Disgaea: When Worlds Collide

by Crossover King 46

When Adell is sent to a new Netherworld to become its Overlord, he decides he needs vassals. It just so happens that his first one he gets is the prankster we all know and love... A crossover with Disgaea.

2. Chapter 2: The Apprentice

Disgaea: When Worlds Collide

By Random Writer 46

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Chapter 2

The Apprentice

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Rozalin sighed as she brushed away a strand of blonde hair, looking over Holt Village from her position on top of Adell's home. Since the incident, she had taken to living here; neither Adell's mom nor dad minded. In fact, they took to her like a long-lost member of their family. After finally meeting up with the fake Zenon and learning the truth about her past, this was the closest thing to family she had.

There was nothing to do, she realized. If it had been any other Overlord, she was sure they would've been suffering challengers to the throne and such all the time, but she was hidden. Nobody knew Overlord Zenon still lived, especially after that incident which Axel had covered up as a hoax, and Veldime was so out of the way that it was considered backwater, so that cut down the amount of inter-dimensional travellers as well.

Oh yes, Holt Village was a pleasant place to live in, and all of her closest friends and acquaintances also inhabited this area, but the problem was that many of them were gone at the moment. Adell was off at the new Netherworld, probably enjoying the fight of his life against a horde of Demon Lords and Overlords seeking a throne (of course, he'd be kicking their butts – that's what battle maniacs did best, after all), Taro was off with him, Hanako had gone off to be Etna's apprentice and was now living in the Netherworld of Disgaea which was pretty far from the Human World of Veldime, and Tink was acting as her representative in Veldime's Netherworld. There was nothing to do.

She was sure everybody was having more fun than her.

---

"Get down from there! You're going to hurt yourself!"

"Go screw yourself! I'm a ninja!"

Adell swore as he watched Naruto barricade himself on the top floor of the base they were constructing. The Prinnies had tried to get him down already, but for a human kid whose level was way below theirs he was pretty damn fast at picking things up and throwing them. More often than not, said things were Prinnies. The orange-clad ninja-in-training was wrecking their base faster than they could rebuild; if he didn't get that kid down here sooner or later they were going to have to start from scratch again. Not to mention he'd be missing his workforce of elite slaves too. There'd be no telling what sort of hell Rozalin would be willing to put him through if he went back with a fifth of the force she had sent him out with. Although he had scoffed at it before, being hit with consecutive Rose Liberations was no walk in the park, that was for sure.

Another Prinny climbed up the equipment, intent on tackling the orange-clad reluctant vassal from his deeply entrenched spot on the steel beams and girders. Once again, before the Prinny even noticed, it had been picked up and thrown towards the ground, where it exploded like all the others and set off a chain reaction that left little stuffed penguin bits everywhere. Which was kind of annoying since the Dark Hospital wasn't up yet.

Well, the kid was lucky. The Prinnies weren't fighting to kill, otherwise he would've been dead twenty times over by now. Still… it wasn't safe for him to be so high up there without any safety equipment, especially when he was fending off attacks. If this kept up then…

Naruto gave a yelp as he slipped on the edge of a beam and plummeted towards the ground, letting off long strings of curses as he did so. Adell sighed; yep, just like he had expected. Oh well, a Demon Hunter's work was never done.

"Taro, throw me!" ordered the red-headed Demon Hunter, and his little brother obliged, picking him up with the leg and swinging him around like a mace.

With a yell, Taro let his older brother go and watched him soar through the air towards the falling boy. Adell flew, resembling a red streak as he bounced towards a nearby beam and ricocheted off, righting himself in mid-air. Without any unnecessary movements he made his way towards Naruto, and gripped him in mid-air before landing smoothly on the grass.

"Told ya, that's dangerous," said Adell.

"Bite me, demon," growled Naruto as he stuck his tongue out and struggled in vain. Demon or not, he wasn't going to let any random punk manhandle his Hokage butt. "Once I figure out where the hell I am I'm getting out of here!"

Adell sighed once more.

"Look, how many times do I have to tell you?" asked the red-headed Demon Hunter. "I'm not a demon, alright? I'm human… HUMAN. That means I'm the same as you, so you can stop talking like that."

"You kidnapped me! What kind of human goes around wanting to be kind of demons anyway?!"

"Technically I wasn't the one who kidnapped you, alright? That was the Head Secretary! All I did was ask for an apprentice, and she gave you to me. If you've got any problems, you can take it to her! Anyway, it's not king of demons, alright, it's the Overlord. And humans can become Overlords, this kind of stuff has happened before."

"King of demons is king of demons!"

"Ugh… I don't have time for this," said Adell. "Look, it's not like I'm not sorry for the entire mess. It's true that I probably got you involved in something that you didn't want, but what's done is done."

"You better take responsibility, asshole!"

"Look, I PROMISE that I'll try to find you a way back, but currently we can't do that!" said Adell. "Netherworlds and Human Worlds are separated by powerful force fields, and until we find a spot where the barrier is weak we can't get you back, alright? Not to mention the contract of the vassal binds you to me, so until we break the contract…"

"I don't have time for this!" cried Naruto, kicking. Adell's grip on his collar was like steel, and since the guy was about a head and a half taller than him he found himself hanging in mid-air. "I've gotta get back to my village and retake the ninja test, 'ttebayo! How the hell can I become Hokage if I get roped into working for a de—"

"Okay, we're done here," said Adell, handing the kid over to a nearby Prinny. "Take him, and keep him somewhere until he cools down. Show him around or something, and for Baal's sake don't let him out of your sight. If I find him on the third floor blowing up my workforce again, I'm going to have to send you guys back to Rozalin and ask for another batch."

The Prinny shivered in fear as thoughts of the demonic Rose Overlord reached its mind. Getting blown up was no problem, not when there was, or would be, a Dark Hospital right next door. Getting chained to a chair in a pitch-black room while being forced to watch reruns of 'Tripping with Axel' was an entirely different can of worms.

---

"What are you talking about, you can't find him?!" cried Iruka as he slammed his hands down on the desk. Although he wasn't normally so brazen in front of the Hokage, this was a special case. It concerned a student of his, probably the one he felt the closest to. "Where's Naruto!?"

"Eyewitness accounts state that he disappeared into thin air at the Academy playgrounds," said Sarutobi calmly. "Although the parents who talked were quite obviously against Naruto, there is no reason for them to lie."

"Could it have been a Shunshin?"

"Impossible," said Sarutobi. "Most of the parents were trained ninja. Any shinobi would be able to recognize a Shunshin, and every single one of them said it definitely didn't feel like one. The Shunshin no Jutsu, like all jutsu, takes both chakra and concentration. There was no chakra released at that instant, and I'm pretty sure that Naruto, who can't even manage a Bunshin correctly, would suddenly be able to use a Chuunin-level skill, and that's not even touching upon the subject of the violet light. Something else is going on here."

Iruka slumped in his chair, burying his head in his hands. He was worried, oh God he was worried. Naruto was gone, one of his precious students had disappeared into thin air and nobody knew where he had gone. There was no logical explanation for his disappearance, and there was no precedence of this kind of thing ever happening before. What little they had to call a lead couldn't be followed; all the clues they had added up to nothing more than smokes and mirrors. They were at a dead end, with no idea where one of their own had disappeared into.

"Calm yourself, Iruka," said Sarutobi, standing up from his seat and putting a gentle hand on the Chuunin instructor's shoulder. "I know you care for your students. It's one of the main reasons you were chosen as Naruto's instructor in particular, and it's good to see that somebody cares enough for him to miss him. But trust in the shinobi of Konoha, we are doing our best to find him."

"I know," answered Iruka. "It's just…"

"You're tired Iruka," said Sarutobi. "I understand that tomorrow you'll be the one handing out team assignments; you must be strong so that your students remain unworried. Go home and rest now, you deserve it."

"I… Alright," said Iruka, defeated.

Standing up, the Chuunin instructor walked towards the door, giving one last nod at the Hokage before he left. As he walked out of the Hokage's tower, he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the combined emotions of loss and despair. He hoped against hope that Naruto would be found quickly, but knew in his heart that it'd be a long time before he saw his wayward student again.

To think that the last face Naruto had seen him wearing was his instructor's face… He didn't want that. He wanted Naruto to know that he saw him as more than a troublesome student… That he was a good kid and definitely somebody he thought would become a big name someday.

Iruka turned his eyes towards the sky, wondering if Naruto was looking at the same sight from somewhere far away.

---

Work had stopped for the day, at least temporarily, Adell noted as he sat around the fire. The Prinnies were gathered around the fire, chattering amongst themselves about work and other things, and exclamations of 'dood' was heard from everywhere in the clearing. Taro was helping several Prinnies cook the food, as a large pot – or rather cauldron – was set atop the large fire. Naruto had been hogtied by the Prinnies to prevent him from doing weird things again, and now the kid was biting at his restraints, trying to set himself free.

Adell sighed, before moving over next to the orange-clad boy, and ripping open the ropes with ease. The orange-clad ninja looked up at him with wide-eyes, before turning away.

"Come on, don't be like that," said Adell, offering a bowl to the orange-clad ninja sitting next to him now. "Soup? It's pretty good, you know. You'd never believe it, but those Prinnies really know how to cook."

"Fine, but only because there's nothing else to eat around here and I'm hungry. Don't think this means I'm okay with being your vessel, alright!?" cried Naruto as he accepted the bowl, before digging in like a hobo on a baked potato. Adell watched as his reluctant apprentice nearby choked on the meat chunks within the soup twice, hitting him on the back both times to help choke it up. Naruto would never admit it, but those slaps felt like cannons.

"That's vassal, not vessel."

