Arc of Time

by Skairipa1337

As he was called to the task of saving his world, he both succeeded and failed. In their moment of triumph, he let his guard down to the danger that had been there all along. As he died at the hands of his best friend, Naruto cheated death and was reborn as a Devil, as well as the son of the House of Sitri. Time Magic Naruto. Naruto x Kuroka.

14. A Final Countdown

Note: When I first wrote this author note I was talking about how I was going to go back to work on January 1st, and uh… It's April lmao, almost May. So that uh, well, it's been a while, huh? The chapter has been done for a bit as well, I was just focusing a lot on my other stories, so I might've put this on the back burner for some time.

Plus uh, writing a rating game doesn't seem like the most fun. Been trying to think about how to do it properly cuz I feel like no one wants to read a 10k words long fight that isn't even for an official game, so, I'm still in the thinking phase for that.

Small question for y'all, what is an underutilized power that you'd love to see more of? It doesn't need to be from DxD specifically, it can be useful in any other show.

If y'all are interested in joining a community of readers and several talented authors, consider joining AizenTheGoat's Discord server.

QBzbm58Dn4

改行

-Chapter 14-

A Final Countdown.

改行

Kuroka let out a soft sigh as she leaned into the bean bag she was slumped against. Idly biting at a riceball in her hand, she awkwardly tried to flip some pages in a comic she was reading.

While it wasn't the most attractive hobby for a majority of girls and women, she was one of the few that quite enjoyed it.

Just like games, there was something interesting about them. And it always managed to rid her of her boredom. Though it wasn't that easy this time around. Her mind was often occupied with the enigma that was Naruto Sitri. He was beyond odd, but she'd say that it was in a good way.

It wasn't often you'd come around to find a person that was more than willing to sacrifice both time and resources to help someone you'd just met. And even after all this time, he seemed as eager as ever to succeed.

The thought managed to bring a chuckle through her lips as she flipped another page, mentally going over their activities for the past couple of days.

It was safe to say that she wasn't really paying attention to anything that was written or drawn at this rate, instead she settled for thinking about how goofy he could be when trying to learn new things. He was ambitious, perhaps overly so, but it was charming in a cute way.

Some things he picked up like a sponge, she'd been quite surprised at how quickly he'd managed to understand the concepts of the senjutsu she was using. While he wasn't able to utilize it himself, at least, they couldn't know for sure if it was an absolute that he couldn't learn it.

Other things… Well, she'd have to carve it out into simple terms.

Another giggle escaped her as she shook her head. He meant well, and that was all that mattered. It was safe to say she trusted him at this rate, he had more than enough opportunities to do something that'd prove the opposite, yet he hadn't done anything in that regard.

As she sat there with her own thoughts, only paying half attention to her reading material, her pointy ears did a small twitch as she picked up the sound of the front door opening to the house they were currently renting.

Even if they were part of the Khaos Brigade, they still needed a place to stay.

And per her very persuasive request, they'd gotten a nice house at the time just next to Kuoh. Far enough away to be on the safe side, yet close enough so that it wouldn't take a day and then some to get to where she was currently spending the majority of her time these days.

Slowly she could hear footsteps approach the living room, making her lift her head to see the individual who had just arrived.

It was a young man with light silver hair and hazel eyes, wearing a dark green V-neck shirt with a high-collared black leather jacket over it.

Kuroka let out a slight snort as a smirk lifted her lips, "My, my, who do we have here?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" He asked curiously as he crossed his arms over his chest, and leaned in against the doorway. His brow raised quizzingly, as he awaited her response.

She shrugged a bit as she clapped her comic shut and took the last bite of her riceball, dusting her hands off, "Not much, so where have you been Vali? It ain't often the White Dragon Emperor vanishes from the face of the earth without a word."

Vali rolled his eyes as he walked over to the dinner table, dragged out a chair, and sat down with his feet crossed, "Azazel has been a pain lately. So much stuff he wants me to do and be a part of. I almost didn't manage to get away today either but I snuck out when the old crow was taking a nap."

"I see," She hummed and got more comfortable in her seat.

The young devil sighed and ran a hand through his silver locks, "Talked with Arthur the other day. He said you wanted to talk to me, something about… Beating someone up, I guess."

Kuroka raised a brow at the choice of words, and shook her head, "Yeah, but actually no. It has to do with fighting though, you got that much right."

"You want me to beat up your boyfriend or something?" Vali asked as he scratched the back of his head.

The raven-haired beauty rolled her amber eyes exaggeratedly, "He's not… Ugh, just forget it."

Vali raised a brow in surprise, "What is this? You're not denying it anymore."

"I don't know. He's sweet and fun to be around, that's all. Could we just focus on the subject?" She asked in a tired voice.

Deciding not to torment the woman any further, Vali nodded his head and leaned back in his seat, "Sure, so what is it you want me to do?"

Kuroka took a deep breath as she fidgeted with the sleeve of her black kimono, "As bad as it may sound, please let me explain before you reply. I want you to fight Naruto Sitri…"

Scratching his neck out of confusion, Vali just nodded, "Uh… Alright."

