Recap: Rias took Naruto to the Underworld where he met her parents, and is about to meet Sirzechs about the issues that he spawned in the Underworld.

Naruto and Raynare are forced to help the exorcists; Xenovia and Irina, after they followed the two of them to Freed's de-facto hidden base. They split with the Excalibur fragment, and Kokabiel shows up after getting contacting! (Oh no!)

Naruto doubles over in pain after his clones gathering senjutsu is taken out, leaving his personality darker after he expunges all of the natural energy within him. He then declares that he's down playing the hero! (U wot m8!?)

Annnnnd that's it! :D

Recap: Over!

The Maou Lucifer; a coveted position of power and prestige in the Underworld. A title that was only held by the most powerful of the devil race and commanded respect whenever that title was uttered, even outside of the Underworld's sphere of influence.

And yet, the man that was holding said title was looking decidedly uncomfortable in his ludicrously expensive and comfy throne, despite his faithful wife's best efforts.

Honestly, the powerful super devil would laugh if it wasn't so depressing. Or rather, more accurately; he'd laugh if it wasn't for his stern significant other beside him.

But the simple fact of the matter was this; Sirzechs wasn't sure how he should speak to the young man that was accompanying his imouto, no idea at all.

The last time that he met with the blond teen, it was under...less than ideal circumstances, and he doubted that he forgot about it so soon.

And yet, with only his parents' request for an audience as a forewarning, and his precious imouto's rather business-like explanation for the reason of her visit, he was barely given any time to think of what to say.

A fact which was highlighted when Rias and Naruto passed through the massive doors that led into his grandiose court, granting an audience to the teenager that had managed to befriend many people in high places.

It was actually quite impressive now that he thought about it. But it still left him with the simple question; how to deal with him?

"Lucifer-sama." his precious and adorable sister bowed deeply before him, aware of appearances now that she was in his presence.

"Ria-t-" Sirzechs trailed off at the sharp glare his wife shot him through the side of her eye. "...Rias. It's a pleasure to see you again."

Somehow, despite retaining a cool expression, her eyes glinted with faint amusement at the byplay she had just witnessed. "I'm grateful for the audience, Lucifer-sama. I'm sure you know who my friend here is?"

Releasing a long sigh at both; the needless distance placed between them in this discussion, and the carefully schooled expression that the sole blond in the room was sporting, Sirzechs eventually responded levelly. "Yes, I recall. He's quite a difficult individual to forget, for better or for worse. Especially recently."

"Yes, Lucifer-sama, and we're here precisely because of that recent...popularity spike he has received." the young woman was keeping things diplomatic, though she could clearly sense her brother's discomfort. "He and I were hoping to-"

Her words eventually trailed off when the powerful man steadily rose from his opulent seat, his elaborate and flowing robes trailed as he stepped down from his podium, staring intently upon his family member.

Neither Rias or Naruto knew what to think of the surreal scene, saying nothing as Sirzechs approached them with a steady gait, refusing to turn his attention away from the eyes that so closely resembled his own.

It wasn't until the taller man was barely two meters away from the Gremory princess that she opened her mouth hesitantly. "Lucifer-sam-?"

Her voice, calm and steady, suddenly spiked into an undignified squeak as she was yanked off of her feet and squeezed into her brother's chest as he rubbed his cheek onto her own, leaving her nearly catatonic.

"I don't care about proper etiquette right now!" Sirzechs whined, cuddling with the young woman that was trying to wiggle her way out of his grip. "No one's here, so it's fine if we let drop the pleasantries, right?"

Struggling to breathe, Rias peeked over her brother's shoulders to silently request for aid, afraid that her ribs would give out unless she was freed soon.

Seeing the slow shake of Grayfia's head and the slight grin upon Naruto's face, the young princess quickly realized that she wouldn't be getting any help from the people around her, leaving her to groan mournfully.

A few more errant wiggles later and the young woman eventually slumped in dejection, giving up on freeing herself and choosing to wait until her embarrassing family member voluntarily let her go.

After one more brotherly squeeze, Sirzechs relented his hold upon his adorable sister, recomposing himself as he smiled fondly at her wary gaze.

Grayfia trailed behind him, her standard cool expression fixed upon her features, as unflappable as ever. "You quite done, Sirzechs-sama?"

He paused, perhaps in a deliberate attempt to tease his strict wife. "Yes. I think so."

"Then we can proceed without needless interruptions?"

She had managed to phrase that question as more of a demand than anything else, which was why the powerful leader felt inclined to listen to her this time around.

Clearing his throat, a far more reserved leader took the place of the exuberant man that had just temporarily forsaken devil courtesies, offering a small apologetic smile to the young woman in front of him. "Apologies, Rias, but the past two weeks or so has left me somewhat tense. Put simply; I needed that hug to give me a minor reprieve from..."

The powerful devil's features scrunched up disdainfully for a moment, before waving his hand about the entire room. "...This. I hope you understand."

Taking a moment to steady her beating heart, Rias nodded after a moment, simply thankful that she was freed. "Of course. It must be bad if the communication arrays between the Underworld and the Human world has been overloaded recently."

Grayfia inched her head a tad higher as the crimson-haired man sent her a glance. "I trust that you received Riser's message then? Excellent. It looks like Grayfia's suggestion worked out after all. One can never be sure with that man after all..."

Gaze trailing towards the head maid, the Gremory heiress felt the ends of her lips twist upwards at this admission. "Did she now?"

The ever stoic woman refused to back down from the knowing look given to her, not at all phased that her younger sister-in-law was aware of what had transpired. At least on the surface.

Recognizing that she wouldn't be getting the reaction that she desired out of the powerful queen, the red-head got back onto topic, aware that the blond beside her was quickly getting antsy.

He probably wasn't used to keeping his peace for so long in something he wanted to deal with, poor thing.

"Lucifer-sama." like flipping a switch, Rias was back to being the diplomatic politician that she was taught to be. "I was hoping that you could aid Naruto here by calling for a gathering of the most powerful of nobles in the Underworld; the ones most threatened by these protests."

"You want to reassure them." it wasn't a question.

"Not quite, but I would like to lessen tensions, if possible." she eyed Naruto when she said this, thinking back on what he wanted to do in the first place. "And...perhaps if Naruto extrapolated on his intentions; it'd calm people down some."

Blue eyes met hers for a heartbeat, before sliding back to the deceptively older man ahead of him. Jaw set in determination.

No words needed to be spoken, it was all said in his demeanor.

"Well..." Sirzechs grumbled a bit, leaning back into his opulent throne. "Then it seems that I can get Lord Bael off of my back then. Fortuitous isn't it, Grayfia?"

"Indeed." the head maid replied evenly, taking note of the surprise that passed by her sister-in-law's face. As well as the confusion that colored her blond ally's expression, obviously not understanding the significance of what was just stated.

"...Lord Bael already wished to speak with Naruto?" Rias hazarded a guess, biting her bottom lip, uncertain of how to take the news. "Was he alone with his request, Lucifer-sama?"

The current Maou Lucifer grimaced a bit at the title that his imouto continued to utilize, but responded regardless. "I believe that he was the head of a delegation, last I checked. It seems that many nobles have come together to form a council on what to do about...how did he call them? The 'rabble'."

Rias didn't even need to check on her friend. she knew damn well that he would bristle at the sheer amount of disrespect that was leveled. It was obvious that he wouldn't let that comment go so easily.

Still, he held his tongue, if only because she asked him to. A fact that brought a smile to her lips, despite the situation at hand.

At least before she schooled herself. "Then it shouldn't be too difficult to arrange a meeting then?"

"Not at all. As a matter of fact; it would be all too easy." the devil leader admitted easily, before pausing, ripping his attention off of his beloved sister in order to check on her companion. "But I haven't heard Naruto-kun's opinion on all of this so far; does he actually want to meet with such people, or...?"

He left the question open ended, gunning for an answer by the mysteriously silent blond.

Taking a moment to exchange looks with Rias, who simply offered him an encouraging smile, the shinobi turned back to the devil leader to answer the question left to him. "I...I only recently heard about the mess that I accidentally sparked. And after everything that I've heard about how Underworld society has worked up until now, it feels like many people are gonna be afraid of...what's going on."

His gaze hazed over for a fraction of a moment, focus drifting towards something only he himself could see. "Mindless fear is never a good thing. I know. I know that."

Rias was staring at him as he shook his shaggy golden hair, meeting the Maou's eyes with resolve. "If I can calm down the people up top for a little bit, then that'd probably be for the best."

Staunch shoulders slacked a bit as the whiskered teen scratched his cheek in a bashful gesture, chuckling quietly. "At least, I think."

Figuring that he had said as much as he could probably understand, the crimson princess jumped in to lay the finishing touches on his words, as earnest as they were. "As I'm sure that you've noticed, Lucifer-sama, Naruto here has a way with words. If anyone could calm down the nobles of the remaining Pillars of the Underworld, then it's him."

If the Pillars of the Underworld; the powerful Houses that contained the most powerful and influential of devils within their society continued to chafe under the threat of radical change, then it would bring bad news to everyone. From the lowliest commoner to the Yondai Maous themselves.

As well as Naruto's own ambition for a more...permanent solution for the ceasefire that reigned over the Three Factions. Something that, personally, seemed rather out there, but who was she to judge?

"You're absolutely correct." Sirzechs noted dryly, steepling his fingers together as he propped his elbows on his armrests. "And he also has a habit of riling people up at the same time, isn't that right?"

"Ah-well..." Naruto stuttered, tripping over words in an effort to try and defend himself.

"That's why I'll be there with him." Rias slid up to her friend, ignoring the somersaults her stomach was doing as her fingers brushed against his larger ones. "He can provide charisma, while I bring the political acumen."

Raising a single brow at the close contact, the Maou separated his hands and leaned back into his seat, contemplative. Saying nothing until he glanced at his loyal wife next to him. "What do you think, Grayfia?"

Permission granted to lay down her own thoughts on the matter, the head maid's cool focus transfixed itself upon the young adults in front of her husband's throne. "They may succeed, though there is a chance that they could make matters worse. If they do succeed however, then they have a chance in lowering tensions...but if not, then I doubt that we have much to worry about."

"Why do you say that?" even Sirzechs was interested now. He didn't see how making things worse could, objectively, give them no more to worry about.

She met his gaze without reservation. "Because all the ire of the situation will switch from the common people and protesters...towards Uzumaki Naruto-san himself. He will become the scapegoat that the discontent will want and need. Either way; the Underworld would probably become more stable after such a talk."

A pregnant paused followed, until she bowed humbly. "But that is simply my opinion, Lucifer-sama."

Digesting all of his wife's words, the Maou turned to face the teens, hands open, palms out. "So that's the situation, would you still like to try?"

Chancing a glance to the man standing by her side, Rias studied him, wondering for all of two tense seconds about what he'd do. At least until she actually thought about what pushed him to do this.

"Of course I do." Naruto looked more sure of himself than he ever has since he has entered the Underworld. Though it was a little somber. "If anything, I'm more positive that I want to do this. If what your wife has said was true, then my actions won't blow up in everyone else's face, right? It'll blow up in mine, and I don't give a flying fuck what a bunch of fuddy duddies think of me, I just want to make sure that others don't suffer from my mistakes is all."

Slowly panning her head towards her brother again, Rias smiled softly. Expecting such as that, but still surprised to hear it regardless. "And there you have it."

"And there we have it." Sirzechs agreed, rubbing his smooth chin without feeling even a hint of a stubble, his handsome features twisted by his frustration with the events around him. All the made worse when his sister was running headlong into it. "Very well, I'll make contact with Lord Bael, I'm sure that he'll want to speak to young Naruto too anyway."

A smile was shared between the teens as the official leader of the Underworld watched, seeing the delight and resolve burning in the young man's blue eyes reflect on Rias' gaze, as if they acted like mirrors to one another. A friend's joy pass on to another's.

Or was it really just a friend's joy anymore?

"Grayfia, please contact Lord Bael to set up a meeting, I'm sure that he will oblige to the request without much difficulty." the powerful devil waved a hand airily, orders given with supreme authority and no room for discussion. "Hell, he might even be excited for it."

"It will be done." the head maid bowed to him at a perfect angle as a magic circle bearing the Gremory symbol appeared beneath her feet, swallowing her whole and taking her without another word.

Rias saw the look in her doting brother's eye and tugged the blond's sleeve next to her, pulling him closer so that she could whisper to him. "Naruto, wait for me in the waiting area. I believe that Lucifer-sama would like to speak with me privately."

"Does he now?" the shinobi seemed to close ranks with her, regarding the man on his throne with a single wary eye. Gaze snapping between the brother and sister from the Gremory House. "…Do you want me to standby, or-?"

Rolling her eyes at the distrust that he nursed against the Maou, she shook her head minutely. "No. He has down questionable things before, but if there's one thing for certain about him; it's that he loves family. If you can't trust him in this, then trust me…like you've been trusting me."

Taking a moment to examine her for any lies, the blond acquiesced by taking a half-step back. Shoes softly padding on the grand carpet floor as he made his way out of the throne room mutely.

Neither of the red-heads said a word, even after the door behind Naruto closed, waiting for the other to break the silence. Though it was obvious that the young princess was more expectant, since the look he lent her spoke of his intent.

It was, in her opinion, inevitable that the older man would break first. "Can you answer a question for me, Rias?"

"I could." the young woman heard the familiarity in her brother's voice, the professional stint gone now that his wife was away. A fact that she didn't fail to capitalize on. "And I can already tell you that my answer to it will be a definitive no."

"Will it now?" Sirzechs leaned a bit closer, the calm and collected look of a leader of men still adorned upon his handsome features. "When you haven't even heard of my question?"

Shaking her head minutely, the Gremory princess had a smile tinged with irony when she retorted. "Let's just say that Okaa-sama had started a similar conversation with me after we stopped by. And while, admittedly, I was emotionally…compromised, I've decided to handle this on my own."

Her eyes, so much like his own, which once gazed up at him with childlike admirations and wonder, were now hard and filled with a quiet determination. At least in this. "Without anyone's say influencing my decision, including yours, Onii-sama."

Again, a quiet fell upon the throne room. A tension that hung in the atmosphere was all that remained, seemingly separating them, creating a rift even.

But the moment passed as quickly as it had come, leaving a smiling Sirzechs in it's wake. "I see that our mother didn't waste any time, however, I feel like I should tell you that your assumption was a bit off the mark. I actually wanted to ask you a question about him, Rias. That's all."

Oh. Oooooh.

Rias was understandably flustered by this admission. "I -um, I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's alright, Rias." the Maou waved away her incoming apology easily, figuring that this backbone had been recently acquired through exposure with certain friends of hers. When it came to the very, very personal, she was always a little…sensitive. "But in return, you could actually answer my question, if you could?"

