A/N; There seems to be a bit of discord over my decision to have Mio leave the team. Thought of it whilst writing the chapter the first sneak peak is on. I never said that the apocalypse was averted just prosponed, nor did i say Basara and Mio would never meet, just that her absence would change things on their end and their own story, the end of the world can come in many forms. The true depths of Naruto's interference will be touched upon in Ch 10 and clarified further on, and the new friend Naruto makes is revealed and new enemy of the hero faction that diverts their end of the world attempts to punish those responsible.

2nd A/N: I, myself, am in two minds about how this chapter turned out. I had it structured in my head, but as I wrote it *Shrug, it turned out funny. I got like four different versions of it. This was the last one. I'm unsure if it's the best one though.

Chapter Nine; Robins and Clouds

Japan; Airspace

Naruto sat at the window side of the three seated row, Mio beside him, and Shirone on the isle side. It was a surprise that she chose to stick with the group. She only had two days with her clan but insisted on accompanying them when they were to leave. It was her choice, so he welcomed the Nekomata back into the group.

Thanks to Azezel's assistance, the entire group got their human and supernatural passports in just two days and standard class tickets direct to London, and connections to Cambridge. He also had a private word shared between the two, then three of them.

Glancing over at the middle three row of seats; Xenovia, Irina, and newest member Maya. It was explained that the 'Ambush' all those years ago was meant to be a sales pitch for an educational program for them both that Maya had been attending. She had asked if Naruto, a young, orphaned devil that does business in town, could be accepted. It seemed to have reached Azezel's desk at one point and it was green lit. Azezel apologised for spooking him, and brought in Maya too do so also. He was unsure about her, but the others will keep her in check.

Looking ahead Yuma was already asleep, figured, which wasn't a bad idea, "Mio… I'll be sleeping. Wake me if something comes up."

"Okay. Sleep well." They share a kiss before he rolls leans against the wall, eyes looking over the ocean below, eyes closing slowly returning to his memories of the near past.

Naruto; Flashback: Night after the Battle of Kuoh

Naruto steps through the clouds of the border to the space he now shares with another. The area was a perfect replica of his childhood home, more accurately, the stone gardens and the bottom floor. The rest was an illusion.

His eyes roamed over the area. This was once his sanctuary, away from the harmful world he now strolls through, hiding his true self from the vultures that circle up high. Looking up at the purple sky, a sense of nostalgia, or maybe it was homesickness, his form was suddenly hugged from behind. "Sochi…"

"Mother."

"Slowpoke. I made some changes."

"Noticed."

""So, what took you so long?""

"Had to tell the Satans off. Then take a shower." He paused, sensing her chuckle at the first part, but his sigh told her the weight of what was to come, looking at his right arm, the arm that took her from him. "A long shower."

"Your hand was forced."

"Doesn't matter. That hand was still mine." He growled, and she turned him to face her, still in that same outfit she wore in the battle, no glasses though, he had them. "I think you came here for answers, right?" Upon his nod, she smiles, leading him to the tree in the center of the rock garden, the same one she used to hum him to sleep under. He wonders if it's still there.

Sitting in the shade together, mother and son share long-awaited words, "Well, where should I begin?"

"'The beginning?'" Naruto suggested calmly, but she smiled and shook her head. "Fuyuhiko Leviathan, don't get cheeky with me, young man," Katerea said with a mock stern voice. He stuck his tongue out at her, but she sighed and really looked at him. "Fuyuhiko, I really did miss you." Sensing the shift, Naruto remained silent. "Originally, yes, you were meant to be a means to an end. The plan the old fossils came up with was convoluted and complicated, but it came down to a 'new generation' of super devils to challenge our foes. So many times, I was asked to bear their heirs." She chuckled hollowly but put her hand on his, seeing him tense. "I was disgusted at the prospect of those relics touching me. I wasn't the only one. Gheka Beelzebub from a lesser branch of the clan outright refused and disappeared somewhere."

"Is she still alive?"

"Possibly." She went to push her glasses up, a sign of stress, but realized that she wasn't wearing them. Naruto slipped his pair onto her face, and she smiled at him, "I don't deserve you." But he shrugged innocently, "Well, the council demanded we expand our numbers in response to the new faction's reincarnation system. Those fodder weren't as powerful as us full bloods, but their numbers more than made up for it without a doubt and they were nervous."

She looked at him again. "I asked how we got this information. It's not like the new faction would just let us know of their plans, right?"

"An inside man?" Naruto guessed, and she nodded with a frown. "Zekram Bael. Head of the Bael clan and unofficially known as the leader of the devil faction. The old coot had been there during the Great War and watched as both sides weakened one another while he built up more and more power." She glared at nothing in particular. "He is the reason our clansmen fought to the death, why there aren't that many of us." She looked to him. "If I ever find out that you have worked with that thing…"

"Mom, I get it. I really do." Naruto raised his hands. Her glare did not fail, but she gave him a stiff nod. "If he is the reason, then what about the 'Four Great Satans'?"

She outright scowled at that. "Ajuka Astaroth is by far my most hated foe. He was the one who killed Tsufaame-sama, our strongest since our founder. Her death changed everything for us, and we never recovered."

He also created the evil piece system, right?

