AN: Guest Review response time!

Don't Worry: Well, that's your loss, then.

Otsutsuki Naruto: I'm sorry that you've lost interest. May you find something more in line with your tastes soon.

Issei is awesome: Thank you for your support. I'm happy that you're enjoying my story so far.

F U & Zzzzz: I accept disagreement, but I expect civility in the review section.

Chapter 3: Of Plans and Bonds

It was not long until the next day off. Koneko had a bit of free time, as training with Naruto would only begin in a few hours. Despite this, however, she was busy.

While walking around town on her way to her favourite sweet shop, she had spotted Issei. He looked quite shifty, and, as soon as he had spotted her, he tried to run. Suspicious was the only word fitting to describe that behaviour. So, she had taken up pursuit and caught him easily.

"What are you doing?" she asked him calmly.

He looked at her nervously as if he was expecting her to hit him. Given her track record with him, that was a fair assumption. She was also still angry with him about the incident during his fight with Irina, so it was not all that strange for him to expect a violent greeting. That was not her intention, however.

"I… was going to meet up with Saji," he answered hesitantly.

Her stare almost bored a hole through his skull. With narrowed eyes, she said: "I'm coming with you."

"But…," he started. After a second, his shoulders slumped, and he sighed. "Fine."

With her hand tightly clutching his shirt, Koneko then followed him to his intended destination. Their walk was fairly short. Although it drew a bit of attention from the onlookers, it was also uneventful. Before long, the two of them stood in front of the train station.

Sai stood there, apparently waiting for Issei. "So, why did you call me?"

"I want to know that as well. What are you two up to?" asked Koneko.

Saji protested: "Hey, I know just as little as you do! Talk, Hyoudou."

Unperturbed by the other boy's words, Issei said: "I want to find Irina and Xenovia, and ask them for permission to destroy Excalibur."

Saji's and Koneko's eyes widened as they tried to process that ludicrous statement. Asking two adherents of the Church, one of which seemed to be a zealot, to destroy a holy sword; that sounded stupid. Still, there was something to it.

"You're doing this for Yuuto, right? In that case, I'm in," she said.

"Wait a second! What kind of insane idea is that? And why are you involving me?! This is a matter of the Occult Research Club!" protested Saji.

Koneko was also kind of curious what Issei's reasoning was. The two boys did not get along all that well; their first meeting had proven that much.

"Aw, come on!" said Issei.

Saji interrupted him before he could continue: "No! Your [King] may be a loving woman behind a strict exterior, but the Council President has a strict exterior with an even stricter woman behind it. She'll kill me if I get involved in this mess!"

Issei was not giving up, however. He retorted: "You're the only Devil I can even ask. Asia can't keep a secret from the President, and Akeno would just straight up tell her and stop me. And Koneko… she's always so dutiful. I couldn't risk her telling on me."

That was a fair point, Koneko conceded. Under normal circumstances, she would have tattled on him in an instant, but this was about Yuuto. She could not let her friend and comrade turn Stray.

"What is the exact plan?" she asked.

Issei explained: "As I said, I want to find Irina and Xenovia. Then we can call Kiba and negotiate. Xenovia said that their mission would also count as completed if the Excaliburs were destroyed instead of retrieved. We could team up."

"But they declined already," said Koneko with a frown.

"It can't hurt to ask again," countered Issei.

Saji interjected: "And what if they get violent?"

"Then you run," answered Issei. "It would be my fault anyway. If they attack, I'll hold them off. Take Koneko and flee if that happens."

It was in moments like these that Koneko realised that the idiot was more than just a pervert. He was a loyal friend and a good comrade. He had no care for danger when it came to helping those close to him. He had not hesitated back when she had been ambushed by Freed, and he was not hesitating now. When the chips were down, he was there.

It was for this reason that she chose to trust him and go along with his plan. She said: "Okay. We can try."

Left unsaid was that she had absolutely no intention of leaving him to die if the worst-case scenario happened. Members of the Gremory Peerage did not abandon each other. That was why they were doing this in the first place.

"You'll get us killed, you damn moron!" shouted Saji.

"I won't run," reiterated Koneko. "For Yuuto's sake, I will help."

"Don't ignore me!" protested Saji

He was ignored. Then he tried to run. Koneko grabbed his shirt and dragged him along. There was no escaping for Saji.

"Let's hurry up and find the exorcists. It won't be easy to find them," said Koneko.

As it turned out, she was wrong.

It had taken the unlikely trio all of twenty minutes to find the girls in question. They were on the road, praying and begging. It was both comical and pathetic, really.

