This is a continuation of the last chapter, as well as the final part of Naruto and Ange's Germany mission. As I said, the next chapter will be the date chapter with Shino Asada.

During the chapters I've made, I had forgotten to explain Naruto's ability to see into souls. As the host of Infernus, he can see into the "flame of life" inside of his victim's souls, allowing him to view one's history, thoughts, and intentions before judging them.


OP: HOT BLOOD by Nana Mizuki

Nothing beats a long day of work than a nice warm bath. It was nice of Sasha to let him use the bath after hours of chores. Naruto made extra sure to lock the door so he wouldn't be disturbed and make things awkward.

"By noon tomorrow, you'll be fully healed, then we can finally get the fuck out of Germany."

"Eager to get back to Japan?" asked Naruto. Infernus simply told the blond the girls were hotter in Japan and that he had some bad history with Germany. When Naruto asked Infernus what sort of history he had with Germany, he simply said, "Enough to only stay for a day or two." Naruto snickered as he sunk to the warm water until only his head was above the water.

"By the way, when do you plan to ask that Shino girl on a date?" asked the flame demon. Naruto admitted he wasn't sure, but he'll know when the right time will be. Right now he wanted to know her a bit more.

"Do you think you'll kiss her?" Infernus asked. Naruto blushed when asked that question. "May...Maybe?" Snickering, he left Naruto to his thoughts. Staring up at the ceiling, the Rook wondered if Xenovia was okay, maybe even alive. Honestly, he hoped he didn't actually kill her with that stab wound. If he did, would she be turned into an angel? Or a form of zombie? Just being reminded of her made him sad.

Rome American Hospital

Rome, Italy

Hours ago...

Xenovia had not left Griselda's side since the latter had collapsed. After Esdeath had unlocked her circuits, she immediately began her training in magic, mainly in Projection and Reinforcement Magic, given the girl's affinity for swords. She went through a lot of pain trying to trace the weapons. After seeing her in pain from her practice in Projection Magic, her friend Keito had enough and was forced to tell Griselda, who confronted both Esdeath and Xenovia and had demanded that the bluenette come back with her. Xenovia's anger towards Firebrand made the girl say things that not only hurt Griselda but broke her heart. She had told the exorcist that she was aware of her holding her back and not teaching her how to use magic, and Griselda had admitted to doing so, simply worried over her safety. When a younger Xenovia revealed to Griselda she could use Innate Time Control Magic, she got angry with her and told her to never use it again, though the young bluenette never listened.

Griselda was also forced to reveal that when she found Xenovia as an infant, she was naturally born with very large amounts of Magic Circuits. She feared that her own magic circuits would hurt her if she were to discover them and did something the female exorcist didn't approve of, causing the circuits to slowly destroy the blue-haired exorcist's body from the inside. She also felt her potential as a magic user was a serious threat that could be exploited by anyone for selfish reasons, forcing Griselda to ban Xenovia from learning any more magic.

Angered by the revelation, the bluenette angrily told Griselda that Esdeath was acting more of a guardian and teacher to her than she was and that if she was truly acting like she cared about her, she wouldn't be hiding things from her, and that if she had taught her proper magic instead of forbidding it and encouraged her, she wouldn't have all the anger she had now. She ended it by shouting that Griselda never loved her. That was the last thing she had said before Griselda collapsed. When that happened, Xenovia was in shock that she said that and had forgotten about her anger and became worried, even scared for her guardian.

Esdeath did nothing but watch as the young exorcist carried Griselda to the hospital. The girl was constantly apologizing to her master, telling her she did not mean it. As she sat beside her, Xenovia was praying for forgiveness for everything she had said to the exorcist. The bluenette could never truly hate her. She was always thankful to Griselda for taking care of her, and she knew that she loved her. As she finished praying, Irina came in, worried.

"Irina...I...said things I-" Irina stopped her by hugging her, letting her understand that the bluenette didn't mean everything she said.

"I don't deserve to be forgiven by her," she told her friend.

"I'm sure she'll forgive you Xenovia. If I know anything about Griselda, she knows how to forgive," Irina assured her friend, who gently freed herself from the twin-tailed girl's hug before exiting the room.

"Xenovia, where are you going?"

"I need space..." was all she said before exiting, leaving Irina alone with a sleeping Griselda. As soon as she exited, she was approached by Kurome. Wondering why she was visiting the hospital, she asked the girl.

"We've located Firebrand. He's in Germany. Wave and Bols are on their way to our headquarters, so as soon as they arrive, we're immediately going to Germany to capture Firebrand and bring him here so you can pass judgment on him." Xenovia said nothing as she proceeds to walk back to the Church.

"No response? I thought you'd be interested in this news."

"My master is in the hospital, I'm in a not so good mood Kurome." Xenovia told the girl in a cold manner.

"But don't you want to kill Firebrand?" asked Kurome.

"Of course I do! I still want to! But not while Griselda's in the state she's in now!"

"Soft...You're still too soft Xenovia! Griselda's teachings have made you that way, and your care for her is keeping you back! How do you hope to kill "him" if you still cling onto Griselda like a useless little sister!?" This was the last straw for Xenovia, who turned her attention towards Kurome. She yelled as she ran towards Kurome, who was more than happy to fight the bluenette.

"Trace on!" yelled Xenovia, summoning a simple longsword before reinforcing its blade with her circuits. Jumping to the air, the bluenette prepares a downward sword strike as Kurome readies her own sword and prepares a two-handed horizontal strike. As soon as their swords connected, the blade on Kurome's katana broke, shocking the girl as Xenovia went in for the kill, only to stop at the girl's shoulder, an inch away from cutting the girl down.

"...I can strike you down any day, hour, minute, and second, but I won't. I have treated you as nothing but a fellow exorcist. But now, you're just an annoying pest. If anything, you're the useless little sister." Kurome's eyes widened at the last part.