"Yeah. He is the brains of the new faction. Don't underestimate him," she warns. Naruto probably knows better than she does. After all, his best friend is a Nara among Naras. Those smart guys are no joke, no matter how lazy they are. In fact, the lazier, the more dangerous they are.

"Troublesome." He sighed, and she nodded, not truly understanding the levels to that but agreeing with the sentiment regardless. "As for Serafall, the fact that she parades around with our clan name like it's a damn shirt and acts so disgracefully doing so…" the amount of loathing she put behind that would have surprised most, but again, dealing with a kyuubi filled with nothing but hatred for an entire natural human life dulls you to the darker side of things.

"Find it insulting that she thinks she is the greatest water user left in the underworld, that she has the right to our name. The nerve!"

"Got it, mum. If I ever fight her, beat her with water. I'll add it to the list."

"Better, young man, or so help me."

"Do you want to spank me? Mom. I'm seventeen. Not seven." Naruto comments but immediately regrets it as she yanks his ear, "Is that right Sochi… guess I have to…"

Naruto awoke in a cold sweat, his ass hurt too. Looking down, he thought, "…how the hell…? She is just a soul, sealed within…" Glancing around, he saw the burger on the stand. A glance at the calendar showed a full day. The clock read two in the morning. Getting up, he grabbed and ate the burger, accompanied by the fries, then the milkshake, strawberry.

He missed the note below them, letting it flicker to the floor, face down, and heads back to bed once done. Closing his eyes he falls into blissful silence. Unaware that he had stepped on the note as he turned back for the bed, crumpling it.

Opening his eyes, he sees his mother looking down on him, "You're awake?"

"Sorry, did I….?" He noticed his voice was higher pitched, lifting his arms, he frowned before seeing the glint in his mother's eyes and narrowed his eyes with the silent question, "You were so cute at this age."

"Mom." He groaned, and she pinched his cheeks playfully, and he could do nothing but let her have this.

After she settled down, seeing the six-year-old Naruto sleeping on her lap, she said, "So, you blamed the four 'Satans' for killing off our clansmen…? For leaving you without any family?"

"Leaving us without family." She corrected him, bopping his button nose, running her fingers through his equally brown hair at this age, "Seeing you like this, reminds me of the peace we had for the time before I was called before the old bats…" This got his attention, "What do you mean?"

"Remember when you were younger, we had a few maidservants and the like, yes?" Naruto nodded to his mother's words, and she sighed, "One of them tattled on mommy."

"Mom. I may look like a six-year-old…"

"Ah ah ah… no back talking, little man," she chides with no little amount of mirth. He refuses to pout at his age; he definitely was not pouting. She pinches his cheeks, "Well, let's go back a few years before you were born. Remember how they wanted to basically enact a mass breeding program?" Upon his nod, she continues, "Many reacted negatively, and while they were being dealt with, I basically said that I would do my research and find the most compatible with my bloodline." Naruto looks horrified at that, and she flicks his nose, "It was a ploy. No way I would allow those fossils to come anywhere near me."

"Then what happened?"

Zekram Bael happened. He fed information on the political movements within the new faction. Beal and Gremory. Phenex and Gremory. Agres and Astaroth. To name a few. Based off these, I made a report of the likelihood of their unions creating super devils, and what super devils they would look like. As I fed them these reports, I was often overlooked as I was 'busy' being useful.

"Naruto, what changed?" Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat. He was basically being told he was born to fight for old guys that only saw him as a tool, again. Thankfully, his mother's instincts picked up on his nervousness and kissed his forehead. "You, my ice prince, are my son. The sun in my darkness. Before I even thought about having you, all I thought about was how to get back at those frauds. Claiming to rule the underworld when it was all Bael controlling everything and everyone. I was so vengeful and bitter that as our clan was wiped out while theirs prospered."

Her rant was cut short by his hand on her cheeks, "Mom…" she leaned into her touch her wrath aspect overcoming her again, thankfully her pride and joy was with her, or she'd go nuts.

"Sorry, Fuyuhiko. My wrath is acting up." His smile really put her at ease. "By the Satan's you are so cute." She ran her fingers across his stomach, then tickled him lightly, and he giggled. He's a grown ass man and he. Taking a breath to calm his own wrath, he opens his eyes to see his mother's knowing smile. "It runs in the family, you know. We all have Wrath, but either Pride or Lust." Looking to the sky, she spoke again. "Tsufaame-Samoa had pride like me. She had the power to back it up, but her pride was also her downfall. I was sure I wouldn't follow the same path, and sought help…" looking back at her son, "I swallowed my pride, but it allowed my Wrath to cloud my judgment."

"what did you do?"

"Messing with beings in the top half of the top ten list is something you should never do."

"Those are the only stories I know."

"Then do you remember what I told you about the void dragons?" She asked and he thought on it. It took a moment to recall, but his mother didn't mind. She just ran her hand through the hair he got from her. Idly, she mused what her grandkids would look like. Would they have her hair or his? Leviathan with the Lusifuge hair? Based on their fight, her predictions of their compatibility were accurate, as her son showed mastery over both water and ice. He fights like a leviathan with massive, calculated strikes, but with Lusifuge powers. She couldn't teach him much without people catching wind of her little prince. Much help that did. They found him after all.

"Dream Dragon and the Infinite One?"

