Chapter Fourteen: The New Tale

Kyoto Shrine

The door to Yasaka's office was opened, and in stepped the Faction leadership, all sitting around the small desks on the floor with the lady of the house smiling sweetly. "Now then, shall we get on with the details of this cooperation?"

Though she said that, it was obvious that they were wary, as at her back stood Naruto no Yoko, his blank golden eyes flowing over them, and on her other side was one big dude known as Isamu Kenji, in all his scaled glory with an equally stern visage, arms crossed like the Kyuubi and blank-faced. Despite his hulking size, towering over them all, he was a shinobi too and just remained out of notice by most, the flak jacket showing his might as he is clearly recognized as a Jonin.

It took a moment before Azazel cleared his throat, stepped forward, and said, "Yes, this is what we are here for," taking a seat in the center of the room. Michael soon took a seat on the left, Sirzechs on the right, and Naruto smirked at the devil, "Looking good, Red Satan."

Sirzechs grins, tugging on his scarlet-tinted grey flak jacket, proudly displaying his own sigil, which actually drew all eyes to him. Only now did they notice that he was wearing a Jonin-like uniform instead of his Flasher outfit. Azazel snapped at Naruto, "Where's mine?"

Naruto shrugged casually, answering, "Well, Jonin Chika was rather insistent about getting the genin's uniforms after the impressive showing from one Kiba Yuta during yesterday's battle. My assistant took it upon herself to finish their entire party at the same time." He shrugged again. "Panda, my quartermaster, took it as a personal challenge to test her rune skills and finished them off this morning."

Sirzechs nods. "She's done immaculately. Offer her my praise. These are far more comfortable than my usual attire."

Naruto and Isamu both nod with smirks. "I shall pass along the compliment to her," the tortoise Youkai informs. Michael then speaks up, "In that case, can I assume that our parties will also receive such equipment?"

Yasaka takes up this question: "That is what we are here to discuss. From what I understand, those uniforms are the first generation of the magical version of our current equipment. There may be issues with it in the field as we are not entirely familiar with magic. So," earning understanding nods from the two angels present. "I think I can assist with that, though, I do wish to ask for that remote unlocking and door control system on the compound doors." Azazel said firmly, eager to make up for his faction's hostility and mistakes in the past.

Yasaka contemplated this for a long moment, before glancing back at Naruto, whose tight frown told of his unease. Isamu cleared his throat, and all eyes looked to him. "One thing at a time, Lord Azazel. Your faction is still not in our good graces, please keep that in mind," he said, earning a sigh from the Governor, who nodded once. "Yeah, I have not yet forgotten that. I have a lot of work ahead of me."

The vixen in the room nods to that, speaking up, "Yes. The fact that your guards had complained about your two teams is rather telling, Azazel. Even with Jonin Yoko and Jonin Chika guarding your envoy, they were also harassed, suggesting that they lack thorough training and discipline."

Azazel raised a brow at that, not recalling any incidents of what was being said. "With all due respect, I do not know of what you are referring to." Naruto sighed, realizing he had to reveal a secret that would explain his leniency towards the angels at the same time. "Allow me to explain, but I urge you all not to spread this about. I am choosing to trust you with this; consider this an olive branch."

The leaders nodded, though Yasaka glanced back at him with concern. He just smiled softly and nodded, before looking back to the leaders. "I have a unique ability: empathy." Their eyes widened as he nodded, looking directly at Sirzechs. "That's why I'm always on edge around you devils. Your feelings are rather..." He trailed off, and things began to click for the red Satan. It made sense now.

Naruto then looked to Michael, "Lord Michael, as yours are typically positive in nature or neutral at worst, I can often relax around you."

The leader of Heaven nods, understanding his plight. It only added to the respect he had for the new Kyuubi. The make Kyuubi turns to Azazel, "Lord Azazel, the insanity, envy, and sheer amount of lust I get from your forces is actually quite," trailing off as he shudders, recalling it. The Angel of Lust could sympathize. He knew his forces were somewhat unstable, but for an emotion-sensing man like Naruto, it must be hell sensing that constantly. "I, I am sorry about,"

Naruto waved him off. "You are fine, you keep it in check like now. Your forces, however, leak their emotions like a broken tap. Get them some help. They damn well need it, and for the love of the holy log, get Raynare laid. Her lust is smothering."

Sirzechs coughed, trying to keep himself from laughing. Though the others looked bewildered, the Kyuubi looked at Red Satan and said, "Oh, you think that's funny, huh? Do you want me to deal with Serafall, your sister, her queen, and Tsubaki? Their lust is seriously a match for him," gesturing to the lone Fallen.

The red Satan grew nervous at that, knowing he had no doubt skipped over his wife purposely. If that raised brow was anything to go by, "Let's stay on topic," Michael said, saving the day. Everyone nodded, though Naruto returned to his casual stance, arms crossed, matching his fellow shinobi.

Yasaka clears her throat, and all her guests focus on her now. "So, yes, we shall provide basic equipment and the uniform, though we shall iterate upon them as we go." Looking to the angel of heaven, she continues, "If you wish to provide specific equipment, such as holy steel knives or holy swords, you can do so, but they will not be maintained by us. Please be aware of that."

The archangel nods firmly, rubbing his chin in thought. "I see. Perhaps we can come up with a compromise. I will confer with my council."

Sirzechs spoke up now, "Is it possible to enroll my sister in the academy here? It would be far simpler to keep her safe and enrolled in both the Shinobi program and her schooling."

Yasaka contemplated his request briefly. "We could, though, her whole peerage would be joining, no?" He nodded. "Yes, they will be. Along with the three more left back at Kouh."

"It could be arranged," Yasaka comments as Naruto offered his two yen. "Are you sure you want your heiress in the shinobi lifestyle? It is not for the faint of heart, and we may be called on to do questionable deeds in questionable circumstances."

This caused everyone to pause, having forgotten that fact. Michael just smiled, "I don't think you would do so without good reason, Naruto no Yoko. You have a pure soul, and I know without doubt that you wouldn't take such a path without exploring any other options."

Yasaka and Isamu smirk at that, knowing it to be true. Despite the fact that he always claimed to be a shinobi of darkness, Naruto is by far the gentlest person within his heart. No matter how hard he may try, he could never be truly ruthless.

Azazel chuckled, arms crossed, and nodded, "I agree. I know I can trust that you will not rush into a fight half-cocked. If it's you, then I can leave my faction's shinobi-to-be in your capable hands."

"We may not have had the best of starts," Sirzechs began, arms crossed, with a single firm nod. Yasaka chuckled softly, sweat dropping at the fact that the Satan could so easily brush off nearly starting a war with that statement. "Though, now that I have come to know you and your stance on things, I trust that you can keep those at your side or at your back safe. So, then I will put my faith in you too."

