterpart had been Sasuke. Facing each other, the two Peerages left a wide swath between them that Mito assumed was for Kushina and Naruto to walk down, not dissimilar to a wedded couple.
Her surprise was complete, however, when the loud roar of another engine came to her ears, and a motorcycle jumped over the back of the truck, perfectly in line with the open space between the Peerages. A motorcycle that made a perfect landing carrying two riders, one blonde and the other red haired. Coming to a grinding halt on an angle, the riders looked toward the gathered Clan.
"Yo! Mito-Oba-chan! We're here!" Naruto grinned at the Uzumaki matriarch as he pulled a set of goggles down his face, Kushina mirroring his action behind him.
The young children in the crowd looked at him with stars in their eyes. It was official, Namikaze-Ginjo Naruto was the coolest person they knew now. There were even looks of something close to hero worship on some their faces.
"Oh spirits above and below, there's another one." Ryuken muttered quietly in near-silent despair.
XXXXXXXX- Ending Notes -XXXXXXXX
*Bucephalus: the name of King Alexander the Great's battle horse. It was said to be so wild and untamed that it would allow no other to mount it. The name has since been used many times to indicate a horse, or other mount, that is particularly difficult to tame for use. Thus I used it to describe just how difficult it would be to steal Naruto's motorcycle.
*Yeah, I can't describe the bike, so I'd suggest looking it up. It's absolutely badass though. "Final Fantasy VII motorcycle" is what I used in the Google search. Remember, it's from the game, during the escape from Midgard, so don't bother looking at the one from Advent Children.
KING: Namikaze Naruto (Devil)
QUEEN: Unohana Retsu (Devil)
BISHOP: Ulquiorra Cifer (Bat Yokai), Coyote Starrk (Coyote Yokai)
KNIGHT: Tier Harribel (Devil). Soifon (Faé)
ROOK: Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez (Panther Yokai), Shihoin Yoruichi (Nekomata)
PAWN: Zaraki Kenpachi (?), Kuchiki Byakuya (Devil), Hitsugaya Toushiro (Ice Apparition), Kurosaki Ichigo (Human-Devil-Fallen Hybrid)
KING: Kushina (Devil)
QUEEN: Uchiha Madara (Devil)
BISHOP: Sarutobi Hiruzen (Human/Magic Knight), Hatake Kakashi (Devil)
KNIGHT: Uchiha Mikoto (Devil), Momochi Zabuza (Half-Oni)
ROOK: Senju Tsunade (Half-Demon/Medicine Woman), Inuzuka Tsume (Human/Beast Tamer)
PAWN: Maito Gai (Reincarnation: Heracles), Konan (Fallen Angel), Mitarashi Anko (Lamia), (two unused Pieces)