A/N - And here's yet another new story! I know, I know, I should get stuff written for my other stories, but my damn muse is being a pain in the ass. I'm just writing whatever I can right now, and it just so happens to be some new stories.

Anyways, I'm not sure if this particular idea has been done before, but it kinda just popped into my head yesterday and I really wanted to give it a go. As you'll see, I chose Rias as the one that would revive Naruto as a Devil. I know it's been done to death, but for this idea, it worked best that way.

I'm honestly feeling really tired right now, so I'm not going to say much else. Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 1 – Reincarnation

A buxom, red-haired girl stared down at the deceased body of one Naruto Uzumaki. Standing beside her was the enemy known simply as Haku, her hunter nin masked discarded as she looked sadly down at the youth that had arrived late to the fight, planning to backup his teammates. Haku looked like she had been crying, mourning the loss of such a bright, special young man.

Sighing softly, the redhead placed a gentle hand upon Haku's shoulder. "It will be okay." Was all she said before she made to approach Naruto's body. However, a strange, toxic red aura suddenly engulfed Naruto's form before shooting up and out of his body, taking the form of a fox's head for a moment. As it began to fade away, unable to maintain a solid form of any kind, its visage suddenly turned into that of an angry snarl before it howled as it faded from history, not with a bang, but with a tormented cry of anguish. The beast, known simply as the Kyuubi, would never be able to reform now without its other half, though the people on the bridge weren't privy to such information.

What had led up to these events, you might ask? For that, we would need to rewind time a few days. It all started when…

Flashback – 2 days ago

Naruto slumped over, his head impacting the dinner table with a groan. He was absolutely exhausted from attempting to master that damn tree climbing exercise. He was getting progressively better at it as time went by, but it was still hard as hell trying to get a proper grasp on his chakra. He had so damn much of it that it was damn near impossible to rein it all in and get the fine-toothed control he needed!

With a sigh, Naruto was about to say something to his sensei when they heard a knock at the door. Kakashi, Team 7's sensei, approached the door with a kunai ready to be drawn and used at the ready. Slowly opening the door, his eye widened slightly as he saw a familiar group waiting outside. Letting them inside, he returned to his seat and eye-smiled at his team. "Well team, it looks like our backup has finally arrived."

Before anybody could say anything, Naruto beamed at the group and exclaimed, "Rias-chan! Gramps sent your team?! Hell yes!"

The redhead, now identified as one Rias Gremory, giggled and smiled demurely at Naruto. "It's good to see you again, Naruto-kun." She said sweetly before approaching the team. "Hokage-sama sends his regards. We would have been here sooner, but the council held things up for a while. It would seem they were hoping for a certain friend of ours to die on this mission. How shameful."

Kakashi sighed and rubbed his forehead somewhat aggressively. "Of course they would do that. Why sensei sacrificed himself for such selfish, small-minded people is beyond me." The cycloptic Jonin said with a groan. "Regardless, you're here now. I'll brief you on the situation we're currently faced with, and then we can go about figuring out a plan. By my estimate, Zabuza will be fully recovered and ready to fight again in a couple of days. We need to use that time wisely."

Sakura frowned as she looked between Kakashi and Rias. "Wait, why would the council want one of us to die so badly that they'd nearly deny us any help?"

Naruto sighed and rubbed his temples for a time before he looked into his teammate's eyes. "It's me they want gone, Sakura-chan. And before you ask why, I'll explain. Everyone deserves to hear this." Sighing sadly, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. "I'm…a jinchuriki. There are nine of us scattered throughout the nations. We each have a bijuu sealed within us. I, myself, have the Kyuubi no Yoko sealed within me. Sunagakure has the Ichibi. Kirigakure has the Sanbi and the Rokubi. Kumogakure has the Nibi and the Hachibi. Iwagakure has the Yonbi and the Gobi. And finally, Takigakure has the Nanabi."

Scowling now, the whiskered teen, 15 years of age, continued, "I'm not entirely sure how it is with the other villages, but I haven't been treated very well because of my status as a jinchuriki. I've been abused in a variety of ways, not the least of which is attempting to kill me on my birthday. I've been charged triple, sometimes quadruple price for items I need to survive, and even then, they usually only want to sell me rotten food, spoilt milk, stuff like that. That's kind of the reason I visit Ramen Ichiraku so often and eat so much ramen. They give me a slight discount and keep me fed when the village would rather I just die."

Sighing softly, he shook his head and said, "There are others that say we jinchuriki are only weapons to be used as those in charge see fit. They think we jinchuriki shouldn't be treated equally to regular people. We aren't supposed to think and feel for ourselves. That Danzo Shimura prick is the prime example of that kind of asshole."