"Yeah, whatever," said Naruto as he assumed his natural squinty fox face, drinking down the remains of the soup. "That doesn't matter to me, since I'm not going to be one anyway. I'm getting out of here at the first opportunity I get, 'ttebayo!"

Adell sighed. This kid was more of a pain than Rozalin when he had first met her; he could feel the déjà vu.

"Alright, alright, I don't have a problem with that. You should try and keep yourself out of trouble, though," said Adell. "The demons here in the Netherworld don't think the same way that humans do. Killing and stealing is commonplace where demons roam, so you better watch out. With your level of power… well, you'd be nothing more than a stain on the wall if they even flick you a little too hard."

"Ha! The great future Hokage Uzumaki Naruto-sama isn't afraid of small things like a couple of demons! I can take care of them as they come!" grinned the orange-clad shinobi, slurping down the remains of the soup. "Hey, demon-san. Get me some more of that soup, thanks."

Adell took the bowl from the boy, before tossing it over to Taro, who caught it without looking. Filling it to the brim with more of the Prinny's soup, he passed it along a row of Prinnies before it got back to Naruto's hands.

"Thanks, demon-san," grinned Naruto. "Hey, I think you owe me an explanation for all the weird stuff that's going around here. Don't you think so too?"

"Sure. What do you want to know?"

"Tell me more about this place and demons and stuff!"

"I thought you wanted nothing to do with demons…?" asked Adell, before shrugging his shoulders and crossing his arms. All around him the Prinnies were continuing with their chatter, and the flames were starting to die down a little. Adell raised his hand, and with a snap of his fingers sent the flames soaring higher than before. "Well, a Netherworld is basically a world where demons live, like the Human World is a place where humans live. There isn't a lot of difference between each one, other than the fact that Netherworlds all operate under the same rules and monarchies as others, and the demon standing at the top of each Netherworld is known as the Overlord of that world. There are many Netherworlds out there, and people can travel between each one, like I did to get here."

"Ano, ano, does that mean there's an Uberlord here already?"

"That's an Overlord, and no," said Adell, drinking from a bowl of his own. The soup was pretty good, although it wasn't strong enough for the red-headed Demon Hunter. He was a carnivore, being a big fan of veggies didn't really fit into the whole deal. "No, there isn't. This Netherworld is newly created, been here for only about three months or so. Right now there aren't a lot of native demons here, so demons from alternate Netherworlds are swarming in to try and take control of this place. We have basically a fight for power, with the prize being the title of Overlord of this Netherworld."

"So, kind of like what you're doing then," noted Naruto. "And the title of Overlord is kind of like being the Hokage?"

"Kind of," agreed Adell. "Except I'm not a demon, and I'm not doing it for the power. Also, I have no idea what a Hokage is."

"You don't?! Being a Hokage is great! It's the title given to the strongest ninja in my village, and the one who gets the title of Hokage becomes the leader of the village too!" grinned Naruto as he wiped his mouth. "The Hokage right now is an old guy, and I think he's going to retire soon. That means I've got to make it back before he gives it up so he can pass the position onto me!"

"Sounds pretty interesting, but not as interesting as an Overlord."

"Speak for yourself, demon-san."

"I told you, I'm NOT—"

"Uh-huh, whatever," said Naruto, casually dismissing Adell with a wave of his hand. Said Demon Hunter growled, slightly annoyed at being ignored. "Wait, if you're not doing it for the power, then what are you doing it for then, huh? Sounds like being an Overlord is nothing but power and privileges, kind of like the Hokage. Do you want people to notice you or something?"

"Nothing like that. I'm here for the fights, and because a friend of mine asked me to," answered Adell, drinking his soup. "There are tons of strong demons who want the title of Overlord, you know, and they can't get it because the Overlords from their worlds are far stronger than them. Many other Overlords also want more Netherworlds for their own, and so they set out to conquer other Netherworlds. What happens when you get a bunch of these guys together is a humongous brawl; I'm just here to take part in that."

"Huh, so you're going to wait until they knock each other out and then take down the last man standing, therefore reaching the top?"

"Wha—? No way! What do you take me for?" asked Adell, his eyes widening. He had honestly been surprised by the question. "Of course not; that's way too cheap, not my style at all! I'm going in there with my fists and my flames, and I'm going to beat down one demon after another until I'm the only one remaining. That's when I become the new Overlord, and then once that happens there'll be a never-ending stream of fights!"

Naruto looked up at the Demon Hunter, who had stood up and was now gazing into the bright moon. Flickering flames danced around his feet, betraying his agitated state. The guy was obviously itching for a fight, now that he had pumped himself up. The man obviously deflated after a couple seconds though, before sitting back down.

"Haa… I can't do that though, not yet."

"Why not?" asked Naruto, surprised. Although he didn't know how strong demons really were, he could feel the confidence radiating from the Demon Hunter quite clearly. The guy moved like an acrobat when he had caught him, and was definitely a lot stronger than Iruka-sensei if his grip was to be taken into account. He was also definitely quite the brawler.

"I can't leave this base unguarded, because anybody who's serious about vying for the position of Overlord needs a base," said Adell, rubbing his head. "The moment this place gets destroyed, I lose everything. Until I get myself a couple vassals strong enough to defend it, I can't go out challenging other demons left and right. That's the reason I asked for an apprentice at the Dark Assembly in the first place, but… as you can see, they've given me you."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!"

"Haha, don't take it too personally," said Adell, grinning all friendly-like. He patted the blonde boy's head like he usually did with Taro, before looking back at the night sky. "I like you kid, but it's pretty clear that you're a normal human. Probably strong back where you come from, but in the Netherworld the scale of everything changes. Against demons… Well, you're not going to stand a chance."

Naruto growled, but decided not to say anything.

"Anyway, don't worry too much about anything. Just stick by me, and once I find out how to get to your Human World I'll send you," said Adell, finishing off the rest of his soup. "Until then you could just—"

KA-BOOM!

A flash of fire erupted over the campfire, and almost half of the Prinnies found themselves in bits and pieces, the fire having activated their explosive triggers. The rest of the Prinnies were up in a flash, dumping their bowls and retrieving their swords from their packs. Taro had taken the ladle that he had been using to scoop soup out as a weapon, and Adell had taken a fighting stance. Naruto, who had been near the edge of the explosion, felt his body ring with pain.

The orange-clad shinobi looked up to see both Adell and Taro ready to go. How the hell had they managed to come out of that with no visible ailments? They had been closer to the center of the explosion than he had been, yet he was the one who felt all the pain…?

"Enemies?" asked Adell.

"Yes, but this is the first time they've executed a sneak attack," confirmed a nearby Prinny, who unlike the others was wearing an eye-patch. Adell looked at him and nodded; he was the leader of the workforce that Rozalin had sent along, the ones who kept the Prinnies in check. "What are your orders, Lord Adell?"

"Get all of the Prinnies who are still battle-ready gathered up, and prepare for combat. I want at least two guarding Naruto!" ordered Adell. It was a good thing that he wore his Hustle Gloves constantly; it would've taken more time than he could afford to put them on now. "You, what's your name?!"

"Obito," answered the Prinny. "Prinnies, fall in!"

From the ruins of the campfire thirteen Prinnies appeared out of the wreckage, some of them with wounds over their bodies. However, regardless of their physical conditions, their eyes burnt with a fire usually reserved for soldiers who were prepared to go to war. Obito, the Prinny with the eye-patch, looked towards Adell.

"Give us orders, Lord Adell. We will follow."

"Yeah, Adell," agreed Taro, who was brandishing the ladle like he had been doing so all his life. Although Adell didn't really want to admit it, the kid was a genius with weapons, superior to him. Whereas he could only fight unarmed, Taro could use any weapon with the same kind of ease he could his own two hands. "You're the only one here with leadership experience! And the one who's going to become an Overlord!"

"Alright," agreed Adell. He would take charge of the situation, although he usually preferred to fight alone. Anyway, he would consider it practice for once he actually became an Overlord. There would be more vassals to come, after all, and he would need the experience to control them freely. "I want one of you Prinnies to guard Naruto and make sure no harm comes to him. That leaves us with twelve Prinnies! Obito, lead them as you will; I'm not too familiar with their abilities just yet. Now move it, we don't know when the enemy will show up!"

The Prinnies acted quickly, gathering up in a line behind Obito. Naruto watched as one of the Prinnies quickly moved beside him with surprising agility for something that walked on peg-legs.

And not a moment too soon, either.

"Here they come!" cried Adell. "Get your weapons ready!"

From the surrounding forest, monsters of all kinds appeared, voices screaming in a symphony of horror. Naruto could only stare, wide-eyed, as both sides engaged in battle. The Prinnies that had chased after him so clumsily turned into slicing, dicing, killing machines as they tore through the ranks of the demons in front of them, gutting and decapitating. Here and there he even saw a couple pull off what he could only describe as jutsu, including jumping several feet into the air, staying there, and lobbing what seemed to be flying discs of energy at their foes. Taro, the kid who looked to be around the same age as he was, was attacking the enemies with his ladle like a lion tearing at its prey, and Naruto could swear the kid even managed to put a basketball-sized dent in the armour of a Headless Knight. The scene was beyond his wildest dreams.

What doubts he had about Adell before, about his story of demons and Netherworlds, as well as the difference in the scale of power disappeared immediately, dispelled by the sounds and sights of the battle in front of him. Most surprising of all to him, however, was the sight of Adell tearing through foes like chainsaw on pine.

There was no way he was a ninja, because he simply did not fight like one. He fought like a street fighter, a warrior, not a soldier or a trained assassin. Each and every single one of his moves were so telegraphed that Naruto was sure even he would've been able to dodge them had they been slower, but Adell moved at another class of speed; it was like he existed in a separate flow of time. His blows were nothing to be scoffed at either, as Naruto could feel the shockwave fly through the air with each hit he struck; it was like being being pelted with small rocks. Even the Jounin he had seen around the village wasn't capable of something like this, Naruto realized with a jolt. The Demon Hunter's strength and speed were both on separate levels, and Naruto guessed his stamina was as well.

