Demon-Slaying Kitsune

by Akito the Boxer

COMMISSION - During what was meant to be a simple scouting mission to look into a mysterious beast man turns into a fight for survival. What makes it unusual compared to other missions for Asagi's task force is that the target may look like a demon but he is the biggest knuckleheaded teenager they've ever met.

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-Tokyo, Japan, 2082-

Viewed as the most prosperous city in Japan if not the world, the pinnacle of the mainland had been plagued with the demons from the dark realms. An ancient rule had prohibited the demons from interfering with humans, but with humanity's dark descent and greed, the pact was history, and treacherous syndicates weaved crime and chaos throughout the world. To protect the innocent, the Japanese government had established a special force comprised of shinobi with incredible might and supernatural skills to fight against the demonic invaders and the humans who sold their souls to the devils. Such shinobi are known across the world as the Taimanin, equally powerful and beautiful warriors who underwent Hell on Earth to be not just the best of the best but put an end to the evil of the world. Few elite government figures knew them, and that's how the task forces liked it when it came to fighting against the international threats and terrorist attacks which they were to end without risking human life.

Up in the sky, a helicopter transported three of the deadly shinobi and their commander in a simple scouting mission, "Asagi-sensei, are you sure we need such a team for one target?" asked Kotaro Fuuma through the intercom, "Surely, you're more than good enough."

"It's best to have reinforcements and not need them than having no backup at all," said the most experienced of the group.

Just calling Asagi Igawa beautiful was an understatement with the way she embodied the aspects all of Japan found worth immortalizing in art. Long dark hair cascaded down her back to her waist with spiky bangs barely grazing teal eyes with an alluring sharpness to them. She had a bust that was big to put it simply and with a breast about the size of her head each to better illustrate. As a Taimanin, she donned a purple battle suit which hugged her hourglass-figured body tighter than her own skin to showcase the wide thighs, thick hips, and ample and rounded bottom. To put it simply, she had the most balance of heavy-type assets.

"Plus, it's not like I'd turn down a chance for a trip back to my hometown!" chirped Asagi's not so little sister with a winning smile.

Sakura had short, blonde hair styled with some spiky bangs over her eyes and wild ones at the back of her neck. Her blue eyes always shone with mischief and confidence, some of it thanks to possessing a bigger bust than her elder sister with each mammary gland capable of taking a man's breath if smothered. The outfit of her choice was a black leotard suit with a dark orange skirt parted at the front and black stockings. Just a tad shorter than her big sister, the energetic blonde kunoichi was larger in all other departments to compensate. Notably, what she made up with volume was not helping her in being subtle.

"We'll have it done before Fuuma can even look for a landing spot!" boasted the youngest and smallest member of the group.

Best not to state the obvious since Yukikaze Mizuki was a young woman with plenty of energy despite her petite physique. With long brown hair worn in pigtails, small bust with each orb of flesh no larger than an apple, and a deep tan, she was quite childish. Her Taimanin uniform was a black leotard similar to Sakura's to emphasize her curves, though hers had a dark red instead of orange and frills rather than a skirt. Most notable was that her reddish-purple eyes carried a sense of confidence which while bordering on arrogance showed she could back up her words if needed, which was to be expected of any member on the field.

"I'll try to be fast, then," Kotaro said plainly, a tad dryly as well. "Remember that this is first and foremost a reconnaissance mission. Actual engagement with the target is forbidden unless it proves to be hostile."

"What's there to worry about?" Yukikaze asked with a grin that should have had a fang pop out of her lips to make her even more wolfish. "There's no way a demon will get the upper hand on all three of us at once."

"Like I've stated, it's best to be safe than sorry," Asagi reminded the girl. "Our target appears to be quite… unusual. Far stranger than any other possible target."

"How so?" asked the two younger girls.

Kotaro kept a stoic face as he replied, "Please, read the debriefing next time."

"Don't worry, Fuuma, I'll inform them," Asagi kept a polite smile which stiffened her younger teammate's spines after the goosebumps finished running up and down. "And I hope you are paying attention this time to not repeat ourselves."

"Eep, no need to be so cold, sis!" Sakura shuddered. "This is another demon, right? It will most likely be after girls, food, riches, or power. You know, the usual demon lord stuff like in Dragon Quest. Or it will want to be a dick like Kon the Knight."

"Actually, that horse wanted to marry the Hero's future wife to-" Kotaro began before shaking his head. "Let's focus."

"Right," Asagi nodded and her slightly narrowed eyes silenced her sister. She would have given her a grin to reassure her, but the matter at hand was… odd, "This demon has been fighting all over Tokyo against other demons for the past ten months."

"Ten months?!" Yukikaze repeated incredulously. "How's it taken us so long to find it?! Like, should we not have a big eye on the demon slaying business?!"

"Unless it's a vigilante group, but we can safely assume it is not human," Asagi continued and shook her head. "Reports have claimed that several women about to be kidnapped for some of the darker businesses run by humans and demons alive have seen a large monster who just dropped out of the sky. These witnesses were given amnesia-inducing drugs in case it was a Taimanin doing extra credit. It wasn't until a picture was taken by one influencer girl about to be abducted that we finally know it's not human."

Grabbing a folder on her side, Asagi revealed a shadowy picture of what appeared to be a very tall man in loose clothes lifting an orc by the head. Both younger girls blinked in awe since all orcs stood over six feet tall and the strange demon was holding one of the monsters by his head like he weighed nothing. Upon inspecting the photograph closer, they realized that the orc's skull was crushed. The victorious demon's hand was stained with blood, but that didn't hide one particular detail about the limb… It possessed a clawed hand.

And that was the main focus, the rest of the picture brought a gasp out of Yukikaze, "Did he kill an entire platoon of horsemen?" like she stated, the mysterious demon stood over the bodies of humanoid monsters with the heads of horses, "With his bare claws?"

"No, wait, he cut them," Sakura realized as she pointed at the wounds on one of the horsemen. "See that clean gash on the torsos? He must have used a blade like sis or mine to do that. There's just no way a claw can cut that cleanly when he's got five."

"Okay, then why is a demon killing… demons?" Yukikaze finally asked. "Are we really going in to find this guy, then? What are we supposed to do?"

"Conversation?" Sakura asked with a tilt of her head.

"Engaging diplomatically him is preferrable," Asagi agreed stoically. "For now, getting to see it is all we need to do. Depending on how hostile it is to us, we may proceed with caution and kill this demon should it be a threat."

"Ugh," Yukikaze leaned back with a sneer, "this demon is trying so hard to be a mystery, it better not be slaying other demons for something lame like revenge."

"Honestly, I am more intrigued about why he left humans be," Asagi commented.

"What do you mean, sis?" Sakura asked. "I mean, it is a demon, so…" she finally realized one of the oddest aspects of their target, "Wait, the survivors… Did it do nothing to them?"

"Zero traces of fluids other than the splattered gore were found whenever he was seen," the elder Taimanin informed her increasingly surprised teammates. "That's why we initially thought that this was one of our own acting solo. Frankly, I actually thought it may have been Fuuma here doing some off-the-record training."

"Really?!" all three of her juniors exclaimed.

"It'd have added up, especially with the clean cuts," Asagi remarked.

"Flattered as I am, I fear I'm nowhere near the level to face so many demons on my own," the commander replied after collecting himself. "Just what kind of monster is this?"

-Tokyo, Red Light District, Rooftops-

Looking down at the large district and the massive city, a lonely figure sighed. There was an odd longing for clear skies, but with the city's neon lights shining so brightly, he had no luck. It got him nostalgic to want for the night sky over everyone to be a clear sky lit by the moon. And yet, he couldn't dwell on that too much given his new life and the hand fate threw at him. Given how he ended in such a city and the world he found himself in, not to mention the curse cast on him by a spiteful so-called goddess, he had it easy…

"Ramen's here!" said a delivery boy after climbing up the stairs to come onto a lonely roof with a few bridges between the buildings. "Hello? Anyone?"

A gust of wind nearly made him drop the plates… "Thanks!" and then he noticed that they were gone! "Here." Not only that, but a handful of crumpled bills rested on his hand, "Bye."

"What in Budha's good name…?" the delivery boy asked.

Before he could even blink, whoever paid for the noodles was gone. Without knowing, the lonely figure sat on an air conditioning machine jutting from the side of one building with his legs dangling. Slurping the noodles hungrily, he cleaned the plate with a content sigh…

"Now that's the stuff…" he could finally think clearly without the hunger to weaken his mind. Reaching into his jacket, he fished out an old, worn frog wallet which when opened revealed a handful of wrinkled bills and coins, "Getting any money in this country while looking like this is such a kick to the dick, though," digging into his noodles, he felt his neurons activating, letting him to think out loud after another mouthful, "Even worse, that damn rabbit witch made sure I remain like this out of spite… And I thought I was a sore loser…"

Lifting the bowl to his mouth, the figure took off the hood of the makeshift black cloak made of old cloth he fashioned like a poncho. Drinking broth and noodles with gusto, he revealed that he was a muscular humanoid fox with yellow fur, deep blue eyes with slit pupils and long ears which had pitch-black fur marking the insides of each ear and around his eyes. Other vulpine traits included soft black paw pads and sharp claws on his hands and toes. Even as a beast, he had an imposing figure with the physique of a heavyweight martial artist. Dark orange pants ripped on the knees kept him modest but revealed fox feet, which made him stand head and shoulders taller than most humans, with a hole on the backside for a singular long, fluffy tail which could be considered nine put together.

