Summary: After being thrown into another world, Naruto wants to die and be left alone. Because of a promise to his parents, he couldn't just run into his death. He needs to find a strong opponent that could kill him. That was his goal to the day when someone ignited something inside of him again. There was always a way to save a broken man like Naruto.
"Speech."
'Think.'
Technique
Flashback/Past Events
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the other anime/manga that will be used to write this fanfiction.
Naruto woke up in his apartment and looked around. He couldn't see or sense anyone in his apartment. He briefly held his head with one hand as he remembered something from last night.
His eyes widened as he looked at his palm. The mark on his hand appeared; right after that, he could feel Mio Naruse. He frowned and tried to deactivate that power again.
Chisato had warned him that Mio would always feel the activation of this power and unintentionally strengthen the bond with Naruto. It's all because she became a servant. The more Naruto used this power, the stronger the bond would become.
Naruto wanted to strengthen the bond, but not in this way. Luckily, the marking disappeared again after 10 seconds. Naruto sighed and stood up. He went into the bathroom and looked at his torso in the mirror. The tiles in his bathroom were old and outdated. Everything in his apartment, apart from his new mattress, was outdated.
He didn't care. He wondered why he was only wearing his orange boxers and the necklace and where his other clothes had gone. They weren't in his room. He narrowed his eyes as he felt an unfamiliar aura outside his apartment.
It was the aura of a demon, and a strong one at that. Not as strong as this Zolgear, but stronger than most of the demons in Kuoh. The demons from his school probably wouldn't stand a chance against this demon outside his apartment.
Naruto waited and looked at the wall. It was as if he could see through the walls of his apartment. He just looked exactly at the place where the aura was. After 5 minutes, the aura ran out of the building and departed quickly.
He went to a window and looked in the direction where the aura disappeared. He saw that the sun was already setting. He seemed to have slept longer than he first thought. He went back into the bathroom and stood under the shower.
He felt the warm water running over his tense body. His body was tense the whole time as if he still had to get used to something. Naruto could only think that it was because of his change. After all, he should be a hero now.
He raised an arm and somehow tried to activate the green aura of the heroes, which he had seen on Yuki several times. While this aura always surrounded her, all attributes had increased. Be it their strength, speed, or other physical attributes.
Oddly enough, he didn't feel anything. He dropped his arm back to his side and enjoyed the warm water running down his tense body. He closed his eyes and leaned back a little so the water ran over his face.
It was very pleasant. He remembered the training journey he had done with Jiraiya through this feeling. This trip was shortly after the fight with Kakuzu, where he still had his arm in a cast.
He was with Jiraiya in the hot springs village and developed a combination of jutsu with Gamatatsu there. He had combined his Wind Chakra with a Water Jutsu from Gamatatsu, and by doing so, the two together unleashed an extremely powerful attack that could even destroy Guren's Crystal Prison.
He smiled and remembered the moment he was training with Jiraiya. After 20 minutes, he got out of the shower and dried himself. He tied the towel around his waist and stood in front of the mirror. His body was still tense, although it wasn't as strong as before. The warm water helped his body relax a bit, although it would take a few more hours for him to recover fully.
He didn't know what day of the week it was. All he knew was that it was Sunday when he showed up at Chisato's apartment and ended up losing consciousness. He closed his eyes and tried to find a new power inside himself that he hadn't felt before. He could feel his Sacred Gear clearly and distinctly, but other than that, he didn't feel any renewed strength within himself.
He thought that a hero's energy was something like chakra in feeling. But as it turned out, that wasn't the case. He also wondered if he had become a hero at all. So far, he hadn't seen any signs of it.
He hadn't yet been able to generate the heroes' green aura or otherwise detect anything that confirmed his transformation into a hero. All he could say was that he had more power than before. He felt that, but otherwise, nothing was different.
He shook his head and walked out of the bathroom and into his bedroom. He opened his closet and took out a pair of black pants. He put them on and put the necklace back around his neck, which he had taken off before showering. This necklace wasn't the original necklace that Tsunade had given him back then.
He had bought this necklace because it looked exactly like Tsunade's necklace. She exuded no aura or power. She reminded Naruto of all his friends and family in the Elemental Nations. This necklace was his most prized possession, even though it only cost $5.
Naruto put on black pants, an orange t-shirt, and a black leather jacket over it. He walked into the hallway and put on his black shoes. He took his cell phone, keys, and wallet and left his apartment. He wanted to take a walk so he could think about everything.
