AN: Alright, I know this isn't a story people were really looking forward to, but it's what I've got for you right now.
My apologies for how late this chapter is! My muse apparently decided to ditch me and go on vacation, so it's kinda just been sitting here. Ugh. Expect long waits in the future.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Bleach, or High School DxD
Chapter 06: More of the Uzumaki and a New Friend?
"Quite the entrance you made, young man," Mito said dryly, yet with one corner of her mouth quirked up in a grin.
Naruto's grin didn't fade in the slightest, "Thanks. Gotta arrive fashionably, right?"
"Of course," the dryness in her voice was unmistakable. "If you're quite done pranking the entire Uzumaki Clan..."
"Ah, but this wasn't a prank, Mito-baa-chan," he corrected her. "It's the First Impression, and I'd like to think it was memorable."
"Oh, that it certainly was," she replied, mirth and deadpan in equal portions. No one was really sure how she managed that. "Now, as I was saying, if you are quite finished...?"
"Eh-heh," Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He waited for Kushina to get off the bike before dismounting himself. Ixion then moved on it's own, returning to the side of the truck. Eyes were wide all around the Uzumaki and Ishida, jaws dropping every which way.
Then, just to add a little more flare, "see ya later, Boy. Don't do anything I wouldn't."
Jaws previously only open in surprise, hit the ground intimately in shock. Damn but that was a comical expression! It was just like those exaggerated cartoons, bug-eyes and all.
"That doesn't leave a great deal out, Ixion!' Naruto called after vehicle. He stopped to savor the dumbfounded expressions on his audience's faces for a moment.
"Yes, but that just proves that those things are beyond stupid!"
"Or they're things you can't do! Like eating," Naruto replied smugly.
"Don't go getting uppity on me now, kid."
"Oh, stow it," the boy muttered under his breath. He's only known the spirit for a few hours, and he already couldn't win!
The stares were only increasing in incredulity and shock. A living motorcycle? What in the Hells?
"Now, if we're quite done gaping at Ixion..." Kushina said gently, but with a hint of mischief. Naruto may not be pranking the clan, but that didn't mean she wasn't enjoying the looks of shock. As far as first prank attempts were concerned that one rated pretty high. She had to give it to Ixion for achieving such a monumental clan-sized prank.
Mito regained her usual air with alacrity, almost seeming to have never been stumped in the first place as she casually jabbed her elbow into her husband's side. "Of course, the reception for you and your fiance will be at six this evening. Until then you should give them the 'Grand Tour', as you call it. I'm certain you'll have plenty of time."
Kushina groaned at her great-aunt's jab about her younger days. "Yes, Mito-Obaa-chan."
The elder woman nodded, before an expression of sudden remembrance crossed her features. "Oh, I almost forgot. You have a visitor, Kushina. She says she's here to take you up on an offer from some time ago. Something about hitting her limits?"
Kushina frowned in thought for a moment. "Oh! Yes, I remember now! Where is she?"
"Waiting by the lakeside. Said it made her feel calm." Hashirama replied.
"Born in a small island nation, makes sense that water would make her feel at home," she said.
"Huh, I guess. Always felt more at home in the woods myself," Hashirama noted to no one.
Kushina, Mito, and Ryuken deadpanned stares at the man, while Naruto kept himself quiet and out of sight for the moment. His primary magic dealt with using trees and such as weapons to ensnare his opponents, of course he felt at home in the woods! If he didn't they'd have to get his head examined.
Kushina just shook her head, "right, I'll just go see her... and get away from Hashi-jiji's rambling," she said, the last part quietly so only Naruto could hear.
"Mind if I join you?" He asked just quietly, a hint of desperation in his voice.
"Yes," she replied evilly, "go, mingle, corrupt the children, and be yourself, Naruto-kun."
He looked at her strangely. "Are you trying to get me to terrorize your family?"
"Yes."
"Ah." He paused for a moment, "alright then, fun time."