Nodding so fast that it was almost eager, pale fingers pulled some loose strands in front of her ears in a nervous gesture. On uncertain ground as far as she was concerned.

"Put simply, Rias, I simply wanted to know of your opinion of him. Off the script so to speak, just between you and I, without any filters." he decided to lay everything on the table for her to see, to go for the honest approach.

He expected her confusion and her suspicion, but instead he found himself interested in the wave of introspection that passed through her facial features. Her eyes, like jewels, glimmered faintly in the low light of the throne room, delving into something that he couldn't see or interact with.

The newest Lucifer of the Underworld couldn't have possibly known that the young woman had silently considered the question herself before, especially recently. Though it had begun earlier, of course, how could it not? Was she not a woman of passion? Constantly surrounded by a man that eclipsed that passion with his own, and more?

And, of course, she thought of the similar question she had posed to her precious kohai; Mio, and the revelation of just who she was speaking of. The implications that it held for the two 'siblings', if they could be called as such anymore.

Then, finally, she extended her thoughts back to their first meeting, back when she appeared in a forest where a disturbance was taking place. Only to be greeted by a battered class representative back at school and the new guy that she had her eye on, barely wounded, though very much surprised to see her there.

How easily he refused her persuasive argument to join her in her Peerage, and how quickly he pulled them together on an agreement of non-aggression between the devils and the resident hero of the school. But more importantly; of cooperation. Something that held a month later.

Her first impression was…?

"-have any of you noticed it?"

"Charismatic." Rias answered thoughtlessly, loosely recalling what she thought of him after their first meeting. Of how easily he corralled disparate groups through words alone, as if he had placed everyone who listened to him under a trance. An ability that the saints and monsters alike had utilized to great effect across humanity's history. But there were more, of course. Some more important than others. "Impetuous. Arrogant. Playful. Expressive. Protective. Ambitious."

She raised her head now, voice lowered to barely a breath coming from her soft lips, palm placed upon her heart as she spoke. "Passionate."

Then the moment faded away, replaced by the cool rationality that was there before. Much like a switch that was flipped. "He's all of these things, Onii-sama. And more still, as I'm beginning to find out."

Sirzechs stared upon the woman that his precious imouto had morphed into, a twinge of sadness coursing through him at the sight and the very thought. A feeling that slowly changed into a sort of forlorn pride.

Rias wasn't a little girl anymore. "Thank you, Rias, I appreciate your honesty. Grayfia will take you and Naruto-kun to meet Lord Bael as soon as she is able."

Knowing a dismissal when she heard one, the crimson princess bobbed her head in a small nod, smiling softly now. Still unsure why her brother asked her something so vague, but still decided to bring the subject up, regardless. "I'll talk to you soon, I'm sure, Onii-sama."

Bowing, Rias turned and left the throne room, slipping out of the giant entrance to join Naruto and wait for Grayfia. Leaving the devil leader alone with his thoughts to preside over an empty audience in his opulent setting.

Or, at least so it seemed. "Did you receive the answer that you sought, Ajuka?"

Appearing from behind one of the strategically placed curtains behind the throne, meant to cloak the hidden compartment that bodyguards occupied in case of emergencies or assassinations, one of the Maou; Ajuka Beelzebub strolled out without a care. His sharp light blue eyes contrasting pleasantly with his slicked back green hair and handsome looks as they leveled upon his old friend. "For the most part, Sirzechs."

Prior to his father's request for an audience for his precious sister, he was speaking with Ajuka about the magical communication arrays that were taxed too far due to recent events. And, privately, the death of his younger brother; Diodora Astaroth.

The request for an audience with the young man that had a hand in Diodora's ultimate fate provided his friend with an opportunity to listen to the boy without his guard raised. Which was why he listened to his old friend and war buddy's entreaty, for his sake.

Sirzechs stared at Ajuka as he studied the door that the two teens had recently exited from, not particularly giving any thought on the elegant décor that marked it's design, or it's craftsmanship. His eyes were elsewhere, ultimately.

"He's earnest." Ajuka spoke suddenly, breaking the silence. "Though very much out of his depth. Directionless, but he seems to have an end goal. Determined to go through with this meeting, despite clearly being unwilling to go."

His old friend stopped for a breath, shaking his head as he rubbed his chin. "…He's complicated, more than I figured. Though, to an extent, all beings are complicated, so unlike the machinery that I like to work with."

The 'Crimson Satan' smiled, taking a half-step to pat his companion's shoulder, squeezing slightly. "I bet that you didn't expect yourself to be as complicated as well, hm?"

"No, I'm not quite that arrogant." the other Maou admitted, to himself as much to his friend. Faltering only minutely, before pressing on, unsure why he felt the need to speak. "…I'm not sure what's happening, Sirzechs. I barely knew my brother at all, barely even acknowledged him while he lived. But…now that he's dead, I suddenly can't stop thinking about him. I don't understand it."

Sirzechs didn't answer, couldn't answer. How could he? Something like this was beyond him, how could he relate to the issue of distant family members when he tried his best to remain connected to his close relatives? Honestly, the devil couldn't fathom the feeling of someone close to him being killed for the benefit of the state.

But this? He could barely fathom Ajuka being distant with Diodora, regardless of the monster he became, so how could he understand the feelings coursing through one of his oldest friend?

No. Better to stay silent and offer his support, all while making sure that he kept a watchful eye over him.

Everything was quiet, perhaps even too quiet for his -its?- liking. What was taking its creator so long now that the fighting was done?

Naruto, or rather; the clone of the real Naruto's clone, was keeping tabs on the multitude of people within the suspicious gym that Freed had scampered off to. Taking extra care to make sure that no funny business occurred while it was around.

Of course, the clone could only really do that by utilizing senjutsu, which it had helpfully gathered to keep stock of the situation and to empower its creator, if needed. An insurance policy, essentially.

Sitting down within the shadow of the stairway in the roof of a nearby building, the copy retained a calm demeanor as it collected the natural energy of the world around it, casually combining it with his chakra. Even now, aware of the strange effect that the natural energy of this world had.

The blond could feel its aggression grow while under Sage Mode.

Thankfully, the state it was in prevented the effects from being too severe, but the moment it dropped out of Sage Mode on the other hand...

Well, every time that happened, the boss had a price to pay. Which was why it was vital that the two clones coordinate their efforts to make sure that they both don't send senjutsu chakra to their maker.

Who knew what could happen if that became an issue.

So far though, it looked like Sage Mode wouldn't even be necessary to win the day, so that was good news-

「Heya, Naruto-kun!」

'Naruto's' heart leaped up into it's throat figuratively, but it sure as hell felt like it happened in a literal sense. For good reason too. "W-! How did you-!?"

Kumagawa smiled his creepy smile of his. 「I asked the other clone of your whereabouts, since you were such a tough cookie to find. You'd be good at hide-and-seek, wouldn't ya, Naruto-kun?」

Blood rushed into the copy's cheeks, doing its utmost to keep itself centered and calm, despite the massive distraction. "...And why did the other me tell you exactly?"

The strange tag-along shrugged. 「He got annoyed dealing with me apparently. Honestly, it was kind of hurtful.」

Damn that clone brother. They should be looking out for one another, not fobbing off an annoying bastard to another clone.

Fuming silently, the copy grunted. "Whatever, just let me concentrate, will ya? I'm trying to make sure we all get out of this in one piece. Including those new guys that showed up..."

It wasn't sure why, but it felt the rush of emotions that were going on in there. While they didn't have chakra, it could get a general reading of someone's 'state' regardless.

And it sensed hope.

「You want to get some strangers out in one piece?」 Kumagawa propped a finger on his chin, wide innocent eyes curious. 「Why would you do that?」

"Why not?"

「Isn't it hard work trying to save everyone?」

"I'm not saving everyone...just who I can, that's all."

「But they're not your friends, right? Why bother?」

The blond turned to meet the other man's eyes, giving up all hope in trying to ignore him. "Ok...what the hell are you on about?"

「I'm just saying, Naruto-kun, I get why you'd help your friends. But why help total strangers? That's kinda weird.」

"Friends are a higher priority, yeah, but it doesn't mean that I should just ignore the world around me, right?" 'Naruto' regarded the raven-haired youth with suspicion. "You get that, don't you?"

「Not at all!」 Kumagawa chirped, smiling brightly. 「You see, Naruto-kun, it's one thing to help a friend; because you can expect something back in return, right? Cause friendship naturally brings expectations between one another. But you can't do that with strangers. So it's weird.」

"Friends do have expectations between one another, yeah. But it doesn't work like a transaction, it's a two-way benefit kinda thing." the clone was frowning deeply, not liking the beliefs it was hearing. "You make it sound so...selfish."

Blue eyes, as guileless as a child's, blinked. 「Isn't it though?」

"It isn't!" the copy pressed. "At least; it shouldn't be. Not friends worth their salt."

Lips curved on the strange teen's face, giving him a sudden...edge. 「Are your friends worth their salt, Naruto-kun?」

Whatever scowl the copy had on, it would grow several times deeper after that question. "What are you implying?"

「I'm just saying; do the people you consider to be friends count in your estimation?」

"Of course they do."

「Ah, ok, just wanted to make sure.」 Kumagawa tilted his head down, allowing his dark locks to shadow the upper half of his face, leaving only his smile. 「Though, if I were honest; I feel like your friends don't carry their own weight at times, Naruto-kun.」

Whatever equilibrium that the clone had managed to obtain by meditating was steadily falling apart the longer that this conversation stretched on, a fact that forced it to relieve excess tension by gnashing their teeth together. Especially after that last comment.

It felt it's mind treacherously wonder about that...

Thankfully, there was no time to dwell, since something immediately forced the blond to forget about the round of questioning to glare at something off to the eastern horizon.

Someone was coming, and they were probably not friendly.

"You're a prick, Kumagawa Yuki, but not enough of one to die." the copy growled, getting onto it's feet, wary at how fast this newcomer was flying towards them. "So I suggest you find somewhere to hide and stay low."

「Eh? Sounds scary. Is a bad guy coming?」 he didn't sound too worried, despite his words.

"Yeah, a strong guy too." the clone knew that the other solid copy of their boss would remain on standby, since it was further away from the action. It was a good idea to have a backup, it seemed.

Who knew what could've happen without this insurance policy?

「Ok, I got it, Naruto-kun. I'll be careful and stay low.」 the other teen relented, perhaps a tad too easily. 「Can I just say one thing before I go, though?」

"Yeah, sure." 'Naruto' wasn't really paying attention, focused as it was on intercepting the fallen -and it had to be a fallen- before they reached the gym. "Make it fast, I'm about to-"

The clone paused, it's voice stifled by the gasp that had escaped his throat, leaving the copy sputtering, it's form compromised. The chakra within was already beginning to disperse, prepared to return back to it's creator.

All thanks to the sharp objects that had managed to dig into it's back, albeit superficially, thanks to senjutsu. Not enough to pierce it, but enough to damage it.

Ultimately, it was enough. As the clone felt itself unravel.

「As I was trying to say; Naruto-kun.」 Kumagawa was smiling brightly despite the morbid scene, peering down upon the clone with a disturbing amount of curiosity. 「My name isn't Kumagawa Yuki; it's actually Kumagawa Misogi. Big difference.」

"Y-You said-" the copy tried to at least twist it's body enough to get one punch in, if only out of frustration.

「Yeah, about that.」 the smiling teen tapped his foot on the ground.

Right on cue; several more constructs erupted from the ceiling below and attempted to impale the blond, only just managing to pierce the skin.

Regardless, it had definitely pushed the clone over the edge, leaving it only a split second to listen to the soft words that left the raven haired teen's mouth.

「I lied.」

*Pop*

Blue eyes blinked once the copy popped, leaving nothing but a cloud of smoke in it's wake. All of it's energy and memories returning back to it's creator.

Not just that clone's specific energy and memories though, since Kumagawa Misogi made sure to take out the other blond copy at the same time. A fact that the clone maker was probably feeling right about now.

He had to wonder what happened when someone like Naruto-kun took in double the usual amount of senjutsu chakra. Did he get super tired, maybe? Or more?

The teen was super curious, but more than that; he wanted to know what would happen now that the natural energy corrupted him, and how he would respond to the big baddy headed straight towards them.

Raising his head to the sky, Kumagawa grinned toothily as the sky distorted, the sky became tinged with purple, giving any sane man the impression that he was thrown into some kind of hell.

Kumagawa wondered what it was like to be sane. Or normal.

Deciding to file such questions away for a later time, the disturbed young man casually jumped off of the roof of the building he was on to head into the gym, intent on watching the blond carefully.

「Let's see if I was right about you...Naruto-kun.」 he murmured to himself, his grin stretching from ear to ear.

Natural energy was a strange thing in this world.

No matter how the clone looked at it, the source of its senjutsu chakra had changed its perceptions about the world around it drastically. Irrecoverably.

But it was strange...why did it -he?- change so much and so drastically? Was it because it had received senjutsu chakra from two clones at the same time? No, that must've been it.

The corrupted natural energy...yes, that had to be it. It had to have amplified this part of Uzumaki Naruto to have changed them so much.

Unfortunately, the blond couldn't focus on that now, all thanks to the dangerous annoyance above.

'Naruto' knew that it was a gamble to antagonize the ancient fallen angel that had barged in the gym with clear ill intent, especially considering his immense power. If it -he- pushed the twisted man too far, then this fight would be over before it began.

Not that it mattered too much.

The man in question; Kokabiel, narrowed his bloody eyes and grimaced, cupping the new open wound in his torso as he looked down his nose at him. Saying nothing, despite the steady buildup of his barely contained power.

Then, like a leash that was thrown upon an unruly dog, that power was tightly pulled back. Contained once again within his thousand year old body as his pale lips twisted into an ugly grin. "Well...you're every bit as unpredictable as I've heard. Your reputation precedes you, Unknown Variable. Though you would do well to hamper your arrogance, human. You're still speaking to a higher being that has fought and bled in battles far beyond your understanding. You would do well to remember that."

Brows creased while the blond listened to the far older man pontificate, mind whirling with possibilities. Far more than usual, thanks to the situation he found himself in.

Mostly because he wasn't chained down anymore.

While his...unique state left him weaker than usual, it had also broke him from his usual limitations and boundaries. It opened a door of possibilities that he wouldn't normally even contemplate. Back to a point, a juncture, where he didn't carry such needless shackles around himself.

The copy -was he really just a copy anymore?- knew that he had to take a different approach to win this battle, and acted accordingly in order to achieve that end. "Why are you here? I doubt that you're here for your health, so quit stalling."

Through his peripheries he noticed Raynare stiffening, obviously uncomfortable with his gruff demeanor and goading. But he couldn't find it in him to care at the moment.

