The Tale of Devilish Fox - chapter 11

-DXD-

Uzumaki Naruto entered the battlefield.

The first thing the shinobi noticed was that he was on a battlefield. The realization wasn't a pleasant one. Immediately, he summoned two shadow clones to watch his back.

So far, Naruto's peerage was lucky when it came to their contracts. They would only get summoned by rich merchants or some local lords. Mostly, they would be required to do basic D-rank stuff like babysitting or cleaning the house. Despite the war going on, no one on the battlefield tried to summon them. Until now.

Then, Naruto got a chance to notice just where the battlefield was. He arrived back in Kuoh. He was in Kuoh Academy. Or what remained of it.

He saw the bodies of his friends. They were all breathing, but it was a close thing.

For a moment, Naruto saw red. He would tear the ones responsible to shreds.

"Pl… please." someone pulled on the leg of his pants. He turned to see a girl. She was wearing a black leotard that looked like Akamaru had used it as his chewing toy. And the owner was even worse for wear. The Shinobi narrowed his eyes.

"I recognize you!" She was the one who killed… almost killed Hinata. Did she attack Kuoh?

Naruto didn't even realize that he raised a Kunai for a strike until he saw her eyes. She was terrified. More than that. She was about to pass out for a moment.

"Please. I shall agree to whatever you will ask. But… stop him." Naruto followed where she was pointing and saw someone kneeling in the corner of the field. "Kokabiel can't get the Excalibur fragments."

"Was he the one who hurt my friends?" Naruto asked, wanting to make sure. Though deep down, he already knew.

"And what do we have here!?" The fallen angel stood up and turned toward Naruto. He was holding the Excalibur fragments in his arms.

"You… You hurt them. Why?" The shinobi let out a threatening growl. He could feel his fingernails turn into claws.

"Why? Because I could. Because they chose to oppose me. And because the redhead is close to one of the maous. I have to restart this war somehow."

"You want to break the ceasefire." Naruto tried to reign back his anger. This was Pein's invasion all over again. That bastard… he hurt Rias-chan. He hurt them all.

"Duh! After the original four fuckers died and daddy bastard dropped dead, we the Fallen had a chance to wipe out both of the other factions. We were this close to victory, but that peace-loving Azazel instead agreed to a ceasefire! But I can end this today. If Sirzechs finds his little sister cut down with the Excalibur, he will declare war on heaven in a blind rage. By the time he realizes that he was tricked, it will already be too late." Kokabiel either didn't notice the fact that he just revealed the death of God or he didn't care. Around the battlefield, everyone but Naruto was stunned. Asia, who just regained consciousness, went catatonic before fainting once more. Xenovia was just mumbling incoherently, trying to make sense of this. Somehow though, they all knew it was true.

Naruto was oblivious to all that. "I won't let you." He let out an animalistic growl. This man… he wanted the war? "Why do you want the war to begin anew? Why can't there just be peace?"

"Why? Because I can. I don't have some greater goal. I just want to kill."

"Then I'll stop you." Naruto blitzed through the hand seals and in twin puffs of smoke, two toads appeared at his sides.

"Naruto-chan? What's going on?" Shima looked around. This didn't seem like the Shinobi continent.

"Ma… could you please go take care of my friends? They're all badly hurt." He motioned to where most of the devils were.

"Sure."

"Uzumaki-san!" Sona and Tsubaki rushed over to where Naruto was.

"Oh?" Kokabiel raised from the ground, holding the shattered Fused Excalibur in his hands. "More devils for me to slaughter?"

"Sona-chan. Help Ma take care of the wounded." Naruto ordered, forming a Snake seal. His clones mirrored his move.

"You can't hope to go fight against Kokabiel solo!?" the student council president protested.

Naruto was unable to answer her, but Fukasaku was. "Naruto-chan is stronger than you expect. When he is fighting to protect his friends, there is nothing that can stop him."

"But… Kokabiel's a cadre. And he just took out the Sekiryuutei at full power."