"I don't want you to kill him, if you do that I'll claw your throat into an unrecognizable mess. Thing is, he is helping me. And my sister, and you know she is the most important thing to me in the world. And as much as I trust his word of wanting to help us reunite, it's dangerous. My reputation ain't exactly pretty, so there is a chance that he might get attacked… He has promised to take care of her, and protect her, but I don't know how strong he really is." She admitted, taking a breath to calm her nerves, "I trust that this stays between us. I swear if Bikou starts poking at my nerves with this…"

Vali lifted his hand to quiet her down with a casual wave, "Relax, I'm not saying anything. Not that the monkey brain would be able to fathom it regardless." He smirked a bit, as he watched her let out an amused chuckle, "So… As Arthur said, you want me to test his strength."

Kuroka gave a slow nod of her head, "Yes, but don't hurt him…"

"How am I supposed to test him, if I can't fight him to that level?" Vali questioned with a deadpan expression.

The Nekoshou gave him a heated stare as she pointed an accusing finger at him, "Vali… Do not hurt him. Am I clear?"

The White Dragon Emperor sighed as he leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling, "Fine, since I owe you one. I got to ask though, why not just test him yourself? You seem to be on more than friendly terms, just tell him you want to spar or something like that."

"It's not that simple. I don't want to hurt him by doubting his abilities, and I know it might hurt his feelings regardless when he finds out why I sent you to try his strength… But it's for Shirone, and there is nothing I wouldn't do to ensure she was safe," She admitted, the guilt clearly evident as she rested her cheek in the palm of her hand and gazed out of the window and away from Vali.

The silver-haired man took a moment before answering as he stood up with a slight grunt, "From what I've heard, he seems like a cool guy. I doubt he'd take it too hard, just be sure you don't keep it a secret. If you do, then I can't guarantee he won't just shrug it off."

Kuroka just gave a slow nod of agreement, "I know. So will you help me?"

"As I said, I owe you one. So, when?"

She tapped her chin thoughtfully for a second, "Not any of the upcoming days. He got a rating game to fight out, and wouldn't want to cripple his chances of winning by some kind of accidental injury. Well, I suppose it wouldn't matter since he uses time magic, but still."

Vali gave her a quick glance of acceptance, "Understood, wouldn't want to throw him off either. Wouldn't be easy to fight out another devil's peerage if you're constantly wondering why one of the dragon emperors suddenly wanted the smoke. Anyhow, I better get going. I don't want to be interrogated by Azazel for ditching the Grigori for a few hours."

"Few hours? You just got here, what've you been up to?" Kuroka questioned with a raised brow.

The young man gave a slight smirk as he waved his hand, "Wouldn't you like to know?" He chuckled as he made his way out of the living room, and soon, the front door would be shut behind him.

Though as he left, he mentally went over the conversation. Part of him knew that the dark-haired young woman harbored some feelings for the Sitri, and that was probably partially the reason she didn't want to be the one to fight him. After all, if her heart was not in it, pushing him to the limit wouldn't be easily accomplishable.

But for someone like him, who often desired challenges, even from his comrades. It wouldn't be a problem.

It made him smirk to himself. Glad that his friend at least found someone to put her faith in. Trust on that level seemed like a luxury these days. Perhaps even rarer than winning the lottery, so of course he'd help. Even if it meant giving the other devil a few bruises.

Kuroka sighed loudly from frustration as she let her head fall back and down into the bean bag. Rubbing her temples as she stared up at the ceiling.

At least one dilemma had been solved so far.

改行

While most days in Kuoh were filled with sunshine this time of year, Naruto had to let out a sigh as he watched the rain splash against the window of his bedroom. In all honesty, he had no problem with the rain itself, it was more so the confining part of not being able to go outside without it being a bother.

And on a day like today where time was rapidly counting down until he had to participate in his first rating game... While he was confident in his chances of winning, he'd at least have liked to… Practice, at least a little bit.

As he stood there just counting the drops of water running down the window, he raised a brow as he heard the sound of his door creaking open. Turning around, he was met with the sight of Kurama leaning in against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest.

"You could've knocked," Naruto commented with a quick chuckle.

The Youkai shrugged his shoulders non-caringly, "I could sense that you were awake and just moping around. I didn't see any reason to."

The dark-haired boy rolled his eyes, "I guess… Oh well, what's up?"

Kurama gave him a quiet stare for a while before he sighed and stepped into the room, closing the door behind him, "I figured it was about time we had a quick chat. Well, I guess it's not that simple of a subject, but I'd rather get this over with sooner than later."

"Sure, I mean, I don't have much else to do right now," Naruto began a bit awkwardly as he took a seat on the lone chair in the room.

The orange-haired man gave a quick nod of his head before slumping down on the foot end of the bed, "First of all, Busujima is coming over with her dad today. Something about him wanting to know more about this supernatural reality show called a rating game."

Naruto nodded at that as he folded his fingers behind his head, "Makes sense, it's all new to him. Probably want to make sure his daughter is safe and all, so I got no problem with that."

"Figured you wouldn't, but I had to mention it just in case. Oh well, what I'm about to ask you about is probably not a very simple topic to discuss." Kurama grunted.

The dark-haired young man shrugged, "Well ask away."

