Seeing as how it's Naruto's birthday and the return of BLEACH, via the long awaited "Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, I wanted to post something, that being the next part of the Stronger Arc. That being said, if I can't finish it on his birthday, I can at least finish it during the day Chainsaw Man makes its anime debut or in this week.

Again, my body has been stressed lately, enough to affect my health, mentally and physically, hence why things take long. Typical case of back luck whenever I want to relax and focus on writing.

Near the end, there will be a mention of someone, but am debating to make it just a reference or a sign of things to come in the further future.

yasha69style

sometimea, i hate to read trashing coment from someone who don't have any stories to see. just sliping to read comment. ignore it

A: Thank you.

OP5: Burning Soul by GARNiDELiA

Sat (8/16)

Bael Territory

8 days until Rias vs Sona Rating Game

Kiba starts the session by thrusting his demonic sword forward, aiming to use the concussive force of the thrust to knock the Rook down. Instead of avoiding it, Naruto threw a right punch towards the left part of the sword, knocking both the Knight and his weapon out of his line of sight as Kiba ran past him, stopping himself by planting his feet hard onto the grass, turning around in time to be met with a small finger flick to the forehead from Naruto. This distracted him long enough to be struck in the stomach with a left kick.

The Gremory Knight changes his demonic sword to his Holy Eraser and disappears from Naruto's line of sight, appearing in front of him, the blade of his weapon being grasped by the Rook's left hand, who didn't show signs of discomfort holding a holy demonic sword by its blade. Naruto quickly threw Kiba forward and jumps up to the sky to avoid an eruption of swords Kiba made when he stabbed the ground with his weapon. The knight uses the blades as footing to take to the air and perform a right downward swing. He ends up going into a sling portal Naruto formed in front of him, slashing the grassy ground instead.

Kiba gets out of the way as the Rook propels himself back onto ground using a small explosion to do it, swinging his right heel down and creating a small crater right before he lands. When engaged in close quarters by Kiba, instead of avoiding his sword strikes, Naruto parried them with his fists, Okita complimenting his student's swings, making note of how each of them was being delivered a second after the last one and not more than it. He then complimented the Agares Rook's ability to anticipate what direction Kiba would be swinging his sword from. What puzzled him was how Naruto was going about it.

"He's holding it without..." Hearing him mumble to himself, Chitose asked if something was wrong? "No, I'm just talking to myself is all. No need to dig into it."

"How's he able to tell where I'll be swinging?" the Gremory Knight wondered. His thoughts then go to the sudden pain he felt as Naruto rapidly lifts his right knee into his stomach. Naruto then struck him on the right side of his face with a round punch with his left fist, knocking him back and disarming him of his weapon, which he throws away. Kiba takes a leap back to distance himself from his opponent and attempts to form the Sword of Betrayer again, but Naruto closes the distance by doing a front flip with his right leg extended as he made a jump towards the Knight, hitting him with his heel after the flip is done.

"How many times has he seen him fight?" Okita asked Xenovia, learning that Naruto only saw him fight twice from a newly arrived Archer, Xenovia looking bothered by how her question got answered by her Servant self.

"Only seen him fight twice and he's keeping up with him...Souji Oita, you must be the Xenovia the Heroic Spirit?" Archer says nothing as she watched the fight unfold. Kiba was put on an offensive defense, continuously producing an assortment of swords around him to parry each strike Naruto threw, which would immediately shatter them.

"Kiba-senpai, that Balance Breaker takes about fourteen seconds to create it," he reminds the Gremory Knight as he broke every sword Kiba took in his hand(s). "Regarding its demonic and holy properties, it seems the complexity of that specific weapon's nature requires more time to analyze and shape before you can make it in an instant."

Kiba picks up two swords and throws them at Naruto, who shifts his body to the left to avoid them, giving the Knight enough time to grab another sword, stab it into the ground and erect a wall of assorted blades. When he prepares to create his Sword of the Betrayer, Naruto prevents it from happening by grabbing two of many swords that littered the field and destroying the wall of blades with two swings enhanced by his energy, breaking Kiba's concentration.