Those horrendous eyes of Kokabiel's narrowed, his shark-like teeth revealed through curled lips. "Consider yourself lucky that I want you alive, boy."

That was all the blond needed to know.

To normal individuals, perhaps, that statement would've served as excellent intimidation factor, what with the inherent threat in the words—which was precisely why it didn't work. He wasn't, by any means, normal. If anything, those words emboldened him.

Without warning, the teen charged forward and flung two of his kunai at the man hanging in the air, drawing all of his attention and energy into taking this towering figure down. No matter the cost.

He must not take a single hit; not now. Not when he could finally get some answers.

Kokabiel was obviously not expecting the aggressive move, but welcomed it nonetheless with a twisted grin and laugh, his five pairs of dark wings expanding to maneuver. "Excited are we!?" his excitement didn't waver even as he formed two spears of light to destroy the flying weapons.

He was well aware of the cutting power that those metal projectiles seemed to have, and even felt them firsthand. He had no desire to feel them again.

Wind buffeted against his clammy skin, brushing back oily hair as light shattered the projectiles, wings expanding in preparation. Anticipation building in his chest.

Through the thick smoke that had started to spread towards the ceiling, Kokabiel saw a blur shoot towards him, crashing into him and shattering the part of the upper interior that was behind him. Leaving him -them- in free fall.

With several knives digging into him, the fallen angel coughed up some blood, in spite of the grim smirk he had.

Mostly because he welcomed the pain, craved it like a lover that he has been lusting over for centuries. He simply couldn't wait for that feeling to become commonplace like it was during the Great War.

And to that end; he called upon the holy light of the Father for his malicious purposes, well prepared for this brutal frontal assault. More than ready to pay that price for the sake of his long term plan.

Spears shot out of thin air and interconnected with one another around the blond in front of him, forming gates that quickly began to cut off all avenues of escape for the human, beginning to trap him in a literal gilded cage with his avenues getting cut off.

Unfortunately, it seemed that the human was every bit as wily as he had heard from both; the rumors about him, and from the subordinates he had that had the misfortune to be a part of Vretiel's group a mere month ago.

Forced to ignore that faint twinge that that name had elicited in the back of his head, the fallen angel watched as the human spun his body, his leg swinging about, and crashed onto Kokabiel's neck. Separating them by using him as a springboard to narrowly get out of the cage before it was completed.

He shivered at the pain, and boldly laughed at the teen's maneuver. He expected nothing less.

The rumors of the child's wiliness was obviously well earned. Which meant that the...other rumors probably held some truth as well.

After all, it was a little too coincidental for the blond to be as powerful as he was, be a relative unknown, and show up as an ally of the devil heiresses of this territory. His actions against Vretiel left little to no doubt when it came to that last bit.

To actively fight against someone as strong as she for no reason was out of the question, no...it was obvious to the ancient and powerful angel that he was quite close to at least one of them. Probably both. Perhaps even close enough to be lovers.

Regardless, Uzumaki Naruto's capture and torture would be an excellent way to goad the young and inexperienced devil heiresses to aggressively rescue him. Sparking conflict when there was once a tense and decadent peace.

And through that conflict, war would begin again. The Maous wouldn't take the deaths of their family members lying down, and Grigori couldn't afford to allow an 'unprovoked' attack to go unanswered. Not if they wanted to retain political power over the fallen angels as a people.

Heart beating faster in excitement, he watched the blond land on top of the vent on the roof of the gym, pursing his lips in contemplation. The superior being couldn't help but laugh at the sight, as if he figured that he had a chance of getting out of this situation at all.

There was nothing he could do. He was aware of all of his abilities thanks to the veterans of Vretiel's group, and his silly tricks couldn't save him this time.

But, obviously, the boy himself didn't get the memo.

After the strange human created a cross symbol with both hands, Kokabiel wasn't surprised to see copies erupt out of plumes of smoke all around him. Plotting some sort of elaborate scheme no doubt. Struggling against his unavoidable fate. How predictable.

But the blond's expression didn't change, his gaze unflinching against the monstrous eyes that continued to regard him like some kind of trophy in a posh auction. Ignoring such considerations while he kept his spatial awareness open.

Stalling long enough, 'Naruto' hopped on a single foot before shooting into the air right alongside his copies, keeping themselves in a tightly knit formation as they moved to intercept the flying beast of a man. Not perturbed by his lack of concern at all.

Wings extending out to their fullest extent, light appeared in front of the man in preparation for the capture, a finger twitching, waiting for something, anything.

There!

Without a word, the clone on the original's right kicked out against the clone on its right, flying towards Kokabiel's left. At the same time the original and another clone kicked away from that very clone to the left, flying towards Kokabiel's right. Leading to the split of three of the blonds as the middle copy ran headfirst into the open cage, popping soon after.

Frowning, the fallen resolutely ignored the sole copy on his left, aware that the human was probably going to use it as a way to split his attention from the real danger. And thus acted accordingly by willing another cage, this one barely smaller than a house, to appear on his right to welcome the duo. At least, so it seemed initially.

With a flick of his left wrist, keeping his movements discreet, Kokabiel snapped several light spears into existence right in front of the energy cage, shooting forth with pinpoint accuracy and with enough power to level an apartment building. Each.

To the blond, the series of magical constructs fell like a curtain of pure gold, appearing to the guileless as the Lord's love and favor coming from His Kingdom towards the lowly Earth, when it was nothing except death and destruction. A fact that he knew all too well.

The clone beside him grabbed his shirt and flung him even higher, skimming right over the attacks before they could impale him like they did his copy, immediately forming another clone with his conjoined fingers to utilize as a footstool to realign himself to attack his enemy. Refusing to literally jump right into the gilded cage that was ready and waiting for him by aiming to go right above it towards the man behind it.

Nearing his objective with a fist cocked back, Naruto narrowed his eyes faintly at the focused expression that remained on the fallen's face, his inspection cut short when bars of light appeared right in front of his gaze, cutting him off. Instinctively, the blond raised his legs to catch himself against the interior of the wall of light literally made out of thin air right in front of him, falling back onto more bars as he righted himself.

Glancing around, the shinobi knew that the cage had, indeed, been formed around him at the last second. Cutting him off from escape. Limiting his freedom to nothing more than the few meters afforded to him within.

"Sorry to say, boy." Kokabiel purred, at least as much a creature like him could manage. "But my ability to mold light is much easier to manage when I'm forming them nearby. Easy enough, at least, to catch a little human child."

Naruto didn't respond one way or another, keeping his eyes locked onto the beast, unflinching. Unconcerned. For good reason.

Piercing through the air like an arrow, the clone that Kokabiel ignored, the one that was used as a distraction was coming back to figuratively and literally stab him in the back with his razor-sharpened kunai knife. Utilizing the creator's capture for a surprise attack.

A surprise attack that wasn't a surprise to the fallen, who extended his wings out to their full length, pointing out towards the copy about to strike, grinning darkly. For good reason, it seemed, since the black feathers that made up his wings sharpened into thousands of tiny swords, catching the clone squarely before it could stab him properly.

Gasping, the clone clasped the fallen's shoulder to steady itself before throwing the kunai at the cage around Naruto, slicing apart the light spear that interconnected one of the corners of the enclosure. Snapping open the bottom and creating an escape route that the blond used without delay, taking advantage of every opportunity afforded him.

Including the cage itself.

Grabbing the bottom of the cage with both hands, the shinobi used his momentum to swing himself up and land his feet onto the outside of the cage, sticking onto them with chakra while jerking the spear out of the pen. Jumping off of it as soon as he angled the spear just right.

All of this occurred within the same second that the clone decoy popped and Kokabiel began to turn towards his prey, figuring that his prey didn't have the time to create a clone to help him fly, like he has heard. Sure that he had to recapture the human, not try and survive the attack that was aimed for his throat.

Alas, that was exactly what he had to do thanks to the spear that was literally just a few meters away from his throat, his powers reaching out to lock the weapon of his making in place, resisting against the blond's hold and control.

Blinking once, red eyes were fairly interested to see his own manipulated light energy to be only a mere two meters away from finding itself deep inside his throat. It's treacherous wielder stuck in the air with those blue eyes of his as frigid as chips of arctic ice. He opened his jaw to gloat, light striking forth around the child to lock him away for bait and to torture him for the rest of his shortened life.

At least he would have, if the youth didn't twist his body around, using the spear like a pole to throw all of his weight and strength to dig the soles of his feet onto his chest. Feeling something crumple at the impact threw him into a straight tizzy, a harsh and grating cough the result of that feeling.

Freed from his hold, the shinobi took s second to glance towards the sprawling buildings below, his interest focused specifically on the spot on the gym ceiling near the hole that he had made during this fight. Whatever he had seen had seemingly been enough to merit a flip away from the temporarily stunned Kokabiel to return back to that spot. Eyeing the two figures there with a raised brow, ignoring the piled bodies that were just placed behind them.

"So." he started conversationally. "You decided to help, then?"

Raynare wasn't sure what she should do, not when it came to the man -was he even a man anymore?- that had appeared over them, not when it came to the quicksilver change that came over her ally, nor when it came to the fight that the blond had goaded. Especially when it was taken outside, leaving her alone in the building with nothing but fallen bodies and the sounds of combat ringing away in the distance.

What should she do? What could she do?

The fact of the matter was, even if she wanted to rush in and backup her friend, she just wouldn't be much help out there. Not at her current state of power, with only a mere two pairs of wings to her name. If anything, the fallen woman clenching her fists tightly on the ruined floor of the gym realized that she would make things worse.

…Should she resort to that? Despite the vague danger it could possibly present to herself and everyone around her? Despite the fact that she never utilized it outside of a heavily controlled environment?

Azazel-sama, for good reason, made sure that she tapped into that while under his supervision and while contained in a training room with energy dispensers that were meant to keep and hold supernatural prisoners. Just in case. But if she were to do it here…

Her shoulders squared and stiffened, the slightest rustle of movements alerted her to the fact that she wasn't alone in the building anymore, prompting her to whirl around. Breathless and the light within already building to form her weapon to defend herself.

Only to putter out at the sight of the familiar shock of spiky blond hair, crouching down to pick up the sprawled form of one of the unconscious men that the group had defeated just a few minutes prior. Unresponsive to the fallen's surprise.

It took her a moment to find her voice again so that she may speak out indignantly, but that was interrupted by her feeling of disquiet. "…Naruto? What are you doing?"

The young man didn't verbally react to the query at first, he simply continued on with his self-appointed task by pulling more bodies over his shoulder. Callous to the general treatment given to the beaten fallen exorcists.

Taking another moment to shift the weight of the man he had just picked up over his shoulder, the shinobi finally responded. "Working."

A beat passed. "What are you going to do with those people?"

"What I have to." his features were hard, much like the tone in his voice. And he wasn't lying.

Naruto had a chance to delve deep into his own psyche for the first time and actually go through some self-reflection after his recent change following the double influx of senjutsu chakra. He could learn more and maybe even find the root causes of the personality that had manifested itself.

Of course, unlike the current Uzumaki Naruto, he had no intentions of letting this change simply disappear. To the contrary, he felt that this was pretty much an improvement. Though he had to admit that the fallen woman was eliciting that uncomfortable feeling within him again…

That had to change. Soon. "Why do you care? You don't even like humans."

"I don't. But unnecessary violence is just that; unnecessary." Raynare almost couldn't believe the words that were leaving her mouth, she almost wanted to marvel at them. It was something that she would have to leave for another time.

"To the contrary, this is entirely necessary." eyes flickered towards the last figure slumped on the ground, pupils lighting in faint recognition at the man that he spoke to about the exorcists. They dimmed soon after. "I can't afford to take any damage."

Violet eyes studied the foreign man that occupied the body of the teen that she could've sworn she had a rough idea of. Thoughts whirling around with gale force winds around her brain in consideration. Maybe, just maybe…

"Naruto…" Raynare took in a quick breath, steeling herself for what she was about to do. "What if I intervened in this fight? Would that…help?" she wanted to sound more sure of herself, but her doubts continued to plague her.

He paused while in mid-movement, lips pursing silently at the interesting proposal, though he wasn't convinced. "Would your help be worth it?"

Legs aching, the ravenette straightened herself in order to stand upright, doing her utmost to meet the blond's flat stare, even if it brought a chilling effect down her spine. Taking a shallow breath and a flimsy few seconds to prepare herself. "…Judge for yourself."

Naruto's eyes narrowed poisonously, body stiffening in open and hostile distrust. Though she didn't have the time nor the energy to assure him of anything, didn't even know if she even could given his change in behavior. Instead, she focused inward, leaving the reality around her for the reality that she carried within.

Words of warning emerged from her subconscious from the eccentric old man that she had grown to know and respect, cautioning her. Was it another Sacred Gear that allowed him to do this, or her very self pushing her to move away from her current path by utilizing his voice?

It didn't matter in the end, as the young woman allowed herself to dip into the state of…of difference within her very being. It was all-too-familiar, yet entirely foreign, like an altogether different person was rising to take her place.

A rush of strength encapsulated her slender body and flowed through her, giving her a feeling akin to a soft dip into a river with a powerful current. Taking her to places which she couldn't have fathomed even existed, let alone be accessible to a mere child like her. It was an impossibility…and yet there was no denying it.

She could easily recall the open interest that Azazel displayed as she turned into something new, but he didn't seem surprised for whatever reason. Rather, it was almost liked he suspected such a thing. Like he knew something that could explain the phenomenon that was taking her to a place beyond anyone has ever dreamed of going. Beyond what any of their kind could do.

The Light roiled in protest for a moment, it's power recoiling in retaliation to the arrival of it's rival, almost as much as that other power tried to conquer her whole. But, somehow, just like last time, they both were tamed. Corralled. Learned how to coexist.

When she opened her eyes again, it was to a world colored differently by the new powers that she held. She had to take a long and shaky breath after recoiling slightly, blinking rapidly to remove the spots dotting her sight. All of her senses restarting like a newborn that had finally seen the light for the first time in her life.

In a way, that wasn't incorrect. Raynare had changed into…something, no, someone else. Yes, in a way, one could say that the young woman wasn't the same person anymore, and she certainly didn't feel the same.

"Ah…" Raynare sighed in bliss as she parted her lips, shivering. "I really could get used to this…" why was she even so reluctant of utilizing this power again? It felt so-

"…I didn't know fallen angels could do that." Naruto's voice breached through her internal thoughts, drawing her to meet the blond's wary stare with a smirk. Amused in spite of the fighting raging on outside.

"They can't." the supernatural female flexed her fingers, grin widening with an understated excitement tinging her curved lips. "But it's something I can do."

The shinobi studied her features for a moment, looking for deceit, only to slide away to eye something right over her right shoulder. Saying nothing since his perplexed expression said more than he ever could. She knew that it wasn't unwarranted though, if anything, it was downplayed.