Opening his eyes again, Naruto looked at Sakura to see she was stunned to the point she had tears streaming down her cheeks. He hadn't meant to make her cry for him, though he wouldn't admonish her for it. Sasuke, on the other hand, merely scoffed and treated Naruto poorly once again.

Before he could say anything, Sakura threw her arms around him and hugged Naruto tight. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

The blonde sighed and tentatively wrapped his arms around Sakura, gently running his fingers through her long, pink hair. "It's okay, Sakura-chan. You didn't know. I didn't mean to make you cry either."

The pinkette shook her head and looked him squarely in the eyes. "That doesn't excuse what I did to you all this time! If there's any way I can make it up to you…" she started to say, only for Naruto to raise his hand and smile at her kindly.

"No need for that. Just be yourself around me and I'll be happy with that. Now…" here, Naruto looked at Rias' team and couldn't help but smile.

The redhead's team consisted of a few fellow females and a few guys. These included a beautiful ravenette by the name of Akeno Himejima, a pretty boy with blonde hair by the name of Yuuto Kiba, a young-looking boy named Gasper Vladi that frequently (read ALWAYS) crossdressed, making himself appear to be a girl, and a unique young woman that often spoke in a monotone voice when around others by the name of Koneko Toujou.

Akeno was slightly taller than Rias and had a slightly bigger bust. She was incredibly beautiful, but Naruto always got a weird feeling from her and tended to keep his conversations with her brief, usually claiming he was in a hurry just so he could get away. He didn't quite know why this was, but he trusted his instincts and they were SCREAMING at him that something was just not right with the girl.

Gasper was, in a word, beautiful. Yes, he was a male and was likely attracted to women, but with the fact that he dressed in girl's clothes, and looked damn good in them, made it so that the word beautiful was absolutely perfect for him. Gasper had platinum blonde hair and pretty violet eyes. Oddly enough, he also had pointed ears, but nobody ever seemed to comment on this fact. Weird.

Kiba was, in simple terms, a pretty boy. However, unlike Sasuke, Kiba was very kind to pretty much everybody and actually got along well with his many fangirls. He was a pretty charming guy and Naruto got along with him rather well.

Koneko was definitely Naruto's favorite amongst the bunch, however. She was slightly shorter than Gasper with white hair and golden eyes. She always had a bored or uncaring look on her face in front of other people, but around Naruto, she always seemed to smile, which definitely made him feel special. They got along wonderfully and, if Naruto was being honest with himself, he had a small crush on her.

Despite knowing them for years, Naruto had definitely noticed something strange about them. None of them seemed to age, which honestly perplexed him. However, he didn't really care about that and simply treated them with the same kindness he would expect in return. Golden rule everybody!

The Hokage oftentimes called Rias' team a specialized team that he'd send out on only the most extreme missions that demanded their presence. Otherwise, he left them to their own devices, allowing them to come and go and do as they please. The only other team he knew about that were treated similarly was Sona Sitri's team, which was pretty much twice as big as Rias' team.

Smiling at his friends, Naruto said, "Now that you're here, I think it's time that I revealed something. I believe I encountered Zabuza's accomplice yesterday in the forest. She hid it well, but the way she moved and the little things she'd say and do made me believe that she's a kunoichi, and a highly skilled one at that. Before you guys say anything, she was actually pretty nice. We got along pretty well and talked for a while. I…don't want to kill her if we can help it. She doesn't seem like a bad person."

Sakura seemed to come to a realization at that point as she looked into his eyes and said, "That night you slept in the woods. You met her early the next morning, didn't you?"

Naruto grinned and said, "Yep! I'd like to think we could be friends, but that might just be wishful thinking, I'm afraid." Sighing afterwards, he shook his head to rid it of the negative thoughts. Turning his gaze back on Rias and her group, he asked, "Sooo, do you think you can come up with a plan of some kind with that marvelous brain of yours, Rias-chan?"

Giggling again, the beautiful redhead took a seat beside Naruto and put her hand on his thigh, patting it gently. "Give me a little time and I think I can come up with a workable strategy, Naruto-kun."

Kakashi gave her an eye smile and said, "I'm willing to listen to any suggestions you come up with, Rias-san. Hokage-sama has placed his trust in you for a reason, and I've heard nothing but good things about you."

Before anyone could say anything, Sasuke scoffed and rose from his chair, turning and walking towards the stairs. "They're only going to slow us down Kakashi. Not sure why you even called for backup when I'm more than enough to deal with Zabuza and his weak accomplice. Too afraid to face her superiors in a fight, running away like she did."