"Come on, pump those legs!" the fox man's ears perked up at the sound of a familiar voice. "I need you all warmed up for the first lesson!"

Observing the building to the side, he watched a karate dojo on the third floor. Grinning at the sight, he leapt to the rooftop in a single bound and watched the teens and adults practice kata after kata, spar, and eventually get back home. The particular reason he remained on such an unusually seedy part of town was that street fights were common with some participants who mopped floors with punks displaying great skills. He couldn't help but want to learn some of their moves and integrate them to his own, especially when he noticed that there were judo as well as jiujitsu dojos in the neighborhood. After the lesson was over, and he cleaned his bowl, the bipedal fox wiped his maw and put his hands on a cross seal.

In a cloud of smoke, several solid copies of himself appeared, much to their chagrin, "Hey, boss, can we not practice? You'll end up hungrier."

"And being less prepared for when we can come across that spiteful rabbit?" the original told his clone with a snarl. He then gave a wide grin and snickered, "Besides, these martial arts are fun to learn! It'll be cool to kick some serious ass like some manga hero!"

"Fine, but we're going to burn that ramen too fast," one doppelganger sighed.

"Don't make me regret it," the original groaned. "Besides, you're all me. Shouldn't you all be on board with this? Tell me how great and handsome I am?"

"So, you know it's a bad idea when you yourself said so," another clone retorted cheekily.

"You're… I'm far too much of a smartass…" the original growled under his breath.

"Boss, you truly need to find real people to talk to," a copy stated. "You're literally talking to yourself. Even with all your speeches to Zabuza and Gaara, you suck at giving yourself advice."

"Huh, you can be a real dick to yourself, boss," another double remarked.

"Enough, I'll just punch all your faces and you guys can come at me with all you've got," the real fox nearly snapped, slamming his fist into his palm. "Let's continue to truly make this new Tachikaze Ryu Taijutsu something to make the rabbit afraid."

"Got it!" his copies replied.

In perfect unison, the fox men rushed at each other to throw punches, kicks, and each other in a nearly violent brawl. The original watched his copies' movements to react accordingly, doing his best to dodge them by bobbing, weaving or dashing away from their strikes. Responding by delivering swift strikes which literally cut through the wind, the 'boss' dispelled his clones in a burst of smoke whenever he struck a critical blow. Each doppelganger did his best to grapple with him, try to take him down and pin him for a beatdown, which he countered with his own moves to wrestle with one or several.

By the end, he was exhausted, "Done…" he collapsed onto his bottom and took deep, ragged breaths as his stomach growled, "…ugh, I told myself."

One final clone collapsed on his knees, gasping for air, "…so, why still do this?"

"We've seen… that there are demons here… who are worse than the tales we've heard of Kurama," the original got back his breath and shook his head. "If I don't stay in shape to fight them… there's no way I'll forgive myself if I allow them to run free."

"…hard to not miss the furball, huh?" the clone replied and dispelled himself.

Letting his back hit the floor, the fox man nodded, "I prefer to be friends with that demon than the ones here… No offense, Kurama…"

Speak of the devil…

"Kyah! Yukito-kun!"

Jolting, the lone figure crouched on the air conditioner to see a couple in the alley below him. A cute pair of high-schoolers in traditional uniforms, a spectacled nerdy boy and a curvy girl… surrounded by a pack of orcs. One of the brutes closed the kids' way out while the others closed in on the girl. The boy had enough balls to take on a traditional karate kata and try to punch an orc. He was unfortunately a mere human boy whose act of bravery was rewarded with a brutal bitch-slap. Blood flew out of his mouth and nose while his glasses shattered on the ground. In a desperate attempt to help, the girl reached and helped the boy stand up.

"Hey, hey, hey, why not leave the nerd and have some fun with us?" one of the orcs declared with a sneer, his fanged mouth leaking drool as he loosened his pants.

"Don't… you dare… touch Akane-chan!" the boy groaned… only to be kicked in the ribs by an amused orc who immediately pinned the teen down by sitting on him.

Cruelly, the orc grabbed the boy's head, "Oh, but we'll show her a good time. How about we show you how much fun she'll have with real men?!"

"Yuki-kun!" the girl screamed, tears in her eyes as the nude orc grabbed her by the throat.

"Oi, oi, oi, learn to enjoy yourself," the green monster smirked, extending his tongue…

"Cut it out, she's mine!" snarled an ugly, overweight, balding human man with porcine features and a rather expensive suit. The kids recognized him, "Akane-chan, it's time we had our fun… You best forget about your loser boyfriend…"

"Sensei?!" the girl shrieked in horror. "What are you doing?! I told you that I have Yukito-kun! And I don't care about your stupid blackmail!"

"Quiet you!" the teacher sneered at the girl, then turned to the orc who was about to do evils truly unspeakable to her. "And who do you think you are?! I paid you to help me! You can have the sloppy seconds so long as you make her stupid virgin boyfriend here watch!"

"Enough of this sick joke, sensei!" Yukito snapped. "You're the headmaster of a very respected private school! Why do this?!"

"Because I can only get hard when I fuck cute girls in front of their boyfriends!" the older man sneered and licked his lips. Grabbing Akane's face, he made her pucker up in fright, "Now go and stick that tongue, sweetie! Sensei will make you feel so go- guh?"

Gales of wind blasted everyone back and literally cut through air as well as the depraved man's tongue which flew clean off! The orcs and the teenage couple barely had time to react to it as a 7-foot-tall, cloaked figure stood in front of the headmaster. Lifting the man by the neck even as the shrieking scumbag tried and failed to stop the bleeding, the newcomer took a second to pat him and pull out the bald man's wallet.

"It's h-him!" an orc exclaimed. "The demon-slaying fox!"

Jumping back in horror, the orcs stood around their boss' attacker without caring for the old headmaster once the newcomer tossed him aside. They even let the boy get off the ground to run to his girlfriend. Both started to shake in horror, unsure of what to do due to how surreal the events taking place were. It felt straight out of an old-school seinen anime.

"Kids," the cloaked man started to get their attention, opening the wallet and clicking his tongue at the few bills he could get. "Get out of here and get help. I'll clean up now."

"Asshole, do you think you'll get far killing your own kin?!" one orc sneered while the teenagers finally ran away from trouble.

"First, don't make it like you have souls," the cloaked man stated. "I can feel the life energy of humans and animals. You guys are truly empty monsters."

"Don't get so high and mighty, we've been after you," another orc sneered.

"Second," the cloaked man continued as he gripped the cloak by the shoulder. "I've been using the last ten months to hunt down as many of you as I've found to vent out after a petty bitch turned me into this!"

Ripping off the cloak in one swift motion, the man revealed himself bulging biceps, bulky forearms, iron-hard pectorals, and washboard abs one could grind meat on if not for his fur.

"Tsk, do you think we will let you walk away that easily, pretty boy?!" one orc sneered. "We've got enough trouble getting girls for you to walk by and ruin our fun!"

"Just know that I used to hate killing," the fox man sneered and put his fists up. "I didn't have it in me to end a life… Facing demons like you made it easy to get my hands dirty."

"Zip it, you fucking furry son of a-"

Once again, the air around everyone shook violently as the yellow fox launched himself at the nearest orc for a jab so fast and sharp that it literally cut the wind… and the orc's head! Every low-ranking demon could not understand nor see how he managed that, but expert eyes took in the way his furry fist punched. Gales swirled around his hand, slicing the air a second, third, and eventually sixth time as the beast man sliced through the demons. Arms, legs, and even a plethora of guts littered the alleyway as the fox man continued. Kicks were implemented as he swept the floor with his foot in swift motions akin to a dance, dismembering feet and eventually splitting heads in half with nearly literal axe kicks.

For the whimpering teacher who was crawling away, it was a hellish karate demonstration, "I… I av go… goha go…" he gagged through a mouthful of blood, holding the bleeding stump where his tongue used to be, "Fugh…"

In front of him was the fox man, crouching menacingly and sneering, "Alright, I know you the lot of you creeps have some place to get girls." He gripped the depraved headmaster by his collar, "You're going to point me to the others."

"Lah-dy Obo-oh, I-" the man began to tear up…

Suddenly, his face began to glow brightly from inside, as if a flame was stored in his skull! The realization caused the fox to throw the headmaster away to see him get engulfed in flames. If he had been any slower, the heat of the fire itself would have been far too dangerous with his wind. And to his shock and disgust, the man was not even reduced to ash when the explosion turned him into nothingness… Quite an absurd killer way of removing evidence, fit for a queen.

"Not bad at all," he gasped and turned to look up at the woman's voice accompanied by slow clapping. He saw a curvy figure atop a rooftop with a wide grin, "It seems you truly are more of a threat than we originally thought. Congratulations are in order."

"You can drop the dramatic mystery schtick, lady!" the fox snarled. "I've had enough with one group of asshats thinking their master puppeteers, and I am not afraid of punching a woman for how you used that jackass and those kids to lure me out!"

"It appears you are far too impatient," the woman started before dropping down. "No matter, it is about time that I, Oboro, got to make your acquaintance."

Elegantly landing before him was a woman with violet short hair with a bob cut with a thin, long ponytail dangling over the back of her neck and nearing nearly fully bared buttocks. Purple eyes glinted with malicious glee like a snake. She had an impressive set of breasts just as large as her head which bounced slightly to entice him, bringing a grin to her crimson lips. He could not be blamed for staring since she donned a far too revealing battle suit which was basically a V-cut leotard with an insane cleavage shot. Possessing a derriere as provocative which she swayed around, the woman who embodied sadism couldn't help but lick not her lips but deadly steel. On her arms were large metal gauntlets which shot out three sharp steel blades which glimmered in the moonlight.