How else could one react to the pure white feathers that slipped from some of her fully extended wings? Or how some of her wings became bleached white, in sharp contrast to her fallen wings, unlike every other fallen angel in existence?

No, rather, some of her wings resembled the wings that belonged to the age-long enemies of her faction, of her very people. The people that were said to have brought the fallen angels the most migraines for their arrogance, rigid moral codes, and their combat abilities.

"…Angel wings?" Naruto murmured, staring at the bright white wings that contrasted sharply with their dark counterparts on the woman's left side, as if the body on her right and left belonged to that of an angel and fallen angel respectively. It was something the blond couldn't quite understand, if his knowledge of the supernatural was worth it's salt. "That's what those are, right? But how did you get those?"

Raynare relished in how perplexed the blond was, borderline smug with the information that she held and he didn't, aware that knowledge, was in fact; power. And she held that power over him. It was an empowering feeling, to witness his blue eyes regard her with caution.

Then she blinked, and the feeling fell away, sinking deep into her stomach as she recoiled at the thoughts once she cross-examined them. Shame flooded through her system, smothering her darker feelings instantly, leaving her with nothing but a pale guilt in its wake. "I-uh, it's a long story. But this power should be enough to help with, wouldn't you say?"

"…Maybe." Naruto allowed, pupils searching the fallen's countenance for something, though what the young woman couldn't fathom. Regardless of her feelings about it, he nodded briskly, still carrying the bodies over his shoulders. "Come on; let's see what you can do."

He didn't say another word when he trotted towards the opening in the ceiling, stopping only to leap through it and land on the top of the building. Eyes snapping towards something up above in the sky, his scowl creating creases across his visage.

Wings extending with a flourish, Raynare joined him in a flash, leaving nothing but pure white and black feathers in her wake, following his line of sight to see a blur heading right towards them. Coalescing into the very solid figure of the copy of the man beside her, hard blue eyes and all.

Unlike the blond that stayed behind with her inside the gym originally, this Uzumaki Naruto turned to regard her with a raised brow rather than abject confusion, leading her to believe that this was probably the original clone.

"So." he spoke, attention on her. "You decided to help, then?"

She heard more than saw the clone from the gym drop the exorcists down behind her, a spark striking in the depth of her soul, and she shivered in spite of herself. Though a part of her wondered if it was for the right reason. "He needs to be stopped, Naruto."

He nodded in response, jaw set in a grim line. "But can you actually help?"

Raynare pursed her lips tightly together, fists clenching as she called upon the foreign strength that mixed with her native powers, a faint sense of vertigo throwing her into a tizzy until she steadied herself. She spoke as she prepped herself. "Depends on how you intend to win, care to explain?"

"I can't be allowed to take any damage; thus, I need a distraction to keep Kokabiel occupied." the shinobi turned to raise his chin to the air, towards the powerful being hanging above them with his powerful dark wings fully extended. The powerful man's twisted eyes leered at the trio, especially, he noted; to Raynare. A first. "Can you do that?"

He seemed to be a bit more confident now, though she couldn't see his face to be completely sure. Still, Raynare felt that spark from earlier ignite a fire within her, making her shiver again, and coaxing a grin from her. An unpleasant one. "I might."

No other words were needed. She merely raised her arms up to reach for the clouds above, spreading her awareness all around her as her powers triggered themselves. Though, for obvious reasons to her, they were very different from usual.

Holy energy; light, always felt somewhat rigid. It stood at attention, was as firm as its moral code, and stood as a beacon for any that may lay its gaze upon it. Its power gave the followers of the Father the power to smite their enemies with all fashions of weapons and tools; as the Lord willed. And while there were some who could mold the light itself to suit their purposes, it was not an easy thing to accomplish. It was never easy to mold a power that represented the moral certainty of the Lord Himself.

This, however, was the exact opposite. An irony given the angel-like wings she had received from her change. Now she was able to wield a power that was meant to be molded; meant to be flexible. Its power represented the malleability of the morals it represented, the complete lack of concern when it came to the higher standards that the righteous clung to. The cracks within one's personal ethics that it would seep into when given the opportunity.

All around the small group, shadows stretched out to impossible proportions, rising up to dominate the dim light provided by the sunset, swallowing the blaze from the distant star until the world around them became a dim echo of what it once was. A shadow of itself.

And those shadows rose up and took the earth by storm, nightfall somehow arriving to the land around them earlier than normal, cloaking the small part of Kuoh with an inky and chilling shadow. All at once, it seemed that everything just over the tallest building inside the barrier became veiled by the creeping twilight that has descended.

To a third party observer, the dark cloud that emerged from the earth would prevent anyone from seeing their own hands, let alone anything beyond a few meters in front of themselves.

Whistling a jaunty tune as the creeping and crawling shadows slipped past that literal third party observer, as if even they could not stomach the idea of touching the young man, he watched the carnage in front of him sink into a tense lull in the fighting.

He was kind of surprised, if he were honest to himself, which he never truly was. Surprised to see the actual change in the other teen, to get such a glimpse in the other piece of his personality. It was almost kinda intimate, if Kumagawa even knew what that word even meant; which he didn't.

He didn't get a lot of things, but he could still at least appreciate a bit of chaos now again, right? That had to count for something in his failed life.

Smiling pleasantly, the boy brought his knees up so that he could use it as a chin rest, wondering how he should approach the blond as soon as the fighting was done. He wanted to get his real introduction juuuuust right. Not too forward, but not that mysterious either…

…Maybe he should try to stab him? That usually managed to break the ice between people. It worked with Medaka-chan at least, though it usually ended up with one of his limbs missing. A reasonable exchange he supposed.

Kumagawa Misogi continued to ponder this dilemma when something pierced through the dark shroud near the ground, skyrocketing towards the hanging figure of the crow man with super powers, at least to the boy's perspective.

He whistled in appreciation to the show. He supposed getting killed again wasn't a bad entry fee for getting front row seats to this kind of entertainment.

Kokabiel was intrigued.

He was aware of the girl -how could he not be aware?- and knew that she must have had unique abilities given her…unique birth. Though it wasn't because of who was involved in it, though it played a part –rather; it had everything to do with when her creation began. When and why.

One could even be so bold as to claim that she represented an experiment…and that that it had borne fruit, not just for her; but for their race. A new weapon that could tip the balance of power towards the fallen angels and away from their enemies, especially against their eternal rivals in Heaven and the Underworld.

The angels and fallen angels alike both utilized the Light as weapons, as dictated by the Father, while the devils threw away that power in order to utilize their magical abilities borne from demonic energy, forgoing the duality and the connection that held the angels and fallen angels to the God of the Bible.

But no one touched the power that now raged unchecked below him, sucking in the light that was still coming in from the Sun itself, as well as dimming his own powers in the process. The power that was locked away from all those that were touched by the Lord Himself and that no one before had ever truly utilized; Darkness.

"It seems that the duality of Light and Darkness really does become undone without anyone to manage it…" he mused, uncaring of the spreading shadows below. "Though, all things considered, I suppose that that was inevitable, eh…Father?"

No one answered, of course, least of all Him, but the powerful being didn't expect anyone to do so anyway. He was, in the end; above everyone –as he should be. As he was, literally and figuratively.

But despite his clear superiority, there was a being down there that didn't seem to understand or appreciate the reality of his station, of the majesty of his person…and the majesty of all of his people, in comparison to the boy's lackluster state of being. The very real and jarring difference between a people that could touch the very sky where Heaven awaited to the people that stayed grounded, like the rats and worms that made their homes in the dirt.

It was an idea that most humans acknowledged, whether through their fear, deference, or their complete worship. But this child disregarded all such customs in favor of outright defiance to both; Vretiel, and the esteemed Kokabiel. Such disrespect cannot be simply brushed over, unfortunately.

The boy would be used to goad the heiresses into conflict, yes, but he would also be punished for his transgressions. It wouldn't do to allow such a precedent to continue, to allow a human, no matter how powerful, to flick his nose at his betters.

The Unknown Variable needed to suffer, and he would be the one to deliver. Kokabiel would become the judge, jury, and ultimate authority on the fate of this human child…and he knew that he already found him guilty.

Unfortunately, Raynare, that foolish girl, had chosen the most inopportune time to unveil this newest weapon for their race. Worse yet; she utilized it to support a being that she should've subjugated, and yet…for a reason that he couldn't fathom, she didn't. In the end, her powers left his own destabilized, limiting his options of live capture.

Pondering the issue for as long as he could, Kokabiel snapped back to attention at the first sign of movement from the makeshift smog below, keen red eyes drawn by the lightning-fast projectile that cleanly pierced through anything in its way; including the air itself if the sharp whistle was to be judged.

Idly continuing the ascent that he had started as soon as the young woman that he knew -knew more than she could imagine- began flexing her new powers, Kokabiel was now high enough to take advantage of the same edge that Vretiel held over the human boy during their fight. The advantage of flight, an ability given to all fallen angels, and a crippling advantage over all those that required the dirt to even fight properly.

Twisting his body just enough to narrowly dodge the incredibly fast projectile that, thankfully, was slowed down just enough by gravity, Kokabiel frowned at the slit that opened up across the cheek that the little knife nearly touched. His precious fallen blood leaking from the newly created opening.

Taking a moment to slide his thumb across the thin bloody slit across his cheek, the ancient being scowled lightly before flicking the vital fluid away from him. Narrowed and monstrous pupils glowering at the world below him, he wondered for all of a second whether it was worth taking the boy alive –whether he should just obliterate everything within the barrier he created.

He dismissed the premise entirely, but did allow himself to consider whether he needed to capture all of him...

No more thoughts could be considered, not when several holes from the cloud below were created after the blond's attack inevitably restarted. Shooting out at the blind spot below and behind him, at least before the fallen spun to scan everything below. Was this culmination of the boy's strategy? Was he, perhaps, trying to litter him with holes while distracting him?

Arms raised in a sharp flourish, spears of light appeared all around him and shot towards each and every opening that has appeared, intercepting every knife and detonating it with the overwhelming power behind his light-empowered constructs. Blowing back everything from each point of impact.

Interestingly, the clouds below didn't disperse from the blowback, remaining stagnant even as it spat out several of the human boy's metallic weapons from his 4'O clock below, forcing him to turn the weapons hanging above his head to head off the new attacks. Ripping anything that were coming for him right out of the sky with brilliant detonations that shattered the buildings below.

It didn't disperse the shadows, but he didn't expect it to anyway, not with that power. Unfortunately, this fact left him at an impasse.

Personally traversing through that inky darkness would probably entrap him, leaving even a being like him vulnerable, yet he wasn't ready to just bomb everything, not yet. He wanted the 'Unkown Variable' alive and well, along with the fallen child that carried his secret weapon against his enemies. Nay, he needed her.

But, perhaps, given the situation at hand…he could compromise on his goal of taking the human boy in one piece. One didn't live long during times of war if they bit off more than they could chew; and Kokabiel felt that he was reaching such a point.

They came again.

Below, several more projectiles shot out from the cloaked earth, aiming for the small part of the back that was hard for any humanoid to see, let alone to respond to properly in a combat situation. Thankfully, Kokabiel was well aware of his enemy's tactics, and managed to respond just fast enough to create a blade of pure light and swipe at the puny things. It's solid state reinforced by the awesome power that was honed in a war for survival.

"These petty tricks will not work on me, boy!" the disparaging term rang out with his distaste for him and his kind, intentionally goading. Fishing for a response for this stalemate. "If you wish to defeat me, you'll need to be a bit more forward than that-!"

The fight changed.

It happened in a flash, whether in swift retribution or something else no one could've told him, but a blur suddenly shot out from the depths of the shadows, it's size indicating that this was certainly not one of the blond's usual knives that he so liked to fling about. Rather, given its size, one could almost claim that it was human-sized…

Lips curling viciously, Kokabiel spun to meet the attack, barely moving quickly enough to stretch out the sword in his hand in order to change it into a net that he threw to capture the hapless boy. Well aware that he had to put extra power into it so that it was strong enough not to destabilize upon contact thanks to the shadows below.

Over fifty meters away the blur rammed headfirst into the trap, blood splashing through the deep lacerations made from the crisscrossing energy, the human's jaw gaping open in what could've been a scream if his voice box was working. Through the light emitting from the energy construct, red eyes managed to make out the hardened tanned features of the man, and the dark eyes framed by grey hair…

What?

A dark chill crept up Kokabiel's and centered itself onto his frigid heart, leaving him breathless as he reared his head back.

He was wrong. The 'Unknown Variable' wasn't trying to distract him with those knives; this was the distraction.

Snapping away from the useless body, he attempted to check his back, fearing that the last thing he'd see were more of those attacks right after finally figuring his opponent's strategy. But he would never finish his turn, catching something at the corner of his eye before he completed the aerial maneuver, a hint of jagged gold.

He was wrong again, and yet so, so, right. A fact that pulled at his lips as the remaining three spears above him, divinely empowered, formed into a massive net, one more powerful than the last, and fell upon the body still coming to him.

Underneath the flying body of the random exorcist, a figure expertly kept within the shadows that the body made, hiding him so well enough that no human would notice him until it was far too late. Key word; human.

Twenty-five meters till impact.

The boy, realizing he was found, clutched the limp body and kicked it to the net, the dark underbelly of the body remaining despite the spin it had adopted. That shadow, which shouldn't have existed when in the path of direct light, suddenly sprang out, its substance grabbing at the ethereal sources of light just ahead.

In front of Kokabiel eyes, the nets that he created were eaten away into absolutely nothing, dissolved with such speed that all fell away for the blond youth to charge at him without opposition. The fallen angel was wide open with nothing to capture him with.

Ten meters.

Scowl coming anew, light erupted from his hand, empowered with everything he could muster before the inevitable impact, the veins that held his blood pulsing with the extra adrenaline that gave him the hyper sensitive awareness required to meet the stony blue stare leveled at him. Approaching him with that single-minded determination that the blond possessed and the ridiculous speed that he was rumored to have.

Light twisted into a solid blade that was as long as Kokabiel himself was created with the quiet concession that, perhaps, he should scale back his ambition of taking the boy mostly unharmed. He would have to content himself with the few hours that the boy would have before he expired.

Sharp molars bared, the ancient man twisted his torso to place more momentum in his swing, barely constraining the victorious grin and laugh that wanted to erupt as his blade of holy energy closed in on the limbs that he was intent on cleaving through. It's sharp descent unstoppable and inexorable, powerful enough to cut through the chains of Tartarus from the Greek Pantheon itself.

As his blade inched closer to their mark, Kokabiel knew that this battle was won. Nothing had stopped him ever since he had pushed his plans for war into motion; not the meek men and women of Grigori, not the complacent rulers of Heaven, and not the divided Devils of the Underworld. And with his weapon mere milliseconds away from impact, he knew with deep relish that his war was all but certain.

