AN: Guest review response time!

Guest from the 18th of February: It depends on what you consider "soon," but she'll get there before long.

Chapter 7: Amorous Complications

Koneko's last few days had been intense. For one, her dreams had gotten more and more vivid, so much so that she had been daydreaming about them afterwards. A more serious matter that took up her time was her training, however.

"I'm still too weak," she had told Naruto.

Ever since, he had been putting her through her paces. He had not only upped the intensity of their sparring but also made her learn two new Jutsu. The Transformation Jutsu and the Clone Jutsu were essential parts of a Shinobi's arsenal, after all, even if her teacher personally despised the latter of the two. It had been a tough nut to crack for her too. She was learning rapidly just why he had been so insistent on making her master the basics.

"I've always had a ton of chakra. Lots of chakra means little control. It took me over three-hundred years before I could perform the Clone Technique well," he had complained once. "That's why I started you off on chakra control right away. Your reserves are above average, you know?"

He had apparently deemed her ready to get started on the real stuff. She was now working hard on her speed and her long-range capabilities, her two biggest weaknesses. He was training her with weights on her legs and detachable seals on her body that increased resistance. On top of it, the regular training with Ninshu and Senjutsu still took place. Naturally, the results were put to good use. The current lesson was an advanced one that complemented her close-quarters combat style with limited ranged options that Senjutsu allowed.

"I'm gonna teach you a useful technique today, Little One. Once you get it, your opponents won't get to see what hit them," Naruto told her boldly with a grin on his face. "The lesson for today is on Sage Kata."

Koneko was puzzled by the term. "I've never heard of that," she said.

"I'm not surprised. I invented the term. Sage Kata are a special form of martial arts that only Sages can use. They're a bastardised variant of Frog Kata, which I learned from the Toad Sages of Mount Myouboku. I developed Sage Kata for people who don't use Toad style Senjutsu," answered Naruto.

"Is it powerful? I'm sorry if I sound ungrateful, but I was nearly useless in the last battle. I don't want to be weak anymore," she said.

Naruto laughed and answered: "Don't worry about it. I used to badger my Sensei for 'new awesome Jutsu' all the damn time. And Sage Kata are powerful. Watch!"

In an instant, the his eyes changed, and pigment gathered around his eyes and across his face. His blue eyes had shifted to a glowing white – they had been yellow when he had first learned Toad Style Senjutsu, he had said – with no pupils or iris visible in them. Black markings spread from his eyes downward across his whisker-like birthmarks, and upwards to form a circle on his forehead. Those were the clear signs of him assuming Sage Mode.

He then stretched out his hand in the direction of another clearing in the forest of his training grounds. Coincidentally, this was where his Shadow Clones were training Issei and observing Boosted Gear. Naruto's hand then moved as though he were backhanding the air. There was a sudden yelp in the distance, following by Issei's muffled cursing.

Koneko looked at her teacher with an expression of slight surprise on her face. "Did you hit Senpai?"

Naruto grinned. He answered: "Yep. As I said, Sage Kata are a ranged option. Once you have them down, there will be no stopping you, believe it!"

The young Nekoshou was eager to add this new technique to her arsenal. She said: "What do I need to do, Sensei?"

Happy to oblige, Naruto replied: "You have to use your Sage Chakra to touch the natural energy outside your body. When you got that down, it's easy to get it to attack for you. The range's gonna be pretty short for a beginner like you though. Still, I think you'll have an easier time of it than I did. The local approach to Senjutsu is very similar to it."

Koneko knew what he meant. From the notes he had given her on Nekoshou in general, the variety of Senjutsu they had used in the past was all about manipulating Ki in themselves and in others. Natural energy was the bridge that connected the two different Kis in the latter case. So, connecting to natural energy was probably not going to be difficult.

"I will try," she said.

She reached out into nature and took in natural energy. She was still new to it, so it took her some time to balance the energies properly. It was done carefully in order to maintain control. The process took her just a bit over three minutes. When she was finished, however, she had black markings around her eyes, which had begun to glow slightly, and a triplet of black whisker-marks appeared on her cheeks. She was now in Sage Mode too.

That deed accomplished, she sent her Sage Chakra outside her body to intermingle with the natural energy around her. When she felt that she was ready, she walked up to Naruto. She put her hand next to him and pushed it past him. The natural energy her chakra touched followed suit, and she soon sensed it pushing against her teacher's midsection.

He grinned at her. "Good! That's it!" he told her.

She smiled at him, but then her expression turned sad. She had accomplished something worthy of the praise she was getting, but it felt a bit hollow.

Naruto saw that something was bothering her, and asked: "What's wrong? You did great."

"… Thank you, Sensei. I'm enjoying the lesson, and it benefits me, but it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth," she admitted.

He frowned. "Why?" he inquired.