His smile was genuine, though Naruto did not verbally respond, nor did he even twitch; he nodded to confirm that he had heard their words. Yasaka clapped daintily, earning their attention, "So, let's get to the nitty-gritty details."

Training Ground 15

Kiba led the other devils onto training ground fifteen, where Jonin Aoi Chika was explaining the course set out around this particular ground. The two genin teams nodded and were clearly discussing how best to make use of their respective skills and racial differences to get the best times. Rias looked to her knight, "Are you sure this is the right place? That's Jonin Chika, right?"

Kiba nods, "This is the place," a soft frown as he makes his way to the Jonin, who looks up and smiles broadly at the knight, "Ah, Kiba-chan. Are you here for the obstacle course lesson?"

"Yes, Aoi-sempai, but I was told that another Jonin would be taking it, so we were a little confused." The black bear nods, "Ah, right. Well, things have changed. So, I took their place."

"Ah, right. Well, as you can see," Kiba nods before gesturing to his party, "we all came to see what this was all about. Perhaps we can take part, but," looking at the obstacle course, "even with my speed, I don't think I can run up some of those hurdles."

Aoi nods. "Yes, I believe that a research team is already looking at ways that our chakra abilities might be transferred to your magic-based systems. I am not currently aware of the progress, as it isn't my field of expertise, so we can only speculate about the process until they come up with something."

They all nod as Aoi turns back to the official genin. "Now then, whoever scores the fastest time will be first up when my teammate arrives for your weapon training," she raises her hand to forestall the normal comments. "No, it will not be Hosoo-chan but rather Isamu-san taking that lesson."

Many of the genin whined, but a few perked up, knowing the legendary tank of Team Nine, and bounced on their toes, excited at being taught by them. Noting their reactions, Meguri spoke up, raising her hand as if in class. "Who is this Isamu character?"

Aoi looked at the devil, smiling softly. "My teammate in Team Nine, the protection detail. Isamu-san is known as the Tank of Team Nine. He is one of the few who could take a full-powered hit from Lady Yasaka and walk it off as if it was nothing, but a love tap."

That caused the devils to gulp, though the rook of the Sitri, Tsubasa Yura was intrigued, perhaps hoping to gain a few insights into his defensive capabilities. Perhaps she could learn a few things from this new Jonin. Kiba heard about weapon training and was sold immediately; this Isamu works with Aoi-sempai, so he is no doubt powerful and well experienced. Even more so, seeing as they have been serving as their protection team for their faction's leader.

Fallen Compound

That night…

A knock on the door alerted Azazel that someone was seeking his attention at the gates. Glancing at his clock, he wondered if any of them were only now getting back. He growled; even after his warnings, they still dared defy him.

Reaching the gate and opening it as he approaches, he is surprised to find Sirzechs, his brother Michael, Naruto, Izuhara, Kosaku, Issei, Shimada, Riser, that pawn from Sitri's peerage, and the Gremory knight. "Umm..."

"We're heading out for drinks," Naruto informs, shrugging casually. "You want in?"

This caused the Fallen Governor General to pause, before looking at his brother, who was clearly nervous, and grinned, "Shit, shoulda told me you were coming."

Naruto shrugged again. "Called in a few extra hands. Though, if you have any troublemakers you plan on," he ran his finger across his throat, earning an understanding nod. "Then my dungeon master would like a word with them."

This earned a contemplative Fallen. It took him a while before nodding. "Probably. After I get back and start clearing house,"

"Hurry up then," Sirzechs comments in his own casual wear, "I hear this Amy's Bar is a popular spot."

The Fallen grins, looking at Satan, "Ho oh. It is the best spot in town. I'll be right back." He runs off like a kid in a candy store. Those who know the establishment all chuckle at that, knowing it to be true. Mainly down to the fact that it's run by the Usagi. They have an extremely strict no-touch rule. While the eye candy is nice, they appreciate that their customers pay so much attention to them.

When Azazel returned, he was not alone, as he brought two others with him: Sugei of Team Seven and Arata, a six-winged fallen, leader of Fallen Team Five. Naruto spoke up, "Who are your friends?"

"The best behaved of my batch. Figured I'd treat them too," Azazel commented, earning a nod from the crowd. "Then, onward!" Riser called, heading toward the bar. Issei snickered and followed suit, with Izuhara grabbing Issei in a friendly headlock. Naruto chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, let's get moving, or Issei will have issues with his wife."

Earning chuckles from the married, though that pawn from the Sitri gaped at the information, "Issei's married?"

"Nah," Kosaku chuckled. "Not yet, at least," Shimada commented with a snicker. "Still don't see what she sees in him," Naruto laughed. Riser fell into step with him. "Oh, Milo, right?"

Naruto nods at that. "She's a fine woman, and Issei knows it too."

"You bet I do," Issei finally free of Izuhara's grip, "She's a great cook too, thick in all the right places, and," Naruto gave him a flat look, "We get it, man. You quite literally have the perfect woman, the envy of every man, beside me. Getting the sweetheart of the Usagi clan, to whom everyone has affections, is something to be proud of. Chill out, man, damn."

Earning chuckles from all in the know, a blush from the teen himself, and amusement at the puppy love on display, "Milo, huh? Damn, kid, even I'm jealous," Azazel comments, elbowing the chunin lightly, who grins widely, "Yeah, she's great."

The fallen leader looks at the boy, clear signs of love with a raised brow, "How long have you been," snorts from all the kitsune present, and Riser speaks up, "What, like, three days? The two of them spend most of their time together."

Shimada spoke up next, "Though they act like they've actually been married for years already." He earned nods from the others, but Issei glared at the Phenex, "Like you're one to talk, Mister Wolf Bird-Man," earning a cheesy grin from said devil. "Ah, those sisters,"

"I have been meaning to ask," Naruto spoke up, looking at the devil. Everyone watched the cars go by. "How come your flames didn't heal those hickys?" This earned the attention of Satan, who was curious, having spotted them himself. The Phenex just shrugged as they reached the street where Amy's bar was located. "Dunno,"

"Did you feel like a cooling warmth was on your neck when they gave them to you?" Izuhara asked, earning a nod from the blond man, and understanding nods from the kitsune. "Figured," Naruto muttered. "Yeah, no doubt," Shimada commented, shaking his head. "Good thing he's a devil, huh?" Issei said, seemingly off-handedly, and the other Youkai nodded. "Shit would have gotten even wilder."