"He's allowed to do that right?" Kotomi asked Okita.

"I did say they're both free to fight how they like." The blond, who ducks a swing from the lightning bolt-shaped short sword the Knight was able to get his hands on then kicks him back with both feet to make space to get back up.

"Setting the Holy Demonic Sword aside, I am curious about something. I've seen you form several blades in battle, yet, none of them are katanas." Naruto quickly avoids five swings from a bothered Kiba, catching the blade when the Knight went for a sixth downward swing, breaking it and lightly kicking him back.

"I've also seen you train with both a shinai and a katana, and you know the Tennen Rishin-ryu, yet you use double-edged swords and swords with oddly-shaped blades for that style." Naruto's questions continued to get on Kiba's nerves as he goes on a controlled but aggressive offensive.

"Looks like Naruto's curiosity is getting into Kiba's head," said Chitose, Leysritt admitting she too wants to know why the Knight was using Western swords for a style that would be better utilized with a katana.

"I know I am nitpicking a little on what sword is better-suited for that style, along with your preferred weapons to make for use, but having more variety wouldn't be so bad, and I really shouldn't be so critical on what sword should and shouldn't be used for a style."

Kiba grits his teeth in anger and performs a strong horizontal swing at Naruto, who jumps back to avoid it as grass was blown back from the force of it. At the same time, following his dodge, the Rook picked up a small marble-sized from the ground and flung it at the flat part of the blade. The small rock bounces off its surface and hits Kiba on the side of the head, making him lose his balance a little. Noticing how much stamina Kiba had expended from the start of the fight till now based on his breathing, Okita told his apprentice the spar was over.

"But I can still-"

"It is over," Okita interrupts, slightly raising his voice as to let him know not to continue. "Getting hit by that small rock would give your opponent enough time to finish you."

"..."

"Things didn't go in your favor, but your executions with each swing was all Tennen Rishin-ryu. For that, I commend you for utilizing it in the fight." Turning to face Xenovia, Okita asked, "Wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes. I noticed no delay in each swing, so I think you've gotten way better than the last time we fought."

"Th-Thanks..."

"Kiba-senpai..." Turning to face Naruto, the Knight was presented the opportunity to do the Seal of Reconciliation, confusing him.

"It's the Seal of Reconciliation."

"A what?"

"Oh, it's a thing Chelsea does after finishing a fight back when she was participating in martial arts tournaments. Our Mom taught us that. It's to let you know we're still good after sparring," said Naruto.

"How curious," Okita thinks it himself. After being left hanging, Naruto smiled when Kiba completed the Seal of Reconciliation. "Good show. Now Kiba, go buy some bait and meet me me at my favorite fishing spot." Knowing what it was about but not being able to say no to his Master when it came to one of his favorite past times, he tells him he'll be right back and walks off to buy what his Master needed.

"Naruto I need to talk to you a bit." Looking at Xenovia and saying good luck to her for her planned training session with Archer and Rinne, Naruto focused his attention back at Kiba's Master as the bluenette and the others take their leave.

"Yes Okita-san?"

"How long have you been that strong?" asked Okita, curiosity in his voice.

"Two days after my entrance exams to get into Kuoh Academy," he answered.

"About three months...That Seal of Reconciliation. Who taught you and your sister that thing?"

"Older sister, and Chelsea learned it from my mother, who learned it from our grandfather." When asked if it was a family thing, Naruto said it was. "I never really got to do it, ever, back when I was still...Human. I only got the idea to do it earlier since it was a spar between Kiba-senpai and me. Oh crap, I forgot to do the Seal of Confrontation."

"That's a thing your grandpa, late mother, and sister did before each match began in a tournament?" Naruto answers the question with a yes.