Naruto growled irritably and looked about ready to blow up at Sasuke, but a soft squeeze on his thigh got his attention. Looking into Rias' eyes, he saw her shake her head at him as if she were telling him to just let it go. So, with a reluctant nod, he kept his mouth shut and simply rested his arms on the table before laying his head down again.

Day of the fight

Rias scowled as she watched Sasuke getting his ass kicked by the girl known as Haku. Completely disregarding the plan she had worked so hard on, he had challenged Haku to a fight and was now getting his ass handed to him on a shiny golden platter. Normally one would say silver platter, but in this case, it would definitely have to be a golden one, his ass kicking was so bad. So, with a sigh, she simply motioned for Kakashi and Kiba to fight Zabuza together. They shouldn't have any trouble dealing with the missing nin if they worked together.

Originally, Rias had planned to challenge Haku with herself and Akeno while the remaining members of the team took up positions around Tazuna to keep him safe. She had also planned for Naruto to remain behind to protect the bridge builder's family, as she just knew an attack was coming. Sadly, as with all good plans, things tend to go awry.

After a while of watching Sasuke get his ass kicked, Naruto arrived at the bridge, shouting that he needed everyone to stop fighting so he could tell them something important. However, while Zabuza and his opponents paused, Haku was already in motion for the killing blow against one Sasuke Uchiha. Now normally, this beautiful young woman wouldn't dream of killing somebody. However, the things her opponent had said to her in his fit of rage changed things.

Sasuke had insisted that she was just some weak, no good whore that spread her legs for Zabuza whenever he wanted to use her. How she was beneath him and should be begging him to bear his children, rather than be Zabuza's 'cum bucket' as he said. It was just the mad ramblings of an angry child, but to Haku, it proved that Sasuke's existence was a blight upon the world that needed to be removed. So, rather than use her usual senbon, Haku began using kunai made of ice in her attacks, making things that much worse for Sasuke.

Right when Haku went to make the killing blow on her opponent, something happened that would forever haunt her dreams. Sasuke smirked arrogantly and used the Replacement Technique to swap places with Naruto Uzumaki, allowing the blonde to take the killing blow for him. "Good riddance dobe." He said with a heartless chuckle.

Flashback End

As Haku wept at what she had done, Rias glared towards Sasuke. "You're lucky I don't kill you where you stand boy. What you've just done here is a crime and if the council dares to protect you after what you've done here, then they'll have to answer to me. I won't hesitate to destroy them if you get away with what you've done."

Sasuke chuckled darkly and said, "You can't touch me. I'm the 'last loyal Uchiha' and nobody would dare to go against me. That worthless village practically worships me! Hell, I'm willing to bet I'll be treated like a hero for killing the so-called 'demon'. Maybe they'll even throw me a parade." He said, chuckling even more at the thought.

Before Sasuke knew what was happening, he was struck down by a lightning bolt that came out of nowhere. Body convulsing, he struggled to look around for who hit him, only to feel somebody pressing the heel of their shoe into the back of his neck, pinning him down and making him wince from the pain. "Don't sound so full of yourself, Uke-chan. You've just killed someone the Hokage views as a grandson. How do you think he'll react when he hears about what you did?"

Unable to throw the bitch off of him, Sasuke snarled for a brief moment before he began to chuckle again. "That old fool can't touch me and he knows it. The councils will always keep me safe from any harm."

Akeno released her hold on Sasuke before she knelt down and whispered in his ear, "They're not here to protect you now. I think I'm going to have some fun with you." She said before gripping Sasuke by his hair tightly and dragging him away. It was time to teach this little punk some humility.

Once he was gone, Rias let out a sigh and knelt next to Naruto, gently combing her fingers through his spiky blonde hair. "Oh sweetheart. I had hoped this day would never come. Damn that coward." She said with a scowl on her face. After a while, she sighed before taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "I just hope you can forgive me for what I'm about to do."

Summoning a small box into her hand, Rias opened it to reveal a set of crimson chess pieces. She had a glowing rook, a knight, and eight pawns. The other pieces seemed to be missing. Looking at her pieces, Rias decided to try her rook, a mutated piece, though that would be explained later. She considered using a few of her pawns on Naruto, or perhaps even making him her knight, but something told her that the rook piece would fit him the best. The improved strength and defense would prove quite beneficial to him and would likely put his strength on par with that of Tsunade Senju's technique, if not greater. Naruto was already an agile, quick-moving person, so the Rook's downside of lacking speed would mostly be negated or it would be such a miniscule difference that Naruto likely wouldn't notice it at all.

