We deserve more Naruto! I don't want to eat off the streets anymore! I don't want to sleep in boxes, drinking from the river like an animal.

So what would you have us do Sasuke? Rob banks? Running away, trying to not be caught? Would you kill and pillage for money Sasuke?

No! Of course not. We are smart, we can do this. I promise after the end of this job you will understand what I mean. Forget your stupid justice for a second and think! Think! About Cao, Eli, Johnny. We are family are we not?

And family they were, bonds forged in fire and blood. The same blood that now stained his hands. Naruto woke up startled, cold sweat pouring all over his body. He sat up only to cringe as the cold air of the roof mingled with his wet skin. He looked at the palms of his hands and they were red. Sasuke's blood stained them, his dark eyes staring at him from the beyond. He couldn't take it. Kicking the sheets away he ran towards the bathroom, the golden sink had poured cold water. It was cathartic and pure. Another fond memory of times forgotten came forth as he looked at his reflection.

"Have I ever told you the story of Icarus?" his mother's sweet voice rang in his ears. She was stroking his head while laying next to him, her red hair next to his face. The faint smell of cherries was easy to identify.

"No. Tell me … tell me!" he said excitedly.

"Ok, ok, geez. So there was once a country. And in this country was a great labyrinth built by a famous architect. His name was Daedalus. When he finished his masterpiece he went to the king and asked to be paid. The king imprisoned him into the labyrinth…"

"Because he didn't have the money?" the boy asked innocently. To which she laughed merrily.

"No, the king's daughter received a clew from Daedalus and gave it to the king's enemy Theseus. So that Theseus could find his way back from the labyrinth."

"Huh? How would he get out with a clue? "

"No. Not a clue! A clew. It's a big ball of string. So Theseus attached one end in the entrance and could follow it back when he lost his way."

"Ooh, that's smart. But why did the king's daughter give him that, Theseus was her daddy's enemy right?"

"Hmm. I don't know… Maybe you'll know when you get older…" she smiled coyly; greatly confusing the child. "Anyway, the king couldn't punish his beloved daughter so he punished Daedalus and his son, Icarus…."

"What?! Why! That's unfair!" The child cried indignantly. How was it the architect's fault anyway?

"Naruto-chan, not everything in life is fair. Remember that." She schooled her son.

"Fine, but that doesn't mean I like it." Naruto looked the other way around, squinting his eyes to express his distaste. She didn't deem it necessary to comment on that, although inwardly she was really proud.

"… So. The father and son became prisoners of their own creation. In the labyrinth dwelled a monster. The Minotaur! Half-Ox and half man." she raised her hands ominously above him and roared, to which Naruto raised the bedsheets higher to cover his face. The ominous description scaring him out of his six-year-old mind.

"Long story short, Daedalus was smart and to escape he created wings out of feathers and wax…"

"That's soo cool, so they flew away right momma?" he asked, wonder etched on his childish face. Blue eyes shining with excitement.

"Yes! He and his son… "her story was again interrupted from an outside source, this time, the door to her son's bedroom opened slightly. Her husband's face peeking right inside.

"Dear, we need to talk about something." She could tell he was serious, and that was never good.

"Fine, I'll be there right away." She looked sideways to see her dear son's disappointed face. "I'll finish the story some other time okay baby?"

The boy sighed dramatically. It was ten o'clock already- way beyond bedtime, "did they live happily ever after?"

She smiled, her beautiful face shone. "Yeah, they lived happily ever after…"

It took years to realize that Daedalus made a grave mistake. That life was unfair and in her whims often took that which was most important. Just like his parents. Just like his family. And in her whimsical nature, she twisted everything around, constantly bringing forth events, circumstances. There was no greater power that ruled who was lucky or not, things just were. Facts circulating every being. It was a deck of cards and life dealt them unequally but fairly. Only unlike a game of poker you could throw them away and tap out, or shuffle as often as you wanted until you got the hand you want.

"Serafall why won't you listen to me? You know what we'll have to do in a year right? You need at least two peerage members by then! And the boy is exquisite! You should have seen him breaking into that museum, his friends equally amazing. That Cao Cao boy betrayed them in the last second and you know the rest." The Satan Lucifer pleaded his case to his old friend. Serafall had fallen off the deep end after the war, disguising herself as a little girl and showing off that childish persona.

Well, he couldn't really blame her. All of them kind of did in their own way fall off the deep end.

Serafall looked over her shoulder sending him a glare which looked like a cute pout now that she was in her child form again. Red eyes shining brightly. "I told you once and I'll tell you twice Sirzechs-chan. I don't need to gather humans for cattle under my command! I thought we fought the war to become more like humans. To create a world were, we could live better. Now everyone is trying to gather others into servitude, even you!

'We want a fair new world!' She mocked Sirzechs' voice dramatically puffing her ample chest out. "Isn't that what you preached back then Lucifer? And now you try to pass me some human and his sob story off to me? I made myself very clear last time. Now get out."

Sirzechs sighed as he put his coat back on. Walking towards the door, he turned around to speak. "Fine, I'll let him sleep for tonight, tomorrow he goes to jail again. He'll probably get a life sentence."