He locked the door behind him and started walking. The whole city was bathed in a red-orange light in the setting sun. It was a beautiful sight that made Naruto smile slightly. Konoha was bathed in such a light at every sunset. He could always see it perfectly from his father's head. In hindsight, it was clear why he was always attracted to the Fourth Hokage and thought he was the coolest of all the Hokage back then.
A son admired his father, especially one as incredible as Minato Namikaze. Naruto's body moved on its own as he walked through Kuoh. He looked up at the sky and saw something weird.
He stopped and narrowed his eyes. He was too deep in thought, so he didn't initially feel the strong aura in Kuoh's sky. He could see the man. A man with 12 raven black wings behind his back. This was the person he felt on the Friday before visiting the restaurant. This person was stronger than Zolgear and about as strong as Jin.
The person appeared to be looking straight at Naruto and smirked as he did so. The person was wearing a gray kimono and normal sandals. Naruto saw the person disappear. At first, he just hovered in the air, and the next moment, he disappeared from the scene.
'I could only briefly see in which direction this man disappeared. I must train again; otherwise, I won't have a chance against such strong opponents. Too many people are back in my life now. I need to get stronger.' Naruto turned and moved to the outer part of Kuoh.
He wanted to do some training today. He needed to start training again, and maybe he could use his powers as a hero.
Since he didn't see anyone, he disappeared and reappeared a few meters before disappearing again. He was using Shunpo to move around town at high speed.
That special ability was the most useful thing he could have gotten. If his Sacred Gear had only given him control of fire, he would have lost to an opponent long ago. He had only ever won with Shunpo.
He was now thankful that he had this ability. He cursed that ability before, but now he was glad of it. He would have lost to Zolgear without this technique, and Yuki might be dead now.
Naruto appeared outside of Kuoh a few minutes later and looked around. He couldn't sense an aura around him, so he jumped in the air and landed on both hands. He was currently in a handstand, so he stayed for now.
He needs to know how much his hero transformation has brought. Of course, as a human, his stamina was not nearly as high as a shinobi in the Elemental Nations. He could stay in this position for hours in the Elemental Nations, but he only lasted a few minutes as a human.
He's still technically human, although he is a hero now. At least he should be. He closed his eyes and concentrated on keeping his composure and staying in his position.
He started to go into a trance when a beautiful melody could suddenly be heard everywhere. Naruto didn't move even though someone appeared right in front of him. The melody didn't stop as the woman before him raised her arm.
Naruto's eyes snapped open, surprising the woman. He pushed away from the woman and landed safely on both feet. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at the woman across from him.
This woman was a demon; there was no doubt about that, although her aura felt odd. "Who are you?" Naruto's body was tense and ready in case the woman became aggressive. He hadn't yet summoned his Sacred Gear.
"I've been looking for you for a while." The person knelt, and Naruto gave her a sideways look. The demon or woman, whatever, knelt before him on one knee, bowing her head in the process.
It was that classic kneeling before a king or master that Naruto had seen in some of the images from books. "What's that supposed to be?" Naruto remained cautious, but he wanted to know what was happening there.
The demon lifted her head and opened her eyes. "You set me free, Naruto-sama."
"Wow, always slow. Explain yourself, and don't call me that." He didn't call anyone that, and he wouldn't start now. He even called the former Kage by a Nickname.
He even called Jiraiya Pervy Sage, although he was his master and deserved more respect. That's just how Naruto was, and in this world, he always used people's last names, adding Chisato's Ms. to the front, which was why he always said Ms. Hasegawa.
"You killed my creator and former master, Naruto-sama." Naruto's eyebrows twitched at hearing her call him Naruto-sama again. He really couldn't stand that way of being addressed.
"Once again. Just call me Naruto, or we'll have a problem." Naruto's eyes changed slightly. He was letting out some of his murderous thirst, and it seemed to have a small effect.
The demon bowed again. "As you wish, Naruto. My name is Zest. I am an artificially created demon; my previous master was Zolgear."
Naruto narrowed his eyes, and Ryūjin Jakka appeared in his hand. He held the katana in her direction. "What does a servant want from the man I killed here? Are you here to take revenge?"
Zest was a tall, tanned-skinned, white-haired young woman with a slim yet shapely figure and gold-green eyes. She had a rabbit tail and rabbit-ear-shaped horns (neither appear in her human form). Zolgear had created her from all his tastes in women, such as having a well-shaped and sturdy figure.
"No." Naruto was still pointing his katana at her. "Why should I trust you? You are a creation of a powerful demon that I killed. It would only be normal for you to want to avenge your late master."