Adell tore through another two demons with his hands aflame, before planting his hands on the ground and flipping over like a break-dancer, tearing through another two demons with his legs ablaze. The ground where he had planted his hands was cracked as if a ten ton hammer had struck it, and the grass at his feet withered as soon as it came within five meters of his flame. He was a burning, whirling dervish, tearing through enemies like paper cranes. Naruto could only stare in awe. Adell controlled his flames like they were an extension of himself, completely unlike the way that shinobi did. Although he didn't use a lot other than what seemed like taijutsu and the flames, he didn't need to. None of the demons had landed a hit on him just yet.

Taro successfully fended off the attack of a Wood Golem with the ladle, pushing the lumbering blow to the side before jumping on the behemoth's arm and charging up the wooden limb. What clumsiness he had exhibited in his youth had now disappeared almost completely during the midst of a battle, although he still wasn't as mobile as his older brother. Gripping the ladle with all his might, he smashed it against the side of the Wood Golem's head, blasting it into smithereens. Naruto shook his head at the sight, wondering if he was seeing things. There was no way the kid, who was lankier and skinner than he himself, had the strength to destroy something like that with what seemed like a two-pound cooking utensil. This had to be a dream.

The Prinnies had organized themselves into a proper squad, this one resembling what Naruto was used to a lot more. Obito had proven himself an able commander, keeping his men – er, penguins – in line with nothing more than grunts and hand – err, flipper – signals to go by. Although the organization of the squadron was nothing new to Naruto, the way they fought definitely was. From the pouches on their stomachs, they pulled out all sorts of weaponry, from the machetes they seemed to prefer to even things like bombs and skulls that fired rays of light from its eyes. It was unimaginable to Naruto that these things could be defeated simply by picking them up and throwing them; not with the way they were fighting now. Glass cannons indeed, as he watched Obito toss one of his teammates at a crowd of demons only to blow them all to bits. Oh well, the Prinnies themselves didn't seem so worried about being blown up; perhaps they could be put back together or something.

"What are you doing just standing around?" roared Adell as he took a slight breather in between attacks. The burning corpses of two Mothmen dropped behind him as he let the flames on his limbs die down slightly. "Prinny, take Naruto and get out of here! We don't know how long this fight is going to go on, or how many enemies we—"

He wasn't allowed to finish the sentence as another Headless Knight attempted to decapitate him with its large sword. Jumping over the blow, he gripped the monster by the hole where its head was supposed to be, before flinging it against a group of trees. Normally, he preferred slamming his foes against steel, but the only steel around was the stuff they were using for construction, and he really didn't want to ruin it any further than Naruto had already done.

The Headless Knight's armour cracked as it smashed against the bark, completely destroying an entire row of trunks before coming to a stop, completely still. It had been taken out. Adell landed on the ground smoothly, before turning back to Naruto.

"Get out of here!"

"Aye-aye, dood!" saluted the Prinny who had been assigned to be Naruto's bodyguard. Its flipper wrapped around Naruto's hand, giving him a telling stare, before it tugged and started to run along, the orange-clad ninja following awkwardly behind. The sight of the battle had stunned him to the degree that he wasn't feeling entirely himself.

Adell turned back towards the battle, his fists erupting into flames. Although the enemies weren't exactly the best he had ever fought, their numbers proved to be an adequate challenge; good enough for him, at any rate. Gripping his hand into a fist, he drove into another demon, this time a Wood Golem.

Now, with Naruto out of the way, he could enjoy himself.

---

"Wait, what are we running for?" asked Naruto. They were bounding through the trees; at least this was something familiar to the trainee ninja. Although it was a bit of a mystery as to how the Prinny was capable of such a thing, with its flippers and peg-legs.

"Weren't you listening, dood? If you stick around you're going to be in danger!"

"But… Adell was taking care of it fine, wasn't he? Those Taro and Obito guys weren't slouches either," noted Naruto, as he remembered the battle. Never again would he be impressed by a fight between shinobi, not after something like that. It wasn't like humans fighting humans, no, it felt more like a clash of nature. Not man against man, but the north wind against the sun. "I would've been fine!"

"Don't be stupid, dood! There's no telling what kinds of demons will show up once they take care of the small fry… Maybe even a Demon Lord, looking at the size of that army. D'you honestly think you'll last a second when demons like Adell go all out?"

"I thought he was human—"

"Demon or human, his power's still the same!" cried the Prinny. "If two demons on their level clashes, then even the forest itself will be destroyed. You wouldn't stand a chance; they'll kill you without even meaning to!"

"D—demons are that strong…?" asked Naruto, once more surprised. He hadn't expected Adell's level of strength, but to think that even now he wasn't going full out. It was kind of humbling, to realize that he was nothing more than a frog in a well that was just confronted with the view of the ocean.

"Lord Adell's not even the strongest demon we know, dood! Lady Rozalin and Master Etna are even stronger!" cried the Prinny. "…Although Lord Adell is the nicest out of all of them. We like him the best."

Naruto shuddered. He had felt the shockwave from Adell's fists even when he wasn't going all out; that was honestly rather terrifying. If he were to take off the kiddie gloves and pile on the pain… Well, he was sure that instead of feeling like he was being pelted with pebbles it'd be more along the lines of being barraged by boulders. Or perhaps burnt to ashes by his flames; he really didn't want to dwell on the many ways that Adell would be able to kill him without meaning to.

To think, there were demons even stronger than him (Naruto's mind had classified Adell as a demon already; it was unthinkable for mere humans to be so strong), it felt like another level on the scale had opened up, and this was the second time in a day too. As it was, he couldn't even watch a battle at that level without being obliterated.

"Alright, we should be fine here, dood…" said the Prinny as they landed on a nearby branch. "This should be far enough from the battle. If Lord Adell goes all out, then you might feel a bit of pain, but it shouldn't be enough to kill you."

"Oh great," said Naruto sarcastically. "That's reassuring."

"You take what you can get in the Netherworld, dood," said the Prinny. "Lady Rozalin works us twenty hours a day, seven days a week, dood. I'm sure whatever you go through must be a cakewalk compared to that."

"Seriously? Twenty fours?! That's slave—"

"Shh! Not now. There's a presence approaching!"

The Prinny took up a fighting stance, retrieving two machetes from its pouch. Naruto also dropped into a fighting stance, readjusting the goggles on his forehead, and pulled out a kunai from his holster. Although he wasn't the strongest being around – alright, he was pathetic when compared against the likes of Adell and Taro – he was confident in his ability to support, at least. If there really was a hostile enemy approaching, he'd support the Prinny with kunai and shuriken.

The attack had been shockingly fast, Naruto through in hindsight. A figure appeared right beside the Prinny, intent on skewering it through. Fortunately, however, the penguin demon had been expecting and attack and countered, striking the attacker with the sharp end of the machete, leaving a gash on the cheek. The figure bounded backwards onto another branch, before standing up and revealing its full figure.

It was a man, perhaps around Adell's age. His eyes were red, although one side was covered by his medium-length silver hair. A mask covered his nose and mouth, and the clothing that he wore consisted of muted browns, greens, and blacks. Had Naruto been home, he would've guessed the enemy to be a ninja, but in this world where everything was new he couldn't be so sure. In his hand was a spear, and he wielded it like an old master.

"That speed and those reflexes…" muttered the man, twirling his spear about before setting it down. "You must be a member of that famous Prinny Squad, from Netherworld Disgaea, the strongest Prinnies to have ever existed outside of Prinny Land. It's a pleasure."

"Can't say the same, dood," said the Prinny, its eyes narrowing. It moved one of its peg-legs forwards, cutting a menacing if comical figure. "Who are you and what do you want with us, dood? Are you on the same side as those other demons out there?! Who's your boss?!"

"One question at a time, Mister Prinny," said the demon Ninja. "Well… Although you may be a member of the famed Prinny Squad, it seems you're out of practice, does it not? Had you been completely battle-ready, I would've lost my head the moment I entered your range."

The Prinny's eyes narrowed further, if that was even possible.

"How do you know so much about the Prinny Squad, dood? Speak!"

The demon Ninja smiled.

"That's a question you'll want to ask my lord, should you ever get the chance," said the Ninja. "My name is Ishirou, for your information. It seems that this is a battle I can't win, so, regrettably, I'll have to beat a retreat. However, I won't be returning to my lord without an offering of some kind at least."

"What do you— " asked the Prinny, before turning its head. "Naruto!"

The demon Ninja, Ishirou, had put on a burst of speed fast enough to escape the eye, and by the time the Prinny was able to react, Naruto had been knocked out and draped over the Ninja's back as they bounded through the trees. There was no way his little peg-legs could keep up, not against the a member of the fastest class in the Netherworlds, especially not when said member was nearly on his level.

The Prinny swore.

Lord Adell wasn't going to be happy about this.

---

Adell stood tall amongst the remains of his enemies, along with Taro and six of the Prinny Squad including Obito. The attack had lasted far longer than he had expected, and the amount of corpses piling up was pretty ridiculously big. Although he never even received a hit, his Mana was starting to run low. It was a good thing that that battle had ended when it did. He looked out over the construction, and sighed in relief when he realized that nothing too important had been broken.

It felt good to let loose a bit every now and then, Adell realized as he clenched his fists. Although it hadn't been his full power, there was a sense of thrill when he had began beating those demons into the ground. Honestly, it was a little annoying that it had ended so soon.

"Taro, are you alright?"