For a few seconds, Kurama remained silent, "What is your real goal?"

Naruto blinked slowly, "I thought I told you already."

"Not that. I know there is more to it. I know you're good at heart, and want to help people, but you were ambitious before. You wanted to become Hokage. So while it's still admirable that you want to reach the top to help people, I feel like there are still things you haven't told me completely." Kurama continued before Naruto could answer, "Have you ever thought about becoming a Satan?"

The former blond's eyes widened in surprise, "Not sure, why?"

"I'm curious. You once wanted to become Hokage, in this world, being a Satan is the closest thing to that goal." Kurama responded, bringing his former statement into the equation.

Naruto let out a soft sigh as he gathered his hands in his lap, and looked out of the window, following the raindrops sliding down the glass panel, "Well yeah, I wanted to change circumstances back in the village. And I wanted people to acknowledge me. Until Itachi reminded me of what it really came down to. That only those already acknowledged, could become Hokage, just like my dad did."

The Youkai gave a sound nod of his head, "And your goal is still the same. Unless I'm mistaken, you want to change the circumstances for those less fortunate. And while you seek power to become the strongestin the rating games, that only carries so much weight."

"What do you mean?" Naruto questioned.

Kurama continued, "Think about it. If you were a Satan, you'd have actual influence and power to change things. As the champion of the Rating Games, you only have a reputation and the ability to hope that people listen to what you have to say. Devils might respect power above almost anything else, but that kind of sway only carries a certain amount of weight in changing a culture."

He let out a semi-frustrated sigh, "I guess that's true, but I don't know. Would they really listen to me though?"

Kurama shrugged at him, "You made people listen before without a fancy title. I'm not saying you should change your current plan, but maybe widen the horizon and see a bigger goal. After all, if you do become the champion, what happens next? We're living as beings with insanely long lifespans, even for someone like me who used to be a Bijuu, that's a lot of time to twiddle your thumbs somewhere doing nothing."

"Can you elaborate a bit on it?"

With a slow nod of his head, Kurama crossed his legs and leaned forward, "First of all, being a champion at the rating games will show people a handful of things. You're productive, and efficient, and got the power to follow through with it. Second of all, as a Satan, you'd not only have power from strength, but also from politics. And last, but just as important, you'd have power in name."

Naruto raised a confused brow, "My name? I'm not sure I follow. The Sitri is already powerful in name to some degree."

Kurama snapped his fingers, "Think beyond that. If you became a Satan then the Sitri would not just have produced one Satan, but two, where one of them is also the number one in the rating games. Suddenly your name would carry even more meaning, and your title, and your job would also carry weight."

"So I'd have three cards to ensure a better future…" Naruto trailed off, beginning to see the even bigger picture Kurama was trying to paint for him verbally.

The former Bijuu nodded with a slight smirk, "I'd lie if I said I hadn't thought about it before. We both grew up in nightmares, and I don't exactly fancy that upon anyone else. We might not make it, but if you want, we could try…"

Naruto chuckled a bit, "I'll have to think about it. Being a Satan is, put simply, miles away in comparison to a Kage where we're from."

"But the duties are all the same. And we'd be able to make a difference. I'm sure Sirzechs would agree."

With a slow blink, Naruto questioned the mention of the current Lucifer, "Sirzechs?"

Kurama snorted, "Oh please, it's rather obvious he's hoping you'll stand in his corner. You're already on the way to becoming infinitely more powerful with your project with your girlfriend."

"I guess it would indeed be easier if we had some allies."

After another round of chuckles, Kurama gave him a confident stare, "Give it some thought, we got plenty of time. No pun intended."

"Very funny. Time jokes. Hah, hah." Naruto laughed mockingly.

"No, but seriously. Sirzechs has almost groomed you to that role, it's like he knows what you're thinking already. If you're still scared of being a failure, then there is a place to start here. And if you're scared of having to replace someone that is already a Satan, don't be. The system was broken once after the civil war, no one says there can't be another seat at the table. It might upset some of the old devils, but you can't please everyone. Your goal is a better future for the coming generations, you can't do that while always looking backward." Kurama continued, making sure he was keeping the Sitri's attention.

Naruto looked at him for a while, before he stood to his feet. Running a hand through his dark locks before throwing his arms dramatically into the air, "Screw it. What's the worst that could happen?"

A knowing smile lifted Kurama's lips, "Now you're starting to sound like the Naruto I knew again. We might fail, but at least we can try."

"Well, we've always been a chaotic duo. I guess we can't ruin the pattern now of all times." Naruto chuckled as he put on his jacket, "Come on, Saeko is probably coming over any minute. I suppose we should leave a good impression on her dad when talking about our plan."

"You have a plan? Now I actually am scared." Kurama joked as he stood up, and followed the slightly shorter man out of the room.

Naruto rolled his eyes as he walked down the stairs, "I've done a bit of homework. Do you know if Veldora is awake?"

Kurama nodded, "He is in the living room, reading his manga as usual."

Returning the nod, Naruto walked into the kitchen to get himself a glass of water, "Good. Will be easier to brief everyone if we're all gathered here together."