Only Mito seemed unaffected by the sudden chill running up the collective spines of the Uzumaki and Ishida families. It was said that the original Lucifer had a smile like that whenever he planned something particularly nasty for anyone who displeased him. But that couldn't be true for this young man, right? After all, they hadn't done anything.
Yet.
XXXXXXXX
Kushina strolled out to her family's not-so-little lake, her mind only partly on the meeting about to occur. The majority of her musings were focused on just what Naruto was doing to her clan, and wishing she'd told one of her people to video tape it.
It would be good for the Clan's moral backbone to be reminded that they were fallible as much as the next devil.
Kushina came to an abrupt stop as she spied the person waiting for her, and cried internally. Long flowing auburn hair stopping just below the ass, a curvaceous body that the term barely did credit to, one visible green eye, lightly colored lips, a daring dress in a deep blue, and finishing the look with knee-high heeled boots in matte black, the young woman standing on the bank of the lake seemed to personify the very concept of the word sensual. Especially in the side profile she was being viewed in.
Terumi Mei, a human mage who specialized in combining Fire and Earth spells, or Fire and Water spells depending upon her mood, and an old friend of Kushina's childhood. The young woman was only a year younger than her*, but they had been as close as sisters at one time. Well, until Mei said she wanted to know more about her magic and ditched about seven years back. Though the note she left behind also made mention of Mei promising to come back some day to join Kushina's Peerage.
"Kushina-chan!" The other girl cried upon seeing her. A moment later Kushina found herself on the receiving end of a spine-shattering hug, her not-inconsiderable bust pressed strongly against Mei's own. Humans should not be that strong!
"Mei-chan! Can't breathe!"
"Oops," Mei chuckled as she let Kushina go, the older redhead gasping in gulps of air like it was going out of style.
"Mei-chan, I'm glad to see you, but where went your restraint?" Kushina finally managed to gasp out. Really, the change was more than a little shocking from the shy little thing Mei used to be.
"Hehe," Mei put her hands on her hips and pushed her chest out, "I think it was swallowed up by these things!"
"Not impossible, I guess," Kushina muttered. That chest of hers was almost unnaturally large for a girl of her age, and Kushina just knew that it was only going to get bigger. After all, neither of them had finished growing yet.
"But look at you! I'll bet you have all the boys drooling over you with that body! Even if you aren't interested in them, they should be practically begging to look at you!" Mei exclaimed as she took a closer look at Kushina, noting that they were practically of the same body type, even if the older girl was a little slimmer.
"Eh-he, not really..." Kushina said nervously, poking her index fingers together.
Mei frowned, "and why not? Girl, you got the looks, so flaunt them!"
"I don't really need to..."
"Hmm?"
"I'm kinda, sorta, *mumblemumble*"
"Yeah? 'Kinda, sorta' what?"
Kushina sighed and looked up through her bangs at Mei, "engaged."
Mei stood there, flabbergasted. 'No, no, no, no, no, no! I'M the one who always talked about marriage! It's MY dream, not hers! She always said she didn't want a man in her life like that! Even if she did, I should have at least been first!' Mei just couldn't believe it, her world practically shattered around her. This was horrible!
"I know it was always your dream, Mei-chan," Kushina said, her tone earnest, "but it was decided that I should marry Naruto, the Heir of the Namikaze, to help cement our clan ties that much more. I was allowed, still am allowed, to back out of the engagement at any time before the wedding, the only stipulation being that I had to at least meet him. And, oh! Mei-chan!" Here the older girl got a slightly dreamy look on her face, "I swear, it was almost love at first sight! And though I've only known him for the last couple months, I think I'm falling for him harder and harder each day! I really don't think I'll want to back out of this! I mean, he's a prankster like me! He loves the color red, even said my hair was his favorite shade! He likes to take long walks in gardens, and along beaches, and in forests, and he really enjoys practicing his swordsmanship! He even helped me to deal with that Sasuke problem! Though, he was more than a little scary at that time..."
With each word spoken, Mei could hear the emotions that Kushina had for this mysterious Naruto. Each word put new perspective on the situation. And each word made Mei become genuinely happy for her old tomboy of a best friend.