"What did they do?" asked Michael, clearly out of the loop. He too was in casual wear, with his wings and halo hidden, though his unnaturally blond hair remained. "They marked him," all the Youkai responded as they reached the doors.

Glancing back, Izuhara and Naruto looked to them, grinning. "Remember," the dark-furred one started, "we are here to unwind. Normally we do this every other Friday, but seeing as most of you will be busy with duties, we are holding this special one." Naruto informed, gaining nods from everyone. "Kid devils," Izuhara called, and the two young blonds looked to him. "You are underage, so you will not be drinking alcohol."

Genshirou raised his hand. "What about Issei? We're the same age." Earning a nod from the kitsune, Issei stepped forward, tapping the headband he now always wore. "This is my I can kill you six different ways with my bear hands, ten with that pen in your pocket, and this bulge in mine is not my girl's favorite pastime. So, I will drink."

His squad-mates looked at him bewildered. Where the fuck did this come from? Even Sirezechs and Azazel raised their eyebrows at that. Naruto cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention to him. "In shinobi law, only adults are considered shinobi. Once you put on that headband and become a shinobi, you are classified as an adult."

Kosaku shrugged carelessly, speaking up now, "Old enough to kill, old enough to drink," earning contemplative looks from the other faction's leaders. "Enough of that," Naruto pushed the door open with Izuhara, let us get drunk. Except the kids, that is."

Amy's Bar

"Issei-kun!" A familiar voice, at least to the regulars, came from the barmaid, whose smile widened when Issei grinned back at her. "Milo-chan, do you have a spare private booth for us?"

"Sure!" she says as she approaches and hugs her man, pecking him on the lips, as the kitsune all look away. The level of her adorableness was sickening when aimed squarely at their kohai. This woman impressed the devils; the others were not joking when saying she was the Usagi idol. Even Sirzechs was wondering why she chose Issei.

The brunette saw Riser and raised a brow. "Your pack not with you today, Riser-chan?" The nobleman of house Phenex did not flinch at that. Instead, he responded, "No, rabbit-kun. We are having our normal get-together just for these fine gentlemen, who will not be around for our next one." The kitsune were all desperately trying not to laugh at the two trying to get a rise out of each other, using childish insults with honorifics.

Their snickering drew the Usagi's attention to them, and they all froze like deer in headlights. "Better," her smile was as soft as a summer breeze, and it terrified the fox-kin. "Now, seeing as my Issei is asking, I will put you with the Usagi party. I trust you boys will behave yourselves."

Kosaku chuckled, "Please, when was the last time we actually behaved ourselves?"

"My point," Milo huffed, though Issei chuckled. "Come on, Milo-chan, what is," she covered his mouth with a very soft kiss, "never say those words."

"Yeah, man!" Izuhara growled, that sounded suspiciously like laughter. "You trying to get us killed?"

Milo led them towards one of the private rooms and peeked her head in. Shortly afterwards, out came a familiar Usagi. "Ah, boss," Yasue said, spotting Naruto at the head of the party. "Whoa... what gives, man? You only meet..."

"I know, but seeing as these guys," Naruto began, gesturing to the larger party, "won't be here for the next meetup." He shrugged, and the rabbit nodded. "Sure, we're cool with you joining us, but..."

Naruto waved off that question, "Who do you think I look like? Izuhara?"

"Oi!" Izuhara said, earning cheeky grins from the others. "I'll pay for the whole night, just this once, but we have three who don't drink," Naruto explained, and the Usagi all nodded. Cheers could be heard from within the room. "Then, come in, guys!"

Within the spacious room, several Usagi clan members were relaxing, watching sports, when a new group arrived. Seeing the kitsune clan leader, their boss within the IAP, and a good friend of their clan leaders' children, they all straightened up. Naruto noticed this and waved them off, saying, "Gentlemen, we are all here as just that, gentlemen. Just relax, okay? We are all here to escape our lovers, wives, sisters, aunts, or whatever, for a few hours of peace. Got it?"

"Yes sir,"

"Good, now, where's the Fire sake!" Naruto looked around at the bottles. "Nah, there's a Konege over there though." Yasue commented, and that kicked off the party of a lifetime for the shorter-living members of the group. Many stories would tell of the time all the most powerful men in their supernatural community within Japan sat and chilled for a solid six hours, getting tipsy but never drunk.

Naruto's apartment

Naruto awoke in his bed. The buzz was faint, so his hangover was minimal this time around, and he sighed out loud. Looking around, he found that Tsubaki was beside him, her head resting on his chest. A moment of panic before he noticed that both of them were fully-clothed, and he felt relieved. "Damn. I would have died if that had happened twice in a week," he murmured, only to receive an answer: "Did something happen recently, Naruto-kun?"

Looking down, he met the heterochromatic eyes of the Sitri queen, violet and brown, peering up from his chest, into his slit blue eyes. "Ah, you're awake? What brings you here?"

"President Sona and I found your party leaving that bar, and seeing you all were intoxicated, we decided to bring you here," Tsubaki informed, nodding, and secretly glad he had the escort, "I see. Then,"

Tsubaki had yet to break eye contact with him. She spoke up after sensing his next question, interrupting him. "The president escorted Lord Lucifer back to the compound after dropping us here, seeing as only I can access your room." This caused him to gape at that. It seems he hadn't tuned that seal out. "Oh, that's..." He sighed, dropping his head back to the pillow. She too rested her head back down. "I have been meaning to ask about that."

Naruto spoke up, "It wasn't supposed to give you universal access. Seems I messed up somewhere," he sighed, causing her to nod once, figuring something like that likely happened. "Still, you haven't abused it," he continued, scratching his head, trying to recall that particular seal he gave to Izuhara. "I think I'll leave it alone though. I trust in you. If you abuse it, though."

"I understand. Thank you, Naruto-kun." Tsubaki whispered, enjoying his presence for a bit longer. He yawned before sighing again. "We should get up. Thank you for getting me back." Naruto said as she got off him and he got up.

Naruto started cooking breakfast, joined shortly by the dark-haired student. The Nekosho sisters were awoken by it and popped out of their room to see the duo working seamlessly together on the preparation. That is when Sona, leading Rias and Akeno, arrived, and Naruto sensed Azazel waking up on the sofa. With an arched brow, he served enough for everyone's needs, even including the Governor.

The girls sat at the table, Naruto and Azazel sat on the couch with their servings, with the former asking, "So, Rias, Akeno, what brings you to my abode?"

The heiress looks over, sips her orange juice before answering, "Well, our brother told us that we were going to transfer to the local school and join the training program, and we wanted to ask some questions."