"Ophis, the Infinite Dragon God, and the Dragon of dreams, Big Red, yes. We made contact with Ophis, who offered us power in exchange for our aid in defeating Big Red." She sighs, stopping her hand motions mid-hair ruffle, "I should have read the fine print." Looking into his eyes, "It amplified my wrath beyond normal, and I didn't notice until…" breaking into a smile, "I had you." He smiled, "Now, I am not going to say something cheesy like I met your father, we fell in love, yada-yada-yada. You were a test-tube baby. I only had limited resources and put all my bets on you."

"Then what?"

"Nine months later. One Fuyuhiko Leviathan." Her smile was soft but filled with motherly pride for her baby boy. "The second I held you in my arms, I forgot about all the anger, all the pain, and all the worries I had about my future. All because I had you now. To me, at that moment and even now, you became my pride." He leaped up and hugged her tightly, she hugged him back, both tearing up at the contact.

Unbeknownst to him, his body out in the real world was crying too, and this is what Mio, Yuma, and Xenovia saw when checking up on him. They left silently, deciding to give him more time.

"Still remember the night I placed you in your crib for the first time, your blue eyes were so clear, but you were like a little clone of me." Katerea informs, gaining a blush from her son, "but I think I prefer these purple ones."

"Like this…" he shifts his form to have the same purple eyes as his adult form, and she squeals, hugging him. Her hair tickles his nose as it always did when he was a kid. "Stop, Mum, it tickles." But her laugh just warms his heart, recalling the numerous times they played in the garden whenever she was having trouble in her office. Said memories begin forming around them, and his mother looks up to see a one-year-old Fuyuhiko, crawling after his mother who is all smiles as he tries to catch her.

A maid brings out refreshments. She smiles too, "Ah, Koyu-chan. I wonder what happened to her." Katerea comments just as baby Fuyuhiko puts both hands down, lifting himself to his feet. A gleam in both the astral Katerea's eyes matches that of the soul form, watching her baby take his first steps. "I couldn't believe how proud I was of you at that very moment."

"Now I can see!" Naruto exclaimed as his mother nearly vibrated with joy, and Koyu hopped about like a rabbit. After ten steps, his mother's loving arms scooped him up before he fell and hurt himself, smothering his small form with kisses and tickles amidst giggles.

"Koyu-san, what happened to you?" Naruto asks, and his mother sighs. "On your sixth birthday, someone let it slip that I had a child. Rumors of a leviathan heir reached the ears of the council, who demanded I attend." Naruto looks up at the pained look on her face. "I was so mad. I fired everyone because I didn't know who let it slip." Looking down at him, she continues, "She left with the others. I don't know much after that."

"Is that why after my birthday…?" His mother nodded "…all those tests were forced on me by the council, they wanted to know if you were a super devil candidate. I had apparently done a lot of research toward that fact but I just wanted my baby boy." Sighing again, as a different memory played of a young Fuyuhiko walking beside his mother and meeting an old guy from the Lucifer clan, "Rizevim Lucifer…" Katerea informs and Naruto narrowed his eyes as he watches his younger self bow with his mother, he also recalls this and his negative sensory told him this man was no good and subconsciously suppressed his power, appearing as slightly below par "I remember this…" Naruto speaking up, glaring at the man, "He felt wrong. Bad. Icky and I subconsciously hid myself from him." This was a surprise to his mother, "Icky?"

"Yeah. Just icky." He looks at his mother, "I'm empathic. I can sense negative emotions strongly, and this man felt wrong. Subconsciously, I wanted to run and hide, but you were there and made sure I 'minded my manners'. Remember how nervous I was?"

"Well yes… but it's normal to feel that when meeting someone new… Sochi? Why didn't you tell me sooner? That is a huge boom for anyone. I could have…"

"Shipped me off to be 'brainwashed' and conditioned to be the puppet for the old faction?" Naruto looked dead in her eyes. She knew he was right. If his full powers were known, adding on top being empathic, he would have been trained to be Rizevim's right hand. "You make a valid argument."

"Back then, I was a kid, but I wasn't stupid." Glancing back at the discussion before the man left just as abruptly as he arrived, his mother sighing as she looked down at his younger self, frowning as he looked up, "I only wanted my mother to say everything was going to be okay. You were all I had and wanted." Looking back at his mother, who was watching the scene herself, "I was so worried after Lord Lucifer left. He said you were not up to standard. He would be embarrassed to train someone so weak and wouldn't waste his time on you. I was so busy trying to figure out a way to keep you with me that I didn't realize I was frowning."

Looking down at her son, "You must have thought I was disappointed in you, right?"

"Yeah," he nods. "Then you increased my training. I thought it was because you were punishing me for not being strong enough."

"Was trying everything to make you respectable so they wouldn't force me to kick you out or worse." Katerea fills in as the weighted chains were attached to the six-year-old, his mother telling him to run laps. The boy not wanting to disappoint anymore than he did already, ran without question. He didn't see his mother wiping the tear from her eyes nor the worried face she had.

"'You were my whole world. I'd do anything to keep you safe.' His mother informed, 'Even if it meant you hated me. Just be safe and with me.' The scene changed to him asleep in her office after a long day of training, looking banged up but content. His mother crying at her desk, sobbing silently, looking at her little boy. Her little soldier 'I was at my wits end. The council's demands were mounting. They wanted my baby boy for breeding stock seeing as you held pure blood within you. They wanted you as a slave to pump out more pure bloods.'"