She stayed silent for a moment. Then she answered: "It all relies on me being a Nekoshou. Being one has only ever led to misery for me."

He suddenly looked troubled at those words. He replied sternly: "Don't ever feel bad for being what you are. It's not something you can control, so don't let it control you in turn."

"… If you say so," said Koneko.

She was not convinced. It was very kind of him to say these words to her, but she could not help but resent her heritage. If she had not been a Nekoshou with an affinity for Senjutsu, Kuroka would not have been either. Her sister would not have gone insane and killed her master. They would not have been separated. She would not have had to endure trauma, nor would she have had to leave in fear. She also would not have had to go through the current inconveniences. Truly, there was little benefit to being a Nekoshou.

At least chakra was nice to learn about. Her arsenal had grown considerably, and she would soon be able to keep up with the others in the Peerage. It was fortunate that she had her teacher.

Naruto sighed and said: "It doesn't sound like you believe me. Let me tell you something though: Few people are comfortable in their own skin until they've learned more about themselves. Take your friends for example. The only ones feeling good about themselves are Red and Kiba."

That statement shocked her. It was not just what she heard, however. It was the source of the information.

"What makes you think that? You haven't spoken with them a lot," she pointed out.

He snorted and answered: "I've studied Senjutsu for thousands of years. When I come across a new variety of it, I take it apart and learn about it what I can. While the local varieties get the approach all backwards, they have advantages. One of them is the ability to sense people's emotions; not as well as with Ninshu, of course, but close enough. You and your friends have issues. You should be able to sense it too."

Koneko frowned, but she did as he had asked of her. She sank deeper into the natural energy of the world and reached out to the life energies of the two other occupants of the training ground. Naruto was easy to reach, so she felt for him first. She could indeed sense his emotions, which were currently a combination of contentment and pride. Then, as her senses expanded, she reached Issei. His emotions were determination, exasperation and disappointment. The latter had a certain weight to it she was unfamiliar with, so she delved deeper.

Disappointment. Anger-at-self. Inadequacy. Disappointment. Self-loathing. Sadness. Disappointment. Loneliness. Hope for l-

"Will you die for me?"

A gasp left Koneko's mouth as she came out of her trance. Thankfully, she was just barely able to maintain control of Sage Mode despite her shock. Idly, she noticed Naruto's hand on her head, which was likely the reason for her stability.

"What was that?" she asked.

"You wouldn't have felt anything on your own with so little experience. I enhanced your sensing a bit and kept you stable," answered the blond man.

"That's not what I asked," said Koneko.

Her teacher hummed quickly before replying: "What you sensed is for you to figure out. Like I said, you guys got issues, but I can't be the one to solve them all. If you wanna help Pervy Kid get over his, you're gonna have to do it yourself."

"But why?" asked Koneko. "You're much better suited."

"You're his friend, duh. That makes you better suited. Besides, it'll help you build team spirit with your friends if you guys overcome your problems by helping each other instead of relying on me," he answered.

"… Maybe you're right," said Koneko with a pensive expression.

While she was disappointment at Naruto's refusal to help, she could understand what he was saying. He was an uninvolved party, an associate. He was not part of the Peerage. It was best for cohesion to solve internal problems internally. She would work towards this.

To that end, she would have to figure out more about the other Peerage members' emotional states. Yuuto and Rias were fine, according to Sensei. Gasper was a problem of his own category. Asia was likely the easiest to deal with; that girl was just too agreeable to be obfuscating. Akeno on the other hand would be a tough nut to crack, although it was, in hindsight, easy to see that she had issues. And then there was Issei, and that disturbing emotional pit within him.

"It's going to be tough," she muttered.

"Ain't that the truth?" said Naruto. "Speaking of tough, I gotta end the lesson here. You'll have to practice Sage Kata on your own. I got a mission coming up soon, and you're committed as well, aren't you?"

Koneko was curious. "A mission? Also, the pool cleaning won't be for another one and a half hours."

"The mission's classified until my client says otherwise," he replied, "And you're gonna need that time, Little One."

"What? Why?" she asked

He laughed softly and said: "You've been growing a lot, and you're gonna swim in the pool after you're done cleaning it, right? At least that's what Pervy Kid's been raving about. You might wanna check if your swimsuit still fits you, unless you want to be uncomfortable and give him a free show by wardrobe malfunction."

He had a point. She had noticed that her clothes, including her undergarments, were getting too tight. She would have to get replacements for them soon, considering that her boy proportions had started approaching Asia's. That she now had to replace her swimsuit as well had not occurred to her, but she was glad that Naruto had inadvertently spotted her oversight. Koneko admitted defeat.

"You're right. Thank you, Sensei," she said.

"You're welcome. Now go, and have fun," replied Naruto with a smile.