Naruto nodded. It was fair enough. Then Azazel spoke up, "I will be leaving both my teams here too. I need to head back to check on things and return after doing some house cleaning." The kitsune nodded to that, understanding his desire to know his own forces were solid. "I get that. It took a full month for us to clean up our house."

The governor nods, swallows his bacon, and then replies, "That battle showed that I have a long way to go. I may end up making a few requests for your shinobi, so I hope you take them seriously."

"Depends on what level it is. You remember the ranking system, right?" Naruto asks, and the Governor nods. "Yeah, I suspect that most would be a minimum of a B-rank. Though, I might have a few A's and S-ranked ones."

This caused raised eyebrows from both Naruto and Kuroka, who were the only two who knew the system, the latter speaking up, "Damn."

"You have deep pockets, or are the targets just that dangerous?" Naruto adds to his subordinate's statement, bewildered by the Fallen's words. The Governor General nods firmly, "I have some suspects. A few six-winged and eight-winged individuals are on the list."

Naruto ponders that, running through a list of possible candidates for such a task. Kuroka speaks up, "I will have to up my training then." The kitsune looks over, "Actually, that might not be a bad idea. Though, I suspect we'll get a few new people perfect for such tasks." Turning back to the Governor, "How long will it take to get that list? It might prove more effective to give them bounties for the new force we are forming after the conference wraps up."

"A new force." Kuroka asks curiously, Naruto nods, "The Hunter Corps," earning everyone's attention, Azazel looking more than interested, "Their role as opposed to your regular forces?"

Naruto grinned as he downed his coffee and looked over the room. "They hunt target bounties and get paid. Sometimes they don't return for months at a time, hunting their targets. I have one ready to go, but the second I give them the word, they'll gather their kin and hash out said list with little trouble."

Kuroka knew exactly who, eyes wide, "Nagai, right?" Naruto nodded, explaining, "Her whole species are natural hunters. Everything about the arachnid is geared toward it, and we left their nest in one piece. She will gather them and hunt who we ask of them."

Azazel nods before grinning. "Ah, I think that will work out perfectly then. I will have that list delivered the day after my return to my headquarters."

Naruto nods, matching his grin. "She is more than ready to branch out, rid the world of troublesome monsters, regardless of who they are." Kuroka spoke up next, "Any chance of me joining?"

The Kyuubi looked back at her, thinking about her current skill set before shaking his head. "You'll probably have to reach Jonin rank before I'd feel comfortable enough to task you with the upper-level stuff like that." Seeing her about to quip back, he added, "No – full Jonin, not special Jonin, which you technically qualify for. That means taking the exam just like everyone else."

The black cat pouted, mumbling about being treated unfairly. Naruto raised his brow, "Kuroka," gaining the cat's attention. "I have given you plenty of passes, far more than anyone else." His eyes narrowed. "After this is all over, we shall have a very, very long discussion on it. Am I clear?"

The nekosho paled, knowing that she might have stepped on a few too many tails this time, though as his slits narrowed on her, she nodded rapidly, "Clear."

Naruto nods before looking back at the Governor, "Get a bounty list, and we'll hunt them down. A list of crimes would be nice too, for our records at least. My hunters won't care either way." Azazel nods as he stands, plate cleared, and heads to place it in the kitchen, "No sweat. I'll have my receptionist, Alma, call you when it's all gathered." He paused, "Actually, maybe I should put Tamiel on it instead. Work out some things between us, funds-wise."

Naruto gets up too, "Either way, I'll need to mention it to both Gresilda and Sirzechs, though I need to get the Satans to clear this troublesome kitten's name, before we proceed too far with this shinobi training." The cat in question stiffened, recalling yet another thing Naruto was doing for her. Sighing defeatedly as she stabs the last of her sausage. Before her thoughts got too dark, Naruto's hand found her head, patting the perfect spot that immediately pacifies her trail of thoughts. "Kuroka. You are a member of the shinobi force. Thus, my responsibility. You aren't a burden, just troublesome."

Naruto then moves off, leaving the black cat smiling softly, a soft blush on her face as her tails wave gently. This behavior was unusual for Shirone to see from her normally flirty older sister, but it alerted the other ladies that they were lagging behind in trying to gain the affection of their target.

Rias still recalls the lost, empty, and hollow look she first saw on this Kyuubi when they first met. She wants to help him. The whole reason she came was because Sona announced she was coming to his house to check on him. That's when she remembers her homework. What is her dream? At first, it was to be free of Riser. That was handled. Glancing up at the Kyuubi currently discussing things with the head of the fallen faction, her blush returned but was ruthlessly crushed. She can't let Sona see her intent. She'll no doubt try to block her.

Akeno was shamelessly staring at the Kyuubi, who had long since claimed her innocence, in her mind, and wondered what she could do to get tied up again in far less clothes than last time. Ah, her M is coming to the surface. Then again, he is a fine specimen of a man that no doubt has many more women chasing him. That being said, she recalls how he had slapped her ass during that demonstration in the rock garden, giving her a six out of ten. A frown. Her ass is as legendary as her chest. Who the hell is he rating her against?

While this was going on, Sona was calmly sipping her coffee, which she had already brought several bags of for their return to Kouh; it was far too good to leave without. Though, she idly noticed that her Gremory counterpart was no doubt scheming something regarding their current host. Another sip. Eyes closed to enjoy the taste and aroma. Her queen was of a similar mind, no doubt. She really hoped that they wouldn't cause an issue as the ink had only barely dried. Opening her violet eyes, she cut to her queen, who too was enjoying her beverage. Tsubaki seemed to also have designs for their host but was far further along. Now, she was curious as to what happened at the party.

The queen felt the king's eyes on her but kept her own closed, enjoying the warm drink, as she pondered how best to handle her homework. Her instant answer was to ensure the king's dream came true, starting a school for the Rating Games for the masses. Though, beyond that? Hmm. She didn't really have anything. At least, not until recently. She dared not think too much about it, as her cheeks heating up in this situation would cause more problems. She had unrestricted access to her new crush's secrets. It must be used to maximum effect while maintaining trust.

Kyoto Shrine

Naruto and Azazel crossed into the shrine grounds, deep in their discussion of the Hunter division and their mission mandate, when said Hunter commander appeared at his side. "Perfect timing," Naruto informed as Nagai stepped in line with him, her smile beautifully warm. Azazel had long since given up on trying to detect these shinobi, but didn't stop the flinch at her sudden arrival. "Naruto-sama?"

"Azazel here is planning on cleaning out his forces of traitors," Naruto began as they reached the steps up into the main shrine, the other two in step. "Which means, if they escape, they'll need to be hunted down," the Kyuubi continued, a sparkle appearing in her two currently visible eyes, and she clicked excitedly. The fox chuckled and nodded, "Exactly."