"I know the stories you've told me, of how you were in your older sister's shadow, how she got more praises than you, and how she would come to save you when you were in danger. When she got adopted while you were considered KIA, you were left alone and vulnerable, so you clung onto me and Irina like a lost puppy. We were replacement sisters FOR YOU! So don't tell me that I'm a useless little sister. Now here you are, broken sword in hand. Unable to scratch or break the counterfeit sword I traced and reinforced, and that was just a basic level weapon with no special attributes...pathetic. If you were a devil and this was a fight to the death, you'd lose...Now go capture Firebrand. I don't care how you go about it, just as long as you leave me the hell alone..." Kurome fell to her knees as Xenovia left, her traced sword vanishing into thin air. Once Xenovia was alone, she clutched her right arm in pain as the magic circuits in her arm flashed on and off. She had yet to completely master Projection Magic. At this moment, she was a novice, but if she can master it before meeting Firebrand again, she'll have an arsenal of several legendary weapons at her disposal.

Unknown Forest

Dauper, Germany

10:00 pm

Naruto wasn't really tired tonight. 2 hours ago, he told Mr. Braus he would be out alone in the forest, saying him he was going to scout the area for people who might be out making trouble. In truth, he was doing all night training. As of now, Naruto had been practicing his martial arts for a good 2 hours. When he began his part-time job at Agares Corp., he made sure to get some training done 2 hours before he left to go home.

At home, an hour before he would go to bed and wake up in the morning, he would spend it doing mental training. The day before he left with Ange for Germany, Naruto had been working on a machine that would simulate an opponent for him to battle in order to improve his fighting skills. As soon as he got back from Germany, he figured he'd finish it so he can use it for more training. The enemies he's been facing were getting tougher.

"That does it for combat training. All right, time to practice magic training. I've been neglecting it lately. I should at least try to master Sling Magic." Tracing his right hand in a circular pattern while focusing on a destination beyond the space directly in front of him, Naruto tried to create a portal to his office in Agares Corp. Why? Because he wanted to grab Igneox, the weapon he finished that he wasn't able to bring with him due to the requirements of the mission. Right now, he could only generate orange sparks, which annoyed him.

"You're doing it wrong Naruto," Infernus informed him, who was surprised by his reply.

"I'm doing it wrong? How?"

"Are you good with drawing or painting with a pencil or brush?" asked Infernus. Naruto answered yes before asking the demon why he asked that question and how it relates to Sling Magic.

"Your speed is not the issue, I will give you that. And your destination is on point. It's the pressure that you're fucking up. When drawing, you can't always apply weight or pressure to your arms, hands, and fingers and trace a shape or color a setting, or else you end up ruining the surface you're using, forcing you to start over from scratch. When you're infusing energy into your fingertips as you're tracing a circular pattern, you're adding in an excessive amount of energy that's not needed, like an amateur painter adding too much paint to a brush. You need to lessen the amount you're applying." Having finished listening to Infernus, Naruto infuses a lesser amount of energy into the pointing and middle fingertips on his right hand and tries again. This time, he makes a perfect portal, surprising Naruto.

"Well holy shit, you were right!" he happily yelled.

"When it comes to magic, control over the amount of energy you use for spells is needed or else it either blows up in your face and kills you or ends up creating wacky results. Remember that when you begin developing your own magic attacks."

Naruto reaches his hand into the portal and grabs Igneox before closing it. With his weapon in hand, he begins training with it. While he couldn't utilize the heat blade function of Igneox as of now, it being dependent on his powers, he can at least learn stick fighting.

The next day

Rome American Hospital

Rome, Italy

Esdeath was asked by Xenovia to go visit Griselda at the hospital in her stead, having been affected by the things that were said yesterday. She was more than happy to do it for her new apprentice. As she walked through the hallways leading to Griselda's room, a wicked smile formed on her face that implies a dark motive behind the visit. Regaining her composure, she enters the room, where she sees Irina talking to the bedridden exorcist. As soon as Irina sees Esdeath enter, she gets up and takes her leave.

"Never thought you'd pay me a visit, Esdeath," said Griselda.

"Xenovia told me to come in her place, to see how you're doing." Griselda sighed.

"I was hoping she'd visit...Honestly, no matter what I tell her not to do, she does the exact opposite. But I guess that's what's to be expected when raising a child," Griselda told her fellow exorcist, developing a smile. "It was wrong of me to keep those secrets away from her, and she was right, I should've helped nurture her magic powers."

"With the right training, she can become a very powerful exorcist." Esdeath replied.

"...Listen Esdeath...I don't have a problem with you training her, it's just...I don't want her to be consumed by vengeance, and I don't want her to be a danger to herself. I only ask that you take care of her and guide her on the right path as I did. I have yet to tell Xenovia this, but the Church has asked me to go on a set of missions that only I can complete as soon as I get out of the hospital tomorrow, and I'll be gone for a while. I won't be able to be in contact with anyone either. Before I go, I'd like to have Xenovia see me off. If she can't make it, I want you to tell her, as soon as possible, "I'm sorry for keeping things from you, and that I forgive you for getting angry with me. I...love you, and when I get back, I promise to teach you proper magic". Can you do that for me?" As soon as Griselda told Esdeath what she needed to tell the bluenette, the Ice General agreed to it, earning a thanks from her. Getting up, she leaves so that Griselda can rest for her mission tomorrow.

Unknown Forest

Dauper, Germany

10:45 am

Teleportation Magic was very reliable to have, especially when it came to combat. Naruto was currently utilizing it in a way that allowed him to throw Igneox at an enemy before vanishing and appearing either back in his hands or wherever he needed it to be. He could throw it at someone, making them dodge, thinking they could avoid it, and then make it appear either above or behind them for a sneak attack. All he had to do was infuse a special formula into the weapon and that was it. It also helped that Naruto had several Daredevil and Nightwing comics as references, mainly Nightwing comics. Hell, he even played Nightwing in "Injustice: Gods Among Us". It was really disappointing that he wasn't in "Injustice 2". After all, he was dead in the comics. Feeling that he had enough training, after staying up from 8 at night until now, Naruto decided to get back to the farm and thank the Braus Family for the clothes and hospitality. Storing Igneox away in a storage dimension, the Rook made his way back to the farm. While walking, Naruto noticed his strength was rising. Soon, he'll be able to use his flames again. As he exits his thoughts, he came across Connie, who, like him, was on his way to the Braus Family Farm.

"Connie, hey!" Naruto yelled, getting the Springer boy's attention, who greets him back. "You seem to be in a good mood. What's up?"

