Here's chapter 02. And I've tried to answer some of the reviews in AN after the chapter if anyone's interested.
A General disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Highschool DxD, or any other IPs written in this story.
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Reawakening
II
6 hours later
Even though the person sleeping inside the stasis pod was utterly unaware of her surroundings, her presence exuded an enigmatic, almost ethereal quality.
Just from a single glance, most would admit that she was a gentle soul… and of the fact that she was drop-dead gorgeous.
She embodied the essence of beauty and grace, a young woman with a figure that boasted generous curves, who seemed seemingly at the end of her late teens. Her skin possessed a flawless, porcelain quality, a rare trait even amongst the supernatural beauties. But what took the spotlight was the color of her long and beautiful hair – a unique purple shade that he hadn't seen before.
And she was Ingvild Leviathan.
Rubbing the back of his head, Naruto looked away from her sleeping form, embarrassed. It was hard to focus on her since a girl of her caliber was lying there naked as the day she was born.
"Naughty~"
Naruto groaned, "Seriously, Arashi?"
In response, he cackled. A sound that would have frightened even the dragons.
Shaking his head to clear the distractions, Naruto focused on the data displayed on the various monitors.
Ingvild Leviathan was a child born from a human mother and a devil father from the 'Leviathan' clan. Her devil father, knowing that his relationship would be considered taboo in his clan, decided to live in a seaside city in Europe with his family.
Unfortunately at some point, Ingvild ended up with the 'Sleep Disease'. It was a sickness unique to the devils which, when developed, would make the inflicted devil fall into a deep sleep. And during their slumber, their body would gradually weaken and after a certain period, they would die. That was why the patients needed to artificially maintain their life.
Since her parents did not have the resources to care for her, they contacted the Leviathan nobles and sent her to the underworld in an attempt to cure her.
While the noble devils of the Leviathan clan tried to hide her, the Old Satan faction got wind of this information.
And that was how she ended up here.
But what was so special about her that made the Old Satans retrieve her from the underworld? A risky task considering their situation.
It was the Longinus she awakened – Nereid Kyrie.
An unrecorded Longinus.
"Boss."
Naruto turned away from the monitors and looked at the person who addressed him as such, an identical clone of him.
"We didn't find anything new related to that other project of the Old Satan faction."
This made Naruto raise an eyebrow which in turn made the clone fidgety, "Well, boss, I think… I mean, we think that maybe they have removed all the important bits to another location?"
It was a concerning notion.
Yes, Naruto made sure to mark all the bases of the Old Satan faction, hidden or otherwise, and weeded them out in one fell swoop. But it made sense, considering their origin and the number of enemies they had that they would have a base or two that would have gone unnoticed even by the likes of Ophis.
"More work for me," Naruto snorted, "Splendid~" He met his clone's gaze before asking, "Other than that, did you find anything notable?"
The clone started scratching his head, "Boss, we think this base was originally created for that unknown project. As we can see the Old Satan faction moved that project elsewhere after some time and remodeled this base for her," The clone finished while pointing at the stasis pod.
Naruto nodded in acknowledgment, "Understood. But extend your search parameter, look outside the base. If we are lucky, we may find clues… any clues on this secret project of theirs or the location of this other secret base."
"Gotcha boss," The clone saluted before dashing off.
Shadow Clones – a powerful B-rank technique under the 'Darkness Manipulation' category. By manipulating the shadow and imparting a bit of one's essence, a clone could be created. Of course, these clones were weaker and a few strong hits could dispel them, but this technique was extremely versatile.
And since Naruto had an abundance of energy, he could easily create tens of them, stronger ones even, and have them do most of the tedious and time-consuming tasks. Plus, because of their shared telepathic link, they were tremendously useful both as scouts and researchers.
Even so, Naruto turned toward the monitors again, some tasks were better to be done by his own hands.
But before he could focus, he felt her presence.
That amount of draconic energy and the potency of it… it could easily drown their entire world, along with all the realms connected to it, Divine or otherwise.
Yet, why couldn't other supernatural beings locate her?
Naruto came across a story that perfectly explained the situation.
Once a group of brave sailors went on an expedition to find the most dangerous creature in the ocean. They found and subdued many, but could not mark any of them as the 'Most Dangerous'. They journeyed far and wide, yet they could not find such creature. But at the end of their voyage, just when they were about to reach their home, they faced a storm… so terrifyingly powerful and they could do nothing against it. Their skills, their knowledge, and their weapons… all were useless.