"Ptoo," he spat on the floor and bared his fangs. "Alright, so you'll be a challenge…"

"Flatterer, but I-" Oboro couldn't finish her sentence.

Right as she was about to continue, the yellow fox lunged at her with a lightning-fast punch that shattered the sound barrier. To the people around the block, it sounded like someone had fired a shotgun. In the alleyway, Oboro was barely able to roll out of the punch as a dumpster was split in half. She retaliated by spinning her body and launching a series of swift claw strikes that shredded the air… And, to her shock, the kitsune kicked up and through them!

"Tch," the fox clicked his tongue and pulled back his leg, noticing that his pants were ripped.

"Ngh…" Oboro clenched her jaw as she was sent back to a skidding halt on her feet. Grunting at the ridiculous strength of the fox man, she glared with a fury born of madness, "Alright, I shall not underestimate you, but you're making a grave mistake by not listening, mongrel!"

And the fox grew offended, "What part about me killing your demons and hating you for using humans as bait is too hard to understand?!" Pointing at her, he snapped, "Get the hint or get bent! Either way's good for me to kick your ass!"

Utter cruel delight spread on Oboro's face as her smile twisted, "I shall delight in breaking that arrogance! We aren't the only ones looking for you, fox!" The murderous woman pulled out a detonator, "Let's see how you do when you are against that filthy sow of Asagi!"

-Moments later-

"Was that a bomb?!" asked a shocked Yukikaze.

"Fuuma, report!" Asagi demanded.

"It's in the red-light district!" the commander replied quickly and everyone turned to one side to see fire and smoke covering several blocks. "Hang on, I'll get us there now!"

"Eh, the sleazy side of town?!" Sakura exclaimed. "Why?!"

"Let's focus on ensuring no civilians are hurt nor…" Asagi began only for her eyes to widen as a chill ran up and down her spine. "There are demons!"

"Um, the estimate time of arrival is-" Kotaro began only for the doors to be kicked open before the three kunoichi leapt out. "…I will find a helipad, but report if there is any trouble!"

"Roger!" the Taimanin replied in unison.

Gently landing on the rooftops of the nearest building to the fire without being at risk of the structure collapsing, the kunoichi assessed the situation. There were flames licking up walls and people running away from the chaos in terror. It was definitely caused by a well-placed incendiary bomb to make a flashy statement.

"There's no way this is a terrorist attack, is there?!" a worried Yukikaze asked, twirling a pair of flintlock-shaped pistols with golden highlights and green crystals at the end of the barrels.

"Come on, this ruined my chance of doing some late-night shopping here," Sakura whined while gripping dual kodachi in her hands with a pouty glare aimed at the chaos.

"Don't let your guard down, we still have a mission, and this cannot be a coincidence," Asagi told her juniors while unsheathing a ninjato from her back.

"I knew it!" Kotaro exclaimed. "The sightings of this rogue demon around this area must mean he is in the fire! After all, with his actions against others of his kin, there was bound to be a lot of retaliation from the higher-ranked demons!"

"Perhaps it will listen if we talk and tell it Taimanin hunt down evil demons," Sakura beamed hopefully. "Although, we'd need to clear the baddies after it."

"And there's no way it'll be that easy since it's a demon, after all," Yukikaze remarked with a heavy sigh. "Chances are this is a turf war we've got to clean up."

"Quite unfortunate but true," Asagi agreed.

Kotaro reminded them of the threat, "Better hurry, the demons will target civilians soon!"

Just as he said, a woman was running out of the fire with a scorched black cloak and a large monster behind her. It was a minotaur, plain and simple, wielding a heavy double-headed axe. And he wasn't alone, for two more of his kin blocked her path with lecherous smirks. They all rounded a corner away from the view of the three kunoichi.

"Oh man, now we're eating good!" one cheered while grabbing the woman.

His brother helped lift her up, but asked, "Didn't the boss tell us to find someone else?"

"Zip your mouth and we won't be in trouble," said the third as he approached them.

Each Taimanin was ready to pounce on the bovine demons… only for a yellow blur to beat them to it. The three kunoichi watched in awe as a massive fox man leapt at the minotaurs, curled his body into a ball with his knees to his chest, and delivered a mighty drop-kick with such brute force that the one approaching the woman crashed through one of the burning buildings. What awed the highly skilled shinobi was that the horned demon's body broke seven walls until finally emerging on the other side with his every bone broken and his skull utterly shattered. He was dead before he finally hit the ground while on the other side the fox stood tall and menacingly as he approached what the three warriors assumed to be a civilian. In truth, that was far from the case as the surprise savior landed on his feet with a snarl.

"Stop running, you cat-eyed sadist!" he told the woman while approaching her. "You two better not let her go."

"Everyone, hurry!" Asagi commanded as the three female warriors dashed around the building to avoid the flames.

"Stop touching me with your filthy hands!" the woman growled gutturally while the minotaurs kept her restrained. "Release me so I can skin you alive!"

"Okay, what is happening here?!" one of the bull-headed demons demanded.

"Make sure she stays where she is," the fox man commanded angrily and got into a crouched position, leaning his body forward to charge. "That cat-eyed bitch is mine."

Both minotaurs gulped… and then collapsed to the ground after the sharp claws of Oboro's gauntlets pierced their hearts. The cloaked kunoichi clicked her tongue and ran away with the fox in hot pursuit as she entered the burning building. Unfortunately for the Taimanin, upon arrival the only thing they saw was the two dead demons.

Kotaro observed everything from afar, giving his input, "He must have taken the woman… That fox truly is another demon, then."

"Hold on, there's more than meets the eye," Asagi corrected him, surprising the overachieving young man. Looking at the wounds, she narrowed her eyes, "Call it a hunch if you must…"

"Regardless, that fox is definitely not to be taken lightly," Kotaro remarked.

"Fuuma, we saw him kick a Kau – one of the heaviest of heavyset demons we fight – through an entire building," Yukikaze retorted dryly. "We can see the obvious."

"Then I'll circle the district and try and find where he and that woman are headed," Kotaro tried to remain in control of the situation.

Inside the burning building, the yellow fox was pursuing the red-clad woman into a massive love hotel. Plenty of customers were running away in fright from the flames and the bipedal beast. A cocky Oboro gave her pursuer a coquettish grin as she tossed aside the cloak that served to hide her appearance. The glint in her eyes reminded her furry opponent of a sadistic version of a cat he had once pursued, Tora being the name of that annoying fleabag.

"Can't you get a hint, boy?" Oboro taunted him. "The nice lady obviously had enough fun out of you. Be a dear and learn to take no for an answer."

"Lady, I'll be in the cold, cold ground before I let an old hag like you walk away without kicking your fat ass!" the fox snapped.

Restraining her anger, Oboro clicked her tongue and extended her gauntleted claws with a sneer, "Still a boy, I see. Then let big sis here teach you discipline with a spanking."

"I'm glad I got you mad, you cat-eyed creep," the fox mocked her with a smirk that did not hide his fury. Taking a more practiced guard, he spread his legs with his back slightly hunched forward, knees bent, right fist next to his chin and his left hand down at waist level, "Get mad. Be so stupidly angry that you feel half as pissed off as I am at you for what you did…"

Unfortunately for him, the woman smirked as her claws sliced the walls next to her, opening the way for a platoon of humanoid demons to storm the place, "Boys, whoever kills him first gets first dibs on the girls at Under Eden…"

Men in appearance, their grayish skin and red eyes conveyed that while low-ranked, they were demons who took great joy in a darker business, "Oh, are you sure, Oboro-sama?" one asked, "I heard you plan on having some Taimanin there…"

"You and everyone will have more than you fill once we're done with them…" Oboro coped as the demons cheered at the prospect of dominating and breaking a female warrior.

"Alright, you bastards!" one cheered as they approached the fox. "Let's fuck this furry bitch to truly party! Get ready to die, you son of a bitch!"

"Pfft," the fox snorted since he was about to give chase until the demons appeared. "That is not how you should talk in this situation, dumbass!" he enraged the demons, all of whom raised enormous meat cleavers, axes, katanas, baseball bats, knuckle dusters, knives, and their own fists to get a go at him, "If you want to let your opponent know how royally screwed he is, then you should give a line like this…" Wind swirled around the fox, "Remember the name Uzumaki Naruto, because you'll be cursing it in Hell!"

"Keep laughing, asshole!" one demon roared as he leapt at Naruto with a cleaver.

"We'll make a nice coat out of you!" another cheered with a fire axe in hand.

Delivering a swift palm strike forward, the fox shoved the axe handle onto the face of the demon, breaking the skull and sending him and several more backwards. Rushing at them with the wind kicking up sharp gusts around him, Naruto began to launch several wide swings using his arms and legs to cut through. The moves would've seemed far too open for any martial arts master until they realized how the rush of strikes sliced and diced demons and weapons alike. Upon seeing how outmatched they were, some of the demons backed up with fright all over their faces…

"Either get him or it'll be Ryal who sees you at Under Eden," Oboro icily told them.

Far more frightened at that prospect, the demons gritted their teeth and went on the offensive. It truly was like sending meat to the grinder with every hook, jab, uppercut, and kick shredding the attackers without mercy… And allowing Oboro to sneak behind him!

