I finally have more time to write because of the virus, so here goes nothing. Reviews are always appreciated. Flames are not.

Ddraig Talking: "(I'm a dragon)."

Albion Talking: "[I'm a dragon]."

Kurama Talking: "I'm starving."

Chapter 10: A Rivalry Formed?

-Hyoudou Residence-

Issei woke up with a content sigh, having had a spectacular dream about his beloved ORC president, Rias Gremory. Her hair was long, red, and sweeping, and her figure was the stuff of legends. Issei would count himself lucky if he could even get a whiff of her scent as she passed by him on her way to her classes (they were in different years, so alas, he had no classes with her), but that bastard of a teacher he had wouldn't even allow him that luxury. Asura was a slave-driver in every sense of the word. Sure, Issei was a LOT more physically capable than he had ever been (about as good as Olympic level athletes he's seen on tv, or even better, the top ranked pornstars), and he had even developed a sixth sense for when he was around supernatural beings (Kuroka constantly practicing that whatchmacallit stuff, jutsu something, gave off a unique feel, and before long, he could feel other aura's around him as well), but that didn't mean he had to LIKE the hellacious training and constant conditioning he had to do to maintain his abilities. He was a slacker by nature, but even he would not oppose someone so intimidating.

Back to Rias though, she was his queen. Slim waist, creamy thighs, AMPLE breasts (the breasts are important), plump rear, alluring eyes, the whole package. It was as if she was created solely to arouse the male population, a timeless work of art that some smith god had made and put on display for the entire universe to marvel at.

Issei was, surprisingly, not bad around the more delicate side of the species (Rias isn't actually a part of his species, but she looks human, damn it! That's good enough for him). Ever since Asura-sama came around during the start of his middle school tenure, his entire life had changed. Issei's pervy tendencies were muted to a grand degree for fear of… punishment. He no longer would leer at girls straight to their face, no, he had grown skilled enough to get by with only a cursory glance. His mind had grown sharper as a result of having to "fight for his life" as he would put it during his training. He could process things faster and more efficiently than normal humans, so a glance was all it took to get his rocks off. He wouldn't peep, cat call, or go into one of his impassioned speeches about the female body, he'd simply cast an undetectable glance. This change of actions and attitude started him off on the right foot as far as most girls were concerned, that and his physique.

Issei was now built like a Greek god. His muscles weren't overly bulky, nor did his overall mass increase that greatly, he was simply defined and cut in all the areas that mattered. The more… promiscuous girls would have a go at him simply because of that alone. Issei would not return these signs of affection, however, as they didn't feel… right. Don't get him wrong, being beloved by busty females will never be a negative. It's just… he didn't feel like they loved him for "him". What makes him different from the other athletes that attend the school? Or any of the celebrities that happened to visit? He was loved because he was fit, because he was relatively well-mannered, because he was a decent student, but none of that was unique to him.

That's where Rias comes in.

She didn't fall all over him because he was fit, or smart, or kind. She was of a high-born lineage but didn't seem to put any stock into the things most girls did. She was polite, graceful, elegant, and a bit flirty at times, but never did she just outright gawk at someone or bumrush them for their looks. Hell, the "prince" of Kuoh, Kiba Yuuto, was in the same club as her, but it never seemed as if they were anything more than friends to him, despite the rumors (high school gossip was mostly false anyway, he thought). It was as if she abhorred the traditional view of attractiveness. She didn't see the fame, money or power someone wielded, she only saw them as a person.

This, above all else, made Issei desire her more than anyone else he had ever desired, to the point he would dream about her and her alone. Perverted tendencies aside, Rias had him starstruck.