It was then that they realized… It was the 'Ocean' which was the most dangerous creature out of them all.
The same concept could be applied to Ophis.
The energy of the Ouroboros Dragon was so enormous that most if not all supernatural beings couldn't sense it since it was all around them.
Naruto liked this theory better than the other one.
The Infinity Dragon God was using the essence of DxD to conceal herself.
Naruto stood up, and the moment he took one step forward… she was there, right in front of him.
Her appearance was that of a young girl with long ebony hair cascading down to her hips, along with obsidian eyes whose pupils slit like that of a reptilian creature. And with her ears having elegantly pointed tips, she had this otherworldly allure to her appearance.
Even though she looked like a child who didn't even reach her teen years and looked as if she was obsessed with Gothic Lolita fashion.
This was Ophis, the Infinity Dragon God.
She was also his mentor, his guardian, and…
"Mom," She was his mother, all but blood.
"Naruto," A tiny nod of acknowledgment before Ophis' focus moved toward the active monitors and finally landed on the stasis pod, "Hast thou discovered anything?"
Naruto grinned, "As if you can expect anything less from your fabulous son."
A smile appeared on Ophis' face, so small that would have been missed by anyone else. But Naruto caught it.
His grin widened as he pointed toward the monitor, "Let me show you…"
Ophis' nose twitched once and immediately his obsidian eyes fell on him making Naruto freeze on the spot.
"Thou hast assumed thy 'Carnal Chaos' form."
The tone accompanied by the look Ophis was giving me made Naruto almost gulp visibly. But he had already prepared an answer for this situation, "Just once. I went against the entire Old Satan faction, including the leaders. And I made sure to use it for less than ten minutes."
"Dost thou imply that mine own 'Fabulous Son' hath not contrived a means to address the Old Satan faction's menace sans endangering his own life essence?
This question made Naruto embarrassed and he started to rub the back of his head, "Come on, mom. 'Carnal Chaos' form has issues but it's not that bad. I mean you've…"
Ophis crossed her arms, it was not a good sign, "Dost thou recollect the reason for thy seventy years in a coma?"
This shut him up.
"Naruto."
But it seemed Ophis was not going to let him off the hook that easily.
"Because Hades' last attack pierced my heart. That piece of shit decided to take me down with him," Naruto murmured in the last part.
Ophis raised one eyebrow delicately, "And?"
Naruto sighed dramatically, "And I've overused my power in 'Carnal Chaos' form during my fight with Hades."
"Overuse is an understatement, Naruto," Ophis shook her head, "Aye, Hades' attack was lethal, yet I could have healed thee with ease. Thou wouldst have walked anew within three to five years, had that been thy sole affliction."
Ophis took a step forward and then tapped on Naruto's chest, "Whilst I am aware of the source of thy power, Naruto, the innermost machinations thereof remain an enigma to mine own ken. Yet, one fact we both agreed upon – a potent force thou dost command, perilous both to thyself and thy surroundings."
"Lady Ophis, this no fair…"
Ophis made an odd sound. It was a combination of a scoff and a low growl. And Arashi went deathly quiet after that.
"Indeed, thou hast acquired mastery over that power, employing it without any constraint – a marvel that I deemed implausible, but thou hast revealed it unto me. Still, this truth remains unchanged – that power is dangerous," Ophis tapped his chest again, harder this time, "And thus, thou shouldst tread warily in its employ."
Naruto looked away, "I'm sorry."
Ophis gently touched his cheek, "I have never asked thee to relinquish its use. Nay, the contrary. Explore its depths, and strive to transcend thy prior prowess.," Suddenly she started pulling his cheek, hard.
"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!"
"I offer but a single counsel: refrain from foolish endeavors. Activating thy 'Carnal Chaos' form, harnessing the full extent of thy power immediately upon rousing from a coma engendered by its very usage – such recklessness is naught but foolishness."
Naruto tilted his head toward the direction Ophis was pulling his cheek to make it hurt less, "Did you just call me stupid?"
"Art thou not behaving as such?"
Naruto started tapping her hand, gently, when she increased her strength, "You're right! You're right! I wasn't thinking clearly. Forgive me."
Ophis let go of his cheek but Naruto could tell from her expression that she wasn't done with him.
Out of nowhere, she extended her hand toward him, "Yield 'Baculus Inferni' to me."
"Wait, what!" A second later, "Why?!"