"A small donation for lost lambs of God, please."

"We ask for charity for the followers of the Heavenly Father."

Koneko stared at the two. Could they be any more obvious?

Indeed, Irina and Xenovia did not wear any kind of disguise. All they had were their white robes to wear over their skin-tight combat suits. Xenovia was not even bothering to hid the suspiciously shaped bundle on her back. Even Issei and Saji stared at them in befuddlement at their suspicious appearance.

The exorcists did not even notice that they were acting weird. They were too busy with begging and bickering.

"This is why I don't like going to countries that don't have the smell of our faith. Japan is supposed to be a developed country. How can they show so little faith?" complained Xenovia.

Smelling faith? That sounded like complete nonsense, although that unlikely ability had worked when determining Asia's beliefs. That, or it could just have been complete bullshit, as the saying went.

"Don't say that, Xenovia. We rely on these people's charity, even if they are heretics! We've got no money left," retorted Irina.

Heathen would be more accurate, thought Koneko. She left the lack of theological education be, though. The two exorcists continued their conversation.

Xenovia glowered at Irina and said: "That's because you blew all our money on that fake painting!"

The thing she pointed at looked horrendous. It had to be some sort of caricature, or it was a really amateurish attempt.

"No, that is definitely a Saint! The person at the exhibition said so," protested Irina.

"Do you have any idea who this is supposed to be? I certainly don't," countered Xenovia.

"Uh… Saint… Peter?"

Xenovia once again pointed at the ill-made painting that depicted a badly drawn man with something on his head and a baby angel in the background.

"Saint Peter wouldn't look like this at all!" she said.

"No, that's what he must have looked like!" argued Irina.

Xenovia let out a sigh. "Is this some sort of trial set by God? Why do I have to have an airhead like you as my partner?"

"Hey, don't get depressed now. It doesn't suit you," said Irina.

Xenovia angrily replied: "Shut up, you heretic! You Protestants should have more respect for the Saints!"

"Respect? You Catholics and your dusty old rules don't know anything about respect," shot back Irina.

"Heretic!"

"Heretic!"

Their argument stopped when their stomachs grumbled simultaneously. The fight left them visibly, and their butting heads separated from each other.

"… We should focus on the food situation. Our mission won't fulfil itself if we starve," said Xenovia.

"We could threaten the heretics for some money. I don't like it, but God will forgive our sin if it's for the mission," suggested Irina.

"Desecrating shrines and stealing the offertory boxes won't be a good idea. We could try a street performance with our blades. That works everywhere," countered Xenovia.

Except that it did not in Japan. Weapons were illegal to carry in Japan. Koneko's opinion of the two lowered itself again.

Irina loved the idea, however. "Yes! We can cut fruit with the Excaliburs. We could make some good money that way!"

"We don't have any fruit, though. Well, no other choice then. Let's cut up that painting," said Xenovia.

"No!"

Koneko glanced at her companions, and she saw that they were stuck between bewilderment and annoyance. She saw Issei sigh before he stepped forward to approach them.

"Hey, you two. We're about to eat. Do you want to come with us?"

"Hahahaha! Yes! Two more disciples! Soon, the whole world shall bow before the glory that is ramen!"

The insane ramblings of her teacher aside, Koneko was amazed by the speed at which the exorcist girls devoured their food. She looked at Naruto and asked him drily: "Aren't you worried they'll eat the whole stock? I know we gave you coupons, but this is getting expensive."

"Nonsense!" retorted the man while wagging a finger at the air. "Bringing the glory and deliciousness of ramen to the people of the world is a mission worth any cost!"

She stared at him.

"Plus, I'm loaded," he added with a grin.

"How?" she asked.

He snorted and said: "I'm a Shinobi. Figure it out. But let's leave that for now. Why are you guys here?"

"We need to discuss important business in private," answered Koneko.

There was a gleam in his eyes as he grinned and said: "Then you came to the right place. Once the two little ladies have finished their meal, I'll take you to the training ground."

"How much are they going to fit in their stomachs?" asked Issei in wonderment.

Naruto hummed for a short moment and answered: "I'd say one more bowl each. They don't look starved, just famished."

"And what if they were starved?" asked the boy.

The blond man's humour evaporated. "Then they'd be as good as dead by this point, kid. Only light food for people recovering from starvation. If you feed them more, their bodies can't handle it, and they die. I've seen it happen too many times to forget that."

While the Devils stewed over that fact, the exorcists finished their meal. Content sighs left them.

"That was delicious. Japanese food is really good," said Xenovia.