'Okay, maybe it's not so bad. She seems happy, at least,' Mei thought, resigning herself to the facts.
Finally Mei just sighed, and propped her hands on her hips. "Damn, girl! If you're that sold on this guy, I guess congratulations are in order," she paused, and she saw that her friend was about to speak and held her hand up to stall her. "No, let me finish. I'm glad for you, I really am, but I do have at least one question."
Kushina nodded, and Mei continued, "is there anything you're unhappy about?"
Kushina stood there for a minute, one hand on her chin as she thought, before nodding slowly. "I'd say that the only real problem is that I have to share him with at least one other girl. I already picked her out, and have been practically shoving them at each other to get over their current Master and Servant relationship, but I kinda wish I could have kept him for just me."
Mei nodded, until the words sunk in. "Wait. You have to share him? Why?"
Kushina blinked. "Didn't I say it? Naruto-kun's the Heir of the Namikaze. His mother was of the Ginjo family, and now he's the Heir of that as well. Together, to support the growth of both houses, he needs at least two wives. I picked out one of his Bishops, Tier Harribel, to fill the second slot, because it fell to me to do so through tradition."
"No, no you did not say that earlier. So you're saying... He gets a legal harem?!"
Kushina nodded slowly. She wasn't certain she liked this line of questioning.
Mei got a devilish look in her eye, "any room left for me?"
"Mei-chan!"
Mei laughed, placing a calming hand on Kushina's shoulder, "I'm just kidding, Kushina-chan! You know I'm not the sharing type."
Kushina sighed, "all jokes aside, Mei, you know I don't exactly have a great deal of room left in my Peerage, right? As a matter of fact, if not for the fiasco with Sasuke, I wouldn't have any space open."
Mei frowned slightly, "that's the second time you mentioned a problem with this Sasuke character. What happened there?"
Kushina blinked, then tilted her head. "You have been out of touch. Sasuke used to be one of my Pawns, and was born to the Uchiha clan. He was more than a little unstable, though, and was constantly following me around, stalking me wherever I went, believing that because I added him to my Peerage that I wanted him to always be with me... I know it's kinda popular to marry one of your Peerage members these days, but I honestly never felt that way about him. Ugh, just thinking about it all gives me a headache!"
Mei listened intently, her jaw dropping as Kushina continued to rant. The older girl didn't even seem to realize she was going on and on, as she continued talking for several minutes, telling Mei all about the incident that sealed the fate of the former Uchiha, and perhaps cemented Kushina's feelings toward Naruto. It was so surreal that Mei could only stand there and try take it all in, and try not to flinch at the description of what Naruto did to this Sasuke after the nutjob struck his own mother.
She was only partially successful.
When Kushina finally stopped, she discovered she was panting for breath. Was she really that agitated over it still? Or was it fresh anger? Was she getting angry again over Sasuke's attempt to murder Naruto? That felt much closer to the mark, and made her glad that he wasn't within reach for her to add to his list of injuries.
She was snapped out of her inner musings when Mei said, "damn, Kushina. Just... Damn. That was beyond crazy, and to think this all happened without someone filming it!"
Kushina sweatdropped, "is that all you really got out of it?"
"Of course not," Mei retorted. "Your Pawn was too clingy, too certain of his own supposed worth, tried to kill your new fiance, got his ass handed to him on a freakin' gold platter, and then got tossed out of not only your Peerage, but his own Clan. I just wish someone had thought to video tape it or something."
Kushina blinked. Mei's summary was more than just accurate, it mentioned damn near everything that happened in a single sentence. "Well, I don't think either Mikoto or Madara did any kind of recording, but you might be able to find something off one of Naruto's members. His Rook, Yoruichi, might have a clip..."
"Ooo! That's that dark-skinned chick who likes all that tight clothing, right? And turning into a cat? Isn't she a kind of nekomata?"
"Not a kind, she is a nekomata."
"Oh. Eh, still sounds like the most fun character of the bunch."