"I've been thinking really hard about what you told me, and I've decided to prove my bravery to her father. I'll just ask him what I can do to show it, and then the rest will-"

"I'm going to interrupt you there. You're not supposed to ask what you can do to show it. To prove yourself, you have to let it happen, have things take its course. You can't rush it, otherwise, you come out as desperate." Connie pouts as Naruto explained things to him.

"When will I know if it's the right time?" As soon as Connie asked, they heard Mr. Braus yell, "Who the hell are you lot!?"

"I reckon that that's the first step. Come on," Naruto said as he and Connie rushed to the farm.

Braus Family Farm

Dauper, Germany

11:00 am

As soon as they arrived, Naruto stops Connie and tells him to hide behind the bushes as they observe what's going on. To the Rook's annoyance, the Wild Hunt, excluding Syura, had come to the farm, with 20 exorcists with them. From the looks on them, they were associated with the Wild Hunt, and not to the Church. How corrupt was this faction? How was it that the Church could turn a blind eye? Sasha was hiding behind her father, cautious of the strangers in front of them.

"We're very busy people in search of a blond delinquent who killed our own." answered Enshin, who was currently substituting for Syura, following his "scarring". Hearing him mention of Naruto's blond hair, Mr. Braus asks if it was necessary to bring a lot of people just to search for the blond in question when they could've easily covered more ground by splitting up.

"Our men had last spotted him going in this direction, which led us to your farm," Izou answered in a calm and polite manner. Unlike the others, he was reserved, and he did not participate in the "festivities" his teammates indulged in.

"No, I haven't seen any blond delinquent here." Mr. Braus replied. Seeing Naruto work yesterday, Mr. Braus could tell the kind of person Naruto was. If he really did this "crime", he had his reasons, something Mr. Braus respected enough to not ask.

"You're obviously lying," Dorothea replied. "When someone like you lies, your nose twitches a little." Surprised by this, Mr. Braus touches his nose in surprise. Smirking, Dorothea reveals she was lying about knowing if someone was lying and that he fell for her trick, shocking him.

"So you know him, and you've been helping him," said Enshin.

"What do you plan to do with him once you have him?" asked Sasha.

"Simple, we serve our brand of "justice" to him," answered Enshin, who couldn't help but ogle at the girl. Sasha felt a chill run down her spine. "So where's the blond?" Mr. Braus tells Enshin that he doesn't know, saying that neither he nor Sasha saw him when they woke up. "By now, he's probably far away now." Hearing this, Enshin knees Mr. Braus in the stomach, making him collapse in pain as Sasha quickly checks her father.

"We don't believe you. I'm going to ask once more, "Where is he?" Sasha angrily tells them that they don't know. Not satisfied, Enshin tells the exorcists to search the whole farm. Only one exorcist doesn't follow the order.

"Sir, we don't have the right to search their farm," said the unnamed exorcist. "We should wait for "the others" to arrive before-" Before the exorcist could say more, Enshin punched him to the ground and stares him down. "We're not waiting for the Jaegers to arrive. There's a demon on the loose and we have to kill him and retrieve that book." Naruto felt sorry for the exorcist. He was an innocent who was caught in the middle of a devil hunt.

"You better follow my orders, or else you'll have to answer to Syura." The Exorcist, though he didn't like following the orders he was given, gets up and proceeds to search the farm. As the exorcists search the place, destroying things along the way, Mr. Braus yells at them, telling them that they had no right to be on his land before being kicked again, this time by Cosmina.

"You think you can talk back to people who are trying to rid this land of evil?" Enshin asked.

"To me, you're people who're trying to ruin my farm." Mr. Braus joked before coughing blood.

"Stubborn man...You need to be "taught a lesson." Enshin said as she grabs Sasha up by her hair before ripping her top, exposing her bra-covered breasts before punching her down on the grass. From their hiding place, Connie was scared for Sasha, while Naruto looked on in horror. Having had enough, Connie runs out of the hiding spot and quickly punched Enshin in the face, knocking him off his feet.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on her!" yelled Connie as he held Sasha in his arms.

"You...YOU PUNCHED ME YOU FUCKING BRAT!" Enshin yelled.

"You're damn right I did!" yelled Connie. He couldn't believe he just did that. He was scared, but when Enshin was planning to harm Sasha, he just went up and punched him. From the hiding spot, even Naruto was surprised he did that.

"If you want her, you'll have to go through me! You hear me!?" Pissed off, Enshin prepares to use his Teigu to kill Connie. Before he can, Naruto throws Igneox at him, the weapon hitting him in the face before returning to his hand.

"I hope all of you "exorcists" prayed before you got here because I'm going to send all your asses to Hell," he said. "I was hoping that asshole Syura would be here with you, but I guess he's too busy applying make up for his ugly face at the moment."

"Kill him!" Enshin yelled as he used his Teigu, Shamshir, to send blades of wind at Naruto, who easily avoided them. "Really? More wind blades? How unoriginal," he said as he split Igneox into a pair of eskrima sticks. "Catch me if you can Wild Cunt!" With that, Naruto ran into the forest, with Enshin yelling for all exorcists to stop what they were doing and head to the forest to chase Naruto. As the exorcists left, Connie and Sasha decide to get Mr. Braus and head to town.

Shiganshina, Germany

11:25 am

Wave, Seryu, and Kurome were waiting on Bols to finish shopping for supplies to use for cooking later. While Wave and Seryu respected Bols' choice to look around and shop for necessities, Kurome insisted that they get a move on and go get Firebrand, growing impatient after walking around Shiganshina for over an hour and doing nothing but exploring. Bols informs Kurome that as of now, they don't know where Firebrand is and that they were waiting until Wild Hunt finally found him before rendezvousing with them. Kurome did not like that answer, insisting that they join Wild Hunt right away and help them hunt down the Devil. Ever since Kurome had her encounter with Xenovia, she felt weak and vulnerable.

She could've killed her, yet Xenovia spared her, not because it was a crime to kill a fellow exorcist, but because letting her live would be a reminder to Kurome of how weak she was and that she wasn't worth killing at all. To add fuel to the fire, the things the bluenette said after their "battle" was true, and she hated it. Kurome thought if she can defeat Firebrand, maybe even kill him before her, she'd prove to the blue-haired exorcist that she was strong.