Zest closed her eyes and shook her head. She wanted to say something but was interrupted. A massive fireball appeared out of nowhere and raced straight for Zest. She pounded the ground with both fists, and a black magic circle appeared under Zest.
A massive earth wall rose before Naruto and Zest, catching the fireball. There was a small explosion, destroying the outer parts of the earth wall. Naruto covered his face with one arm to keep dirt from flying into his eyes. His katana was still at his side.
He lowered his arm and felt the aura of another demon. The earth wall lowered back into the ground, and a demon appeared before Naruto and Zest. Naruto narrowed his eyes. This demon was stronger than Zest; that much is clear.
"Here you are, Zest. We've been wondering what became of you. I had a hunch you would lead me straight to the person who killed Zolgear." The demon had a menacing aura about it.
"Harbor-sama!" Zest hadn't expected Harbor to show up here. She looked at Naruto and then back at one of Zolgear's comrades. She, of course, knew the organization Zolgear had joined to gain more power.
After all, she was Zolgear's direct servant and, therefore, knew almost everything. Zolgear hadn't planned to die against a human. She would have served under Zolgear for eternity if Naruto hadn't accidentally killed her former master.
She could do nothing and not allow herself to have bad thoughts. She was under the master-servant pact and wasn't using the magic of a succubus, which would only trigger her sexual desire. Death's magic was used, and a bad thought would have killed Zest instantly.
That was one of the reasons why this magic was now forbidden. Master-servant pact magic might even be allowed if only succubus magic were used or similar magics where the servant wouldn't die directly.
Harbor had short black hair and two horns sticking out through his hair. He had red eyes with black slits that looked like Kurama's eyes. In addition, Harbor wore a black robe that covered most of his body except for his brown boots.
"I'm amazed." Harbor snapped his fingers once, and the landscape buckled briefly before returning to normal. Zest and Naruto knew well that Harbor created a barrier around the 3.
The two wouldn't get out of there until they defeated Harbor. 'I'm starting to feel like I'm in a bad theatre. How many more beings or people want to come into my life?' Naruto frowned in annoyance.
This zest didn't seem to be after him. She had even created the earth wall and thus protected Naruto as well. She seemed gifted at earth magic. Naruto tried to awaken the hero's power within himself, but like before, he couldn't feel any of it.
When he's done with this guy, he must talk to Chisato or Ryūjin Jakka. "You are only human, and yet you could take down Zolgear. From the looks of it, your Sacred Gear seems very special there."
In a black light, a white katana appeared in Harbor's hands. He held it up. "I'm curious if you were that strong or someone else took down Zolgear." The temperature seemed to drop as Harbor summoned this katana.
"Zolgear attacked me. I was defending myself." Naruto took the starting position and narrowed his eyes. Zest also appeared to be getting ready to fight. "Are you here to take revenge?"
"Partly." Harbor took a step forward, and as he did so, a black aura appeared around him. "I should find out what happened to Zolgear. I could find out quickly that he had taken an interest in Rias Gremory and Mio Naruse. He always had a soft spot for girls with special powers."
"After that, I found out that Zest was nowhere to be found, and when I found her, I knew right away that she would betray us. Since she wasn't longer tied to Zolgear, she had no reason to be on our side."
Zest gritted her teeth as she realized she was found so quickly. She knew, of course, that the organization would get wind of her betrayal directly. But she didn't think that someone would find her directly.
"When I finish with you and Zest, I'll be gone again." Harbor disappeared and appeared right in front of Zest. She just reacted and jumped back to avoid the slash of Harbor's katana.
Naruto disappeared and appeared right behind Harbor. Harbor turned and raised his katana. A white mist appeared around the katana as Naruto's blade met his blade.
The air around Naruto's katana shimmered with the heat from Ryūjin Jakka. Both blades rubbed together, producing yellow sparks. Naruto's blue eyes met Harbor's eyes, which were so similar to Kurama's eyes.
"Hmm. Your Sacred Gear seems to generate some heat." Halbor and Naruto moved away from each other, and immediately afterward, Harbor had to jump into the air because a large spike of rock shot out of the earth and nearly pierced him.
Zest had created a spike of earth with her magic and wanted to pierce Harbor. However, this wasn't so easy to do. Harbor may not be the organization's leader, but he was one of its best fighters.
Naruto appeared right behind Harbor, swinging his katana. His blade ignited, and immediately after that, it crashed into the blade of Halbor. "So, you can create fire with your katana."
Harbor pushed Naruto away and thrust his katana forward. An ice-cold blast of air came out of his katana, which froze everything in its path. In addition, a black magic circle appeared over Naruto, where dark magic was collected and, shortly afterward, discharged in a concentrated beam.