"It's the taste of my homeland. I'd forgotten what it was like," commented Irinsa.

Naruto laughed and said: "There's nothing better in the world than a good bowl of ramen."

"It's just a shame that we have to depend on the charity of Devils," lamented Irina.

Xenovia added dramatically: "We've sold our souls."

Naruto snorted and said: "It's my charity too. Those were my coupons that provided for part of your meals. Now let's deal with business. Follow me."

The group left the front of the shop to enter the storage area. There, they went to the summoning circle on the floor. Koneko was already used to it, and did it without a fuss. The others followed her example. A second later, they were already at the training ground.

"This place is beautiful," said Issei.

"Thanks. I took a long while to get it like this," responded Naruto.

The others except for his student looked around as well, drinking in the details of the place. The Church girls were quick to gather their wits again, however.

"What do you want to talk about?" asked Xenovia.

Issei scratched his cheek awkwardly and said: "You came here to retrieve or destroy the Excaliburs, right?"

"That is correct. If we can't take them back, we're supposed to destroy them," said Xenovia. "So, the minimum objective is their destruction."

"Good. In that case, we want to help you destroy the Excaliburs," announced the boy.

Xenovia hummed before she said: "Well, that is okay. You need to make sure you stay anonymous, though. If the higher-ups find out that we took help from the Devils, we're done for. We can leave one of the swords for you to destroy if you can do that."

"Hey, is that really okay, Xenovia? Even if it's Issei, we can't really accept the aid of a Devil," said Irina.

Xenovia shook her head and said: "It would be really tough to fulfil our mission with just the two of us."

"But-"

She ignored Irina's protests and went on: "Our minimal objective is the destruction of the Excaliburs. But even if we went all-out, we would likely have to destroy our own swords. Our chance of success lies at 30% at best."

"What idiot came up with that figure?" asked Naruto.

Everyone looked at him strangely. Irina said: "That was the intelligence division of the Vatican."

Xenovia nodded in confirmation.

"Then they're either incompetent or full of traitors," said Naruto. "I've heard Kokabiel has five pairs of wings, and on my travels, I've met an Angel with the same number. If their power compares even remotely, your chances of success lie somewhere around 10%. If you want to make it out alive, make that 5%."

"Traitors…," muttered Irina.

Naruto nodded. "I've had my suspicions about this ever since Koneko told me about it. I've contacted a few people and I should get an answer soon. For now, it'd be a good idea for you guys to team up."

Xenovia shrugged. "My beliefs are flexible, so I can be pragmatic."

"Your faith is weird," said Irina. "Dying for the cause is something a follower of God should desire, no?"

"To come back home healthy and whole, and continue to fight for God sounds better to me," countered Xenovia.

Irina thought it over. "You're not exactly wrong…," she said.

"Plus, we can say we're borrowing the power of a dragon. The request came from a childhood friend of yours, right? Let's trust in the power of a dragon, then," proposed Xenovia.

"They didn't forbid us to ask the aid of a dragon… But that's just skirting the rules! I'll say it again: Your faith is weird, Xenovia!" declared Irina.

"Why?" asked Issei. "I've asked Ddraig about the Great War a bit, and he said that there were some dragons who fought on your side."

Xenovia pointed at him and looked at Irina while saying: "See? We have nothing to worry about."

Irina's face took on a complicated expression. Then, she sighed. "Fine, but only because it's Issei."

"Great! We have an agreement, then. I'll call my partner for this fight," said Issei.

He then took out his phone and put in Kiba's number. Then, he paused. "Do we even have reception here?" he asked Naruto.

"We do. I set up a relay when I made this place. It's an isolated space, but thanks to that, we have a connection," answered the older man.

Issei nodded, called the number, and then spoke: "Kiba, I've got the Excalibur wielders here. We had a talk. You should come here so we can hush out the details."

"… I'll be there."

Naruto was listening in on them. He said: "While you guys wait for him to get to my shop, You're free to spar and use the training ground as you see fit. Koneko, come with me, please."

He grabbed his student and led her away while the four others stayed behind. He took her behind the treeline, and sat down. He motioned for her to do the same.

When she had lowered herself to the ground, she asked: "What is it, Sensei?"

"I wanted to tell you that you pass," he told her.

She blinked at him. "Huh?"

"You've passed the initiation test. You see, back home, graduating students from the academy have to pass a test for their Sensei to accept them as Genin students. The nature of the test is up to the Jonin teacher in question. I'm from a line of teachers who use the bell test. That's only something that can be done with three students, though. So, I had to devise a new test for you that tests the same qualities," explained Naruto.