"Kurome?" Snapping out of her thoughts, Kurome focused her attention on a worried Wave.

"Are you all right?" he asked. Kurome assured Wave that she was fine, though she had to fake a smile in order to not worry him.

Right away, Wave received a message from a Wild Hunt exorcist, informing him that they found Firebrand and that they were proceeding to capture him. The Exorcist also tells them to hurry, because The Wild Hunt had no intention of capturing him but to kill him. After hearing the message, Wave orders his teammates to drop what they were doing and get to Wild Hunt before they kill Firebrand. As Seryu and Kurome went ahead, Wave noticed Bols hesitating a bit. When asked what was wrong, Bols replied, "I just bought these, I don't like to leave it."

"Damn, alright just order a room at a hotel, drop them off, and meet us as soon as possible." Wave replied. Understanding, Bols temporarily left. In his head, Wave didn't want Bols to join the fight. He would have to capture Firebrand as soon as possible so Bols can return home to his family. Hoping that Bols would take his time looking for a hotel, Wave ran off to join up with Wild Hunt.

Unknown Forest

Dauper, Germany

11:55 am

Naruto jumps over a blast of magic from an exorcist before throwing one of his sticks at him, knocking him hard enough to decapitate him. Landing on his feet, Naruto caught the stick he threw before blocking an overhead sword strike from his right by an enemy exorcist. The Rook strikes him in the throat with the eskrima in his left hand before reverse roundhouse kicking him into a tree, impaling him on a sharp branch. He then merged the two sticks, forming Igneox before smashing the skulls of more exorcists and running off. As he's running, he noticed Izou in front of him. The Rook slides on his knees as he avoids being bisected by the swordsman. Naruto gets up and readies to fight him.

"Of all the members, you seem to be the more reserved and honorable. Why would you side with these animals?" asked Naruto, pointing his weapon at him.

"I'm in it for the battle. It's the only way I can sate my bloodlust, and as of now, my sword demands your blood!" Naruto parried several sword strikes from Izou. One of the sword strikes, Naruto jumped over, landing feet first on the swordsman's blade. Smirking, he hits him with a backflip kick, knocking him back. Before Naruto could go for the kill, Dorothea gets the jump on him and bites into his neck and proceeds to suck on his blood. Irritated, Infernus boils Naruto's blood, burning her and forcing her off.

"Did she just give me a hickey?" Naruto asked out loud before avoiding Enshin's wind blades. The blades end up killing three exorcists, something Naruto took notice of. While he could tell that those dead exorcists were bad people, to see that Enshin would sacrifice his own men to kill him didn't sit well for him. Using a large tree branch as footing, Naruto propels himself forward fast enough to close the gap between him and Enshin. He then puts all his strength into his right swing as Igneox hits Enshin in the face and smashed his teeth. The force of the swing sends Enshin into a boulder. As he prepared for another go, Naruto felt his bones hurting, turning his attention to Cosmina, who can't help but comment on Naruto's looks.

"A shame that a pretty boy like you has to go."

"A shame for you that I don't care if you're a girl, because I'm killing you as well." Using her Teigu, Heavy Pressure, she proceeds to shatter Naruto's bones. To her shock, he painfully proceeds to get closer to Cosmina. While Naruto's fire powers haven't returned yet, his sheer force of will, along with his healing, was strong enough to resist the Teigu's bone-shattering effects. As soon as he got close enough, Naruto grabbed her by the throat and proceeded to slam her head to the ground several times until it cracked in half. Discarding Cosmina's corpse, he found himself surrounded by the remaining 9 exorcists he hadn't killed yet, Enshin, Dorothea, and Izou. Before he could react, he received a heavy kick to the chest by Wave, donning his Grand Chariot armor, sending him flying back several feet. Getting up, Naruto noticed that he dropped Igneox when Wave kicked him before being met with a giant "roided out" white dog (Koro) that attempted to eat him.

"What the fuck!?" he yelled before preventing the creature from sinking its teeth on him and pushing it back. He then avoids gunfire from Seryu before attempting to stop Kurome's sword strike. Before he could, he is caught off guard by Kurome's near resemblance to Akame. Noticing this, Kurome strikes, inflicting a diagonal scar on the blond's chest. Naruto kicks her away as he clutched his chest wound. As Kurome goes for another strike, Naruto calls Igneox back to his hand before hitting Kurome's sword out of her hands. Before he can attack again, he blocks several upcoming punches and kicks from Wave. Each punch and kick he blocked felt heavy to the Rook, letting him know Wave was no pushover. Catching his left punch, he wastes no time in dislocating it before going behind him and performing a suplex on him. Before he can kill Wave, he peers into his soul and finds Wave innocent, instead deciding to let the Jaeger live, confusing him.

Before Wave can talk to Naruto, the Rook is immediately shot in the back five times by Seryu, who can't help but laugh, yelling, "I got him!" After that, Naruto narrowly avoids being eaten by Koro before being stopped by Bols, who had just arrived, Rubricante in hand.

"Bols!? What are you doing here!?" asked Wave.

"I finished looking for a hotel as soon as possible before I arrived!" he answered. "Bols, I told you to look for a hotel so you wouldn't join this fight. Go back!"

"Even if you told me to stay away from this, I'd still come," Bols argued. "We're doing this job together Wave." Though he didn't like it, Wave relented. He had to respect Bols' decision.

"Hotel? Together? Are those two butt buddies?" Infernus asked.

"What!? No...At least I don't think so." Naruto replied.

"They did just have a conversation that suggests that they're gay."

"Heehs oursch, schtep away Jaegershhhh." Looking behind them, The Jaegers noticed Enshin, Izou, and Dorothea approaching them. They also noticed Enshin's busted mouth and teeth from when Naruto attacked him.

"We have orders to bring him back to the Church, stand down Wild Hunt!" Wave yelled.

"He killed sshome of our men, and he killed Champ and Coshmina, and he shhhkarrred Sheeyura." Enshin added.