It had been a rush job. While she had had enough time to get a new swimsuit, Koneko had not had time to try it on properly. She had had to estimate her current sizes. As a precaution, she had bought a two-piece swimsuit, since getting the size wrong was less cumbersome with those than with a one-piece. It had still ended up a bit too tight, but it was manageable.

It's not like I'll wear it a second time, she thought.

Her body was simply growing too quickly. The growing pains had abated thanks to the body reinforcement Senjutsu afforded her, but the rate of growth had not slowed down in the slightest. If anything, it had sped up. And it was not just her height that was increasing. She was starting to show curves, which she thought was nice. She was looking forward to looking more like a woman and less like a child. But that was also the reason why she would soon need regular overhauls of her wardrobe until her growth period was over.

Perhaps there is some form of magic that can help. I don't want to bankrupt myself with clothes, she lamented.

It was a very real concern. She was not a big spender, but she was also not a big earner. Devil jobs paid more in power and clout than in money, long-term at least. Still, magic would probably be the path to a solution for the problem. Being a Devil had tangible benefits.

One such benefit she was experiencing right now. The pool cleaning had been done rapidly with the help of magic. Consequently, the Occult Research Club had the pool for itself for the next few hours. That meant fun for most of them, and maybe even her, if learning how to swim turned out to be fun.

Koneko had never learned that. She knew that cats and cat-Youkai like Nekoshou tended to be excellent swimmers, but she had viewed not learning how to swim as a way to distance herself from her heritage. She no longer thought so, but it still left her with an inability to swim. To rectify that, Rias had told Issei to teach her.

"I'm not that good a swimmer either," he had told her upon starting.

Fortunately, he seemed to be a good instructor. He pulled her along the pool by her hands while she kicked her feet. Learning the proper technique to do so had not taken all that long thanks to his demonstration. That he was slower than Yuuto had allowed her to observe the correct movements better, which had been to her benefit. She was not establishing some repetition before she moved on to the arms. The step she was currently practicing was breathing while swimming. It was not that hard, but Issei was surprisingly stern about it. He was quite attentive.

"Thank you for taking your time teaching me," she told him as they took a small break.

He chuckled awkwardly and replied: "It's no bother. With all the trouble I cause for you, it's the least I can do."

Well, at least he was self-aware, she considered as they resumed practice. Now if only he did something to stop causing more trouble. That was a pipe dream, though. Everyone in the Peerage had their quirks, and Issei's was as unlikely to disappear as hers. But when he was not busy being a lecherous pervert, he was considerate.

That said, she was beginning to mind his proclivities less than she had used to. As the monotony of swimming practice set in, her thoughts drifted to how it had begun. Rias and Akeno had shown up in bikinis that straddled the border between skimpy and downright slutty, which had drawn the boy's gaze as clearly as anything. He had even ogled Asia a bit when she had shown up in her school swimsuit. Koneko had started to feel a bit jealous until he had given her growing body an appreciative glance as well. He had looked away quickly, likely for fear of violence, and because Asia had started complaining, but the white-haired girl had felt a small amount of satisfaction. It was nice to have her (finally) growing womanly charms noticed.

I wanted him to look longer, she thought. Then she paused mentally and cursed her puberty. I'm not a horn dog, damn it!

She was distracted, and so was her helper. As a result, neither reacted when he bumped into the edge of the swimming pool. She ended up "crashing" into him, and the movement made her slide up his body. It felt nice, actually, even if it was embarrassing as well. She wrapped her arms around him to steady herself, and he responded in kind, seemingly on reflex.

"I'm sorry!" he apologised.

"It's alright," she said. "You're surprisingly gentle. I thought a pervert like you would be more forceful with a girl's body in his hands."

She blamed her hormones for her phrasing. Koneko had to suppress a blush when her thoughts led her further down the road, a task made even harder when Issei started petting her head.

"I wanted to do something nice for my Kouhai, you know? I can't just keep causing trouble for you," said Issei in response to her previous words.

The moment was ruined when Rias and Akeno dove into the water, distracting Issei. As the boy let go of her head and went under the water for some reason, she shot the two older girls a glare.

Couldn't you have waited for a minute or two? she thought.

She looked back to Issei, and noticed that he had his Sacred Gear out. It was a bit difficult to see through the water, but his eyes held a subtle glow. She concluded that he was enhancing his vision with the Sacred Gear's help. It was an ingenious use of the power, but what he was using it for left Koneko annoyed and, once again, jealous. So, she chopped him in the back of the head.

"Ow," he said as he came up from under the water.

"… Help Asia out now, please," she said in disappointment.

The blonde girl agreed, clearly upset, possibly even jealous as well. She had it bad for Issei; that much was clear for all to see. At least she seemed to have his attention now.

" O-of course," he said. "Let's start right away."

.

Some time later, Koneko was resting by the poolside and reading a book. It had been gifted to her by Naruto; he was named after the protagonist, apparently. It was not the best thing she had ever read, but it was entertaining enough to hold her focus. That was why she was surprised when the explosions started.