"Like that'd work on me!" and Naruto didn't even turn to face her, instead twisting his back to slam his elbow at the incoming claw swipe!

Blades of wind and steel cut through the space between them… and sent Oboro onto a wall! The furious murderous woman had to spin her body and right herself to absorb the impact by kicking the surface. It came as no surprise to her but to the demons that the hard concrete had cracked before she leapt at Naruto!

"Jump at him, idiots!" she roared while lunging at the fox with the demons doing as told. Knowing that she planned to overtake him with numbers, Naruto flipped backwards over the wave of demons with his hands in a familiar seal, "What are y-"

Kicks flew faster than lighting and sent a dozen of the humanoids crashing through walls when not one but five fox men clashed against them. All of the vulpine fighters landed on a crouched position save for the original who cracked his knuckles.

…and then, Naruto dispelled his clones in gray clouds which burst where they used to be just to be cheeky to Oboro, "If you're that afraid to face me yourself, then I can make it fair and fight you with one hand behind my back…"

Oh how he missed royally pissing arrogant enemies off!

"Filthy brat!" Oboro snapped, ready to lunge…

Until a voice called to her, "Retreat, they are here."

"What?!" she snarled at the earpiece. "Sir, I can-"

"You've done what was needed, we have an idea of what he can do," the voice warned her in an even tone which froze her momentarily.

Giving Naruto the nastiest sneer she could muster, Oboro lifted her hand where a pellet was, "I'll see you writhing and whimpering after I skin you alive, brat!"

Tossing the smoke pellet, Oboro heard Naruto exclaim in his attempt to catch her, "Get back here, you cat-eyed old hag!"

Much to his annoyance, his path was blocked by more demons who were practically pouring out of the rooms waiting for their turns. Each man raised his weapon at him for another round.

"If you think you can get to the rooftop, you'll need to be far faster," one demon taunted.

Audibly cracking his knuckles, Naruto also rolled his neck to pop a few joints into place with a cold glare harsh enough to make the demon regret his words, "Then you're ready to die for her, so step the fuck up!"

-Rooftops-

"Fuuma, do you have a clear view of the area?" Asagi asked after she and the others finished climbing the love hotel, a large, open area with railings but no one else.

"Yes, Asagi-sensei," the young man replied. "The drone's keeping an eye on the exits. Either he tries to escape up or down, we can corner him by taking all cardinal points of the building to find him. We are also lucky that the sewer system doesn't connect to this hotel."

"Good job doing all the boring desk work, Fuuma!" Sakura cheered.

"This better work, the fire's getting too hot!" Yukikaze whined, fanning herself with a hand.

"About the only way he could surprise us is coming from the door here, but we'd detect him as easily as-" Kotaro's declaration was cut short.

He didn't take into account that Naruto didn't do logic like any intelligent being. Instead of the doors or the windows bursting open, it was the very floor of the rooftop. All three Taimanin let out yelps while Kotaro gaped at the crumbling floor… before it erupted upwards like a geyser!

Below them, the yellow fox had finished decimating the last horde of demons only to see three girls drop on the roofless top floor, "What the-" he gasped but recognized the outfits as similar to the one Oboro donned, albeit somehow less sensual, "More of you?!"

Every Taimanin grunted as they landed on the floor to see the once enormous penthouse with a jacuzzi and a king-sized bed covered in the debris which didn't hit the ground. The once silky carpet was covered in dust and bodies while the counter at the mini-bar had all of its bottles shattered. Blood and liquor pooled that part while the fox lowered his arm to glare at the three kunoichi that appeared before him. Once again taking his stance, he tried to analyze them…

"Ugh… Fuuma, remind me to chew you out for jinxing it!" Yukikaze exclaimed while waving off the dust clouds around her, coughing slightly.

"Oi, there's the fox and… a lot of dead demons," Sakura pointed out worriedly.

Asagi remained cool as a cucumber, "It appears you are done being subtle, demon fox."

Growling at the trio, Naruto bared his fangs, "Like you and the cat-eyed freak are one to talk, lady!" he had stopped caring about having a filter, then squinted his eyes which gave him a far too similar look to the fox face at a shrine to the deity Inari, "At least you're more modest."

"Quit undressing us with your eyes then, pervert!" Yukikaze snapped.

Veins pulsated with so much anger that one bulged on his forehead, and Naruto snapped back, "Then don't make it so easy, you…"

If one could look at Naruto's brain, it'd be like a slot machine's, well, slots spinning around. Above the rolling images were pictures of Oboro, Sakura, Asagi, and Yukikaze. They each got an animal below them to match their looks and themes in the fox's eyes. Oboro was a cat as similar to Tora as he could remember. Sakura was plump and caring like a familiar beasty, so she had that below her. Asagi reminded him too much of a certain man, so she was paired up with the visage of that animal. Yukikaze was less of a no-brainer than that with her pigtails…

"Did the cat eat your tongue?" Sakura beamed playfully, obviously teasing the angry fox.

Finally pointing at them, "Zip it, you tanuki!"

"Eh?!" the bubbly Taimanin was shocked and slightly insulted at being compared to a mythical raccoon dog.

Going back to Yukikaze, he growled, "And I'm not the one wearing a bathing suit to desperately show off the goods, you midget rabbit!"

"Rgh!" and Yukikaze felt her own blood boil in record time.

"Listen," Asagi cut through the bullshit with a calm and collected demeanor of a queen. "We are the Taimanin, and it is our job to eliminate all demons sh-"

"Can you skip to the point, weasel lady?" Naruto bluntly asked.

Both Sakura and Yukikaze went utterly silent and nearly touched their mouths with their hands to cover the silent screams in their minds. Asagi for her part felt herself stiffen at how rude her main target was, actually stunned at how childish he was. So much like a boy, that she…

"How… old are you?" she finally asked.

"What, are you going to tell me I am too young to be here?" Naruto retorted.

"…definitely a teenager," Asagi remarked with a hand on her forehead.

"Sensei, you shouldn't be so casual with this demon!" Kotaro urged her. "You've seen what he's done to the others, to this place! Either we retreat or we may have to engage him!"

"Vote's on option two!" Yukikaze declared, taking aim at Naruto.

"Right, insulting sis like that is going too far," Sakura could deal with insults at her expense, but to see someone mock her sister didn't sit well with the blonde.

"You two…" Asagi wanted to rein them in, but Naruto was also too pumped up on fury to care.

"Just know I'll only hold back because I need some answers," he warned them and changed his stance more straight-backed one with his left palm forward at chin level, the right at gut level, and his knees slightly bent. "It's the end of this cosplay bullshit!"

Knowing when someone was too stubborn to listen to reason and being such people as well, the Taimanin got ready for a fight. Yukikaze was the first to respond to the declaration and fired at the kitsune. What happened next was shocking as the lightning bolts which flew out of her dual pistols sailed in less than a split second to the fox.

Naruto merely blocked them by bringing up his elbow… and effectively deflected lightning! "Are you kidding…?!" Yukikaze asked when her shots seemingly bounced off him, splitting into four bolts that hit the floor behind the fox, who smirked smugly at her, "Grr, he's so annoying!"

"My moves are sweet, aren't they?" he taunted them to further anger the tiny Taimanin.

"Put the pressure on him, Yukikaze!" Kotaro barked orders. "Sensei, Sakura, flank him!"

"Roger!" the kunoichi declared and rushed the fox.

Dashing forward together in a feint for a tactical pincer maneuver, the larger kunoichi rushed the fox with Sakura going low and Asagi aiming higher. They split at the very last second to give Naruto no room for defense as they spun around him to strike. And their surprise with the furry fighter increased when he parried the ninjato with his wrists clashing against the oldest of his opponents' own joints and one wind-powered leg blocking the blades at the cost of a new cut revealing his thigh and ankle. Yukikaze hadn't been idle as she attempted to shoot at the tall demon from behind… only to have her shots deflected by his tail!

"Come on!" the pigtailed girl snapped while the other shinobi kept fighting.

Immediately gripping Asagi's wrists, the yellow fox bent her arms in a lever-motion to place her in a lock which would allow him to flip her over him and onto Sakura. And it was his turn to be shocked when the older Taimanin jabbed his side with her knee to prevent him from doing so, wrestling for release with him. Her sister wasn't idle either as she struck his sides with her dual kodachi… only to hit a log.

"Was that ninjutsu?!" Sakura asked after cutting the wood into pieces.

Reappearing behind them, Naruto kneeled with his hands in a far too practiced seal, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" he declared as the three kunoichi went in for the attack to try to prevent him from unleashing his technique, but it was too late, "Gotcha!"

Asagi clenched her jaw when three foxes appeared to face her and her companions. The real Naruto noticed immediately who the biggest threat was and went after her. His older foe had her sword ready to strike him in a swing which she aimed at his initial spot, missing only by an attempt to hit a wide area after thinking he had thrown with a smoke pellet.

"Sis!" Sakura exclaimed when the fox ducked under Asagi's sword and spun around her, locking an arm around the older Taimanin's hips before stopping.

Crouching behind the dark-haired woman, Naruto hugged her waistline from behind to deliver a German Suplex that launched Asagi towards the jacuzzi. The water splashed all around as he ran to meet her with a flying knee. Of course, he wasn't fighting a novice as the kunoichi righted herself midair to land on her feet and clash steel against wind. Both metal and air blades created gusts which washed off the water from the floor.

Meanwhile, while that happened, Yukikaze was trying to keep her opponent at bay, "Don't look down on me, you overgrown rug!"