"Man, if only I could get the chance to just talk to her… What the hell is this?" Issei's thoughts were interrupted by a small, cold piece of something falling onto his forehead. Plucking the unknown object off and examining it, he found that it was a shogi piece. The piece radiated some sort of strange energy, and seemed to call out to him, which was weird, as it was an inanimate object. Another object fell on his face, this one decidedly bigger than the shogi piece. Growling and tearing away the object, he found that it was a scroll. He didn't know who or what was causing all this to happen, but he figured reading the scroll might help him figure it out (that's how puzzles were usually solved in movies and games, anyway). He opened the scroll up, reading the contents with a horrified face.

"Whatever you do, DON'T press that shogi piece into your chest until I get back!

I'm taking Itty bitty kitty and Big Kitty on a trip for awhile, so behave yourself! If you don't heed this message, you might even die!

Signed,

Asura-Sama

P.S.- Training's gonna be a lot more difficult from now on. I've been going easy on you until now, so get ready-ttebayo!"

Issei was sure of it. He had never known fear this intense.

-Naruto's Mansion-

"Did you guys need to pack anything?" Naruto questioned his two pupils. They were preparing to go to Yasaka's palace, and he wanted to make sure that they had everything they needed in case something crazy came up.

"Everything I have that you didn't make is in a pocket dimension. I can retrieve it wherever I go, nya~" Kuroka spoke seductively, as was par for the course with her.

"Same", Shirone spoke simply. Naruto nodded his head at this, satisfied that they were so prudent already at such a young age. When he was under 100, he didn't pack unless he was made to by Sakura or Shikamaru. These kids had good heads on their shoulders. Reaching down, he patted both of them on the head. Shirone leaned into his touch, her cat ears popping out. She quite enjoyed being pet and pampered.

Kuroka, on the other hand, blushed madly and slapped Naruto's hand away. Growling, she spoke in an accusatory tone, pointing a finger at him in embarrassment.

"You! I thought I told you not to do that, shitty old geezer! I'm not a little kid!"

"You didn't seem to mind it much a few years ago", Naruto said defensively. He had always patted her on the head after she became fine with physical contact, why was she so adamant about not liking it now? The only thing that changed was her body. She simply growled in response, not feeling the need to explain herself. Oh well, he thought.

"Well, whatever. If you don't like it, I won't do it. Now, if you're both ready to go, let's get outta here. Grab onto either of my arms." Shirone did so happily, glad that she not only got a head pat, but was going to be practicing senjutsu with her big sister when they got back. Kuroka begrudgingly grabbed the other arm, still blushing from the head pat and the embarrassment.

The feeling was quite odd to her, she thought. She could drive most men to lust fairly quickly with just her visage, but the geezer seemed to be unaffected. Was it because of his old partner? Was she so gorgeous that Kuroka just didn't compare? Or was it because the geezer simply didn't see her as a woman? That would explain why he always treated her like some kid to be protected. Don't get her wrong, she was grateful that a god would take the time out of his life to shield a pair of woeful nekomata like them, but enough was enough.

She wasn't a kid, damn it! She was a grown woman, and its high time he started treating her like one. The fact that she was so desperate for his attention didn't register to her as something more than simple irritation. She could put out all the innuendo and have a man eating from the palm of her hands, but a simple head-pat from the old man frustrated her to no end.

"Welp, here goes!" Naruto activated the Flying Raijin, and all three of them were gone in a flash.

-With Sasuke-

Sasuke walked along the beaten path that he had been taking along the outskirts of the town, thinking of nothing else other than getting to Yasaka's palace and having a go with the pink-haired vampire he had met there. Truth be told, he was immensely bored, and needed that spar and reunion to put a little bit of a spark back into the monotony of having to walk there. His rinnegan was on cooldown from teleporting out of the realm of the Nephilim, and he obviously couldn't just catch a taxi to the palace of the Yokai leader. Naruto was probably already there with his own spacetime ninjutsu.

Without warning, he drew his sword and, turning around, swung it at someone's neck, stopping just short. His senses had alerted him to someone following him, but he didn't expect to see who he was now facing. This crow had taken an interest in him, for whatever reason, and was always very shady. Not quite the weirdo that Orochimaru was, but still a mad scientist.

