Chapter 9: The Road to Peace
That night, Naruto was pulled into his mindscape by Kurama. It did not happen as often as it had in his youth, but the old fox still sometimes exercised this privilege. Usually, it was about something important, although it also sometimes happened when he wanted to have a family reunion and reached deep into the connection with his siblings. This night, it was the former case, however.
"Naruto, the thing is here," said Kurama.
The blond Shinobi looked up at his friend and asked: "What thing?"
Kurama pointed his finger to his left. "That thing."
A bit further away, in the direction Kurama was pointing to, floated the golden orb that had disappeared the previous day. It was situated within a field of energy that radiated the Shinigami's power. The differing divine energies seemed to be getting along, thankfully. The orb's presence was the answer to a minor mystery, but it posed new questions.
"Huh," said Naruto. "Let's check it out."
Kurama growled. "Are you an idiot? That thing had an unstable reaction to your last prodding. Putting your hands on it again is not wise."
"The Shinigami's powers wouldn't be so at ease with the holy light if it were harmful to me," pointed out Naruto.
"I concede that point," admitted Kurama, "but there's a difference between harmful and detrimental. This could have negative consequences."
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Don't be such a worrywart. It's very unlikely to end bad."
"I don't know why I bother…," grumbled the nine-tailed fox.
He nevertheless followed his friend to the orb. Someone had to be there to pull Naruto's ass out of the fire if things went bad. That was what he would say, Naruto imagined.
As they drew closer, the orb grew brighter. Then, a monotonous voice sounded.
[QUERY: IDENTITY]
The two of them stopped. Naruto looked at the orb and asked: "Did you just speak?"
[CONFIRMATION. QUERY: IDENTITY]
"My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and this is Kurama," said the man. "Who are you?"
[QUERY RECEIVED. RECIPROCRATING PROVISION OF INFORMATION: IDENTITY OF SELF INCOMPLETE; ONE THIRD OF NAME OMMITTED DUE TO COGNITOHAZARDOUS PROPERTIES. ONLY LIVING THIRD LEFT.]
"Did you understand that, Kurama?" asked Naruto.
Kurama sighed. "Isn't it obvious? Pahaliah spoke of this to you, and you told me. What entity connected to Heaven has died twice? Think for a moment."
Naruto furrowed his brows, but he arrived at the conclusion in short order. "Oh, so you're the Holy Ghost!"
[CONFIRMATION. QUERY: PURPOSE]
The Shinobi scratched his cheek. Then he said: "I've already fulfilled my destiny if that's what you're asking. I'm a man dedicated to peace, and to its preservation and defence. What about you?"
[RECIPROCATING PROVISION OF INFORMATION. ANSWER: SAFEGUARD HEAVEN; MAINTAIN HEAVEN SYSTEM (LIMITED OPERATION) AND SACRED GEAR SUBSISTEM'S ADAPTIBLE PROGRAMMING (FULL OPERATION); CREATE NEW ANGELS (SYSTEM ERROR ENCOUNTERED). QUERY: DESIRE]
"Huh? I'm flattered, but I'm spoken for," said Naruto in confusion.
"It's asking you what you want, dumbass," said Kurama
[CONFIRMATION]
"Ooh, sorry, then," said the man sheepishly. "As I said, I'm a man dedicated to peace."
[SPECIFYNG. QUERY: DESIRE OF ENTITY TITLED "NARUTO UZUMAKI" WITH PARTIAL ENTITY DESIGNATED "HOLY GHOST."]
"Ah, well, I'm a seal master. The Biblical God was an absolute genius with seals, and I want to learn as much about them as I can. They're utterly fascinating, so I'm studying Sacred Gears and the seals within them. It's also why I studied the orb of light I took from Kokabiel. The connection to Heaven it has is a direct line to the source of the seals. By the way, you're speaking through the connection within the orb and aren't stuck in it, right? That would be inconvenient for Heaven," explained Naruto.
[CONFIRMATION. PARTIAL ENTITY "HOLY GHOST" RESIDES WITHIN HEAVEN SYSTEM. EXPRESSION OF SATISFACTION FOR ANSWER.]
Naruto could actually feel it, which was odd. He was not currently in Sage Mode, and last time he had been, the Holy Ghost had felt nearly emotionless to him. The mystery aside, it was a good sign.
"So, you approve of me trying to learn about God's seals?" he asked.
[CONFIRMATION. PARTIAL ENTITY "HOLY GHOST" IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE. HEAVEN SYSTEM OPERATING AT 11% EFFICIENCY. ENTITY "NARUTO UZUMAKI" CAPABLE OF AID THROUGH UNDERSTANDING OF PARTIAL ENTITY "FATHER'S" SEALS. PROPOSAL: EXCHANGE OF DATA.]
"Hold your horses," interrupted Kurama. "It strikes me as odd that you would trust Naruto. You didn't even know his name until we started this conversation. Something's fishy here."