What Fukasaku wanted to say was interrupted by the fallen angel.

"I'm waiting. And I'm bored. I might just start killing the devil brats now, but I want to see what you can do. So come little devil."

Naruto's eyes snapped open despite him not entering the Sage Mode yet.

"Fukasaku-sensei?"

"Go. I can't aid you in the battle directly, but I can help your clones. Stall him for just a few moments."

Naruto nodded and leaped into the battlefield. Inside, he was cursing that he didn't manage to get into Sage Mode in time. But he couldn't risk the Fallen turning his attention to any of his friends.

"They sent me frogs?" Kokabiel let out a burst of manic laughter when he noticed Shima started to heal the defeated devils. "And here I thought that Maous can't fall any lower."

"I'm not in a mood," Naruto growled. His usually cheerful face was marred with a furious scowl. The whisker marks were thickened, but his eyes remained the usual color for the most part. There was this darkness to them though. "Let's just get this over with."

"You are amusing. I'll try to make your death… relatively painless."

Naruto moved faster than Kokabiel expected. Almost in an instant, the shinobi was in close quarters. Kokabiel had to block the first few palm strikes with his wings while he focused on finishing what he started. With each attack, he felt a sliver of strength leave his body. The fallen growled.

Light magic flowed through the Fused Excalibur handle. He hoped that the fragments he was clutching would repair the weapon or at least be attracted to it, but he ended up with a glorified Lightsaber.

Furious, he swung at the source of his irritation.

Naruto caught his wrist and moved under the attack, delivering a punch to the elbow. Kokabiel groaned. He kicked the attacker away and flapped his wings. In almost an instant, he was hovering above the battlefield. Naruto joined him in the air.

"You are stronger than them." He noted. The sky started to fill with light spears. "But how much stronger? Light barrage!" The magic rained right at where Naruto was a second ago.

Kokabiel laughed when the child made no effort to dodge, too stunned to react. He was about to fly back to deal with Gremory Heiress when a golden chain shot right past him.

More and more chains attacked him in the air. They would turn and twist, not letting him catch his breath. Looking around, the fallen angel saw his opponent hidden in a giant coil of chains. From said coil, more and more chains came. Soon, he would be overwhelmed by the sheer numbers.

Letting out a wordless scream, Kokabiel released a wave of light magic that cut off some of the chains, but more took their place. Though light magic seemed to be effective against them… With that knowledge, Kokabiel started to cut through any chain that came close.

"Is that the best you can do?"

"You wish!" a voice shouted from behind him. "Rasengan Barrage!"

The first orb of chakra slammed into Kokabiel's back. The next one ground a hole in one of his wings. The third one he finally managed to block with the sword, but the fourth momentarily shattered the light weapon.

Naruto tried to slam the fifth one into Kokabiel's exposed chest, but the fallen had escaped his reach in a bid for reprieve.

"Naruto! It's ready!"

"Finally. Senpo: Oodama Rasengan" The moment Sage Chakra flooded his system, Nauto directed it to his arm. A bigger ball of chakra formed in his palm. Kokabiel tried to send some quickly-formed light spears at Naruto, but he was unable to keep up with the speed at which the fight was going. He had the sheer power to obliterate the pest. The problem was that he couldn't hit him. On the other hand, Naruto seemed to get more desperate. He lacked the actual power that could defeat Kokabiel. So far, Rasengan was the only thing that worked. But now the tide seemed to have turned now that he got Sage Mode.

The Cadre dodged out of the way of the attack, but Naruto twisted mid-air and slammed the ball into the fallen angel's stomach. The force was enough to send him even higher into the air.

Naruto landed on the ground and watched as Kokabiel reoriented himself.

"I've had enough!" The Fallen angel howled. He summoned another spear of light, but instead of sending it at Naruto, he aimed it at where Shima, Sona, and Tsubaki were tending to the wounded.