"You should know better than to try and sneak up on me, Azazel. It almost cost you your life." Sasuke withdrew his sword, the man it had been swung at sweating profusely but grinning nonetheless, his hands up in a show of non-aggression.

"I never could you catch you by surprise, Indra-san. Or would you prefer I call you by your real name?" Sasuke scoffed, Azazel didn't know his actual real name. He had given him false information, as he did not completely trust him. He was not overtly evil, but it was clear that he had only the wellbeing of himself and his race as his priorities. Sasuke didn't need any loose end wackjobs getting the wrong idea, so he fabricated a name. Azazel was there in the great war, of course, but his knowledge only extended as far as what he saw and heard that day and what Sasuke told him personally, as Sasuke was careful not to let anything else leak and Naruto wouldn't be easy to find either way.

"Call me whatever you want, just don't try to take me by surprise", Sassuke huffed indignantly.

"Ok then, Itachi-san. What say you and I talk over some drinks? I know all the joints with the best booze and strippers in Kyoto." Azazel, ever the lecher, offered carnal pleasures. Sasuke promptly turned them down.

"No thanks, I'm already on my way to handle some important business."

"Right, right, you're a deity, I almost forgot. Chief deities like you especially are pretty busy year-round, I just thought we could relax. No ulterior motives this time, I swear." Sasuke didn't trust Azazel as far as he could throw him (that's actually pretty far, but you get the point.) Azazel suddenly snapped his fingers, figuring out why Sasuke turned him down.

"Unless you've already got a hot date lined up? Oh, that's it, isn't it? Who's the lucky lass that gets to date the supernatural world's number one bachelor?" Sasuke, to his credit, simply scowled at that wretched title several figures had placed on him. Azazel, Odin, Zeus, and several other deities, both minor and major, had labeled him something called a "bishonen" when he had showed up at one of those silly "deity invitationals". Word spread like wildfire, and pretty soon, he was up to his ears in fangirls and confessions, just like his days at the academy. One woman in particular, Freya he believes her name was, tried to charm him into serving her. She made the mistake of thinking she could beat him in a contest of ocular powers, and she promptly failed. This only served to ignite the fires of lust in her even more, and she made repeated attempts at his chastity over the years, none of them succeeding. Azazel considered him one of the luckiest men in the universe, but Sasuke would happily trade places with him to get her off his back.

(AN: For those of you who are familiar, this is the Freya from Danmachi or "Is it wrong to try to pick up girls in a dungeon?")

After talking for awhile, Sasuke's rinnegan abilities came back, much to his relief. He held his only hand up, signaling Azazel to stop talking. He then vanished in a puff of smoke, having performed a substitution jutsu with a nearby leaf falling from a tree and then subsequently stepped through a portal he made. He was gone, leaving Azazel to his thoughts.

"Always so abrupt when leaving", Azazel said. "But your abilities don't get any less fascinating the more I see them, Weasel-san. Maybe one day, I'll find out all your secrets. For now, I suppose I can go and do some… recreational activities." The "recreational activities" in question were not recreational at all, of course. Azazel fell from heaven because of lust, after all.

-Yasaka's palace-

Naruto had landed them right on the front doorstep to Yasaka's palace. Shirone and Kuroka both had swirls in their eyes, indicating that they were rather shaken up.

"I just can't get used to that no matter how many times I do it, ugh", Kuroka managed to croak out. The flying whatsitcalled always left her in a state of dizziness, feeling like she had to throw up. Shirone wasn't doing much better, already in the prone position, anticipating the oncoming barf.