"Yeah, Adell," smiled the younger boy, brandishing his ladle. "That was the first real fight I've gotten into in a long time! I think I've been getting stronger!"

"Definitely," grinned Adell as he gave his younger brother a pat on the head. "Keep this up and you'll be giving me a run for my money in a couple of years. No time for that now, though. Obito, report in. How the status of your squad?"

"Good for the time being," answered the commander Prinny with a salute. His eye-patch was coming a little loose, and the Prinny realized it in time to retie it. "We're not too badly injured, but we haven't fought for a long time; not since we were in the service of Master Etna, anyway. It's going to take a little while for us to bounce back."

"Alright, get some rest then," acknowledged Adell. He gestured towards Taro. "Taro, give me some of the Rooster Bloods."

"Why, Adell? The fight's over, isn't it?' asked the younger brother, although he complied by tossing a couple of the foul-smelling flasks from his pack. Adell caught them in mid-air, before opening the corks and quickly running through them one-by-one. The taste was atrocious, but he would bear with it.

"Better safe than sorry," said Adell. "We don't know when they're going to attack again, or when trouble could arrive. I'd rather drink this stuff now than later, especially considering that the Dark Hospital isn't even up yet."

"Lord Adell!" cried a Prinny who just arrived on the scene. "There's trouble!"

Although he couldn't be quite sure, Adell thought he recognized the one that he had ordered to go and guard Naruto. The absence of Naruto himself did not pass the red-headed Demon Hunter by. Sighing, Adell lowered his face into his hands.

---

"Hey, wake up."

Naruto screamed as somebody kicked him in the side. Except it didn't feel like a regular kick, it was more like being hit with a sledgehammer. Curling up and holding a hand over his side, he was sure that at least two of his ribs had been broken. Gritting his teeth in pain to hide any whimpering, he opened his eyes to look at who had assaulted him. The cheerful face of the demon Ninja he had encountered in the forest met him.

The demon, Ishirou, gripped him by the collar, in spite of his feeble attempts to protest, before flinging him towards the wall. When Naruto struck the concrete, he was instantly brought to his knees in pain. This time the impact had been even stronger, and he wouldn't have been surprised if he had broken his spine as well. Crumpling to the floor, he found he didn't even have the strength to hold himself up anymore.

Was this the difference between a normal human and a demon...?

"Ishirou, ztop. He would be uzeless to me if you killed him now."

"My apologies, Master Madera," said the spear-wielding shinobi, stepping to the side. Now that he wasn't blocking Naruto's view, the orange-clad shinobi in training could see who he was talking to. "It's a bit surprising to me that someone found familiar with the Prinny Squad could be so... weak."

A booming chuckle.

"Indeed, I am deeply surpized myself."

It was a figure that resembled the images of vampires he had seen in those picture books back when he had lived at the orphanage, he realized with a jolt. The man, if it was a man, was tall, and floated off the ground about twenty centimetres. His purple cloak swirled about him as if it was alive, and his red eyes were piercing in the same vein that Adell's eyes had been warm. Two horns protruded from the side of his head, and his long hair swirled about even with no wind. Naruto found himself frozen in something resembling terror as the figure moved forwards.

Without even a single movement from the demon, Naruto found himself rising into the air. Dark energy surrounded his body, energy that seemed both bloodthirsty and empty of human emotions. Chains flew down from the sides of the walls, bounding him in mid-air. The dark energy receded, and Naruto found himself slacking against the chains, creating an ominous rattling.

"You... who are you in the zervice of?" asked Maderas, the words rolling off his tongue. Dark energy flared about him as he spoke. "Zpeak, if you do not vish to find your head rolling on the ground. I have little patience for thoze who do not acquiesce to my... requests."

His words themselves, when directed against him, were more fearsome than the strongest ANBU Naruto had ever met. It was all he could do to stop himself shaking from fear; this was completely different from Adell's aura, which was one of warmth and rejuvenation. This demon seemed to radiate negative feelings and it made the orange-clad shinobi, usually courageous and reckless as they came, want to scream in terror.

"Zpeak!"

"No!" cried Naruto, his tongue lashing out.

Maderas seemed honestly surprised by this setback.

"You... a mere human, decides to oppose me?" asked Maderas rhetorically, chuckling to himself. "How very interezting. However, falze bravado will not zave you here, boy. However, zeeing as I am a generouz Demon Lord with a hint of compassion, I will allow you a zecond chance—"

Naruto gathered up all the powerful emotions within his body that made him Uzumaki Naruto, bravery, camaraderie, loyalty, and loneliness, and, along with the shinobi training he had received to resist fear, let him fight back against the overwhelming terror that he felt. It was one thing to be frozen in battle, it was a totally different thing if he couldn't fight back against a person who obviously wasn't going to kill him in the next three seconds.

Gathering up a great ball of phlegm, he hucked it at the towering demon, hitting him straight on the chest of his elegantly-patterned suit. Maderas's eyes widened, and Ishirou actually moved slightly from his spot, looking as though he was prepared to gut Naruto right there.

The orange-clad boy grinned in defiance.

"What the hell did I just say, 'ttebayo!?" cried Naruto, using the last of his strength to fight back against his bonds. The steel chains and bonds rattled against his diminishing strength, although he wouldn't let his enemies know that. "D'you think I'm gonna be scared of a stupid-ass vampire-wannabe and his pet ninja, huh!? Then you don't know Uzumaki Naruto-sama very well!"

It was unclear even to Naruto himself why he was so dedicated to Adell, even willing to defy death for him. Perhaps it was quite clear already in the depth of his being, who was the good guy and who was the bad guy. It was unfamiliar, this clear black and white. In his own world, he had never been able to differentiate between good guys and bad guys, except for Iruka and the old man. Everybody there who scorned him was somebody he would have to protect once he became a ninja. Although he didn't know the red-headed Demon Hunter, he trusted in his word. He had promised that he would get him back to the Human World, and he would believe in him!

His bravado spent, Naruto slumped in his chains, dedicating every last bit of his will to maintaining that angry glare he had on his face. It was something that he had used constantly on his classmates and ignorant adults whenever they did something unfair, and it never worked. It didn't work in this case either, as he would notice soon.

Maderas retrieved a handkerchief from his pocket, wiping at the stain on his suit disdainfully, before turning around and letting the handkerchief fly. By the time the piece of cloth hit the ground, the elegant demon was already almost out of the room.

"Ishirou... break him."

"It'd be my pleasure, Master Maderas."

With that said, the purple demon vanished in a whirlwind of dark energy.

Ishirou turned towards Naruto, glaring at him straight in the eye. The orange-clad shinobi felt fear gathering up once more, but he didn't break, instead staring straight back into the eyes of the demon.

"You still have hope, don't you?"

Naruto's eyes widened as the words came out of the demon's mouth.

"...Hahaha, you're a stupid one indeed," said the demon Ninja, his smile almost radiating through his mask. He twirled the spear on his arm a couple times, before setting it down in a shower of sparks as it made contact against the concrete floor. Naruto almost blanched when he saw the three inch hole made in the ground. "You little vassals all think you're irreplaceable to your lords... Sooner or later you'll learn in time that this is just not the case. Why would he go through the trouble of storming a castle to rescue you, when he could just summon another one through the Dark Assembly and it'd be the exact same?"

Naruto felt the hope vanish, and despair rage from within his heart. Adell wouldn't do something like that... would he? But then again, he had only known the red-headed Demon Hunter for so long, and it would be the path of action that everyone back in Konoha would take...

Ishirou raised his spear into the air.

"...Nobody will be coming to rescue you. Now, let's begin."

Naruto's screams resonated through the entire castle.

---

The sun broke out over the horizon as night ended. Adell's troops had spent the entire night scavenging anything they could find from the corpses of their foes, and the Prinnies had managed to get their hands on a few new weapons.

Adell grit his teeth in a combination of rage and despair as he looked at the Prinny who he had tasked with guarding Naruto. He didn't blame the penguin demon, although the poor thing probably believed he did, what with all the shaking and everything. No, the rage was directed at himself, for carelessly throwing the life of his reluctant vassal into danger.

"You have no idea who that Ninja was... Not one?"

"No, dood!" cried the Prinny. "But, he knew about the Prinny Squad, and pretty intimately too, dood. The only people who know that much about us should be... Well, in Veldime, only you and Rozalin and your friends, dood. Otherwise, it could only be people from back home in Netherworld Disgaea, dood."

Adell didn't even need to think about this one. He trusted his friends and allies implicitly, even if doing so lead to being hurt or being betrayed. That was just his style. Although he didn't want to think about it, the only possibility left was that his enemies this time were from Netherworld Disgaea. It definitely couldn't have been Laharl... the kid, although probably the strongest foe he had ever met, wasn't bright enough or seemed willing to take kids hostage; if he wanted them obliterated, he'd come do it himself (which actually resembled Adell). Etna... this was more something of her style, but last he heard from Hanako she had decided to take a break from demoning for a while and relax in the Sea of Gehenna. Flonne, there was absolutely no chance.

Obito, who had been relaxing down on the trunk of a nearby fallen tree, looked at Adell with his one good eye.

"What are we going to do, Lord Adell?"

"There's only one thing to do," said Adell, getting up from where he had been sitting. "We're going to consult the Dimension Guide, and find the nearest concentration of demonic energies. Gather up all of your soldiers who are still battle ready, Obito, and we'll go. Taro, are you with me?"

"Of course, Adell!"

Obito looked at his red-headed lord dubiously.

"Are you sure about this, my lord?" asked the commander of the Prinnies, getting up as well. "Even if we storm the enemy's base, there is no guarantee that we will make it through to the boss, or even that we can defeat him if we do get to him. Not to mention the odds of Naruto being alive are slim... Wouldn't it be easier if you simply made another vassal?"