"Bereft of that unique weapon, thy 'Carnal Chaos' form shalt not be invoked impulsively. Twice shalt thou weigh its use, for thou canst conceal thy power from the supernatural world and canst stop thyself from adversely impacting thy environs."
He would rather she grounded him, "What if I really need to use that form?"
"Thou canst extend thy hand to me."
"What if you are not available?"
"In that event, what was the phrase thou didst say? Ah, yes," Ophis looked at him and said the next part in the most deadpan tone possible, "Believe it."
After saying her part, she shook her extended hand. Naruto closed his mouth and his shoulders dropped. He tried to think of ways to get out of this punishment but found none.
He had only used this weapon four times, practice not counted, and he could only cast one spell from it, 'Dimension Lock'. But it was one damn useful spell. Not only would the spell lock out a large area using 'Space' and 'Divine' magic, trapping his enemies inside, but it would also help him conceal his power from the supernatural world. And the last part was critical to him. Because he knew that going into 'Carnal Chaos' form without any precaution would alert almost every supernatural faction of his power and location.
So, by taking 'Baculus Inferni', Ophis was indirectly putting a restriction on his 'Carnal Chaos' form.
Finally, albeit with great reluctance, Naruto took out 'Baculus Inferni' and handed it over.
The moment the staff touched Ophis' hand, it disappeared. And Naruto felt his heart squeezing.
"Once more must I beseech thee, Naruto, to exercise caution in wielding thy power," A green snake made of pure mana appeared on top of Ophis' hand before it traveled toward Naruto and he absorbed it. It was a power to directly summon Ophis, something that he knew wouldn't be using unless it was absolutely necessary, "If the prospect of summoning me for aid doth discomfort thee," This statement from Ophis made Naruto smile sheepishly, "Perchance, I could offer instruction on the more advanced Draconic Arts."
Now that caught Naruto's surprise, "Really? I thought wasn't ready for it."
"Physically, thou were not. Yet, as thou art aware, I didst alter thy physique to expedite thy recovery throughout thy prolonged repose. Because of this enhanced physique, thou shouldst now encounter no issues."
Naruto nodded his head, "Something to look forward to I suppose."
A small smile graced Ophis' lips, "Naruto, I know that thou hast not broken thy vow to me. However, I am privy to the extent of thy regard for others. I ask thee only to bear thyself in like esteem."
Naruto grinned from ear to ear, "I know mom."
"Most excellent. Now that this matter stands resolved," She pointed behind Naruto, "Wilt thou unveil what tidings thou hast discovered?"
"Gladly," Naruto directed Ophis toward the monitors before he remembered something.
He stopped in his tracks before pointing at the sleeping naked girl inside the stasis pod, "Mom, can you…?"
Ophis tilted her head.
"I mean, can you use your magic and," Naruto waved his arms around aimlessly, "cover the girl? I don't think she is feeling comfortable."
Luckily for him, Ophis didn't question him at all and created a sheet directly inside the stasis pod to cover her.
"Thank you, mom."
Unfortunately, someone else was not so quiet about it.
"Uncomfortable. Her or you?"
The snickering didn't help at all.
Naruto ignored Arashi and pointed toward the monitor, "I told you that the Old Satan faction will definitely betray you and you have asked me for concrete evidence," He clicked a few buttons and opened multiple files, "Here is all the evidence. Recording of the Old Satan faction leaders discussing the betrayal, documents and notes on 'How' and 'When' they were going to betray you. And more…"
Ophis' eyes flashed eerily, only for a second or two, before she turned toward the stasis pod, "She, too, doth count amongst their weapons."
It was a statement, not a question. Within those two seconds, Naruto knew that Ophis absorbed all the information, analyzed it, and then came to her own conclusions.
Sensing her powering up, Naruto immediately stepped between her and the pod, "Mom! Don't!"
Ophis looked at him confused, "She's a weapon contrived by the Old Satan faction, designed to inflict harm upon my person."
"Mom," Naruto relaxed his stance, his voice softening, "She is not a weapon. She is a victim."
His comment along with his stance made Ophis lower her power, but she did not drop it completely. It was a sign that she was willing to listen to Naruto before deciding the course of her action.
And Naruto complied, "I understand the danger she possesses. Nereid Kyrie, her Longinus, is an unrecorded one. And if the Old Satan faction's data is to be believed, it can be considered a High-Tier Longinus due to the fact it can 'Control' dragons. They weren't sure of the extent of this 'Control', but from the recordings, we know that they wanted to use her power to weaken you."
