Strange.

Naruto was feeling strange. As he looked at his beautiful small house, he couldn't help but feel like a little sad inside his heart. His home, the quaint cottage standing before him, was his world. It represented the only thing he had remaining in his life. When he distanced himself from the world and its people, his home became a place that filled him with life and happiness. 'I'm going to miss you,' he thought to himself, a touch of sadness in his small smile as he gazed at the building for a moment longer, trying to imprint its image in his mind, so he could always remember it.

"Are you okay, Naruto?"

No, he wasn't. He wasn't fine with leaving his beloved house. He yearned to remain in this place indefinitely, to express his feelings to Rias. However, as he caught a glimpse of her and Akeno, noticing their worried expressions, his desire to stay quickly faded away, or at least diminished to an almost indiscernible extent. After seeing their faces, he quickly realized why he was doing what he was doing. "I'm fine." A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he responded to Rias' question.

Rias paused for a moment after hearing his response, her mind working to unravel the truth hidden within his lie. He obviously wasn't happy about leaving his house, and she felt that she was the cause of his sadness. Her presence was forcing him to do what he was doing, and she didn't like it. "If you don't want to leave, then you don't have to. We can both take care of ourselves." She wasn't even lying. Akeno and she were devils, beings capable of concealing their presence for as long as they desired. Therefore, hiding their identities wasn't going to be difficult for them.

"Nah," Naruto dismissed her suggestion, finding it absurd to begin with. "I will have to leave this house eventually, so I might as well do it now." He added. Danzo was bound to find him eventually, and once the other villages caught wind of his "wife," they wouldn't stay silent either. So, it was best for him to leave with these girls to a secret place, somewhere where no one could find them.

"Sorry,"

The Uzumaki boy blinked at the redhead, confused as to why she was apologizing to him. "Huh?" His voice conveyed the emotion more vividly than his eyes, leaving the girl to quickly avert her gaze. He couldn't help but notice how strange she was, for what felt like the thousandth time that day.

"I'm sorry for the trouble I have caused you with my prank." Rias' voice, contrary to Naruto's, was full of remorse. She realized she was the cause of his current troubles. If she hadn't pretended to be his wife in front of that man earlier, none of this would be happening.

"Oh no!" Naruto exclaimed, raising and flailing his hands in dismissal. "You don't have to feel bad about anything, Rias," he added with a smile directed at the girl. "It was bound to happen to me sooner or later. So, cheer up." His words were brimming with warmth, which eased Rias' feeling of self-doubt. "Also, both of you are now my guests," he gestured towards her and then towards the black-haired girl, who stood a few feet away, appreciating the craftsmanship of the cottage's wooden structure. "So, it's my duty to keep you guys safe, no matter how dumb and annoying you both are." He intentionally added that last bit to remind the girl that even though he was being nice, he was still far away from being comfortable around them, especially Akeno.

Akeno immediately picked up on the snarky remark aimed at her and turned around to face the boy with a beautiful smile resting on her lips. "My, my," she murmured, her voice taking on its usual charming tone. "I'm not dumb, handsome," she began to walk towards the boy inexplicably took several steps back. "I'm sexy!" Her head tilted onto his shoulder as she whispered those words into his ear.

"N-No."

A slight pout replaced the smile on her lips as she gazed at him through the corner of her eyes, conveying nothing but confusion while doing so. "Am I not?" She playfully inquired, feigning hurt in her voice. "I thought you liked me, handsome," her eyes dilated as tears welled up inside them, threatening to spill.

"I don't like you."

Akeno paused for a moment, relishing in his rejection and the unwavering determination displayed on his face. He exuded dominance whenever he tried to treat her coldly, and she found it appealing. "I know," she lifted her head from his shoulder and positioned it directly in front of him, her face only an inch away from his own. "That's why I like you," her voice was dripping with hunger, an intense, primal hunger. "Making your heart mine will be a challenge, and that's exactly what makes it exciting, handsome," she whispered, raising her index finger and gently running it along his jawline before cupping his cheek in her hands.

"Akeno leave him!"