"…I… never knew." Naruto whispered, and she smiled, a wet one filled with self-loathing. "We should have left. Ran to the human world, hell – I would settle in the new faction if it had meant your safety. But I was so stressed out, and those damn old coots made me so freaking mad, so I wasn't thinking straight."

"Wrath aspect again?"

"…and pride. They played on it and I danced to their tunes. I couldn't allow my own flesh and blood to be used for such a disgraceful act. It was beneath us." She growls, eyes glowing in motherly rage, "My baby being pumped for his seed and left chained to a wall for a conveyor of harlettes? Never."

"So, you pushed me harder?"

"'I was so determined to have you succeed,' she confirms, 'and my empathy only ever picked up disappointment and anger from you. I misconstrued that as you being angry and upset at me. Which in turn made me perform worse and worse as I retreated from you too.' Naruto informs, earning a contemplative look from his mother, who also pieced it together and sighed. 'If only I was so clear-headed like I am now back then… I would have just left with you and disappeared, but my pride wouldn't have allowed it.'"

"…There is no shame in running to fight another day…" Naruto offered, to which she pinched his button nose, "Who has the pride aspect here, huh? That's like saying you don't have to be so quick to anger, mister."

"Touché." Naruto giggles again as she rests her hand on his stomach, "I had six years of happiness here with you. I was truly happy."

"Is it my seventh birthday?" Naruto said with a hollow chuckle that made his mother cringe, "I will make it up to you, I swear." He snorted at that, and she patted his stomach a few times, "Somehow."

"Right."

The council had dispatched those thugs. They watched me constantly, questioning my loyalty to the cause. Again, my pride blinded me.

"Those aspects do that to us a lot, huh?" Naruto spoke sardonically, earning a blank stare from his mother. "When I was informed that they were going to take you for 'breeding,' I snapped and said that you weren't worth even that. I broke."

His hands cupped her cheeks as they stared into one another's eyes, purple on purple. "It may not be okay by others' standards, but I do not blame you. I used to blame myself a long time ago." He thought for a bit, his tongue sticking out like it used to when he was a young child, the same as his current mental projection, before nodding. "I thought about it for a year. Then I got really busy with raising Matatani that I had no time to really think about it."

"Matatani?" Katerea questioned, and then the memories showed a young Naruto feeding a young Nekosho formula in an old shack. "I found her after leaving here. An old burnt-down village in the scrublands."

"Wow. How did you find her?"

"By chance," Naruto responded way too quick, and Katerea's rusty mother senses kicked in. "Sochi…" her voice was way too tender for the former shinobi's liking. "Yes, mother."

"Why are you lying to me right now?" He dared not look, knowing that the scary mask was around, sensing its presence, feeling its gaze upon him.

"Alright, Sochi!" she barked, and he sighed dramatically, "Fine!" He clicked his fingers, and the sound for the memory kicked in, "Kit… you've gotten better."

"Thanks, Kurama. Though… is Matatabi there?"

"I am stud! Look at you, a father at eight, my-my what a catch..."

"Very funny. Can you tell me if she needs anything else?"

"Sure. She'll need to be changed in like two hours. Did you remember to swipe extra nappies?"

"Duh. No way we are going to have another…" he clicks his fingers again, which mutes, and looks at his confused mother, "I have to explain something to you, mother." She nods firmly with an intensity that unnerved him. Sighing, he runs his hand through his hair, sits up, and turns back to his mother, now in his adult form. "Firstly, let me preface this by saying I am one hundred percent sure about what I am about to say."

"Now I am nervous. What's this…?"

"'This is my second life.' She fell silent as she processed this. It took a lot longer than he would have liked, but she did eventually take a deep breath, before looking at him sternly, 'Explain.'"

"Naruto, I don't know everything, or remember how it happened," he clarified immediately. "Explain what you know." Her sharp immediate response and he nods. "All I know is that when I was three, I awoke as your son after dying in my original world. I do not know how I died, but I was one of that world's strongest." His hand was running through his hair constantly, trying to put things together in a coherent manner for his mother, but nothing was coming, and it was clear he was panicking. "I grew up an orphan in that world, hated by everyone, and my only wish was to have a family. I rose up the ranks and became the strongest. There are parts I don't remember, but one thing I do recall was having nine… umm… I guess you can call them Youkai, if we use this world's terminology, sealed within me. After saving the world, they stayed with me even after I woke up."

He takes a very deep breath, "The Kyuubi within me was the one who originally gave me my empathy powers, but upon my rebirth, I only had a mental link to them, and those powers became my own and began to develop slowly. In the past few years, I started picking up positive emotions too. They are often muted and hard to tell apart." Taking a deep breath again, he continued, "What I am trying to say is that, when I woke up and found myself in a loving home and with a loving mother, I wanted nothing more than to spend every waking moment enjoying being a child with a mother that wanted me. Growing up alone is hard, and I had done it once before, so the time I spent being Fuyuhiko Leviathan, your son, was – is the most treasured experience of my two lifetimes. I know I am being rather selfish about keeping you around. Some might call me foolish to forgive you after everything. I have never claimed to be smart, but I just can't… mom… I can't hate you. You are all I wanted to have… I don't need power, money, or fame. I just want my mother back. Is that so fucking wrong?"