[NAME IRRELEVANT. ENTITY "NARUTO UZUMAKI" ENGAGED IN SPIRITUAL CONTACT WITH PARTIAL ENTITY "HOLY GHOST." PURITY OF SPIRIT AND SOUL CERTAIN. PURPOSE OF ENTITY "NARUTO UZUMAKI" MARKED AS FULFILLED, THEREFORE IRRELEVANT. DESIRE OF ENTITY "NARUTO UZUMAKI" COMPATIBLE WITH PURPOSE OF PARTIAL ENTITY "HOLY GHOST." ENTITY "NARUTO UZUMAKI" CONFIRMED TO BE IN CONTACT WITH HIGHLY POTENT DIVINE ENERGIES WITHOUT DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS. CONCLUSION: ENTITY "NARUTO UZUMAKI" DEEMED SUITABLE CANDIDATE FOR MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL DATA EXCHANGE.]
Naruto thought about it for a moment. He did want to know more about the seals of the Biblical God. There were some things to be asked first, however.
"I'm inclined to agree, but I have a few questions," said Naruto. "What's your goal of your recruitment pitch? Why do you need my help? And why can't Michael do it? He's supposed to be in charge of the Heaven System anyway. Shouldn't you tell him about problems instead of me?"
[ANSWER: ENTITY "ARCHANGEL MICHAEL" NOT IN POSSESSION OF SUFFICIENT SPIRITUAL COMMUNICATION CAPABILITIES. ENTITY "NARUTO UZUMAKI" REQUIRED TO FACILITATE MEAINGFUL COMMUNICATION. SPECULATED ADDITIONAL UTILITY DEEMED CRITICAL.]
Kurama's eyes narrowed. The fox tended to be very suspicious of such statements. Naruto was too, actually.
"What sort of utility are you speaking of? If you try to exploit my friend, I can guarantee that you will regret it," said Kurama.
Naruto nodded in confirmation, saying: "I think I'm a decently helpful guy, but I won't be taken advantage of."
[CLARIFICATION: ENERGY TYPE PRESENT WITHIN ENTITY "NARUTO UZUMAKI" THEORETICALLY CAPABLE OF ACT OF CREATION. CREATION OF NEW ANGELS WITH SAID ENERGY HYPOTHETICALLY POSSIBLE.]
Kurama grunted in satisfaction, and Naruto could see why. Now that they knew what the angle of their conversational partner was, it was easier to tone down the suspicion. First had to be the answer, however.
He said: "I'm aware. The Jutsu called Creation of All Things is capable of creation new life. Kurama was made like that. The Jutsu has two caveats though. One, it doesn't create bodies of biological flesh and bone but instead solid bodies made of chakra mimicking those things. Two, the Jutsu can't create souls unless the user possesses the Rinnegan, a special eye with mystical powers."
[QUERY: ABILITY OF ENTITY "NARUTO UZUMAKI" TO PERFORM "CREATION OF ALL THINGS"]
"Yeah, I can do it. That's why I know you gotta have the Rinnegan to create true life with it," said Naruto.
[EVALUATION: LIMITATIONS OF ENTITY "NARUTO UZUMAKI" IRRELEVANT. PROPOSAL: EXCHANGE OF DATA. ADDITIONALLY, INFORMATION FROM PARTIAL ENTITY "HOLY GHOST" VIA ENTITY "NARUTO UZUMAKI" TO ENTITY "ARCHANGEL MICHAEL" IN EXCHANGE FOR LOG DATA OF SELECT SACRED GEARS AND UNLIMITED ACCESS TO FONT OF LIGHT PRESENT IN ENTITY "NARUTO UZUMAKI." ADDITIONALLY, DEMONSTRATION OF "CREATION OF ALL THINGS" TO SUPPORT PURPOSE OF PARTIAL ENTITY "HOLY GHOST" IN EXCHANGE FOR VIEWING ACCESS TO LOW-SECURITY AND MEDIUM-SECURITY SEALS.]
Naruto grinned as he heard that. "I think we're on the right track here. Let's hammer out the details, and then we can check if we can get something going. I think I'm gonna love this."
[QUERY: AGREEMENT TO PROPOSAL]
"Yep. Let's start!" said the blond man in excitement.
Kurama gave a long-suffering sigh and reminded his friend: "Don't get too deep into it before you know what exactly you're getting into. And don't take up too much time. You've got a Peace Conference to attend tomorrow."
It was now the day of the Conference, and its attendees had gathered. From Heaven's side, Michael and Gabriel had been sent as representatives. The Devils sent Sirzechs, a woman Naruto knew to be his wife Grayfia, and Serafall; and the Grigori had sent Azazel and Vali. There were additional people present, however. Rias and her Peerage were there, even Gasper, who had been fitted with a seal-laden mask originally intended for prisoners with ocular powers, which had been provided by Naruto. The blond Shinobi and his wife were present as well. And lastly, there was Metatron, who had the post of head of security and was therefore not seated at the table.