"Syura had it coming...These direct orders are from the Church, it's best that we obey them," Wave countered. "Or do you really want to be pagans that bad?" As he watched Wave and Enshin argue, Naruto noticed his powers returning. He just needed to distract them for two more minutes. But how?

"Hey you," Naruto said, pointing at Wave.

"What? Me?"

"Yes, you. Let me ask you something." It came as a surprise when Naruto wanted to ask Wave a question. While Enshin wanted to just straight up kill Naruto, since the Rook was surrounded, giving them the "advantage", Wave stopped him and allowed the blond Rook to ask his question. "Do you consider me as evil?" He did not understand why a Devil would ask him this question, especially since all his life, he saw Devils as lying, deceitful, sinful, and evil creatures.

"You're the Devil who killed one of our good priests, stabbed one of our best exorcists, stole an artifact, and escaped. To commit those crimes are evil, and to kill Takumi is a serious crime that requires justice."

"Is that so...So you'd still kill me, even if I told you Takumi was a rapist that your Church never caught and excommunicated? What if I told you the exorcists, save for one of them, whose face I know, had no problem being ordered to tear down a father and daughter's home? That there were people from your Church turning people into monsters? That all I've done was to prevent more people from meeting a gruesome fate worse than death? That everything I did was for the good of the world?"

"You're a Devil. If anything, most of what you just told me are lies meant to question our allegiances and our system. I won't lie to you, I have had my own share of run-ins with those who take advantage of the Church for their own gains. Even if I'm forced to fight alongside those who take advantage of it, I will still fight to prove that the Church is still good." replied Wave. "I'm one of many examples that prove that the Church is still good."

"If that's your answer, then your ideals and your views are flawed. If teaming up with rapists, liars, and killers is what you consider good, then so be it."

Noon

At that moment, Naruto's connection to Infernus was fully repaired, transforming into his Firebrand persona.

"Schit, he wash shtalling! Kill him!" yelled Enshin. As Kurome and Izou attempted to close the gap and strike him down, Naruto produced a dome of heat to protect himself from the attacks, surprising them.

"Allow me to show you what I'm capable of!" With a roar, Naruto repels almost every enemy exorcist. The force sent Bols flying into a boulder, knocking him out while Koro managed to protect Seryu from the attack before getting clear of Seryu's gunfire. Naruto is unaffected by the gunfire, as he produced enough heat to melt the bullets into nothing. As Seryu tries and fails to gun him down, he cuts down the remaining exorcists, save for one, under The Wild Hunt's employ. Out of ammo, Seryu orders Koro to use his Trump Card, only for Naruto to bisect him immediately, having had enough of the dog-like Teigu. He knocks out Seryu by throwing Igneox at her, hitting her forehead and knocking her out before going after Enshin, not forgiving him for attempting to rape someone (Sasha) who showed him hospitality.

Summoning Igneox, he splits it in two and, infusing his energy into them, emits single-edged blades from their hilts. As he got closer, he used the "short swords" to effortlessly cut down Enshin's wind blades. Enshin screamed as the Rook sliced him to pieces. Arms, Legs, Chest, Head, he cut them down until they were cubed pieces of flesh before incinerating them to oblivion. Dorothea attempts to use her alchemy to summon a monster, only for Naruto to cut off her arms before decapitating her and splitting her head in half. As Wave got up, he saw Naruto effortlessly but slowly cut down the remaining Wild Hunt exorcists, as well as the remaining members of Wild Hunt. Eventually, Izou met his end, having been cut in half.

Naruto had hoped that Syura would make an appearance so that he could kill him as well, but he was a no-show. Shocked by the brutal deaths of "innocent men", Wave attacked once more, only to be swatted away like a fly by Naruto himself. Kurome attempts to attack him from behind, only for him to catch her by her katana's blade before using a headbutt to send her into submission. Because Kurome reminded him of Akame, Naruto spared her. Looking at the remaining exorcist in front of him, he recognized him as the one who was against Enshin's orders, who was having trouble trying to pull the trigger, knowing full well that the gun wouldn't have any effect on the Rook. Naruto simply makes him faint by making his surroundings hot enough for him to pass out from heat exhaustion. Getting up, Bols witnessed severed bodies belonging to Wild Hunt, Wild Hunt themselves dead, save for Syura, and his teammates beaten. He becomes frightened when Naruto turns his attention to him.

Bols attempts to burn Naruto, only to forget the reason why Naruto is called Firebrand. Unfazed, he simply walks towards a frightened Bols, who simply drops his Teigu out of fear. Was this it for him? Will he not be able to see his family?

"Kije...Logue...It looks like I won't be coming home..." Before Naruto can do anything else, he noticed Bols's necklace on the ground. Picking it up and opening it, he is surprised that it contains a picture of Bols and his wife and child.

"You shouldn't be here if you have a family," Naruto calmly told the Jaeger, confusing him as he hands the Jaeger his necklace. "Take those whose lives I have spared and leave," he tells Bols before proceeding to walk away from him. Bols didn't understand why Naruto ordered him to leave. He could've simply killed them, yet he told them to leave?

"Devil!" Turning his attention back to Bols, Naruto decides to hear what he has to say. "What you said about Takumi, was it true?" he simply said yes, confirming Bols's suspicions.

"...I see...What do you consider yourself, Devil?" Bols asked.

"...Takumi's assassination was for the good of the world and the innocents who met their end by his hands. Killing the members of The Wild Hunt and those who fully supported their cause was for the good of the world and the innocents who met their end by their hands. If the Church and those who can't distinguish what's right or wrong want to view them as acts of evil, then let them. If what I do is considered evil,...then I'll gladly be evil." Naruto's answer surprised Bols. Whenever Bols asked that same question to anyone, even to Wave, Seryu, Run, and Kurome, they would usually say that they were good. Never in his life would he hear an answer like this from anyone, even if it was from a Devil.

"...Am I good? Or evil?" When asked about this, Naruto peered into his soul. In it, he witnessed Bols' actions. All the people and villages he burned, screaming as their lives slowly burned away. After that, he witnesses Bols feelings of guilt and torment from all the lives he took before seeing him meet his wife for the first time. As he viewed Bols's memories, he couldn't help but shed a tear when he saw Bols's daughter being born. To think, after killing several exorcists and knocking the lights out of Bols's teammates, Naruto had the time to shed a tear. Finishing, he tells the Jaeger, "Your actions may have been evil, but if you can still feel guilt and be capable of bringing "something wonderful" to this world, then you're a flawed, but good person." With that, he left, never turning back as Bols went to pick up his comrades.