Koneko furrowed her brows. "But… I have no idea what you tested."

He smiled brightly at her and said: "Teamwork! You're breaking the rules for the sake of a teammate. That Issei boy you brought along as well. The risk you're taking is immense."

"But it was his idea. I'm just going along with it," remarked Koneko.

"So what? You're still doing it of you own free will. The consequences are gonna be severe in any case, aren't they?"

She nodded slowly. No matter if it was on Issei's initiative, she was essential going AWOL. In some Devil households, that was a death sentence. She doubted it would be that bad for her, but she dreaded her punishment.

"Yes," she said.

"And that's why you pass," said Naruto. "When I passed the bell test, my Sensei told me something I've taken to heart. You should do so as well. It goes like this: 'Those who disobey the rules are trash. Those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash.' I've lived by those words for all my life ever since. Today, you've shown me that you understand them as well."

He then pulled something out of a belt pouch and presented it to her. It was a headband with a metal plate at its centre. On the plate sat a swirl within a circle. She examined it and looked up at him.

"What is that?"

He smiled at her, and said: "I can't make you a Shinobi of Konoha, my home. But I can make you a Shinobi of my Clan. I'm the Clan Head, after all, and you've proven your worth to me. If you accept this headband, you'll be an honorary member of the Uzumaki clan. When you have nowhere left to go; when you are lost; whenever you need help; the Clan will always be a home to you. Every Uzumaki will recognise you as family."

She looked at him with wide eyes and an open mouth. That was an offer she had not expected, and it overwhelmed her. She, who had never known her parents and had lost her sister, craved family. That was why she was helping Yuuto achieve his revenge. The Gremory Peerage was family, and Yuuto was a part of it. And now, she was receiving an offer of kinship once more.

"But I'm part of the President's Peerage. I can't join your Clan. I'm part of the Gremory family," she said.

He laughed and told her: "Having family doesn't mean you can't get more. It doesn't matter if you're a Toujou, a Gremory or a nameless cur from the arse-end of nowhere. Whatever else you are, you're an Uzumaki too, believe it! And even if we're not close yet, that can change. Besides, the promise of support and asylum extends to your family too."

"I… don't have to give up anything?" she asked.

He shook his head and smiled. "No, nothing at all. There are no obligations to the Clan at all."

Koneko finally grasped the headband and said: "I accept, then."

"In that case, I welcome you as the newest daughter of the Clan," said Naruto with a warm smile.

She blushed at his words. Daughter. No one had ever called her that. It felt nice, she decided. There was a warm, fuzzy feeling to it. She had a question, however.

"Why did you make that offer? We haven't known each other for long," she asked.

He told her: "Because it seems to me like you're a girl who's afraid to be alone. I wanted to show you that you won't ever have to be. And remember that I've felt you spirit. Who would not want a bright girl like you in their family? I also chose to do this because the Will of Fire is in my soul. I've mentioned it before, haven't I?"

When she nodded, he continued: "The Will of Fire is the belief that the next generation must be nurtured so it can surpass the old one, rekindling the old flame again and again. In less stuffy words, old folks like me gotta look out for young kids like you. If you could use more family, that's what I'm gonna give you."

Koneko stared at him in wonderment for a bit longer. Then, she slowly smiled. That fit her teacher perfectly.

"Can we practice Ninshu while we wait for Yuuto?" she asked.

Naruto's smile turned into a grin, and he said: "Of course. Let's do that."

Naruto had known the girl for so little time, yet he knew that he had found himself in her. His younger self had been very similar to Koneko. The desire for family, for acceptance and recognition; that was very familiar to him. She was a kindred spirit.

Just like he had struggled to accept his nature as a Jinchuuriki, she was struggling to accept her nature as a Nekoshou. To be fair, his struggle had been incredibly short-lived thanks to Iruka, but there was no Iruka in Koneko's life. Nobody, not even her beloved President, had told her that it was okay to be a Nekoshou. He did not blame the redhead for this oversight, seeing as teens were not qualified to be therapists, but the problem persisted. Koneko needed someone who accepted her not only for who she was but also for what she was.

Devil society as a whole feared and despised Nekoshou thanks to her sister's crimes. They painted Koneko with the same brush. The unwillingness to accept her had been palpable early on, from what he had been able to gather. Even though the hostility had lessened in recent years, its impact remained. Koneko's rejection of her own nature had been the result.