Naruto frowned and disappeared before either attack could hit him. Naruto's eyes widened as Harbor appeared behind him while Naruto used Shunpo.
"You're fast..." Naruto looked over his shoulder and saw Harbor raise his sword. "...but you're not fast enough." Naruto could turn around and block the sword slash with his left arm.
Zest didn't see this interaction because she wasn't specialized for such speeds. She was more specialized in magic, defense, and power. When Naruto and Harbor reappeared, Naruto was holding his left arm, which he had taken the blow with. He had a cut on his upper arm, and a lot of blood oozed out from there.
"Naruto!" Zest held up her arms, and two black magic circles appeared before her as she did so. She wouldn't let Naruto die here. After all, she was here to pledge her life to her savior.
Harbor had to jump in the air because a black wall of dark magic rose in front of Naruto and behind Harbor. The two walls of dark magic raced toward each other, intent on crushing Harbor.
Naruto looked at his arm and gritted his teeth. 'This Harbor is faster than Zolgear.' He looked at Harbor, ignoring the pain. He had endured much worse pain before, and this was nothing. He couldn't use his left arm in this fight. That means Naruto was at a disadvantage.
"When are you going to use me?" The whole area around Naruto went gray when he heard that deep voice. His eyes widened as his whole body started shaking a little.
He could hardly move. He had already experienced and felt a lot, but he had never experienced such bottomless power and fear. It was just like when he first met Kurama.
"Who are you?" It wasn't Ryūjin Jakka who was talking to him now. The voice was very different, and if Ryūjin Jakka spoke to him, Naruto would find himself inside of him.
"When are you going to release and use me?" Naruto's eyes narrowed as he slowly got used to the feeling. He didn't know what was happening or who was talking to him.
"I won't use you and release something I don't know!" Naruto shouted those words into the gray world he was in. Everything around him was gray, and time seemed to have stood still.
"One day, you will need me, and then you will wake me. Consider my words, Naruto Uzumaki... the gods only help people out of selfishness. Even your sword is only in your possession because a god wants something from you. You'll come to me soon if you need me." That deep, dark voice reverberated through the landscape and faded like an echo before everything returned to normal.
Naruto looked to the side and saw Harbor launching a massive fireball from a red magic circle. Naruto raised his sword, and it caught fire. Just before the fireball hit him, Naruto made a downward slash and split the fireball in half with his katana.
There was an explosion behind Naruto as the fireball hit the ground. Naruto charged and attacked Harbor. He had to dodge some ice pillars that came out of the ground. Harbor seemed to be able to control ice with his katana.
Zest hit the ground with both hands and immediately afterward, the ground in front of her tore open. Spikes of earth rose in a straight line from the earth. Harbor deflected Naruto's attack, stomping once on the ground.
A black magic circle appeared under his feet, and immediately after that, magic exploded out of his body, destroying everything around him. Naruto could disappear in time and appear outside of Harbor's attack.
The earth spikes that Zest created were all destroyed by Harbor's attack. Zest spread her bat-like wings and flew into the air as Harbor launched a massive fireball at her. The fireball missed its target and hit some trees immediately reduced to ashes.
Naruto held his katana over his head, and it caught fire. The fire around his katana grew ever larger, and when Naruto made a downward slash, he unleashed a massive wave of fire that reduced everything to ash.
Harbor just raised his arm and created a defensive magic circle before him. The massive wave of fire slammed into the defensive magic circle, spreading fire in all directions. Harbor paid close attention to his defensive magic circle, and as he did so, the white mist reappeared around his katana. He thrust it into the ground, and when Naruto's wave of fire stopped, he pushed his sword deeper into the ground.
Large ice crystals formed in a straight line. Naruto unleashed an arc of red fire with his katana; he just wanted to melt or break the ice. But he was allowed to see how his fire didn't work. It destroyed a few ice crystals, but new ones were formed immediately, and they came closer and closer to Naruto.
He disappeared with Shunpo and appeared in the air. Harbor appeared in front of Naruto and swung his Katana. Naruto blocked a slash from Halbor and had to stop him from hitting him. With only one arm, he didn't have as much strength as with both, and Harbor was pressing his katana against Naruto's katana.
Naruto's arm was shaking from the immense force exerted on him now. He changed the position of his blade and deduced the power. Harbor's katana slid past Naruto, causing Harbor's body to fall slightly forward. Naruto disappeared and appeared behind Harbor.