"Thus, we shouldst preclude her ere she develops into a problem."
Naruto shook his head, "She doesn't know anything… that she has developed a dangerous Longinus, that she has been kidnapped, that her powers were going to be used without her consent… that she has lost a hundred years during her slumber."
Naruto felt Ophis completely dropping her power and he knew it was the last line that did the job.
"Pray, what is thy design for her?"
"The 'Sleeping Disease' was supposed to be cured because of the manifestation of her Longinus, but the Old Satan faction kept her sedated to learn more about her powers. I will wake her through proper procedures," Then he let out a gentle smile at Ophis, "And I will be the guide to her just like how you had been to me."
Ophis huffed and looked away, "Thy choice of words hath seen improvement."
"Thank you, mom," The smile turned into a grin before disappearing as Naruto changed the contents showing on the monitors, "But I still need to find their initial weapon."
On the screen, a symbol was being displayed. A black-eyeless snake formed an 'S' shape around a crimson cross.
"They didst erase every vestige of this so-called project," Ophis looked at Naruto after she was done checking the documents, "Dost thou believe they didst conceal it within some covert base, unbeknownst to me?"
Naruto nodded his head in acknowledgment, "This shouldn't be hard to locate since the leaders are dead. The devils maintaining the base or protecting the information, they are bound to slip up."
"I, too, shall keep vigilant watch. Given their antecedent project," Ophis glanced at Ingvild, "this unknown one may prove equally perilous."
"Sounds good, I will also…" Naruto felt sadness gripping his heart but he quickly composed himself. Instead of saying 'Ask my team to keep an eye out', he changed his words, "I will also keep an eye out for them."
Fortunately, Ophis didn't notice the slight hiccup.
"Pray, what is thy ensuing course of action?"
"Well, my immediate task is to relocate Ingvild to a safer location without damaging her pod," Naruto looked back at the pod, "For the time being, I will need to move her to one of our homes."
Ophis fully turned to face him.
"Yikes!"
"Thou wouldst usher in an unfamiliar soul into one of my abodes, fashioned with both our diligence."
"Just until I…"
"What of the base I have given thee of late?"
"It's perfect, but the security and the equipment…"
One moment, they were inside one of the Old Satan faction's bases, and in the next, they were at a familiar location.
It was a floating camouflaged small castle. Ophis had gifted him this base since most of his old ones were either destroyed or were in an unusable state because of the lack of care.
Ophis had personally cast a 'Shield' and a 'Camouflage' spell on this base. Basically, this base had a barrier powerful enough to withstand the onslaught of 'Super' class beings. At the same time, it can hide from the prying eyes of the likes of Pantheon Gods.
Yes, the base was almost perfect except for the fact that it was empty inside.
Naruto looked back and noticed that the stasis pod carrying Ingvild Leviathan was being covered by multiple complex magical circles.
"So, what lack dost thou possess in this place?"
Naruto was so close to letting out a dramatic sigh.
He tried so hard to make Ophis understand that throwing a huge number of spells and techniques at a problem wouldn't solve it. Sometimes, these problems require a delicate approach.
But he could tell from Ophis' expression that she was not going to budge from this. In that case, it was better to use her expertise to create a special room for Ingvild.
"Alright, so here is what I need…"
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One day later
The world now was vastly different from the one he used to know.
It was a foreign concept, something unimaginable even that the world around him changed so much that it was completely unrecognizable. And for him, it happened in a blink.
Granted, there was a seventy-year gap during that blink.
"70 years."
Before he closed his eyes, before he succumbed to his injuries, the world was still at war. Every day the innocents were running for their lives and doing their utmost to see the following day.
The wicked trampled the world as they marched forward and left nothing but fire and ashes behind them. And those that had the power to stop this madness were biding their time while the world suffered because of it.
Only a few stood up against this tyranny. Naruto and his friends were one such group.
Fortunately, the present was not such an era.
While the world of the present was not a perfect utopia, it was peaceful. Yes, Naruto could see the malicious forces hiding beneath the shadows and trying their best to disrupt the peace and order, but it was nothing like his time.
Because the so-called forces of Good were more active and more powerful than before.
Either that or, this time around, the evils were biding their time.
Now that was a concerning idea.
Still, Naruto's gaze moved across the open room, he had to applaud at the creative ideas and inventions that the humans came up with.
Before, if he and his friends wanted to have a picnic at a scenic location, they had to find it and clean up the place themselves. Granted, the magic helped but what the humans did now was infinitely better.