Naruto now considered it his mission to get her to accept herself. Chakra and Senjutsu practice were a good start. They were part of her very being, her heritage. If he could get her to accept one, she would accept the other. He would not rest until the day she could feel comfortable in her own skin.

And, if he was not mistaken, that Issei boy would help him in that endeavour. Everything about him reminded him of his godfather Jiraiya; he had the same aura of a super pervert, but he also had the same fiery, compassionate soul. Naruto could not be sure just yet, but he had a feeling that Issei would play a pivotal role in Koneko's life.

Time would tell if he was right.

Due to the distance involved, it took Yuuto some time to reach the ramen shop. From there on, however, it took less than a minute to get him to the training ground, where the others were already waiting.

When he arrived, he blinked. "How did you get here so fast?" he asked Naruto.

"I've been here since before your friend called you," answered the man.

The slightly twitching of his lips told Koneko that he knew something Yuuto did not. She was curious as well, and decided to pay a bit more attention.

"But you just sent me here," said Yuuto.

"No, that was me," said Naruto's voice.

It had not come from where she could see him, though. Instead, it came from the treeline. From behind one of the trees emerged another man. He looked exactly like Naruto, down to the tiniest detail. Did he have a twin brother?

"What the fuck?!" shouted Saji. "There's two of you?"

"Two? Three," said another man using Naruto's voice and appearance. He had emerged from the woods

"Four."

"Five."

"Six."

"There's as many of me as I need," finished the original Naruto.

The others stared wide-eyed at him. "Those are some really convincing illusions," said Xenovia.

Naruto grinned. "Are they?" he asked.

Three of the copies stepped forward and poked her forehead simultaneously. Then, all of them went up in smoke.

"Illusions are for pansies with no substance," he said. "Real professionals use classic types of deceptions."

"How are you doing that?" asked Koneko.

He answered: "You're going to learn over the next few days."

"Interesting," she said, "But I meant how you're deceiving us."

He grinned at her. "Well spotted. You'll make a fine Shinobi, Genin Koneko."

She blushed at the praise, but doubled up: "And the deception?"

He raised an eyebrow and asked back: "Weren't you trying to talk about Excalibur?"

That brought everyone's thoughts to a halt. That had indeed been the purpose of their gathering here. The man was good at being a distraction.

"If that's all, I'll sit back while you discuss your thing. Just don't get side-tracked," he teased.

"Not cool," complained Issei.

Koneko suppressed a snort. She did not entirely succeed. The noise put the boy back on topic.

"Right," he said, "See, Kiba, we negotiated with the Excalibur wielders. The plan is to team up and help them. If we do that, we can destroy one of the Excaliburs."

"Can I get a bit more detail on that?" asked Yuuto.

The gist of the negotiations was then relayed to him. From the minimally required goal to the reasoning behind the cooperation, everything was summed up in short. By the end of it, Yuuto seemed onboard with the idea.

"It leaves a bit of a bad taste to have permission, though," he said. "I guess there's nothing for it. It's better than nothing. Still, it's somewhat unsatisfying."

"We're all making compromises here. If you were a Stray Devil, I'd cut you down on the spot," said Xenovia.

Irina saw the mounting hostility, and sought to deflect it, saying: "So, you have a grudge against the Holy Sword project?"

"It's hard not to," he said flatly and with anger.

"But thanks to it, there are now many more holy sword wielders than there were before, including me," protested Irina.

Koneko winced. That was not the thing to say. It was insensitive, though going by the other girl's expression, it was probably not meant as an insult. That did not stop Yuuto from taking it as one, however.

He asked heatedly: "And that justifies the murder of all test subjects simply because they failed to provide the desired results?"

Irina did not know how to answer. Fortunately for her, Xenovia did. "That is a mark of shame for the Church. It was against our policy, and the man in charge was investigated. His faith was found wanting. He was charged with heresy. As far as we know, he defected to the Grigori."

"I want to know his name," said Kiba.

"Valper Galilei," responded Xenovia. "He received the moniker 'Genocide Archbishop' for his misdeeds."

Yuuto looked thoughtful. He muttered: "If he's with the Grigori, then I can get to him by fighting the Fallen. Alright." His voice got a bit louder as he said: "In that case, there's something I should tell you. Some time ago, I came across a priest who was attacked and killed. If his robes were any indication, he was one of yours. The killer's name is Freed Sellzen. Do you know him?"

"Ah, it's him," said Xenovia.

Irina added: "He was hailed a prodigy of the Vatican. He became an exorcist at thirteen and had many accomplishments under his belt. His faith was lacking even back then, though."