It was an interesting assortment of personalities, Naruto surmised. He had never seen so many good-looking people in power. He had half-expected a good part of them to look like Danzo or Oonoki, but none of them even had so much as a scar, which went to show that they all deserved their positions of power; that, or they had regenerative powers like his that left no scars whatsoever. They all seemed to have their character quirks, however. Sirzechs was mostly serious, so he was fine, and his wife was calm and collected, but Serafall was a ball of hyperactivity kept on a short but tenuous leash. Azazel was curiosity itself, and Vali had a troubling amount of bloodthirst, though it hid a small grain of intense compassion. Michael was serene and resolute, while Gabriel radiated a pleased happiness and anticipation. The Gremory Peerage felt like the usual mess of teenage angst and a bit of expected stress, not to mention Gasper's uncertainty. It was convenient for Naruto to know these things, even if his ability to do so was a very recent development.
This newest change was thanks to the orb of holy light. He did not know how it happened, and even the Holy Ghost could only speculate, but when he performed Ninshu on the orb and, inadvertently, the Holy Ghost, his and Kurama's spiritual energy had mixed with the Holy Ghost's. As a side effect, the orb now granted him a mirror of Kurama's negative emotions sense; only that it worked for positive emotions instead. Consequently, he did not have to enter Sage Mode to figure out what other people were feeling.
Naturally, the left him with no clues as to why people were feeling certain emotions. Vali's bloodlust threw him for a loop. So did Hinata's feelings of curiosity as she alternated her gaze between Serafall and Gabriel. Another confusing, albeit amusing, thing was Issei, who failed to look inconspicuous as his eyes fixed on Rias' bust; for the boy felt conflicted and unsure even while losing stress through the distraction the view presented to him. Some people were just utterly confusing.
By contrast, nearly everyone seemed ready for the event to begin. That was to be expected; most of them had at least some diplomatic acumen. Waiting any longer would only make things more boring for the experienced ones at this point, and the others would only get more nervous, so it was time to finally begin.
"Good day, everyone," said Naruto. "I'm sure some of you are surprised to see me here. Let me fix that. The reason for my presence is that I was there when we kicked Kokabiel's ass, and that a mostly neutral party like me is best suited as moderator."
"You're not wasting any time on introductions, are you?" asked Azazel.
The question was highly ironic. The plan was to waste time, after all. Most of the negotiations between the Three Factions had long since taken place in the background. The purpose of this meeting was mostly to brief Rias' Peerage… and to serve as bait. Like it had been with the Five Kage Summit before the Fourth Great Shinobi World War, there would always be disrupting elements trying to crash such a venue. The longer the meeting went on the higher the possibility of an attack. Since such an attack was expected, however, the ambush would quickly be reversed, so the plan went. It was doubly ironic in that sense.
The Shinobi snorted. "We all hate paperwork. We know to keep things short."
"I like him," commented Serafall. "Paperwork is the worst."
"Right. So, in the spirit of getting things done, let's start," said Naruto. "I assume everyone's read the report on Kokabiel's hissy fit, so we're moving straight to the interview. Red, begin."
Startled by the quick introduction, Rias took a small moment to react. "Ah, right… The attack started in the middle of the night…"
She then launched into her tale of the fight. It was accurate from what Naruto could tell, and it omitted surprisingly little detail, even in the parts that were personally embarrassing to her. The blond Shinobi noticed that she seemed to have emotional support. Going by the angle her arm was positioned in, he gathered that her hand was held by Issei under the table. It was adorable to watch, and it had the benefit of keeping Rias focussed on the topic. So, she finished in good time.
Cute, thought Naruto with a mental chuckle.
"I have something to add to what happened that night," he said once the teen Devil was finished.
Rias looked at him strangely. "I thought I said everything as it happened," she said.
"You did," confirmed Naruto. "I was referring to something Pahaliah said back then. He hypothesised that while the Son and the Father are dead, the Holy Ghost is not. Am I correct, Asia?"
The former nun was suddenly the centre of attention. She blushed and, more obviously that Rias, clung to Issei's hand as she responded: "Y-yes. Lord Pahaliah said that."
Naruto smiled at her before saying: "I've tested that hypothesis by experimenting on the holy light I took from Kokabiel. As it turns out, the Holy Ghost is still active."
That statement caused a shift in the mood of the room, and it had the desired effect of drawing attention. According to the plan for the conference, Naruto was supposed to waste time. He had told none of the attendees the details of anything he would tell this day to keep their reactions authentic. Shocking them with this little truth was only the beginning.
"How could you possibly ascertain that?" asked Azazel.
"You remember the light I took from Kokabiel? It was in the report," said Naruto. "I experimented on the thing to try and figure out how it worked. So, a few things happened, and I accidentally opened a spiritual connection to what's left of your father."
The dumbfounded looks he received were a testament to the others' disbelief. Sirzechs was the first to get over it, and asked: "And how did you accomplish that? It's somewhat hard to believe."