Yukikaze used her guns at the best of her abilities by mixing her lightning shots with very close quarters combat. Every time she struck at her larger foe, she could follow up with a shot from either gun, but Naruto realized the same and blocked her every time to keep the muzzle pointed away from any part of her body. The tinier kunoichi struck, weaved, spun, and blocked, but just couldn't get a good shot, almost as if their exchanges were a part of some intense dance. Eventually, the fox got the upper hand with his size and managed to grab the tanned girl by the throat with one hand while wrapping his other arm around the pigtailed girl's right arm and leg before charging at a wall to slam her into. Unfortunately for him, the gunslinger thought fast and with her free leg kicked off the wall when he got close to swing her knee around at the large kitsune's head, hoping she could knock her foe down for the count.

Clenching his jaw with the knee against his muzzle, Naruto sneered, "That your best?"

"No, this is!" and Yukikaze free her other leg and wrap both around his neck in a chokehold, but his neck was too fuzzy. "Rgh… Don't you dare enjoy this…"

"What is there to enjoy, you damn rabbit?!" he growled while wrestling with the tiny gunslinger.

"You…" the girl tried harder to strangle the yellow fox, the anger actually putting him on the defensive as she wiggled to suffocate him with her legs.

Of course, the blonde kunoichi was equally busy and her enemy was almost caught by Sakura's upwards slash that she followed with another, but he managed to block it. She then spun around for a sweeping pair of downward slashes, which Naruto dodged by pulling his front leg up. The bustier kunoichi kept her momentum by performing a cartwheel to swing her dual kodachi immediately after. And Naruto not only blocked, but charged at her as she fell. It was too late to stop him from catching her, lifting her up, and slam her to the ground while using his own body as extra weight to smash her.

"Urk, not bad!" and the cheerful kunoichi gripped his arm for an armlock which threatened to either pop the joints out of their sockets or break bone! She still had to be honest, "Wow, you're really fluffy and soft…"

"…thanks?" he grunted while rolling around with neither giving an inch.

Back with Asagi, she and the original were trading blows with wind and steel blades, but the older kunoichi noticed that he was truly holding back, "You're not even trying to go all out, are you?" that alone awed her for she expected a demon fighting a Taimanin would go for the kill, "Why?"

"I want to know about that cat-eyed friend of yours," Naruto growled as the two walked in a circle while facing each other. "That old hag Oboro who bombed this place and who used innocent people to get to me."

"Everyone, stop!" Asagi exclaimed, halting the fight… although Yukikaze took the chance to deliver jab at the clone whose head was still between her legs. "It's a-"

Right before she could say trap, a sneering Oboro snapped, "Die, Asagi!"

History repeated itself too soon as light and fire engulfed the building yet again… only that all three kunoichi noticed the fox men reaching for them, covering them in furry cocoons.

-Deep Dreams-

Reliving the past was something that he found himself doing a lot when asleep. He was back in the battlefield which was nothing but a crumbling, fractured world, the sky an eerie mix of black void and shifting light. Naruto and his reluctant partner stood side by side, their energy nearly spent, the air heavy with the tension of impending defeat. Kaguya Ootsutsuki, her white hair swirling around her like a halo, hovered high above, her eyes fixed on the two warriors with cold contempt. The remnants of her godly power crackled around her, as if the very space and time were warping under her control.

It was the end as the two managed to grab a hold of the goddess, but not before she jabbed their sides to prevent them from sealing her, "You're persistent," Kaguya sneered, her voice echoing with an unnatural distortion. "But I shall make sure your victory is a hollow one…"

Even as she was being sealed, the rabbit goddess raised her hand to summon brought forth a rift in space tore opening before them. Before Naruto or Sasuke could react, her power surged. With a wave of her hand, she ripped Kurama, the Nine-Tails, from the former's body with cruel ease. Golden chakra was forcibly extracted and condensed all around the blond. Deep pain surged through the boy as he collapsed to his knees with a silent scream of agony. Unfortunately, that was all Kaguya needed right as without Kurama, his chakra reserves began to plummet, and the sensation of emptiness in his chest was agony.

"Naruto!" Sasuke shouted.

"Like I've said," the goddess looked at the stunned Uchiha. "You may defeat me, but I shall make it so neither can enjoy this victory!"

"Guh…" Naruto twitched as his body throbbed in pain, barely registering what happened.

With a violent flick of her wrist, the last Uchiha's eyes flared bright, then shattered with their power stolen, leaving him blind. Sasuke wailed in pain and staggered, his body trembling from the loss of his greatest asset. Like that, two of the most powerful eyes in existence had become nothing more than empty sockets with the agonized cries of the other boy filling what remained of the collapsing world.

"Enjoy life without the only things giving you power," Kaguya mocked. With a single, sharp gesture, she forced the Uchiha into the rift, her cruel laughter echoing as he was pulled into the unknown, "As for you, boy… If you think me a monster, I shall truly make you one…"

Just as Naruto passed out, he saw the void engulf him and Kaguya…

-Underground Bomb Shelter-

"Open… open your… eyes already!"

Upon waking up, he found that he was still a fox man with his pants zinged by a powerful explosive and a midget atop him. A then inexplicable soreness on his jaw made him feel a tad numb until Yukikaze slapped him finally to full consciousness.

"That hurts, you rabbit midget!" he snapped and sat up, pushing the girl onto her bottom.

"Good, he's awake!" Sakura beamed in relief.

"He's also owed an apology," Asagi remarked.

"I also need an explanation, lady!" Naruto grunted and rubbed his sore jaw. Then he glared at the tanned gunslinger, "Ugh, you had too much fun bitch-slapping me!"

"And you were very rude above, so zip it!" the pigtailed Taimanin snapped back.

"Silence, both of you," Asagi took control and motioned to their surroundings. "We will need to drop all animosity. For now, know that Oboro is our enemy, too."

"Red-clad cat-eyed bitch with giant claws and a nasty attitude?" he recalled.

"Best description I've heard about her, yes," Sakura said slightly stunned.

"Let's introduce ourselves," the elder kunoichi added. "I am Igawa Asagi."

"Name's Sakura, her little sister!" the blonde added.

"Mizuki Yukikaze," the gun wielder retorted.

"Uzumaki Naruto," the fox sat up and held his head. "You're awfully friendly after trying to beat me up. What gives, lady? Care to make up your mind?"

"You can consider us even for the fight!" Yukikaze exclaimed.

"Don't be so mean, he did save us from the blast," Sakura added.

Pouting, the tanned girl wanted to whine but held back her complaints, "Fine, he is not that bad, but he is still quite rude."

"Ever looked into a mirror?" Naruto responded smarmily.

"Focus," Asagi swiftly ended the childish argument. "We've been lured into a trap by Oboro. If we think for a second that the explosion was her final trick, we will fall into the next."

"Keep in mind I don't know any of you," the fox sneered. "Oboro to me is a crazy psycho and you three dress less like her… Although, you show the goods far less."

Bumping her hip to the side, Sakura winked, "We've got to make good boys earn a peek when we find a good man to settle with, after all."

Squinting his eyes, Naruto looked at her, Asagi, and Yukikaze up and down before giving a dry remark, "Make it harder for the imagination, then."

Jumping to her feet in anger, Yukikaze turned to the older kunoichi, "Do we really need him?!"

"I could ask the same about you, midget!" Naruto roared back.

Zipping to him so their faces were inches apart, the tanned girl growled, "How dare you?! I'll have you know that I am a growing beauty with lots to inherit!"

"Only your ego's big!" and Naruto would have been the pot calling the kettle black if he had been his 14-year-old self, so he felt confident saying that to a younger, smaller girl… Yeah, no, he was getting angrier, "And give me a short answer on what's going on!"

Quite used to highly stressful situations, Asagi crossed her arms and closed her eyes, "We're the Taimanin, and our task force is often hunting those who deal with demons to bring down mankind for selfish gain. Oboro… was one of our own, a traitor driven by her lust for power."

"And some revenge against you, too," Naruto recalled some words from the backstabber.

"Look, if it helps, we don't want to fight after seeing you try to protect us from the blast," then Sakura beamed and offered him a hand. He took it and was surprised that the blonde girl just lifted his far larger body with ease, showing that the kunoichi were no joke, "Plus, we could really use the help when we have to bump into whatever nasty surprise Oboro left us here."

"Where is here anyway?" he finally asked.

"Definitely an old shelter from World War 2," Asagi informed him. "The fact it didn't show up in Fuuma's records must mean that this is now a facility the demons used to try to get us. And thus, we have been keeping guard to wait for you to wake up and escape together."

"…hold on," the fox tilted his head. "World War… 2?"

"You can't be for real, even if you're a demon," Sakura stated in awe and confusion. "I mean, even I know about it… and I'm not that good at some history."

"Ugh, really long story short…" Naruto rubbed the back of his head and with a heavy sigh. "I'm not from this world. A crazy… devil woman sent me here while I was fighting her." He didn't like to lie, but there was too much to unpack, "Like, I'm still trying to get used to the fact you're all using this yen coin instead of ryo…"

"Alright, just how old are you?!" a shocked Yukikaze asked.

"17," he stated bluntly.

"You're kidding!" Sakura was wide-eyed while Yukikaze gaped, the former pointing at the fox. "How?! That body of yours, plus being that strong…"

"Like I've said, I'm from another world entirely," Naruto shrugged and Asagi nodded.