"He went crazy early on. All he really cares about is battle and killing. He even killed his allies. He was charged with heresy, but he escaped before he could be brought to justice," elaborated Xenovia.

"I see. So you hold a grudge against him as well. Very well, I'll cooperate," said Yuuto.

Koneko also had a score to settle with the insane priest. He had murdered clients of hers and attacked her. She was more than happy to help bring him down.

Xenovia nodded and the jotted down something on a notepad. "Let's coordinate, then. Call this number if something is up."

Issei then said: "Let me give you my number as well."

"Oh, auntie Hyoudou already gave us your number," said Irina cheerfully.

He looked at her in dismay. "Seriously? Mom, how could you give away my number without permission," he cried out.

There were snickers to be heard as he said that. The amusement was cut short, however.

Xenovia said: "That's everything. I'm ready to leave. Thanks for the meal."

"Thanks for the meal, Issei," said Irina to the boy whose funds had borne the brunt of her and Xenovia's hunger. "Treat me again sometime, right? You may be a Devil, but you're Issei, so God will allow it. There's always an exception for food."

She winked at him as she said that.

Koneko stared flatly at her, taking in Issei's look of disbelief as well. That girl's faith was as weird as her companion's. That, and the winking was strange. Did she have a crush on the pervert or something? The Nekoshou shook her head.

The two exorcists were then led away by Naruto. When they were gone, Yuuto looked at Issei and asked: "Why did you do this?"

"Because you're a comrade," answered Issei. "You're a fellow member of the Gremory group, and you've helped me before. I thought I should help you out in return."

Yuuto raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? If I go off by myself, I'll cause trouble for the President, so that's part of the reason too, no?"

"Well, yeah. She'd go crazy. Honestly, I'm in deep shit, too, for setting up this meeting and making that plan. I'm making plenty of trouble for her, but it's miles better than you going stray!" replied the other boy.

Yuuto still looked unsure. It was time to do something, Koneko decided. She was not one for wearing her heart on her sleeve, but this was too important to not express herself.

"Don't leave, please," she said as she approached him. She fought back tears as she gripped his clothes, and continued: "I'll get lonely… if you leave. I'll help you, but please… stay with us."

As much as she appreciated Naruto's offer of kinship from before, she had a family she felt closer to. The Gremory Peerage was just that. Rias and Akeno were her older sisters, and Yuuto was like a brother to her. Gasper, Asia and even Issei were dear to her too. Losing any of them was not an option.

Yuuto sighed. "I surrender. It's impossible to say no to you, Koneko. And thank you as well, Issei. I now know who my true enemy is, and who my allies are. Let's do this together."

Koneko noted the happy expressions around her, and smiled slightly as well.

Issei then said: "Hell yes! Let's destroy Excalibur and that shitty priest Freed!"

"… Do I have to as well?" asked Saji awkwardly with a raised hand. "It's not like I'm involved in this. I also don't get how Kiba and Excalibur are related."

"That sounds like some heavy talk," said Naruto, inserting himself into the conversation. "Take these."

He handed everyone still present a can of tea.

"It's from a vending machine, so it's not top-notch, but the brand is good. Helps calm tempers," he said.

"Thank you," said Kiba. He opened the can and took a sip from the tea before he began his tale: "I was raised in a Church facility. It was filled with orphans like me, test subjects for the Holy Sword Project. Our entirely lives were dedicated to serving God and the Church. However, when the project failed to yield results, the facility was shut down… And the experiments liquidated. The ones in charge of the facility killed everyone. They said prayers as they killed us with poison gas. We prayed to God for salvation, but no help came. Only I escaped."

He went into a bit more detail about his escape and what had happened after that; how he had been found by Rias when he had been on death's door due to the poison gas, and how she had rescued him.

"… And that's why I'm doing this. I have to settle my comrades' regrets. I must live in their place and destroy Excalibur in their stead."

Everyone was deeply moved by the story. Koneko had known it before, and so had Issei and Naruto to some extent, but Saji was new to this information. The boy was even sobbing a little, and there were tears in his eyes.

"That must have been painful. I understand now," he said. "Your passion for the destruction of Excalibur and your grudge against the Church! I used to dislike you for being a pretty-boy-"

Koneko resisted the urge to sigh. Another one, she thought.

"-but you're a good guy. Damn it, I'll help! I'm willing to risk punishment from the Student Council President for this. I'm on your side for this operation! So, don't go dying on us. You've got to live on for your comrades and the President who saved your life!"

Saji was remarkably similar to Issei in many regards, Koneko noted. Both boys were easily moved by things like this. It made it easy to be friends with them, despite their flaws.