"Hehe, it takes a lot of skill to use this even for travel, let alone combat. Maybe I'll teach it to you two one of these days." Naruto beamed at his students, disoriented as they were. "For now, let's just get you guys back to full health. Wouldn't want to look bad for Yasaka-chan." Kuroka idly noted the name. It couldn't be who she thought it was, though…

With that, Naruto activated his senjutsu. The natural energies enveloped all of them, removing the queasy feeling the sisters had and replacing it with stability and warmth. Both of their cat appendages popped out involuntarily, and they subconsciously snuggled closer to him. This made him smile, feeling as if he was hugging his very own daughters. Having both his arms occupied, he donned his Kyuubi chakra mode cloak for a second, manifested an arm, and stretched it to ring the doorbell.

Inside, Yasaka was scrambling to get to the door. There was no mistaking it, that burst of energy and familiar caress of senjutsu was Asura-san. She only hoped she looked decent enough, it's been so long. 15 years isn't a consequential amount of time to her, given how long her species lives and how old she currently is (she's 27 and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying), but it's still a long time not to see someone she had grown quite fond of. He wrote letters and the like, but nothing can replicate the feel of him actually being there. She conveniently had on just the right yukata for the occasion, the one that showed off the most skin while still being modest. She went over everything she's wanted to say (and do) to him this last decade and a half and planned out the day they were going to have. Just the two of them. She got to the door in short order, readied herself, and opened it with what she hoped wasn't too much enthusiasm.

"Hello, Asura-ku…" She stopped mid-sentence.

"Long time no see, Yasaka-chan!" Naruto beamed at her, completely oblivious to the confused undertone taking residence on her face. Shirone looked up, still being pampered by the senjutsu, and gazed upon Yasaka. She had heard tales of the "Queen of Yokai" and her beauty, but this was ridiculous. She was gorgeous beyond what she thought was possible.

Kuroka paled. This was THE Yasaka-hime, priestess of Amaterasu, ruler of the Kyoto yokai, and a vixen that most males could barely even think about without being driven to lust after her. The geezer managed to nab HER!? This was bad, unbelievably bad. Her competition was a goddamn faction leader!

"Y-yes, a long time indeed has passed, Asura-san. Do you mind telling me who the two attached to your arms are?" Yasaka needed answers and she needed them fast. She wanted to know what Asura had been doing, but if they were what he was doing, she didn't know how she'd react. The one in black, in particular, was a bit too clingy for her liking, and a bit too shapely. Her "assets" were probably still larger, but in terms of overall body shape, the cat probably doesn't lose out to her, and that's saying something considering just how many legions of men have thrown themselves at her out of sheer lust for her body.

"Oh, you mean my students? The one on my left is Shirone, and the one on my right is named Kuroka. They're precious little kids, aren't they?"

"Kids! Yes, they are kids indeed, Asura-kun! Don't be shy, come in, come in!" Yasaka mentally breathed a sigh of relief. If they were just kids to him, then she had nothing to worry about. The white-haired cat wasn't too threatening, but the one with black hair she was still suspicious of to an extent. Oh well, Asura only sees her as a kid, despite her body. Now, she's free to make her moves. She turned around and walked into her home, swaying her hips just that bit more in the hopes that Asura would notice. Kuroka would be the one to take notice, however.

"That bitch! She's trying to seduce him right off the bat!" Kuroka thought. She was a natural at being seductive and had seen (and used) this trick a number of times herself. The fact that Yasaka had the body and skill to pull it off as subtly as she did must mean that she's pretty experienced herself. To top it off, her yukata was sleazy as hell! She was showing just enough skin to get someone riled up and covering up just enough to look demure and modest and keep the desire of the unknown there!

She looked up to see Naruto trying his hardest to avert his eyes and paled. She can actually cause him to be bashful.

This was going to be rough.

-Living Room-

"So, Asura-kun", she emphasized the suffix, "How have you been? I've heard a great many things about you and your deeds." She kickstarted the conversation, hoping to gleam some information about what he was doing for all those years out of him. Yasaka could be very possessive if she wanted to be.