"You understand that?" Azazel asks as Nagai dutifully opens the door. Naruto nods, "Most Youkai have species-specific languages, Azazel. Even we Kitsune. It took me a while, but I think my spiderin is fluent enough to hold conversations." The Kage shrugged, "Not that I need to with them. Their language skills are second to none after all."

They reached his office, and Aoi Chika was there waiting for him. "Aoi, what can I do for you?" Naruto asked as she parted the door. Nagai got the other side, allowing the commander to enter unimpeded. "Just an updated look at the current situation, if possible," Aoi informed. Naruto nodded as Azazel sat opposite the Kyuubi. "Well, currently, we are about to discuss the activation of the Hunter Division and the requirements. You are welcome to stay, but this is largely for Nagai, as she'll take up the role of Hunter Commander."

The black bear nods with a soft smile, "I shall sit in then, my lord." Bowing her head as she closes the door, the seals light up, indicating privacy.

Naruto looked at his guest, "So, let's look at a single set of wings and their bounties. Typically, hunters only ever bring back the head as proof of the kill. Is that enough for you?"

Azazel nods, leaning back against the backrest, "It should be," he says, looking at the Aracnid. "You use webs, right? To catch airborne threats?"

"That I do," Nagai responded firmly. "She got fifteen of your rogue cadre's men during our skirmish," Naruto informed, looking for the file on his shelf. "Three along, two up," Nagai informs, and Naruto nods, grabbing the mission reports and presenting them to Azazel.

The Governor was impressed by the format of the reports. He made a note to adopt this for his own purposes when he got back. It would help in the administration between factions. "I see. This, this is most impressive." Looking at the spider Youkai, he asked, "How did you handle more than five? If they were fleeing from you?"

"Follow discreetly and ambush when they least expect it. If not possible, call in the sisters to swarm them." Nagai informed without missing a beat, her smile full, earning a nod from the man. "So, you have more Arachnids?" he asked, looking at Naruto, who shook his head. "I've only worked with Nagai. She's going to be the Hunter Commander, answering back to me, but she will be working with her former nest to coordinate their efforts in locating, tracking, and killing or capturing targets of interest."

Azazel contemplates, "So, if we ask for a capture?"

"We'll mark up an extra twenty percent. Live captures are far harder than kills. You know that too, right?" Naruto says, and the Fallen nods. "It's fair to say I do."

A knock on the door. Naruto looks to Aoi, who promptly opens it. Sirzechs is revealed. "Ah, is this a bad time?" The red Satan asks. Naruto shakes his head. "Depends. Do you have criminals to hunt down that aren't members of my forces?"

That caused the former Gremory to pause for thought. Naruto waved him in, "Take a seat. I doubt Michael and his faction need this particular shinobi service we are discussing."

With the door resealed, Azazel brings Sirzechs up to speed on their discussion, and the leader of the new devil faction nods and sighs, "I believe we'll be your biggest customer in this field."

Naruto raised a brow. "I knew you guys were a rowdy bunch, but..." The Satan smiled warily at that and nodded. "Not everyone is happy with the status quo. More than a handful want more than we have, and even more than that ignore the rules set down."

Azazel snorts at that. "Get in line, red. All have those types." Naruto nods. "Yeah. The number of stupid councillors who don't understand the difference between my shinobi and Yasaka's military is rather annoying."

This caused the two outsiders to raise their brows. "There's a difference?" Azazel says. Naruto sighs before explaining, rather dryly, "We shinobi are a branch of the military, not the military as a whole. I think you can say we're the special forces of the Youkai. I have full control over all things shinobi and Kunoichi-related, but the standing military is still very much Yasaka's."

Both scratch their chins, ashamed for not thinking of that sooner. "Ah, makes sense," Serizechs commented. Azazel nods and hands the report he was reading to his devil counterpart. "The Youkai report on the Kouh incident. It's a clear read."

Sirzechs accepted it and read over, making a mental note to himself to copy the format. "Back to the original topic," Naruto said, getting the room's attention as he pointed to Nagai. "She'll be taking the Hunter Commander role, answering to me alone, with her sisters answering to her. If you have criminals you want captured or killed, I want a full dossier of who and what, with verifiable evidence and any actionable information on their likely whereabouts."

Both men nodded, and so Naruto continued, "Killed targets will be handed over as heads, more often than not, though if you have forensics teams, do alert them of the prospect of receiving other forms of identification. We shall contact you should we stumble upon targets. So please keep your information to us as up to date as possible."

Sirzechs nods to this but does say, "I will have to bring this before the council. As much as I distaste their desire to control this." Naruto gives the man a hard stare. "Know this, Sirzechs, if we find innocent targets on your lists, or political figures, or anyone who isn't a certified criminal element, we will cut your faction off. Stress this to them, for I am in no mood for council foolishness. I get enough of that crap from our own."

The redhead chuckles at that, before sighing long and hard, head dropping, "I'll handle it." Naruto then looks to his other guest, "Same for you, Azazel. We are shinobi, so it's expected of us to deal with morally questionable decisions and behavior. However, I will not have them risking their lives for the personal gain of a few. Am I clear?"

"No sweat. I won't be mentioning this to anyone I don't trust," Azazel informs firmly. Naruto nods, looking at his Hunter commander, "Anything to add?"

"No, Naruto-sama," Nagai reports with a bow, and he nods. "Okay then," he pauses before looking to Sirzechs. "That being said, Kuroka has to be removed from the criminal list. I want a full investigation into her whole affair regarding that incident." Rising his hand to forestall the response, Naruto's eyes flow gold. "I know a cover-up when I see one, Sirzechs. I've done a few myself. If your council blocks it, I will deploy my own teams, and I assure you that they won't play nice."

Sighing, the Red Satan slumps back into his seat, nodding with a pout, "So much work." Naruto leans back himself, arms crossed, "It's our jobs as leaders," he looks to Nagai, "Nagai, please inform your counterpart of what has been said here."

Sirzechs snapped up to the Kyuubi, eyes narrowed, "You wouldn't." Naruto's smirk was telling as he pointed to where Nagai was, and sure enough, there was no maid spider present, "Already done."

Azazel broke into side-splitting laughter. Naruto had handled the devil leader perfectly, and it was golden. The said leader looked horrified at the softly chuckling Kyuubi, "How could you?"

Naruto shrugged off Sirzechs' accusatory words, "I am a shinobi. I will do whatever it takes to protect my people, even if I have to tell on a man to his wife."