Agares Private Plane

1:45 pm

"If I had known that you were fighting exorcists, I would've come to your aid," Ange said, annoyed that Naruto didn't call her for assistance.

"I was confident that I would win. Besides, you were making sure Eren was doing okay," he replied as he twirled Igneox in his hand.

"And to make matters worse, you involved three people." Naruto sweat dropped when she mentioned Sasha, her father, and Connie. Before they left, he made sure to check up on the three. While Sasha was a bit traumatized at first, she got over it as soon as Naruto offered to buy lunch and pay for the damages Wild Hunt had caused. To Naruto's surprise, Ange suggested he used his super strength and flame powers to turn a piece of coal into a diamond. Surprising enough, he was actually able to do just that. After doing that around 40 more times using the coal that was in the family barn, at Mr. Braus's request, who had stars in his eyes, Naruto was able to repay the Braus Family for their hospitality. Unknown to Mr. Braus, Naruto handed Connie an extra one that Connie planned to use to fashion into a ring for when he was old enough to propose to Sasha. He also told Naruto that Mr. Braus had complimented him (Connie) for protecting Sasha and that he didn't know that a "scrawny kid" like Connie could pack a punch. After Connie thanked him for telling him what it meant to be brave and for helping him leave a good impression on Sasha's Father, the Rook wished Connie good luck before he and Ange left.

"Still, we accomplished our mission, and we can finally go home," Ange added as she held Stylish's Book. "What's more, you obtained a very reliable Teigu that I can use for thieving." Naruto had hoped to keep Perfector for building some inventions that he wanted to create, but after Ange took notice of them, she insisted she should have it, telling Naruto that whatever he wanted, he could easily build at Agares Corp. When that failed, Ange finally got to him by making puppy eyes, a rare and powerful skill Ange rarely used unless it was necessary.

"Well, I'm glad that you're safe, and that you managed to escape members of the Jaegers."

"Come to think of it, Xen...an exorcist I knew told me about them."

"They're well-known in the Church, and in the Underworld. Had you been up against all of them, especially if Esdeath was present, you'd probably have a hard time."

"Then it was good that there were only four that were present," Naruto comments.

"Encounter them enough and you're more likely to encounter Esdeath in the future," Ange said as she narrowed her eyes.

"Is she that dangerous?" he asked, curious. "Her Ice Magic is something to be feared. Some Devils claim that it's colder than Cocytus and Niflheim combined."

"I'm sure we can take her. All we need to do is have you get stronger."

"I've said all I needed to say. I'm going to go take a shower." Ange said before getting up to go to the bathroom. While she was in the shower, Naruto decides to check his phone for messages. Prior to the mission, Naruto had to leave his phone on the plane. Checking it now, Naruto was shocked by how many missed calls and messages he got from Chelsea and Akame (48 Missed Calls and 108 Messages). All the messages were filled with questions involving where he was, what he was doing, and if he had sex with Ange.

"This is just ridiculous..." Naruto commented. Having said that, he decided to call Chelsea.

"Hello?"

"ABOUT TIME YOU PICKED UP NARUTO! WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL BACK AT ALL!? HOW WAS GERMANY!? DID YOU AND ANGE HAVE SEX!? DID YOU USE PROTECTION!? WAS SHE SATISFIED!? WERE YOU ABLE TO GET ERECT!?-" Chelsea kept on asking questions after questions in a loud tone as Naruto sighed. This was going to take a while. The worst part, he couldn't hang up, unless he was ready to come home with a kick to the face.

Rome, Italy

Church Headquarters

"Trace...On..."

Xenovia quietly tried to concentrate on attempting to replicate her Zweihänder using Projection/Gradation Air, only to have it break in front of her. She wasn't able to focus, thinking of Griselda and growing worried. After another failed attempt to trace it, she gives up, having been training for 3 hours straight. Getting up, she finds Esdeath observing her as she had her back against a wall, arms crossed, smiling.

"Lady Esdeath? How long were you-"

"Enough to know you're taking your training seriously." Esdeath quickly answered.

"Griselda? Is she okay? Did she say anything?" Esdeath's smile fades as soon as Xenovia asked if Griselda said anything. "Griselda is fine, she needed rest. However, I'm...sorry to tell you this Xenovia, but Griselda no longer cares for you." Hearing what Esdeath had told her, Xenovia's eyes widened in shock. "She...What?"

"She was deeply affected by what you said to her. She even refused to call you her sister, stating that you no longer deserved the surname Quarta. I'm sorry that-"

"No, it was expected. I would've been told this sooner or later. It was foolish of me to hope that she'd forgive me for how I acted...I wish to be left alone." Understanding, Esdeath told her to take her time before she left as the bluenette processed everything Esdeath had told her before crying. As she heard Xenovia's anguish echoing through the halls, getting quieter as she made her exit, Esdeath smirked.

"That's right Xenovia. Cry all you want, let all that sadness and pain make you stronger. Seek only my help. I'm the only one you can turn to now. I'll make sure you'll never be hurt again."

Fukuoka, Japan

Ramen Ichiraku

5:45 pm

"Ahhhhh! This place is definitely the best when it comes to ramen!" said a satisfied Naruto, having finished his second bowl of ramen.

"I don't want to admit it, but this place's ramen might rival mine," Akame comments before gulping down the soup. "By the way Naruto nii-chan, not that I mind, but why did you tag me along?"

"You were the only one available. Moka hasn't contacted me lately, Seekvaira is busy, and Asada-chan wasn't home..." After giving the book to Ajuka and getting paid, Ange went her way while Naruto decided to go to Ramen Ichiraku. Ever since he ate here, he immediately became addicted to the ramen the restaurant served. Why that was so was beyond him. He called Moka, but sadly she didn't respond. As for Seekvaira, she was with several clients that were currently giving her a headache. After that, Naruto called Akame, deciding to walk home and pick her up before coming to the restaurant.