"I've been fine. Kicked some ass here, took some names there, ya know? Just living the life of a badass!" Naruto's unashamed praise of himself caused the neko sisters to roll their eyes and Yasaka to giggle. How she missed this goofball and his charm. He's a literal god, but he acts no different from a foot soldier or a regular grunt. She finds that endearing. Once she stopped giggling, she continued her questionnaire.

"Not quite the response I expected, but then again, it probably should have been. Well then, onto the next question. Was there anyone you met that ended up being… special… to you?" She asked in an almost pleading voice. This was the most important question and the moment of truth.

"Hmm… I'm of the mindset that every encounter I have is special in one way or another, even against enemies. If you're asking for someone that stands out, these two are a pretty good example", he pointed to the two cat-devil hybrids.

"Itty bitty kitty may look meek, but she packs a hell of a punch when she gets into things. She doesn't let things stand in the way of her goals and doesn't back down from a challenge either. She's got guts." Shirone, a bit embarrassed at him lumping praise onto her, slightly curled up into a ball. He moved his finger over to Kuroka.

"And big kitty here is… quite the genius, actually. She knew how to use senjutsu even before I picked her up, and she's a fast learner at that. She's all but mastered most of the things I've taught her at record pace, and her senjutsu is coming along nicely as well. Above all, I'm pretty sure she\s turned some heads since she's grown up. She's a beautiful young lady." Naruto's omnipresent smile was stuck to his face as he described Kuroka, going into detail about just how much of a prodigy she was. After a little bit, his stomach started to growl. Scratching the back of his head, he sought to remedy the situation.

"Could you tell me where the kitchen is, again? It's been so long, and this place is so huge, I've kinda forgotten." Yasaka pointed him to the direction of the nearest kitchen and watched him leave. Her nervousness was amplified, was this girl really that much of a genius?

"I'll be going too…", Shirone spoke up. Ashamed as she was to admit it, she couldn't resist the allure of possible sweets. She got up, following Naruto's chakra signature into the abyss. That left Kuroka and Yasaka there alone, the silence between them seemingly tense. Yasaka, being the hostess, felt obligated to clear the air and start the conversation, if there was to be one.

"Are you not going to follow them, as well?"

"No, I ate before we left."

We?

"What do you mean by we left?" She couldn't possibly mean that she-

"Me, Asura-sama, and Shirone of course. We live together, after all."

She does!

"Live together? My, how nice of him to take you two in", Yasaka said with the faintest twitch of her face. "Asura-kun sure is generous, is he not?" On the outside, Yasaka was the same as always. On the inside, she was a raging typhoon of emotions and questions. Kuroka, noticing this, decided to press her advantage, since it was the only one she had over her.

"Yes, yes he is. Sensei is unrealistically forgiving and generous. I'm probably the one who knows this best, considering how close we are. I've even slept in the same bed as him." Kuroka was… stretching the truth a bit. She has slept in the same bed as Naruto, just never with him in it. Yasaka's face twitch became more pronounced, and she started to leak energy. Her eyes were closed in a seemingly benevolent fashion, but something about them was unsettling.

"Isn't he great? This is a bit embarrassing, but, years ago, I actually kissed him myself!"

Shit! She actually kissed him! The most physical contact Kuroka ever got out of him was a head pat or a hug. Feeling jealous, she did the only thing she could do. Sate her curiosity.

"… How was it?"

"Divine."

Kuroka had come to the realization that she did, indeed, like Asura during this conversation. All the signs were there, and it only got harder to deny it as the days went by, so she wouldn't deny it any longer. He had saved her and her sister from the fate of constantly being on the run as fugitives, not knowing if any singular day was their last. He had taken them in, taught them how to better defend themselves, as well as connect with other people, and did it all without a hint of an ulterior motive for 5 years. His looks didn't hurt either.

Yes, Kuroka was quite smitten with him.

To make matters worse, she had to contend with this absurdly beautiful faction leader for his affections. The biggest challenge yet of her young life was upon her.

How does one obtain a boyfriend?