Zero meters.

When his weapon completed the arc blood was scattered into the air, creating the red mist that he so adored after a nice clean slash had connected. All was well. Yet, he felt himself falter, and begin to fall down to the earth where the worms, cockroaches, and humans all resided on.

Red mist lingered across his vision, but he knew with a sudden certainty that it wasn't the mist that he wished to see. Bits of his wings fell before he and he wondered how such a thing could be possible.

A measure of awareness came to him first; from his left shoulder all the way down to his right leg down his back was a giant gash that helped form the red mist he realized.

Pain came next. He arced his back when the blood came gushing forth now, much like water would when large cracks were created across a particularly large dam. Created when the knife that the boy utilized carved out skin, muscle and bone after his mid-air jump in the air gave him a clear shot to his back.

It was impossible. He knew all that he needed to know about the boy prior to this confrontation. Knew that he liked to place plans within plans, and had caught him flat-footed when his second plan was found out too early and left him vulnerable. He had found the boy hiding in the shadows and brought him out with the light.

But there was nothing that indicated that he could maneuver in the air. Everything actually pointed to him being unable to do such a thing –a fact that, Kokabiel realized, was something that he had encouraged.

He purposefully let him believe that. He had never used that ability earlier in their clash; it was only utilized now, in this critical juncture, where Kokabiel was most sure of victory. The plan within the plan within the plan, and the fallen angel had leapt right into it.

Managing to glance behind him, Kokabiel saw Uzumaki Naruto hold his blood-laden kunai as he watched him fall, bringing forth several other weapons out between his fingers as he looked down upon him. Kokabiel racing to the ground while the boy stayed in the infinite air. Their positions so completely reversed that the superior being's soul ached and his stomach lurched in protest.

Everything he learned about the boy before this confrontation confirmed that the boy had a single weakness. A failing that he and his entire species shared as a weakness; the inability to fly. The proof of humanity's inferiority.

But he knew. He feared the truth, was furious at what it suggested, but accepted it all the same. There were humans that achieved flight through supernatural means such as; Sacred Gears, magic, and machinery –but no human has ever achieved flight through their innate self. It wasn't to them like it was for beings like him; like breathing.

But this felt different. All information regarding the boy suggested that his powers were unique to him; not like Sacred Gears. Every time he used his power, it came from within, not from without like machinery. Its powers foreign; unlike magic. One could say that these powers…were intrinsic, like breathing.

So he fell and made acquaintances with the lowly earth as several more projectiles pierced him on the way down, taking refuge in the earth like the very humans he reproached so much.

Raynare was ecstatic amongst the shadows. It was as if she was inhabiting her own domain, and felt beyond reproach whilst in its cool embrace. It also bought her a sense of anonymity, allowing a side of her to flourish which she didn't know existed.

It only happened once before while under Azazel-sama's supervision, where he studied her changed state under the highly specialized Grigori facilities meant to hold berserk and unstable Sacred Gear users or other supernatural beings. Back then, he noted that she seemed more…unstable –volatile even.

He even claimed that the two conflicting energies that were inhabiting her system would retrieve a more unscrupulous side of her. One that may even reflect more of the traits that she did not want to manifest after seeing them in her parentage.

But that seemed to be a preposterous theory on his part, her wide smile at the broken body of Kokabiel several meters away notwithstanding. She actually hadn't felt more alive when she added her new powers onto that unconscious man that Naruto had used to cover his ascent to the sky. When her booby trap triggered at the presence of light, a feeling of euphoria enraptured her, and stuck with her, even after the mighty Kokabiel fell before her.

Such positive feelings couldn't really be considered unscrupulous, could they? Not when they were aimed at such a being like Kokabiel. Though a part of her distantly wondered about the man that was sacrificed still-

"Child…" voice cracking and rumbling, the ancient fallen that had met the earth after being cleanly cut through by the blond human above spoke to her with a barely audible voice. "Why did you…help him?"

The ravenette crossed her arms candidly, smile widening at the sheer contempt being conveyed through tone alone. "Because I wanted to."

Kokabiel was face up towards the night sky as he was laid out on the ground, thin pale lips curled in a grimace that could've passed for a grim smirk for a man like he. "Ah…just like Vretiel…"

He sounded almost wistful for all of a moment, and Raynare's emotional high vanished into the shadows that surrounded them, thrown into the void much like the light it had encountered. Positivity giving way to suspicion; whiplash throwing her off and giving her focus all at once. "Don't pretend like you'd know anything about that woman. I'm nothing like her."

The man that had survived the brutal war between the three Biblical factions where continents were reshapen while cloaked by magical barriers was feeling strangely reflective after getting thrown out his domain by a human. Never before had he felt such humiliation, and it was something that he was still coming to terms with –which may explain why he continued to humor the little girl snarling at him like a golden retriever would growl at a rottweiler. "Ah…yes, it's like looking at a window of the past. I wonder if your mother saw your father in you too?"

An expression of amazement fell over the ravenette, stunned for a beat. She strode forward then and produced a spear of light that broke through the shadows around them and showered them with it's warmth. There was a surprising amount of energy held within the spear for one that only held two pairs of wings; worthy of a fallen that carried three as a matter of fact.

Kokabiel could've smiled at the success of the weapon; of the future of his race.

"What do you know?" she questioned viciously, holding the weapon right above his neck, threatening to gut him if he didn't satisfy her. "You know something; something that Vretiel never told me, and I demand answers."

"That's enough, Raynare."

Pausing at the voice, Raynare obliged only to glance at the young man walking towards the two fallen angels. Her violet eyes narrowing into slits at the blond, seeming almost hostile of him despite their acquaintance.

And to her it was just that. She didn't quite see Uzumaki Naruto; the young man that aided her despite their status as mutual enemies occupying the opposite sides of a battle. No, she saw a human, and felt her lip curl in disgust at that very fact. "How dare you order me like that you-"

Then she blinked again, eyes registering the unique features that the human male carried and matched it with the fond memories she carried of just such a man, and her ire was instantly doused. A dash of shame flooded her at the likely mortal slash that she was about to commit so callously for a moment.

The shinobi didn't react to it one way or another and took another brisk step forward past Raynare and in front of Kokabiel; staring down at the beast of a fallen angel and regarded him coolly. Not saying a word; he let his blood soaked kunai knife hang loosely over a finger through its sole ring at its end speak for him.

"You deserve your title, boy; your actions are…difficult to comprehend." the ancient fallen being complimented the youth standing over him, eyeing him with a cracked open eye. His strange mild attitude sticking after speaking with Raynare prior to the teen standing over him despite the danger he was in. "However, I think I can somewhat understand your being –I've seen your type before during the Great War."

Naruto still didn't speak, patiently waiting for the shattered man to continue at his own pace. "The fact that you haven't killed me yet informs me that you wish to barter for my life, isn't that right? That coupled with your actions above, especially with that maneuver you pulled with that exorcist tells me that you, 'Unknown Variable', wish to be left alone, am I correct?"

It was incredible how much the arrogant man changed his tune while under someone else's mercy, or after getting his preconceptions viciously thrown right back at him in the form of a powerful human. But it was apparent that this being did not live as long as he had by being completely foolish; he knew where the winds were blowing.

"Let me make a deal; spare my life and I will give you vital information that I have managed to learn of the movements of other major players in this Cold War we are experiencing." Kokabiel threw all his cards onto the table and played his hand, red eyes glowing in the inky and artificial darkness that Raynare had spawned.

Naruto still didn't say a word, he simply began to spin the kunai knife loftily with one of his digits, patient.

The fallen angel spoke a little faster. "I have recently learned through overtures that I have made with the Old Maou Faction that their parent organization; Khaos Brigade, has called for a meeting with all of their supporting factions for something important. There were rumors that the Ourobouros Dragon itself requested it, though my people aren't sure whether that particular rumor was unfounded."

Silence still, though the blond looked more interested. His de-facto prisoner continued. "I've also heard that the infamously recalcitrant super devil; Rizervim, has been rumored to have gone insane a month or so ago. After being isolationist for many years he has apparently come out raving about an undiscovered world and some kind of masked man with a powerful eye. If you want to tell your devil masters about him and keep an eye on him just in case he might prove to be a threat in the future-"

Naruto zoned out for a few precious moments, leaving him open enough to attack successfully should anyone like to take a potshot. But he smothered his shock with a purse of his lips and a slight chewing of his gum. Memories of a long dead Hokage that claimed to be his father surfaced through at the mention of a masked man, and the shinobi couldn't help but wonder whether maybe, just maybe…

No. Focus. "Anything else?"

That was the first time the Uzumaki spoke up while standing over Kokabiel, and the smallest bit of a twisted smile touched at his thin bloodless lips. He was sure that he just needed one more push to convince the human to let him go. "Just one more that you'd care about. Come closer, this is a secret that naught but the highest echelons of Heaven and the Underworld are aware of; a secret that could immediately spark a war between the three factions again."

Eyebrow rising, the shinobi carefully leaned closer to the downed man, ready to end his life should he do anything fishy. Frowning when the heat of Kokabiel's mouth tickled his earlobe and the secret spilled to him under his breath, barely a whisper. Immediately, the second brow rose to meet the other and blue eyes dilated, lightning coursing through him at the knowledge that he was imparted with.

Kokabiel slid back away from him and created a magic circle that emerged from the ground below, its power swallowing him whole at a snail's pace. He was unable to speed up his transport thanks to his wounds, so all he could do was hope that the boy was either distracted enough or placated enough to let him go.

Behind the blond, Raynare snapped her head up at the feeling of the transportation circle activating, eyelids widening into saucers when the 'angel of the stars' started to make his mistake. Worse yet, the one who had the best opportunity to end the beast of a man was watching him go without so much as a protest.

Wings flaring, she attempted to at least do something, up until she heard Naruto bark with authority. "Raynare. That's enough." Though it was with extreme difficulty that she heeded the man's words; her bloodlust was rising again, and she wanted nothing more than to see more of the ancient fallen's blood.

A feeling that drifted away once Kokabiel fully left their view, transported away to safety so that he may live and fight another day. Leaving only confusion and frustration which was aimed at the apparently impassive teen next to her. "You just let him go!?"

To her annoyance, he just shrugged. "It wouldn't be a good idea."

"I'm sure that that exorcist that you sacrificed would agree." she jabbed, critical and unafraid of being so.

This time the blond fully turned to face her, his stare unnerving and cold, yet almost…appraising. "Did you actually care about that exorcist?"

Raynare nearly retorted back reflexively, but she stalled when she gave the question any real significant thought. While she didn't exactly regard humans with high esteem, she still had a basic value of sentient life as far as she was aware, yet she had to continue to ponder whether she cared at all about the man that probably had a family of his own. Faintly discomforted, she threw the question right back. "Did you?"

"No."

For a second Raynare wasn't sure whether it came from the blond before her or from her own voice box, and found that she didn't feel too guilty herself. Should she be concerned about the abject lack of worry she had felt in regards to the well-beings of these humans?

'Unknown abilities come with unknown -and at times, steep- costs.' was Azazel's contention after he saw it for the first time, though he didn't seem to be as surprised to see the advent of angel wings upon a fallen angel than one would think. He had that look; the look that someone gave another when they studied someone or something and knew more than they let on, but didn't want to explain themselves.

Raising her head, Raynare wasn't awfully surprised to see a similar type of expression on Naruto's face. "What?"

Inspecting her with a clinical eye, the teenager peered at the fallen through his lashes, eyes the same shade as sapphires regarding her with their undivided attention. Her lips curled in response as a sudden idea popped up at the intimate closeness that was initiated by the whiskered male, back straightening as she shimmied close, raising her hand to delicately place it on his chest.

Naruto took a deliberate step back without a word, moving just out of reach of her questing hand, and Raynare felt the spark of cold anger fill her to the brim once again. In a calmer state of mind, she might've wondered about her mood whiplash, but at the moment she was trying to not attack the human that had the audacity to treat her as he did.

"How does it feel to be the only one with that power, Raynare?"

When the ravenette raised her head after reigning in her anger, she was met with a searching gaze, roving across her expression in an almost hungry fashion. "What?"

"You're the only one with this power." he said, words coming slow and steady, leaving no room for misunderstandings. "You're a one of a kind amongst your people; so how does it feel to you?"

Raynare wasn't sure what brought this strange line of questioning on, but instead of acquiescing to the more vulnerable side of herself, the side which has been somewhat smothered, she allowed her pride to take the forefront. "Isn't it obvious? Considering the rarity of my skills I would be considered special, right? So pride should be the obvious feeling that one should experience with such fortune-"

Her words died in her throat when she saw the sheer disillusion in his eyes at her answer, the last gasp of a distinct possibility given out at what he heard. Confusion gave way to frustration, unable to understand what he could possibly be looking for; and what she needed to do to crack that stoic façade he had recently built. "What?"

"Just-" he sighed, shaking his head solemnly. "…being sentimental."

Raynare gasped sharply immediately afterwards, but strangely enough it wasn't because of his words, strange as they were; it was due to an entirely different cause. Whatever had spawned the first reaction also made the fallen angel crumple to her knees, her vision darkening at its edges while she coughed harshly, trying to pull away at the fist that slammed straight into her stomach.

She didn't get the chance to ask why before she lost her battle with unconsciousness and slumped to the earth much like Kokabiel had done so earlier. The shadows that cloaked the suburban battlefield lifting right alongside the rising barrier that had finally fell apart with Kokabiel's earlier departure. All while Naruto stood over her after taking a step back, shaking his head once more.

"…Sorry."

He wasn't sure whether he was apologizing to her…or to himself for hoping for even a fraction of a second. It was apparent that even when he knew better; that the faint and raw want for more still affected him. The blond may as well have prayed for the God of the Bible for a miracle for how likely he'd find a peer…but then again, even if he did find another companion like him, it wasn't like they were going to stay with him.

His former best friend helped him learn that lesson all too well.

Crouching to lean a bit over Raynare, he brushed the white wing's feathers with a hum, already sure what such a sight could possibly provoke in a populace that already had a poor attitude against angels. He retracted his hand with a scowl at the thought; he should've learned his lesson by now. Shouldn't be so soft. And most of all; shouldn't allow for more of his fighting abilities to become so widely known.

Kokabiel, for all of his arrogance, was far more of a threat to the blond than Vretiel ever was not because of his greater power; but because of his greater knowledge base. The man was prepared to deal with Uzumaki Naruto, and the only reason that the shinobi won the day was due to the ancient being's desire to capture him and his lack of awareness of his ability to jump in the air.

