A/N: Revised as of 3/26/2024
"My name is Sena. I will be in charge of your questioning today. Shall we get started, Uzumaki-san?"
"Just call me Naruto… Calling me by my last name makes me sound old."
The stern police lady with the glasses, who was now dubbed as Sena, sat in front of Naruto at a square wooden table in a small closed off room. The shinobi had been cuffed to the chair to ensure that he wouldn't try and escape.
Not that the blonde had any such intention. After all, he was completely innocent. Why try and escape when all he had to do was tell the truth?
"Very well then, Naruto-san. Let us begin."
Sena said and placed a bell onto the center of the table.
"Do you know what this is? It's a magical item that sees through all lies. It will ring if you do not tell the truth."
"Oh, if that's all it does, then I should be fine! I don't have anything to hide!"
Naruto claimed with a cheeky grin. This questioning was going to be a piece of cake!
"You seem quite confident, but very well. Let's start with where you are from."
"Okay! I'm from Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. I was a high-ranking ninja who-"
Ding!
"…"
Naruto fell silent when the bell suddenly rang while he was telling nothing but the truth.
Did he word it wrong? Was he also supposed to say that he was from another world? But Kazuma told him to keep that part a secret…
'Were you really a high-ranking ninja?'
'Geh…!'
Naruto flinched when the fox's sly voice echoed in his mind. That's right… He was still technically a Genin.
"…I was a low-ranking ninja who aspired to become its leader."
When the shinobi corrected himself rather meekly, Sena glanced at the magical item and found that it was silent.
"Hidden village? I've never heard of such a place. Where is it? Is it like the Crimson Demon Village?"
"The village is really far from here… But it's nothing like that village of weirdos-"
Ding!
"…"
Naruto fell silent again when the bell rang again, only this time he was quick to realize why.
Of course, because there were all kinds of weirdos in Konoha too. Ero-Sennin, Bushy-Brows, Super Bushy-Brows, Kakashi-sensei, Granny Tsunade, Hinata, Shino… and the list could go on. The Crimson Demons even had a school that trained children to become Arch Wizards at a young age, much like Konoha's Ninja Academy.
"…Yes, it's similar to the Crimson Demon-"
Ding!
"…It's just like the Crimson Demon Village."
Naruto corrected himself a second time, now feeling a wave of depression washing over him. His village was just like the Crimson Demon Village… A place that was full of powerful weirdos…
Sena nodded when the bell didn't ring and wrote the information in her notes. To think there was another village out there that was like the Crimson Demons.
"I'm also the pupil of Jiraiya, who also comes from-"
"Pui!"
Naruto was cut off when Sena suddenly spat on the ground in the middle of his sentence.
"A-ah, sorry. It's a law of the Crimson Demons to spit upon hearing that name. As a woman of the law, I take great pleasure in following it."
Sena stuttered as she straightened her glasses with of hint of awkwardness.
'But… We're not in the Crimson Demon Village.'
Naruto thought and wanted to retort, but he held his tongue and instead asked:
"Are you not a fan of Ero-Sennin? I think I know why you wouldn't be, but…"
"I am not. Unfortunately, that man has many connections in high places and is virtually untouchable."
"I-I see…"
Jiraiya definitely peeped on this woman in the past.
"What is a ninja?"
Sena asked to get back on topic, and Naruto perked up as he would finally be able to define his profession without worrying about the other party not believing him.
Seriously, every time he tried explaining what a ninja was to his party, they would either flat out say they didn't believe him or say he was just a Thief. Even Yunyun, despite the mage saying that she would believe him no matter what, had a troubled face when he was explaining the way of the ninja! Didn't all of the Crimson Demons know about ninjas because of Jiraiya!?
"I'm glad you asked! We ninja are warriors of the shadows who confuse our enemies with tricks and strike when they are most vulnerable! We specialize in cloak and dagger operations like thievery, assassinations, and-"
"Isn't that just the Thief class?"
"!"
Naruto almost fell out of his chair when the policewoman responded just as his party members had. He was about to jump up and deny it, but it was hard to refute the parallels between the two "professions". If he contested it, the bell would probably only ring and make him look like a bigger fool than he already was.
"A-anyways! We also use ninjutsu when times get tough, which is special magic that only ninja can learn! So… I guess that you could perhaps call it a special thief…?"
The shinobi said while eyeing the magic device nervously, and sighed in relief when it didn't make a noise.
"I see. So the Ninja class is a higher tier of the Thief class with superior magical skills, much like an Arch Wizard is to the Mage class."
Sena reevaluated the information she had just received from the blonde.
If this hidden village groomed its people like the Crimson Demons, who were well known for being prestigious Arch Wizards, then it might explain why this man and Jiraiya were so powerful.
Jiraiya, despite his infamy of being a peeping tom that wrote distasteful novels, was also a well-known adventurer who was even acknowledged by the king as a hero candidate. His sudden appearance was a mystery, as the man never mentioned anything about neither his profession nor his past unless he was bragging about his star pupil.
To think that Naruto was that pupil. Did that mean this boy was also a pervert?