When she looked up to determine the source of the disturbance, she spotted Akeno and Rias standing opposite of each other. Both were topless for some reason, which Koneko found strange but not all that tragic. She had recently discovered that she liked girls as well, and the two she was looking at were gorgeous. Before she knew it, she was licking her lips while looking at their chests. She wondered what it would feel like to touch them. That train of thought took the backseat when she heard what their explosive argument was about.

"Don't you hate men, Akeno? Why are you suddenly taking an interest only in Ise?" asked Rias.

"It's not like you hold any interest in them either, Miss 'They look all the same to me,'" countered Akeno.

"Ise is special! He's cute," said the redhead.

Akeno replied: "Exactly. I think so too. I've finally found a boy about whom I think that way. Why don't you give him to me for a bit?"

The argument had reached the point of escalation. The two started throwing magic attacks at each other, and Issei proved to be smart for once. He ran. Koneko observed all this from the sidelines. They were arguing over Issei like he was some sort of stuffed animal. He was an idiot and a lecher, but he was still a person. It sat ill with her that they treated him more like a thing to be owned.

She grimaced and thought, Not that it's not the case where Devil law is concerned.

Legalities played little role with feelings or moral compass, however. Additionally, Koneko remembered her Sensei's words. Everyone had issues. Maybe it was time to tackle those. She thought she could take it easy and start sorting out Asia.

Koneko stood up and walked over to where the blonde girl was, dodging stray magic attacks from the [King] and [Queen] of the Peerage.

"… Are you upset?" she asked.

Asia nodded sadly. "I can't compete with Ria- President Rias and Akeno. I want Ise to pay attention to me too."

Koneko asked flatly: "So you would be fine with it if he acted with you like he acted with them?"

"M-maybe. I'm not as e-erotic as they are, but I think I'd like it. I… did like it when he touched m-my chest," admitted Asia with a blush.

That brought Koneko up short. "Did you give him permission?" she asked.

Asia blushed again and said: "I put his hand there myself. It was while Ise, President Rias and I were bathing together. I didn't want to fall behind when she put his hand on her breast."

The young Nekoshou took a moment to process that. The relationship her fellow Peerage members were in was progressing fast in some ways and really slow in others.

"… How did it feel?" she asked. She was quite curious about it.

Asia sported a more intense blush as she said: "It felt really good. Ise is very skilled with his hands."

"Okay," said Koneko. "It seems like he likes you, a lot. Why are you afraid, then?"

"… Because the President is so much more beautiful. Ise keeps getting distracted by her," answered Asia.

Koneko could not help but snort. She said: "His eyes are always glued to a big chest. It's really obvious that his heart is glued to you though. To the President too, but that shouldn't be an issue."

"Do you really think so? I'm just worried I'm not good enough, and that I'll be alone again if he loses interest in me," said Asia in response.

"Not going to happen. If the worst were to happen, you still have the rest of us in the Peerage. Besides, I can't see him abandon you at all. He's a dork, but he takes his bonds seriously. Plus, you're a girl who lets him grope her. I'm surprised he hasn't shouted for all to hear that he's going to make you part of his harem. The way he treats you is teeth-rottingly sweet," stated Koneko flatly.

Before her recent growth spurt, she would not have said these words. Perhaps she would have thought them, but nothing would have gone past her lips. As it was, though, her mind was a lot more in the gutter than it had been previously, and the words seemed to slip out of her mouth.

The former nun's face brightened as she heard them. "Really? I've been really worried about this."

"Yes," said Koneko. "You're fine."

"I'm relieved. Thank you for talking about this with me," breathed out Asia. "Should we get back to the pool now? It sounds like things have calmed down."

"I don't think that's necessary," replied Koneko as she spied the approaching figures of her seniors.

While she and Asia had been talking, the catfight between Rias and Akeno had concluded. It was good that the younger girls had finished their conversation, as it would have been interrupted at this point.

"Have you two seen Ise?" asked Rias as she approached them.

"He ran away when you started fighting," snarked Koneko. "You were throwing around high-level attacks."

The two young women had the decency to look abashed at her words. It was one thing to have an argument. It was another to throw a tantrum that included attacks which could have seriously injured those around them. That the subject of their argument had escaped near its beginning was a dash of irony. At least it seemed like Rias and her [Queen] realised that.

"Let's find him, then," said the redhead with a sigh.

.

The task of finding Issei was particularly hard for Koneko. She had had to stand still for a few minutes to enter Sage Mode, but it was easy to pick him out afterward.

Arousal. Curiosity. Disappointment. Distress.

The other font of Ki next to him felt slightly different, and it also explained Issei's emotional state.

Curiosity. Arousal. Anticipation.

She had already wondered about Xenovia's whereabouts.