Adell glared at the eye-patched Prinny. The penguin demon was surprised by the burning intensity within his eyes, and was even more alarmed by the way that his clothing suddenly started flaring up around him, and the flames that started dancing beside his shoes.

"I don't want you to say that ever again," said Adell, clenching his fists. The flames rose higher, almost soaring into the sky. His hair was fluttering, and Obito caught a glimpse of the ears that he had been so intent on hiding, enough for the Prinny's one good eye to widen, anyway. "I don't abandon my comrades, ever! That's not my style! What if Naruto was still alive, huh?! He'd be waiting in the enemy's clutches, hoping against hope that somebody would come to save him! Let's move it!"

With that said, the red-headed Demon Hunter turned his back on the Prinny commander, walking towards the construction site where the Dimension Guide was sure to be. Obito watched as his lord vanished out of sight, before realizing that Taro had sat down beside him.

"Are you mad, Prinny?" asked Taro, still holding that ladle of his. Apparently he had gotten pretty attached to it during the previous battle, and preferred its lightness to the other weaponry he had used before in the past. "...Sorry about using your guys for this, but that's just the way Adell is."

Obito said nothing, lost in thought.

"No... I'm not bothered at all... It's been so long that I've heard somebody say something like that though... And to think, it came from the mouth of a demon as well," said the Prinny, closing his good eye before opening it once more. "I fully approve of this course of action. I'll support Lord Adell to the end."

"Great! But remember, Adell's not a demon, okay?"

"Whatever you'd wish to believe, young one."

Within half a day they had located the stronghold of the enemy, only a mile or two away from their own, but hidden within a forest of lush trees. The moment the Dimension Guide had explained it to them, Adell had set out alongside Taro and seven Prinnies, including Obito. It didn't even take an hour for them to get there, although it would've been infinitely faster had the Dimension Guide used her warp magic. Regrettably, however, the enemy had placed a shield around his castle rejecting foreign warps.

Hidden within the branches of a particularly tall tree, Adell watched the castle from below. Although apparently well-defended, he could clearly see that the demons below were of a much lower level compared to themselves. However, they would still need to be careful. Taro poked his head out of the foliage of a lower tree, looking towards him for orders.

"So, what's the plan, Adell?"

"We don't know where the enemy's boss is," said Adell, cautiously as he continued surveying the territory. "Or how strong he is, or even where he's keeping Naruto. There's no point in being sneaky during situations like these... We'll go with a head-on attack, storming the gates from the front. Tell Obito, and tell Obito to tell his men. Penguins. Whatever."

"A head-on attack...? That's so... battle maniac of you, big brother."

"Oh, quiet. Don't call me that."

"Oh yeah, sorry. Only Princess is allowed to call you that, my bad."

"Get out already!"

"You even sound like her!"

Adell sighed as he watched Taro duck under the foliage again. Since Taro had begun working under Rozalin, he had become cheekier as well. It was good for the boy, but it was annoying for his older brother.

Soon, they had gathered on the ground underneath the shadow of the trees. The sun was shining brightly overhead, but it wasn't getting to them. Right now the mood was that of a serious attack, with each of the members of the squad getting into the mood. Adell looked outwards towards the gates, and back at his men.

"Alright... ATTACK!"

The cries of both Prinnies and his little brother answered them as they charged from the shadows of the forest, storming the gates. The two gargoyles in front never stood a chance, obliterated as they were by a storm of Prinny Barrages. Taro gripped the gigantic handle on the gate, and, with a yell, tore open the steel door. The squad quickly moved inwards, only to spy the incoming mass of monster type demons.

Flames swirled around Adell's arms, and Taro quickly retrieved his ladle. The Prinnies, already with their machetes out, charged into the fray. The sounds of war quickly started resounding throughout the courtyard, as a Demon Hunter, his little brother, and seven penguin demons stormed the castle.

---

"What's the report?!" cried Adell as he broke down another demon with his fists and charged straight down the corridor. After the fight in the courtyard, leaving behind a humongous pile of demon corpses, they had charged straight into the castle, splitting up as they went.

The Prinnies that had met up with him in the corridor saluted quickly, before resuming their pace alongside him. They were charging down the center corridor of the castle; Taro, along with a Prinny of his own, had been put in charge of the second floor. Obito and the rest of the Prinnies were scattered throughout the rest of the castle, searching for any signs of either Naruto or the lord of the castle.

"Nothing, dood!" cried the Prinny. "We've lost one Prinny so far, but everything else is alright! We haven't seen hide nor hair of Naruto or the demon that's running this place, dood!"

"No news is good news, at least for now," said Adell. "We're splitting up here! I'll move on into the throne room, and you guys check out the surrounding passages. This castle is huge, we need to split up as far as we can go! You know the signal!"

"Aye-aye! If we find Naruto or the demon, we'll let off a firework that you could see from the moon!" cried the other Prinny, as their run quickly split off from Adell. "We'll see you soon, Lord Adell! Good luck, dood!"

"Right, you too!"

With that said, Adell broke into the throne room, the wooden doors that was halting his entry made short work of by his flames. He hit the ground with a soft thud as the burning chunks hit the ground softly behind him, lighting the carpet on fire. Destruction of artwork wasn't his main priority, nor a great concern of his right now, though, so it really didn't matter to him. What did matter to him, however, was the figure sitting directly in front of him.

Maderas did not give a chance to speak. Without a word, he charged, utilizing his free-flowing cloak much as one would use an arm or a leg. Shaping the flowing cloth into the form of an axe, he aimed for Adell's head. Without breaking stride, the red-headed Demon Hunter gripped the blade of the axe imitation, before ripping the cloth free of the cloak and burning it. He drew his arm back, intent on dealing a punishing blow to the Netherworld Noble, although the demon avoided the follow-up with ease.

Both of them bounced backwards, facing each other. Maderas on top of his throne, and Adell near the chunks of burning wood that had once been a door. They glared into each other's eyes, preparing for the fight that was to come.

"Zo, you've come... For your vazzal, perhaps?"

"What have you done to Naruto!?" cried Adell, gripping his fists. If anything had happened to the annoyingly loud boy, it would be his fault for letting him fall into enemy hands. "Tell me!"

"Vhy should I?" asked Maderas, smirking completely confidently. His cloak billowed about him as if it had a mind of its own. "You've done nothing to warrant my generozity, other than breaking into my castle and killing my men. And thoze events, although perhaps amuzing, do nothing to vin you points from me."

"Big words for a guy whimpering at Etna's feet last I saw him."

"Silence! I am free of that wench at last now that she has a new zervant to look after," said the purple-cloaked Netherworld Noble, a vein popping out of his forehead as he thought back to the hellish days spent as servant of that particular Demon Lord. "I vill not have you bringing up memories of those days, not that now I finally have the chance to become an Overlord!"

"What, so you couldn't take down Laharl? Had to run here with your tails between your legs because you couldn't even beat one of his VASSALS?"

"Silence, wretch!" roared Maderas, his cloak billowing about him dramatically. "I vill have you know that I am still levels above you in power! Although I may be, perhaps, only above-average in Netherworld Disgaea—"

"More like barrel-bottom."

"...compared against a Veldime chump like you, I can be considered a God!"

The burst of dark energy from the Netherworld Noble was enough to blow Adell back slightly, as the window rattled and the chandelier quaked. Several of the candles that had been sitting at the side of the room went out, their flames extinguished by the mere fighting spirit that Maderas had exhibited.

"However, I know you, Demon Hunter," said Maderas, looking calm once more. The vein that had been popping out on his forehead before had now receded, and again he looked like the picture-perfect duplicate of Dracula in demon form. "I've heard of your exploits from Etna herzelf. It seems you came up against a fake Overlord, and managed to defeat him. Even against the real Overlord Zenon, you managed to survive. Strength such as that must be the real deal. It would be problematic for me to deal with you at full power... So, I've devised a way to seal your power."

"What do you— Naruto!"

In a corner of the room that he hadn't been paying attention to before, was the bound and shackled vassal he had recently acquired. He was clearly unconscious, and if the bruises and blood was anything to go by, at least moderately injured. Judging by the amount of blood, however, his wounds seemed rather serious. There was no telling when he was going to wake up, or how much more damage he could take.

Adell turned to Maderas, anger burning in his eyes, and launched the attack that he had been holding back. A stream of fire flew out of his arm like a bullet, making its way towards the Netherworld Noble. Maderas avoided the attack gently, slapping the fireball towards the window, where it melted the glass and flew out of the window before exploding.

"MADERAS!"

"You zeem to have realized," said the Netherworld Noble smoothly. "That attack of yours was zignificantly veaker than your last one."

Adell growled. They were in a bad situation. Although Maderas was strong, normally he would have no problem beating his vampire butt into the ground. However, with Naruto there, he couldn't risk using all of his abilities for fear of destroying the boy from the inside, especially when he was injured already, whereas Maderas had no such qualms, and seemed both able and quite willing to pull out all the stops.

Before he could take a step, however, another dark burst of energy enveloped the room. Adell was pushed back several steps. This time Maderas was done with playing around. A low rumbling could be heard, and free-floating small pieces of debris hovered into the air and disintegrated slowly as they came in contact with Maderas's dark Mana. At the side, Naruto gave a pained scream as the dark energy pushed inwards on his body, the pressure seeping into his wounds.

"NOW, HAVE AT YOU!"

What followed was a flurry of attacks that resembled a machinegun in number and strength. It was all Adell could do to avoid the majority and block the rest, and each of the blocks he defended against sent shockwaves strong enough to break glass through the air and floors. He could see his unconscious and reluctant vassal convulse every time that they made contact.

If he wanted to save him, he couldn't defend himself.