"That's dirty," the fallen grinned, hard, and Naruto shrugged again. "I guess I'll have to tell on Lady Yasaka about last night, huh?" Sirzechs hissed, causing the other two males to halt before narrowing their eyes on the devil. "That's taboo, even for me, Lucifer," Naruto hissed back, slit eyes narrowed to lines. Azazel nodded in agreement, his own locked on the devil's form. "You would break that covenant, would you? Just for vindication?"

The standoff was tense, so tense that none of the now three women present dared speak to even announce their presence. It lasted a good thirty seconds before Sirzechs backed down, "No, no, I wouldn't. I may be a devil, but that's just a step too far." The other two nodded in unison, thankful that they had that basic understanding. As men.

"Are we interrupting?" Grayfia asks, announcing that she had arrived via body-flicker with Nagai, a novel experience for her, not that she'd say aloud. Her husband just handed her the Youkai reports on the Kokabiel incident. "No. Though we do have some new information you would want to know."

It took a few minutes for Grayfia to be brought up to speed, but once she was, she posed the question, "May I ask what my role is in this?" Naruto nodded to that, "Yes, as stated previously, I don't doubt that your council will try outsourcing their undercover operations to us. You know the types. Political assassinations of your fellows and the like. Seeing as your mindset is fair, just, and more than anything, efficient, I would like to ask that you find a few people you trust and screen any requests sent our way before we get them."

Grayfia nods, now seeing the logic of that. As an outside force, they won't know the political intrigue within the devil society, nor the noble houses, so she nods once again, "I see. I shall ask if I can perhaps put a team together, as I don't have enough time in the day with my current duties," a light narrowing of her eyes at her King and husband, who chuckled nervously, "It should be fine, Grayfia."

Azazel nods too. "I'll also find someone trustworthy to act as a direct go-between."

Naruto nods to that. "It'll speed things up. We'll send the heads with full reports of the confrontations and anything of note. Nagai is perfect in that regard and has my full trust." Naruto was the only one to miss the reddening cheeks of the spider Youkai, who was standing at his side, two steps back. "So, I hope that upon your return, you stay connected with this office."

"I will ensure that we do." Grayfia nods curtly, professionalism on full display, and Naruto smiles as he leans back, "If you require a copy of that report," gesturing to the report she held, to which she nods, "It would be useful for our records." The maid reports, and Nagai steps forward, face blank again, "If you would follow me, Lady Grayfia, we can do it in the office across the hall."

Training Ground 11

Issei and Shirone arrive on the grounds after school, to find the Sitri and Gremory peerages in attendance. This causes both to raise their brows at the devils attempting to train unsupervised, as Tenten was meant to be here but if there are these many devils around, "Hey, what are you guys doing here?" Issei asks, approaching the group, who look over. "Ah, Issei-san," Sona nods, acknowledging his arrival. "We were attempting to get some training in."

"Training? What are you training in?" Issei asked, quirking a brow. Shirone silently stood at his side. "Well," Genshirou stepped forward, holding a practice kunai, which came as standard in their equipment, "we were trying to get to grips with the standard equipment in our gear."

Shirone approaches the pawn, snatches the kunai, and holds it properly, saying, "Like this." She demonstrates for both peerages, then says, "Not that," showing how they were holding it. "You guys should really wait for a Jonin to clear you for self-training," Issei speaks up, with a tight frown on his face.

The devils look at him bewildered. "Umm, why? Surely training whenever we can," Tsubasa steps forward before Issei sighs hard, recalling himself where they were not too long ago. "You know, I understand what you are getting at. I really do. When I first started out, I said everything you are about to say. But training alone like this will no doubt give you bad form and bad habits, which are hard to break when you are taught properly."

"Well said," a new voice at the back of the group said. Everyone stiffened as Issei smirked, "Izuhara-sempai, why not just teach them instead of watching them?"

The kitsune shrugged, "I was curious about how they'd handle their equipment," before looking back to the young devils. "Though, he is right about the bad habits. They are annoying things that can make or break a battle. So, seeing as I have free time right now, I will show you how to use the basic format for kunai use."

They all nod, as Issei and Shirone move off to practice shuriken. She had asked for his help after all. "We'll be working on level two shuriken over this side." The dragon reports with a wave back. "You're working on Level two? I thought you passed that already." The kitsune raises a brow, only for the dragon-kin to jerk his head to the kitten at his side, getting a nod from his squad mate.

It took about half an hour for Izuhara to show both peerages the correct starting stance for beginners, a basic stance, and the release for a straightforward shot. Again, basic technique only. That is when Kiba and Genshirou watched as Issei did a large back flip, hitting three targets with throwing stars and landing in a crouch, ready for the next shot. It was clear he was instructing Shirone on timing or throwing techniques, and they were curious, "Izuhara-sensei, what are they doing over there?" Kiba asked, looking over to the duo.

Izuhara watches as Shirone does a large back flip and throws shuriken at three targets, getting two near-fatal hits, one light graze, and wincing. "Seems she's trying to pass the shuriken level two exam, if that flip is anything to go by. Her timing is pretty bad."

"Timing? Is she throwing too early?" Genshirou watched Shirone attempt it again, but the kitsune shook his head. "Shuriken throwing is far more of a science than an art. Timing is literally everything. Shoulder, to elbow, to arm, to wrist, then fingers. It is all carefully arranged, controlled, and managed in a swift movement. Watch," he said, and all eyes fell on him as he looked at the target they were practicing on, reached for his throwing stars, and flicked two so smoothly that they missed it, but the double thud was surprisingly smooth.

"Whoa," Kiba muttered, having seen the whole thing despite his fluidity in his movements and speed. "They aren't my favorite weapon, but they have their uses." Izuhara shrugged. "What is?" Reya asked out of curiosity, and he smirked, flicking his wrist, and two more thuds showed kunai embedded hilt-deep in the target.

Not even Rias caught those throws. "Damn," Genshirou commented, eyes wide at the targets as the kitsune grinned harder while heading to collect his gear. "Yeah. I was trained by Naruto directly in kunai use, though I did ask Panda for more advanced throwing techniques." He yanked his blades from the wooden post, turning back. "After all, these things are a dime a dozen and considered basic equipment. Which means,"

Kiba spoke up, "That everyone has them," earning a nod from the dark fire fox-kin. "Exactly. If we're on a mission, we will all have them. So, if, log forbid, something happens to us, and I am carrying you out, I can just use your kunai as an extra to my own. No issue."

"Are there other types of kunai?" Kiba asks again. The man nods and pulls one out from his equipment pouch, notably wider than most, with three prongs. "What is that?" Tsubasa says. It was Sona who answered, "That's Lord Naruto's kunai, right?"

Izuhara nods. "These things are twice the weight of the standard kunai, but they are perfectly balanced to a degree that is scary."