改行

The rest of the morning went by quickly. Spending a majority of the time discussing the upcoming match with Kurama and Veldora, until Saeko would come around so that they could begin to form the actual plan. Or rather, hear the one that Naruto had in mind.

As the trio was sitting inside the living room, watching some TV in a comfortable silence, the atmosphere was soon broken as the doorbell could be heard ringing from the hallway.

After a shared look, they all stood up and began to prepare for the upcoming meeting. With Kurama and Veldora preparing some beverages, Naruto went out to open the door.

Hearing the door click open, he was met by the slightly smiling face of his new knight, along with the acknowledging nod of her stoic father, "Glad you made it. Please, come in, I hear that we have a lot to discuss."

Saeko gave him a quick 'thank you' as she walked past him and took off her shoes, continuing onward and into the house, whilst Kage stayed behind for a quick word with the young devil.

"I apologize for the sudden inconvenience. I get that it might not have fit into your schedule to have this kind of chat today." He started, with a slow and apologetic nod of his head.

Naruto waved his hands dismissively, "Trust me, aside from watching TV and potentially training for the match, we weren't busy. And it's okay really, you're her dad, you're well within your right to be concerned about something like this. Especially since you just learned about this whole new world with supernatural beings. I'd have been more offended if you didn't show any care."

Kage's lips twitched upward into a thin smile of respect, "I'm glad you can see it from my perspective."

"Of course," Naruto responded as he gestured for the man to enter their home, leading him toward the dining room, where the rest of his peerage was already seated and slowly beginning some conversation.

Clearing his throat and thus getting the attention from his peerage, Naruto began talking, "I suppose an introduction is in order first. On the right, next to my seat at the end, is Kurama. He is the Queen of my peerage, and thus my right hand. Next to Kurama is Veldora, he is currently my Pawn of eight pieces."

"Pawn?" Kage questioned.

Naruto nodded, "Despite the sound of it, the title is more like a formality. Everyone in my peerage got a voice to be heard. And since the peerage system is based on the chess pieces, he is technically a pawn. He got eight pieces because he got some serious power, so to be safe, I didn't use something else. Plus he is pretty diverse in regard to fighting, with the rules of chess pieces, he can promote to other pieces and thus get their boosts and buffs for speed and durability so he can match a situation that might require him to be faster or sturdier in battle."

Giving an understanding nod of his head, Kage decided to take a seat beside his daughter now that his worries had been eased, "I understand. Now then. The reason I wanted to be part of this conversation is to know more about what is going to happen. I've been made aware that a… rating game is going to take place soon."

Taking his own seat beside Kurama, Naruto folded his arms on the table, "That's correct. It's an unofficial match to get our names out there, so we can soon participate in the actual games. I want our peerage to become the strongest, so I want to make that clear first of all. It'll require time and dedication, but I believe in everyone here."

Once again nodding his head, Kage continued, "How does such a game work?"

Thinking about it for a second, Naruto tried to come up with his best explanation, "You're matched against another peerage for a fight. There are several kinds of fights, some can be one on one battles until a peerage loses all pieces or their king, or a typical battlefield where the goal is of course to defeat the opposing team and their king. Though even if it's a fight, there is a system in place so that when you're eliminated, you'll be removed from the battlefield for treatment."

"So, I know it's simplified, a supernatural kendo tournament?" The man questioned.

Naruto hummed a bit, "Well yeah, just that there are other types of fights, but yes. You'll be removed before fatal injuries. Of course, like in kendo matches there can be unforeseen circumstances, but from what I know, it's rare. And the Underworld got a lot of medical stuff available like Phenex tears to heal almost all injuries, also fatal ones."

The man was almost immediately more easy once he knew that there was a system in place to prevent his daughter from potentially dying in these kinds of fights, "That's good to know."

With a soft chuckle, Naruto nodded, "The devils are already low on numbers after the war a few centuries back. We wouldn't want to make a game just to die out faster. The peerage system was also made to strengthen our numbers, so we wouldn't go extinct."

"I see." Kage grunted, "When is the match?"

Kurama was the one to respond, "Tomorrow. We'll be told a time and place later today, it's all organized by Naruto's sister. Since it's an unofficial match, we had to go with an in-house type of arrangement."

"But don't worry, everything will be safe and sound. The same system is in place, even if it's off the books," Veldora decided to add in, giving a confident smirk and nod of his head, showing his usual cheerful attitude.

A soft laugh escaped Kage's lips as he gazed at one of the sons of Tannin, "Will it be possible to spectate?"

Veldora blinked, "Uh, I think so?" He said with uncertainty, looking at Naruto for an answer.

The dark-haired boy nodded, "Sure, I don't see a problem with that. The game was essentially put into place for entertainment. Might make it even more fun knowing we have some more people watching. I'm sure Saeko would appreciate it too."

The Busujima gave a smirk, "I'd be honored to make you proud on the battlefield, father."

"You've never let me down before, daughter, I already know you'll do well." The man reassured, giving her a quick pat on the shoulder.

Naruto smiled a bit at the interaction, before clearing his throat, "I suppose we should talk a bit about strategy. So, from what I know, my cousin got two peerage members. I'm not fully aware of their abilities, but I know that we'll outnumber them. One thing I do know is that her queen is also a dragon like Veldora, so I think our best bet would be to put Veldora into that fight."