"Very well, it would explain how some of the things you've done are unlike what we see when it comes to even our most secret techniques," the kunoichi leader held her chin in thought. "It'd also explain why I feel at ease around you rather than on edge like with other demons…"

"For fuck's sake, I know it's hard to believe, but…" ruffling the fur on his head, Naruto clenched his teeth. "I'm… human, or was… Look, it is far too long a story for us to sit here, but I was not a fucking furry before that devil tossed me here. She made me look like this out of spite."

"Hm, do you think she had a thing for that?" Sakura asked curiously.

A shiver ran up Naruto's spine and then down to the tip of his bushy tail, "Grr, don't even joke about that! The bitch is the reason I'm stuck like this! If I see her again-"

"Enemy incoming!" Asagi stopped his rant, reaching behind her for her ninjato.

Immediately, the four shinobi got into defensive positions and Naruto finally took in his surroundings. Thick concrete walls covered three sides at the dead end of a large tunnel. Over him and the kunoichi were large boulders from the collapsing love hotel blocking all escape back up. A set of lights illuminated the place with an artificial glow accompanied by several old Japanese propaganda, ancient speakers, and what appeared to be doors so covered in rust that they looked ready to crumble with a breeze.

…and the walls crumbled when the enemy appeared through them, "A tank?!" Sakura exclaimed. "How did they even get it here?!"

As she said, an enormous automaton approached them. It was four-legged tank operated by a demon inside with a gray color. Its main was a heavy machine gun with its secondary being just a lower-caliber machine gun. Before Naruto could even ask anything, the tank jumped up to 50 meters with a built-in jet thruster to clear the path and fall on them.

"Scatter!" Asagi commanded, but Naruto had other thoughts.

Boldly stepping forth, the fox launched himself at the machine from below with a battle cry and a spiraling orb of chakra in hand, "Rasengan!"

Blasting the enormous tank, a ball of pure condensed energy not only stopped it in its track, it pushed the dozen-ton machine back! And then, with a grunt of effort after surviving a bomb that demolished a building and sent them all into a subterranean tunnel system, he tossed it on its back. The tank looked like a squashed turtle as it rested on its back with its four legs twitching uselessly. Each Taimanin reacted differently with Yukikaze's jaw hanging lower than ever before, and Asagi's calm demeanor momentarily broken, blinking in awe.

On the other hand, Sakura was more vocal, "That was a Tempest, right?!" she asked her fellow kunoichi, "Did he just… flip it like a pancake?!"

"I knew he was holding back, but not this much," Asagi replied, then grew worried when the fox staggered. "Uzumaki, are you…"

"…hungry…" he moaned and hunched over.

"Idiot, you survived getting through an explosion for us, don't overdo it!" Yukikaze exclaimed.

"Well, it didn't help getting my teeth rattled by a midget rabbit slapping me!" he roared back.

"Grr, dumb plushy!" the gunslinger responded childishly.

"Pipsqueak!" and the fox was just as infantile.

"Dummy fur rag!" she pressed her face to his, grabbing his cheek to pull it.

"Flat shrimp!" and he pinched her cheek, yet didn't use his claws to cut flesh.

"Take that back!" she tugged at his cheek, revealing fangs.

"Make me!" the fox pinched both her cheeks.

Rubbing her face, Asagi tried to keep her cool, "Everyone, we need to contact Fuuma and make our escape before more enemies come for us."

Sakura giggled sheepishly, "Um, will we take Naruto with us?"

"Absolutely not!" Yukikaze and Naruto replied in perfect unison with the former yanking on the fox's ears and the latter pulling the gunslinger's pigtails.

"Let me say I'm thankful we're such good siblings, sis," Sakura told the other Igawa kunoichi.

"Keep trying to contact Fuuma," Asagi replied, her mind still on the mission.

"Come on, not even a little cheer for us as sisters?" the blonde snickered.

"Heh, don't worry, I thank having you as family every day," the older kunoichi smiled.

"Yay!" her sister unironically cheered.

-Main Bunker, Outside Tunnel-

"I'm so glad we didn't have to go through sewers," Yukikaze commented.

"Considering your element, anything to avoid water," Sakura agreed.

"Eh, does the rabbit have a jutsu?" Naruto mockingly asked with a hand on his chin, right under his smug smirk. "Kind of hard to tell with those toys."

"Name a time and place, you overgrown rug!" the gunslinger growled.

"Enough," Asagi was done with childish antics. "Sakura, have you contacted Fuuma yet?"

"Who is this guy?" the fox asked.

"Someone a lot more reliable and handsome than you, even if he's an idiot, too," Yukikaze was giving a lot of mixed feelings.

"Oi, I didn't look like this until like ten months ago while sealing a devil woman," Naruto growled. "Do you think I like looking like this instead of my cool, handsome self?!"

"Um, I don't know," Sakura began, looking at what little clothes he had. "Even if they weren't torn, those pants don't give much confidence in your fashion sense."

"Zip it, tanuki," the fox glared.

"Has Fuuma contacted you, Sakura?" Asagi didn't raise her voice, but her tone was enough to silence all three other shinobi.

"All I'm getting is static, sis," the short-haired kunoichi informed, then grew nervous. "Let's hope it goes away when we reach the surface."

Just as they reached the rusted doors to the bunker and were about to open them, Naruto had to talk, "So, what's wrong with my pants?"

"Besides the fact I helped shred them more?" Sakura retorted honestly with no sarcasm nor any hint of irony. "Orange may be my color, but you need to balance it with some dark colors. Like, maybe if you had a black shirt or jacket, but then your fur is really bright, so-"

"Ten words or less, please!" he nearly snapped while gripping the handles… which broke. He groaned and readied himself to push the doors, "And I like orange, it suits me best."

"Don't dress like a walking orange, then," Yukikaze smirked, hoping to get a raise out of him.

Glares were exchanged with sparks flying, but Sakura took a pensive stance, "Maybe darker colors for clothes. Our uniforms are definitely not for you with how… tight they are. Plus, I'd suggest you learn to dress in black to make your face stand out with all its yellow."

"Let's make some preparations for that, then," Asagi agreed, looking at Naruto up and down. "We certainly can't have you walk in that around HQ, let alone move without a form to conceal your appearance from civilians who'd be labeling you as a demon."

"Right, that bitch…" Naruto grumbled to himself.

"Your reason for having that appearance, right?" Asagi ventured a guess.

Feeling his anger flare, Naruto bared his fangs as he placed a hand on the doors, "I had a jutsu to transform and take appearance of others. Sure, it drained energy, but I tried to use it to look like my super handsome and definitely cooler-looking-than-Fuuma real form."

"Pfft," Yukikaze snickered but said no more.

Naruto looked at Asagi, "What do you call it when someone not only turns you into a monster, but makes sure you cannot look human with a single jutsu most of novice students use?"

"Spite and pettiness are the words you're looking for," the older woman answered in surprise.

"Alright, I'm even gladder I sealed her…" he said… but it seemed he tried to convince himself.

Keeping those thoughts to himself, he pushed the gates open… to reveal Oboro in the middle of the room with several black-clad shinobi in tactical gear holding a tall boy with her claws at his neck. It was easy to deduce who it was when the kunoichi took fighting stances with clear worry all over their faces. And the sight of him did… admittedly piss off Naruto. The fact he had the looks of a pretty boy in the same fashion as a certain Uchiha annoyed him. He was a tall boy in a blue bodysuit like the Taimanin with olive skin and a mop of blue hair styled in a way to cover his right eye while his left amber-colored one was slightly visible under his bangs.

The tied-up Kotaro gasped and tried to struggle, "Sensei!" and had Oboro's heel press on his head to slam his face onto the floor, angering the other shinobi, "Gah!"

"Give up, Asagi!" Oboro snarled with madness in her eyes, clearly the result of a hatred far beyond anything Naruto had ever seen. He dare say she had more spite than Kaguya, "Lay down your weapons and this pretty boy won't suffer!"

Just as Asagi was ready to lower her arms as were the girls, Naruto stepped forward, "Kill him and we'll kill you, dumbass!" he snapped, pointing a finger at the shinobi next to her who had their weapons trained on Kotaro, who grew nervous when noticing that the Taimanin took his words into consideration and tightened the grip on their weapons, "Lose your bargaining chip, and you'll see what I'm truly capable without holding back, you stupid cat lady!"

Oboro snarled, not liking his logic but also reminding him of the value of human life, "Can you truly allow yourself to walk with his blood in your hands?!"

The fox was going to be honest in the best way Uzumaki Naruto could be, "I'm tired, hungry, in pain from tanking a bomb and getting slapped by a midget, and sick of your cat face! All I want is to punch you so hard that your tits will fly off!"

"Um, Naruto, we still want to save Fuuma," Sakura reminded him and the fox flipped his lid.

"Pretty boy over there better give me a lifetime supply of miso soup ramen, or he can rot for all I care!" he snapped while aiming at the hostage.

"…I can arrange it," Kotaro tried to say despite the blade to his neck and the foot on his head.

"Quiet!" Oboro was livid as she turned to Naruto. "You'll stop thinking you can make fun of my revenge! I shall see to it that every living orc has filled all of Asagi's holes with-"

Abruptly cutting her off, Naruto tossed a kunai which the claw-wielding kunoichi swatted aside, her rage increasing as it landed behind her. Every Taimanin watched the fox man in shock at how little of a shit he seemed to give about the boy's life to get back at Oboro. He merely put on a rather confident smirk which confused the shinobi.