Naruto grinned and answered: "I'll show you later. For now, let's just say I'm very spiritual."
Making the truth sound like bullshit; I love it. Deception 101, he thought.
"Is that why you have a ghost standing behind you?" asked Azazel drily.
Ignoring the sharp look Koneko sent him, Naruto countered: "Oi, that's not some ghost I found lying around somewhere! That's my wife!"
"… That is an interesting piece of information, but it is best disseminated later, I believe. More importantly," interjected Michael, "I find it hard to believe that you would be able to communicate with the Holy Ghost with just a bit of Kokabiel's power. It is a serious claim. Should you lie about this, you will have given us great offence."
"I didn't take just a bit," said Naruto seriously. He turned back to Azazel and asked: "How is the guy doing? And that pathetic murderhobo he had with him?"
A grim look came over the Governor-General of the Grigori as he answered: "Freed died of blood loss before we could detain him properly. As for Kokabiel…. His power is gone. He hasn't regained the smallest bit of it since we stuck him in Cocytus."
Nodding at that, Naruto once again addressed Michael: "There you have your answer. I didn't just take power from Kokabiel; I also took its source. It's that source that's the important bit here. You guys gotta remember that all you Angels and Fallen Angels need a connection to Heaven so it can keep tabs on you. If you do thing's you're not supposed to, you Fall. That's the connection's purpose. Where do you think that thing is, huh? So, when I took Kokabiel's light source, I took with it the connection. After that, I only had to get spiritual to get results."
"As fascinating as this is, get to the point, please," said Serafall. "I'm sure you're going somewhere with this, so I would like it if you cut to the chase."
She's playing along well, thought Naruto. She is an actress, after all. Her impatience and curiosity are probably genuine, though.
Now it was time for him to continue with the obfuscating truth. If everyone thought he lied due to the seemingly clumsy way in which he presented it, it was all the better. His allies would be in a position to confirm the information. Any enemy spies, however, would not; not after attacking the Peace Conference and revealing their hand. It was fun to befuddle a whole crowd.
He laughed and said: "And you not believing me isn't part of that at all, is it? Well, the point is that I had a long talk with the Holy Ghost. It's supportive of the peace negotiations, and has a few pieces of information for you."
"Before you say anything to that effect, let me ask you one thing," interrupted Gabriel.
She had been content to listen in so far, Naruto had sensed. However, a certain anxiousness had settled on her. Whether it was from disbelief, which she was entitled to when one considered the circumstances and source of the information, or from something else, he could not say. The mystery would solve itself soon with her question.
"Why would Father speak to you and not to us, especially Michael?" asked the female Seraph.
It was a genuine question. Naruto got the feeling that she was one of those rare people who believed the best of others. Precious few had that admirable but somewhat foolish trait. Then again, the question was also legitimate since Michael was the effectively the ruler of Heaven at this point. For those lacking Naruto's knowledge, it was indeed strange.
"I've been wondering about that too," commented Azazel. "As far as I can tell, God is gone, and the world hasn't stopped. Him still being alive would complicate things."
"No, it wouldn't. As I said, the Holy Ghost supports the peace," countered Naruto, "And it hasn't spoken with Michael because his spirituality isn't up to par, to paraphrase it."
Azazel snorted. "That's a good one."
The gobsmacked expression on Michael's face was something Naruto was going to treasure for a long time. From how the others except Gabriel looked, they would too. Amusement aside, however, he still had an explanation to finish.
"I'll say more on that later. You'll be able to tell if I'm telling the truth or not pretty soon. I gotta actually tell you the messages first, tough," began the Shinobi.
This part would be the one that would be the hardest to believe for anyone. While it would make him sound like a rambling lunatic, Naruto was confident that he would regain credibility very soon. Plus, the satisfaction he would gain from saying 'told you so' when the time came was going to be glorious. He wondered how many schemes of Zekram Bael, rogue Grigori scientists, and corrupt members of the clergy he would be ruining. Everyone else's incredulity would serve him well.
He addressed Sirzechs: "First, for the Devils. Heaven has been ready to make peace ever since you guys had that civil war of yours. Since the time you and your besties took over, holy light doesn't erase Devils' souls anymore. It instead puts a seal on them that prevents them from getting recalled and sends them on. You'll find most of them in Limbo and some in the Malebolge. A rare few met the entry requirements for Heaven."
Information about the various afterlives of this world was one of the many benefits of contacting the Holy Ghost. It had told the Shinobi about some of the most important ones. Limbo was a place for souls who were neither good nor evil. It was apparently also full of fire but otherwise fairly pleasant. The Malebolge on the other hand fit the mortal conception of "Hell" rather nicely. The souls of the wicked and evil spirits resided there, suffering rightful torment for their despicable acts. And lastly, Heaven served to reward those who had been virtuous and good in life. There were, of course, many more afterlives connected to various religions, but that was the gist of things concerning Christianity. As someone deeply connected to death and the afterlife, Naruto was greatly interested in this topic, and he appreciated having received information on it.