"Hmm...What is your origin?"

"My origin?"

"Knowing your origin can make you stronger. To know that and to know yourself...That is an origin."

"Oh, I get it now. My late father was the president and founder of an IT company, and my late mother was one of the best inventors of Japan, popular for helping with the creation of the AmuSphere...This origin thing, can people get stronger without an origin?"

"If you are worried for others like your girlfriend, of course, though who says they can't make a new origin with a new family? Exorcists of the Church are one of many examples of wielding new origins, since imprinting themselves as members of the Church at an infant age is their start."

"That's good to hear," an assured Naruto says to Okita.

"Always remember your origin." Thanking Okita for the advice, Naruto is allowed to go run his errand, leaving Okita by himself, who continues to look Naruto's way.

"An incomplete origin...That answer you gave me, about your strength, it would seem there's more to it, but it is something you yourself don't know about. That strength you utilized in your fight with Kiba, it's not something that's been with you for that short of time," Okita said to himself. "...Seal of Confrontation and Reconciliation...not that many of "them" do that anymore."

Old Royal Capital: Luciferd

1:45 pm

"These sandwiches are good Naruto," Issei says out loud as he sat at a bench with the blond room and enjoyed the custom sandwiches they bought fifteen minutes ago. "How did you come across that shop?"

"Himejima-senpai told me about it, that was the day before..."

"Oh...so that sandwich was what you threw at-"

"Yeah...sorry."

"No, it's fine. Asia is awake, Rassei healed up well, and the two are making up for lost training time, the Gremory Bishop putting the work in to catch up to her fellow peerage members. "She's been very fired up since she woke up."

"Asia is fragile at times, but she has quite a strong spirit. Tell her to do her greatest. She'll know it'll be from me." When asked how she'll know it was from him, he tells him he doesn't always ask people to do their best. "I try not to say to do their best to a select few, and one of those few is Asia."

"I will be sure to tell that to her...How did Akeno-san tell you about the sandwiches?" Naruto reveals the two shared contact info after having dinner at the Gremorys during the day of their arrival to the Underworld.

"...You used the crystals we collected with Ayano to pay someone who would heal her." Issei almost chokes on his sandwich when he said that. "I am not going to tell you whether it was the right or wrong decision, only I understand that with everything resting on her waking up, you made the decision to acquire the funds to pay some questionable person to help behind your King's back. A shame I didn't notice this sooner, especially when I had the thought that you'd be using the funds to help Gremory-senpai taking her mind off her stress through a date and trust in Asia waking up all on her own." Issei looks down at the ground, looking gloomy after realizing he wasn't the only one suffering from the aftermath of Asia's defeat. He was only focused on Asia's recovery he didn't think about how Rias was feeling.

"No one can know everything that's happening around them, not even me. I can only know about two to three and that'd only be scratching the surface of the problems I have to solve. I could solve with clones, but if it's not me personally, it's never solved. You should try and do something special for her when you get back to her. A King stresses a lot with their duties, we have to do our best to notice and help take their mind off what's causing them when we can."

"I'll figure something out for Buchou, that I promise." Naruto's response was to look at him with an unconvinced expression. "Wha-What's with that expression?"

"Nothing..."

"You don't think I can?"

"No, it's not that." Naruto tells Issei to figure it out himself when asked why he gave him that look.

With Kiba

Forneus Territory

65 minutes ago

"It's nice that you are in love, but with someone's girlfriend. Quite a predicament indeed," Okita told his apprentice, Kiba aware of how serious his problem was to his Master when he refers to him by his first name. "Worst of all, the someone is the second Rook of the Agares Peerage, and he bested you in a sparring match in front of her."

"Master, I don't like being reminded things I already know."

"Yet you are horrible at resolving them all which could help you move forward. Just when I thought you'd do so after avenging your fallen comrades, another problem has taken its place." Finishing his sentence, Okita reels in a large 30 lbs otherworldly red fish and raised his katana up, letting it impale itself onto its blade before setting it in a large woven straw basket with the twenty other ones behind him and his apprentice.