Holding it over Naruto, she was pleased to see it react to him. Setting the glowing piece upon his chest, she held her hands over his form and began to chant what sounded like a spell of some sort. Haku, who still had tears in her eyes, watched curiously, wondering what this woman was doing. Did she think she could revive the dead or something?!

Once Rias' chant had ended, they watched as the chess piece sunk into Naruto's body. Then, it was as if Naruto's body sent a pulse of power, or magic in this case, out across the battlefield and beyond, surging throughout the Elemental Nations as a whole. Afterwards, Naruto's body began to glow a brilliant reddish orange before it ceased mere moments later. Then, as if by some miracle, Haku watched with glee as Naruto took in a sharp intake of breath before his eyes shot wide open. However, his eyes were unfocused and he appeared to be hyperventilating. Seeing this, Rias smiled softly at him before she cast a sleep spell over him, sending him into the sweet embrace of dreamland.

Looking over at Koneko, Rias smiled kindly at her and said, "Take Naruto-kun back to Tazuna-san's house. Do what you need to to heal his wounds and keep him company. I figured you'd like to be the one he sees first when he wakes up."

When Rias simply smirked at her, Koneko blushed fiercely and sighed irritably. "Baka Rias-sama." She muttered under her breath before she went and collected Naruto. Bidding everyone a good day, she began to carry Naruto back to Tazuna's house where he'd be safe and could recover in peace.

It was at this point that Haku realized something, completely ignoring the fact that Naruto had literally just been revived in front of her. "Wait, Naruto-kun said he needed to tell us something. Do you think something has happened?"

The redhead sighed and pointed towards the far end of the bridge. "I'd say that's probably what he wanted to tell us. Gato and his pigs are here." She said softly, though she felt like she'd choke on the words 'Gato' and 'pigs'. These people were sick, even by Devil standards!

"Well well, I guess the big bad Demon is just a weak lil' pussycat after all. You couldn't even kill one little brat, could you? How pathetic. I guess it's a good thing I had no intention of paying you two for your services. You see, it's just so much easier to do things this way. You kill them, I kill you, I get to keep my money, it's a win win win!" Gato said mockingly before laughing as if what he said was the funniest thing ever.

Zabuza scowled before turning his gaze back towards Kiba. "You, boy. You're quite skilled. Once we've dealt with the rabble, I want to have a spar with you, see just how skilled you really are. I can tell you've been holding back on me."

The blonde chuckled softly and smiled at Zabuza. "I did not mean to insult you, Zabuza-san. I rarely go all out unless it's absolutely necessary. I can tell you this though, my strength lies in my speed and maneuverability more than in my power. Enough of that though, I do believe it's time we show this wretched vermin why it's a fool's endeavor to try and kill our kind. Would you like to have the first go? Or do you want Gato for yourself while I cut down his forces?"

Zabuza grinned sadistically and said, "Which do you think brat? I'm cleaving my way to Gato and putting an end to that wretched pig. You go nuts on the crowd, I think they're feeling a little gutsy and need to be put in their place." With that, Zabuza chuckled and charged forward, cleaving a path through the small army of thugs as he made his way towards Gato.

Kiba sighed and shook his head in amusement. "Very well. I suppose I should show just why I should be feared." Holding out his hand, he focused on his power and summoned a vast assortment of blades that sprung up all over the bridge, piercing through the vast majority of the mob. Those left alive were terrified at what they had just witnessed. Chuckling sinisterly, Kiba discarded his current sword in favor of grabbing two rather unique blades: one that lit alight with flames, the other surrounded by razor sharp ice that seemed to be radiating a cold energy. "Let the dance of death begin." He said casually as he vanished in a burst of speed, slicing and dicing his way through the army of thugs.

Kakashi simply chuckled as he covered his Sharingan eye once again. He knew that the two of them didn't need his help to finish the job. So instead, he turned and began making his way towards Tazuna. Upon reaching him, he patted the bridge builder on the shoulder and eye smiled at him. "Looks like your country will be just fine. Now, stay here with the troops while I go deal with Sasuke."

Tazuna simply nodded as he returned his attention to the massacre ahead of him. He was too stunned to look away unless absolutely necessary. The gore, the blood, the…the…everything! It was all just too damn much to deal with right now! And he didn't even want to think about that girl reviving the deceased Naruto the way she did! Since when could ninja techniques do something like that?! Or was it some kind of crazy magic?! He had no idea! All he wanted right now was to sit down with a giant bottle of sake and drink until the crazy stopped affecting him.

As he made his way into the woods outside of town, Kakashi was running through all the different punishments he could inflict, scrapping some ideas, choosing others that might be appropriate, and so on. When he finally found Sasuke, he blinked a couple of times as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing. "Okay then…" he muttered.