"In light of this and our cooperation, I will tell you about my ambition a well!" began Saji. He took a deep breath before he continued: "My dream is to impregnate and marry the Student Council President! It's going to be a hard task for an unpopular guy like me to impregnate any girl, but I will definitely knock up President Sona Sitri!"

"Listen up Saji! My dream is to grope my President's boobs… and then suck on them!" declared Issei.

Oh no. They really are the same, thought Koneko in dismay. And here she had complimented them. How disappointing.

"Do you know how hard it is to touch a High Class Devil's boobs, man?" asked Saji.

Issei chuckled. "You fool! I've already done that. That's why I must go beyond, and suck on them! If I can do it, then so can you!"

Saji looked at him with wide eyes. "Are you for real? That's possible?"

"It will be hard, but it's possible," declared Issei.

"But… sucking them… On the nipples, right?" said Saji lost in thought.

"Of course, you dingus! That's the only real place where you can suck on boobs," responded the other boy.

The manly tears the fell from Saji's eyes heralded the coming of a massive headache for Koneko. Just why did those two have to be like that? Sadly for her mental state, Issei was not quite finished yet.

"We may be lost on our own, but together, we can achieve anything! By working together, we can achieve our goals! We can impregnate and marry our masters!"

The war cries they issued were entirely unfitting for the serious topic of the previous conversation. They were good at lightening the mood though.

"Hahaha," laughed Yuuto a she observed the two idiots.

"You're the worst," said Koneko with her usual stoic expression.

As for Naruto…

"Bwuahahahahaha! Oh man, I haven't seen stuff like that in ages. Those guys are comedy gold. Koneko, keep them around. I haven't laughed like that in years!"

She sighed. She could not speak for Saji, but she would "keep around" Issei. He was a nuisance at times, and he was annoying pervert most of the time, but there was no doubt that he was reliable in a pinch.

"I will, Sensei," she told Naruto

"Great," he said. "Now listen up, boys!"

That drew their attention.

"Since you used my shop and my training ground for your little get-together, I'm gonna ask you for a bit of payment," he said.

"Wait, what?!" exclaimed Issei. "I'm out of cash! You can't do this!"

Naruto waved his hand and said: "Don't worry, I'm not asking for money. I'm far more interested in the Sacred Gears you guys have, especially the ones on Saji and Hyoudou."

"Are you mad?! That'll kill us!" shouted Saji.

"Not like that, you idiot," said the blond man while rolling his eyes. "I'm a seal master, and Sacred Gears have some of the most interesting seals I've ever seen. This Biblical God is an absolute genius, so I take every opportunity I can get to examine them."

Issei and Saji calmed down after hearing those words. "I see," said Issei. "It's okay in that case."

Naruto smiled and said: "That's good. I'll let you use my training ground in exchange. I'll even spar with you guys and help you polish your techniques while I'm at it. I can't let my students' teammates fall behind, after all."

Koneko poked him in the side and asked: "Is that a good idea?"

"It is," he said. "I can train you all at the same time thanks to my Shadow Clones. And it's always good for you to have support. You're my precious student, after all. It'll be good for you to bond over training too. Never forget the importance of bonds."

"I've missed you," said a voice he instantly recognised.

She was the dearest person to his heart. Over the aeons he had lived, she had always been his greatest treasure and the source of his strength. And although she was dead, she remained deeply rooted in his heart. She was Hinata, the love of his life, and his wife.

"Not as much as I've missed you," said Naruto.

She looked at him with sad eyes and replied: "I love you for wanting to visit me more often, but you know why I don't want you to."

"It breaks my heart to be away from you," he told her.

He gently cupped her cheeks and kissed her on the lips. It was a sort of ritualistic greeting by this point. He did it every time he came to visit his wife in the Pure World. Despite that, it had never lost its beauty, its emotional weight, or its exhilarating feeling.

She reciprocated his gesture in kind. Contrary to how she acted as a child and young adult, Hinata had always been a ferocious lover. She had still been as deferential as one would have expected from her behaviour around him, but there had always been great energy and vigour in her. Accordingly, her kiss left her husband breathless.

Once their lips parted again, she said: "I know, dear. I know how painful this is for you. That doesn't change my opinion, however. You need to find someone in the world of the living who can give you the stability you seek from me."

She had begun saying things like that centuries ago. His longing for her left her pained for some reason. She had thus begun encouraging him to find a new love. Unfortunately for her, Naruto found that notion ridiculous.