"You lost your composure and your stamina was exhausted too quickly in the match, and your Sacred Gear, despite reaching Balance Breaker, still needs some refinement. Love is a very dangerous emotion, whether good or bad. It's plain as day to see she only sees you as a friend. It's not right of me to say that, and it's painfully unfair, but you will need to confront her and "him" about it. Don't push back the problem, don't keep it all to yourself. Pain from rejection is something you don't want to feel, yet, it can be a tragically beautiful feeling that makes you alive. That feeling's a part of learning and growing on your road to being a better you. I will not insist any further after this, I trust you'll get through it somehow. You are my top apprentice after all."

"I know..." Seeing his apprentice troubled, Okita smiles, asking him if he was frustrated by the outcome of the sparring match. "Yeah..." Acting as a sort of father figure to him, Okita wraps his left arm around him and hugs him.

"I'll make you the my famous arajiru after fishing, better than the last one I made."

"Thanks Master..."

With Xenovia

Sitri Territory

Hospital

Ren's Hospital Room

"You feeling better after seven more days of rest?" Xenovia asked Ren.

"Yeah. Doctors say I'll be able to leave tomorrow," he said. Ren thanks Xenovia for visiting him, adding how it meant a lot to know she cares, then asking if she visited Itsuki, Motoyasu, and Malty.

"Nope, no reason to visit them," she said. "I'm sure they're fine."

"It'd still mean a lot if you could at least go check on Itsuki and Motoyasu, even if you can't stand them."

"...Fine...What were you two thinking, demanding Seekvaira to bring you Naruto then picking a fight with her Queen, all after leaving the hospital recovering from the battle with Gen Liu?" Ren explains how it was Malty who insisted they do so, and that he had to listen to her given her status. He also had to listen to Motoyasu, whom Malty chose to be second in command. "You are a good person Ren, so is Itsuki and possibly Motoyasu, but you three tend to cause some trouble even when you three don't always mean it and when you're only following orders. As a former fellow exorcist for the Church, you need to not do everything Malty tells you. You know the orders she gives you are wrong, yet you do it, all three of you. That is probably one of the reasons why Eclair left you and the Church. I get Malty's position, but I won't listen to her orders if I know she's the one who's at the wrong."

"You just had to bring her up."

"Do you miss her?" Ren tells her he did, and he knows he was a horrible boyfriend to her and had hoped to try and get her back following the treaty between the three factions.

"Have you seen her since she left?"

"No, I have not."

"Could you tell her I am doing fine if you ever see her?" Xenovia promises to tell Eclair that. Getting up to go see Itsuki, Xenovia turns around as the door to Ren's room opened. Ren looked shocked when Eclair was the one who opened the door,.

"It seems you can tell her that yourself," Xenovia told Ren, Eclair asking what he wants to tell her. Ren's response was turn towards the window and say nothing. "Hey Eclair."

"Xenovia, it's great to see a fellow student of Griselda's, as well as a good friend, even if you were res-" Xenovia walked over to hug the strawberry blonde, who didn't expect the Knight to hug her. "Oh, you've turned into a hugger, this is a vast improvement from last I saw you."

With Naruto

Phenex Territory

Unnamed Teppanyaki Restaurant

"I do enjoy these moments where it's just us," said Seekvaira as she and her Rook, who was focused on how much edible gold the server was was putting on their food.

"I feel the same. How are you now?"

"I am off from my duties for the rest of the night, and am spending quality time with my Rook," she said as five plates of gold-covered fried wings were served to their table. "I couldn't be better. How is Argento?"

"She's good. Issei told me she was training to catch up to him and the other members."

"I wish her luck," says Seekvaira as she picked up a chicken wing and bit down on it, savoring the juices from the meat. She continues to speak to Naruto as she indulged herself. "What's the update on your "secret project" and did you get "Cyberpunk 2077" yet?"