"Hm... Yeah, somehow Naruto got a lot of serious or crazy men in his group, and the other three women are all serious, too!" Kushina wondered just how that all came about. There was no way it could be pure coincidence, could it?
While Kushina was mulling over the probability of such an occurrence, Mei was wondering just what this man was like, who was able to get into her friend's heart so deeply. He had to be something special, maybe he even had Celestial blood!* Though even Mei would admit that idea was somewhat ridiculous. The idea that an Angel and a Devil would get it on was just too funny, since for the Celestial effects to remain, the Angel would need to retain their Grace throughout the coupling.
It just wouldn't work. The moment the Angel began to feel anything remotely resembling pleasure, they would Fall, thus rendering the Celestial aspect of their blood moot.
Mei shook her head, "so, you have an opening for me then?"
Kushina seemed to shake herself, pulling back from whatever she was thinking of. "Yes. I managed to trade Sasuke to the Haruno for two Pawn pieces, one of which is a Mutated piece. I'm sure I can reincarnate you with them."
Mei steeled herself, "then let's do this!"
XXXXXXXX- Meanwhile with Naruto
Naruto walked a little to the side and behind his current tour guide of the Uzumaki mansion, which turned out to be a sprawling affair in the traditional Japanese style once past the outer walls. He had already walked around, over, and even through, a few prank traps some of the children had set. He had simply sent the gawking youngsters a superior look as he continued on his way, the children in question giving him new looks of hero worship.
At least, he assumed the traps were all done by children. If they weren't, he'd need to demonstrate the true art of pranking people. His tour guide shivered slightly when he brought that up.
'If this is child's play... I don't want to see his interpretation of Masterwork, it might just be on Kushina's level!' She thought worriedly.
Naruto looked at his guide, a somewhat attractive redheaded girl about his age named Karin. "So, let's recap... You've shown me the Clan Meeting Hall, which doubles as the Grand Hall for any and all important events. You've shown me the Inner Courtyard, which I'll admit is a rather impressive plant and rock garden and pond combination. You've shown me the Guest Quarters, where I left the lion's share of my Peerage behind. You've shown me the Baths, both indoor and outdoor, attempting to trick me into the women's side in the process, only to fail badly enough to walk yourself into the men's. Following that little debacle, you showed me the recreational area, which includes all manner of sports arena and playgrounds for the kids. And now we've just finished looking at the Training Grounds. About the only things left that I could think of would be the kitchens, the personal rooms of the Clan, and the latrines. I can hardly show even faked polite interest in that last one, so I can only surmise that at this point you're simply trying to buy time for something, how far off am I?"
Retsu and Tier shook their heads at their King's blunt tact, even as he ticked each "item" off on his fingers. He had kept them with him for two reasons: One, Tier was pretty much his other fiance by this point; and Two, neither woman would leave him alone to possibly get himself into a situation that would cause potential problems. As unlikely as it might be, the chances were still there, and so they felt the needs to minimize them further. Specifically, that prank of Karin's that might have gotten him to see a lot of naked female flesh would have been bad, due to an old-world tradition of women being forced to marry the first man who saw them in such a state.
Yeah, Retsu and Tier were both glad he managed to steer clear of that one.
Karin blushed, "not really that far off actually. Though, I'll admit that part of all this is a personal desire to get to know my cousin's new fiance. Gotta say, you're kinda cool, even if you did somehow get me to walk into the men's baths."
Naruto sighed, "so what are they setting up for? Some giant prank on the fiance?"
"Um, kinda..."
"... 'Kinda'?"
"It's your official welcome party, but I don't doubt there are going to be some pranks played as well." Karin admitted.
"If that's all, I'm certain we can handle it, Naruto-sama." Tier said in her usual stoic fashion.
"Probably," Naruto said as he mused. "Wonder if I should prank them back?"
"Why not just do what you normally do, Naruto-sama?" Retsu asked, "Use their own pranks against them?"