He wanted to kick him, but Harbor disappeared as Naruto's foot was about to dig into his back. Naruto felt a sharp pain in his back the next moment, and then he sped towards the ground.
Harbor had appeared behind Naruto and kicked him towards the ground. Naruto gritted his teeth as he hit the ground, sinking slightly into the ground from the force of the impact. A cloud of dust rose around him, obscuring Naruto.
Zest wanted to go to Naruto, but Harbor appeared before her and blocked her way. "Where are you going, Zest?" His red eyes glowed a little, and right after that, he swung his katana. Zest created a defensive magic circle before her, blocking the katana.
She wouldn't stand a chance alone against Harbor. She flew into the air, unleashing a beam of white magic from her right hand. Harbor just raised his hand and created a defensive magic circle in front of him. The magic ray hit his defensive magic circle and was successfully negated.
Harbor just disappeared and appeared right in front of Zest. Zest could dodge to the side to avoid Harbor's katana. Both continued to fight in the air while the ground slowly began to tremble. A large pillar of fire rose from where Naruto crashed into the ground.
Harbor and Zest could see the shadow of Naruto's body in the pillar of fire. Naruto stood up and opened his eyes. His blue eyes glowed red in the pillar of fire. Naruto stormed out of the pillar of fire, igniting his katana.
He appeared right behind Harbor, swinging his katana. Harbor blocked Naruto's attack and pushed him away. Naruto immediately swung his katana again, creating an arc of red fire that hit Harbor this time.
Naruto then landed on the ground and gasped a bit. His left arm was still bleeding. He wouldn't be able to win against Halbor like this. He may not have as high Magical Power as Zolgear, but he was much faster and had more Physical Power.
'Damned! I'm not fast enough to hurt him. His defensive magic circle can even stop Ryūjin Jakka's flames. This isn't good.' Naruto had to dodge to the side because a beam of black magic was flying towards him.
The earth was ripped open, and an explosion occurred right after that. Although he had just hit him with fire, Naruto could see Halbor was completely unharmed. He frowned and looked at Halbor.
Zest landed on the ground next to Naruto, and Halbor stood a few feet away. "Is that all?" Harbor looked at the two, disappointed. "I expected more. I don't know how you defeated Zolgear with your skills."
He stepped forward, and the white mist around his katana appeared. "I'm going to end this now." Zest created a large yellow magic circle in front of her and Naruto, and out of it shot a Lightning Dragon in the shape of an Asiatic Dragon.
Harbor swung his katana, unleashing a strong gust of freezing air. The Lightning Dragon was negated and destroyed by Harbor's attack.
Zest gritted her teeth. 'Why did they have to send Harbor?' It was frustrating. She had barely thought about what it would be like to have another master so many times. She must never think about something like that for too long; otherwise, she would have died directly.
All the experiments Zolgear did with young women were terrible. He used a special form of Succubus's magic to turn the women into mindless enslaved people. He had kidnapped countless young female demons and then enslaved them.
He had always tried something new and never cared about his victims. He only used them as toys and nothing else mattered. If he got new insights, the victims on his way didn't matter.
Too often, Zest had to dispose of women's bodies because their will was completely broken, and they were nothing more than a body without a soul. Unfortunately, she couldn't help any of Zolgear's victims, but she would have liked to.
Now, she would finally have the chance to have a new master, and now he was being taken away from her because Halbor wanted to kill him. She wanted to do something about it but wasn't strong enough. She was tied to Zolgear for too long, where she wasn't allowed to do any training.
Naruto looked at his katana and then back at Halbor. If Chisato hadn't strengthened Naruto, he would have already been dead. He's faster and stronger than in the fight against Zolgear and has more stamina.
Harbor was just a shovel stronger than Zolgear, so Naruto couldn't even hurt him so far. The strength of Ryūjin Jakka's flames also depended on Naruto's strength. The stronger Naruto gets, the hotter Ryūjin Jakka's flames get. Right now, they weren't hot enough to hurt Harbor, at least not in the current state of his Sacred Gear. He would have no choice but to use his balance break. But for that, Zest would have to get out of the barrier.
He should only use this power when no one is around. Otherwise, people would also die around him. Naruto looked at Zest and thought for a moment. Should he spare her? It could all be a trick too. So far, she seemed to be on his side, but this whole scenario could also be a trap, and if Zest had his trust, she could betray him.
Unfortunately, he didn't have much time and decided to listen to his instincts. "Zest, try to get out of that barrier somehow."
Zest looked at Naruto, a bit shocked. "What? Never! I won't leave you, Naruto-sama!" She couldn't believe what she heard there. She wouldn't leave Naruto alone against this strong opponent.