They had already built restaurants, hotels, cafés, and so much more in such locations, and there were hundreds of them all around the world. Maybe more but Naruto still needed some time to get used to the new era.
Naruto's face broke into a smile when he felt the familiar energy signature approaching him. He shifted his body so he could see the individual.
His eyes were slender, and his shoulder-length black hair was fastened in a ponytail. As ever, he sported his customary silver hoop earrings. His attire remained unchanged as well. Though the gray jacket and brown trousers bore a modern flair, to Naruto, they were exactly the same as before.
And, he still had his usual expression suggesting that he was either bored or tired.
"After all these years, you still look like someone who had his wallet stolen."
Naruto's words made the individual stop in his tracks before a small smile appeared on his face.
"And you look like someone who is addicted to steroids now."
Now it was Naruto who was stumped at his words.
It was only for a second before Naruto got up from his seat and hugged his old friend tightly, "It's good to see you Shikamaru."
"I…" Shikamaru paused, not knowing what to say. In the end, he returned Naruto's hug with the same energy.
This gesture alone spoke more than a thousand words.
They stayed in that position for a few seconds before letting each other go.
Shikamaru looked around while quickly swiping at his eyes, "Don't tell me you chose this place because they make noodles?"
Acting as if he didn't notice Shikamaru's attempt to hide his tears, Naruto took a step back and put a hand on his chest, "To think you would believe that I would choose the location of our long-awaited meeting based on the quality of the noodles in a restaurant?"
Shikamaru gave him a deadpan look, "Yes, you would."
"Damn right!"
This made Shikamaru smile widely, "Never doubted it. Hence, I have booked another location," Before Naruto could even utter a word of protest, he added, "And it makes good ramen."
Naruto grumbled for a few good seconds before ultimately nodding his head. Shikamaru instantly created a spell to hide them from the regular eyes before casting a teleportation spell.
The scenario around them changed in a blink.
Unlike the open-roof restaurant on the side of a hill, this time the restaurant was in the heart of a city. Naruto extended his senses and immediately realized that they were in Japan. And just by looking at the design and the decorations around him, he could tell that this was a very expensive restaurant. And it seemed like Shikamaru had booked the whole floor judging by the lack of customers around them.
"Really? The whole floor?"
Shikamaru pointed at the table near them, "The entire restaurant actually. One of the very few perks of being the son of the Grigori's leader is that," Instead of finishing the sentence, he rubbed his thumb and index finger together.
Naruto snorted. How could he forget? Shikamaru was always loaded.
"And don't worry, the humans on this floor are under a harmless illusion spell, so they won't hear anything that we say."
He took a seat and asked his friend, "So, how is your father, Azazel, doing?"
"Same as ever," Shikamaru took the seat opposite of him, "Busy with his research."
"Still focused on 'Sacred Gears'?"
Shikamaru nodded his head in acknowledgment, "Yes, but we are not here for him," He leaned forward, putting one elbow on the table, "How are you, Naruto?"
There were quite a few answers to that question and for a split second, Naruto did not know which one to say. But when he saw Shikamaru's expression, he immediately knew the answer, "Much better, now that the Old Satan faction has been rooted out."
"Entirely?"
Naruto shook his head, "No. I have taken out the leaders, most of their forces, and almost all the bases. Quite a few ran away and I don't plan to give them chase yet since I believe they will hand themselves over to the current Devil leaders."
"Are you sure?"
Naruto smiled but it didn't reach his eyes, "After they had seen what I did to their faction? And where else will they go?"
Shikamaru nodded his head, "So what else is left?"
"I believe the Old Satan faction has a base or two hidden from Ophis' eyes," Naruto sighed as he leaned back on his chair, "I need to find those and see what were they hiding there."
"I see," A few seconds later Shikamaru asked, "Did you kill all the leaders?"
Naruto opened his mouth to say 'Yes' but stopped himself when he realized what Shikamaru was hinting at. A second later, he changed his answer, "Rizevim Lucifer was not a part of the Old Satan faction."
Shikamaru frowned at his reply, "He is a sly bastard, through and through. He might not be a core member of the Old Satan faction but I can guarantee you that he was involved with his old friends to a certain degree."
He immediately added when he saw Naruto rubbing his forehead, "I am not asking you to actively look for him, just be wary and keep an eye out."
Naruto nodded his head in acknowledgment.