"Really now, my dear Retsu," Naruto practically purred as a devilish grin stretched across his face, "Who do you take me for? Of course I'm going to use their pranks against them. That was never in question. What was, is whether or not I should add a few of my own to the mix?"
Naruto's grin had Karin wondering if Lucifer-sama had been reincarnated.
XXXXXXXX
The little "ceremony" to add Mei to her Peerage having gone completely successfully, Kushina took her fellow redhead straight to the rest of her group. Introductions had to be made after all, no matter how funny it might be to watch Kakashi hit on the busty girl in false assumptions.
... Okay, with that thought in mind, Kushina changed course to find Naruto. Embarrassing Kakashi was one thing, but she was marrying Naruto. If she didn't pull the rug out from under any potential misunderstandings now, she'd possibly end up with a second co-wife.
Kushina would admit to being fond of Mei, even after a seven-year absence, but not enough to share Naruto with her. Maybe she could divert Mei's attention to another of the men? From what Kushina remembered, Mei had a fondness for tall, rugged yet handsome, and powerful...
Damn it. The closest ones to that would be Zaraki -no!-, Grimmjow -no, again-, Zabuza -yet another no-, and that Ichigo... maybe? Hiruzen was too old for Mei's tastes, despite the fact that he was still a fairly good-looking man. As for Kakashi... no one knew what he looked like under that damned face-mask of his! Kushina wasn't even certain the man's own mother knew what he looked like. The biggest problems with the most of them was that they were too serious, or too battle-crazed. Ichigo was the tamest of the lot, but he was definitely a serious one, and Kushina had no clue how that might interact with Mei's natural flirtation.
Honestly! The girl didn't even have to try to be flirty, or sexy, or anything else that would easily grab a man's attention. Mei could probably just stand there and grab the eyes of every man in the Underworld!
'NOT FAIR!'
Kushina never got to play around with her looks before meeting Naruto, so she never got to have fun breaking hearts. Not that she was going to now, she was quite happy with becoming Naruto's wife, but she couldn't help wondering what it might have been like to at least get to try it out.
The two girls found Naruto being led around by Kushina's cousin, Karin, who seemed to be shamelessly flirting with the blonde boy. Kushina began to see red, until her eyes fell upon the two women flanking the object of her ire. Neither Tier nor Retsu were emitting any kind of dangerous vibe, so it obviously wasn't what it appeared to be.
Naruto saw her and his eyes lit up, one arm rising to wave her over. "Kushina-chan! Perfect timing! Save me from your cousin's bad attempts at flirting, would you?"
... 'Okay, so it was what it looked like.' Kushina thought to herself.
"Oh? Is little Karin-chan still bad at flirting?" Mei piped in with a husky purr in her voice, "maybe I should give her lessons on how to really get a man hot and bothered."
"I am not bad at flirting! It's just that men don't seem to know how to appreciate me," Karin whined. Too bad for her that this statement went practically unnoticed.
Naruto raised one eyebrow, and his eyes sought out Kushina's. "Your new Pawn, I take it?"
Kushina sighed and nodded. "Yes, Naruto-kun, Retsu-chan, Tier-chan, this is my childhood friend and new Pawn, Terumi Mei. Mei-chan, these are my fiance, Namikaze Naruto, his Queen, Unohana Retsu, and his Knight, as well as my sister fiance, Tier Harribel."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Naruto-kun," Mei purred in her sultry voice and dipped into small curtsy, which showed off not only her long and slender legs, but a good view of her cleavage. The young woman had a knowing smile on her face, as if she knew that Naruto would be staring at her ample assets. She was was surprised, however, when she rose and found that Naruto looked amused.
"Indeed, Mei-san, Indeed." He said, his tone filled with humor. "A word of warning, though, never try to prank a prankster. That could very well start a war you will not win."
Mei clasped her hands and fluttered her eyelashes coquettishly, "oh, you wouldn't prank little me, would you? Why, I'm just an innocent young woman."
He snorted, "nice joke. You're affiliated with another prankster, my darling Kushina. There is no way in the nine levels of Hell you're innocent."