His breathing was laboured, and tears were running down his face, squeezing out from his clamped eyelids. His sniffling echoed through the space. "I just... I just want my mother back..." Abruptly, arms wrapped around him, and he seemed to immediately return to his scared seven-year-old self, crying into his mother's chest, safe and sound away from the world.

It took a long time for him to come down from his rant. The emotional rollercoaster that came with it was unexpected, and Naruto suspected that the scars of his previous childhood must have run deeper than he thought. He had believed he had gotten over his abandonment issues. He was wrong, big time.

As his sniffling had calmed down enough, he found himself on his mother's lap, her humming that melody again that always seemed to soothe him as he rested against her, and she just waited. Waited for her baby boy to calm down again.

"Feeling better?" Her voice was soft and soothing, like only a mother's could be. He nodded, not trusting his horse throat right now. "Good." She ran her hand through his shaggy brown hair. "Naruto, huh? Was that your name in your previous life then? Seeing as how often you use it." He nodded again. "I see. Is that how everyone calls you?" His nod again, and she nodded again. "Are you ashamed of the name I gave you, Sochi?" His shaking head, and she nodded at that. "Then, who knows your true name?"

"Just you and me." His voice was small and sincere. "Just because I don't use it, doesn't mean I have forgotten it. After all, it was a gift from you."

"Ah, I see." The silence dragged on for a long time, but it was comforting and Naruto soaked it up. He wanted his mother, and right now, right here, she was all his. Call him a mama's boy; he doesn't care. He has a mom this time around, and he'll defend her against the gods themselves if he has to.

"… Well, what do you plan on doing next, my super Sochi?" He looks up at her. She was smiling at him with all the warmth she could muster. This was her baby boy. No doubt her son was out to change the world, and there was no way she was letting him do this alone. Someone needs to keep him on the straight and narrow. She also needs to make sure those hussies stay clear of her baby.

Flashback end

United Kingdom; Airspace

A loud bang shook the plane unnaturally, jolting Naruto up. His senses spun up immediately, and sure enough, a squadron of small signatures were circling back for a striking run on the jumbo jet. Another flare of magic, this time from inside the aircraft, woke the rest of the party from their slumber as the plane shuddered. "What's going on?" Mio asked sluggishly. Naruto growled, "Damn magicians having a fight among themselves up here."

"Wait what…?" Yuma yawned when another shudder and Naruto stood up, looking up then down the plane before he noticed a group of wizards in suits in first class casting reinforcement magics on the craft. "Yep. Magicians." Naruto's senses picked up another flight approaching, his empathy showed they were joining the assault not defending against it, "Well shit…" hopping over both Mio and Shirone, Naruto makes his way down the aisle, the attendant attempting to stop him, but was brushed aside, "Okay… why are those guys trying to kill you lot?" Crossing his arms as he addresses the magicians who look at him bewildered, "I beg your pardon?"

"Right now, this plane is under attack by nearly forty other magicians currently…" slamming his hand on the magic rune and super charging it, allowing the barrier to absorb all the damage with no bleed through, "…doing striking runs. Now, tell me what's going on or Satan help me, I will throw all eight of you to those wolves." Their surprise was evident but left with little choice but to comply, it was clear this man wasn't a muggle so, "Okay fine but not here… these people…"

"Yuma…" he muttered beneath his breath, and a strange energy flowed over the cabin. All the 'Normal' humans fell asleep, much to the wizard's surprise. "With that done…"

We are members of the Ministry of Magic, escorting a witness to testify against…

"Just show me your badges…" Naruto waved off the long excuses. They all promptly did so, and he nodded, "Got it. So, helping you will grant me a favor, right?"

"Sure."

"Then my team and I will assist you," Naruto announces. "How do you plan on…" Naruto turns back to see his team already arming up in their combat gear. "Alright, guys," As he reaches into his overhead compartment, pulling out his own gear, "…over forty bogies attacking the aircraft that needs to be defended. As we are at twenty thousand feet…" strapping his chest armour on before turning to his team, "The only flight capable at this altitude are me, Irina, and Maya."

"Me?" Mio pouted. "If we make it down to ten thousand, you can join the fight. Your wings are large, but at this altitude, you would be a sitting duck."

"Then why are those two going?"

"Angels can fly up to about thirty thousand feet at times. Seraph class are rumored to be able to reach fifty thousand. Not that they have a reason to though." Naruto informs. Mio puffs her cheeks. "Then what about you? How come you're going? Devils can't normally fly this high either."

"Being of the Lusifuge, I am resistant to cold outright, and with six wings, I can reach fifteen thousand feet under my own power. I checked." Cutting off her retort, "Lastly, due to my wind and ice nature, our gear, and magic presence, I can survive this high up and still fight. As long as the aircraft keeps descending, we'll keep pace."

With Mio pouting in her seat, Naruto turns to the others, "Xenovia, Shirone, I need you both to help the magicians enhance the aircraft's skin and structure. From the feel of it, one of the engines has already taken a hit."

"Hi, Captain." Both depart for the first-class cabin. "Finally, Yuma, act as our relay to coordinate efforts."

"Fine by me."