"Can we try it?" asked Rias, stepping forward, but Izuhara shook his head. "I am not at liberty to part with it at any time. Security measure. If you want access to these," holding up the three-pronged design, "you need Jonin rank at least."

"Any others?" Genshirou asked, hand raised like a lesson, and the hard case on Izuhara's left hard-case pouch opened and he pulled out a silvery kunai. "These are a specialized piece of art, in my opinion."

"What's different about it?"

"It's a stun weapon. See, if I cut you with it, the limb will go numb for about ten seconds as your body tries to reset the nerve endings it overloads." Izuhara explained, earning understanding nods from his class. It was a particularly useful tool for a live take down. "We have others too, including,"

"Izu!" A new voice cut in, and the kitsune turned to see Kosaku appearing in a swirl of sakura petals at his side. "Ko, what's...?"

"Boss wants us at headquarters. Don't know why, though, just wants us there," Kosaku instructs, getting a nod from his dark-furred friend. "Got it." Turning back to the devils, he says, "Keep practicing your basics. I'll ask someone at HQ to come check on you when we have a moment."

"Can we not come with you?" Sona asked, stepping forward. She earned two quirked brows from the two Kitsune, which urged her to continue, "So, we know where to go for missions, training, and the like?"

Both kitsune shook their heads. Kosaku spoke up, "You guys are effectively genin-level shinobi. You don't have the clearance, nor do you have any reason to be there. Your instructions come from your jōnin leader."

"Who is our Jonin leader then?" Rias asked this time, and both Kitsune shrugged their shoulders. "Your guess is as good as ours," Izuhara says with a shrug. "There aren't that many Jonin, all have teams, so they might be having a reshuffle to accommodate you, the Fallen, and the exorcist teams." Kosaku then looks to his fellow kitsune. "Maybe that's why we're being called?"

Izuhara shook his head, looking at his friend and squad mate. "We aren't Jonin level yet, so I doubt it."

Kosaku shrugged, "Only one way to find out," earning a nod as they both turned back to the devils, "Stay put and we'll send someone to check on you all later." They both offered a two-fingered salute before vanishing in their respective body flickers. "I still hope they teach us those." Momo commented as the cherry blossom petals blew away in the wind.

Meguri approaches Issei, "Say, Issei, do you know where the shinobi HQ is?" All the devils look to the dragon who had been watching Shirone perform the same routine he had showed her, glancing back at them before shaking his head. "No. I have never been. Why?"

"You've never been?" She responded, bewildered by that, but he just shrugged, returning to observe, "My Jonin leader, Naruto-sensei, always just ordered me to a place where we met up and went out on missions from there." He shrugged again, "I told you guys, right? Until recently, I was only considered a Genin. They don't get much sensitive information, you know."

"Is the location of the headquarters considered such?" Sona asks, and Issei just shrugged. "Seems so," he pauses when seeing his friend get all three shuriken on target, just not in critical places. "Shirone, take a break. Your timing's getting there."

The nekosho nods as she pulls the throwing stars from the target, frowning at the lack of accuracy, before nodding again as she turns back to them, spinning one of the stars on her finger as she strolls back, "I think I almost have it."

Issei nods with a smirk. "Going straight to chunin is a tall order, Shirone. Surely you could just," but the white-haired teen shook her head. "Team Twenty-Five is my goal. I need Chunin."

The dragon nods at that. "Fair enough. Did your sister,"

Shirone nods, pointing to her gear. "Her spares," Issei nods. "Chakra control then?"

"Water and Tree walking," the Nekosho informed, getting a smirk from the new chunin. "How many stones can you balance then?"

She blinked in confusion, tilting her head cutely. Issei had to remind himself of his partner's image to resist falling for that "kitten eye jutsu" his sensei had warned him about. Shirone asked, "Stones?"

The dragon nods, literally picking up a few pebbles from the floor before placing two on his fingertips, and all watched them stick to the ends. Shirone could sense the chakra usage and narrowed her eyes at it, watching as he placed the third and the ripple as Issei's control slipped slightly, and it continued to ripple as he tried stabilizing them. "I see," Shirone nods while the devils watch carefully, noting that the pebbles seemed stuck to his fingers by some kind of power.

Shirone mimicked him and managed to balance three easily enough, but the fourth caused her to lose control of the others, and she frowned. Issei nodded, "You're better than me," he sighed, noting the smugness from Nekosho. Her face was blank, but he recognized her swaying tails from Kuroka. His eyebrow twitched, "Yeah, yeah, be smug all you want. My capacity is higher, so," sticking his tongue out.

Shirone's smugness fell off, and grew a frown at that. "Wait," Reya stepped forward, "Does that mean you are stronger than her, if you have more power than her?"

Issei snorts, shaking his head. "Nah, nothing so basic. It's complicated, but think of it like this: just because a car has a bigger gas tank, does it mean it's faster and can go further?"

"Depends," Kiba responded, arms crossed. Saji says, "what kind of car and engine it has." Issei nods at that, "exactly. I have a larger tank, but you could say Shirone has a small engine. Far more efficient than me, as evident by her controlling three pebbles easily."

Akeno nods, understanding the situation. "You have more, but Koneko can use hers with less waste. I see. Depending on the situation, you could be stronger than her, but the opposite can also be true."

Both Youkai members nod. "Exactly," the dragon kin nods, and understanding fills the others. "So, how much power do you have compared to one another?" Sona asks, causing Issei to share a look with Shirone. Both then look back. "That's, umm, considered somewhat personal information," Issei says, slightly flushed, scratching his cheek. Shirone nods, "Private."

Sealing Chamber/Tenten's Playpen

Naruto leads Izuhara and Kosaku to the former warehouse, where Izuhara speaks up, "Hey, isn't this Panda's playpen?"

"It is," Naruto confirmed, as they reached the door. "Why are we here, then? Surely we have no business with Panda?" Kosaku asked with a raised brow. "I haven't burned any of my gear either," Izuhara added, and the other two smirked, recalling the time Izuhara wanted to check the fireproof rating of his vest. Tenten was not amused, to put it lightly. Very lightly.

Naruto chuckled, shaking his head, "Nah, nothing like that. Though, I think you'll both like what we're here for," leading them inside.

As they entered the building, they both immediately felt the isolation, and their tails puffed. Naruto grinned but said nothing as he moved in deeper. "This place..." muttered Kosaku, and his friend nodded, "Seems like something important if it's this isolated from everything."

Following their boss, they found him conversing with a casually dressed kunoichi at the desk. Her hair was in a low ponytail, making her surprisingly stunning to the two four-tails. How had they missed that? Both were brought back by Naruto's words, "Yeah, I think these two would be the best candidates. Heck, by month's end, I would be surprised if they both reached full Jonin."