Kokabiel would stay quiet when it came to this battle, there was no way that his pride would allow for the news of his defeat to spread. But he needed to remove any other factors that led to more of his fighting style getting leaked to anymore enemies that could threaten him. It was this factor that convinced the blond to back off and let the powerful being live; the man's death would inevitably get linked to the youth that the man's followers knew about and give him an even larger target on his back. Something that he wanted to avoid at all costs, if possible.

He wouldn't make the same mistakes as the man that desperately clutched at any man or woman that gave him the time of day; he would do what needed to be done. And that meant that he had to guarantee that his abilities would stay under wraps, regardless of any moral qualms.

And this was why Naruto drew out his bloodied kunai knife as he stood over the unconscious Raynare, switching it into a reverse hand grip. Hanging it over the defenseless woman with narrowed eyes, much like a guillotine would, ready to come down and snuff out whatever was in its way.

Though, unlike the cold and unfeeling machine that was the guillotine, Naruto hesitated, though for what reason the blond couldn't quite fathom for a moment. It wasn't quite shame or anything of the sort, but something still stayed his hand...

Clicking his tongue, the shinobi took a deep breath and turned away from Raynare, frustrated that his softer personality was preventing him from doing what had to be done. Once upon a time the concept of killing didn't make him squirm or hesitate, even as a twelve year old; unless he was emotionally connected to the target in question. He always aimed to kill and never really thought about it, but suddenly such considerations became the norm…and he knew why.

Jiraiya and his damned philosophies...

Thankfully, it seemed that those considerations only held for individuals that he became emotionally compromised to. He had enough control over his facilities for to take drastic actions against other beings at least.

This was why Naruto briskly moved to tower over the group of exorcists that were haphazardly left leaning on the gym building's wall. Inconsiderate of their comfort or anything of the sort. He hesitated for a beat, but his eyes eventually hardened right before he thrust his weapon into the neck of one of the exorcists, blood spurting out as the man let loose a weak gasp before stilling.

He moved on and slit the throat of every man that saw his abilities, giving him dark stains all across his clothing, digging cold steel into the pliable skin and hard muscles that gave way easily to the strength of the man that trained for almost his entire life. An empty feeling in his stomach as he continued his grim work that he ignored in favor of what needed to happen.

It didn't take long for him to go through each and every exorcist that attacked him, leaving him with a bloodied and haunted visage, and only one more uncontrollable variable that could damn him in the future if he wasn't careful, at least within this group. Interestingly, the last living exorcist was the man that he knew; the father whose child was kept captive and locked away somewhere in Europe probably. Kiyohira was his name, if he recalled.

His daughter was probably waiting for him back at home; for her father.

Naruto only hesitated for a few more seconds this time around, though he hated the fact that his hand shook when he struck at the sensitive juncture in the neck, ending life before it could awaken from its slumber. A quiet end, rather than the grizzly one that could've occurred. He supposed that the man deserved that much.

Scanning the bodies, the shinobi turned to enter the gym through the front entrance, aware that the one who started this entire debacle; Freed Sellzen, was still alive. He didn't care for finding Kokabiel again or permanently solving the solution that he represented –he just needed him gone.

So he stalked towards his final destination, mentally preparing himself for the real confrontation that needed to occur, steeling himself for something that was long overdue.

The breeze that brushed against Naruto's golden locks was a soothing feeling; even with the strange and smothering atmosphere of the Underworld in its current state. He couldn't help but take comfort in it; letting it wrap around him like the warmest of blankets.

"Naruto? Is something wrong?"

Rias' hand laid itself on his upper back, concern in her voice palpable as she joined him on the balcony whilst they waited for Grayfia to take them to their true reason in being in the Underworld. "Nothing, really."

"You're a bad liar, you know that?" the Gremory heiress seemed fond of that aspect, if her smirk was a good judge of her belief. "Worried about the meeting?"

"…I should be." he admitted slowly, finger tapping incessantly upon the stylized marble railing, nervous energy overflowing from him. "But I'm feeling a bit…distracted. I just have this…bad feeling; you know –like the one you'd get if some bad stuff is happening?"

The red-head hummed, considering it, before shaking her head apologetically. "Can't say that I do; what's it like?"

"Well…" the spiky-haired teen leaned back a bit, raising his gaze to the sky, studying the strange purple-colored sky so that he could focus on something else. Trying, but failing that is. "It's like this growing pit in your stomach growing wider, making you feel heavy and sluggish. It's like being sick…but somehow worse."

He knew that the aqua-colored pupils of his friend were locked onto him, concerned, but Naruto wasn't sure what he could do to reassure the wealthy devil. Not for this.

He was feeling absolutely sick to his stomach, and he had the strange impression that something, somewhere, was seriously wrong. He wasn't sure what it was exactly, but he was certain that whatever it was…disgusted him, like how his old friend; Gaara's beliefs disgusted him when they first fought.

It was the strangest thing for him to feel right at that moment, right before he was about to meet some of the most influential people in the Underworld, but he could hardly help it. The revulsion he felt was somehow intrinsic; burning within him, scorching him with its absolute wrongness…and he didn't even know why.

Naruto was almost thankful when Grayfia emerged from the ground at the behest of a Gremory transportation circle, its runes glowing crimson, providing an eerie backdrop to all three of the individuals in the large balcony. "Rias-sama. Naruto-sama. Your request to see the delegate of nobles has been acknowledged by Lord Bael. It seemed that the most powerful of them have congregated in the Bael estates for some time, and are now waiting to see you two."

"Understood, Grayfia." Rias stood tall and made sure to remain formal to her sister-in-law, aware that such formalities had to be maintained where outsiders could see them. That and because her beloved sister via marriage would reprimand her for dropping it while in uniform.

She paused, taking a gander at the recalcitrant teen beside her. "Actually, can we have a moment? I'd like to go over a few more things with Naruto just to be sure-"

A hand squeezed against her shoulder, prompting her to meet the intense blue within the depths of Naruto's eyes. "Thanks Rias, I know what you're trying to do; but I'll live. We need to get this over with."

Studying him only briefly, she acquiesced with a smile, facing Grayfia with a nod of approval. "You heard him; we're as ready as we'll ever be."

"I understand." was there a hint of a smile there at the tips of her ruby lips, or was Rias imagining it? Nevertheless, the young heiress moved by the older woman's side along with Naruto; captured by the crimson light of the Gremory sigil under their feet.

Naruto shimmied up next to her, scowling lightly, though whether it was because of the negative feelings he was experiencing, or because of his distaste to the idea of facing so many snobby nobles she couldn't tell. The fact remained; he was sticking next to her, depending on her in this alien world.

She wasn't sure what had spooked him so much; but she could at least make this trip about the unrest of the Underworld worthwhile. And if she could show off a bit for once –well, then that was just another feather in her cap wasn't it? There was no way that she'd embarrass herself after coming off as so dependable.

"You're awake."

The Uzumaki Naruto that wasn't quite yet Uzumaki Naruto was unconcerned about the man that was haphazardly leaning on the walls of the interior of the gym, a large smile baring all of his teeth cutting into his face. "Well now…you're looking pretty good, if you don't mind me sayin'…"

Freed was referring to all of the blood that now stained the blond's person, but he merely shrugged after it was pointed out. "Had to tie up some loose ends. You're next –and unlike the others; you had this one coming." he didn't really desire to kill others; it was simply a necessity in his eyes.

In comparison, the shinobi might actually enjoy this far more than he should.

"H-Hey now…" the rogue exorcist attempted to raise his hands in compliance, but merely managed to shrug. "Come on, considerin' all the blood you've got; surely you and I have similar goals, right? Mass mayhem and making love to bloody corpses! Come on, what do ya say? Just two guys on the town, killing whores and businessmen alike?"

Naruto's only answer was a kunai slice that cut apart the two arteries that were visible in front of the neck, a large amount of blood spurting through the fingers of Freed's enclosed hand. He tried to slide back and away from his attacker, but he met only the solid wall, air getting clogged at the newly made flood.

He watched him squirm for only a second or two more before raising his weapon one last time to give the finishing blow, grim and sure of his actions. Even when Freed stared at him gaped-mouth, which inexplicably shifted into a crooked grin. "I-I think I'm beg-beginning to like yo-"

One clean stab through the neck, and the man slumped back onto the wall, slipping down to the floor, body motionless and stare blank. Life ended before he could've done as much damage as he could've done, but after he has already caused a lot of trouble. Too late, always too late.

「Woah, that was pretty intense-」

Spinning on an axis, the well-worn kunai cleanly sliced right through the neck of the young man that snuck up behind him, the headless body standing upright for a second longer as the head rolled away until it folded to the floor. It looked like nothing more than a puppet that lost its strings, though the blood could be hard to argue against.

Kumagawa Yuki, or rather; Kumagawa Misogi. The real name that he had admitted to the clone that was gathering senjutsu to be utilized, before he was popped alongside its brother. He had honestly forgotten about the troublemaker, but thankfully he had revealed himself and made his job easier. Now he had less trouble to deal with in the future.

Now if only the purple-haired one would show up, then he could really get rid of a future threat-

「Oh, wow~! That really hurt, ya know? Yeesh, you didn't even let me finish my sentence, Naruto-kun! You should respect your elders better!」

Freezing, Naruto slowly turned on his heel to glare at Kumagawa from the very edge of his vision, wary. "You died."

The far too bright to not be artificial blue eyes of the skinny boy seemed to twinkle as he idly scratched his neck by digging his fingers underneath his clean collar, once colored red with blood. 「Yeah, you definitely did that, no doubt. I just came back to life after that, so don't you worry your ruthless little head about your 'offing' skills; you're still a one hit wonder! Oh. Wait. I think I used that quote wrong-」

"You attacked my clone." apparently far less patient than the optimistic version of himself, the shinobi coolly inspected the teen. "Why?"

Kumagawa's smile, always a creepy sight, grew as his initial reaction. 「Why –to see you, Naruto-kun!」

"What does that even mean?" whiskers twisted thanks to the new heavy scowl now present.

「Eh? Oh, not the regular Naruto-kun, silly! I mean you, Naruto-kun! The real one!」

The scowl remained, but the orbs in his sockets grew hazy. "So you weren't lying completely to me back there, huh…? Well then, now that I'm here, what do you want?"

「Straight to the point, eh? I like it, that's why I wanted to see you, Naruto-kun, ever since Medaka-chan told me about you the first time she killed me.」 Kumagawa clapped his hands together, as if he were ecstatic about meeting a celebrity.

The shinobi raised a brow at the lofty mention of actually dying, but apparently it was a common occurrence for the boy that could recover from getting his head lopped off. 「You see; Medaka-chan believes that this 'you', Naruto-kun, was a being that has experienced a unique set of circumstances that allowed you to break through the idea that there is meaning to be found in life as a general rule. That you could see the futility of the commonly held 'goals' of sentient existence, so in a way, she saw you as her kin.」

Almost theatrically, he raised his arms in appeal, Kumagawa smiled brightly at the wary blond. 「So, like a stereotypical manga villain from Shonen Jump's latest teenaged battle manga; I've decided to scout you out and see if I could peg you as my type, Naruto-kun.」

He frowned, putting a finger under his lip with the tiniest of frowns. 「Wait, I think I accidentally went to the Yaoi Manga section with that last sentence-」

Naruto didn't have the patience to humor the strange boy, though he was faintly interested in his findings. It was strange how so many people seemed to be playing psychologist recently. "So? Did I pass your test?"

「In a way.」 the boy raised his head to stare at the stars above, lips parting just a bit more than his standard plastered smile would allow, giving it just that edge to make it twisted. 「You act like you've led a positive life, but honestly; you've lived a pretty crappy life if Medaka-chan was telling me the truth. So why don't you just walk away from this life and do whatever you want, Naruto-kun?」

"What makes you think I don't want to do that?"

Kumagawa retained his expression, much like a doll or action figure would. Not quite human. 「Because I saw everything. Including your talk with that tsundere fallen girl, and it reeeeeally seemed like you were hoping that she would see things the way that you do. Soooo-」

"What's your point?" Naruto scowled.

「Please don't misunderstand. 」 Kumagawa raised his hands ostensibly to prove that he meant no harm, but his plastic expression didn't do much to convince the shinobi. 「I don't mean to make you mad, but I can't help but wonder whether you yourself actually believe that you want to leave this all behind?」

Blue eyes studied the wide and faux innocent blue gaze of the skinny young man in the black student uniform, saying nothing, then turning away grimly. "Go away, I'm busy."

The change came quickly over Kumagawa, his eyes narrowed into slits and his smile widened into a cheshire's grin. 「Ohh…I get it. You're afraid, right? That has to be it. You don't wanna imagine that you could still care, so you're walking away, probably to go off and pretend that you're so much wiser and better than the Naruto-kun of today. In the end; you're a hypocrite, isn't that right? Na-ru-to-kun?」

Naruto paused in front of the boy, turning on a dime to glower at him, cocking his head. "Do you know what an explosive tag is?"

「Eh?」 wide innocent eyes blinked.

"An explosive tag is a slip of paper that can be rigged by shinobi to explode at their leisure or with a timer. They can also be chained together with other tags to let loose a stream of detonations, depending on how many tags there are. Something like that would be difficult to get out alive for anyone caught in that kind of position; even for immortal pricks that push shinobi too hard."

「Oh…wow, I think I just got threatened. That's so cool! I feel edgy already!」

Scoffing, Naruto folded his legs together and plopped onto the ruined gym floor, regulating his breathing. "You done with your questions? It'd take too long to properly get rid of you; so beat it. I don't have time for you." he didn't have time for much, of that he was sure.

With reflexes honed by life-or-death battles with human beings that could be mistaken for monsters, demons, or deities, the blond shinobi pulled a kunai out with one hand and snapped it behind him and caught the wrist of the teen that attempted to blindside him as soon as he left himself open. Hearing and acknowledging the sick *squelch* of someone's eye getting gouged out alongside the snap of bones getting shattered.

「Owie!」

The shinobi raised his chin, angling his cranium to idly stare at the grinning boy that had one of those strange screws in his palm, angled to stab him in the back with it, and a kunai deep in his skull with the very tip peeking out at the back. 「Man, you're kinda mean, Naruto-kun. Almost as mean as Medaka-chan. Is this what love is like?」

Naruto stared at him for a moment, eyeing him in case he made another move once he let go of his wrist while the boy grabbed the bit of the small knife's handle. "You done?"

Taking a moment to pull the weapon out of his eye socket, the sound of cold steel sliding across skin, muscle, collagen fibers, and the cornea echoing in the small space. Then, with an errant blink of his eyes, the shinobi realized with a start that within that tiny timeframe; Kumagawa's eye had returned in it's socket as good as new, as well as the rest of his head.

「Yep, I think I'm good. I'm kinda bored now.」 Kumagawa claimed airily, handing his weapon back to the blond like candy. 「I'd like to go and grab some porn magazines right about now. Wanna come?」

Cautious, Naruto collected his kunai, inspecting it for any biological substances. "No thank you."