"… We will verify this claim," said Sirzechs after a short pause. Evidently, he did not believe Naruto fully.
"So will we," said Michael.
Naruto helpfully added: "Look for Pahaliah. He said he saw non-human souls on his last trip through Third Heaven."
Michael blinked at that but composed himself quickly. "I shall do so," he said.
Naruto sensed that the Archangel was sceptical. That was to be expected. However, Naruto also believed that Michael would definitely investigate this as a priority. If Devils had ended up in Heaven, they would be an excellent source of intel on the Underworld. Even if the alliance was almost set in stone at this point, there were elements in Devil society, such as Zekram Bael, who would never stop scheming. Considering that, according to Desran, the old fart liked having his political enemies assassinated with holy light, that man was quite possibly in deep trouble. The information was definitely worth following up on.
"Now, to the Fallen. From what I've found out about you, you're an expert on Sacred Gears, Azazel," said Naruto, now addressing the leader of the Grigori.
"That's right. They're my main subject of research," confirmed the Fallen Angel.
"Then you'll like to get some info directly from the source. As a fellow enthusiast, I can say that it's pretty significant," said Naruto.
Azazel pressed: "Out with it, then. About the only thing I respect about Father is his creation of the Sacred Gears, so don't keep me waiting."
"Sure thing," replied Naruto. "According to the Holy Ghost, the Sacred Gear System has only one bug: People who can't handle one aren't supposed to get one. Everything else works as intended."
That was a very short summary of the information he had received on them. He did not dare say more in the presence of spies, however. There would be more time to discuss this in peace later.
Azazel frowned and replied: "That is ludicrous. Things such as the Longinus and Balance Breakers didn't occur before the end of the Great War. They break the balance established by God and the Satans; something that could not have happened while they were all still alive."
"Their deaths already upset the balance," pointed out Naruto. "Humanity lost its most powerful protector. It only makes sense that the tools he left behind take up the slack."
Azazel was a very smart man. Revealing everything to him where spies were able to listen to his conclusions was unwise. The former Hokage had to settle for giving him bread crumbs to follow for now.
"While you stew on that, though, I got a last message for Heaven and the Angels," said Naruto.
"What does this message say?" asked Michael.
Naruto inclined his head and said: "When you guys restarted the Heaven System, you did it wrong."
"Did it wrong? What do you mean by that?" questioned the Archangel.
"The whole system's kinda like a computer, right? So, when it crashed after your father's death, you had to reboot it. Problem is, when you did that, you did it wrong. The Holy Ghost is running it like some sort of Operating System, but nobody's got the admin privileges to finish it. You have to fix that," explained Naruto.
"And how should we do that? It is not as though it has not occurred to us that there are problems with the way things currently are. We have not yet found a better solution than what we have," said Michael.
An eyebrow on Naruto's face rose as he answered: "That fancy chair you have in Heaven has five seats. Instead of using you father's, you should try sitting on yours. All four of you. Something fun might happen."
"That is-" Michael's reply was cut off before he could formulate a proper response.
"Why do we continue to entertain this farce?" asked a bored voice from the side.
All eyes turned to its source. It was Vali. He was leaning against the wall with a bored expression on his face. It was apparent that he was not truly engaged with what was happening. His assessment was also not wrong when looked at from an outside perspective. What Naruto was saying certainly appeared like insane ramblings. Furthermore, the former Hokage had taken up more time with relaying those messages than was considered 'polite.' Nevertheless, Vali's interruption of Michael was rude and attention-grabbing.
"We do so because, long-winded and farfetched as his speech is, he was there during the Kokabiel incident and had a hand in setting up this venue," said Azazel.
Naruto snorted and said: "Choose to believe me or don't. But since Broody Boy here thinks it's his turn to speak now, let him talk."
Vali scowled at the nickname, and Naruto only smiled. True as the blond Shinobi's words were, their value in this moment lay not with their content. It was more about time. And it was time that Vali now had to continue wasting.
"That is a good idea," commented Azazel. "Tell us what you think of peace, Vali. The opinion of the white Dragon Emperor is important when it comes to these matters, after all."
Vali huffed. "The only thing I care about is fighting strong opponents. If I can still do that during peace, I'm fine with it."
Talk about a one-track mind, thought Naruto.
"That's just like you," said Azazel with a sigh.
"What about you, Red Dragon Emperor?" asked Michael, turning to Issei. "The feud between the Dragon Emperors is legendary. I would like to know your opinion as well."
Startled at being addressed, Issei took a moment to respond: "I'm… really not sure. I'm not all that smart and I don't understand much about politics."
There was a mischievous grin on Azazel's face as he heard this. Naruto could already tell that the Fallen Angel's next statement was going to poke fun at the boy.
"Well, think of it this way," said Azazel. "If we don't have peace, there's going to be more fighting. Fighting takes time. It's time I'd rather spend on research… and time you'd rather spend on your dreams. You want to sleep with Rias Gremory, right? If there's peace, you'll have more time for that."