The auburn haired girl just gave him a conspiratorial grin. He'd read her like a book, one prankster to another. Her's was the false promise of being able to touch what she put on display, that was Mei's ultimate prank. And Naruto had seen right through it.
Well, it was a false promise to anyone but her chosen man. But no one else needed to know that.
Mei slung one arm across a giggling Kushina's shoulders, "well, I'd say he passes inspection, Kushina-chan. He didn't even glance at my chest, did he?"
Kushina was trying to catch her breath from laughing too hard, having seen Mei actually fail to get a man's attention to focus on her assets. "Not even for a moment, Mei-chan."
Tier nodded from her place behind Naruto. Of course he didn't look, if he wanted to see a woman's breasts he only needed to ask her and the dusky-skinned woman would gladly bare hers for him. Not that he knew this, it was just a little too embarrassing for Tier to actually bring up. After all, she didn't want to come across as some kind of loose woman.
While Tier was lost in her thoughts, Retsu was having similar, yet very different ones. 'Of course Naruto-sama didn't look! I helped raise him to respect women! It's too bad I couldn't chastise Minato-sama in the same way... Being swallowed by my Minazuki* seemed to be beneficial for Naruto-sama.'
Seemingly oblivious to the women's thoughts, Naruto expertly hid a shiver of disgust. He knew that gleam in Retsu's eye, and it always made him regret allowing her to learn the Namikaze Soul Magic alongside him. That hidden sadist!
"In any case," Naruto said, attempting to divert the subject back toward safer territory, "Karin here was just saying that your clan was preparing something of a party. I don't suppose you'd have an idea as to what to possibly expect, would ya, Kushina-chan?"
"Hm," She placed one finger to her chin in faux thought, "Well, you could always wait and find out?"
"I could," he agreed, "but I don't want to."
She pouted cutely, "but what if I don't wanna talk, Naruto-kun? What then?"
Ignoring the audience they had, Naruto reached over and pulled Kushina to him by her waist, settling his lips right by her ear. Breathing out softly on the lobe, he whispered in a husky voice, "I could always do something to pay you in advance, Kushina-chan."
A shiver of pure lust and want ran the length of her spine twice, and she unconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck. Kushina couldn't help it, he had found out that her ears were extremely sensitive a number of weeks back, and used them against her in such a teasing way. And every time, it made her knees weak, and her mind would fill with so many different visions of just what, exactly, he could do to her.
Kushina pressed herself closer, whispering right back, "don't make promises you won't keep, Naruto-kun. I might just take you up on it."
Naruto took a quick look around, and dragged Kushina around a corner. A minute or so later, Kushina came back with a flushed face, messy hair and slightly swollen lips. Naruto, though, came back with only his shirt looking a little rumpled.
"Well, Kushina-chan? Do I keep my promises or what?" He quipped lively.
"Uh-huh," the girl nodded, her glazed eyes telling the four other women that she was completely out of it.
Mei shuffled closer to Karin and Tier, "damn, that boy knows just to handle her, doesn't he? Makes me a little jealous. Wish I had a man like that."
Karin was lost in her own little world, however, and didn't hear a thing. Tier, on the other hand, heard her quite well and developed a small, unnoticeable blush. She recalled a moment a few days before that she and Naruto had shared a similar encounter. The only real difference was that she knew better than to challenge his promises, and had instead been the aggressor in that rare moment. That was when Tier had accepted Kushina's idea to become Naruto's second wife, though the kiss had led to Tier quickly falling beneath Naruto's surprisingly skilled tongue.
Retsu just smiled at the cute image of he King and his fiance acting like love-struck teens. Initially she had been slightly against the proposed marriage, but seeing her King fall so swiftly for the girl had changed her mind. And the girl's own over-protective Queen was a nice bonus of eye-candy, too.
'Oh my. Looks like it's my turn to act like a lovesick teen girl,' Retsu thought as images of her own chosen beau entered her mind, even as her eye gained a slightly naughty twinkle. 'I wonder if Madara-kun likes the color purple...'