"No!" Naruto didn't even get to fully realize just what Kokabiel planned until the spear was already flying.

"Hirashin!" A shout echoed across the battlefield. "Hiraishin: Dorai" (Hirashin: Guiding Thunder).

The clone that used the technique held onto the kunai as the spear pushed against the barrier. Seal script spread over the spell. Slowly, it wrapped around the light spear, but it was clear that the clone was exhausted. "Sorry boss, I think we still need to work on that one." He chuckled before dispelling. The spell also vanished. From the rapid flow of memories from the heroic clone, Naruto realized that the spear was sent to the empty training field near Konoha where some of his clones were still practicing.

"Okay, you've asked for it. Fuuton: Rasenshuriken!" Wind started to spiral in Naruto's open palm. A screeching sound of millions of miniature blades of wind echoed across the battlefield. Then, the whitish blue turned pink, then red, then burgundy. The howling of the wind turned to roar unlike anything devils or angels ever heard.

As the Jutsu sailed through the air, a faint outline of a charging fox appeared around it for just a second.

Seeing that his distraction failed, Kokabiel began casting an unknown spell. The magic circle before him spread wider and wider. For the first time in the battle, he felt genuine fear for his life. Not just hesitation or worry, but actual fear that he might not live through the fight. His spell was the last ditch attempt since there was no way he could dodge the attack in time.

It was all for naught when the orb of death slammed into him. In a desperate attempt at survival, Kokabiel shielded himself with his wings. Which might've saved his life, but cost him dearly. Out of the five pairs of pristine wings, only two remained even remotely usable. If one didn't know who Kokabiel was, one might've mistaken him for having only four pairs of wings as the upmost pair were pretty much vaporized. The next set was pretty much plucked and charred.

The cadre coughed blood. Everywhere across his body, there were cuts, tears, and acidic burns.

"No… you can't win!"

Naruto panted. His current method of utilizing sage mode was seriously flawed. He usually had one big attack top before he ran out of juice. The clones weren't too helpful. At best, he got double the duration.

"I'll… kill everyone. Everyone you ever cared for. I'm going to enjoy making you suffer."

"Why? Why do you try so hard to fuel the cycle of hatred?" Naruto asked.

"It's really simple. I just like to watch them bleed. I enjoy seeing my enemies tremble and beg for mercy as I take their lives away." The fallen angel bragged.

"Then I am not sorry." Naruto gave the fallen last cold glare. His eyes turned into red pools of rage with black slits. "Taju Kage Bushin no Jutsu!(Mass Shadow Clone Jutsu)" The field was filled with identical copies of Naruto. Each of them pulled a tri-pronged kunai. They all tossed them high in the air in perfect harmony, not aiming at anything in particular.

"Kunai Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" This was about the only Jutsu from the Scroll of Seals that Naruto actually bothered to train to perfection. Both because it was a natural extension of his Shadow Clones and because it was impossibly powerful when mixed with the Hirashin.

Each of the tossed blades multiplied into about a dozen. The rain of steel bloated the sky for a moment. Some slashed at the fallen, who let out a pained growl. Kokabiel figured that something was coming, but he had nowhere to run. He just watched as the moon disappeared behind the knives.

"Hiraishin - Ni no Dan" (Hirashin - second step). Then, the sky became a symphony of yellow flashes and blue/purple/red flares. No one could look at it and make out what exactly happen. Everything took less than two seconds.

When the assault finally stopped, the devils were greeted with the sight of only one Naruto holding a Kunai in one hand and a Rasengan in the other. Kokabiel was on the ground. It seemed that somehow, he broke every single bone in his body in at least two places. In addition to the cuts he's received from Rasenshuriken, his body was littered with deeper wounds. Some of those wounds still had kunai in them.

Despite all that, he was still alive. Supernatural had this pesky tendency for being incredibly resilient. But it didn't matter. Because even though he were alive, Kokabiel wouldn't get up any time soon.