"I don't want to," Akeno immediately answered. "I want to stay like this for a while longer," she added, still not looking at Rias. She knew what expression was resting on her face, and she didn't find it exciting enough to warrant her attention. For now, she wanted to savour the sight of her handsome's face, especially his whiskers. They were both adorable and alluring, just like her.

"Leave him!" Rias practically shouted, her voice filled with irritation and disappointment. "You have already brought more than enough shame upon me, Akeno," she groaned, recalling the manner in which her queen had behaved in front of Naruto's friends. Rias was certain that they would have branded them as fools if Akeno had persisted with her teasing.

"It's not about shame, Rias," Akeno withdrew her hands from Naruto's cheek and finally looked at her friend, flashing her a confident smirk. "You're jealous of me," she giggled as Rias' face turned pink.

"Jealous of what?"

"Jealous of the fact that I can tease him better than you."

Rias wanted to retort but couldn't because she knew her friend was right. Akeno had always been better than her at teasing people. Also, it was unfortunate that Naruto was succumbing so easily to her friend's charms. He seemed to be falling for the smallest of tricks from her friend's side, faster than anyone she had ever seen before.

"See?" Akeno giggled, the sound turning into laughter as she continued to provoke her friend even more. She was determined to show Rias who was better, and she wanted to do it right in front of Naruto. The boy needed to see who he was dealing with and determine who was the best for him.

"I don't want to tease him, though," Rias finally found a compelling argument and wasted no time in hurling it towards her friend, hoping to silence her. Akeno was being too full of herself and she didn't like it. Her friend needed to understand that she was the one who had fallen into his arms first, which is why he was going to be her friend first.

"Because you can't Rias."

Rias' eyes twitched as anger started to well up inside her. "I can," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I won't," she quickly added, wanting to make it clear to Naruto that she didn't enjoy teasing others. She was a highly respected devil from a very prestigious house.

"Sure..." Akeno scoffed at her friend, finding everything she had heard from Rias up to that point absurd. "Anyone can see through your lies, Rias. Right, handsome?" she said, turning around to look at Naruto, only to find nothing but a wooden log lying there in his place. "Naruto?" she called out, hoping for a response, but there was only silence.

"He left us!" It was Rias' time to speak now, her voice emanating shock and fear. "He left us because of your teasing, Akeno!" Without hesitating, she swiftly moved next to her friend and focused her gaze on the wooden log. "Now, all that remains is a mysterious wooden log that he left behind for us," she whispered, her gaze transfixed upon the odd object.

"Well, his log is long and thick," Akeno murmured, her mind still trying to understand how he vanished without them noticing anything. "We can definitely say that he was hard for me, Rias," she firmly stated, concluding her investigation and turning to her friend, expecting further clarification.

"Akeno!"

Akeno blinked at her friend and inquired, "What?"

"He left us alone, and you're making jokes about his wooden log." Rias sighed; her frustration evident. Seriously, what was wrong with her friend? At times, she couldn't help but feel like Akeno liked teasing her more than anyone else.

"Well, his log replica is massive, and I'm sure he can't run that far with the actual thing beside him."

"Akeno... stop." Rias gave up. "Let's try to find him first."

"Sure."

"Thank you."

"Can I take this log with me?"

"No."

"Thank you. I really like it."

"..."

-oOo-

"What are you both doing?" Naruto glanced back at his companions, who seemed to be idly wasting time as they aimlessly wandered in the forest, lost in their own conversations.

Currently, they were just outside the perimeter of the place where he had been residing a while ago. The area was incredibly peaceful and captivating, with a luxurious blanket of plants and exotic trees that created a perfect camouflage, allowing them to remain hidden from prying eyes. Until now, they had not come across anyone who was aware of him and his connection with Konoha. Everyone they had met were either wealthy merchants or ordinary villagers from nearby towns, who had come to the village for trade or tourism. The only remarkable reaction they received was from a group of intoxicated merchants who started asking about the prices of Akeno and Rias.

"Those freaks! How dare they think of me as a prostitute?"

A gentle smile formed on his lips upon hearing Rias' words. It was obvious from the furrowed frown on her face that she was still annoyed about it. The merchants' unsettling grins and their choice of words must have been too much to handle for her.