XXXXXXXX
The official welcome party was going splendidly, and Naruto hadn't had to avoid even one prank so far. Hellfires, he hadn't even been sought out for random conversation by any of the dozens of people in the room. That was beyond suspicious, especially since someone had already managed to get Ryuuken. The man wore a thunderous expression that perfectly matched his now storm gray hair.
Naruto couldn't help but wonder if people were either accidentally or purposely trying to set off traps that otherwise would have been meant for him. Hellfires, even Mito had been hit with a prank, albeit a small-scale one that left her with garishly-painted finger and toe-nails. That little gem had been courtesy of Naruto, and she had apparently decided to roll with it. How did he know this? She was showing them off, even as a young member hit Zaraki with bells and ribbons in his hair. Naruto could have sworn the woman actually used the garish paint job as a distraction for the kid!
The problem with the prank on Zaraki was that he took a liking to the bells. Started saying that it might provide his opponents with an advantage so he could enjoy the fights more. He did rid himself of the ribbons though.
Naruto was feeling quite put out. He was the only one that a prank hadn't even been attempted on. That was when a lightbulb went of in his head. They were intentionally leaving him out so that he'd make a fool of himself, thus ending up pranked. It was something he'd done to Minato once, the boy had been on the look out for a prank and had tripped over his own two feet right into the compost their mother used for the garden.
So instead of looking for pranks for him, he decided to watch for people who either pranked themselves, or were nearly pranked. One enterprising young man dared to approach Retsu, only to be scared off by Madara's glare. Not that Naruto blamed the boy, that was a rather frightening expression. He wasn't even the target and he'd almost felt the need to apologize!
Of course Naruto didn't blame Madara either as the man's company, the very same Unohana Retsu, was wearing a rather expensive-looking deep purple dress that flattered her figure incredibly well, but didn't give anything more than mere hints at what lay beneath. Pulling a prank on the woman while she wore that would have been an insult of the highest order that not even Naruto would attempt. This thought was further enforced when the child's mother came by to apologize to Retsu for her son's near actions.
Naruto grinned. He was an incorrigible brat at times, but he loved Retsu like a sister, and wanted nothing but the best for her. If she wanted to get with Uchiha Madara, he figured he would simply stand back and watch how well it went. And pray for the man in question that he didn't piss her off. Naruto wouldn't have to bother with threats of bodily harm, Retsu would have already exacted her revenge.
His eyes roamed the rest of the room, taking in the general discrepancy between an Uzumaki party and that of another Pillar family. The Uzumaki were incredibly informal. Looking around, Naruto saw jeans, tee shirts, mini-skirts, sleeveless blouses and so many other casual dress styles. Hellfire, there was even one woman going around in a painted-on design of short-shorts and bikini top! No tension there!
Shaking his head, Naruto's eyes were drawn to his new favorite redhead. Kushina had once again donned the same dark violet kimono she had worn to meet him. And he would readily admit to finding it difficult to take his eyes off her, or Tier, who stood once again at his side.
Tier was also in a stunning outfit that evening. A long black quipao with gold trim and designs of her favorite sharks also in gold stitching along her left side, a pair of thigh-high lace stockings poking though the long slits running up to her hips that showed of her long and very nice legs, ending in a pair black heels. She had even gone the extra mile and had her hair done up in a small bun, trailing a few strands and held together with a pair of jade hair sticks. Well, they were called hair sticks, but they always looked like some kind of chopstick to Naruto. Which just went to show what he knew of fashion, to equate a hair ornament with eating utensils.
Perhaps what really drew his eye to Tier, was the fact that her normally hidden lower face was on full display. Her angular features and full lips added even more to her natural allure, and Naruto found himself enthralled with it. He knew that Kushina and a few of the other girls had taken Tier shopping a while back, but the blonde woman still rarely wore anything that didn't hide her face, so this was quite the change.
He had asked her about why she would hide herself like that, and she had answered, "I am very much like a shark, Naruto-sama." He had pondered that for some time, eventually coming to believe that it had to do with how she fought. Much like how a shark shows it's dorsal fin before attacking, she hid her face before deeming an opponent worthy of dying by her blade.