"Me too!" Mio suddenly jumped up, realizing she had been left out. "Assist with plane security until we get to a lower atmosphere, then feel free to join us," Naruto instructed. She nodded before running off. Yuma snorted in laughter. "You're as sly as your clan."

"Naruto, I have no idea what you are talking about." Naruto's response was casual but neutral, earning a snicker from the Nekosho. "Good luck out there."

"Speaking of…" Maya comments, in her new standard-issue armour for Naruto's group, "How are we getting off this plane without busting the doors off?" Naruto spins up a magic circle beneath them, which causes both Irina and Maya to gulp nervously, "You know how much of a…"

"Yep! Hang on to your lunches!" Naruto cheered as they vanished, appearing right where they were before, but the plane had moved on without them, meaning they were now free falling.

The three split from their huddle and spread their wings, stabilising after a second. Irina needed a second to regain her stomach's normal functions, but she noticed both Naruto and Maya blasting after the stricken aircraft. "Hey! Wait up!"

Naruto's flight reaches the passenger jet just as the wizards, are those broomsticks? "Irina, you're on defense…" stick with the plane and shoot down as many incoming shots as you can manage. Don't need you falling for harming innocent bystanders or unwilling aggressors."

"Got it." She banks out of the arrow formation and positions herself near the vertical stabilizer, her glow attracts the enemies' attention, some breaking to engage her directly, "…and us?" Naruto looks to his four-winged childhood friend who had asked and gives her a feral smile, "We defend our friends."

She grinned back, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "You got it, boss." After you..." He banks over to the left, diving on the first flight aiming at Irina, followed closely by Maya. As they reached point-blank range, both extended a hand forward. Naruto fired explosive ice like flak, with Maya doing the same but with light instead. This surprised the wizards, who were either punched through or outright exploded as the two dived past, pulling up beyond the horizontal stabilizer. Naruto spotted a group coming from dead ahead.

His hand motions signal to split and scissor, and the two split with flights from both ends following each of them, as planned. Glancing back, he notices four on his tail, four on Maya's, and as they turn into one another, both charge their magics and fire at one another, their shots passing the other harmlessly, but exploding on their enemies' faces, dislodging them from their rides. Naruto clotheslines one unfortunate fellow off his broom for a long fall to his death. If the impact doesn't kill him already.

As they both finish their second circle, Maya notices a new flight of six merging with Naruto's flight path and radios it in, "Naru… six on your five." She watches him jink to the right, attempting to force an overshoot, and then shifts left before pulling up, executing a cobra manoeuvre with a closed wing spin, opening up just in time to bat the trailing witch off her broom with a wing.

The witch was caught by one of her fellows who began climbing again, only for a light spear to punch through them both from the front. Maya flew past, skimming the bottom of the plane before pulling up, avoiding the shots from behind. Her contrails allowed them to follow her as she rolled over the horizontal fin again. Two of the four smashed into it, dead on impact. She turned back, firing two shots, forcing the last two to abandon their attack. "We just took a hit to the tail! What was that?!" Yuma radioed. "Sorry, my bad… some trash didn't clear customs." Maya reported. "Maya, three down low." Naruto called, and she snapped down, seeing a magic shot flying at her. She ducked her head back, it narrowly missed, burning off part of the fringe, angering her. "Captain, you have two on your six." Irina called out over the radio.

"See 'em!" As he goes into a cloud, "I can't shake 'em…"

"I'm coming!"

"Stay put, Irina! I was serious about not wanting…" his voice fizzled out as he left range. Suddenly, the cloud imploded. Naruto emerged from the mist as the two wizards' bodies could be seen falling from their brooms. "…see. I'm go… Maya… he's dead."

"Bastard burnt my hair," Maya reported before dropping the wizard she was dragging by his clearly broken neck. "On me!" Irina called, and sure enough, another six wizards parked behind her. A light barrier absorbed the damage, steadying her and the aircraft. "Maya, swing high for a pincer?"

"Speaking my language." Maya reports climbing above the group, Naruto sliding in below them, "On three – three." The duo fire blasts up into the group of six, two were blown from the sky on the second volley as the first was off centre slightly, but as they both corrected, their fire caused a third broom to explode outright, its rider blown apart and the last three split off.

The loner was dived upon by Maya, a swift kill, as she banked after the two that dived directly into Naruto's crosshairs. Or would have if they weren't so close to the jet. "Seems like we have a pair of smart asses. They're using the aircraft as a shield." Naruto reports. Irina frowns but it was Yuma who responded, "Go ahead and fire. The magicians this side of the skin say they can tank it."

"You sure?"

"Positive. Just one though, they don't know how much damage you'd do if it's more than that." Yuma states, but Naruto wasn't taking the risk, "Hey, Maya! Switch!"

"Diving!" Maya dived down on the smartasses, two light spears through their bushy tails, setting them alight and forcing them out of control. One smacked into the aircraft, presumably knocking himself out. The other directed his damaged broom away from the craft, directly into the engines' backdraft, sending him tumbling.

"Nicely done," Naruto said, climbing up above the craft and checking on Irina. "What was that thump just now?" Yuma asked. "A smart ass lost control of his broom," Maya responded with a snicker. "Shit!" Naruto took two hits. "Captains hit!" Irina yelled, as the smoke from the hits followed as he banks clear of the craft. "Captain! Report!" Xenovia called out, but he was too busy ducking and weaving around. "They're… on my ass… hard."