Akeno smiled sweetly at Kakashi and motioned towards her unwilling play toy. "Hello there Kakashi-san. How nice of you to join us. Is there something you needed with Uke-chan here?"

Kakashi sighed before looking blankly into her eyes. "I came to deal with Sasuke, but it seems you've already done quite enough. I don't think there's anything else I can do to him to make him get the message that he's in deep shit."

The ravenette giggled and said, "Oh, don't worry. He's not completely broken yet. Uke-chan's pride seems to be hanging on by a sliver. He just refuses to give in, no matter how much I put him through. He's quite stubborn that way, I suppose."

The cycloptic Jonin nodded in understanding before he approached Sasuke and looked him over. So far, it looked like he had hot wax burns all over his body after Akeno apparently stripped him, tied him to a tree, and started her torture. She had whipped him for a while with a cat o' nine tails, leaving several long gashes in his skin. It looked as if she had broken his fingers and toes, judging on how the majority of them were bent in a rather painful fashion. He was sure Akeno had done even more to torture the little bastard, but he didn't want to think on it anymore than he already had. So, looking down at Sasuke, Kakashi thought over what he should say and do to get through to Sasuke.

After some time, the Jonin sighed and gripped Sasuke by his hair HARD and forced him to look up into his eye. "Here's what's going to happen Sasuke. I'm going to put you through hell every day we're here. All day long. Every. Fucking. Day. You won't get any breaks. You won't get to complain. You're going to be begging me for death after just a few hours of this on the very first day. You may think you'll be getting stronger, but with all you'll be doing, you're only going to burn yourself out and physically harm your own body. It won't be training, it'll be pure torture. If you collapse or complain, my good friend here will shock you until you get off your ass and get back to work. The only breaks you'll get are to eat and drink. You don't get to sleep. You don't get to relax. You don't get to enjoy a little fun in the sun. No Sasuke, you're going to suffer. If you're lucky, you'll die. If you're unlucky, you'll get to return to Konoha with us and face the Hokage's judgment. Maybe if you're really lucky, the councils will save your worthless ass. But understand this: once you're participating in the Chunin Exams, you're going to die. I fully expect you to die for what you've done, and I'm personally looking forward to seeing who kills you. After all, you killed your teammate. I think it's only fair that it be declared that it's open season on your ass. Should you somehow survive the Chunin Exams, I promise you I'll find another way for you to suffer and die. You should remember what I said that first day, Sasuke Uchiha. Do tell me, what were the words of wisdom I imparted on you that day?"

Despite the fact that he couldn't see out of either of his eyes at the moment after what Akeno had done to him, Sasuke simply smirked in Kakashi's direction. "I dunno. Maybe that you're a pathetic teacher and bet on the wrong horse?"

Kakashi sighed and shook his head in disappointment. "You're trash, Sasuke Uchiha. Plain and simple. Those who abandon a mission are trash, but those who abandon a comrade are worse than trash. So no, I was being too kind. You're lower than trash. You're not even worthy to be called a worm. That would just be insulting to those cute little things. No, there's no word to describe how low and pathetic you are. From now on, you're my bitch, Sasuke Uchiha. By the time we get home and you're allowed to rest, I WILL make you loathe my very being. Your pride will be crushed and you'll be a sobbing mess on the ground, crying for Mommy and Daddy to come save you. Only they won't. And you want to know why that is? It's because they're dead. Dear Brother did the world a favor and killed all your clansmen, women, and children. Too bad about the women and children bit, but what's done is done, I suppose. Now, stop lying there and get to moving. I don't care about the state you're in, you're going to work buck naked and humiliated until it's time to leave. Chop chop!"

Sasuke scowled and would have likely thrown a punch in outrage at his teacher, but he had yet to be released from his restraints. When Akeno finally let him free, Sasuke attempted to attack her first, only for her to press two fingers to his forehead and shoot more electricity through his body, causing him to collapse to the ground, convulsing and screaming in agony.

Kakashi simply smirked sadistically down at the punk and said, "Tick tock. Tick tock. Time's a wastin' Sasuke. Get off your ass and start giving me laps around the island. You don't stop until I say you can stop. If you complain even once, Akeno-san here will zap you. If you stop to take a breather, Akeno-san will zap you. Now get going!"

Not wanting to get electrocuted again, Sasuke wiped his eyes for a moment until he could see clearly again before he took off running. As he did, Akeno giggled to herself and said, "He'll never make it if he doesn't pace himself. Oooh, seeing this side of you is just making me all tingly. Too bad you're not my type, because we could have oh so much fun together." She teased.