The blond nodded his head, "You can count me in. It's been way too long since I had a good fight. My brothers would always deny me a fight, even if I said it'd be a short one." The dragon sulked, almost forming a pout.

Sweatdropping at this antics, Naruto continued, "To be sure, I'd say we match you up with Kurama. Also because I know that her other piece is a knight, and since it's Saeko's first time fighting supernaturals like this, I'd like to back her up on that field. It's an unofficial match, so we don't have to impress anyone."

"If that match is supposed to get your names out there, wouldn't it be preferred to win with… good numbers?" Kage questioned.

Kurama shrugged, "Normally, yes. However, since no officials are watching, it won't matter as much. Only the outcome is going to be the talk around town."

"So we can think of it more like a practice match?" Veldora questioned.

Naruto nodded, "Pretty much. Just to help us all get into shape, make ourselves known for being ready to fight in the real games, and of course it'll also help us learn how to work together."

"Solid strategy." Kage complimented, "Being strong won't matter much if you don't know how to utilize each others' strengths and weaknesses properly."

Giving a grateful smile, Naruto continued, "With all due respect to my cousin, I know she is not much of a fighter. She is more the brain of her peerage, so I think that we can expect her peerage to have some strategies ready. Our best bet would probably be to separate her knight and queen, so we can even the odds."

Veldora hummed a bit as he scratched his chin, "Even if she is not much of a fighter, won't it be a bad thing to leave her alone? If me and Kurama are going to fight together, and you'll accompany Saeko to her fight, she'll be pulling strings in the background."

"While the numbers we win with aren't the most important, it might still look better if we take out the competition before calling checkmate. If people do talk about how we win, because we will," Naruto smirked, "It might be better to make sure that they don't leave out the part where we first fought our way to the backline and ended the match properly."

Kage raised an amused brow, "Hm, winning by potential cheap tricks won't carry much weight if the officials and judges know about it."

Naruto nodded in agreement, "Yeah exactly."

"So we case her in and attack from all fronts. If we all win, we'll have her surrounded. Solid and undoubtful victory." Kurama concluded.

Naruto leaned back in his seat, "It's probably not going to be that simple when we get there, but yes. And the official games will definitely be more advanced, so we can't slack off just because we might have an easy opening to win. Need all the experience we can get, the better odds we have, the bigger chance to become the champions."

Hearing the conversation begin to dwindle down, Kage decided to speak up again, "I have a small request, if I may."

With a slow blink, Naruto nodded and gestured for him to continue.

"Would it be possible to have a spar between one of you and my daughter? While I don't doubt her abilities, this is not exactly my field of expertise. I'd be less concerned, if I were to spectate some practice beforehand. Call me overprotective, but it'd ease my worries."

Naruto gave him a quick stare, before he extended a nod of his head, "I don't see a problem with that. It'd help her get used to her sacred gear too. Have you been practicing with it yet?" Naruto asked, directing his gaze to Saeko.

With a swift nod, Saeko answered, "I've been sparring with my father frequently, and while I still lack some technique, I'm starting to get the hang of it. Though within a supernatural match where the speeds may be higher, I've yet to see where my limits are."

"We've already had a kendo spar once, I suppose we could try to have a real spar with actual swords." Naruto thought out loud.

Kage furrowed his brows, "Are you certain that'll be wise?"

Naruto sighed softly, "We won't be using practice swords during the rating game. And with the power and speed we might move with? I can't promise that wooden swords won't splinter. I promise you, though, that we'll be alright. Like when I healed you of your injury, I can also reverse any wounds from the spar. I promise."

"I suppose that is true. Very well then, I'll allow it."

Naruto nodded as he stood up, "Alright then. We should probably step outside. Hey Veldora, would you spar with Kurama in the meantime? If you two are to go up against Seekvaira's queen, it might be a good idea to invest some time into getting to know each other's moves and stuff."

Veldora nodded, "Sure, sounds like fun."

Though Kurama grunted a bit instead, "I suppose. Though we've already sparred before."

Shrugging his shoulders, Naruto opened the door to the backyard, "Then go at it a bit harder, push your limits. Something like that."

"Sometimes I really hate you."

"Love you too."

改行

As all three of them moved outside for the spar, Naruto stood out in the rain. Sighing to himself, he clapped his hands together as a faint blue light wrapped around the backyard. Water droplets from the rain began to fly from the soaked ground and toward the sky as they returned to where they came from, seemingly magically drying off the area.

As the area dried, he made sure his spell remained in place. Putting the area in a type of stasis, so that they wouldn't have to bother with the weather conditions for the time being, and could fully focus on the spar at hand.

Seeing Saeko ready beside her father, Naruto extended his hand outward as a small magic circle with the Sitri emblem appeared. Slowly the circle would move, releasing a standard Japanese katana that was glinting in the light.

Grasping it by the hilt, he extended it out toward the young woman, "Will this suffice?"

Saeko blinked in surprise, as her father stood and watched with amazement at the display of magic, before she accepted the sword and tested its balance with a few practice swings, "I think it will. It's heavier than a traditional bokken, but I'll make it work after getting used to it."