"Able to maintain it for 25 seconds by itself. Also figuring out the ways to make it so I can stay in that form for longer periods. As for the game, I bought it on my phone, for a very good percent off, and right now it's installing on my XBOX back at your place."

"Five more than last time is good, keep it up with that, and that game had better be a huge improvement over what it was at launch." Finished speaking, Seekvaira and her Rook notice she already finished the five plates by herself, Naruto muttering how he didn't get to try one yet. "Sorry, I was focused on speaking to you I didn't notice my hands and stomach were on autopilot."

"I didn't notice you were talking with your mouth full, and I was looking right at you. Bizarre...As for the sides, I can just order more," said Naruto. The server arrives three seconds after to grab the plates and head back to the kitchen to serve them five more.

"Back to the first topic, I'll advise you to not use that form in your battle with Gen Liu until you're sure you can use it at its best or at the right time." Naruto promises to take the advice to heart before the server arrives to set the five pates of gold-encrusted chicken wings in front of them.

"Now then, let's finish this second round of chicken and get started on this teppanyaki."

With Xenovia
Sitri Territory

"You okay?" Eclair asked the Namikaze Knight, who was trying to relieve her sore arm muscles by massaging them as the two had dinner together at a dumplings shop. Xenovia told her about her training with Archer, calling it a fight to catch up to her and to not die.

"I'm glad me as an adult is going to be strong, but she does not hold back when it comes to me, which I like, but moderation would be nice. I also had Rinne train me to improve parts in my barehanded fighting after which also contributed to this soreness."

"Never thought I'd survive long enough to hear you complain about sore muscles. You'd always ignore the pain, say you're fine and continue. You sure you're not a shapeshifter who took Xenovia's form?" Xenovia pulls at her own cheeks as she told Eclair she wasn't a shapeshifter, earning a laugh from her.

"This is the Xenovia I wanted to see...Compared to before, taking away the transition from Human to Reincarnated Devil, you're vastly stronger than before. Aside from Irina, Keito, Reia, and Naoko, you have more people dear to you whom you'd want to be strong for. That is good."

"Thanks Eclair. It feels great to see you and talk with you again, after so long." Eclair admits to feeling the same before asking her how Griselda was. "I am not sure about her. I lashed out at her and caused her to collapse." When she asked what she said to Griselda that made her collapse, the strawberry blonde looked horrified when the bluenette told her she though Griselda never loved or cared for her.

"That is the most awful thing you can ever say to her, Xenovia," Eclair said, gathering herself and telling the Namikaze Knight how loving and caring Griselda was.

"I know, and I should have known better. I never understood her reasons with me, and because of it, a part of me hated her. Since then, I have not seen her, she may not even want to see me after saying such a cruel thing to her." Seeing how gloomy Xenovia looked after talking about Griselda, the woman puts her hand on her shoulder and said, "Do not tell yourself that. Don't make what you said to her the end of your bond with her."

"Eclair..."

"As you know earlier, Ren and I were a thing for a time, but due to his role as one of the Legendary Weapon Bearers, I couldn't stand him sidelining me and others he worked with, and I couldn't stand how much his role as the Church's greatest warriors was changing him, to the point I couldn't be with him anymore and left him and the Church after seeing the darker parts of it became too clear to bear being under it. It took some time, but as you saw earlier, I did visit him, regardless of my problems with him and the Church. If Griselda ever visits Japan, I think you should see her."

"Wow, that was a lot off my chest. One thing is for sure, when I do see her, I will need Naruto present."

"Why's that?" Going pale and sweaty, the nervously smiling bluenette told her Griselda would definitely not like some of the decisions she had made for herself, stating her decision to become a Devil to be one of them.

"I am certain that when I see her again, she'll be scary as hell. With him around, I can share the fear."

"Her fury is quite something..." Eclair admits, her skin now as pale as Xenovia's.