Kakashi simply chuckled as he began to follow Sasuke with Akeno by his side. "The feeling's mutual, Akeno-san. You're a little much for my tastes. Great friend to have though." He said with an eye smile in her direction.

"Aww, you flatterer." She said teasingly. "Ooooh, he's already taking a break! Kazap!" she exclaimed, making a lightning bolt shoot from the sky and strike Sasuke, making him collapse to the ground and convulsing once again. "Up and at 'em Uke-chan! We're nowhere near done yet!"

All Sasuke could think in that moment was two simple words: Sadistic bitch.

Two days later

Rias and her peerage, a collection of people reincarnated as devils via the Evil Piece system, bound to serve the one who changed them, were quite concerned about Naruto. For the past two days, he hadn't awakened once. They were beginning to worry that something was wrong, despite the fact that he was alive. Koneko had barely left his side, sticking to him like glue and waiting patiently for Naruto to awaken. If the situation wasn't so serious, the others would have teased her for it.

When Naruto's eyes fluttered open and he let out a groan, Koneko's eyes widened and tears began to well up in her eyes. Without warning, she wrapped Naruto in a tight hug and held him tight. Naruto found himself blushing quite a bit as he slowly hugged her back, gently rubbing his hand in circles on her back. "It's okay Neko-chan. I don't know what happened, but everything's okay now."

Koneko leaned back and shook her head negatively. "No. No it's not. The Uchiha killed you, Naruto-kun. Rias-sama had to use one of her pieces to revive you. You're like us now, Naruto-kun."

Blinking a couple of times in shock, Naruto opened his mouth to say something, only to close it before he could. This repeated a couple of times before he finally asked, "What?"

The white-haired girl sighed and revealed the features she hid from everyone: her cat ears, two tails, and her bat-like wings. "Rias-sama will explain. I'm sorry."

Naruto frowned for a moment before he pulled Koneko into another hug and reached up, gently petting her ears, much to her embarrassment. However, at his gentle ministrations, she couldn't help it as she began to purr contently, causing him to grin. "Don't apologize Neko-chan. I'm sure that, no matter what has happened to me, it won't change how I feel about all of you. You're my dearest friends and I'd still do absolutely anything to keep you all safe and happy."

The now revealed Nekoshou simply closed her eyes and smiled happily as she hugged Naruto tight, refusing to let him go. She didn't even budge when the door opened and the rest of the peerage entered the room.

Upon seeing Naruto awake and holding Koneko, Rias' eyes widened and she could feel tears welling up in her eyes. "You're awake. Thank goodness. How do you feel, Naruto-kun?"

"Umm…different? I guess. I feel like something really big has changed, but I can't put my finger on what that could be. What exactly happened to me anyways? Last I remember, I hurried to the bridge to tell everyone that Gato was planning to betray Zabuza and Haku-chan, and then it's all a big blank after that. I felt so cold." Naruto said, sounding a bit unsure.

Kiba took this moment to step up to Naruto and placed a gentle hand upon his shoulder. "You died, Naruto-kun. Sasuke Uchiha used you to take his place when Haku-san moved in for the kill. And when you died, the Kyuubi died with you. In a sense, you're free of your burden, but you've only exchanged one stigma for another. You see, you've become like us, a Devil. And…"

Rias took this moment to step up to Naruto and placed a gentle hand upon his whiskered cheek. Running her thumb lightly over his whisker marks, she smiled sadly at him. "You've become bound to me, Naruto-kun. When I revived you as my Rook, I became your master. However, before you get upset…"

Naruto held up a hand, interrupting her before she could say anymore. "I'm not upset, Rias-chan. As far as I'm concerned, you saved my life and have given me the chance to become something truly great. I know you well enough by now to know that you'd never mistreat me or abuse your authority over those bound to you in any way. I'd rather direct my anger towards somebody more deserving of it, such as Sasuke-teme. What he did cannot be forgiven, and I personally hope Gramps deals with him appropriately before the councils get involved. They'd sooner kiss the teme's ass than punish him for murdering me."

Akeno giggled and said, "I wouldn't worry about Uke-chan. Kakashi-san has been punishing him most severely. Speaking of which, I'm afraid I can't stay for long. I have to make sure Uke-chan stays properly, hmm…motivated." She said, giggled sadistically for a time. When she calmed down, she walked up to Naruto and placed a light kiss upon his cheek. "I'm glad you're okay now, my little Naru-koi." She said before she turned and sashayed out of the room, smirking to herself as she realized Naruto's eyes were drawn to her shapely posterior.