Suddenly, just as Maderas was about to strike a blow that would've shattered his arm, a barrage of energy discs flew into the room, aimed towards the Netherworld Noble. Maderas called off his attack, and instead used his cloak to deflected the barrage out the window.

"Who...?"

"Obito!" cried Adell, gripping his arm.

"Yes, it is I, Lord Adell," announced Obito as he dropped down beside the red-headed Demon Hunter. Behind him stood the entire squad of Prinnies that had been sent on the mission, aside from the one that had been lost. Each of them held their machetes in their flippers, looking for the entire world like they were prepared to die. Which they were, really. When you were a Prinny, it was more or less in the job description. "Your orders?"

"Get Naruto out of those chains and out of here!" cried Adell, getting up from his defeated position. He was never one to give up on a fight, especially when others were watching. Now, with the Prinny Squad behind his back, he felt the fight returning to his limbs. "Move it!"

"Aye-aye, dood!"

The Prinnies lowered their bodies and charged, ripping the air as they went. Maderas screamed in fury as he enlarged his cloak, preparing to swallow each of them as they came. However, a flurry of energy discs stopped his attempt as they shredded the fabric of his cloth, sent by the Prinnies that had remained back. The charging Prinnies ducked under the tattered cloak, remaining straight on the path that lead them towards their fellow bound and captured vassal.

Adell did not let the chance go by him. He, too, charged forwards, taking advantage of the Prinnies' distraction to close in on the Netherworld Noble, flames surrounding his fist. With a cry, he drove the burning appendage into the vampire demon's face, sending him on a trajectory that would end up with him destroying what remained of his throne.

"I got him, dood, I got him!" cried the Prinny in the lead, who had lopped off the chains that had bound Naruto. The blonde boy slumped over, and would've hit the ground had he not been caught by another one. "Alright, doods, let's get out of—"

Before the Prinny could utter another word, both of them found themselves with spears through their chests. From the shadows of the pillars came three demon Ninja, armed with spears. In the lead was Ishirou.

"Dood, that's the one who took Naruto!" cried one of the Prinnies standing back, one of the ones that had used Prinny Barrage to defend their fellows from Maderas's attack. It also happened to be the same one that Adell had ordered to defend Naruto. "That Ninja!"

"Good... good vork, Ishirou," said Maderas, getting up from his position on the floor. Swiping some of the dirt off of his body, he cleaned his hair with his hands, removing the debris.

"Of course, Master Maderas," said Ishirou, retrieving his spear from where it had been lodged in the Prinny's body. "Although the members of the Prinny Squad are indeed powerful, they are nothing when one catches them by surprise. Especially not when one is equipped with the Longinus."

"Yes... The Longinus. It had been a ztroke of genius to zteal him from the Overlord's Castle and putting him to zleep," said Maderas, stroking his chin. The tattered remains of his cloak mended itself in front of their eyes as the Netherworld Noble's dark Mana infused into it. "The strongest spear in all the Netherworlds... You were a fool to oppose us, Demon Hunter. Now, call your Prinnies off, otherwise Ishirou will simply kill your vassal here and now."

The demon Ninja, along with his two companions, took up posts around the fallen Naruto. The two Prinnies that remained in the front took up their machetes, prepared to fight, as the three Prinnies that had stayed behind, including Obito, prepared for another round of Prinny Barrages.

Ishirou glared as one of his companions picked up the unconscious Naruto. He jabbed the Longinus to the blonde boy's neck, and a drop of blood ran down his throat. Although the Prinnies were stronger than him, and definitely outclassed the other Ninjas, they would definitely be able to kill the boy before the Prinnies even touched them.

"I've never heard of a person contending for Overlordship who would put victory ahead of just one useless, expendable vassal... This is your undoing!" roared Maderas. "CALL. THEM. OFF."

Adell scowled.

What the hell did he do now?

Maderas was definitely stronger than the Prinnies. The moment he called them off, he would doubtlessly massacre them, and with the disadvantage of not being able to use his full strength, they would be killed. The key were the Ninjas, especially the one with the Longinus. What chance did they have...?

A fair fight was his style, but this was hardly a fair fight at all.

---

Naruto woke in what seemed to be sewers, his body aching. It was starting to become routine, he found, to wake up with pain nowadays. First, the time he was summoned to the Netherworld as a result of that mentor-apprentice pact, and the second time he was kicked awake by that stupid-ass demonic ninja-wannabe. He groaned tiredly, and dragged his butt over to the side of the wall, where he sat down, chest-deep in stuff that was best not described.

His body hurt, but nothing felt broken. He was sure that Ishirou... that asshole, had dislocated at least a couple of his bones, and cracked a few ribs while he had been at it, too. Strangely enough, those areas felt perfectly fine now, except for the dull pain. He was in an unfamiliar place now too...

Where was he? How did he get here?

His musings were cut short by the powerful burst of demonic energy that he felt lance through his body. Swinging his head, he turned towards the darkness of the sewers. In the distance, he could hear something like the growling of a canine, and what seemed to be pawing on walls.

Against his better judgement, he followed the noise.

The first thing that he saw when he neared the source of the noise was a cage that he guessed to be larger than his apartment complex. The thing was huge, dammit, and the bars were wide. Wide enough so that whatever it was contained within had to be humongous, too, otherwise it would've been able to get out easily. The inside of the cage was dark, almost pitch-black, and the only thing he saw within was a large, moving shadow.

His unasked question was answered when he got closer.

"YOU REALLY GOT YOURSELF INTO QUITE THE MESS, HUH, KID?"

A deep, booming voice that sounded like something from a horror movie blew him backwards several steps, before he lost balance and landed in the sewer waste like a kid that had just been hosed. Getting back up and brushing himself off with a grimace, he turned to look at the spectre that had started talking to him.

It was a fox, stories tall. Its fur was red, but other than that it didn't look like a normal fox at all. The eyes were pearl white, with no pupils whatsoever, and there were black markings along its eyes like a person with too much make-up. Had he looked towards the back of the monster, he would've seen the nine tails that swished and lashed about in an agitated manner.

"Who... who are you?"

"THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT. WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS THAT YOU'RE MESSED UP, KID, AND BAD," said the monster. It shook its head in a manner Naruto could only describe as dejected. "IT'S AMAZING. I SPEND MY ENTIRE LIFE TRYING NOT TO GET INVOLVED WITH OTHER DEMONS, EVEN LEAVING MY HOME NETHERWORLD TO LIVE IN A FAR-OUT PLACE WITH NO OTHER DEMONS AROUND EXCEPT FOR A COUPLE OF FRIENDS, AND YOU MANAGE TO GET YOURSELF INVOLVED IN A FIGHT FOR OVERLORDSHIP OF ALL THINGS. GOOD WORK."

"Oh shut up, it's not like I meant to," said Naruto, looking upwards at the large demon fox. Well, he assumed it to e a demon, anyway. It knew enough about Overlords and Netherworlds for it to be anything else. "Where am I, anyway? Last I remember, I was getting my ass kicked by some random demon..."

"THIS IS IN YOUR MIND," said the monster with a smirk. "WHICH EXPLAINS THE STATE OF AFFAIRS HERE, WHAT WITH THE SEWER AND EVERYTHING. YOU MIGHT WANT TO CLEAR YOUR HEAD OF ALL THIS STINKY CRAP AND GET YOURSELF SOME GOOD MEMORIES, FOR ONCE."

"Hey, go screw yourself. It's my mind, so I'll do what I want," retorted Naruto, before looking around once more. "It's really my mind?"

"I'VE GOT NO REASON TO LIE."

"Well, that's kind of hard to believe, what with there being like a four story tall demon fox in here and everything," said Naruto. Had he been a bit brighter, or a bit less occupied about what was going on, perhaps he would've put two and two together and realized that the monstrous spectre in front of him was the scourge of Konoha. Unfortunately, however, he wasn't exactly the most observant guy in the world. "Who are you?"

"YOU'LL FIND OUT IN TIME. WHAT'S IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW IS THAT YOUR LIFE IS IN IMMEDIATE DANGER, AND THERE'S NOTHING YOU COULD DO TO STOP IT IF YOU STAY HERE," said the Kyuubi, looking upwards at the ceiling of the cage as though seeing something only he could see. "I'LL GIVE YOU SOME OF MY POWER, YOU'LL NEED IT. IT WON'T BE ENOUGH TO EVEN GIVE THEM A BRUISE, BUT IT SHOULD PROVIDE A NECESSARY DISTRACTION. NOW GO."

"Huh? How—"

Before he even had the chance to finish his question, Naruto was blasted backwards by the loudest scream he had ever heard in the world. The shockwave of the roar stripped chunks from the sewer walls, and even parted the waters. Naruto found himself flung backwards by the sheer force, until the cage and its inhabitant was nothing more than a distant speck.

The Kyuubi watched as its vessel flew back into darkness.

"...HOW DID I GET SHUKAKU TO TALK ME INTO SIGNING THAT FORM ANYWAY...? MORE TO THE POINT, HOW THE HELL DID I MANAGE TO FORGET ABOUT CANCELLING IT...?"

He sighed. It seemed that life after his sealing would actually be more chaotic, rather than less. How the hell did that manage to happen?

---

Naruto came to, and was struck instantly with all the pain that he had been missing up to this point. The broken ribs and dislocated bones had come back, and it was all he could do to keep himself from crying out. The shinobi training he had received for resisting pain definitely helped in that department as well. Gritting his teeth, he opened one of his eyes a slit to peek out into what was going on.

Prinnies. He could see Prinnies.

Hope soared back into his chest at full speed, as he realized what must've happened. Adell had come. The red-headed Demon Hunter had come to save him. Somebody that he had known for a couple of hours was somebody who had braved an enemy base to save him. It was unthinkable to Naruto, who was used to people ignoring him and cutting themselves off from him. He felt relief flood his tired bones, and the pain took a second seat to the warmth that filled him.