"Don't be so upset, Rias," Akeno attempted to comfort her friend. "They were drunk and elderly. What else could you have expected from them?" She chuckled and playfully glanced at her closest companion, all the while struggling to contain her giggles from evolving into uncontrollable laughter.

The Gremory heiress couldn't formulate a convincing argument, so she resorted to asserting her dominance over the two by pouting. "Whatever," she muttered, her lips curving gently to the side as she gave up and decided to forget about those men for the time being. "Let's keep going. I don't want to talk about those wretched humans anymore," she declared and began to march purposefully towards a bemused Naruto.

"Where are we going?" Akeno asked, jumping between the two and discreetly stealing glances at her handsome, unable to hide her growing fascination with him. There was something strangely captivating about him. His cute whiskers, his sparkling eyes, and his infectious smile were all charming in their own unique way. He may not have been the most handsome boy she had ever laid eyes on, but his charm and the sound of his voice made him truly unique in her eyes.

Rias noticed the passion in her friend's eyes. "Akeno," she tried to divert her attention, but the girl simply ignored her for the sake of her so-called handsome. "Akeno," her fingers twitched as bitterness consumed her thoughts. "Stay away from him. I met him first!" With a firm grip on her friend's hand, she pulled her away from the boy and moved closer to him.

Naruto, who was watching them bicker with each other, decided to remain silent on the matter. Girls did ridiculous things while arguing, and his teacher had always warned him to stay away from them when they were doing it. "We are heading to a nearby town for now." He still decided to answer Akeno's earlier question.

"Huh?" Hummed the sadistic devil, wiping the dirt from her skirt with her hands.

"I mentioned that we were heading towards a nearby town," Naruto repeated his words and cast a glance at the beautiful girl next to him, only to scowl at the sight of her clothes, covered in dirt and scratches. He then turned his gaze toward the redhead and noticed that her clothes were in no better condition. "You two definitely need some new clothes," he murmured, his eyes still examining their attire with curiosity. They were unique and could easily grab attention, something he didn't want to happen.

Rias' lips curled up in amusement. "So, you're going to buy clothes for us?" Her eyes blinked at him, radiating unexpected innocence. "Will you also be assisting us with the decisions, Naruto?" Her face lit up when the boy in question blinked at her.

It only took Naruto a second to step away from her. "Don't give me that look," he groaned. Shopping was not his thing. He loathed its existence. Even as a child, when almost everyone loves shopping, he never enjoyed it for some reason. The piercing gazes of the store owners and the relentless silent comments from people always made it an uncomfortable experience for him. "Shopping is so dull, Rias," he exclaimed, wasting no time in expressing his disdain towards the topic.

"It will be amazing, believe me, Naruto."

The boy shuddered when Akeno's alluring voice reached his ears and her eyes, those hungry violet eyes, gazed at him with an intensity that rendered him motionless. He didn't know why, but every time he looked into those eyes, he couldn't help but feel enchanted by them. They were strange. "You can say what you want, but I will not change my mind." He snapped out of their charm and affirmed, quickening his pace in an attempt to evade any further questions regarding the matter.

Rias giggled as she watched him hurry past them. "Humans can be quite interesting at times, Akeno," she whispered, clearly amused by the boy's reaction. He was one of the first humans who had intrigued her so deeply, and she would be damned if she let him slip away now. He belonged to her; a warm desire burned within her chest.

Akeno, on the other hand, was torn between feeling amused and being alert. On one hand, her friend had finally managed to pick up the pieces and was returning to her former self thanks to the boy. However, on the other hand, she couldn't help but feel a pang of resentment as she watched her friend fall for the same boy to whom she had already given her attention. She knew it was perhaps a bit early, but the instant their eyes met as she fell into his arms, she realized he was the one for her, or at the very least, someone she should get to know better. In her brief yet remarkable life, she had encountered an array of boys, from towering and tall to minuscule and small, and from earthly handsome to downright angelic. But none of them were able to provoke such a strong reaction as he did, that too with just a mere touch of his. "Yeah, he is quite a delicious catch," her words earned an impressive glare from her friend, but she dismissed it.

"Stay away from him."

The Himejima girl giggled as she witnessed the devil's greed finally reveal itself. "Why?" Akeno decided to provoke her even more, confident that she could elicit something interesting from her friend.