「Aww, fine.」 the skinny boy really did pout and spun around to trudge out of the gym, deflated, before brighting up and grinning at the sole other living individual in the ruined gym. 「Say…do you think I should visit your friends at Kuoh?」

Snapping his blue eyes up to meet the wide and pure blue of the twisted boy that could smile genuinely while attempting to kill someone, Naruto said nothing for all of three heartbeats before shrugging. "Knock yourself out."

He knew what he had just tacitly endorsed; what he had possibly released on people that the current him still cared about. Knew that that him would've done anything to divert the boy's attention away from them if he could.

But he couldn't, he wouldn't, and they weren't his problem. So he shrugged.

He didn't call him back when Kumagawa's grin grew twisted, nor when he loftily walked out of the building whistling a jaunty tune. He just stayed where he was, turning away from a situation that he didn't necessarily instigate, but didn't bother to halt either. All of his focus was aimed at within.

Uzumaki Naruto was waiting for this moment. He needed to go through with this, to clear the air and conclude what needed to be done. More than Kokabiel's attack, or Raynare's change, or Kumagawa's madness; this needed to be resolved, nothing else mattered as much.

So, for the first time as he was, the shinobi allowed his lessons of meditation by the toads of Mount Myōboku take hold; entering his own mindscape away from the reality that he at times wished to shy away from.

For a moment, he heard nothing, saw nothing, felt nothing.

But he heard something. From the soft droplets of liquid hitting the flooded chamber floor, to the whistle of the mild wind that echoed across the long and lumbering chamber hallways, and to the heavy yet subdued heavy of the beast that inhabited his very being.

When Naruto opened his eyes, the beast opened its eyes too.

"You're not the Naruto I know."

Coldly, Naruto raised his chin, scowl deep and feelings barely held with a mental leash. "You'd like that version best, wouldn't you, Kyuubi?" he spoke the last word with such disdain that he cursed himself immediately afterwards. He wanted to keep himself in check; not let himself run wild, where the beast would surely have an advantage.

The kyuubi no yoko; mythical tailed beast of the Elemental Nations, regarded the diminutive teenager standing before him, mildly staring at him without malice. "You've said all that you wanted to say before. You're not here for me, are you? If that's the case; then why are you here?"

This Naruto, the one that existed prior as merely a feeling of general hopelessness in response to the current trajectory that the current Uzumaki Naruto was going through life, and now made into something more, coldly glared at the massive and ancient entity. "I was passing through. You're right; I'm not here for you." he resolutely focused ahead of the tailed beast, staring past it, willing it to disappear from his sight.

As he moved on, he almost thought he heard the great beast sigh, though he doubted that. He forged ahead, senses sharp enough to hear the sounds drown away; switching the methodical sound of droplets falling to the erratic crackling of fire heating the air. The warm ambience coincided with the occasional sounds of crickets around him gave him a feeling of deep…nostalgia.

He opened his eyes, seeing the bright campfire in front of him releasing soft wisps of smoke and embers, whipping out enough to be a tad fierce despite its size. It provided the faint bit of warmth in the cold twilight around the campsite; it was, perhaps, the safest place he could remember. Away from the village. Away from the sneers, barbed words, and dark whispers that adults would use when children thought they couldn't hear.

Naruto raised his head away from the fire, and met the curious wide eyes of a boy. A boy that was biting into his charred fish with open curiosity, but not fear. Withheld judgement, not a self-righteous verdict. His big blue eyes belonged to a child that had only breached past his stage of toddlerhood, his baby fat still far from gone. A little boy that could hardly be called a little boy yet.

Inclining his head, the boy took another bite from the fish, eyes never wavering from Naruto's, munching down softly and smacking his lips whilst his golden spiky hair bobbed. His jaw's contortions twisting the whisker marks that were perfectly aligned on his cheeks. It was only after he finished his latest bite that he spoke, voice high without the advent of puberty. "Who are you?"

Naruto took a breath, staring down at the warm fire, wishing he could simply just embrace its warmth. "You know, I think."

"I do." the boy admitted, the intelligence in his eyes keen, but conflicted. Something a little boy shouldn't have. "But who do you think you are?"

There it was. "You. A jaded, tired, and wiser you."

Cool air blew into the hot fish, small fingers dug into it, clearing away the bones so that he wouldn't bite into it. "Think so? Why?"

"Because normal people-" Naruto bit his lip, turning away to watch the river beside them roll down the hill they were beside. Its purpose simple and goal predetermined; easy. "Normal people understand what they can and can't have after getting burned once."

Neither of the blonds said anything for a few moments, letting the silence stretch out with naught but the cracking fire and their gaping differences.

"Do you remember this place?" the boy asked eventually, sniffing the fish before taking a bite out of it.

"How could I forget?" Naruto remembered his safe place, the comfort of being away from the stares.

"No." the boy shook his head. "Just as you were borne from the doubts of where we're going, and given a greater place in our psyche due to its corrosive nature; I exist as your opposite. This place, yes. But this moment…holds great value to us; whether you like to admit it or not."

Naruto stared into the fire, its light reflecting off of his orbs, quietly contemplative before fixating on an errant memory where his time near the campfire was interrupted. "The Sandaime Hokage."

"Jiji." the boy looked like he wanted to say more, but he stopped himself, eyes taking in the flames licking out loftily, like an enthusiastic pet. "It was where he told me -us- about the Will of Fire. About the stories of the Hokage before us, and how they were celebrated like heroes, and acknowledged by everyone in the village."

Naruto said nothing for a moment, peering into the brilliant flames that seemed to glow just a tad brighter, pushing back the encroaching twilight around them. "What are you trying to say?"

The boy met his eyes this time, lips flattened, jaw set, and eyebrows knitted seriously. Gaze of sapphire crystal clearly expressing what he wanted. "We…can't change our circumstances of birth, that much is true. But we can change it for the future. Fear dominated our past…why should we let it dominate our future too?"

A little fist reached out and grabbed an errant twig nearby, using it to poke at the fire, tending it carefully, allowing all within to burn properly so that the fire could never go out. "I don't want my sole chance of happiness to be lost, that's all."

Another heavy silence fell upon them, but this one had a faint tension that came from the older male, who's features steadily hardened in response to the child before him. "And how has that panned out for you so far?"

A cold breeze slipped through the fire, dimming its vitality, and the first hint of panic entered the boy's eyes as he leaned forward so that he could make sure that his little flame could stay strong. Those words alone seemed to have placed a damper on the fire, and on the child's spirits.

Taking a moment to rearrange the logs, the boy stopped and looked at his counterpart. "…It's hard. To continue trying to open yourself up to others only to be hurt in return; but that's hardly a reason to turn our backs on happiness, isn't it?"

"Why shouldn't we?" he bit out, glowering, passion leaking into his words. "Why should I continue to trust people? I have tried, I've tried so hard to trust, to be the bigger man, to push past what has happened, all for the vague hope that my -our- life would be better."

Naruto bowed his head, eyes to the dirt, low. "We were wrong."

The boy said nothing. Little stick carefully moving aside a log in the fire.

"If those who were close to me didn't die, then they betrayed me."

Within the fire, visages of two old men, smiling as they accepted the cold embraces of oblivion appeared, alongside the haunted and spinning tomoes of the Sharingan. Still, the boy said nothing.

"If they remained, then they stayed at home…while I fell to this new world, where all of my effort up until then meant nothing."

A crater. Dead bodies. Dead sensei. All saved; rescued. A hero that should've received the love and adoration that he worked for –all taken by circumstance, or even fate.

"In the end…I-I just want this pain to stop. I want the pain of seeing someone I care about torn apart from me, to stop. I want the pain of knowing that I may never see people that I see as family ever again, to stop. I want this…all of this, to stop. I've done all I could and more…" Naruto worked himself up throughout his speech, but at the end, he petered out, exhausted in more ways than one. "I'm tired of getting my hopes up and inevitably getting disappointed. I said it before; I'm done playing hero, especially it's for the sake of others that will bring nothing but disappointment and pain."

Again, the fire seemed to have dimmed again, making the campsite just that much cooler. The flames continued to burn, but they seemed to be not much more the glorified embers rather than the comfortable campfire that seemed to warm everything in its vicinity.

The boy stared at the flames mutely, then turned to his other self. "Then what would you do?"

"You know what." Naruto raised his head, baleful. "Walk away. From Kuoh Town. From Konoha. From everything. I'd follow through with my promise with Haruno Sakura, but that's all I owe anyone. After that; I'm done."

Even while he was speaking, the spiky hair on the crown of the child's head swerved as he shook it negatively. "You, I, we can't live like that. That's no way to live life."

"Better than the alternative of doing things again and again until it miraculously works for a year or two, only to be forced to restart." his counterpart growled, getting on his feet, frustration obvious. As he got up, he accidentally knocked over a cup of water that had been sitting next to him, probably gathered up from the river nearby.

The boy yelped, all traces of wisdom beyond his years gone as he tried to cover the fire with his body, desperation coloring his movements. Seeing that desperation, a thought occurred to the invader, a realization that helped him see clearly again.

None of this was real. Of course that'd be obvious to anyone that thought about it; it wasn't like Naruto had went back in time or anything. This was all a representation concocted by his own mind to explain the vast differences between the current Naruto, and the Naruto that had become jaded; like his past self once upon a time.

Like how the kyuubi no yoko wasn't literally kept in a cage, but was sealed within the shinobi's chakra network; it was just his mind simplifying the fact into something more understandable. The same was for this newest division in Naruto's psyche –which meant-

"I can't let you do that, shadow of mine." the boy murmured after retracting himself from the flames, meeting the older male squarely, his confidence battered, but far from beaten. "I won't sacrifice my happiness because of what happened to me in my childhood, that's all."

Naruto stared at the boy for a beat longer then resolutely turned away from him, walking away from the fire and towards the shadows. Taking comfort in getting away from the young boy and what he regarded as his 'truth'.

"One last thing." the child spoke up behind him, stopping the teen in his tracks. "What happened in the fight with Cao Cao in Kyoto? If all you want is to back off from all of this, then why act that way? Unless…that wasn't you?"

Naruto didn't look back, recalling the point in the fight that the smaller version of himself spoke of; when Uzumaki Naruto lost control of himself. "If you're talking about that point in the fight where our physical self utilized the kyuubi's power, then you're wrong; that was me. Natural energy brings out the nascent 'negative' feelings of an individual, and his doubt; I prefer to think self-preservation, was the biggest thing. However, there were…other negative feelings that came to the forefront, feelings that made our attitude become more…hostile, feelings that were enhanced thanks to the kyuubi's corrosive chakra."

The same could be said for natural energy, now that he thought about it. Though he was more sane with natural energy, and not the contorted vehicle of rage that the kyuubi's chakra brought out. Eventually, he knew, after utilizing Sage Mode, the current Naruto would just flat out enhance this side of him to the point that he became the dominant personality. The more this doubt stayed present, the worst that the world's natural energy would make it. Time was on his side, in the end.

That being said...

Naruto compressed his mouth into a flat line, refusing to look back. "There are far worse things in our psyche than simply the wish to walk away from it all."

"I know." the younger version of himself murmured, tone so soft that it could barely be heard over the crackle of the campfire, soot softly being carried in the cool wind that brushed them by. "I remember that feeling just as much as our hopelessness. It's…hard to forget. That feeling that just made me want to-"

He stopped there, not willing to delve into it, but the older version didn't let go. "Made me want to…?"

The psyche couldn't walk away from the very dark place where they were in; the occasional dark thoughts that filtered through the mind of a child that could've so easily taken a different path were it not for specific circumstances.

The boy's voice were soft, innocent, and even childish as he stared at the fire blankly, it's blaze reflecting the blue in his eyes as if it could take hold over a village and its people without mercy. "…Made me want to break the whole world."

When the chill returned, even Naruto shivered faintly at the whispers it carried. He shook it off though, steeling himself again. "I wouldn't do that, you know that, right?"

"I know."

Nothing more could really be said. All was laid bare, though the surface personality couldn't really know. Not unless he delved deep into his own mindscape and looked deeply into his soul, like this Naruto did. So he kept walking, releasing himself into the reality outside, finished with what needed to be done.

When he left, the world he left behind began to descend into blurs and vague shapes. The world created by a fractured psyche vanishing into the unconscious mind once again, only accessed if the conscious willed it to be so.

The child smiled softly into the fire, raising the blurred stick that he carried to tend to the fire once again. "This time…this time I will find it. I'm sure of it."

He left out the last bit that he wanted to say, afraid to acknowledge it.

'Because I'm not sure what I'd do if I don't.'

When Naruto opened his eyes, he found himself alone with a corpse by his side within a ruined building, blinking a bit to understand his surroundings. Seconds passed in silence and he recalled everything that had happened, and stood up with a sense of finality.

He was sure of it now. He wasn't wrong about what he thought about their current course, of that he had no doubt. He was not evil for trying to preserve his sanity as best he could. No, he could best be described as a shadow; the being that came to existence after the current Naruto's idealism and reality came to meet. The light meeting the surface.

He did not desire destruction, nor did he desire revenge, he just wanted…peace.

There were no other options, not anymore.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto pulled out a slip of paper in one of his many pockets and summoned a brush with ink meant for fuinjutsu in order to jot a few key things down. Aware that by this point, the other clone in Kuoh Town that the original left behind would probably come and investigate the area out of worry. That clone needed to understand some of the things that he had learned.

Of course, it didn't need to know about Kumagawa Misogi, but there were other things that needed to be revealed for their own personal safety.

Tapping the brush in thought, he jotted down one more thing specifically at the back of the note, knowing that the information couldn't simply be left at the front just in case a companion had a chance to glance at it first.

Nodding in satisfaction, Naruto slowly brought his hands together and formed a hand seal, acutely aware that he was just a clone.

No. That was wrong. He wasn't just a clone, he was much more than that, and he knew, deep in his beating heart that he was doing the right thing.

This was for the greater good in the end, and when these people left his life, they'd be thankful for it.

With that last thought, he exploded into smoke, with nothing but grim determination in his heart.

"Woah there, slow down. I get that you're eager, but you're gonna give yourself a-"

When Koneko jumped awake, reflexively clutching at the arm that was near her, she felt her skull throb at her quick movements. This feeling only discouraged any sudden movements and her hands to grasp her head in annoyance.

"-headache. Yeah, like I said." Naruto's clone remarked with a grin. "Take it slow, would ya?"

The rook heeded the words that she was only half paying attention to, letting the throb die down before raising her head to meet the amused expression on her sempai's face. "Naruto-sempai…? What –ah."