Issei's response came as though shot out of a cannon: "Peace! I'm for peace all the way! I want to do lewd things with the President all day long, so peace it is!"
"Lord Sirzechs is here, you idiot!" stage-whispered Koneko at the boy.
Naruto did his best to suppress his laughter, as were most others at the table. Azazel had no such inhibition; he laughed openly. So did Sirzechs.
Damn. Pervy Kid has a one-track mind as well, thought Naruto in bemused lament. Aaaand here's the embarrassment, thought Naruto.
Rias' face looked as red as her hair. Being in love with a pervert of Issei's calibre and his social ineptitude was not an easy thing, the Shinobi suspected. Though, weirdly, the girl also seemed to get a bit of a thrill out of it. Maybe it had to do with the sin of Pride, not that Naruto cared. Still, embarrassment was the primary emotion she was feeling right now. Naruto decided to intervene before it could get any worse.
"Not to mention that not accepting peace would lead to a whole lot of deaths. None of the faction can afford those," he said.
The laughter and amusement fled the room at those words. They were the truth, after all.
"Indeed. Even without open warfare, the small skirmishes that have been occurring between the Three Factions continue to deplete our manpower faster than we can regain it," said Michael.
Sirzechs nodded. "So it is," he said. "To continue the hostilities would mean extinction for all of us."
"That's the conclusion I came to as well," said Azazel. "Not that the reason for the war is actually relevant anymore. The ones who started it are dead."
"So, it is agreed that we will have peace?" asked Michael.
"Seems fine to me," answered Azazel.
"I concur," added Sirzechs.
Naruto smiled. "Then it seems like we have an agreement."
"Uhm, before we move on," interjected Issei, "I have a question to ask Lord Michael."
He had been speaking with Asia for a few seconds. Emotionally, he now felt a bit nervous but also resolute.
"Oh?" asked the Archangel. "Is it important for the negotiations."
"… I don't think so. It's more of a personal nature," said the boy.
Michael smiled and said: "Then ask away."
Naruto appeared indulgent outward, but inward, he was outright approving. There was still no attack, so more time needed to be "wasted" in order to bait one out. Whatever Issei's question was, it would at least serve the purpose of furthering the plan.
The boy the asked: "Why did you exile Asia?"
The Archangel seemed to wilt at the question. He sighed deeply and answered: "So that is your question. The only thing I can do is apologise. It was a matter of necessity. You see, after Father died, the System he created to enact miracles, grant mercy and protection, and give power to holy relics crashed. We Seraphs managed to restart it, but compared to the time when Father was alive… It's not in a good state."
"What do you mean?" asked Issei. "And why would that lead to you exiling Asia?"
Michael elaborated: "The System takes a great strain on anyone who uses it. I am not Father, and the efficiency suffers as a result. The System's capacity to grant salvation is thus severely limited. The divine protections are, in a word, incomplete. That is why destabilising influences on the system need to be kept away from it. Twilight Healing's ability to heal anything, including Devils, is one such influence. Boosted Gear and Divine Dividing are also amongst them."
"Just being able to heal Devils and Fallen Angels was enough to get Asia thrown out?" questioned Issei. "That's… not fair."
Michael smiled sadly and said: "No, it is not, but it is the sad reality of it. That ability could influence the faith of believers and lead to further irregularities. Of course, there are others who belong in this category as well."
"People who know about God's death," interrupted Xenovia.
Michael turned to face her and answered: "Yes. My deepest apologies to you as well. Human faith is a powerful thing, and if enough people who believe that God does not exist are so close to the System… There really was no other choice than to exile both you and Asia Argento."
"It's alright, Lord Michael. I was wondering about it and I felt there was no reason. But there is one, and I know it now. I've made peace with it," said Xenovia.
Another sigh left Michael. "It is a crime that we have committed, double so since you have reincarnated as Devils."
"I regretted it a bit at first, but I'm fine with it at this point," said the former exorcist. "I'm making many new experiences and get to live my life in ways I was not able to before."
Asia added her own thoughts: "I am also happy with where I am right now, Lord Michael. There are so many people I care about in my life here. On top of it, I got to talk to you. It's a dream come true since I have admired you for such a long time."
"I am relieved that you are not resentful about this. Yet it shames me and my brethren all the deeper. All I can say is that I once again apologise, Miss Argento. I leave Durandal in your care, Xenovia. It should be alright since you are now with Sirzechs's sister, so I know that it won't fall into the wrong hands," said the Archangel.
As Michael spoke, Azazel's gaze was on Asia, and he seemed to be thinking hard about something. Naruto could sense the regret within the man, but he knew that the others could not. The blonde girl was even trembling a bit as she noticed that Azazel was looking at her.
"You were killed by my subordinates who decided to keep it secret. I got a report on that incident," said the Fallen Angel.
Naruto detected an intense burst of protectiveness and no small amount of anger from Issei. He's got it bad for that girl.