Much like Retsu, there had been only one attempted prank on Tier, but Naruto hadn't needed to do anything. Tier had simply glared at the potential trouble-maker, and the young Uzumaki in question had silently moved away to find either an easier target, or one with a recognizably better sense of humor. It had been quite the descriptive glare, as if she had been weighing the individual pro's and con's of maiming and/or killing the child, and just how much trouble it would be worth to her. Naruto had felt inspired and had honestly thought of asking for tips.
Naruto discovered that at some point during his thinking his eyes had wandered to a large diamond-shaped hole in Tier's qipao that revealed a fair amount of her cleavage. It seemed that she wanted him to look, too, if the small knowing smirk he caught on her lips was to be believed. She wasn't really the shy type, but apparently this outfit was for his appreciation.
So he decided to appreciate it openly. Her long legs, the view of her cleavage, the utterly stunning sight of her full face, the way her dusky mocha skin contrasted with the brightness of her blonde hair and green eyes. She even had some kind of blue lightning bolts on either cheek that only enhanced her features further. He wasn't certain if they were part of her devil heritage or just makeup, but he did have to admit that the whole picture she presented was rather lovely.
It was too bad that it was getting late, and no matter how much he enjoyed looking at Tier and Kushina, it was probably best if he got his rest. They would be staying with the Uzumaki for a few days. There would be plenty of time for whatever was to come.
"Well, Tier-chan," Naruto said, "I don't know about you, but I think I'll turn in for the night. After a final word to Mito-baachan of course. It would be rude to just walk out, after all."
"Of course, Naruto-sama," the woman replied, "I believe I shall retire as well. While this has been a most entertaining experience, it has also been a tiring day."
"Shall we make our exits together then?" He asked with his arm held out slightly.
"Indeed," Tier said as she took the offered arm with one hand, pressing said arm as deep into her bountiful chest as she could. She really was enjoying being promised to him, she'd have to think of a way to thank Kushina later.
Pausing a moment, he then asked with a smirk, "do you think we should rescue the Uzumaki from Kushina?"
"It would only be polite," Tier said, the barest hint of humor lacing her tone.
XXXXXXXX
Late that night, Naruto lay awake in his bed, looking out a window at the night sky. Tier and Kushina were curled up on opposite sides of him, and he wasn't quite certain when they had gotten there. Not that he was complaining, and they were definitely just sleeping, so it wasn't like there was anything untoward going on... Right?
'Ah, who cares?' Naruto thought 'I certainly don't, and I'm quite certain these two don't, and we're devils, so breaking human taboos and morals is practically expected in some ways. No, ethics and morality aren't what I need to think about... I actually need to think about what I'm going to do from here on out. Sure I'll eventually take over my father's position as Head of the Namikaze family, and Uncle Kugo's already acknowledged me as the Heir to the Ginjo name, so I'll have that responsibility when I turn eighteen, too... But none of that will matter for a number of years yet, so what will I do until then? What kind of things will happen to me?'
The star-filled sky, and the moon in it, didn't seem to have an answer for the young man. But there was one thing he knew for certain.
"Oh well, at least I won't face it alone.'
XXXXXXXX- Ending Notes
*Mei would have been about 15-16 when Naruto was born in Canon, putting her about 8-9 years younger than Kushina, who died at 24. For the sake of the fic, I'm making Mei only a year younger, so she'll be 14 to Kushina's 15.
*Celestial Blood: No. I am not giving Naruto the blood of Angels. It was a random thought that popped up while I was writing, and I ran with it. However, there will NOT be any Angelic blood in the Namikaze or Ginjo families, no matter how much sense it might make later.
*Minazuki: Unohana's Zanpakto. In one episode she had it manifest and swallow injured shinigami during Ichigo's assault on Execution Hill. I always figured it would be weird and creepy as hell to get swallowed like that. Especially if you were still conscious.
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), Terumi Mei (Human/Magus)