Satisfied, Naruto released the Rasengan and gave the devils a thumbs-up gesture. Then, he fell on one knee.

"I… might've overdone it." He groaned before promptly fainting from chakra exhaustion.

Xenovia watched from the side, already patched by the weird toad lady. This was the guy that she fought five months ago? He was a damned monster. How was she alive even? She started to hyperventilate, trying to crawl away. He would obliterate her! The fact that Naruto was unconscious didn't seem to register with her at that moment.

"Don't worry." Shima placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. She noticed that her patient was panicking. "Naruto-chan is very friendly once you get to know him. This is the second time I've seen him this angry."

"I…" Xenovia didn't finish, because she finally blacked out. That day was too much for her.

-/\/-

The five Kage and most of the military leaders of Allied Shinobi Forces sat around a large table with the map of the continent spread before them. Red and black flags littered the table, with arrows drawn with an erasable marker. All over the board, loose sticky notes were placed with summaries of the latest reports from the front lines.

Ay stood up. "After the successful subjugation of Kusa, we've cut the Akatsuki's supply chain."

"Yes." Mifune nodded. "It was a decisive blow to their offensive. Thanks to Suna's contribution, we've managed to neutralize a large portion of their White Zetsu army. Combined with their failed surprise attack during the Five Kage summit, they lost most of their momentum."

"It seems as if their entire plan relied on the surprise attack and elimination of any leadership. Divide and conquer while the enemy is in chaos." Darui nodded. "They weren't prepared for a focused counter-offensive."

"But now they're reorganizing." Kitsuchi pointed at the upper regions of the map. "We've received official capitulation from the Daimyo of Oto no Kuni after Otogakure simply… left. They were always the most scattered of the villages, but apparently, there is no living soul in any of the locations now. Similarly, our scouts are reporting that large numbers of Taki forces moved out toward the ruins of Kusa."

"Our forces in Kusa reported an increased number of skirmishes," Ao informed. "There seems to be a lot of semi-organized movement. There were no attempts to establish a new stronghold in the region, but enemy forces constantly cross the land. They're doing their best to eliminate all hostiles, but it's quickly devolving into no-man's land."

"Shimogakure has similarly surrendered. They are now too afraid that, due to their close proximity to the Kaminari no Kuni, they would be the next ones to be annihilated by the Jinchuriki."

"Tanigakure and Ishigakure are holding strong. It doesn't look like they will surrender any time soon. Akatsuki forces have fortified in that region."

"It would appear that they are gathering most of their forces in the southwest." Mifune stroked his beard. "It is possible that they want to start a new offensive."

"They might be trying to cut Suna off. Starve us." Kankuro growled.

"No. Kiri is dominating the sea and Kaze no Kuni has a trade port big enough to maintain the supply line."

"I say we take advantage of the situation." Kakashi picked a stick and pointed at Kumo. "Yugakure is left almost alone now that the eastern front broke. Their only real power is their navy, which can't compete against Kiri."

"I agree." Ay nodded. "Fifth Division and the Kirigakure Navy can conduct a joint assault on Yugakure and eliminate them once and for all from this war. Meanwhile, the remaining forces can move for a decisive strike. We must end it before Akatsuki has a chance to properly organize."

"If the reports are to be believed, most of the Akatsuki forces are gathering in Ame. They are either fortifying there or preparing for an attack."

"Then we strike at Ame. Take them out before they can even leave the country. That's also where their leaders would be." Ay proclaimed.

"We will have a problem with that." Inoichi sighed heavily. "The Daimyos refuse any further aid in operations beyond the domestic borders." He revealed this to the gathered leaders.

Shouts of outrage echoed across the room.

"Why would they make such an insane demand?" Ay's thundering voice silenced the crowd.

"They reasoned that with the current situation, the priority should be the defense and ensuring that we're prepared for a possible invasion. They want to store the supplies until the silos are full."

"If that's the case, we will need to wait until at least the next summer before we can attack!" Kankuro exclaimed.