"Maya, can you…?"

"Seems they… damn it - there's so many!" Maya cries out, ducking around before cutting opposite. "Fuck, that hurt!"

"Maya took a hit too," Irina reports, really wanting to help but there's always that risk of her losing her enlightened status. "New contact!" Naruto calls out, as he ducks back towards the aircraft. "Unknown hostiles. They've got backup!"

"Fuck this! Maya, regroup!" Maya reports when Naruto's wrath got the better of him, "We need to thin them out! We'll – fuck!"

"On my way!" She dives directly into the group chasing Naruto, firing at his pursuers, clipping two in their tails, "Get…" they left radio range.

"Get on my back," Naruto ordered. She didn't even question him as his magic began dragging the clouds around him, parting as he passed. The second she wrapped her arms around him and folded her wings in, he spun. "Tornado funnel!" Dragging the nearby clouds into a funnel that, combined with Naruto's ice magic, acted like a grinder with him and Maya safe in the eye of the impromptu tornado, and dragged their opponents into it despite their best efforts to the contrary.

In the space of ten seconds, all eighteen wizards and witches were shredded into various pieces. "Woah…"

"Those aren't all of them. We need to get back." Naruto growls, and she drops off, wings spreading, and the two jet off back to the passenger jet."

Irina, following her directive, continued to fend off the enemy attacks using barriers and light spears to intercept the larger projectiles. She was reaching her limit, barrel rolling over another fast pass, blocking another magical blast. "Irina? What's going on out there?"

"…They're back up showed up… arhh… they hit my leg." Irina cried out, sniffling, but continued to defend the innocent passengers, her halo glow increasing with each effort. "You can retreat if it becomes too much…"

"Not my job is to protect you. I will do that…" the sound of numerous thunderclaps drew her attention to the sudden twister at their rear, "What was that?" Maya asked, but Irina was too busy dodging another fire blast. She climbed then wing flipped and closed in on her self after shielding against two separate blasts from either side, with her magic she pushed the enemy back, none fell but they struggled with their control briefly "I won't fail…" she repeated to herself.

"…sorry we're late." A barrage of ice and light catches two on the far side off guard, "Captain!" Was heard as Naruto banks into a merge with a duo of twin-mounted brooms, contrails leading off all six of his wings, "Are you ready?!" He yells at the wizard who were firing back at him, but his own skill allowed him to bob and weave just as another light spear punches from the front, "You weren't!" He peels off chasing after the three chasing Maya.

"what are you…?"

"Come on, boys, I know you want this…" Maya calls next, interrupting Irina, and just as she reaches the apex of her climb, she looks down and grins. All three have ice spears through their chests. "…or are you too cold-hearted to notice me?"

"That was terrible," Irina muttered, having witnessed the whole thing, but perks up upon seeing the coast. "Land ho!"

"Not yet, unfortunately," Naruto can be heard as he backhands another fool who got too close. "Another wave, moving towards us much faster than the rest."

"Great. A boss battle." Yuma quipped, and Naruto found himself chuckling as he spotted his next target. "Two on the belly, think they're trying something new. Too close for missiles."

"Switch to guns!" Maya reported. She always wanted to say that. (A/N: I am not apologizing. Haha)

Naruto swoops under the aircraft and shoulder barges the two parasites away from the device they were setting up, but both asshats were caught from their fall, and not wanting to potentially allow them to attempt again, Naruto flies alongside with his belly, hand on the device as he freezes it solid. But before he could rip it off, he took another hit to his chest and fell back, tumbling through the air. "Captain!" Yelled Irina. "I'm fine…" Naruto stabilizes himself, rubbing his chest piece. "That... that packed a punch."

"What happened?" Yuma inquires, "Dos…" Naruto coughs, thankful his mask prevents him from breathing in the mana fumes "…matter. "Maya, check belly!" Without further prompting, she dives, avoiding the head on, and the wiches falling body, she was planning and ducks beneath to find two broomsticks side by side trying to melt the ice, silently she slips ahead of them, before releasing two light spears that punch through the pilots that weren't looking forward as to try match the course and speed to allow their passengers to melt the peramfrosted bomb. "Enemy neutralised. Fucking pansies."

"Update for you three…" Yuma called in, and all three listened intently. "Four new incoming are friendly. Repeat. Incoming four are friendly."

"Finally…" Maya muttered. "We did it!" Irina cheered. "We only have six left…" Naruto announced, as he watched another three fall from frost to the chest. As Maya formed up with him beside Irina, he said, "I doubt they'd want to attack of all that." Yuma called out, and Naruto really hoped that was the case. "I hope so. We'll remain in escort of Irina…" Naruto slid to the angel's left, Maya to her right. "Do we have contact with incoming friendly?"

"Working on that, Maya. Stand by." Yuma instructs as the hostile six peel off their pursuit, heading home and Naruto sighs heavily, looking down at his gear, smoldering in several places but in one piece. Looking up, he meets Irina's gaze, who was frowning, and he shrugs, "What can I say? It was one hell of a flight?" She rolls her eyes, Maya chuckles from her side, though she was much the same. "Alright, guys… they have radios, but we haven't found their frequency yet. They have been told to visually identify targets, so I doubt they'll shoot first, but be ready just in case." Maya states, "Received. Keep us posted."