…then, he was gone in a yellow flash, "Behind you!" Oboro turned to see that the kunai she had swatted turn into a familiar currently airborne fox who wanted to use a technique in honor of a friend, "Konoha Reppu!"

Reacting quickly and using her gauntlets to block the kick, Oboro was flung backwards while the other shinobi flew away into unconscious heaps. The three kunoichi rushed to subdue her, causing the claw-wielding traitor to lose her patience even more.

"End of the line, Oboro!" Asagi declared, aiming her ninjato at the other woman.

"Not yet, not until I make you suffer a fate worse than death!" Oboro snapped and threw her arms to the sides to extend her claws…

Cracking sounds echoed in the room as did the clattering of metal pieces. Much to her horror, her weapons had been broken into useless pieces of scrap from the fox man's kick. Said boy was smirking at her to taunt her, speaking no words just for his sheer cheekiness to enrage her and nothing else. If Oboro thought she was furious beyond reason before, the sight of such an irksome, loathsome vulpine taunting her with just a smile drove her to insanity.

"Cut your losses, Oboro," a voice chilled her veins. "Retreat… or we'll find you and make sure an existence worse than what you have planned for Asagi is the least of your worries."

"Furry piece of shit!"

Oboro was too furious to think straight, but she still knew her master would keep his word and ensure she regretted backtalking. Right as she snapped and readied another smoke pellet, the ceiling over everyone's heads cracked as not one but two Tempest tanks appeared. The kunoichi tried to chase after the traitor, but heavy gunfire cut their path. Naruto was quick in picking up Kotaro, carrying the boy on his shoulder to avoid the bullets…

He did not have time nor any way of seeing that the hail of hot lead was also targeting the other shinobi that had kept Kotaro hostage, "What?!" he asked with a chill of anger and shock at such cruelty, "They'd kill their own just to protect that bitch?!"

"Our best option is to retreat!" the former hostage urged while Naruto groaned. "They've got what they wanted, and we're still at a disadvantage with me here!"

"Do you fight at all?!" Naruto snapped at the boy… and noticed his posterior was next to his face. Flipping Kotaro so their faces were next to each other, he asked while keeping him up like a potato sack, "Seriously, how about I untie you and you help?!"

"Unfortunately, I'm nowhere near Sensei's level," the teen replied.

Increasingly angry, Naruto summoned a clone who carried Kotaro, "Get the pretty boy to safety and I'll get to you after we break these things!"

"Roger, boss!" the clone left while the Taimanin and the fox faced the tanks which kept their way to Oboro blocked.

"Thanks for that," Asagi nodded while eyeing the enemy. "Still, to see this much money used to fight you, I can tell you'd do well at HQ."

"Let's safe the job offer talk for later, we need more action," Sakura stated.

"Heh, I bet that I can take down a tank faster than you, carpet-face," Yukikaze taunted.

"Pfft, you already saw me take one out, shrimp," Naruto scoffed and took his position. "But fine, let's make it a bet. I want the best ramen you've got."

"You're on!" the girl scoffed back.

Everyone moved as the two Tempests began firing yet again. Dodging to the side, Yukikaze began taking shots at the leg joints of the tank in front of her to get it to fall before Naruto got to his. Using the opening as the Tempest slowed its charge, the two other kunoichi closed the distance as Sakura's dual kodachi sliced at the spots where her comrade shot at. The mechanical threat didn't stay idle as it took aim at Asagi, taking her as a bigger threat than the two Taimanin which had hindered its movement. It was the right call, an entire ammo load poured out in a rainstorm of lead to nail the older woman who danced and dashed around each shot with her ninjato swiftly slicing any projectile too close for comfort.

"Together," the woman called to her allies as they all jumped at the tank. Blades sliced with finesses and speed beyond human limits while lightning provided a stormy finale that tore a marvel of war into a smoking pile of scrap, "Uzumaki!"

Being capable of providing quality and quantity, the fox summoned his clones to do what the three kunoichi did in his own way. Each vulpine fighter cut through the bullets with his hands coated in wind which cut like dozens of blades, mimicking Sakura's dual-wielding to slice and dice bullets. The original himself charged behind the clones before they started delivering fast and precise kicks and punches which sliced the armor like a red-hot knife through butter. With each limb disabled and the armor crumbling, the original let out a battle cry.

"Odama…" he roared as he held a gigantic orb of raw chakra over his head with both hands. Even the Taimanin could hear the shrieking of the demon piloting the tank, "Rasengan!"

Putting the name Tempest to shame, the enormous ball of spiraling energy decimated what at one point each Taimanin considered a dangerous threat. Asagi was confident in herself as the epitome of what a Taimanin should be, but she could see that, despite the attitude and lack of focus, the fox could give her serious competition if not just outright surpass her if he put his mind to it. He was certainly rough around the edges, but a feat like that meant he could be not just a great ally, but an asset in stopping evil. Besides, looking at him from behind… she felt an odd need to touch that fluffy tail. She was a woman, after all.

"Uzumaki, are you alright?" she asked the fox, having seen him pull out the regular Rasengan and knowing he was still running on fumes.

"…fucking hungry," Naruto groaned while still up, rubbing his growling stomach.

"Let's go then, we owe you a meal," Asagi offered with a smile.

"Wait, does it mean we get to do some late-night shopping as well?!" Sakura eagerly pleaded. She wasn't asking, she was putting her best puppy impression, "I mean, Naruto here needs a new set of duds! Alright, a bath as well before putting them on, but-"

"Just get me whatever you want so long as I can eat," Naruto said… then blinked. "That pretty boy Fuuma is paying, he offered to."

"Hold on, how'd you-" Yukikaze began, baffled.

Kotaro replied into the intercom, "Everyone, are you alright? Naruto, er, his clone already got me to the helicopter. It was shot down, but the communication equipment works."

"Fuuma, how are you holding up?" Asagi asked, concerned like a mother.

"Right, you've got some earpiece thingy," Naruto commented. "Just remind him that he is footing the bill."

"I'm fine, and… uh, how'd you know what I told your clone?" Fuuma asked, but Naruto couldn't hear him without the earpiece.

"Did he pick up a place already?" the fox impatiently asked.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Asagi replied, "Fuuma, we shall meet at whatever good ramen joint is open. Please get us some spare civilian clothes."

-Later, Gosha Academy-

Quite a lot of people were surprised, but no one near as much as Naruto at his arrival. He had expected a ninja village to be more traditional than what Gosha offered. It had plenty of lovely places which reminded him of home, but also some urban aspects like concrete streets and a lot of lights. He guessed it was to make it look more like a typical human village, but he stood at the entrance of the academy in his new clothes. A massive building welcomed him with the students already gawking at the young man who they had a hard time believing not to be their enemy nor a demon fox, and he noticed the old complex when looking away from their eyes.

"Sakura, he looks too much like a bancho," Yukikaze summed it up perfectly.

"It was the best school uniform that would fit him," the blonde answered but felt proud of her little ensemble. "Dashing, don't you think?"

For the sake of some formality, Naruto was clad in a more traditional Japanese uniform than the one most at Gosha wore. He donned black bontan pants which allowed his legs to move freely while a hole on the back gave his tail plenty of room to move. Black dress shoes had somehow managed to feet his vulpine paws. The untucked, loose, orange button-up contrasted nicely with the open black school jacket with golden buttons. Against the khaki uniforms of most girls with Sakura not donning her blazer because of her enormous bust, he stood out like a sore thumb even more. Inwardly, he had to admire the female uniform while trying to keep both eyes towards the academy… and then a question had to be made.

"The hell's a bancho?" Naruto finally asked with his hands in his pants pocket and hunching over in the most unintentionally stereotypical way a bancho would.

"You already are by existing," Yukikaze commented.

"Oh, maybe he's the gold-hearted delinquent, you know?!" Sakura beamed, clasping her hands with a smile so bright that any anger Naruto could've had at Yukikaze melted. "He's got the barbwire attitude that tells others that they'll be cut if you touch him, and yet he also exudes this sense of kindness like when he saved us. A guy who extends a hand out to the weak, the ideal gentle hooligan…"

Perfectly synchronized, both Yukikaze and Naruto stated, "You read too much manga." And then, the gunslinger exclaimed indignantly, "Wait, did you say we're weak?!"

"Didn't he save us when we were surprised and about to get burnt by the bomb?" Sakura reminded her fellow kunoichi.

"...fair point," the tanned girl reluctantly agree. "At least his actions spoke for him."

"But I'd say I'm more of the justice seeking kind of thug-like hero," Naruto defended with his arms crossed, smirking. "Pummeling the faces of evil jackasses while making fun of them suits me a whole lot more."

"As if you could pull that off," Yukikaze quipped with a catty smirk.

"Ooh, now I'm getting ideas for what other outfits to get you!" Sakura was glowing with glee.

"How about you stop treating me like a dress-up plushy?!" Naruto exclaimed.

Lowering her hands defeatedly, Sakura sighed, "But you're so fluffy, it's hard not to want to find outfits that'll make you look huggable."

"Oi, this better not be a kink of yours," Naruto grunted in worry.

"Well, he's more like a house-pet than an official student," Yukikaze jabbed and smirked at the fox when he glared. "After all, we had to wash, feed, and dress him."

"Just name a time and place if you want me to remind you how useless your lightning is," and he went for the low blow.

"Seems to me you're getting along," said Kotaro in his own uniform before looking at Naruto up and down. "It's still hard to believe we planned to scout, then fight, and now recruit you…"

"Ngh, something about how you talk and look pisses me off," the fox was honest.