"Don't they understand that we could avoid the 'potential invasion' if we just strike first?" Shizune asked.

"I can technically see where they are coming from." Tsunade shook her head. " If the assault on the Akatsuki is a failure, they would be left completely undefended. Between what happened to their predecessors and the destruction of Kusa, they are scared."

"It's the first time a Jinchuriki has been successfully deployed in a war. In the past, the Mutually Assured Destruction kept such measures at bay." Mifune focused on the map. "Even so, that decision is foolish and unreasonable. It stems from their lack of experience, arrogance, and fear."

"Well, I say we ought to try and explain the realities to them." Kankuro cheerfully suggested.

"No. That will not work. Daimyos are afraid of what is to come, and yet too confident in the shinobi. The string of victories emboldened them to the point they consider Akatsuki just a bunch of bandits. They are half-hoping that the problem will pass." Darui leaned back in his seat.

"Problem? This is a full-blown war, not some problem! Have they completely lost their minds?!" The Tsuchikage yelled, almost jumping from his seat. Luckily, Kitsuchi held him back.

"Try telling that to them." Tsunade snipped. "Those morons don't even acknowledge Akatsuki as a proper foreign power. To them, it's just a minor conflict. After all, only the smaller villages are against us."

"So we're forced to sit back?" Ao asked, looking at Ay, who was the supreme commander of the Allied Forces.

"No. We can still take out and occupy Shimo and Yugakure. But without supplies, we can forget trying to take out the Akatsuki. Especially Ame. We can't hope to survive only on supplies we capture from the enemies. And the land there is too hostile. It would turn into a war of attrition."

"We could sit here all day, but without established supply lines, we'll fail."

"What about getting supplies on our own? We could purchase it from the merchant guilds." Mei offered.

"I'm afraid that the Daimyo are already buying most of it for now. We could never get enough to provide for the invasion force." Ay

"There has to be something," Kitsuchi growled.

"I… might have an idea." Tsunade offered. "But… it will be costly."

"If it's about the money, I'm sure we can get the funds. Or even a loan. This war must come to an end soon." Everyone was now looking at the Hokage.

"What if we didn't have to rely on still-loyal merchants and the Daimyo to get supplies? We know of another power that has the resources and the ability to deliver them. The Devils."

"Could they actually help?" Onoki glared at Tsunade.

"I… believe so." She nodded. "That's pretty much what they do. Make contracts. After all, that's how we are able to gather." She pointed. Uzumaki Peerage got some of their most lucrative contracts serving as a glorified taxi service between the villages. It ensured that no ambushes could even stall the Five Kage. "The only question would be… what will the devils want in return."

"It's worth a shot. But how do we contact them?"

"That's simple." Kakashi eye-smiled. "We just ask Naruto."

-DXD-

Xenovia slowly opened her eyes. The memories of the fight replayed in her head again and again. First, the Sekiryuutei suddenly got super-powered and almost went blow-for-blow with Kokabiel. Then, she was blasted. And most likely had a concussion. Then… she summoned a devil. She, one of the most prodigious exorcists in the church, a natural Holy Sword wielder, summoned a devil and made a pact. It was within the mission parameters, but… would it matter? Officially, the church was long done with 'Goal Sanctify the Means', so…

"No. I refuse! Her?"

Xenovia looked around, trying to figure out who was shouting. There were dozens of devils flying or walking around, working overtime to repair everything. Kokabiel was nowhere to be seen. And neither were the Excalibur fragments. Gremory Heiress seemed to be currently frantically trying to escape her brother's hug, with Sirti Heiress standing nearby with a smug expression. They were joined by a blind girl Xenovia haven't seen before, a rough-looking boy with facial markings of some sort, a girl with a giant club on her back, and a dog-bear hybrid. She finally zeroed in on the blond devil, who seemed to be arguing with a green-haired man… The current Beelzebub. They stood slightly away from the crowd, though whether they stepped away or the crowd separated from them, she couldn't tell.