"I'll use my Balance Breaker, but you must escape the barrier. Otherwise, you will die." Red flames rose around the two, and Zest could feel the extreme heat directly.
"Go away if you do not want to die. I've decided to believe you for now, Zest, but if you die now, that's your business." He turned away and walked towards Harbor.
Zest's eyes widened, and she looked after Naruto for a moment. The fire around his katana changed slightly. The flame seemed wilder, and the flames changed a bit. The otherwise so orange-yellow-red flame became almost mainly red.
Zest swallowed as she suddenly felt a deep fear. Her whole body started shaking. She did the only right thing then, turned to the barrier, and stormed off. She concentrated a high amount of magic into her right fist, and in doing so, her right fist became encased in purple magic.
She cried out once and hit the barrier with all her strength. There was a small shock wave, and it cracked the barrier before creating a small hole where Zest just barely fit through. She slipped out of the barrier and turned around. She could see everything inside the barrier, although the barrier closed again, and someone outside couldn't see anything inside.
Even with such barriers, only demons or other beings who have attained a certain level of strength could see everything inside the barrier.
"Hmm?" Harbor stopped and suddenly felt the heat on his skin. Even with the cold air his katana produced, he felt the heat all over his body. He narrowed his eyes when Naruto looked completely different.
'What is that power? Until now, I didn't feel any flames or heat. Now, I can feel them all over my body. What is this Sacred Gear?' He knew a lot of Sacred Gears. Especially any Sacred Gears that were powerful enough to kill a god or just slightly weaker. Harbor had burned every strong Sacred Gear into his brain so he would always be prepared for anything.
But this Sacred Gear meant nothing to him. This Sacred Gear was at too high a level to be a weak one. He'd like to know what that Sacred Gear was.
Naruto stopped and raised his katana, holding it diagonally in front of him. The flames around him raged very hard for a moment. "Balance Break: Zanka no Tachi." (Longsword of the Remnant Flame) All flames disappeared at once, and the blade changed in the process. The blade became an ancient and worn-out katana, severely scorched by fire. The blade also produced smoke from several parts.
The white fog around Harbor's katana disappeared, and he had to swallow once. The whole air shimmered, and he felt how dry his throat was. He couldn't believe it.
He saw no fire but felt extreme heat on every fiber of his body. It felt like he was going to burn. He created a barrier right around himself, but still, it felt like being burned alive. It was just unbelievable how powerful this Sacred Gear was.
He also saw that the clouds inside the barrier had completely disappeared. It was as if every kind of liquid in the air had been vaporized by extreme heat. Harbor's eyes widened as Naruto disappeared, leaving only flames at his last location.
He could only dodge to the side. He tried to catch Naruto with his katana, but just as his katana hit him, Harbor looked at him in confusion. Naruto just looked over his shoulder, completely unscathed.
Harbor noticed something unusual. More than half of his katana was missing. In disbelief, he looked at his Katana, which his boss had given him. This katana could control ice and snow. It wasn't a Sacred Gear like Naruto's katana. It was just a magic weapon forged with magic.
It didn't have the strength of certain Sacred Gears, of course, but his katana was anything but weak. He had already defeated many opponents with it.
Naruto turned around and swung his katana again. Harbor was standing directly in front of a large rock. He could duck, and when Naruto's katana only lightly touched the rock, there was a brief moment before the whole rock was pulverized. It was as if someone cut it off with a blade and then just turned it to dust.
Harbor's eyes widened as he saw the effect of the slight impact of Naruto's katana out of the corner of his eye. He had only touched the rock very lightly, and immediately afterward, he was pulverized.
He jumped away from Naruto and skidded as he hit the ground. He stopped and gasped a bit. The extreme heat was unbearable even though he used his strongest barrier.
Naruto raised his katana. "Zanka no Tachi, Higashi: Kyokujitsujin" (Longsword of the Remnant Flame, East: Rising Sun Edge). Naruto raised his sword and showed the bladed side of his katana. "My balance break focuses all the flames my katana produces along the blade tip. Anything my katana touches just gets erased from existence."
"You must be wondering why your katana didn't split me in two and just lost the blade in the process?" Naruto waited 5 seconds and then answered directly. "I'm sure you got the name right. Where there is an East, there is also a West."
Halbor suddenly saw Naruto engulfed in flames, which spread explosively in all directions. The entire area was enveloped in an inferno. All he could see around them was the sea of flames.