"Yeah, you kinda slipped out of consciousness for a little bit there." the older teen remarked, grinning teasingly. "Had to stick around to make sure that no one stole you or anything. Kinda surprised you woke up so quickly though; is that a devil thing?"

Partially. "…Not just devil."

The copy raised an eyebrow, interested, but Koneko didn't elaborate, instead opting to get onto her feet carefully to check the sky. "What time is it?"

"Really, really late at night. Probably close to early morning by now." the vlone followed her line of sight and saw the moon clearly in the sky, though it could tell that the sun would eventually peek out from the horizon soon enough. "You should probably head back home and get some rest; keep training when you wake up just to get the technique I taught you down pat."

Watching it get onto its feet to stretch himself a bit, the reincarnated devil looked at him curiously. "Heading home too?"

"Not quite yet." blue eyes focused on something in the distance, something not even a devil could see. "I've got to check something out first; I'll catch you later, alright?"

She didn't really get a chance to say anything more since the blond very much vanished before her eyes by jumping with an incredible burst of speed. Leading her to pout just a bit, almost…disappointed with his brevity.

Meanwhile, the clone sharply focused on somewhere ahead, mentally pinpointing area where he felt strange energy sources erupt after a barrier was torn down…after it was put up to begin with. Surely, something big was going on over there, though it was obvious that the other clone ther handled it properly.

Regardless, the copy wanted to see what the hubbab was all about, if out of curiosity if not slight concern. Things seemed to have quieted down, and he had just received a vague impression of some kind of run down gym when the clone over there popped.

Clones couldn't really receive memories from other clones when they were all on the same 'tier' per say, but they could receive vague ideas of where they were and what was going on, but this time around it was somehow shadier than usual.

Whatever it was, it was sure that it wasn't too big of a deal. Notwithstanding the strange feeling in its gut anyway.

Yuki was trying to relax.

She was alone in her futon and in her pajamas as she stared at the ceiling within her room, forcing herself to fall asleep when it seemed to elude her no matter how she concentrated. Though, to be honest, it was just as likely that her concentration on sleeping was ironically keeping her awake.

It wasn't like she wanted to concentrate on something so inane though, she was kind of forced to. The alternative to that was to let her mind drift towards the questions that have begun to plague her ever since she has received that fateful text message from the Hero Tribe's HQ in Japan. The recall until further notice.

She never considered this little traditional Japanese house her home, not until she was told to leave it, as well as Kuoh Town all behind. Possibly for another assignment elsewhere.

It was…an unforeseen occurrence, and she was still trying to wrap her head around it.

And then, of course, there was the other unforeseen circumstance.

Ear pricking up, she heard the front entrance open from the outside, with heavy footsteps fumbling to remove footwear and a tired sigh that sounded awfully familiar as well.

Surprisingly, Toujou Basara got along swimmingly with the other students in his classes when not under the control of a mad man. It was simultaneously inspiring…and somewhat depressing.

A teenaged boy that probably had zero natural human interactions with others whilst brainwashed into a stoic killer had more social skills than her. More than that; he seemed to actually be the most normal individual amongst their little group in Kuoh Academy. Now wasn't that somewhat sad?

Normal. A word that meant so little, but could mean so much. What would it be like, for Yuki to be normal? A normal school girl, living a normal life, with normal problems, normal friends, and a normal crush? It all seemed strange and otherworldly to her, but she could wonder at times, especially now.

Yuki contemplated this for what felt like maybe an hour. Long enough for her to hear Basara brush his teeth and head to his own bed in the home. Long enough that she jolted in slight surprise when her phone suddenly went off. Alarm bells went off in the hero's head in answer initially.

Was it, perhaps, someone from the Hero Tribe personally informing her that she should leave effective immediately? Could she appeal to the decision? Should she?

For all of two seconds she contemplated this, and then wondered whether she could get away with simply dodging the call, whether it was even advisable to do so. Eventually, with some reluctance, she relented at the consistent ringing and picked up her cell, pressing the earpiece to the right side of her face, cautious in answer. "…Hello?"

The voice that came in response was gruff, a bit listless, and very tired. "Yuki-kun…we need to talk."

Breath came in quickly at the voice that the young woman knew so well. "Otou-sama…what's wrong, you sound so-"

"Never mind that now." Jin halted her line of questioning, in a hurry. "No one knows that I'm contacting you, so I need to tell you what has been happening back at HQ. Now listen closely, I'll only tell you once."

Recognizing the severity of the situation, Yuki did go quiet and simply listened.

She listened with a prominent frown when she heard that HQ was raided by an unknown third party.

She listened with shock when the leader of said attack claimed and looked to be Uzumaki Naruto.

She felt her grip on her phone slacken when she learned that the Hero Tribe was divided on whether attacking her friend in answer was the right thing to do.

She felt a stab of guilt prick through her when he heard of Basara's survival from her and closed in on himself for a few days, a part of her wondering where she stood now that the secret was out.

And finally, she felt her own jaw slacken in trepidation at the idea that Kurumi was coming to Kuoh Town…as a part of a task force. Kurumi, her own sister.

Still processing this turn of events, Jin spoke to her again, voice hard, but undeniably exhausted. She could understand why. "Unfortunately, Yuki-kun, I have my hands full here at HQ. It was bad enough before where many heroes already assumed the worst about the other supernatural factions, but now those concerns are validated to many. I don't know who mimicked your friend, Yuki-kun, but they've effectively created a division that may be too much to bridge. I just need to prepare for such a possibility."

Civil war. A possibility that seemed so overblown suddenly loomed over the hero, like an eclipse that cut off the sun's light.

Was that what this would all come down to? The question of whether the Hero Tribe should aggressively police the world for any supernatural group that could even possibly threaten their species, regardless of whether they meant harm or not? Because she knew that that was what some aimed for; strived to do. Knew that radicals would take this chance to do what they do best; radicalize.

She racked her brain for a moment, rebelling against the idea, seeking something that might prove such radicals incorrect and sway the moderates a different direction-

Yuki paused, mouth open as her mind latched onto a specific conversation that she had merely a few days ago with a far too optimistic blond. An idea that suddenly seemed to carry salvation to this issue.

What was the best way to soothe down radical feathers? To unite a group against another, and create bridges?

A common enemy.

The now infamous renegade group that called themselves the Hero Faction.

And what other group wanted them gone as much as the Hero Tribe? What other supernatural group that didn't harm humans, but tried to co-exist with them?

The Yokai faction.

"Otou-sama." Yuki wanted to talk about something else. About Basara. About her place with him alive and well. But, like the hero she always tried to be these days, she looked at the bigger picture…and spoke. "I think I may have an idea."

Naruto felt a tingle at the back of his head, a feeling that was commonly associated with the popping of a clone, but he frowned when the influx of emotions didn't come as they usually did.

That could be trouble. Was it perhaps too far to hope that he couldn't get his clone's memories when he was in a completely different dimension? That seemed probable, though kinda annoying.

He could at least take some small comfort in the fact that the sick feeling in his stomach had pretty much vanished when his clone popped. Did his clone manage to get rid of that feeling somehow? Or was it something else?

Questions, questions, questions. Always with the questions.

The shinobi pouted when he felt Rias pinch his arm, grabbing his attention as Grayfia waited for them in front of a set of double doors that no doubt led to the people that they were waiting to meet. "Bael-sama and his associates have been waiting for you in here, Rias-sama, Naruto-sama. Are you two ready?"

"Not at all dattebayo." Naruto remarked with a smirk, as he cupped Rias' shoulder. "But I've got her, so I think we'll survive somehow."

Rolling her eyes, the Gremory princess decided to amend that statement. "Basically; we're as ready as we'll ever be."

There was almost a hint of…amusement in Grayfia's eyes, before it was smothered and she calmly opened the door to reveal a large room with a surprisingly small circular table plopped right in the middle with only a few occupants sitting within it.

Among those occupants, a man stood, a smile without mirth spreading across his lips, his violet eyes lighting with power as he locked onto the teen that he saw in the televised events of his companion's party of maidenhood. "Welcome, my young friend. I'm sure that we all have much to discuss, seeing as you took the time to seek me and my compatriots out yourself."

Lord Bael. One of the leading members of this little group that obviously wasn't his biggest fan.

Naruto already wanted to go back to the human world.

Kyouchi Shiba knew that the old man sought to strip him of his connection of the Hero Tribe, but he was moderately surprised to meet the man in person after so long. Especially after the stunt he pulled by attacking the supposedly hidden Hero Tribe HQ and stealing him with his…'experiments'.

"So…you're the insider within the Hero Tribe that the old man had for all this time, hm?"

Though it was obvious that some experiments were better than others. The specimen before him looked at him from above her perch while she languidly placed her hand on a shapely leg that was crossed over the other, looking at him as if it was almost beneath her notice. All this from a woman that was apparently attending the high school that was masquerading as so much more.

Interesting. "You must be-"

"Let's not get into formalities." she dismissed before he could even begin, eyes crawling up to look at the man that escorted him in. "Where's Kumagawa?"

The man, with his shockingly frizzy orange hair, blinked. "The fuku-kaichou? Didn't he tell you that he wanted to see your –er…"

Her darkening ruby eyes pierced through the man, her displeasure revealed through a set jaw. "…I see."

Feeling irritation, Shiba felt his closed eyes crack open, an unpleasant power rushing through him, a power that was immediately smothered at the weight of her regard once she snapped to him again, eyelids narrowing into slits.

He felt a burst of frustration at his state. He knew that this girl was his so-called 'ally's' best project, but it did little to soothe the fact that he was nothing compared to a girl at the moment. He wasn't always like this, once he was powerful, once he could make even the Heavens quake and the Underworld pray, but ever since then-

"I don't like your eyes." the teenaged girl lorded over him, lightning cracking upon her palms, begging to be released.

"Don't you worry, child. That's his standard disposition, isn't it, my old friend?"

From behind Shiba, old man Shiranui appeared, hobbling up towards the woman who swiveled her attention to him. Expression blank. "What do you want, old man?"

"Impatient as always, I see." he tsked idly, not provoking anything from her besides a pair of flattened lips. "He may be late, but surely that's no reason to be annoyed, is it?"

"I'm not." she claimed, crossing her arms under her bust. "I simply have better things to do with my time; and this isn't it. So get on with it."

"Of course, of course." Shiranui turned to smile genially at the man that led the group that captured Shiba from the Hero Tribe base. "You may go now; thank you for your service."

"Anything for my comrades!" he declared, chancing a slightly nervous glance at the tyrant that very much controlled the institution that they all lived in. The old man's contribution to it was as visionary alone. For all intent's and purposes, she held the power.

She waved him off. "Go."

Shoulders slacking in relief, he marched off and closed the door behind him, leaving the three alone.

The elderly man cut to the chase, his grandfatherly smile filled with promises of good things, though both of the other occupants knew better. "I've been informed through my contacts with other 'rogue' factions that Ophis is calling for a meeting of all Khaos Brigade affiliates."

Both; Kurokami Medaka and Kyouichi Shiba raised their heads, attention riveted onto him after he threw that information bomb onto the floor and just left it there.

"The Ouroboros Dragon?" the tyrant repeated, genuine and rare surprise in those ruby orbs of her's, though not enough to light them up. Not like he could. "A being of such power…what could it want?"

"That's what we're going to find out." Shiranui's smile created more wrinkles when he saw the barely restrained eagerness in Shiba's expression. He knew that the man sought to consolidate his status as the Hero Faction's newest leader after Cao Cao's unfortunate death. This was his chance. "I've managed to earn an invitation of sorts through certain…'friends' I have made in the magician's organization; Nilrem."

Eyes cracked open a fraction, and the tiniest of blue was seen in the opening, studying the younger man that had taken an interest. "Do you wish to join us?"

There was more to this, Shiba knew that. There would be a cost to accepting such help from a man like this, but for now, he'd bear with it. His own eyes cracked open, revealing his own red pupils and a grin. "When do we go?"

"Preferably; when Kumagawa-kun returns." Shiranui chortled a bit at the small scowl in his creation's lips, displeased. "I believe that such experiences are…invaluable for our goals, wouldn't you say, child?"

"We shall see." the young woman replied stoically, smoothly getting onto her feet to exit the room, finished for all intents and purposes. "When he comes by; if he comes by, contact me."

She left the two men behind, ignoring the dual stares in favor of stewing over the idea that that annoying boy would go on and face Naruto for what could tacitly be labeled as 'shits and giggles'. He did things without thought or substance; he was a being of randomness, not even chaos.

There was a strange logic for Naruto. There was no such thing for Kumagawa Misogi.

She wasn't particularly worried about the blond however, no; she was more worried about the idea that he may let something vital slip. Something she needed to change him back.

...Perhaps she should contact those six again, she may have need of them for a clandestine operation whilst she's busy with other issues. She needed more power; and she knew just how she'd obtain it. But she needed the means, not the concept of the end.

Balance Breaker. The borderline mythical means of achieving incredible power that the God of the Bible apparently failed to close for those that utilize Sacred Gears. If she could get such a power, then she was sure she could surpass him.

The old man; Shiranui, didn't have the means or the technology to achieve such a thing for artificially made Sacred Gears, but she had an idea of someone who did.

Time. All she needed was time, and patience.

AN: Hi. It's been a while. I simultaneously got lazy and had to rewrite this thing like...3 times. I think this is the best I could've done, hopefully no one is too upset for waiting for so long. :3

Also, just to make this perfectly clear, this is how Naruto's dilemma works;

Naruto post-Sage Mode = Weakened Naruto

Naruto post-Sage Mode + kyuubi's chakra = Vehicle of destruction Naruto (Kyuubi's chakra enhances rage and anger, not other emotions. Since natural energy brings up those negative feelings more, those emotions are much more powerful.)

Naruto post-Double Corrupt Natural Energy = Shadow Naruto (The one you've just seen, becomes more present in the psyche the more natural energy is taken.)

(If doubts left unsolved given time) Naruto post-Sage Mode = Shadow Naruto (Could end up that way, may not. Who knows...?)

Figured that it seemed a bit convoluted, so there ya go. Not anything deep, but I tried to put some thought into it. Maybe too much. Juggling a lot of balls here, if ya guys haven't noticed.

Edit: For any people worrying, this is the most convoluted it will ever get. I have no illusions that this is a fanfic story, so anymore than this will make things...hard.

Edit 2: Alright, I few people were confused about Naruto not getting his clone's memories. For me; I figured that there was a limitation of how far chakra could travel from clone to master. HOWEVER, I was gonna leave this for later, but since chakra has been shown to transcend stuff like...uh...death, then I figured that the chakra and the memories would be delayed and/or partially lost in transition. That was gonna be in the next chapter, but hell, may as well spoil that. But yeah, sorry for the confusion. :3

Now then, please tell me if there are any issues, all reviews are welcome. Hopefully the next one won't take so long! :D

-RekkingPride