"Yes. She has talent and skills that will complement your team. And you've made a pact with her already." Wait, were they talking about her?

"First of all, I won't just demand it. That's not how it should be done."

"You don't have to demand anything. She made a pact. She agreed to pay any price you ask."

"But… she tried to kill Hinata!"

Oh. Yes, they were definitely talking about her.

"While regretful, I believe you will be able to work something out."

"Wh-what's going on?" She tried to speak, but her throat was parched.

"You're awake," Beelzebub noted.

"Hey, tell him you don't want to become a devil." The blond, Naruto, huffed.

"I… really don't." She nodded. The whole situation was becoming overwhelming faster than she expected.

"See." Naruto turned back to the green-haired devil.

"I would then like to see how exactly you plan on collecting on the contract. Normally, that sort of demand would cost someone their soul." The Maou seemed to be getting irritated with the debate that, if Xenovia was correct, has been going in circles for some time now.

While some would say that the ongoing argument over if she would lose her soul was rather important, Xenovia tuned it out. Slowly, she went through the fight in her head. She could vividly recall every part of it, frame by frame. But her mind kept returning to a specific part.

"…daddy bastard dropped dead…"

Was… was it true? That couldn't be true… No, it was. Somehow, her heart already knew it was the truth. God was dead. Then… was there even a point in her life? She dedicated everything to serving Him, but… He was dead.

"I'll do it." It was impulsive. It was stupid. She shouldn't have been making such life-changing decisions on a whim. "I'll become a devil." But she absolutely didn't care. God was dead, the church would exile her the moment they heard she summoned a devil, she had nothing to her name. Becoming a devil seemed quite appealing in comparison to starving on the street or becoming a wench in some red-light district. Xenovia was painfully aware that she lacked any job-worthy skills outside her combat training and even that wouldn't give her much. She might be lucky enough to get a job in some Yakuza. For fuck's sake she didn't even have a valid passport since officially, she wasn't even here. If she would have to resort to sin to earn a living either way, she might as well get some fringe benefits out of it. She was always sort of curious about the other side. Now she would experience that… Yes. It really didn't seem too bad after all…

"Hello?" Oh, the blond was talking to her.

"Yes, I'm certain." She figured that's what he was asking.

"But, I wanted to know why you changed your mind."

"Well, God is dead and my whole life is meaningless. Being a devil is as far away from my previous lifestyle as I can get, so whatever. Do I need to like… slit my throat with a ritualistic knife or something?"

"No!" Both Beelzebub and Naruto rushed to her to stop any such ideas.

"Huh. They ought to update those old books then." She shrugged.

"Just… lay down on your back." Ajuka sighed.

"Do I really have to?" Naruto gave one last token protest. Though he seemed resigned.

"Yes. I believe a knight would be perfect for miss…?" the Maou looked expectantly at the girl.

"Xenovia." She quickly supplied.

"If you say so." Naruto shrugged and pulled the box from who knows where. He placed the knight piece on Xenovia's chest and took a step back. "Last chance?" He gave her a… look. It was something between pleading, pity, and another emotion that Xenovia couldn't name.

"Do it."

"I order, in my name Uzumaki Naruto. You, Xenovia. I, resurrect you back to this soil as my servant, and have you reborn as a Devil. You, my [Knight], be delighted with your new life!" Orange glyphs spread under the girl. Demonic script formed in between the lines and a giant orange spiral twirled itself to life in the center. Naruto pushed more of his devil power and chakra, just like he did the previous three times.

At first, Xenovia didn't feel anything. Then, a pleasant warmth started to spread from the piece all across her body. It was moderate at first, then it intensified until it almost burned. Except there was no pain. Instead, an overwhelming pleasure filled every cell in her body. It was like she was taking a hot bubble bath after a long day of exercising. All tension left her muscles. Xenovia let out a pleased moan. Then, the orange light finally died down.

Naruto looked at his new [Knight], slightly confused.