"Zanka no Tachi, Nishi: Zanjitsu Gokui." (Longsword of the Remnant Flame, West: Remnant Sun Prison Garb) The flames calmed down a bit, and Halbor understood. His sword wasn't broken. It had just melted from trying to split Naruto in two while surrounded by those extremely hot flames.
"While surrounded by these flames, no one can touch me." The earth beneath Naruto began to melt from the extreme heat. It began to glow yellow before turning red, and then Naruto's foot sank a bit into the ground.
Naruto took a step forward. "I'll end this now." Harbor fired magic after magic at Naruto, but it didn't do good. No magic from him could hurt Naruto. He was more of a physical fighter. His magic wasn't strong enough to hurt Naruto in this state.
Naruto's katana was engulfed in blood-red flames, and he charged immediately. A trail of flames was all he left behind. Appearing directly in front of Halbor, he swung his katana. "Zanka no Tachi, Kita: Tenchi Kajian." (Longsword of the Remnant Flame, North: Heaven and Earth End in Ashes) Everything in front of Naruto was erased from existence by his slash. A wave of crimson flames obliterated everything in front of Naruto, whether part of the earth, Harbor himself, or the trees behind him.
It was like an explosion of blood-red flames that turned everything to ash. When the attack stopped, there was no sign of Harbor. Naruto looked at where Harbor was before; his katana transformed back, and the flames around Naruto disappeared. The air stopped shimmering, and immediately afterward, it started raining inside the barrier.
Zest stood outside the barrier and was speechless. Never in her life would she have guessed that Naruto had such power. Harbor was one of the strongest fighters within the organization, and Naruto had easily defeated him with his Balance Break and turned him completely to ashes.
Naruto turned around, and his katana disappeared in a red light. He gasped and made a face. Holding his left arm, he walked to the edge of the barrier, which slowly began to disintegrate. Naruto hadn't touched the earth this time and, therefore, hadn't made a scar in the earth's crust.
When Harbor was defeated by Naruto, the user of the barrier was also defeated, and as a result, the barrier disintegrated on its own. Naruto looked at Zest as he stopped 2 meters in front of her. "Thanks for your help." Naruto could have defeated Harbor alone with his Balance Breaker, but Zest had helped him in the fight anyway.
"I am so sorry! You were only found because of me, Naruto-sama." Zest looked down at the floor in embarrassment. She had put her new master in danger, and that was unforgivable.
Naruto sighed and said, "I told you just to call me Naruto. We're both still alive, and that's the main thing." Naruto never thought he'd say those words in this world. Too much has happened in the last two weeks.
He went past Zest, holding his injured arm. Zest watched after Naruto and stayed put. She wasn't sure what to do now. She was not worthy of being his servant.
"Are you coming, Zest?" Naruto called out to her, looking over his shoulder. Zest looked at Naruto in surprise. "You still have to answer a few questions from me."
Zest started smiling and ran after him. So, she was of use to him after all! That was all that mattered to her right now. Everything else could wait. She must explain everything about the organization to him.
Naruto looked ahead again and took out his phone. He unlocked the screen and dialed a certain number. His arm needed healing, and he could only think of one person who could do it right now.
He held the phone to his ear and paused before a female voice rang out. He just told that voice that he was coming to visit and that he had a guest with him. The voice accepted the fact and hung up.
Naruto looked at Zest. "We're going to visit someone now. Can you disguise your traits as a demon?" After all, demons can make their wings disappear. It would be useful if Zest could make her horns and tail disappear. There's bound to be magic that could be used to hide certain parts of your body.
"Of course, Naruto-sama." Naruto sighed at being addressed like that again. Now he understood how Jiraiya or Tsunade felt, where he always called them by their nickname and not her normal name or title.
It was annoying and unbearable. It's no wonder he's been slammed through a wall by Tsunade on numerous occasions, getting a few injuries in the process. Like Sakura, Tsunade had a strong temper, and Naruto triggered that temper more often than he should have.
Naruto was allowed to watch as Zest was briefly shrouded in a purple light, and right after that, her clothes changed. Her horns and rabbit tail also disappeared. She looked like a normal person. She wore a black sweater, blue pants, and black boots.
Naruto now really realized that he still had more to explain. He really couldn't believe it. What was going on at the moment? Was some higher being playing with him? Now, he had one more person in his life to take care of.
He didn't even get to talk to Mio or Yuki. The conversation with Mio was the biggest concern so far. But now, he first must tell Yuki why a demon was at his side.
Yuki made it clear that she didn't like demons. She had a strong sense of protecting normal people and killing demons when necessary.