Wait... why was he being held?

What was Adell doing, crouching on the floor...?

What was Maderas...?

His eyes flew open as he saw the vampire demon raise his cloak high above his head, before it morphed into an axe that size of a pillar. The faux weapon glinted in the sunlight, before Maderas sent it downwards in a trajectory that would split Adell's skull. Time seemed to slow down for everyone, as a person who he had just started considering important faced certain death.

Red energy.

Not Chakra, it didn't feel like Chakra.

Mana.

That was the right word for it.

Red Mana filled his body, from the core. He could feel it spreading faster than the axe could fall, giving him strength, giving him power. He grit his teeth and clenched his fist, and he could feel his bones mending together, he could feel the ribs that had cracked repairing themselves. Nobody else seemed to have noticed, everybody was too busy watching Adell die.

"ADELL!"

With a scream, he gripped the arm that had been holding onto him. The ninja that held him – not Ishirou, somebody else – widened his eyes in alarm in a moment of weakness, allowing Naruto to pry himself out of his grasp. Hitting the ground with a thud, Naruto bellowed in rage and drove a powerful right hook into the Ninja's side, ninja-training be damned. The Ninja was not winded, although the surprise of the attack caused him to react much later than he would have normally.

The red-headed Demon Hunter watched the scene with wide eyes, before grinning. Turning to the side smoothly, he avoided Maderas's attack by a hair, before dealing a crushing blow to the purple demon's neck. The Netherworld Noble, himself distracted by Naruto's sudden awakening, had not been prepared for the kick, which sent him careening into a wall.

Without breaking rhythm, Adell screamed at Obito.

"TAKE HIM AND RUN!"

The Prinny captain replied without words, breaking into a run. Before Ishirou could even turn around, the eye-patched Prinny had Naruto in his grasp and was jumping through a window and hitting the ground. By the time Naruto was fully aware of his surroundings, he was in the clutches of flippers and moving quickly towards safety. Nothing else could relieve him further as he moved quicker and quicker away from the zone of combat.

Maderas roared at his Ninjas from where he crouched, having gotten back up the moment he had been kicked. Although he hadn't been prepared for it, he was no slouch when it came to fighting and constantly had his guard up. The attack had been damaging, but it wasn't enough to take him out. Not yet.

"TAKE THEM OUT!"

Ishirou moved without a moment's hesitation, following the trail of the escaped Prinny; his two companions followed shortly after, still slightly stunned by the ordeal but knowing when to follow orders. Longinus flashed through the air like a silver streak, wielded by the Ninja in the lead.

Adell's eyes hardened as he watched the unit move. Obito, skilled as he was, would be no match for three similarly-levelled units, especially not with one equipped with one of the strongest spears in the known multi-verse. And, as fast as a Prinny could get, Ninjas were amongst the greatest movers in all the Netherworlds, and would doubtlessly catch up effortlessly. Quickly, he gestured towards the remaining Prinnies.

"PRINNY SQUAD, GO AFTER—"

"No need, Adell!" cried a familiar voice, as a shadow swooped down from the roof.

Ishirou hit the ground with a thud, having been struck hard on the head by a metallic object. Before his two companions could react to what had just happened, they took hit the ground with bumps on their heads. The Longinus landed several feet away, the face on the spear still fast asleep. Taro brandished the ladle like a swordsman would his katana, facing the Ninja to keep them from getting away.

Adell sighed in relief; Naruto was more or less safe now. Taro had come just in time, and now the demon shinobi had lost Naruto's trail. Not to mention... with Naruto out of the way, there would be no problem with him releasing his full power.

Maderas's first indication something was wrong was when he felt the temperature in the room rise several degrees. Turning his head, he saw what was causing the change.

The flames that had been flickering about Adell's feet had now grown into full-on wildfires. The boy's hair, which had been calm and tame before, now flew into the air flickering like a flame. His eyes burnt with endless determination and a cold, white fire. The fire that radiated from his body was more than just an aura; it was a manifestation of his power and his element. The carpet caught on fire, quickly burning to ashes within seconds, and the flames jumped from carpet to furniture to draperies and everything. The wax on the candles quickly dripped down to nothing. The temperature did not stop rising.

Nothing was spared.

Maderas took a step back, and noticed for the first time his sweat. The heat in this room was abnormal; no wonder he wanted the kid out of here. No normal human could last under this sort of fire, they'd be burned alive.

"I hope you're ready..." said Adell, clenching his fists. The flames around him swirled even higher, if that was possible. The demon Ninja were starting to get worried, their guards shrank backwards. The Prinnies, on the other hand, seemed used to the heat. "You consider yourself a vampire, don't you? I'll burn you at the stake!"

With a roar, Adell charged, flames blazing in his trail. The Prinnies followed in his wake, taking up their machetes and bombs and entering the fray. Maderas and his ninjas replied in turn, although their confidence had been heavily shaken.

What happened next was a slaughter for Adell's side. The ninja, good with surprise attacks, fell quickly to the Prinnies, who were superior in every other way. Prinny Barrage after Prinny Barrage limited their movement, and once their wings had been clipped other Prinnies charged in to hack them to bits with their machetes.

Taro had decided to take Ishirou one-on-one. The battle was pretty even, considering Taro's higher level and Ishirou's possession of the Longinus, but soon after the battle began Taro started pressing the advantage with quick attacks and his super-human strength. Ishirou, although strong in his own right, was, as a Ninja, unused to pole-arm weapons, and quickly found himself being pushed back. The battle ended the moment Taro swiped the legendary spear out of the Ninja's arms. What came after was nothing more than bullying.

Maderas was having much less luck.

Punch, kick, throw. Every blow of Adell's felt like a sledgehammer upon his very being, combined with being thrown into an oven at full blast. Blood flew from his mouth every time a hit landed, and his cloak dragged behind him, too slow to even block, much less counter. Every punch felt like a meteor, and every kick felt like a comet. He couldn't hold up for much longer, and everybody knew that.

By now the fire had spread to the entire room, and was streaming down the corridors and pathways outside, consuming even stone and steel. It was an endless, aimless blaze, seeking nothing but destruction.

"Alright, I've let out most of my anger," said Adell, retreating several steps behind where he had been. Maderas, too tired and wounded to even think about escaping, slumped where he stood, coughing up black blood. "Let's finish this!"

"No, wait...! Pleaze!"

"The time for talk passed a long time ago! VULCAN BLAZE!"

---

Naruto slumped the moment Obito dropped him off on the forest floor as they stared out at the castle. Although his wounds had miraculously healed, he could feel the fatigue seep deeply into his body. Leaning his head against a tree, he looked over at the Prinny commander listlessly. The eye-patched demon was looking him over, checking the bruises and the blood, sighing in relief as he did so. Although there were a few wounds here and there, they weren't nearly as bad as he had first thought, seeing Naruto's prone form.

Taking a few band-aids from his pouch and slapping them on the more major wounds after disinfection – Naruto shrieked a little at that, the girl – the Prinny gave Naruto a once-over once more and nodded.

"You're in good shape," said the Prinny, and started rummaging through the pouch on his stomach; the one that all Prinnies carried around with them. Naruto wondered softly in his tired mind how they managed to fit everything in that little bag, before realizing that it was a question for another time. "All you need is some rest now. Here, have some of this."

"Cho... chocolate? Whassat gonna..."

"Don't try to speak," said Obito gently as he broke the brown delicacy into little chunks with his flippers. Opening Naruto's mouth, he nudged a piece of the candy into his maw, before taking a piece for himself. "Medicine in the Netherworld is all like this, made into the shapes and flavours of candy and other foods. Chew it thoroughly, you'll feel better afterwards."

Naruto did as he was told, letting his teeth come down on the chocolate softly. Although it tasted much as chocolate did in the human world, there was a slight medicinal flavour there that would've passed him by completely had he not been told of it. Letting the pieces flow down his gullet, he was pleasantly surprised at the amount of rejuvenation he felt. Although his wounds didn't close and his bruises didn't clear, he instantly felt a lot better.

"Wow...!" exclaimed Naruto, looking at himself in surprise. "This stuff really works!"

"Yes, indeed," agreed Obito. "Netherworld medicine is many times more effective than human medicine, considering what demons do to themselves all the time with their personality quirks and power. It's a simple case of necessity being the mother of invention."

"Why are they shaped like...?"

"Candy?" asked the Prinny, amusement clearly showing in his good eye. He waved a flipper. "Demons, although powerful, act much like children about the smaller stuff. There are many demons out there that refuse to eat medicine due to the bad flavour. Thus, the pharmaceutical companies Rosenqueen employs try their best to make their medicine as flavourful and food-like as possible, to keep the bratty Demon Lords and Overlords alive. Dead customers are bad for business, after all."

"That's pretty funny," grinned Naruto. "Are there any Overlords out there who died because they didn't take their medicine?"

"No, but there is one who died by choking on a pretzel."

"No way! Was he stronger than you?"

"Way, and yes, he was. Caused natural disasters to happen whenever he couldn't reign in his emotions. Happened where I was working too. One of the strongest Overlords in all the Netherworlds gone in a flash because he was eating too quickly, or at least that's what I heard," said the eye-patched Prinny, sitting down beside the orange-clad boy. "I didn't start working there until his son came into power."

"His son?"

"Supreme Overlord Laharl, son of King Overlord Krichevskoy. He's the master of our master," said the Prinny. "Basically, I'm the vassal of his vassal, much like you're the vassal of Lord Adell."

"Adell's a vassal?"