"Many rumors are going around town. They say that you are a delinquent who juggles women, steals underwear, and frequently plays pranks on a holy Arch Priest. Are these rumors true?"
"All lies! I don't know who told you about those rumors, but I-"
Ding!
"Oh, come on!"
Naruto slammed his head on the table in frustration when the bell rang.
"Fine! I admit I can act a little like a delinquent sometimes, and I prank Aqua, almost daily… But I'm an adventurer who lives life on the edge! Also, she deserves to be pranked! Do you know how many times she's made me treat her to expensive wine by taking advantage of me!?"
"It's true that you don't seem as bad as another delinquent adventurer who frequents this police department… But aren't you admitting that this Arch Priest is taking advantage of you? Do you like being taken advantage of by that person?"
"Of course I don't-"
Ding!
Sena raised an eyebrow when the bell rang, and Naruto averted his gaze to hide his reddened face.
Coughing into her hand, Sena decided it was now time for the serious questions.
"So, is that 'nine-tailed fox' really your friend?"
The policewoman asked with a glint in her eyes, for this question would define whether or not the man in front of her was a threat to humanity.
"Of course Kurama is my friend! Otherwise, he wouldn't have helped me defeat the Destroyer-"
Ding!
. . .
'Kurama!?'
'Cheh! I don't recall ever calling you my "friend". I have simply acknowledged you as the only human that doesn't completely disgust me.'
'But… But… Then how am I supposed to convince them that I'm not a threat to humanity?'
'…Heh! Just let me have control for a moment. I'll get this woman off your back. In exchange for giving me control, I promise not to damage your precious image.'
Kurama offered, and Naruto could feel the cunning fox's grin from inside the seal.
Naruto wasn't sure if this was a good idea or not, but he was left with little choice. This questioning was beginning wear on his mind, so maybe it would be better to just let Kurama handle the rest.
With that thought in mind, he gave control over to the fox.
"Hello."
"!"
Sena gasped when the blonde's eyes suddenly flashed a crimson red, and a deep voice that clearly wasn't his spoke out.
"No need to be on guard. I promised the brat I wouldn't do anything… Unsettling. Now, sit."
Kurama ordered, to which the officer immediately complied.
"Good. I would like to clear up any misunderstandings that you and your fellow officers may have. So, ask away."
Taking that as her queue, Sena nervously spoke.
"A-are you a demon? What is your goal? D-do you plan to destroy this town?"
"As much as I love to consider myself one, I am not a demon. To simply put it in a way that your human mind can comprehend, my existence is that of a mass of natural energy. There is nothing demonic about my existence other than the corrosive effect that my energy has on normal human due to its sheer potency. The only thing that I would have in common with demons is my hatred for a certain self-proclaimed goddess. As such, I have no plans to bring harm to this peaceful town."
When the fox finished its explanation, Sena's eyes shot to the lie detector. To her surprise, and partial relief, it didn't make a sound.
Seeing the woman's expression relax a bit, Kurama grunted in amusement. But this would not do, it wasn't nearly enough to satisfy the bored fox.
"My 'friend' does not work for this 'Demon King'. The brat wishes for nothing more than to help his fellow humans."
The tailed beast clarified before raising his cuffed hands to his chin, and a loud clinging noise could be heard as the metal snapped like a twig.
Sena flinched upon seeing this but made no sudden movements, a primal fear consuming her as the demon-no, as the creature's eyes fixated on her. She was beginning to hope that Naruto would come back, and soon.
"Though, if it were up to me, I would have much preferred picking a fight with both the Demon King and humans alike. Taking on the world sounds much more fun than playing adventurer in this town of weaklings."
Kurama continued before grinning at the now quivering woman, revealing Naruto's elongated canines.
"Consider yourself lucky that the boy is on your side. Now, good day to you, 'officer'."
The Next Day…
"Now then, the trial against the adventurer Naruto Uzumaki and his accomplice Kazuma Satou will now begin!"
An old man wearing a powdered wig declared before slamming a small wooden hammer onto his desk.
Naruto stood in front of a crowd that consisted of both townspeople and adventurers alike, with a placid look adorning his face. The trial was taking place in the outskirts of town.
'…I thought you said that you would get her off our backs, not make it worse, you stupid fox!'
Naruto barked into his mind, earning a growl from his tailed beast companion.
'I did, you ungrateful maggot! After I was done, that human girl was begging you for forgiveness!'
Kurama barked back, and Naruto groaned into his wooden cuffs.
The fox wasn't lying. After Naruto had regained control of his body, Sena seemed to really appreciate his company from that moment on. She had continuously offered her apologies and had even brought him some tea.
So then, why was it that he was still being held on trial!?
…Wait a moment. He wasn't alone on the stand.
"Hey, Kazuma? Why are we here? You were acting funny last night. Do you know something about all this?"
Naruto asked the boy that was standing next to him with a pleasant smile.
"…No."
Ding!
At the center of the area where the trial was being held was a small wooden table, and on it, an innocent little lie detector.
"What did you do!?"