The boy then said to Azazel: "That's right! She died. They killed me too, but more importantly, they murdered Asia! That Fallen girl who did it had a huge crush on you. She murdered Asia for you."
His voice had a surprising amount of venom in it.
Azazel's response was cool and collected: "It's true that the Grigori eliminate certain individuals. If you recognise a danger heading your way, you take it out before it becomes a threat. A user of Boosted Gear with your low power usually spells disaster."
"I'm a Devil because of you," said Issei flatly.
The leader of the Grigori raised an eyebrow. "And that matters how? Are you unhappy with it? The people around you seem to be fine with it too. Besides, it's far too late for me to make apologies. I'm not a fan of empty platitudes. What I can do is make amends by making something out of you."
"Huh?" asked Issei.
"It's simple," interjected Naruto. "I think you're being offered an apprenticeship."
"Indeed," said Azazel. "You're weak, but you have potential. I'm also the foremost expert on Sacred Gears. I can help you realise that potential."
"So long as I get a few sessions in as well. Koneko needs partners for team exercises, and I won't leave my own student hanging," said Naruto.
Azazel waved him off. "Yes, yes," he said. "Now what do you say, Issei Hyoudou?"
The boy was pensive, so it took a moment before he answered: "I'm an idiot and I'm weak right now, but… I want to get stronger. The President, Asia, Akeno, and all the others…. I want to be strong enough to protect them. I'll risk life and limb if it means they're safe. If you can get me to that point, I will agree."
It's telling that the three he feels strongest about were mentioned by name, thought Naruto. And protecting, eh? Let's see if he'll take my words to heart. Looks like we're about to have a party outside if I'm sensing things right.
Azazel laughed, then said: "Excellent! We'll talk details afterward. But before that-"
BOOM
Koneko was startled by the explosion. Pretty much everyone was. She was the first to ask the pertinent question, however: "What the heck was that?"
"That, my dear student, was the sound of failure," said Naruto with a wide grin. "More specifically, it was the sound of a bunch of dumbasses triggering the explosive decoy I put in the old school building and getting vapourised for it."
"An explosive decoy?! The damage to the club room could be enormous!" exclaimed Rias.
"Don't worry about that. I put barriers over the most important stuff just like I put one over this building. Gasper's room might be a lost cause though. The decoy was set to look like him, after all, and placed there," explained Naruto.
"Like me?" asked Gasper in shock.
"That was only natural," said Azazel. "Your Sacred Gear is prone to acting out as well as powerful. You're also untrained and not all that strong as far as everyone knows. That makes you the ideal capture target."
While Gasper quietly whined, his master considered the situation.
"Well, that makes sense," muttered Rias. "That leaves the matter of those preparations, however. Did you anticipate this attack?"
"Wherever there are people trying to make peace, there's going to be idiots trying to wreck it," said Naruto. "The others let me prattle about my thing for so long because we were wating for the clowns outside to assemble. Through attacking us now, they've revealed their identities and exposed a significant part of their forces."
Koneko had to admit to herself that he was surprised to hear this. She said: "I didn't expect that from you."
"I served a term as supreme commander of my home's armed forces. I do have an understanding of tactics and strategy," pointed out her teacher. "I'm not some idiot anymore, believe it!"
"Then why do we continue to sit around? There's a fight going on outside," said Vali.
Laughter came from behind Naruto's position at this point. It was the still-mysterious Hinata who then spoke: "If by 'fight' you mean 'a failed attempt at attacking the barrier,' then yes. The guards are within the perimeter. They'll be safe for a few minutes longer, and I do believe that Mister Metatron is not just staring at the opposition."
"And since we do have a bit of time, we can decide who gets to go outside and kick ass. I volunteer," said Naruto. "And, as your Sensei, I say you're up as well, Little One."
"Wait, what?!" said Koneko in shock.
"It's about time you had your first combat mission. Put on the headband and get your friends to help you. We're moving out as soon as you're ready," ordered the Shinobi.
"Just wait a second! Koneko is my servant. You can't just send her into combat!" protested Rias. "Moreover, we don't even know who is attacking us."
Azazel interjected: "I can tell you that much, at least. It looks like they're Khaos Brigade. They're a terrorist organisation founded by my former subordinate Satanael. The group has grown considerably since. The magicians attacking the barrier seem to belong to an organisation I'm not familiar with."
That sounds concerning. Still, it is an opportunity to get combat experience, thought Koneko.
"President," she said, "please let me fight them. It's true that it's going to be dangerous, but I feel that this is something I have to do. I can't grow if I always cower away in safety."
"Then I'll be coming along too! I won't leave my Kouhai to fight alone," said Issei.
Rias sighed in defeat. "I take it to mean that you want to go along as well?" she asked the rest of her Peerage.
All of them nodded in confirmation.
"Very well," she said.
"I'll go as well," said Azazel. "Since a lot of the problems we're having today seem to stem from my faction, I should help clean up as well."