"No, Lord Adell is not our true master," answered Obito as he looked upwards into the foliage. A leaf fell by him gently, which he picked up with his flipped and threw once more into the air. "We're on loan right now. Master Etna lent us to Lady Rozalin, who lent us to Lord Adell. Although it is much better to be working under Lord Adell, who knows something about compassion."

"Oh yeah, I heard from one of your boys that you guys work twenty – Wow, what's going on!?"

The castle, from where they were watching, burst into flames. Smoke billowed into the air, and hundreds of demons began to pour outwards from the castle gates, some of them choking and coughing and others taking to the sky. Naruto was prepared to get up and run, but Obito put a flipper on his shoulder, calming him down.

The orange-clad shinobi looked towards the penguin demon.

"Don't worry. The fire is ours," said Obito. "It means Lord Adell was victorious. These demons without leaders... They're like chickens with their heads cut off. There would be no searching for vengeance, not when something stronger than their lord is still here. They'll disperse into the surrounding woods; we won't be touched."

Naruto relaxed, and looked back towards the scene. Headless Knights, Wood Golems, and Zombies ran from the blaze, some of the unluckier ones had been set on fire. There were Wood Golems here and there with half of their body burnt to charcoal, moaning in despair before the fire finally overtook them, and they fell to the floor and turned to ash. Zombies set ablaze ran to and fro from the castle gates, unsure of what to do, their minds having long since rotted. Even the simple idea of water defeating fire had fled their heads, and many of them didn't even notice the fact that they were aflame.

Mothmen and Spirits flew into the air, those that had been unlucky also wrapped in fire. Some fell as they ascended, and turned to dust on the way down, the wind not saving them from the eternal flames. Those who were intelligent amongst the Spirits cast Ice spells on themselves, exchanging short-term damage for wounds that would fry them given enough time.

The castle itself was crumbling, the fires having gotten to important construction points. Steel melted, girders bending and then breaking in half, and the roofs collapsed. Explosions happened here and there, where the fire reached gas mains, and only hastened the destruction.

"This... is amazing," breathed Naruto. He had never seen such destruction, not in the human world at any rate. If he had to be reminded of something, it was the stories that he had been told in his youth at the orphanage about the Kyuubi and the way it laid waste to Konoha before finally being taken down. "I had no idea Adell was this strong."

"He's stronger than you can imagine, right now anyway," said the Prinny. "But keep in mind that Adell is not the strongest demon in the world. There are much larger fish out there, ones that could destroy worlds with a flick of their wrist. I... have met several personally."

"That's... scary," said Naruto. There really was no other word to describe the kind of feeling he felt course through his body right now. To think that the world he had been living in was so small... To think that he had considered the Hokage to be the greatest force in the world. When compared to a natural disaster like this, he was sure even the Hokage was nothing. It didn't make him want to become one any less, but it did put things in perspective. No matter how strong you were, there was always someone stronger.

"It is," nodded Obito. "Ah, here they come."

Indeed, out of the wreckage swarmed several little penguin demons, looking none the worse for wear. Although their bodies were blackened with soot, they seemed perfectly fine and able. One of them, the one Naruto recognized as having attempted to defend him during his kidnapping, was hobbling on one leg, leaning on another Prinny for support.

Taro, his clothing too covered in ashes and grime, was smiling triumphantly as he held the spear that Naruto recognized as Ishirou's in his arms, looking over it carefully. Now that it wasn't being used against him, the orange-clad ninja could admire the ornate patterns and intricate painting, although the strange face-like ornamentation carved into the steel made things a little strange. Taro swung the spear around, testing its weight, before making a few practice stabs. Apparently happy with the way it felt, he slung it over his back with a piece of rope he tied over his chest.

Adell lead them, his body covered with small wounds, yet his clothing was immaculately clean, free of the dirt and soot that covered the Prinnies and his younger brother. His hair was wild, untamed unlike his normal appearance, having been blown free during the battle, and the steps he left in his wake smouldered a little before going out.

"Lord Adell! This way!" announced Obito.

"Oh, that's where you guys went!" grinned Adell as they came closer. Naruto felt the temperature rise as the Demon Hunter moved towards them, although it went back down to normal the moment he stopped. His hair dropped, resuming their normal position, and the steps he left stopped burning. "You alright, Naruto?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," grinned the orange-clad ninja, getting up from where he had been sitting. His wounds, although still there, didn't bother him quite as much as before. "You should worry more about yourself."

"Tough words for a guy beaten up by Prinny-bait."

"We take offence to that, dood," said one of the Prinnies who had been following along, the one who had Naruto's guard slung over his back. "Lord Adell... can we take a break tomorrow? This can be considered overtime, can't it, dood?"

Adell groaned.

"Fine, I'm not as bad as Rozalin or Etna when it comes to things like this," said the red-headed Demon Hunter. "But I do need that base finished up soon, so how about this? The moment you guys finish the base, we can all take a twenty-four hour break. Is that good enough for you?"

The Prinnies chattered excitedly, having heard the news. A full day's break! It was better than they had even expected! Lord Adell really knew how to motivate a squad of Prinnies, especially ones that knew Lady Rozalin and Master Etna's regimens.

"Alright, boys. Penguins," said Adell, smiling as he picked up Naruto, who protested, although his heart wasn't in it. Although his body did feel better, he wasn't quite ready to travel long-distance yet. "Let's pack up here and get back to base. We've gotten what we came here for."

Naruto couldn't help but feel warm as he heard the heartfelt cries of the Prinnies and Taro. These guys had braved an army and stormed a castle for him, when they only knew him for about a day at max. It was a different feeling, a strange feeling, but one that he had experienced quite a few times since he had met them. The word 'demon'... it didn't feel quite the same as it had before. It was hard to judge them as evil; especially when there were humans he knew who acted more like monsters than these little cuddly penguins.

"Oh yeah... Hey, you. What's your name?" asked Naruto.

The Prinny who had been his bodyguard in the woods, the one who was now slung over the shoulder of another, looked upwards at him.

"Me, dood?"

"Yeah. You're the one who was with me, right? The one who tried fighting off that chicken-butt ninja, and would've kicked his ass if he wasn't such a sissy," grinned Naruto, giving him a thumb-up. The Prinny brightened considerably, rubbing its neck with its flipper, obviously embarrassed. It had been worried about getting chewed out too! Today was a good day. "I'm gonna need to know your name, so I can thank you."

"Sure, dood! Call me Teddy."

"Thanks, Teddy."

"No problem, dood!"

"Um... I helped too," said Taro, raising his hand. Although he was confident in battle, when outside of it and confronted with strangers, he reverted back to how he was before he became Rozy's slave. "Can I get thanks too?"

"Yeah, thanks all of you," grinned Naruto. He was starting to feel sleepy... The fatigue that had been driven away by the chocolate was starting to come back. There was a hypnotic rhythm to the way that Adell walked as well; his pace was constant, and sleep-inducing. "Hey, Adell."

"What's up?"

"You're still going to help me get back to the Human World, right?"

"Of course," smiled the red-headed Demon Hunter as they entered the forest, walking slowly. There was no point in going at full speed now, not when there was no danger and they had the injured along with them. He was carrying Naruto in a piggy-back position, something he had done all the time for Taro and Hanako as children. It brought back memories for him, good ones. "I made a promise, and it's not my style to break promises. As long as you want to get back home, I'll try and help you out."

Naruto nodded sleepily.

"Hey..."

"Yeah?"

"You know," said Naruto, feeling himself drifting off. "Until I get back home... I wouldn't mind being your vassal..."

Adell grinned brightly as they entered the forest; he didn't need to reply. Naruto had fallen asleep right after he had said those words.

He had expected Naruto to be a burden, much like Rozalin had when he had first summoned her what felt like so long ago. Yet, much like Rozalin, he had revealed an unexpected side to him during dire situations. Although the boy was weak now, there was potential there completely different from the normal Good-For-Nothing's; he had felt it during that battle with Maderas, when the kid had radiated energy that had, approximately, increased his level by ten times.

He had no problems with the kid being his vassal, not anymore. Not when the kid seemed to honest, so out-going, and so easy to get along with. Although perhaps loud and a little self-centered, he knew at deep-down Naruto was a kid who was both true to himself and good at heart.

He reminded him of both Rozalin and himself.

Just a little bit though.

---

A small figure observed the wreckage from a cliff on the side of the clearing, looking down with disdain at the ruins of a once great castle. The fires had gone out already, long since extinguished as the pyromaniac who had started them left the area along with his entourage. At his side were two gigantic, hulking figures, wrapped in cloaks with red, glowing eyes.

"I never thought Maderas would be defeated this easily..." said the figure, child-like in both size and voice. Yet, his tone was definitely that of a mature adult, both strong-willed and knowledgeable. "I come here, expecting to wrestle control of this place and the Lance of Longinus from him, and all I see are ruins. Oh well, it matters not. We got half of what we came for."

There, in one of the hulking, cloaked behemoth's hands, was the battered figure of the Netherworld Noble known as Maderas. He was unconscious, his entire body almost burnt to cinders by ruthless and unforgiving flames.

"If Master Etna gives me permission... Perhaps I shall dissect him and add him to my collection," mused the figure to himself as he turned around. "Then again... She'd probably want to chew him out first, and by then there'd be nothing left of him we could use. Come, Sodom and Gomorrah. There is nothing left for us here. We shall return to base, and send him back to the Overlord's Castle. Tomorrow is a big day, we must clear out that Demon Lord in the nearby lake."

As the figure walked into the light, his medium-length purplish-pink hair was revealed, along with the piercing red eyes so characteristic of demons belonging to Netherworld Disgaea. Around his neck was a collar, and upon his body was a green robe reserved usually for researchers and mages. He was both.

Zombie Lord Aramis, vassal of Beauty Queen Etna, had arrived.