"I'm sorry! She was asking me a bunch of strange questions, so I let my guard down, and when she asked if we had any close ties to the Demon King Army…"
Kazuma mumbled while averting his gaze. He didn't so much as look in ninja's general direction for some reason.
Naruto was curious about the weird questions that Sena had asked the boy, and why Kazuma was acting so strangely. But what did Kazuma mean he couldn't tell the truth? They didn't have any close ties to the-
It was then that Naruto suddenly remembered that Wiz was technically a Demon King General.
'Great, now what are we going to do? It's not like we can tell them the truth about Wiz…'
Naruto thought with a sigh. Abandoning one of his closest friends in this world was entirely out of the question.
Even if she was a general of the Demon King's army, it was only in title. In exchange for maintaining the barrier around the Demon King's castle, the Demon King promised that no innocent humans would be harmed.
But would the law enforcement really accept that?
While Naruto hurt his head with an internal struggle, a familiar trio walked over to his side.
"Hey, Boss! Things aren't going all too well for you right now, huh? I kinda feel sorry for you."
Dust commented in a carefree manner while patting the shinobi on the back.
"I take my eyes off of you for a day, and you go and get yourself arrested. If I was with you, we could have easily escaped!"
Cecily added while shaking her head like a mother talking sense to her child.
"D-d-don't worry, Naruto-san! I-I'll definitely make sure to defend you against the prosecutor! I read a couple books on trials when I heard you were being prosecuted!"
Yunyun stammered with a fierce look in her eyes as she showed off the book in her hands.
Leaving Yunyun aside, bless her heart, why did Naruto have a sudden urge to slap his party members?
It seemed that Kazuma wasn't having it any better, either, as his party had shown up and come to his side as well.
When Aqua noticed that Naruto was looking in her direction, she puffed her cheeks and looked away.
Looks like she was mad about his prank the other night.
"Hey, who're those guys?"
Naruto asked when he noticed a husky man with blonde hair and blue eyes sitting in a desk near the judge, as well as another man who was wearing a helmet.
"That is the lord of this land, Alderp. Although… I'm not sure why he is present in this trial. It has nothing to do with him. The other one, I don't recognize due to his helmet."
Darkness answered with a concerned expression. The presence of a noble like Alderp during a trial was troubling.
"To begin this trial, Sena-kun, could you share the evidence that you gathered during your questioning?"
The judge asked, and the policewoman nodded before walking towards the crowd.
"People of Axel! I have gathered evidence that proves that these two men, Naruto Uzumaki, and Kazuma Satou, have ties to the Demon King's Army!"
Sena declared with her arms spread out to emphasize her revelation.
The people in the crowd gasped upon hearing this, and a series of whispers could be heard.
"These two men may have played a great part in the defeat of a Demon King Army General and the Mobile Fortress Destroyer, but I am confident in my findings to say that they have been fooling us all!"
Sena continued before walking in front of Naruto and Kazuma to face them.
"Naruto has claimed to have a monstrous nine-tailed fox sealed inside of him to you before, and I have reason to believe this demon is secretly working with the Demon King!"
"Wha-That's stupid!"
Naruto shouted, but the woman ignored his outburst and pointed to the other boy. Also, why was she calling Kurama a demon again? Wasn't that settled when Kurama took over his body?
"Kazuma may have played a big role in the defeat of the Dullahan, but I believe that he was confronted by this nine-tailed fox without Naruto's knowing and are in cahoots!"
"Cahoots!?"
Naruto spouted with a bewildered expression, but again, the woman ignored him and walked back to the crowd.
"As I was questioning Naruto, I confronted the fox. I was able to conclude that it can take over Naruto's body without his awareness!"
"This is ridiculous! Kurama's never-"
'Actually, I've been taking over your body while you've been asleep for a while now.'
Kurama idly admitted, but there wasn't a sliver of guilt in the fox's voice which ticked Naruto off to no ends.
'What the hell, Kurama!? What were you even doing!?'
'I was trying to wipe that poor excuse of a goddess out of existence! But that witch places a barrier around their mansion every night, and I couldn't break through it without waking you up! I would have been able to do it when you were sleeping at their mansion the other night, but you had forgotten to loosen the damn seal!'
Kurama roared in frustration as he talked about his multiple attempts at murder.
Naruto really wanted to give the fox a piece of his mind, but he still felt bad about the seal business. Not that he had the time to do it, anyway, as Sena was continuing her speech.
"Devils are well known for their tricks and illusions, and Kazuma admitted to seeing a female version of Naruto in his dreams! So, I believe the fox seduced Kazuma into signing a contract!"
Sena declared while striking a weird pose to point at Kazuma, and all eyes fell on the man in question. Particularly the males who knew precisely what that meant.
"…Oi."
Naruto turned over to Kazuma, who was trying to make himself look as small as possible.
Did this guy seriously use the Succubus service… to… with his sexy jutsu form…?
"I know this may be a shock to you all, but-Ah! Guards! Restrain the prosecuted!"
Sena shouted when Naruto suddenly broke out of his cuffs and started strangling Kazuma.
A/N: Poor… Poor Naruto…