Naruto and Zest got to their destination quickly. Naruto knocked on the door, and after a few seconds, the door opened to reveal Chisato Hasegawa. She made way for Naruto and Zest.
"Have you gotten into a street fight again, Uzumaki?" Naruto walked past Chisato and walked to the couch. Zest gave Chisato a quick look before walking into her apartment.
Chisato entered the living room with a first aid kit and knelt before Naruto. "You need to reconsider your way of life, Uzumaki. I can't keep patching you up."
"I had no intention of getting into a fight today." Naruto sat back and let Chisato fix his arm. He would prefer it if she healed his wound with magic, but that would give away her identity.
Zest thought that Chisato was just a normal woman with medical skills. "I'll just believe you." Chisato was done after 10 minutes, and then Naruto sighed. Bandages wrapped his entire arm up to his hand. He could probably still move it freely, but the pain was still there.
He just hoped he had a better healing factor as a hero. Although he still wasn't sure if he was a hero. So far, he still hadn't seen any signs of it. He was stronger than before and sensed something was different inside him. But he didn't know what exactly.
He hadn't used or unconsciously activated the hero's aura, even in the battle against Harbor. He would have thought he would activate the aura at least once in battle.
"Thank you, Ms. Hasegawa." Naruto looked at Zest. She was seated at a table across the room. She had watched the whole time as Chisato patched up Naruto. She had only briefly introduced them once; after that, she hadn't spoken a single word.
"Perhaps you were protecting your new friend?" Chisato adjusted her glasses once as she re-entered the large room. That would be a good explanation as to why Naruto got into a fight.
Naruto nodded. "Yes. A man had tried to assault Zest, and I couldn't just sit idly by." Naruto stood up and pulled something out of his pocket. "Thank you, Ms. Hasegawa; I will go home now." Naruto put the item on the table and then left the room.
Zest said goodbye to Chisato and followed Naruto. Chisato stayed alone and looked at the item Naruto had left behind. She took it in her hand and went into another room.
"Do you have a place to live?" Naruto looked at Zest. He could already guess the answer, but he was hoping for a different one than he thought.
"I no longer have a permanent place of residence. I betrayed the organization, so I'm on the run now." Zest bowed once at that and then looked at Naruto again.
"Do you have money to book a hotel?"
"No."
"All right, come with me first. We'll organize something for you." Naruto turned around and started walking. Luckily, he still had his old mattress in the living room. Nothing was in his living room, and he didn't think he would use this mattress again.
He didn't think there would ever be a demon in his apartment. Unfortunately, he had no other choice. He couldn't just leave Zest alone like that. She had information that would be useful.
He now officially had a group that he considered enemies. He only accidentally made this group his opponents, but it was now, and he'll need any information he could get.
Zest just went after him. She wouldn't dare contradict him today. She put her life in his hands. From today on, he has been her new master, at least from Zest's point of view. Naruto, of course, didn't see Zest as his servant.
Naruto had only noticed at Chisato's apartment that today was Wednesday. Whatever Chisato did to him lasted from Sunday to Wednesday afternoon. He must talk to Chisato in person tomorrow.
He rubbed his temples a bit because his head was starting to hurt. He had gotten way too much attention by some stupid coincidence. If Zolgear had never shown up, he wouldn't be where he was.
"I see." Jin held his phone to his ear while puffing on his cigarette. He was standing in front of a restaurant in Kuoh and was on the phone.
"So, he finished Harbor. The brat isn't bad. You were right in your assessment."
...
"Yes, I know. I'll meet up with the boy in the next few days and train him a bit."
...
"Understood. I'll get back to you if there's anything new." Jin ended the call and put his phone in his pocket. 'It's getting interesting again. Now the brat has the servant of Zolgear at his side.'
He remembered when he was younger and fought many demons in wars. There was a certain woman that he hadn't just fought. With this demon, he also had a very special bond after some events; from that, his son was born. He looked at the sky and thought of his two wives, whom he hadn't seen for several years.
Naruto could finally give him a chance to get his two wives back. So far, he hadn't been able to do anything, but Naruto seemed to be triggering some events that could benefit him.
'Just wait, Sapphire, Raphaeline. I will soon have you by my side again, and after that, I will never let you go.' Jin returned to the restaurant and went to his table, where a man with black hair and blonde bangs was.
"You were right. The brat has an unknown Sacred Gear." The man at the other end of the table grinned slightly and continued his story. "His balance break is scary. I'm excited to see what else he's up to."
Jin nodded, and then the food came to the table. "We will see. The boy has a lot of potential." The man across from Jin nodded, and they both started eating.