"See if I care" she huffed abruptly. It had been centuries since Sirzechs went on his guilt trips.

"Oh, one last thing before I go. Do you know who ordered the job?" He asked smirking coyly at her.

"Why would I know something like that?" She asked exasperated at her old friend's antics.

"Ophis" her eyes widened as Sirzechs disappeared in his clan's teleportation circle.

/

Naruto returned back to his room. If his biological clock had anything to tell him, it was that the time was around midnight. The subtle purple hue that surrounded the underworld lit the room. The Gremory mansion was extravagant. A classic baroque themed mini-castle. Paintings hung around, statues during intersections and fine china on tables. This used to be his end game. Maybe not so much, but this extravagance reminded him that all of it was hollow.

There was nobody waiting for him anywhere now. A single leaf on a dying tree.

The guest room was no exception to the rest of the mansion. A king sized bed with satin sheets, a humongous painting above it, portraying what Naruto saw as a two devils stand across each other. There was a mountain behind them and a crack in the earth separated the two warriors.

"Do you like it?" a feminine voice reverberated around the room and he instantly got ready to fight. The normal response would be to run but he utterly forgot that he was surrounded by beings' way stronger than what a human could fathom.

"Calm down, I'm not here to fight." He could identify the source now, a little girl sat on his bed. She wore a black dress and her black hair was tied neatly into two ponytails. Pink orbs observed him as he took a couple of steps back.

"Who are you?" he asked, trying to withhold the lump in his throat. It was as if she was oozing some dangerous and unknown substance, it filled the room, stuck on the walls, injected into his pores. As if a boulder weighing on his back. He wanted to fall down, it would have been easy too. The only thing holding him standing was the uneasy feeling in his stomach. He was but a tiny mouse stared down by its' predator. Non the less if he fell down now he would lose something. Not yet sure what it was but its' importance was paramount.

"What is it that you want?" she asked. Her voice but a whisper in his ears.

"I want- "he stopped his mouth while ahead. What is it that he wanted? Revenge? No, he was the one that stopped Sasuke from going all psycho. Didn't he preach all the time, about how blind revenge was nothing but a one-way ticket to hell? Technically he was in hell already but the fact didn't register as he mulled over her question.

"I want to stop Cao Cao. He is planning something…" he answered truthfully. It was revenge but it had a purpose.

"You want to stop him? And how would you do that? He wields the Longinus, his ancestor was a legend and he inherited his power. What can you do little human? You are but flesh and bones, an ant waiting to be stepped on."

Naruto glared at her with all the hate he could muster. Wishing that she would explode in flames for her blasphemy. How dare this creature mock him. A bat; that is what she was. A single rodent. She couldn't understand what it is to be human. He had seen humanity's lowest and highest in his short seventeen-year-old life.

"SHUT. UP" he gritted.

"Oh…? You got some backbone little human. Do you want me to stop? You couldn't even stop him from killing your friends. What can you do?"

"SHUT. UP" but she wouldn't. She started giggling and then full out laughing at him. Seeing red, he took off to punch her only for his fist to meet some sort of barrier. The barrier cracked slightly but quickly repaired itself. The room started freezing as she stood up. All the amusement was gone from her face. Then the quickly caught up to his feet, it rose up fast but steadily towards his torso and hands only leaving his head free.

"I am Serafall Leviathan," She said evenly.

The rage gave way to confusion as she smiled. It wasn't the same condescending one she flashed earlier. No; this smiled was one of pride? He couldn't be sure.

"What?" he stuttered out.

"I needed to make sure you could fill the job requirement Naruto Uzumaki."

"What job requirement?"

"To be part of my peerage of course. I couldn't take some weak willed child for my queen." She giggled. Naruto gaped at her only to realize her words.

"Now listen here you bat! I am no queen ok?" he yelled. Face flushed red in embarrassment.

She laughed again. A stark difference to her previous mockery. This feeling he could understand because it was the same thing he used to do to Eli. She always went crimson and her ears almost smoked in embarrassment whenever Indra or he teased her.

"Don't worry, it's just a title, no one is taking your masculinity away. Try not to die ok?"

Naruto looked at her in confusion. A chess piece appeared on her open palm. "What?"

"Don't worry, just don't die."

And then pain erupted. His whole body started shifting. It was as if his bones and flesh had a mind of their own. A piercing feeling came from his back and his stomach churned as a gooey feeling overcame his entire body. He was malleable like plaster for a second and then everything solidified again. For a moment, nothing happened and he looked at her.

"Grit your teeth." She said.

"What?" but he didn't have time for an answer. There was no way to explain what happened next. Describing the utter agony would be like describing a colour to a blind man who never saw a light. At first, it was unadulterated power, gasoline filling up a tank to the brim and then forcing more into it. He felt as if he was going to explode. Then the gasoline changed substance, it started solidifying and at the same time, it circulated his body. All of his muscles ached as Serafall's queen piece started building pathways inside of him. His body was a rock and the energy drilled holes everywhere. The painful feeling started coming from his legs and slowly; tortuously crawled upwards. It was when the energy reached his temples that he gave way to unconsciousness.