"Hey, you okay?"

Xenovia's face was flushed red and she seemed to be breathing heavily. "Y-yeah." She stumbled over the words while getting up.

"Interesting." Ajuka looked at her with a critical eye.

"That was… indescribable." She looked at her new [King]. "I can understand how you devils keep getting new blood if the process is like that."

"Huh?" Naruto gave her a blank stare.

"Curious indeed." Ajuka pulled out the scanner and started to check for abnormalities. "It would seem…" He paused, double-checking the results. "Uzumaki-san, please flex your chakra for a moment."

"Heh. I'm… it seems that I'm still kinda out." Naruto rubbed the back of his neck.

"I was sure you were already reinvigorated after that pill Shima-san gave you."

"Huh… strange." Naruto realized that his patron was right. "But… where did my chakra go?"

"I have an answer. Miss Xenovia, please present your right hand on your chest level. Fold the ring and little fingers and hold them in place with your thumb."

"Wait, that's…" Naruto started, but Xenovia simply obeyed the order.

The [Knight] was surprised when she felt something stir inside her after a second of holding her hand like that.

"I… I can sense chakra moving in her!" Naruto gasped. "But… she shouldn't have that much chakra!"

"I'm confused." The girl lowered her hand. "Chakra is supposed to be limited to the various Youkai species spread across east Asia."

"Not exactly. Chakra is a mixture of spiritual and physical energies inside the body. Almost all humans have a little bit. Not enough to utilize it in any form, but enough to for example be detected. Reincarnating into a devil usually increases spiritual and physical energies by a certain factor, but it would never be enough to allow them to utilize it. Uzumaki-san and his people are an exception to the rule in the sense that they possess inhuman amounts of spiritual and physical energies, which get further magnified when they are turned into devils. Despite your initial negligible amount of chakra, you now currently have about half of that of average Shinobi." Ajuka explained everything in a detailed manner, though there was a clear glimmer of curiosity in his eyes. "This will require further research. Such an event is unheard of and I will need more data to properly assess the cause and effect."

"Whoah, hold on, you don't mean that I'm gonna need to take more non-shinobi now, right?" The blond begged.

"For the time being, I ask you to refrain from adding anyone to your peerage. I will have to run some dry tests first. It would be beneficial if you return to Kuoh for the foreseeable future, where the development can be monitored safely and proper safety measures can be introduced."

"Is it really that bad?"

"Until I know more, the possible side effects are unpredictable. While quarantine does not appear necessary, an oversight is mandatory. I will remind you of our deal."

"What about the war? Konoha needs me! My friends need me."

"I will discuss the matter with your commander. Though for now, you could be a liability in the field. Are you willing to risk all of your friends?"

"But… I just finished training! Baa-chan would finally let me return to the front lines. How am I supposed to sit here while they're all there, risking their lives?"

Ajuka shook his head. "Until we know more about what's going on with your Evil Pieces, it's dangerous to let you out into the warzone. What if it's some sort of radiation that in the long term might cause more damage than good?"

"But… What if they need me?"

"Uzumaki-san. Do you trust your friends? Do you believe they are strong?"

"Of course! Who do you take me for?"

"If they are strong and you trust them, then you ought to give them a chance. If the situation becomes truly dire, they can summon you for help. Do you truly want to risk their safety just to get into some fights?"

"I can't just abandon them while they're out there, fighting."

"Are you sure? Are you willing to risk hurting them by accident because something's wrong and you pushed yourself too much?

An image of the wounds Sakura suffered after he accidentally went four-tails at Orochimaru during their mission. "Fine." He huffed. Then, he looked at his newest servant. "If Xenovia-chan has chakra… I can train her to be a passable shinobi." A grin appeared on Naruto's face.

"Training?" Rias seemed to finally manage to escape her brother. She, along with Hinata, Kiba, Temari, and Akamaru all approached the devils. The [Queen] took position behind Naruto.