Naruto yelped when he felt a sharp pinch in his side. Looking down, he saw Koneko pouting cutely at him. Giggling nervously, he said, "S-Sorry Neko-chan. Umm, what exactly are you, by the way? It's obvious you're a Devil too, but you've got these really pretty cat ears and even a couple of cool tails."

Rias smiled as she leaned in and placed a tender kiss upon his forehead. "Koneko-chan is a rare breed of Nekomata known as a Nekoshou. Akeno is half Devil, half Fallen Angel. And Gasper-kun is what is known as a Dhampir, a vampire that can walk in the daylight without a worry. Sure, he tends to sunburn easily because of his pale complexion, but otherwise, there's no issue. And I promise, I'll explain everything soon. I'd much rather explain everything in detail once we're safely back in Konoha. My home is a far safer place to talk about our many, many secrets. For now, just know that you're a Devil now and, with this change, you now have access to a variety of new and unique abilities, such as the ability to cast magic spells and using your wings to fly."

The whiskered teen nodded in understanding for a moment. After a short while, he looked into Rias' eyes as one of his hands gently petted Koneko's hair and scratched behind her ears, making the Nekoshou nuzzle deeper into his chest and purr contently. "I trust you Rias-chan. Though I do have a few questions I'd like answered now, if it's at all possible."

"If I can answer them now, I promise that I will. So ask away Naruto-kun." The beautiful redhead said.

Naruto simply smiled as he continued his gentle ministrations on Koneko. She was truly dear to him and he wanted her to be happy. With a soft sigh, he looked into Rias' eyes and asked, "Does Gramps know what you are? And is Sona-chan like you as well?"

Rias grinned slightly and said, "Excellent deductions Naruto-kun! Yes, Hokage-sama is aware of what we are. He allows us to build our homes in his village and recruit whomever we desire into our ranks, and we act to protect his village and those he holds dear. We play the role of his elite enforcers, exerting his will and passing judgment on the guilty. As for Sona? Yes, she is a Devil, just like we are. While she is the heiress of the Sitri family, I am the heiress of the Gremory family. However, you should know that not all Devils are as kind as we are. A lot of them can be cruel and downright manipulative to get what they want. Such as…no, never mind."

When Rias' eyes seemed to dim somewhat, Naruto was tempted to ask what was wrong. However, he realized that if Rias wanted him to know whatever was bothering her, she'd tell him when she was ready to. So, without a word, he used his free hand to grab hers and squeezed it gently to show his support. "I don't know what's troubling you, Rias-chan, but whatever it is, I'll help you to the best of my ability. I promise."

The blue-eyed beauty simply smiled gratefully at him as she squeezed back. "Thank you, Naruto-kun. I had hoped never to have to draw you into my problems, but I'm afraid they're about to become yours now too. I just hope you can forgive me for…"

Naruto sighed and reached up to flick Rias in the nose, causing her to let out a little 'ouch!' "I already told you, there's nothing to forgive. I care about you Rias-chan, all of you. You're all precious to me and I'll do whatever I can to aid you with your problems, whatever they may be. It's as Haku-chan said to me before: when you have someone or something precious to you that you want to protect, that's when you become truly strong. So no matter what's bothering you, I will fight to protect you and your smile and I'll win no matter the odds."

Rias giggled and kissed him on the forehead again. "You're sweet, but you'll need a lot more than sheer bravado to help me with my problems, Naruto-kun. Which is why, starting today, we'll be training you in your new powers. From now on, you'll divide your time between training with Kakashi-san in the ways of the shinobi, and training with us in the ways of magic and what it means to be a Devil. As I said, we'll explain more later, but for now, you need to understand that you are special, Naruto-kun. You have the potential to become truly great. And, in case it hasn't been said before, I believe in you, Naruto-kun."

Naruto found himself blushing as he looked away, his hand still idly petting Koneko throughout this whole exchange. "Th-Thank you, Rias-chan."

It was at this moment that Haku and Zabuza entered the room, both of them pleasantly surprised to see Naruto was now awake. Before anyone could say anything to the two of them, Haku rushed forward and threw her arms around both Naruto and Koneko in her attempt to glomp onto the blonde shinobi turned Devil. "You're awake! Thank God!"

When Haku said that word, Naruto felt a sharp pain in his head and gripped it in agony for a moment. It passed just as quickly as it came, but it still shocked him. Looking from Haku to Rias, she mouthed that she'd explain later. Nodding in understanding, he looked back at Haku and said, "I'm glad you're okay, Haku-chan. I'm sorry for worrying you."