"Come on, what did I do?" the blue-haired boy finally asked, deeply confused.

"Existing like a pretty boy," the muscular fox crossed his arms. "Literally everything about you is to be made appealing to girls without putting too much effort."

Kotaro blinked, "I'm still training here. Sure, I may not be a ninja, but-"

"Plus, I heard about your backstory," Naruto shook his head. "Talk about a kick to the dick… It still pisses me off how I can relate to that and how it makes you sympathetic…"

"Rude, aren't you?" Yukikaze snapped, then glared at Kotaro. "And why are you not rebuking nor debunking what he's saying?! Grow a spine, Fuuma!"

"It's alright, I will let my actions speak for me," the blue-haired boy replied.

Giving a deadpanned expression, the fox sighed, "Ugh, you're too much like that jackass but with less reasons to annoy me, and that's really pissing me off!"

"Make sense already!" Yukikaze growled.

Sakura tilted her head curiously, "Are you talking about a friend that reminds you of Fuuma?"

"Then there's the blue, the hair, and eyes atop being a pretty boy," Naruto pointed at the young man with a sneer. Ruffling his mane and pulling his ears backwards as he did, the fox man had to let it out, "Also, that asshole was far too perfect at times. Infuriatingly so. Kotaro here just… reminds me of how he has to be so cool, too cool for emotions…"

"I apologize, but I find it better to not let my emotions show nor take control over my actions," Kotaro replied, which only added to Naruto's irritation.

"Argh, that's some bullshit he'd say just to piss me off, and it boils my blood that you're not doing it to make me pop a vein!" the fox man exclaimed.

"…perhaps we can introduce you to the therapist after a tour of the academy," Kotaro offered.

"Quit being so simplistically perfect!" Naruto roared.

"How about you quit being a ball of anger issues?!" Yukikaze shouted at him.

"Right back at you, midget!" the fox snarled.

"You've got your work cut out for you keeping an eye on these two, Fuuma," Sakura replied with worry for said young man's sanity.

"Unfortunately," the other student agreed.

-Nomad HQ-

Oboro returned to a massive and luxurious office as to be expected of the CEO of one of the if not the most powerful organization in the human world. Like any multinational corporation with enough resources at its disposal to change policies, it made money from many different legal and illegal means. In public, Nomad presented itself as a normal corporation concerned with humanitarian and egalitarian goals. However, as it is commonly if not always the case for such organizations paying too much for human resources and public image management, behind the curtain they use technology of the demon realm itself to create chaos and corruption when not busy with illegal fighting arenas and weapon sales.

Kneeling and bowing her head in shame, Oboro submitted to the will the CEO, Edwin Black, also known as the Vampire King of the Demon Realm, "Lord Black, I-"

"Don't lower your heard, Oboro, we got a good enough idea on this… fake demon," the man told her. "Frankly, I want to hear your opinions on this artificially created kitsune. He's not only managed to fight on par with the legendary Igawa Asagi, but protect her from your traps."

Imposing and towering, Black was a middle-aged, gray-haired man with an expensive business suit. Sharp-eyed and with his hair slicked back, he looked like the bloodsucker he was even without the white vest, black suit with matching shirt and overcoat, silk blue necktie, and a long scarf draped around his shoulders. Amused, he smiled at the nervous woman who could barely hide the relief his words brought her until the reminder of Asagi's survival soured the woman's mood. Could she freely voice her thoughts, she'd curse the fox man.

"That was a child, sir," Oboro stated as calmly as she could to not agitate the man. "His power and energy are unlike that of demons like you. It's almost as if he is-"

"Alien from our very world, both human and the Makai," the demonic man smirked.

"Yes," Oboro replied in slight surprise. "Black-sama… what is he?"

"From what we've gathered, a being of another realm," the man stood from his desk.

Next to him was a shadow who upon leaving the darkness revealed a stunningly beautiful and exotically alluring woman, "One interesting enough to make up for the manpower and gear the revenge you wish to enact cost us."

As Nomad's public face, Ingrid greeted Oboro with contempt which was returned in kind as they exchanged glares. Stern and strict with every fiber of her being, Ingrid was captivating with her creamy coffee colored skin, cold yellow eyes, and elegant yet striking pink hair which fell to her knees with an hourglass figure to shame Oboro. Ingrid donned a black business suit with a pencil skirt, a matching blazer and heels, but there was no shirt and the jacket was giving the hint that there was no bra. With breasts being larger than her head, purple lipstick, and beauty mark on the left side of her chin, she was a dream of a mature businesswoman.

"All of those are acceptable losses given what we're up against," Black told his right-hand woman, who bowed her head despite her obvious animosity to Oboro. "There is also our newest project which may force us to advance Momochi's plans faster than anticipated."

"Black-sama, that fox is nothing compared to you, he is nothing but an immature teenager and far too easy to fool," Oboro argued. "He may be with the Taimanin, but with the way we hide our criminal activity, we cannot be attacked directly by them. Some factions inside the UFS which support us would hand him to us thanks to our strong connections to America. If we play our cards right, he could-"

"Enough short-term plans, Oboro," Ingrid coldly told the other woman. "We are in for a far larger project than petty revenge, after all. And it'd do you good not to interrupt."

"Let her, Ingrid," Black smirked. "That anger served her well in serving me."

"Thank you, Black-" Oboro was cut off when her master held her chin.

"Don't let it happen again, though," he warned her with a smile and lifted her singlehandedly. "I appreciate how you threw yourself in a manner which served us in studying this fake demon boy. A human trapped in the body of a beast by a curse is quite interesting. However, that will pale in comparison to the power we have found. You'll do well to ensure we can obtain it and focus on your whims second, am I understood?"

"Crystal clear, Black-sama," the terrified kunoichi gasped before he let her go.

"Good, then it is about time you meet him," the CEO smiled as he advanced to a secret door on his wall where a private elevator waited.

"Him?" echoed both Ingrid and Oboro while following their master.

"In one trip to Makai, I found a most formidable foe…" the man smiled. "Battered, broken, and with one foot in the grave, he fought desperately. And yet, despite how badly disadvantaged he had been… I didn't come out unscathed." Chortling out loud, the vampire cackled maniacally, "Think of it! Me, the vampire king! Wounded by a crippled fool who was barely able to stand up after suffering from a previous battle that had exhausted him!"

"Surely, that must have been a fluke," Ingrid stated with blind devotion to her master. "For any man to be able to touch you, let alone land a blow…"

"Oh, I thought so too… but then I thought I had to fight him at my best to subdue him, using my real form… only to see him collapse from his previous wounds and exhaustion," Black's words froze the two women as they descended. "From that point, we've been studying him and trying to gather what his power is… as well as another far greater which he desperately tried to keep away from other demons."

Reaching an underground laboratory, the two women gasped at the sight of an enormous tube. A crystal pod for medical treatment and research housed a body suspended in it… with thick iron binds keeping him from moving. Tubes were connected to a teenage boy's mouth and a thick helmet studied his brainwaves. Wires had been jabbed into his body to read his vitals and also analyze the strange energy flowing through him as several men in lab coats and no intention of following the Hippocratic Oath studied him.

"Pathetic worm," Oboro sneered. "It seems he was lucky that he had use."

"And he is not our most important addition," Black walked through thick metal doors which opened to reveal a far larger room. "Behold! This is a piece of a moon from another world! Inside there is a limitless energy source which can make all of Makai and the Human world kneel to us without even the Taimanin daring to oppose us!"

Both the former Taimanin and the executive gaped at the sight of the silvery rock which was surrounded by scientists. It was the eerie glow around it, a multitude of colors dancing around the rock, which told them that whatever was inside it truly went beyond their imagination. Heavy drills made for deep digging into the Earth's core were broken and replaced as the men in lab coats and several engineers attempted to break it. Not even a single atom of dust was found on the white floor. Metal teeth ground against the rock which ultimately ended shattering them into scrap.

"Incredible…" Ingrid hugged herself, eyes wide at the aura of oppressive might emanating from the rock, as if just being near it meant certain death.

"Not once has something driven me as much as this," Black stated with glee. "It is as if there is a higher calling. A demon like me can gain greater power than before, and it will be thanks to the mystery behind this rock and the goddess sealed inside it."

"Goddess?" Oboro echoed. "Are you saying…"

"There is a being whose power I shall make mine to ascend beyond all limits even the Taimanin would not dare touch," Black stated with a smile.

Little did he know, those thoughts weren't all his, for the goddess wanted to return… and have her vengeance.

"Uzu…"

-THE END FOR NOW-

First off, the commissioner wants more of this, but the chapters will come later, and I will try to keep it short. Second and most importantly, I hope you all enjoyed this story even if I had to do research and fear I may have a few holes to fill due to the continuity of the Taimanin series.

Pun unintended.

Anyway, part of the reason I made Naruto into a fox man is… I cannot seriously put him in one of those skin-tight outfits. Plus, I'll admit, I do prefer monster boys dating either human or monster girls.

Do not judge me, you can blame Goliath from Gargoyles and how smooth he was with Elisa and Demona (when she was good), Jon Talbain from Darkstalkers and his comic book interactions with Felicia, and a whole lot more.

If you want to judge me just look at all the girls from reaction videos in Youtube and how they thirst for Von Lycaon from Zenless Zone Zero. Trust me, I am doing far better than quite a lot of people on the internet. And if you need proof, risk venturing into the 34th rule of the internet.

I'm Akito the Boxer, off to the next round.