"I can always rely on you Akame. After all, you're the more responsible one between you and...Chelsea..." For some reason, Akame couldn't understand, Naruto leaned his face closer to hers, saying nothing as he looked at her. This earned a blush from Akame.

"Na-Naruto nii-chan?"

"...There's no denying that Kurome bears a resemblance to Akame...If I see her again, I have to know."

Naruto nii-chan, your face is too close." Realizing what he was doing, he pulls away before apologizing. "I didn't mind..." Akame replied, looking down at her empty bowl with a smile, the redness never leaving her face. Naruto thought he was lucky to have a sister as innocent and kind as Akame. Just seeing Kurome reminded the Rook of her. The only difference between them was that Akame's hands were "clean", while Kurome's were dirty. After his encounter with her, he hoped that Akame would never have to dirty her hands like Kurome, even if she had the talent to wield a sword.

"...Akame...you're a good sister." Naruto told her before patting her on the head. "Well, let's go home and play Fatal Bullet. I'm sure that Asada-chan is on right now."

"First, can I get another bowl of ramen?" Akame asked, cheerfully smiling. As her older brother, what reason would Naruto have to refuse? What could go wrong? To his horror, another bowl meant 46 more bowls of ramen for Akame. There goes the money he earned from the Germany mission.

[Naruto Shippuden OST: Peace In Town / At The Academy]

The next day

1:33 pm

"Our mailed test results are here!" Chelsea yelled, Naruto and Akame heading over to see how well they did. Opening hers first, Chelsea was happy to tell her young siblings she was accepted into Tokyo U. "Go on, open your letters." Casually opening his, Naruto told her in a regular tone that he was accepted into Kuoh Academy. "Come on Naruto, don't do it like that."

"I already knew I was going to get accepted," he told her.

"Fine, then I guess I have no choice then..."

"Oi, Chelsea, why are you running out the front door? Wait, you're not seriously going to-"

"MY LITTLE BROTHER GOT ACCEPTED INTO KUOH ACADEMY! HE'S GOING TO BE A FIRST-YEAR THERE!" Naruto turned red out of embarrassment as Chelsea turned towards him and gave him a smile.

"Big Sister Chelsea, I got accepted as well!" Akame told her big sister with excitement in her voice.

"Nice, Akame!" Chelsea said to her, giving her a thumbs up. "This calls for a celebration. Why don't you call Moka to come over and celebrate with us?"

"I'll text her now." While Naruto texted his friend, Akame looks up recipes to prepare for tonight and what ingredients she and Chelsea will need. After picking out the recipes and making a list, Akame asked Naruto if he could go pick them up at the store. "Sure, I can do that. I don't have anything planned today."

[Music End]

KINOKUNIYA INTERNATIONAL

Minato City, Tokyo, Japan

3:18 pm

Picking out three packs of short ribs, Naruto tossed it into the cart before grabbing a pound of negi (long spring greens), kimchi, a pack of enoki mushrooms, and medium-firm tofu. "What else is left..."

"Namikaze-kun?" Naruto looks up from his phone to see Shino doing a little grocery shopping herself. The two decide to shop together as they talk about their test results. "Congratulations on passing your exams."

"You as well, Asada-chan. Are you enrolling in Kuoh Academy?"

"I'm going to Kawahara Academy," she answers.

"That's not that far from the academy I'm going to...Are you planning to celebrate your acceptance to your school with anyone?" Naruto asked the girl. "Friends? Family?" Shino stops in place, Naruto stopping as well.

"No, just me."

"Just you?"

"My mother and my grandparents live very far away, and they won't be coming to celebrate. Don't get me wrong, they love me, but...they have their reasons as to why...My friends...They're celebrating with their families, Shinkawa-kun included." Naruto felt bacd for her. She was to celebrate her being accepted into her school with no one to celebrate it with.

"You're going to have a lot of food after."

"I know..."

"...Our house..."

"Excuse me?" Naruto faced Shino and told her to come to his house to celebrate her being accepted to her school with them. "Y-Your house?"

"Yeah. My sisters and Moka will be there, and they have huge appetites. Also, and we can play some games after dinner..." Naruto felt embarrassed inviting Shino over to celebrate with them. Smiling at him, she accepts his offer.

"I'll need to head back home to grab my AmuSphere and game. I'll meet you at your place after."

"Great. I can bring your stuff over to my place after shopping."

"You sure? It's going to be a lot of bags." Naruto tells Shino while he may not look like it, he's pretty strong.

[Naruto OST - Peaceful]

Namikaze Residence

4:50 pm

"Asada-chan's coming over?" Chelsea asked Naruto as he takes out a big pot for the hot pot dish Akame and Moka were preparing. Finding a package of sausages Shino bought, Akame excitingly tells the other they were going to have a very delicious hotpot.

"By that, you mean a hot pot filled with loads of meat?" Naruto asked, Akame nodding her head yes. "Then it's a good thing I bought loads of vegetables to go with them." Akame looked a bit miffed about how there were going to be vegetables in the hot pot but relents. Hearing the doorbell, Chelsea tells Naruto to get it, knowing it was Shino at the door. Going over to open it, Naruto is greeted by the bespectacled girl.

"Please, come in."

"Thank you for having me again," she told him as she entered the Namikaze Residence. Shino is met with a smell that whets her appetite "Something smells good."

"Chelsea's making sake-braised short ribs, and Akame and Moka are making a hot pot. Akame was excited to see you bought sausages, and she plans to add it to the hot pot."

"Is she? I was planning to make a hot pot as well," she told the blond as she takes off her scarf and jacket. "Why don't I help out? I'm a pretty good cook at my place."

"Sounds good!" Chelsea yelled in the kitchen. "We need more girl power Asada-chan!"

6:08 pm

"Itadakimasu!" Starting with the hotpot, Akame goes for the largest sausage in the pot and pops it in her mouth, letting out a blissful noise. Swallowing it, Akame turns to Shino and thanks her for the sausages.

"No problem."

"Shino, try my short ribs and tell me how you think of them." Picking one of them up with her chopsticks, Shino takes a bit out of it, savoring the flavor in her mouth a bit before swallowing.