The beautiful ravenette lightly whacked him atop the head before saying, "You're glad I'M okay?! Naruto-kun, you DIED! If it wasn't for Rias-san, you'd still be dead! I don't know what she did, but whatever it is, I'm grateful to her for saving your life. But…we saw something come from you when you died."

Naruto sighed and looked away. "I am…was the jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko. What you saw was likely the bijuu passing away."

Zabuza grunted and said, "Figured as much. That was some pretty potent chakra. Lemme guess, you've had it rough, haven't you kid?"

The whiskered teen chuckled and said, "Very. I'd say you have no idea, but I'm sure you and Haku-chan have been through your fair share of hell too. Am I right?"

The swordsman shrugged and said, "You could say that, sure. Listen kid, Haku and I are going to be going with you and your merry little band back to Konoha. All at her insistence, I assure you. Besides, blondie there owes me a spar." He said, waving towards Kiba.

Naruto looked at Kiba and chuckled a bit. "Of course he does." He said amusedly. After a moment, he patted Haku's back and smiled at her. "It'll be nice being able to see you more often, Haku-chan. But, why are you so insistent on coming back to Konoha with us?"

Koneko simply looked into Naruto's eyes and muttered, "Baka." before nuzzling against him once more. It took a moment for Naruto to realize what she meant by that. When it hit him, he looked at Haku with a shocked expression on his face. "Wait, do you…?!"

Haku blushed prettily at this and slowly nodded her head. "I…would like to get to know you better, Naruto-kun. You're the first person I've ever been able to call a friend."

Naruto smiled at her and pulled her back into a hug, along with Koneko. "All right. I can agree to that." He said.

"Good, 'cause I wasn't going to let you say no." Zabuza said with a chuckle.

Later

When Naruto finally came downstairs, Sakura began to sob. As she tried to wipe away her tears, Naruto walked up to her and gently petted her hair. "Hey. None of that now."

The pinkette shook her head and said, "But…but I saw you d-die. Sasuke…h-he…"

Gently lifting Sakura up out of the chair she was seated in, he wrapped his teammate in a hug and said, "I know. Rias-chan and the others explained it to me. I'm sorry. If I knew he was going to do something like that, maybe I could've prepared for it or done something different, I don't know. But it happened and there's nothing we can do about it now besides hope he gets punished appropriately for his crime. Unless you still…?"

Before Naruto could finish what he was saying, Sakura pounded her fist against his chest and glared into his eyes. "No! After what he did, I see him for what he truly is now. That stupid crush on him died when you did. Let one of those other girls have him, like Ino-pig or even Ami! I'm just glad you're okay…"

"Thanks, Sakura-chan. I'm just sorry for worrying you like that." Tilting her head up slightly, he proceeded to wipe away her tears and smiled kindly at her. "Now no more crying. You're so much prettier when you smile."

The emerald-eyed girl blushed and slowly nodded. "O-Okay. T-Thanks, Naruto."

"Good." Naruto said before he took a seat beside her and looked at Tsunami. "I'm sorry to do this to you Tsunami-san, but I'm absolutely starving. Do you think you can cook me up something to eat, please?"

The kindhearted woman smiled at Naruto and said, "Of course. You just wait right there. And Naruto? I'm glad you're okay."

"Me too, Tsunami-san. Me too." Naruto said. As he sat there waiting for some grub, he couldn't help but wonder what laid in store for him now that things had changed in such a drastic way. Guess I'll find out when we get home…

A/N - And that's the chapter! I wasn't sure where to end it or even how to end the chapter, but I figured that was as good a place as any. The next chapter will have them returning to Konoha, and a lot will be explained to Naruto there. I'll also try to explain certain things as the story goes along, but for now, this is where my plot bunny went in regards to this story, so yay?! .

Anyways, I'm so damn tired I forgot what I was going to say. lol. I've only had a few hours of sleep, so my mind's not all here right now. I'm darn sure you can already tell this will be a harem story, because that's pretty typical for me by now. lol. I'm open to any suggestions you might have, so feel free to tell me girls in either series (Naruto or Highschool DxD) that you'd like to see added to the harem. But please, and I cannot stress this enough, PLEASE give me good reasons for each of the girls you suggest. Don't just say 'because they're hot!' or something. Yes, a lot of the characters in both series are pretty hot, I'll grant you that, but I'd like to receive some well thought out reasons behind the girls you suggest. I can't make any promises, but I'll give each of them serious thought.

Now, I think I'm going to eat something soon and try to take a nap or something. Between my cat waking me up just two hours after I went to sleep and the fact that I've been sick to my stomach all day, I'm absolutely wiped. x.x So yeah. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and are looking forward to what comes next. Ciao!