As the stricken craft finally passes the ten thousand feet mark, Mio appears behind them, slowly catching up and joining above and behind Irina. That's when she notices the scorch marks on both Naruto and Maya's armor. They have more than a few. "You look like hell. I should have come out sooner..."

"'We explained why you couldn't…' Naruto sighs glancing back up at her, '…but now, we are counting on you for protection. We are both spent. I had to use more magic than I thought, operating above my natural limit and all, just to stay airborne. You're our best option now.' His smile was lop-sided and it was clear to Mio that he was tired from the fight, so she nodded. 'Got it. Just tell me if anyone shows up.'"

"Just knock them off or force them away. No need to kill, okay?" He instructs, and she nods in understanding.

Another twenty minutes before all four fliers noticed the incoming, on a wide arc around the plane, towards them directly. Naruto and Maya watched and climbed to join Mio's wings, just in case a fight breaks out. "Maya, we got eyes on four coming in wide."

"That should be the allied force. Still a negative on the radio contact. Shirone is searching for it so if they talk, we should find it." Maya reports, "Is everything okay on the inside otherwise?" Irina asks as she too watches the approaching group carefully, "Yes. No casualties. The wizards are happy it's over and largely recovered their magic power."

"Taking it a bit too easy, don't you think…" Maya asks with narrowed eyes, "…we're still in an active combat zone."

"…we're out here protecting them and they're flirting?"

"Men," Maya chuckled. "One-track minds, the lot of 'em." Maya adds, "I feel called out here." Naruto speaks dryly, "Not you, Captain." Xenovia speaks up, "Yeah, you're different." Irina comments with a noticeable chirpy cheer in her inflection. Naruto quirks a brow at her, "You are aware that…"

"Not them." Mio cut him off, drawing his attention to her. Her stern visage told him to keep his trap shut. "Hai – hai…" Before the new voices appeared, "Got 'em! Patching them in."

"Blimey! A certified angel!"

"Keep it together, Dave. Stay professional."

"Ron…"

"Dave. Shut ya' trap."

"Is this the flight approaching jumbo flight K-0151Q?" Naruto spoke English as Maya's was spotty at best. Though he suspected she was just lazy, "Ah, we're connected. Right. Yeah, that's us… who are we speaking to?"

"Leader of the protection detail, you are honing in on. State your intentions or we'll be forced to engage in aggressive action." Naruto signals to Maya, who both spread out from Mio, who was confused, before they both climb into attack positions in perfect sync. "Easy there… our friends called for help. We came as fast as we could. Straight from the themes, ya'know?"

"Ron, that you?"

"Heya Phill. Quite the pickle you find ya self in, eh?"

"You 'ave no idea. These gals been helping us out a ton though so be a good sport and not force them to bring you down."

"All gals huh?"

""I am here for you to know." Naruto cut in, "Right, sorry captain. Listen. These guys took out the dark lord's forces. We got the package but the pilot already called in an emergency. We're landing at Bournemouth. Cleared all the way in."

"That's a bit of a problem. Perhaps your new friends…"

""We aren't your friends." Maya's sultry voice cut in, "That comes at a price.""

"Are you serious?"

"Deadly." Naruto said this time as the brooms came into formation with the plane, two just off each wing. "We're only lending a hand as we were at risk ourselves and have flightless friends aboard. Once we land, we're off."

"Ain't you got a heart? Thought you angels were defenders and supposed to help everyone?" Dave asks as said angel scowls, "I'll have you know, we fight to protect the innocent humans. You mages aren't exactly on our good side with all those experiments on our kin." Irina informs and the line was silent, "She has a fair point." Phill states, "How was I supposed to know?"

"Just stay quiet, Dave, and keep an eye out for any more of the dark forces," Ron states. The line goes quiet, and Naruto switches to Italian, "Xenovia, where are your weapons?"

"Sealed. Why?"

"Keep them out of sight. I don't trust these guys," Naruto informs. "I thought it was just me," Mio adds. "Nope," Maya says. "If these are the good guys… I shudder to think what the bad guys are like."

"Let's just get through customs and head to the rendezvous with our friend's contact." Naruto sighs, this is turning into a troublesome situation, "…and don't even start, Maya." He cut off her response he knew was forming, "Spoil sport."

"Predictable," Shirone can be heard saying, "Hey lad, what should we call ya'?"

"My team calls me Captain." Naruto responded in English again, "I get that, but what's your actual name?"

"Weren't you told to be quiet?" Maya asks. "Oh, burned by a babe."

"Shut it Phil."

"Please go radio silent unless it's important," Naruto said, growing angrier. His wrath was rising just listening to these fools. "Take it easy, Captain."

"Ten seconds from shooting you with an ice spear," Naruto growled, which shut the man up and made Naruto see his people sigh in relief.

A/N; Not even country yet and already making friends, brilliant.

2nd A/N; I know this probably breaks continuity or something, I am aware of that, but it is just a cameo not a full crossover. Naruto and co. will not be joining the battle for hogwarts or liberating the ministry of magic or anything. Just a brief passing interaction nothing more. Still had fun with the dogfighting scene's though, don't know why we don't get more in the fantasy genre.

o7