"This is delicious." Chelsea gives her a smile as she says, "Right?"

"Ah, Akame, don't just go for the meat. Eat some veggies too," Naruto told his little sister, just as she was reaching for some fish. Akame "solves" this by getting a single enoki mushroom and having it with the fish. "Akame you need more than that."

"Then I'll pick out two of those small mushrooms and have it with meat."

"You need more than that. There's a spot in the pot dedicated to those enoki mushrooms. You need to dig in there more. There's also the kimchi. Try that." Watching Naruto and Akame talking about the latter's lack of vegetables in her palette, Shino smiles at them, knowing just how close the two were.

"Makes me wish I had a little sister of my own."

"Did you say something, Asada-chan?" Moka asked. Shino told her it was nothing as she resumed eating.

[Peaceful]

8:45 pm

After playing "Fatal Bullet" with everyone, Shino called it a night and decided to head home, with Moka deciding to stay at the Namikaze's. Being the person he was, Naruto offered to walk Shino to the train station. As they stood waiting for her train to arrive, Shino thanked him for inviting her over, who said it was nothing and that she could come over any time.

"Thanks." The two hear that the next train would arrive in six minutes from the speakers above them.

"...Asada-chan?"

"Yes, Namikaze-kun?"

"...Oh wow, this is pretty hard..."

"What is?"

"...You'd say we know each other well enough, right?" Shino responds saying she believes so, adding she's already met his family, and his friend Moka seemed to like her.

"Where is this going?" she asked the blond Rook.

"I was thinking...if you have time next Saturday...would you like to go on...a date?" Shino stood there looking at him for a whole ten seconds, with no reaction to him asking her out. She was almost like a statue. In another ten seconds, her eyes widened as her face turned red after processing what just happened.

"D-D-Date!?"

"Yeah, a date," Naruto confirmed with her.

"This is...I don't know what to say...I don't know why you'd ask me, of all people, out. I don't look very appealing, and you, you're handsome and...Oh, I just revealed how I thought of you."

"To be fair, it took me a long while to look like this," he told her, referring to his becoming as a Devil. "You need to give yourself more credit on your looks. You're very pretty Asada-chan. I could ask other girls, and wow them with my good looks, but I didn't, and I won't...because to me, you're..."

"I'm what?"

"...No, I think I'll keep that to myself..." Shino wanted to know what he was going to say, but she decided not to pry it out of him. Seven seconds later, Shino's train arrives. "So what do you say? About a date?"

"...Yes," Shino answered with a smile. "...I'd be glad to go on a date with you Namikaze-kun." Naruto smiles to himself as he wished Shino a safe ride back to her place, and a good night.

Namikaze Residence

Naruto's Room

Bathroom

"Naruto, you're looking very happy," Moka points out as she brushed her teeth with a smiling Naruto. "Something good happen?"

"I...I asked Asada-chan out." Moka's eyes widen in surprise, telling her friend to give her details. "Let's finish with the bathroom first then get ourselves tucked in."

Shino's Apartment

Laying on her bed, Shino's face turned a bright shade of red. She was asked out on a date with a boy. Shino happily held her pillow as she smiled. Maybe...just maybe...things are starting to get better in her life...And if things go well with their date, she and Naruto would eventually become...Just thinking about becoming a girlfriend made her giggle a bit.

TO BE CONTINUED...

ED: arcadia † paroniria by Eri Kitamura


Another chapter finished! The next chapter is the Shino date chapter! It'll be a little time skip to Saturday, which is the day they have their date. During that time skip, Naruto would have been training like crazy! In short, Alivian will beat his teachings into you! Also, Naruto does learn some pretty nice moves along the way, though since it's a date chapter, you won't see them. However I will say this, one of his moves involves taking an object like a boulder, infusing it with fiery energy, and throwing it like a meteor! If he wants to, he can make it into a meteor shower! When he'll use it will be when it gets to the main DxD story, which is about two or three chapters away!

The theme of this chapter, you could say, is about good and evil. When Bols asked Wave if they were good people, of course, he'd give a reason why they were good. Naruto's answer lets Bols know that he's a good person. If protecting people and making others happy, and fighting against those who take advantage of their positions or title is considered evil, then Naruto will gladly be "evil".

I will add that Bols's actions were of course evil, but if he can feel guilt, find someone who can love and forgive him and raise a family with that person, he's not truly a bad person. Plus I wasn't going to let Bols bite the dust. He's one of my favorite Akame ga Kill! characters.

What happens to Eren? Well, due to being a Titan Shifter, he can protect the people from Titans, though he can only do so in secret. Also forgot to mention that Eren's parents, as well as Mikasa's, are alive, so off scene, they'll get together. I mean, being a Titan Shifter has its perks. *whispers large dick*

Poor Xenovia looks like there'll be more hardships for her after hearing Esdeath's lies. I could've had Xenovia go see Griselda, but her story is of suffering for now up until the Excalibur story.

Regarding Esdeath's obsession with Xenovia, think of her, combined with Ashi's mother in Samurai Jack, combined with Medea's "obsession" with Saber, and combined with Shuu Tsukiyama's obsession with Kaneki.

Save for Syura, the other members of Wild Hunt are dead, done, gone for good. I honestly didn't want any of the members to survive, they were horrible people and had to die. Syura will make a return. How he'll meet his end will be something.

It seems that Naruto may soon find out that Kurome and Akame are related. How it'll be revealed will be a secret. However, I will say that this encounter will have Xenovia and Naruto fighting once more, this time, Naruto and Xenovia have both learned new tricks!

I could've had Ange fight alongside Naruto. However, as she's a spy, she's only good at fighting one on one. If it's a fight against several high-level opponents, then she's bound to lose. She'll eventually learn new things, who knows?

Now, this is very important. I would like, if possible, in the reviews or in a PM, add some place or activity both Naruto and Sinon can do during their date. While I have an idea on what I want to happen, it'd help if I got some more from you guys. Also, I plan to have a lime between Naruto and Shino in the date chapter. However, I'm not sure if I want to go through with it. Should I put it in the date chapter, the chapter after the date chapter, or not at all? As I said, it's very important so please either add to the review or PM it. Deadline is the 4th, which is also my birthday!