"He's in the shed with Xenovia," said Koneko.

She left out the details of their emotional states. It was easy to guess what was happening in the shed, and she doubted that the others wanted to hear about the finer nuances of it, although part of it begged deeper investigation. She would get her answers eventually.

The others, however, decided to get their answers right this instant. They wasted no time waiting, hurrying over to the shed instead. Koneko followed them along with a slight headache; the deluge of emotions she was picking up was the cause of it. She thus arrived a few seconds later on the scene than they had. The shed's door had been thrown open to reveal a nearly naked Xenovia straddling Issei and holding his hand on one of her breasts. The others were not pleased by the sight at all.

The boy himself looked panicked, which was understandable. Koneko knew that he was likely to receive some sort of punishment. Although, she thought, there was something that possibly construed extenuating circumstances. She had sensed his distress even before the other girls had barged in. It was unfortunate that she could not sense the finer details without Naruto's help at her current level, but she would make do. Somehow, she had the feeling that whatever was going on was not something that had come about through the boy's initiative.

"What is going on here?" asked Rias angrily.

Xenovia, oblivious to the reason for that anger, answered: "We're trying to make children."

The distinct spike of distress coming from Issei put a caveat on the "we" in that statement. The position looked fairly compromising, however, and Rias made her displeasure known.

"No! Ise said he would take my virginity. I won't let anyone else get to him before that!" she said.

Even Asia said something to that effect: "I- I said it too. Get in line, Xenovia!"

The statement was far more brazen than anyone had expected. Koneko blamed herself for once. The slight boost in confidence she had given the blonde girl was probably responsible for her vehemence.

"As for you, Ise," said Rias slowly.

Koneko decided to interfere at this point. She wanted answers, but she did not want to resort to brute force to get them. The Kendo club had disproven time and time again that one could not beat information out of Issei.

"… I'm taking in the suspect," she said.

She grabbed one of Issei's arms and dragged him out of the shed while the other girls directed their ire at Xenovia. This ensured that she would have a few undisturbed minutes with him. Not only would she be able to get a private talk with him, but his separation from the rest of the Peerage would make picking his emotions out form the others' a lot easier. It helped that they thought she was chewing him out.

"Senpai, what did actually happen in there?" she asked.

He looked up at her in surprise, even as she continued dragging him along. He answered: "I ran away from the fight and found Xenovia in the shed. She started talking weird about trying out new things now that she's a Devil. She told me she wanted a child, took off her swimsuit and things escalated."

Koneko frowned as she listened. "I was able to sense your distress with Senjutsu," she said.

"Is that why you've got those markings on your face? I've never seen them before. They look kind of cool, though," commented the boy.

"Yes. They're a side effect of Sage Mode. And thanks. But don't dodge the question," replied Koneko.

"What question?" countered Issei.

Right. I didn't ask one, remembered Koneko. She said: "Why were you reluctant to go along with Xenovia? I thought a pervert like you would jump at the chance to have sex with a pretty girl like her."

Issei frowned, although his answer was instant: "She talked about having a child. She said I wouldn't need to be involved much and that she'd raise it by herself for the most part. That's… that's just wrong. You shouldn't rush into having children. And I'd want to spent as much time around mine as I could. I love children, you know?"

That was a layer to the boy Koneko had not known before. It did pose another question, however. "Yet you hang out with a self-admitted lolicon."

"Motohama and I are keeping him from going down the deep end. He's all talk. But if he ever touches a kid, I'll wring his neck myself," said Issei with a tone of stone-cold finality.

Determination. Surety. Conviction.

The Nekoshou almost shivered at the look in his eyes as she examined his emotions. She believed he would do it.

"I see," she said. "Back to topic, then. You were upset about the children bit. But what about the rest? Don't you think you should progress with the President and Asia first before going after other girls?"

He shook his head and answered: "Asia sees me as a big brother, I'm sure."

She stared flatly at him. "Only if she's into incest. That girl is head over heels for you," she told him.

A conflicted expression came over him.

Resignation. Denial. Lo-¦ç"%&. Confusion. Dread. Lo-&%# . Confusion. Denial.

Shock came over Koneko as she examined those feelings. Something was wrong with Issei. He was messed up in the head, she suspected, and he needed some serious help. It was not normal to hav garbled nonsense as emotions.

Completely oblivious to his junior's worries, Issei replied: "She's so innocent. I… I don't want to corrupt her. I'd ruin her."

Not letting her recent findings affect her response, Koneko retorted: "Kiryuu already got her hands on her. Asia is already corrupted. The sooner you accept that the sooner you can accept and return her feelings. Same with the President."

Issei grimaced as he considered her statement. "You might be right about Kiryuu. It's a shame though. Still, I don't think there's anything going on with the President."