"Great!" Naruto smiled and took a few steps back. Summoning another identical sword from another magic circle.

Doing the same as Saeko, he tested it out for a few swings, before he stood out in the middle of the backyard and gestured for her to join him.

Saeko gave a quick nod toward her dad, before she stepped out onto the grass. Readjusting her grip on the katana, before taking one of the many stances her father had taught her would be ideal for the start of a fight.

As her sacred gear activated, her lone visible eye that wasn't being shadowed by her fringe of hair began to glow a faint blue.

Figuring it was time to begin, Naruto himself took a sword stance. Preparing himself for the spar.

Since it was to show off her abilities to her dad, he decided to hold back a bit, but no to a degree where it'd be insulting.

Extending his hand outward to her, he beckoned her to come at him, before taking a defensive stance with the katana.

"Come on then!" He shouted towards her. "I don't want to wait forever!" He teased, forcing a grin to form on her lips.

The two began their battle, as they faced each other in a horizontal position, with their swords facing each other and ready to strike.

At first Saeko was hesitant, not quite sure how best to proceed, so she kept up with her usual defense until she got a better idea of what she should do. When she noticed that Naruto was just standing there, she figured it was now or never to show what she was capable of while wielding a real sword instead of a wooden practice one.

She quickly came at him with her blade held high above her head, before bringing it down vertically, aiming to cleave him in half.

"Pfft." Naruto easily dodged her attack, causing the tip of his sword to graze her cheek.

He grinned at her, which made her blush slightly before she retaliated again by swinging the katana horizontally, hoping to catch him off guard.

However, instead of dodging like last time, he simply parried her blow with his own sword. This caused them both to clash blades, which caused a loud clang to echo through the field. They'd repeatedly clash blades over and over again, the speeds rapidly increasing. At some point, Kage even lost count of the amount of times he heard their blades slam together.

It amazed him. That such a thing could be happening before his very eyes. Though it also caused pride to swell within his chest, knowing that his daughter was adapting so quickly to it.

After a while, their swords locked together again, both sides trying to use their strength to push the other back, "Tch!" She grunted out as her arm started to ache from holding the katana that way for too long. "Not bad." She complimented him as he returned to his previous stance.

"Thanks?" He replied as she pressed forward once more.

This time she tried to rush at him, but he easily evaded this attempt as well by stepping backward. Which left her a little frustrated since she was going all-out with everything she had, yet still couldn't land a hit on him.

They continued to exchange blows, almost managing to land some hits on each other here and there. However, neither could land a decisive blow on the other.

"Hmm..." She thought about what to do next, and suddenly remembered something he'd told her from the first time they had a spar. About how he supposedly wasn't that experienced with wielding a blade. "Hm... You're actually pretty good with a sword, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I'm decent, but nothing great." Naruto chuckled at her question.

She nodded her head in understanding, and began to close the distance between them. "So, wanna try something new?" She asked him.

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise, prompting him to raise an eyebrow at her before grinning. "Sure, why not? What did you have in mind?"

"Hold on a second," she paused to take a breath before she resumed her advance. "Just a second."

This time when she closed the gap between them, she thrust her sword forward and slashed it diagonally downward.

"Oh, right! That's something new!" Naruto exclaimed as he ducked to avoid the blade.

Once he moved back, he saw her holding her katana vertically and pointed at him. "Alright, let me try this."

"What are you doing?" She questioned him as he assumed his usual stance with his sword aimed at her.

"You said you wanted to try something new, so I figured we should change things up a bit." He explained as if he were reciting a lesson from a book. Saeko nodded her head, and readied herself to counter him.

With that, the two proceeded to trade blows again, as she attempted to force him back with her attacks, using her sacred gear to track his movement and try and exploit any openings. Though with the speed the Sitri could move at, she was finding it difficult. Fighting someone able to use time magic to forcefully speed up his movement, was proving quite a challenge.

As she pressed forward, the tip of her sword grazed his shoulder, but she couldn't get him to fall back. It didn't matter whether he managed to dodge her attacks or not, she seemed unable to land a hit on him, but was coming closer and closer.

Suddenly, she realized that she was trying to fight him like a normal human would. There were many things she needed to focus on besides simply fighting normally, hence why she was struggling so much.

She quickly decided to stop worrying about landing a hit on him, and instead focused on attacking with everything she had. As soon as she changed her mindset, a smile spread across her face as her movements became smoother. As if she was a ballerina performing a dance, she was fighting like she'd reached some kind of high.

Her sword swung forward, aiming for his stomach, but he swiftly ducked under the incoming attack. She then tried to follow up with a straight slash at his neck, but he parried it and countered her with an overhead swing of his own. He was just barely able to block her, but he couldn't keep blocking forever.

Naruto smirked at the sight, "I haven't seen you fight like this before."

"Well, it's been a while since I've used such methods," she admitted as she took a deep breath before she continued to launch a flurry of attacks.

The girl's eyes were wide open, showing her excitement, as she swung her sword around her in a blur. Her movements grew faster and more precise with every passing moment, as she attacked with pinpoint accuracy with every single strike. Even though she was moving so fast, Naruto was able to keep up with relative ease, given his experience with fighting supernatural battles.