Tenten raised a brow, arms crossed as she looked to the duo from her seat, "Is that so? Have they even completed their nature transformations? They need two at minimum, you remember that, right?"

"I do," Naruto confirmed with a nod, "that's why I said month's end and not immediately."

The researcher shrugged, "Fine, though I think we should wait until our duties are finished. The devils are still here, and we are still on mission."

"Naruto," Izuhara said, drawing eyes to him as he looked serious, "What's going on?"

Naruto nods, looking at his first kitsune friends. "Yeah, well, Ten-chan figured out a way to increase your chakra density to match our own, and I was asking if you two could be the first among the team to get the procedure."

Izuhara gawked at that, as did Kosaku. To have the density of chakra on par with either would be a log sent. Their attacks could double, or dare they think, triple their current effectiveness. It could even help them with that other secret training they've been doing.

The two former leaf shinobi smirked at each other and nodded. "You guys are going above and beyond by sticking with the two of us, so we figured this was the least we could do for you both," Naruto informs. Both men wiped their faces; they weren't crying, damn it. "Thank you, Naruto, Tenten. Sorry for always calling you panda," Kosaku murmured, earning a tick mark from the kunoichi. "You what?"

Naruto stepped in, hands raised, looking at his childhood friend. "Tenten. Right now, the outsiders believe that we have a Jonin Higarashi and a quartermaster by the name of Panda. Two separate people. If they discover that they are one and the same..."

Tenten growled at the fact that this was the case. Clearly, she hated that damnable nickname her idiot gave her back in the Leaf, and even when they were doing that counter-intelligence with the fallen. This was just typical of her blond fool. Taking several deep breaths to shift the rage aside, Tenten began slowly, with a very tight throat, "Fine. I won't kick your ass right now. Though, I expect a reward for my restraint."

Naruto chuckled nervously, unsure if he had any new seals she hadn't seen to pacify her, but nodded, "I will think of something," earning a nod from her. Looking back at the kitsune, "We will work on the procedure after the guests leave. Then, and only then, will we do it. After all, it basically resets your control and has nearly doubled the capacities of the few who had already done it."

Again, both kitsune gawked at that. This sounds amazing despite the obvious drawbacks. They'll have to relearn their skills, but that's a minor inconvenience. Perhaps they could cut it down, as they know how to do it; they just need to retrain their chakra. "No sweat. Sounds fun," Kosaku informs with a massive grin.

Tenten looks at Naruto, "Oh, and Naruto," she says, gaining his attention. "If you don't take down that sign, I will." She trails off, and he nervously sweats, averting his eyes. "It isn't wrong, though."

"This is the sealing chamber. Not my playpen," she griped, glaring at the nine-tailed fox, who slumped, grumbling about bossy women always ruining his fun. "Fine."

Izuhara and Kosaku wanted to laugh, but Lady Panda glanced at them, and it died in their throats. A single nod, and they felt the dismissal for what it was. Bowing, they left crisply, not wanting to earn Tenten's legendary wrath, which has apparently even scared off Lady Yasaka. Allegedly.

The door shut behind them, and Tenten sighed, looking at the still grumbling Naruto, finding a soft smile gracing her features. "Naruto-kun."

He looks up at her, and she continues, "I am not mad or anything, just annoyed by your insistence that this is my 'playpen' when it is more of a laboratory, if anything." She raises her hand to stall his quip, narrows her eyes at him, and says, "No, they are not the same thing."

He slumped again, but before he could sigh, she kissed him softly. "So, please. Just do this for me, okay? I will even overlook the whole panda thing. Just let me have this."

He smiles as he brings her into a hug, saying, "If it's for you, then I will do anything."

Tenten smiled wider at that, nodding as she looked up to him when a thought crossed her mind. Ever since discovering that Naruto was being watched over, she had felt slightly awkward about their personal time together and so had kept things relatively light. Though, seeing as they were in a completely sealed-off area, her smile became sly, "Say, Naru-kun..."

Naruto noticed her change immediately, her smell too, and wondered what had suddenly clicked in her to become so hot and bothered on a dime like this. Better not think too hard on it, he nodded for her to continue, "Why don't we...?" She whispered the rest into his ear, and the privacy seals got a quick maintained check to see how well they held up.

Neither would be seen until dinner, though Yasaka's smile was noted to be strained upon seeing the limping Tenten who was seemingly glowing in bliss. Iseri was flush-faced, rubbing her thighs discreetly and out of sight, with only Kanou commenting that her auntie smelled awfully a lot like her papa. She was waved off as Naruto had explained that they had been 'training' together, so it was to be expected.

A/N: Had to work through one hell of a writers block to finish this. Got halfway through, what is now chapter 15, before realising it was too long. That part covers the roles each factions shinobi will focus on as Naruto explains the legacy of Team Seven to Raynare and Team Five for Arata, who turns out to be a total nerd bro just with lustful tendencies.

Iseri starts her training with Tenten, who finds out about her wish for the future, and the two have a sit down beacuse of it.

The factions all leave to return home, Rias and her team temporarily as they begin to transfer to the local school, Sona and Tsubaki are unable to due to their duty as school councilers. Kiba vows to keep up his training when Naruto offically gifts him the sword he lent to him, and Isamu promises to show him a new form when he returns. Yes. Kiba will be a total badass being trained by both Aoi and Isamu.

Gasper will not fall behind as he asks Naruto for help with getting stronger, seeing as the Kyuubi is one of the few to be able to resist the effects of his Sacred Gear, and is shown the way of the shinobi becoming Naruto's second full time student. A new legend will be born.

Kuroka is finally sat down with Naruto, and they have that long talk that's been piling up since that rescue mission. A confession is made.

The signal is lit and Tokyo calls for aid and the Eastern Youkai Faction makes their presence known. Team Seven and Twenty-Five are deployed to investigate.

2nd A/N: Some of you may not be aware but I am reworking the earlier chapters, and receiving more than a fair amount of feedback regarding my writing style that I am working on separately. This V2 refresh is just taking that feedback and putting it on the back burner to work on on the back ground and will be passively worked on. The active rewrites though are not as in depth, and just quick touch ups without changing much.

Thank you for the pointers, and now that certain points were pointed out i too have found it rather annoying, repetitive, and lacking my normal imagination. I am sorry. On that same note, I am looking at some of my recent works and realised that a fair few aren't really up to snuff, so i am not going to spread myself so thin as it seems i am getting rather lax in my own quality control and will strive to improve.

I am sorry.

o7