Disbelief graced Koneko's usually stoic face. "… Are you serious? She's madly in love with you, even if she expresses it a bit strangely. It's plain obvious. Why else would she treat a perv like you with that kind of affection?"

"That's because I'm her pet," he told her.

Assurance. Resignation. Acceptance.

What? Koneko floundered even in her thoughts. Out loud, she asked: "What makes you think that?"

He frowned and said: "I can't see any other reason for her or Akeno to treat me like they do. People let pets indulge in their whims, right? It's a bit like that. I'm fine with that, though."

His interlocutor paled a bit and suppressed the urge to swallow drily. What he was telling her was wrong on so many levels. Denying one's own personhood so casually was a sign of mental instability. And nobody was taking notice. She would not have taken notice if she had not asked and started probing him.

And you made it worse, Akeno, groused the white-haired girl internally.

"…You… You're not a pet," said Koneko. "You're not. You're a person. Asia views you as one, the President does, I do, and so does Akeno." Hopefully.

"… If you're sure," said Issei reluctantly.

"Only a… special type of weirdo lets pets touch them like the President lets you. She definitely thinks of you as a person. A very cherished person," said Koneko firmly. "But how do you feel about her?"

Taken away from the previous train of thought, he answered: "She's important to me. I want to be the ultimate [Pawn] for her sake."

Lo-&%# . Confusion. Denial. Lo-&%# . Lo-&%# . Lo-&%# . Denial. Lo-&%# . Denial. Lov-. Denial. Dread

The boy was seriously messed up. Something was keeping him from realising his feelings. Some sort of dark shadow hung over his emotions. It was terrifying on a primal level to see that a person could be messed up like that. It could not be healthy, or even natural.

Sensei spotted it… and I'll fix it, as much as I can, thought Koneko with determination.

"Ise," she said, "Everyone can see that you're hopelessly in love with her."

He stared at her. "Huh?"

Oh boy, she thought.

It seemed she had her own mission now. She hoped her mentor's went better.

"What kind of mess are we looking at?" asked Naruto.

"Hello to you too, asshole," said the man he was talking to.

A blond eyebrow went up. "Don't tell me you've suddenly become a fan of manners."

The other man snorted. "No. No, I'm not. Let's get to business."

"It has to be serious if you've called me here, Desran. This is joint Gremory and Sitri territory. We're only on the outskirts, but you could get in hot water for coming here," said Naruto.

"Their security fucking sucks. Thing's got more holes in it than a sieve," groused Desran.

"So I keep telling them, yet they refuse to fix it," replied Naruto.

"Well, it's convenient for our business, so I'll leave it be. Let's get to the meat of the matter," said Desran. "I've found a new lead. A trail"

Naruto considered that. Desran was a High-Class pure-blooded Devil who had earned his rank through promotion. He had met him in Africa while he had been tracking down a local warlord with supernatural abilities. The warlord had apparently kidnapped a few people too many, and people had been getting desperate enough to hire a suspicious foreigner to get them back. Naruto had accidentally summoned Desran, only to find out that the Devil had been on the trail of the same warlord to retrieve a Peerage member. They had teamed up then and there and fulfilled their respective missions. The warlord had been dealt with. One of his "suppliers," however, had eluded them. That said, Desran was an incredibly gifted tracker. If he found something, he was close to whom or what he was chasing.

"So we'll catch the bastard red-handed?" asked Naruto.

He had a very low opinion of human (and other sentient species) traffickers. So far, the target of their wrath had had political protections. Those would evaporate in the face of solid proof, however.

Desran shook his head and answered: "No. It happened some time ago. But the girl he was targeting got away."

"Does Maria know?" asked Naruto.

Maria was the Peerage member Desran had rescued from the warlord. She had been severely traumatised by her captivity and the time leading up to it. She had been getting better last time Naruto had heard from her, however.

Desran nodded. "Yes. She's happy the girl got away. I've been trying to track her down to make sure she stays out of his clutches."

The blond ninja's face was serious as he asked: "What's her name?"

"Asia Argento," answered Desran.

"The girl is safe," replied Naruto. "She's part of the Gremory girl's Peerage. I'll make sure to keep an eye on her though."

"Good," said Desran. "The fucker is sure to show up at some point in order to try and get his hands on her. Once he makes his attempt, we'll set up the trap that will get him in trouble once the time is right."

"Don't forget; we're in for the long haul. We gotta do this right," insisted Naruto.

The Devil huffed and said: "I'm not going to fly off the handle. I want that prick to suffer, but I know we can't rush in. More importantly, are you up for it? I know you're not weak, but our quarry can call upon a lot of firepower."

Naruto scoffed. "My clan has been under contract with a powerful god for thousands of years. Their 'firepower' can't even scratch our patron."