Rias' greenish-blue eyes blinked in surprise, struggling to comprehend what she was hearing. "What do you mean, 'why'?" she exclaimed, unaware that Akeno's words were igniting an even stronger desire within her. "I met him first," she whispered as her cold finger brushed against her friend's voluptuous breast, coaxing an involuntary soft moan from her. "You can have Issei or someone else," she declared, fully aware of how unfair and absurd her suggestion was, but unable to think of anyone else who would be suitable for Akeno at the present time. Issei was at least quite powerful and had a deep sense of appreciation for them.

Akeno shook her head, making no attempt to hide the disappointment she was feeling. "Issei or someone else? Really?" She strode past Rias, a blank expression adorning her face. "I don't find him interesting," she whispered, her mind recalling how ordinary he had seemed to her during their first encounter. Despite his honesty and kindness towards others, he simply lacked that spark of intrigue.

Rias was taken aback by the queen's sharp retort. She was aware that her new team member could be a bit foolish, but she never anticipated the complete lack of interest that Akeno just showed towards him. The boy must have done something icky to earn this much disdain from her usually warm queen. "Why?" she cautiously moved beside her friend, making sure to avoid infuriating her even further than necessary.

Akeno abruptly halted and glanced back, her eyes meeting those of her friend. "He idolizes you," sparks of jealousy shimmered in her violet eyes. "Just like every other boy" She whispered, her voice devoid of her usual allure. "I always feel like I'm the second choice." She didn't want to admit it, but her heart couldn't take it anymore. For too long, she had endured the suffering of being seen as a mere second option for others. "Look at me, I'm more fascinating than you, Rias. So, why am I always treated as a second choice by others?" She grabbed her friend's finger and pushed it against her chest. "Tell me!" Her whisper transformed into a menacing hiss, concluding her brief rant.

"A-Akeno!" For the first time in her life, the Gremory heiress was witnessing this ferocious yet equally emotional side of her friend. It was only the fact that she had known Akeno for so long that was assuring her that her friend meant no harm with her words. She was just slightly jealous of her. Okay, maybe not just slightly, but a tad bit more. "I-I," she began to speak, but a cold hand, belonging to her friend, halted her efforts.

"You don't have to say a word, Rias," Akeno smiled, and just like that, the envy disappeared from her gaze. "It's not your fault. It's mine," Rias felt her heart shatter as she witnessed that tragic smile on her friend's lips. "I'm not interesting enough for others," Akeno murmured to herself, raising her hand to gently tap her head. A bitter smile still lingered on her face.

"No! No!" Realizing that this was her final opportunity to bring some light to the day, Gremory screamed out. "You are one of the most amazing people I have ever met, Akeno," she exclaimed as she twirled the girl in her arms, making her spin recklessly through the air.

"Don't-"

""Oh, come on!" a familiar groan interjected into the conversation without warning. "You two are still here, and I wasted my time searching for you out there in the wild like a fool," Naruto exclaimed with a pout.

Akeno's heart skipped a beat when she saw the endearing pout on her handsome's face. For others, it might appear like a simple thing, but for her, it was everything she needed to smile again after that rant. "Cute," Tenderly, Akeno brushed off those dry lips of his with her cold fingers. "Let's go. I'm ready to go anywhere, as long as you're by my side," her silly words and her hands on his lips surprised the boy, causing him to gasp in shock.

"Oi!" Naruto couldn't quite understand what came over him, but the moment her icy hands touched his skin, a strange sensation stirred within his heart. A sensation so intense and foreign that it halted the clockwork inside his body, allowing the girl to do whatever she was doing for a bit longer than he preferred, or could tolerate. He didn't want to admit the overwhelming truth, but he found himself actually enjoying the attention she was giving him, especially while adorning that smile on her face.

"Do you love it?" He didn't know when or how Akeno had closed the distance between them as he was too enamoured by the enchanting allure of her deep violet eyes. Once again, something from inside was telling him that he had seen those eyes before, but as usual, he couldn't decipher where exactly. They still felt strangely familiar, yet foreign at the same time to him.

"No," he answered shortly, firmly drawing the line between them again. "I don't like when people intrude into my privacy." It was harsh, he knew, but necessary to avoid an awkward conversation.