Then, for a full minute, no one spoke. Finally, Naruto decided to break the silence with the question, "What happened, Shikamaru?"
A smile, tired and broken, appeared on Shikamaru's face. He leaned back on his chair and fiddled with his fingers for a good ten seconds before finally answering, "You have already heard it from Marc. But I suppose you want to hear my side as well."
Naruto didn't say anything, making Shikamaru continue, "When Ophis took your body, she told us that you would live and be back on your feet. But it would take anywhere between half a century to a century. While we were ecstatic to hear the first part, the second part of the news crushed some of us. After all, they weren't sure if they would live long enough to see you again."
Shikamaru paused before waving at a waiter, "Discussions like this require alcohol."
Naruto smiled before making the same gesture toward the waiter, "You're right."
This surprised his friend, "Since when did you start drinking?"
Naruto avoided Shikamaru's gaze but answered him regardless, "Since I woke up."
Fortunately for him, Shikamaru didn't pry further.
Soon the waiter came with a few bottles of sake. Naruto wasn't well-versed in the world of alcoholic beverages, so he just took the strongest one. But from the way his friend handled the bottles, Naruto could tell that Shikamaru knew his drinks.
After taking a few sips, Shikamaru continued, "After you fell Hades, we finally started to see an end to that nightmare of a war. And regular innocent lives felt it as well, who knows for how long it had been for them – a beacon of light during that hellish time. Of course, numerous battles were still happening all over the place but they were dying down, fast. And there were individuals and forces who wanted to take credit for what you had accomplished."
Shikamaru filled his cup before finishing his drink in one go, "Over my corpse."
This made Naruto smile, "Is that why you returned to Grigori?"
"Kokabiel was one such individual. Don't know why father still keeps him around. Plus," Shikamaru filled his cup again, "With you out of the picture, him leaving the group soon after, and the World War coming to an end… we didn't see any need to keep Khaos Brigade going. Pretty sure you've heard this from Marc in detail."
Another bout of silence reigned as both of them just played with their cup, not knowing how to proceed with the conversation.
A minute later, Shikamaru broke the silence, "We heard about it quite late, you know; about Lucas teaming up with the Old Satan faction. But it was already too late," Shikamaru emptied his cup before continuing, "No matter how hard Marc and I tried, Lucas and Svalna refused to listen to us. Now that I think about it, both sides were desperate. He was desperate to prove that the Khaos Brigade was worth keeping and we were desperate to bring them out from there."
"But the Old Satan faction was faster."
Shikamaru leaned forward again before scowling, "Don't you dare blame yourself for this, Naruto. You and him, both of you sacrificed so much in that war," Shikamaru waved his hand around, "The least we could have done is to take care of ourselves."
Releasing a tired audible breath, he leaned back on his chair, "But I understand where you are coming from Naruto."
This surprised Naruto. And Shikamaru noticed that, "I had seventy years to grieve, to accept my weakness, and to leave the past where it belongs. You, on the other hand, had to digest all of these within less than a month and are forced to take action after action without any respite."
"Such is life," Naruto interrupted cheekily but Shikamaru saw through it.
"I won't ask you to forget the past, to reject your mistakes, or to not grieve. You will need time to heal, to accept the present… and that is what I ask of you. Give yourself some time," Then he pointed at his heart, "Your physical wounds are healed but not your emotional ones."
Naruto smiled, a tired one, "When did you become so good at talking?"
"I always was," Shikamaru filled his cup once more, "Just never bothered to take the spotlight."
This made Naruto smile for real.
Another minute of silence passed before Shikamaru broke it once again, "Are you not going to ask me to join Khaos Brigade?"
"Not now," Naruto shook his head, "Even without the Old Satan faction, it's still a mess. Let me clean it up, then I will come to you."
Shikamaru snorted, "Shouldn't you be asking for my help now instead of later when everything is spotless?"
Naruto smiled but didn't reply. And it seemed Shikamaru understood his intention… that he wanted to clean up Khaos Brigade with his own hands.
"If that is what you wish," Shikamaru started to shake the sake bottles. When he realized that all were empty, he waved at the waiter, "In the meantime, I will look for him."
Now this caught Naruto off guard.
"I know what you are thinking and why you haven't started looking for him personally," Shikamaru took the sake bottles from the waiter, "He is a human. There is a high possibility that he may have passed away by now."
Naruto frowned, "He possesses the highest amount of 'Holy Energy' I've seen. This should give him a longer lifespan than regular humans."