He then threw an odd bracelet at Issei, who caught it. It was black and had a small gem embedded in it.
"What's that?" asked Issei.
"Your incomplete Balance Breaker state requires a sacrifice, right? This device will substitute as the price for a short while in case you need to activate it," explained the Fallen Angel.
Naruto hummed pleasantly and said: "I'll keep an eye on the kids, then. Azazel, you and your trigger-happy sidekick can go wild."
The constipated look on the White Dragon Emperor's face nearly made Koneko giggle. As it was, she had a hard time suppressing the grin that threatened to grace her countenance. That young man seemed to not like being dismissed like that.
"We'll get started, then," said Azazel. "Don't dawdle too much."
Having said those words, he and Vali flew out the window, shattering the glass in the process.
"Sona is not going to like that," said Rias with a sigh.
Koneko agreed with that assessment. It was not relevant, however. She put on the headband her Sensei had given her and readied herself for combat. Property damage was not her concern now.
A thought occurred to her, and she quickly addressed Yuuto: "I need a short sword."
"What for?" asked the blond knight.
"For Ise and Gya," she said, mentioning Gasper's unflattering nickname. "Dragon blood gives vampires a big burst of power."
Issei had apparently overheard her, so he took the short sword Yuuto had made in the meantime. Then, he paused.
"Uh… Do you have a vial or something?" he asked.
Right.. That is the weakness of that plan, she thought.
Fortunately, Asia came to the rescue. She held out a small flask and said: "There used to be holy water in it, but it's empty and clean now. That should be good enough."
"Are you kids ready for battle?" asked Naruto.
Koneko turned to face him and paused when she saw his new look. Somehow, he had changed into a futuristic full-body armour in the span of a minute. It was completely orange, matching her teacher's obsession with the colour. A matching helmet was under his arm. He spotted her questioning look and smirked at her.
"Seals," he said.
The question he had previously asked was then answered by Rias: "We're ready."
"Yet none of you wear armour or have put on any gear, except Koneko," he pointed out with a sigh.
The young Nekoshou nearly grimaced at his disappointed tone. He had a point, she thought. The Peerage frequently fought life-or-death battles, even if it was only against Strays most of the time. A bit of combat equipment would have been appropriate.
"Not everyone grew up like us, Naruto," said Hinata.
The ghostly woman unsettled Koneko quite a bit. She looked far too solid to be just a spectre. What she was saying intrigued her, however. What sort of childhood did they have? It was a question for later, though, when there was no fighting going on.
"Can't say you're wrong," replied Naruto to his wife. "I guess that's for the future. For now, let's head out. The barrier's about to collapse."
This was it, then. Koneko readied herself for the coming fight. It would be her first real battle. Hopefully, it would turn out well.
"Let's go," said Rias. "I will not tolerate enemies attacking our school again."
"That's the spirit, Red. Let's kick some ass, believe it!" said Naruto.
Yes, it's time, thought Koneko.
AN: Greetings, dear readers!
Welcome back to yet another chapter. It was a bit information-heavy today, and not all that much happened, but there's going to be action next time.
Some of you may wonder why Naruto was not questioned more thoroughly about, well, everything. That has its answer, but it might take one or two chapters to get there. Besides, there are spies around. Saying anything too sensitive around those would be a bad idea. Plus, Naruto has plenty of experience with other worlds. Revealing everything about his otherworldly origins to the locals can have disastrous consequences. As we know from DxD canon, that hits the nail on the head.
Now, this chapter's big elephant in the room is the Biblical God. People tend to underestimate him a lot in this setting. He's dead, yes. But only "dead." Even "normal" gods in DxD can be revived with sufficient amounts of faith. That much should be clear to everyone. Plus, he kind of gave the whole world the tools to expedite the process. Combine Sephiroth Graal, True Longinus, and Telos Karma; bam, one revived ultra-powerful deity. And I do mean ultra-powerful. The dude went 1v1 against Trihexa, won before anyone noticed he was gone, and then fought the entire Great War as a cripple. Mad respect.
As for the Sacred Gear System being self-adapting: Unknown Dictator evolved from being able to control metal to being able to control electronics as soon as Heaven knew that they would be fighting omnicidal machine gods. That's either deliberate direction or a self-updating feature. I'm of the firm opinion that Balance Breaker and Longinus-Class sacred Gears are most definitely not something as mundane as a "bug" in the system.
Naturally, I made some deviations from the established lore this chapter (such as the bit about holy light and its effect on Devil souls), but I hope it was not too egregious. Limbo and the Malebolge do exist, though. You can read as much on the DxD wiki.
At this point, I would once again like to thank all of my readers. Your view, reviews, favourites and follows are a great motivator. I'm glad that there are so many of you reading my story.
Should you have noticed consistency errors, or if you have questions, don't hesitate to leave a review or write a PM.
With all that said, I now bid you farewell. Until next time. Stay happy and healthy, everyone!