Rias, who was watching them from the side, clenched her fists in annoyance. She wanted to intervene in the conversation so badly, but she knew Akeno needed this moment, and she didn't want to intrude. Her friend right now was having a time of her life and she had no desire to ruin it.

"Aww... you're no fun, handsome." With that said, Akeno did something that almost made Rias jump in anger. Faster than she could ever imagine, Akeno entwined her arms around Naruto's right hand and swiftly tugged him towards her. "Let's go!" The queen exclaimed, glancing at her with anticipation. "Rias?" She whispered, curious as to why her friend wasn't with them.

Rias remained silent, her pride refusing to allow her to speak. Instead, she just walked past them and started to trek her way to the nearby town. Her heart was begging her to stop and talk to them, but she refused to heed its pleas.

Naruto watched her retreating form for a while, a flicker of concern crossing his face. She was looking sad for some reason. "Ok, follow me." He muttered, letting Akeno keep her hold around his hand. It was uncomfortable, but he didn't want the girl to wander off alone in the wilderness.

"Will you miss your home?" Akeno's question compelled him to stop once more. Lost in the depths of his thought and concerns, he completely forgot how close they were to the border of a place he once called home, a place where he had cherished countless moments with his friends and enjoyed his favourite ramen.

"No," he whispered, but the sadness present in his voice told a different story. "No matter how much he wanted to stay away from the place, he couldn't refute the fact that Konoha was and would always be his true home, a place that was etched into his heart.

"Why are you leaving then? You can stay here," she said with a smile, casting a quick glance at his face.

"For-"

"We are capable of taking care of ourselves. No one can harm or assault us so easily."

"It's not about that." Naruto whispered.

Akeno's violet eyes blinked at him, confusion etching across her face. "Huh?" she murmured.

Her reaction earned her a giggle from Naruto. It started with a small chuckle, but soon Naruto was roaring with laughter. "Did you really think I was being serious about those rape and torture threats?" He managed to speak as another giggle escaped his lips, further confusing the girl.

"You were not serious?"

Naruto's laughs died down, and his eyes twinkled with amusement as a beautiful warm smile bloomed on his face. "Hmph!" He puffed out his chest. "I can easily kill that man," his words elicited a gasp from the girl. "But that will only attract more attention to me, and nowadays, I prefer to avoid it," The pout he wore on his face after he finished explaining was the most endearing sight Akeno had seen in years.

"Why didn't you stay in your village?" Akeno almost shouted, her actions betraying her usual demeanour. Was this boy playing with them? She didn't know, but she hoped for the opposite.

Naruto slumped as he saw her reaction. "Danzo is a man driven by an insatiable thirst for power, and I'm sure he would have somehow found a different way to achieve his goals through you both," he murmured, his finger gently tapping his chin as he tried to explain the nature of that old man to the girl.

"Like what?"

"Forcing me or someone else to have a child with both of you?" was the first horrifying thought that crossed his mind, leaving him to immediately cast blame on those white-haired perverts. If it hadn't been for them, he might have led a normal life. However, those perverts insisted on showing him their version of the ways of life, commonly known as having sex and having more sex.

Akeno's heart skipped a beat as his words reached her ears. They were incredibly soothing, enveloping her in an ecstatic embrace of her dirty fantasies. "Could we please return to the village? Aaaoo!" she yelped in pain as her handsome began to forcefully pull her along with him. "Awww, come on! Just one child?" She closed her mouth, and turned her head slightly to the side to look at him with her hopeful eyes. The idea didn't seem as bad as she initially thought.

"You can have as much as you want once we reach our destination." Naruto instantly felt a wave of regret wash over him as the weight of his words settled in.

"With you?!" Akeno exclaimed, undoubtedly excited by his suggestion. If he was ready, then who was she to refuse? Furthermore, their new home required workers, didn't it? Therefore, someone needed to step up and take responsibility for hiring or producing them.

"No."

"I'm not asking for a lot. Just twenty-four!"

"That's too much Akeno!"

"Ok, twenty-three?"

"Not a single one with you."

"Then virginity will be my eternal friend."

"Sure."

-END-

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