With Naruto
Agares Territory
Agares Main Residence
Naruto's Guest Room

"Umu, this feels nice..." Nero lets out a blissful gasp as Naruto continued to clean her ear with a(n) ear pick, the Servant resting her head on his lap as she played "Cyberpunk 2077" for him, wanting to try it out for herself. Sayaka sat behind them at the right corner of the bed as the blond nearly finished cleaning Nero's left ear, the observer watching Nero playing in silence.

"Kirasaka, want to have a go?" Naruto asked once Nero completed a side mission in the game and put it on pause.

"...I want to make my own character first." After saving his game, Naruto signed out of his profile and handed his controller to Sayaka so she could sign in to her profile. After preparing to sign into the game, Moka suddenly enters the room, pointing her right finger to the ceiling and shouting, "Ooooi ladies, let's go shop for dresses tomorrow!" Noticing only Nero and Sayaka, the Queen asked where the other girls were.

"Xenovia is catching up with a former student of Griselda's, Fujino had to go to Ajuka (Beelzebub) for an examination on her Mystic Eyes and psychic abilities, Maki went to an Underworld Black Market to upgrade her equipment, Akame went with her to pick a weapon or two she can use at long ranges and for traversal. Maki has been helping Akame with her training alongside Pekoyama-senpai. Chitose's tutoring Millicas in my place, and Ayano...I don't know where she is. She is a tough one to understand most of the time."

"So she's the only unknown...This is embarrassing. I've been at this pose for about two minutes." Lowering her right hand, an embarrassed but disappointed Moka told Naruto she had hoped to have them all in the room, and hear them say yes to a day to bond with each other over clothes shopping for the upcoming gathering.

"You're likely to try again the day before it," he told her, right before Sayaka shouts, "Holy shit it's Keanu Reeves! He's in the game!" in the background.

"I'm not looking to do what I just did just now the second time. I'm likely to just text them."

With Fujino

Beelzebub Territory
Beelzebub's Lab

"He is quite an inventor, your King," Ajuka told Fujino, who was close to being finished getting scanned by inside of a capsule that was nearly identical to an MRI Machine as the former told her what he knew about the blond based on the times he'd drop in when called and help him with his projects. "The last time he was here, he built Azazel a new prosthetic left hand to spite him. It was nice seeing Azazel bothered by how well the new hand turned out. Now, onto you. Aside from finding out your inability to affect magical barriers and Bounded Fields, and you no longer needing direct eye contact to use your Mystic Eyes, you're continuing to evolve. With the right teacher, you will be able to adapt your abilities to affect things you weren't able to affect during the tests we ran."

"Do you have anyone you can recommend to train me?" Fujino asked as she exits the capsule, taking a glass of water Ajuka hands to her to drink. "I would also suggest gaining knowledge of Magecraft. Your best bet is to join one of the many magician organizations in the Underworld and train under its masters. You're more than qualified to join the Grauzauberer, but you don't want to due to your attachment to your King, so as an alternate recommendation, for the Gathering we're going to have a few Norse Gods joining. One of them I know would be perfect in teach you."

With Naruto

Sat (8/23)
1 day until Rias vs Sona Rating Game
Ichiran Ramen
Karakura Town, Yokohama, Japan

"This ramen is delicious!" Naruto happily nods his head in agreement while slurping down ramen noodles with Moka, Ayano, Ritsuka, and Mash.

"Ayano, do you like it?" Moka asked, Ayano responding that she did. Taste aside, Naruto, you've never told me of this ramen shop before. Keeping the best ones for yourself?"

"Guilty as charged," Naruto said before gulping down the soup and ordering another bowl. "My Dad took me here to have lunch with a good friend of his, who owns a clinic around here. He would come here to eat a bowl or more for good luck the night before attending to important businesses."

"So this is for good luck for tomorrow's fight against Gen Liu?"

"Yes."