And everything became peaceful and dark.

There was a reason that only the four Demon lords had the original evil pieces. Unlike the standard ones these ones only required for the creature being turned to be less powerful than the king. The initial energy that jumpstarted the process was given from the caster of the turning. Countless humans died when high-class devils turned them.

To survive; one had to have the will to live in the first place. Weak willed creatures ended up as a slab of meat on the floor. High-class devils on demand. Such a constitution would have reignited a war between the factions. So the pieces were weakened. Became safe for the masses. And that gave way to collectors. Devils that wanted harems or unique creatures.

Everything went when it came to peerages.

/

"I don't want to marry that jerk!" a feminine voice rang throughout the Gremory mansion. Hushed whispers and the sound of glass breaking stirred the young devil awake. Everything ached, even muscles he didn't know existed. In his groggy state, he couldn't hear the words but the yelling reverberated in his head like a giant tin gong. The feeling was reminiscent from their first job. A bunch of teenagers drinking the heavy stuff resulted in a hangover of epic proportions.

Naruto awkwardly stood up, swaying back and forth he walked towards the door. It was now that he somehow realized that the door was, at least, two times as high as he was. Who the hell built this place?

When he opened the door he met the awkward sight of a grown up teenager throwing a tantrum. A red haired girl with fair skin and tits bigger than his own head was throwing the fine china he saw last at a pair of equally fair skinned adults. The woman looked like and an older clone of the girl only with brown hair while the man was an older version of the Sirzechs man.

"Sweetie, the contract was made years ago. We can't undo it now!" the man pleaded.

"I. Don't. Care!" she screamed ferociously.

"But- "the man didn't finish because he saw Naruto standing there like an oaf. The visitor that his son brought a week ago was witnessing this familial spat. 'How embarrassing' he thought.

"Honey, meet our guest. Naruto Uzumaki I think right?" the woman said. Her warm tone and amused stare heavily reminding him of his mother. He couldn't help but blush.

"Ah. Yeah, it's nice to meet you…"

"Venelana…" she unswered, "… This is my husband Agustino Gremory, and our daughter Rias Gremory."

"Ah, yeah. Nice to meet you. I'm- "he coughed a couple of times. "Eh. Narut- Naruto Uzumaki." He awkwardly introduced himself, bowing lightly. Stuttering was the theme of the week for him. He never stuttered damn it!

"Eh, mom? Who's that supposed to be?" she asked curiously. A guest in the Gremory estate was not a rare occurrence but an unknown guest was.

"Oh, I am sure you are going to be quick friends. You are a fan of his after all." Lady Venelana giggled in the back side of her palm. Eyes squinted in mischief.

"Fan?" Naruto and Rias chorused.

"Oh, definitely. You are looking at the Shadow Syndicate's leader and Leviathan's newest queen." Lord Gremory chirped in.

It was then and there that Naruto experienced a fangirl for the first time in his life. All pretenses lost and the previous argument was long forgotten Rias squealed and started gushing while running towards him with speeds that shouldn't be possible for women with breasts this big. He was engulfed in a tight hug and he would solemny swear on the bible if he had too, his ribs almost broke but the vile creature didn't care as she barraged him with question after question, filling up any and every brain cell. The fight or flight response every mammal seemed to have kicked in as he pushed her away and like a snake slipped through the hug of doom and run back into his room.

The Gremory family froze and stared at the now closed door as it opened again and the teenager run as fast as he could. Eyes frantic he jumped over Rias, slid through both adults and with a tumble righted himself again to run towards the exit. He knew the outline of the mansion because he had seen it when he came in.

Naruto quickly kicked the door and exited into a yard or garden. A really, really big garden with fountains and statues and everything expensive one could imagine. After moments, he realized that his response was obnoxious but his feet wouldn't stop. Only when he arrived in what looked like a shopping district did he realize that now was a good time to stop.

And then he saw them.

It was easily the funniest thing he had seen in his life. Two devils dressed in what seemed to be police suits walked in his direction. They had hell's equivalent of donuts in their hands and coffee cups.

Hell's pigs. Yeah has a good ring to it.

"Hey stop! Public indecency is prohibited!" pig number one shouted. They both ran up to him and then- only then- did he realize that he only wore a pair of gray jogging pants. He looked downward and realized that his abs were more defined, he felt stronger too, but what took the cake was the black lines on his chest. He couldn't read it because it was upside down-or right side up but his head was upside down… whatever- he turned towards the store on his left and with a bit of effort he read the inverted sentence: "If lost, return to Levia-tan *wink*"

A.N AAAAND chapter 2 done. It isn't every day that I get so pumped up for a story. So I'm not gonna jinx it. I've struggling to balance drama and funny moments for this fic. Naruto is recovering from a traumatic event and cannon Naruto never did that (unless you consider Jiraya and even then he was a wreck until Iruka 'repaired' him). So I don't want to make it seem like Naruto forgot all about his gang.

Hope you liked it! Review and follow :D