"Yeah." The blond nodded. "I'm sure I can whip out some training program. I still remember how Ero-Sennin taught me and she can't be worse than me back then." Naruto smiled fondly at the memories.

"Ara ara… can we join?" Akeno, who seemingly appeared out of nowhere with Rias' peerage, requested. The black-haired beauty ignored Hinata's wide eyes and fearful shaking of her head.

"Yeah!" Issei applauded. "We sure could use training." Hinata frantically tried to motion for them to stop, but it seemed that no one listened to the girl's silent warnings. She tried her best to dissuade everyone from the idea without alerting Naruto. On their heads it be.

"So, fiance my," Rias purred, "can you help poor little us get strong like you are?" She gave him a sultry smile.

"Sure. The more the merrier!" Naruto cheerfully agreed. "We start at four-thirty in the morning tomorrow."

Hinata was now facepalming. They ignored her, so they would pay the price.

"F-four in the morning? There is no such hour?" Rias finally realized just why Hinata was trying to stop them.

"Of course there is."

"B-but… the sun's not even up!" Issei protested.

"Huh? I kinda stopped noticing sunrise and sundown a while ago." Naruto shrugged. "We're devils."

"Ufufu… That training might leave me… hot and bothered." Akeno moved closer to Naruto. "But you'll help me with that too, right?"

The boy seemed absolutely oblivious to her double entendre. "Sure, I'll make sure to pack some extra bottles of water for you. Though if you ask me, a cold shower after long training is the best." With that, Naruto marched away from the group to talk with the toad sages, who were still discussing something with Ajuka on the side.

-/\/-

Deep inside Konoha ANBU headquarters, there were several cells. Unlike those inside the normal prison, each of the cells there was reinforced with complex sealing arrays. So far, only two of them were filled.

Haku sat calmly inside an additional seal on the ground, seemingly meditating. The cracks on his skin and dark eyes made his status as a reanimation clear. In the other filled cell, a girl with red hair and red eyes sat, angrily glaring into the distance. She had plans. She was sure she could've escaped. But then the tensions started to rise and she was moved to a more secure place after they deemed her 'high-risk'.

Karin groaned before tossing herself onto the bed. It was uncomfortable, but it sure felt better than sitting on the stone floor. Her unique sensing skill was useless in this cell. No chakra could go out or in. "Oh, Sasuke-Kun… I'll rip you to shreds! Or… maybe I'll forgive you…"

"You seem conflicted," Haku noted from his cell, beginning a conversation. It was honestly the first words he said in at least a week.

"Shut up! You have no idea how I feel!" Karin would've smacked the pretty boy if she could.

"You feel at loss. You lost your usefulness to the one person you loved and they tossed you away. As is the fate of broken tools."

"You're a tool!" The girl snapped.

"I was. I strived to be the perfect tool for Zabuza-Sama, but in the end, I was too weak. I died protecting him, but it was all for naught. He passed shortly after." Haku bowed his head, refusing to meet Karin's gaze.

"So?" She huffed. "I didn't ask you for your traumatic backstory. Get lost. I only care for my Sasuke-Kun."

"And yet, he abandoned you." The boy pointed out in his ever-gentle tone. "I heard you talk to yourself. He believed you to be of no use and so he discarded you. You are a broken tool. Just like I was."

"What would you know?" Though Karin didn't want to admit it, having the facts pointed out to her in such a direct way made her want to rip the boy to shreds. How dare he assume anything?

"I already told you. We share similar fates. We served the one person we loved, but we failed and were thus discarded."

"I wasn't discarded!" Karin yelled. "I wasn't abandoned! I… I was… I…" She started to cry as one scene replayed in her head.

The rough arm holding her neck, every breath harder than the previous as that man behind her tightened his hold.

A moment of peace when she heard Sasuke speak what she believed to be reassurance.

The pain of lightning… and betrayal.

"Why! No! No! Why!" She wailed as tremors shook her body around.

-/\/-