He looked affronted. "Hinata, how can you say that? I'd never cheat on you! Not in a million years! Not in a billion!"

She brushed a hand over his cheek and responded: "Who said anything about cheating? If I'm okay with it, it doesn't count, does it? Our vows were to the death, Naruto. I'm dead, so I won't be mad if you find another woman you can love."

"I can't just let go of you. You're my everything," he protested.

"You misunderstand. It's not about letting go; it's about letting someone else in," she countered.

Naruto shook his head and said: "Nobody is as perfect as you. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to her. I won't ever abandon you."

"Haven't you visited many worlds where it's normal to have multiple partners? Continuing to love me while you love another woman is not a problem as far as I can tell," argued the pale-eyes woman.

He sighed. "I just don't think it'll happen," he said.

"Not with that attitude," she snarked. "But please consider it at least. I hate to see you so lost every time you come to me. You need someone to keep you anchored to the living."

"I have my apprentices and students," retorted Naruto.

"Who are all adult and independent by now," said Hinata.

He shook his head and said: "No. I have a new student. It's been about two weeks since we met. She's sixteen."

Hinata sighed. She knew she would get no further with the previous topic, and so she decided to instead talk about what he had brought up. "Tell me a bit about her," she said.

Naruto smiled and recounted his encounters with the young Nekoshou. He explained the background of her species; the history he had managed to unearth; the state of chakra and Senjutsu in her world; and he regaled his wife with the tale of what had happened the previous day.

"You offered her membership in the Clan awfully fast," remarked Hinata.

"I did," admitted Naruto, "But Koneko is deathly afraid of loneliness and abandonment. I wanted to offer her some security, and I wanna bond with her. It's gonna be tough, though. She's very closed-off, even with Ninshu."

"What about that boy you told me about?" asked Hinata.

"The pervert? It's like seeing Pervy Sage again. He's dense but reliable. Koneko's spirit is drawn to him, for sure. The type of support he would give he is way different, though," he argued.

"Hmm… How so?" asked Hinata.

Naruto raised an eyebrow and asked back: "Did you discuss the same things with me that you discussed with Uncle Hiashi? Or with Hanabi? Not every bond is the same, even if they're equally strong"

"Fair point," conceded his wife. "Well, if you wish to adopt little Koneko into our Clan, you have my approval. Be aware of your commitment to her, though."

"Always," he said with conviction.

Hinata smiled at him and kissed him again. She said: "Good. Since you can't put children into me anymore, that's the only way for me to get any. You'd better watch out for our newest daughter, alright?"

"She won't view me as family for some time yet, but I'll be damned if I don't take care of her," he told her.

That earned him yet another kiss from his wife. She loved his parental side. Even back when she had been alive, he had often adopted students of his, sometimes very quickly after meeting them. Their children by blood had grown up with many adopted siblings as a result. Even after she had been long past her childbearing age, he had continued to bring in children. That tradition had continued from there on, and it was on-going still. That compassionate side of his was one of the many things she loved about him.

When she drew back again, she sent a smile at her husband and said: "If that's the case, I won't worry about her."

He gave her a thumbs-up and a grin. "Believe it."

Her gaze then became half-lidded as she said: "Right now, you have someone else to take care of, though, don't you?"

She unwrapped the robe she was wearing, letting it drop on the floor and exposing her naked body to Naruto. She licked her lips when she saw his eyes drift lower.

"I do, huh?" he said.

Then, he moved toward her and kissed her again. His hands roamed her body, and her hands roamed his; and soon they were too busy to care about anything else.

Students, swords, and worldly troubles could wait. For now, they had each other, and that was all that mattered.

AN: Hello there and welcome back, dear readers!

I thought it would take longer to put this chapter together, but an incident occurred in private life, and I'm writing for therapeutic purposes. The updates will probably slow down after this chapter, but the wait won't extend to over three weeks.

This chapter still follows the Light Novel fairly closely, although certain details have changed. Things will start diverting more significantly soon, though. One or two chapters more should do.

No, for those readers who have read the last part and wondered "where's the lemon?", I have a twofold answer: 1) It's against site policy. While I know that this rule is, at best, skirted, I don't want to be among the unlucky few who get hit. 2) Writing good smut is very difficult, and I don't want to deliver a subpar product. If I do end up writing any lemons, they will be published on another site like AO3 or so, but I'd first have to make an account there.

At this point, I would like to extend my thanks to everyone who has followed, favourited and reviewed. I appreciate the criticism I received last time although a few heated debates have erupted because of it.

Until next time, then. Stay happy and healthy, everyone!