"True," Shikamaru nodded his head, "His aptitude with the Holy element, as a human, is absurd. And that was why he survived the grievous injuries he had received from Pluto."
Naruto couldn't find any counterarguments so he switched the direction of their conversation, "And how will you find him? All of us know that he couldn't be found if he didn't want us to."
Shikamaru smiled, "I have my ways and let's leave it at that."
Seeing no other way, Naruto finally relented, "Fine, if that is what you wish."
"Cheer up Naruto, who knows," His smile turned into a mischievous grin, "He may have a child or two that you will need to take care of, just like Loup, Marc's son."
Naruto squeezed the bridge of his nose as he groaned, "Let's see what happens, all right?"
Shikamaru laughed out loud, "Wouldn't that be a sight? To see you being chased around by mini-us?"
Naruto gave Shikamaru a look who waved his hands at him, "Don't worry, I don't have any yet," After that, he filled his cup before filling Naruto's, "So, what is your plan now?"
Naruto finished the entire cup in one go before waving the cup in front of Shikamaru who chuckled at his antics before filling it up again.
"I will need to visit the magician's group of Khaos Brigade."
Shikamaru scrunched his eyebrows, "How many groups does Khaos Brigade have now?"
"Three," Naruto sighed, "The Old Satan faction, the Magician's faction, and the Hero's faction."
"You know what," Shikamaru chugged his sake, "You are right. Call me after you're done cleaning up."
This made Naruto laugh.
"So, how do you plan to take care of them?
"Just going to sit down, have a chat, and show them the errors of their ways."
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at him.
"What?" Naruto frowned, "You know I am good with words. I don't always resort to violence right from the start."
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X
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Half a day later
"Let your evil intentions be purified!"
After his shout, Naruto dunked the old man's head in the barrel filled with water.
He counted to ten, slowly, before pulling him back up.
"How could you," The old man gasped as he looked at him pitifully, "Do this to a feeble old man?"
Naruto gave him a deadpan look before shouting, "Evil be purified!"
And then dunked his head again.
A small movement from his side vision made Naruto sharply turn his head toward that direction, "I saw you!"
In front of him, every single magician gathered. And most of them were sitting down on the ground while having their arms raised above their heads. As for their equipment – staff, wands, grimoires, and whatnot – everything was confiscated and locked inside the box behind him.
"Look, I am being lenient toward you all, and you know that. Do you want me to give you the same treatment as the Old Satan faction? Purifying using the flames of hell?"
In sync, everyone shook their head.
"Good…"
Feeling the erratic movement, Naruto mouthed 'Oops' before pulling the old man out.
"Do you agree with my terms?"
"I am an old man, how could you…"
Naruto squeezed his neck.
"No, seriously! I am a hundred years old human!"
Naruto shifted his body and looked at a particular woman who was sitting on a chair. She was gorgeous and looked like she was in her mid-thirties. And the reason she was exempted from the punishment was because of her bulging belly.
Then he deliberately looked at the so-called old man in question.
"Drop the act. You are not nearly old enough if you can knock up a woman like her."
The old man opened his mouth before closing it and then looking down, "I will agree with your terms."
Naruto let go of the old man, "Splendid," Then he turned around and faced the magicians, "Now, answer me, who is the leader of Khaos Brigade?"
"Naruto, Son of Infinity!" Hearing everyone shouting that made Naruto almost laugh out loud. But he kept his expression neutral and continued.
"Good, then, who is the leader of you lot?"
"Naruto, Son of Infinity!"
"And who do we all," Naruto pointed at everyone including him, "serve?"
"Ophis, the Infinity Dragon God!"
"Never forget that," When Naruto finished saying his part, his shadows extended. And from the shadows, four pitch-black shades came out. Naruto felt fears oozing from many magicians but luckily no one moved. A second later, the shades took his appearance which made many of the magicians sigh in relief since they realized that this was just his 'Shadow Clone' technique.
Naruto pointed at multiple scrolls on the table, "Read all the contents to them. After that, return their magic sticks," Then Naruto grabbed the old man by the scruff of his neck, "We have much to discuss."
After that, they teleported out of the hall and into the old man's study room.
The moment the teleportation circle disappeared, Naruto turned toward the old man, "Are you alright, Iver?"
The old man in question straightened his posture. His long hair and beard, which had reached his chest, began to shrink until they were one-fifth of their initial length and neatly groomed. Even his wrinkles started to fade, though not completely.