He dodged one of her swings, and immediately launched a counterattack. His sword sliced through the air, which missed her by a fraction of an inch. Instead, the blade only grazed her arm, cutting off part of her sleeve and making a small cut on her skin.

"Ah!" Saeko winced in pain, dropping her weapon in shock.

"Sorry, didn't mean to hurt you," Naruto apologized as he looked down at her wound.

"N-No, it's fine." She shook her head to regain her composure and went into another attack. "I'll be alright, just not used to being... cut like this I suppose." she assured him with a smile.

Naruto gave a nod of understanding, "Do you want to stop here?" He asked her.

"Huh? No, no way!" She responded with a firm shake of her head. "I've got a lot to learn from this. I'm going to keep going until you can't handle it anymore!"

"You sure? I don't mind stopping if you're tired." He offered.

"I am pretty tired," she admitted, "but I know I can do better than this!"

"Okay, well, I guess we'll see how long you last then." He shrugged. "Ready?"

"Yup!" The girl replied, and she charged forward once more. Her movements slowed slightly now, as she was getting tired, but she still wasn't giving up.

Naruto watched her move carefully, trying to find an opening. He thought that she was going to start slowing down even more after a few minutes, but she surprised him once more by continuing her assault for nearly ten minutes without pause.

"Damn, you're really putting up a good fight." He complimented her.

"It's all thanks to father's teaching," she smiled and bowed her head in her dad's direction.

Naruto gave a soft smile, "He must be quite the teacher."

Saeko nodded, "The best."

They continued to exchange blows, and she slowly began to tire out. However, despite her fatigue, she refused to quit, and continued to press forward.

After what seemed like hours, Naruto finally felt the need to call it quits. He'd never fought anyone that was able to keep up with him for so long, but he knew it was possible now. Which was beyond impressive to him. She hadn't been a devil for that long, but the rate she'd adapted to the sudden extra power and her sacred gear was almost terrifying.

"Alright, I think this is enough for today." He announced.

Whilst she felt she'd be able to keep going despite her fatigue, she decided he was probably right, "Yes sir." She answered with a nod, tiredly chuckling as she lowered her katana.

"I'm impressed." He said to her, "You've come a long way so quickly!"

"Yeah, well, I'm not gonna just give up." She stated.

"Very true," Naruto chuckled, "You shouldn't ever give up." He told her.

She smiled softly, "Thank you."

"Anytime," Naruto agreed.

As they stood there, a round of applause met their ears. Simultaneously they'd turn their heads, to see the impressed expression of Kage as he walked in their direction.

Naruto briefly waved his hand in her direction, his magic reversing the time of her wounds, so they'd close up and look like they'd never been there in the first place.

Kage bowed his head in Naruto's direction, before turning to his daughter, "I can't begin to describe how proud I am. I've never seen anything like it."

"Thanks, Dad." She smiled.

"Heh, let's head back inside. Veldora and Kurama left a while ago, seems like we're the only ones taking our time." Naruto suggested.

"Sounds good to me." Saeko agreed.

"I'll lead the way, then." Naruto smiled.

The two of them turned around to walk back in the direction they'd come from. Closing the door after entering, allowing them to get some much-deserved rest. The rest of the afternoon was simply spent discussing various battle tactics until Kage and Saeko had to leave and return home.

It made him happy to see that her father was becoming more accepting of him and the whole devil thing. Seeing them all interact together and be part of it, probably helped a ton in understanding that everything was not as black and white as some parts of the churches liked to make it look.

So overall, Naruto felt like the day had been productive. He'd learned much from the simple yet meaningful meeting. Especially to never underestimate Saeko.

Even as someone that'd been a mere human blessed with a sacred gear, she was way more skilled and easily adapting than even some of the pure-blooded devils he'd met. It brought a smirk to his face.

The rating games were most certainly going to be interesting.

改行

The rest of the day went by without any hassle. Aside from the meeting and spar with Saeko, there hadn't been anything else planned. Since this was the calm before the storm, they had decided to take it easy for the rest of the day.

And since that'd become the case, Naruto had a lot of time to think.

It'd been on his mind a lot. Well, she had been on his mind a lot. He liked to distract himself from potentially personal thoughts about his personal life, but ever since Kurama had given him a wake up call, he'd found it difficult to ignore it.

Plus all the time they'd begun to spend together, and the way she was like now that she was comfortable around him.

While he'd never admit it openly, since Kurama would never let him hear the end of it… It gave him the sensation of butterflies in his stomach.

He often hated when the grumpy fox was right.

So after thinking for the rest of the day. He found himself in the hallway of the house, putting on his jacket once again, and preparing to head outside.

"Where are you going?"

Naruto turned around, digging his hands into his pockets as he stared at the confused expression of his Queen and Pawn, "You were right."

Kurama blinked, as Veldora looked confused, "Well thanks, I love to hear it, but… What exactly was I right about?"

With a quick snort, Naruto leaned up against the wall and closed his eyes for a second. Gathering his thoughts, he opened his red eyes, "About Kuroka. You said I had the right to be selfish. I tried to deny it for a bit, trying to tell myself that I had more important stuff to worry about."