That was a misleading truth. The Shinigami was indeed so far above their target's connections, retainers, and allies that it was not even funny. However, that Naruto was on the same level as that deity was something the Shinobi had kept secret very carefully. For all anyone in this world knew, he was on the lower end of the scale of Ultimate-Class beings. That the Uzumaki Clan had indeed been contracted to the Shinigami since several centuries before his birth was just a convenient excuse for extraordinary successes.

"Let's hope your patron supports our cause, then," said Desran.

Naruto grinned. "You worry too much. We'll succeed."

"Good. What's your plan?" asked Desran.

"I'll cover up our investigation with a random assortment of bullshit if necessary. Hopefully, it won't be. I'm actually training one Asia's fellow Peerage members. Looking out for her isn't too difficult, especially since the [Pawn] is very protective of her. There's also gonna be a big event here soon. The real bigwigs are gonna show up. I might be able to get the ball rolling from the very top. That way we can bypass the corrupt elite," explained Naruto.

"The very top? How far up the chain are we speaking here?" asked Desran.

"At least one of the Satans," answered Naruto.

"…Shit," swore the Devil. "Okay, this is big; juicy even. I'll hit up a few like-minded individuals in the Underworld. Big events like that are a big distraction. We might catch someone, perhaps even our primary target, doing something they really shouldn't."

Naruto gave him a nod of assent. "Glad you're covering that. I was a bit worried about it. I suggest you watch the border between Devil and Fallen territory in the Underworld too. Someone might try to stage an incident while everyone's distracted."

"Will do," said Desran. "That's all from my side. Yours?"

"Nothing else for the moment. That might change soon though, depending on how the big thing goes. It's all supposed to be very hush-hush, so you know it's gonna hit the little people like a ton of bricks," said Naruto.

"I'll watch our for it. Take care, Naruto."

"You too, you grumpy bat," replied the ninja.

Hinata was vexed. The reason behind this was her husband. Oh, she was not truly mad at him, but she found herself irritated by his lack of action in a certain direction. He was far too attached to the Pure World to be healthy, even for an immortal. It showed; his weekly visits had become longer over the past few years. She, being dead, had been unable to help him get more attached to the realms of the living. Fortunately, she had spotted the signs as early as two decades after he had first visited, and devised a solution for the conundrum.

The unfortunate part of that solution was the time it had taken to implement it. She had neither the sheer power of Hagoromo Otsutsuki nor the unending determination and stamina of her husband. So, getting to the point they had reached earlier had taken a substantial amount of time, focus, and dedication. It had taken thousands of years, but now, she had finally achieved her goal.

"He's going to be very surprised next time he sees you," said a voice next to her.

The purple skin, the horns, and the white garment denoted the being as the Shinigami. It was the oldest and staunchest living friend her husband still had. It had also become a dear friend of hers over the millennia. It had also been instrumental in her efforts to achieve her new state.

She giggled and said: "That he will be. I look forward to springing the surprise on him. It wouldn't have been possible to set it up without you. Thank you so much for your help."

"Naruto and I had a deal," said the Shinigami. "He fulfilled it, in letter and in spirit. He became my first friend, and you my second. Neither of you should be chained to my realm, though you will always find a home in it. You have more than earned this favour."

Hinata smiled at it and replied: "Still, thank you very much. It would not have been possible to achieve transcendence without your help. That is not something I can ever take for granted."

The Shinigami smiled, but then the expression faded quickly. It said: "I'm glad you think so. There is indeed one small task I would like you to handle for me."

That was no exaggeration. The Shinigami was a very literal being. It was refreshing after dealing with the subtle politics her former clan practiced even in the afterlife. That was one more reason to take a leave of absence from the Pure World.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Recently, scout patrols from the Expeditionary Force have encountered worlds devoid of life. That in itself is not strange, but these worlds clearly exhibit signs of habitation until as recently as a hundred years ago. Most such worlds show signs of combat on gargantuan proportions; shattered planets, scattered stars even," began the Shinigami.

What it was saying worried Hinata greatly. The Expeditionary Force was an army group created by the Shinobi Alliance after Naruto's ability to travel to other worlds had become common knowledge. They were the best of the best, comprised solely of A-rank and S-rank Shinobi. Their mandate was to explore foreign worlds or to aid allied worlds if necessary. They knew the signs of combat better than anyone living in their world; or at least the Shinobi Alliance, which spanned a good part of the local galaxy at this point. If they said they encountered signs of "gargantuan" battles, she believed them.

The Shinigami went on: "Other scout patrols have encountered worlds that are inhabited but whose dimensional walls have recently been penetrated in a similar manner to those of the depopulated worlds. The world Naruto has gone to is worryingly close to some of those, metaphysically speaking. While you're there, I want you to keep an eye out, and remind him to do the same."

Her face was serious as she replied: "I will. The things the scouts have reported reek of wholesale extermination. That is not a fate I wish upon any world."