A second later, instead of a feeble old man, a regal aged gentleman stood before Naruto who immediately broke into a huge grin.
"Ah~ To be scolded by your idol~"
Yes, this was Iver Back, a talented magician who was expelled from the Golden Dawn, a famous magical organization, because of his perverted nature and his weird obsession with dragons.
Turned out, he was also a fan of Naruto… well, more like a diehard fan of 'Son of Infinity'.
"Thank you for playing along with me," Naruto took the seat Iver pointed at.
"Considering what you had done to those devils, not that they didn't deserve it, acting as a submissive feeble old man in front of my peers to scare them into accepting you as the leader is infinitely better. After all, no blood was spilled," Iver paused and pointed at his cabinet, "Tea, coffee?"
Naruto smiled and shook his head. He was still feeling the aftermath of his drinking session with Shikamaru.
"Your group and the Old Satan faction aren't the same."
"Ah~ But our group conducted quite a few questionable deeds, some downright evil during the leadership of Euclid Lucifuge," Iver used magic to instantly make coffee for himself before sitting down opposite of Naruto.
"You are aware of your crimes and the bloodstains on your hand."
"This still doesn't absolve of our sins."
Naruto frowned, "What is it that you want to hear from me, Iver?"
"Simple really," Iver leaned forward and unwaveringly met Naruto's gaze, "Why are you sparing us?"
"The answer to that question is simple as well. I am not blind."
Seeing the confused look on Iver's face, Naruto took out some documents from his personal inventory. He put one folder in front of him, "Nilrem was the name of this faction and was led by Euclid Lucifuge just until a day ago. When he found out that I had singlehandedly taken out the Old Satan faction, he fled. And many of the magicians also ran away with him. Only those that are loyal to you stayed behind."
"As for you, if anyone were to look at what you have done under Euclid's order, they would think of you as an evil person without a second thought. But I am not anyone," He dropped another folder on the table, "You have shielded many magicians from Euclid's wrath by misdirecting him and have taken most of the heinous tasks given by Euclid because you wanted to keep their hands clean."
"As for the so-called evil deeds, whenever it was possible you tried to keep the casualty to a minimum," He added the last folder to the group. Then, Naruto leaned forward, his eyes gleaming dangerously, "Iver, there is a clear difference between undertaking evil and destructive acts because you want to do it versus because you are forced to do it. That is why, I can never get along with the likes of the Old Satan faction, because to them, malicious deeds are just a part of their entertainment."
Iver opened his mouth and closed it. He quickly went through the last document. A few seconds later he asked, "How did you find out so much in such a short amount of time?"
"I have my ways," Naruto answered, trying to sound mysterious.
This earned him a chuckle from Iver. And a moment later, he bowed his head, "Thank you."
"No need to thank me, just follow the rules I've set up from now on."
Iver grinned like a child, his eyes twinkling, "You really are what I've heard in the stories… a Just Knight defending the innocents."
Naruto stiffened at his words. He smiled, one that didn't reach his eyes.
"You are wrong, Iver. I am a Benevolent Monster."
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Done
AN:
Firstly, regarding the reviews about this story being completely different from Apprentice of Ophis (both versions) – the last version of the story had 5 chapters and it was extremely fast-paced. I mean if I were to write exactly the same story now, I would have needed 10+ chapters to reach where I left off.
So, if you compare 2 chapters' worth of content to 5 (fast-paced) chapters, of course, 'Apprentice of Ophis v2' can be considered better.
As for Naruto, I will explain his character through my story. But one thing that confused me was a few comments about his appearance and origin. I haven't explained his appearance and origin in the last chapter at all, merely gave some light hints, and did the same for this chapter as well – so not sure where that came from.
Now about romance – Well there you have it, the first girl is Ingvild Leviathan. And like I said in the last chapter, I will slowly build up the romance. I know which angle I want to go for with Ingvild but I don't know for the rest. Heck, I haven't even confirmed who will be the other girls. I will see if I can build up a proper chemistry between them and Naruto first before ultimately deciding.
Lastly, let me know if there are any story elements from the previous versions that you loved. I will try to see if I can add those elements to the current version.
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If you want to show some support or read ahead, you can find 'AlphaDreamer' on the page of patrons. FYI, those who joined can view the early updates for free. On the side, I am also working on AI Art and videos. For more info, you can check out the page.
And if anyone is interested, here is the invite code to my discord server:
v2ChQdhvFe
If the code does not work, check the latest chapter or my profile.
See you all soon…
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