"Naruto…" Kurama began.

The dark-haired boy interrupted him, "I know what you're going to say. And you're right. I spend most of my life living for others, so I think… Well, it's probably time that I took your advice and do something that I myself would like to do."

Veldora grinned behind Kurama, "You going to ask her out, hmm?"

The teasing tone made the former blond scratch the back of his head, "Yeah I guess… I can't deny it, man. She's fun to be around, and I like her. Kurama said it himself. It's just about getting to know each other better, and seeing where it goes."

The orange-haired Youkai soon began to smile, before patting the Sitri on the shoulder, "You've come a long way. Glad to know you're listening."

"Well, you're my partner. I owe you that much."

Kurama smirked a bit as he made his way back toward Veldora, "Now get a move on before your bird brain changes your mind. I don't want to have to talk you back into it all over again."

Naruto once again rolled his eyes, but decided that he was probably right.

So gathering his thoughts once again, he took a deep breath and made his way out of the front door and toward the place he'd told her to meet him. Chuckling at the sound of Veldora shouting good luck from within the house, he used a magic circle to transport himself toward the local park.

As he got there, he wandered around the fountain. Listening to the sound of the water as he walked toward a bench and took a seat.

Softly he grunted and leaned forward. Folding his fingers and looking up toward the moon, as he patiently waited.

While waiting, he went over what he was going to say. Quickly though he'd figure out he was probably overthinking it.

If she was interested, it wouldn't matter how he said it. All he had to do was to be sincere about it. And make sure that she understood that as well.

"Wow, easy there now. Think any harder and your head might explode."

A smile lifted his lips as he looked over his right shoulder, seeing the raven-haired beauty that'd been occupying his thoughts currently leaning over the backrest of the bench. Her arms crossed under her chest, as she shot him a playful smirk.

"Very funny. I'm glad you made it here." He greeted and stood up from his seat, watching her walk around to stand with him.

Kuroka shrugged, a small smile on her face, "I said I would, didn't I?"

Naruto nodded in response, "You did."

She gazed up at him curiously, "So what did you want to talk about? You mentioned wanting to ask me something."

The dark-haired boy nodded his head as he scratched the back of his head, suddenly feeling a lot more nervous than anticipated. "I'm not really good with this kind of stuff, so I'm sorry if I sound awkward."

"More awkward than usual?" She teased, her lips flying up into a grin as she placed a hand on her hip.

Naruto fought the urge to roll his eyes, "Yeah, more awkward than usual." He responded through a slow chuckle, "I've been enjoying hanging out with you, and generally spending time together. And I've recently been made aware that I'm not good at doing things that I want to do myself. So, today, I wanted to make a difference."

Kuroka looked a bit confused, but decided to listen nonetheless. She was aware that he often looked out for others before himself. Hell, her and Shirone were prime examples of him going out of his way for people he barely even knew.

Which she was more than grateful for, it was much more than she could've ever asked for, and it made her happy.

Taking a breath to gather a bit of courage, he looked down into her amber eyes, the sensation of butterflies in his stomach appearing again, "I was wondering if you'd like to maybe do something sometime. Y'know, just the two of us."

The Nekoshou's eyes widened slowly as her cheeks began to go a bit pink, "Do you mean… Like a date?"

He nodded slowly and confirmed, "Like a date."

Subconsciously, her lips began to quirk upward into a smile as she looked away. Fidgeting slightly in place, as an unfamiliar nervousness born from surprise began to flood her system. But it didn't make her feel bad.

"You got a rating game coming up right?"

Naruto looked confused but nodded again, "Yeah, tomorrow. What about it?"

Kuroka let out a few giggles, "If you win tomorrow. I'll let you take me out on a date. Sounds like it'll be fun."

His eyes widened as relief was released from his system, "What if I lose?"

She hummed a bit as she stepped up to him, not saying a word before she waved her hand so he'd lean down her head.

Not sure what she wanted, he complied and leaned down, and was immediately taken aback as he felt the sensation of her soft and warm lips on his cheeks. Just a brief peck, before she pulled back.

"Just make sure you win, alright?" She giggled with a knowing smirk, before she began to back away. Shooting him a quick tease-filled wink, as she began to leave.

Though if she were to be honest, if he somehow lost, she'd still show up.

It was just so fun to tease him. And he made it too damn easy.

As Naruto stood there, he chuckled a bit as he placed a hand on his cheek. Shaking his head at her antics, a newfound vigour to win filled him.

If he didn't have much reason to do his best before. He for sure did now.

改行

So that's a wrap. I hope you guys liked it. I know it was a bit of an information dump of a chapter, especially after so long. I just felt like a lot of the characters needed to be sculpted more. Like Veldora needing a few more interactions with people, I know there weren't many, but I like to think they counted.

Saeko getting more of her character and growth shown, along with her father becoming more accepting of the whole devil thing.

And lastly, also Naruto's growth as a person after being a recluse for so long. Solidifying he still got the big goals, and also, growth on the romance spectrum. He finally asked her out. I hope that part was good, since I feel like it's prolly the most important part.

Anyhow, let me know what you guys think!