"Excellent," said the deity. "It is a serious matter, but it does not appear all that pressing nonetheless. The Expeditionary Force will take care of most of the work. My request is merely an assurance."

Hinata nodded. "In that case I can pursue my own mission," she said.

"If you don't mind me asking," said the Shinigami, "what is your mission?"

She huffed and answered: "Naruto is far too attached to the Pure World, mostly because of me. If he won't find something or someone to anchor him to the living, I will do it for him."

"That would be a moot point. You have transcended death. You have access to the realms of the living again," pointed out the Shinigami.

"That much is true," conceded Hinata, "but I wish for him to develop an attachment to someone who is alive. Transcendental as I am, I'm dead unless and until I find a way to gain a new body. That is very difficult to do without breaking taboos that should not be touched."

"And why exactly is this so important to you? He can touch ghosts. You can still perform your bizarre human mating rituals with him," said the spectral deity.

She giggled at the way the Shinigami worded its statement. It had never been able to understand that part about humanity, or any species that propagated itself in this manner. It had raised a good point, however.

"Admittedly, it's mostly so he won't feel lonely," answered Hinata. "I can see how downtrodden and sad he is every time he leaves the Pure World. If he can find someone who can chase away that loneliness, I want him to embrace that chance. That said, that is a pretty hollow reason now that I can leave the Pure World, but it was the motivation for me to encourage him to search for such a person."

"It does not sound like you have any other reason to continue with it, though. Why do you insist on this course of action?" asked the Shinigami.

"Curiosity," said the woman.

The answer was simple, but it was the truth of it. That curiosity had first been roused some time before Hanabi's twenty-sixth birthday. Her younger sister had requested a very odd birthday gift: a night with her and her husband. Unable to deny Hanabi, she and Naruto had been reluctantly convinced. The experience had been very confusing, but also intriguing. It had never happened again. Nonetheless, it had left the seed of an idea in Hinata's mind; and after several thousand years, she considered it worth a try.

"You humans will never cease to confound me," sighed out the Shinigami.

Hinata laughed. "It can be hard to get answers from us."

"Irina Shidou. The court calls upon you to answer the questions presented to you by Lord Uriel," said the Angel sitting at the elevated table at the end of the room.

The girl in question gulped. "H-have I done something wrong? Am I in trouble?" she asked meekly.

The Angel frowned and asked: "Were you not informed of the topic of this session?"

"She was not," said another Angel. There were twelve white wings on his back, and a strong holy aura was felt in his presence. This was Uriel. "Operational Security demanded she stay oblivious until now."

The other Angel took in that statement. "Very well." He turned to Irina and told her: "There are not charges against you, Miss Shidou. There are certain irregularities with your last mission. Evidence of corruption in the ranks of the clergy has been presented to the Inquisitorial High Overseer. Your testimony is part of the trial against the implicated parties. Are you ready to answer the Lord Uriel's questions under these circumstances?"

She gulped again, but nodded resolutely. "I am."

"Then let us begin."

AN: Hello there, dear readers, and welcome back to a new chapter!

I used the training and the infamous pool scene (which is different in the LN as compared to the anime according to my research) to delve a bit into a few people's mental issues. One of these is, of course, Koneko's distaste for her heritage as a Nekoshou. That one will get more spotlight later, though. Issei's mental baggage is the more obvious problem to her, and boy, does he have issues.

I have no idea how well the anime portrayed it, but that boy has serious trauma. The topic of objectification is sometimes (read: often) mentioned when discussing DxD, and as far as I can tell Issei objectifies no one as much as he objectifies himself. Throughout much of Volume 4, he refers to himself as a pet. That's not a normal thought process, even for a pervert. It's how he rationalises the affection Rias, Asia and even Akeno show him. It's also what prevents the romance aspect of the series from progressing very far until Volume 10. As I said, the boy's got some serious trauma.

Speaking of which, it's strange how so many stories on this site try to create a tragic backstory for Issei when said tragic backstory unfolds right at the beginning of the series.

As for the previously mentioned romance: One or two reviewers were curious/confused why I wrote of love between Issei and Rias in one of the previous chapters. I wrote it that way because Kiba's PoV in Volume 3 outright states that he could pick up the bond of love between those two. I see no reason why Koneko wouldn't pick up on it either, especially since her mental state was calmer than his at that time.

In any case, there is more afoot in this story now. Naruto meets an old friend to hatch a plot. Hinata has her own plans, it seems. The Shinigami is also concerned about a worrying development – Light Novel readers will have an inkling as to why. And finally, Pahaliah and Baldwin haven't sat on their asses. The ball is moving in the Church.

If any of you have questions or further thoughts on the chapter an the story, don't hesitate to write a review or a PM. Same for consistency errors.

At this point, I would like to thank my audience for reading along so far, especially everyone who followed, favourited and reviewed.

That would be all for today. Until next time. Stay happy and healthy, everyone!