Chapter 8: Reunions
"The state of affairs is appalling. Widespread corruption, bribery, treason, incompetence; I could go on, but I'd never finish if I started listing all the deficiencies the preliminary hearings of a handful of exorcists have brought to light. Our information security outside Heaven may as well not exist, and even inside we might be compromised. I fear that… extensive measures are required to rectify this situation," said Uriel.
He and the other Great Seraphs were gathered in Sixth Heaven, the current seat of power of their faction. Uriel had just finished giving his report on the hearing of a few hours prior, during which Irina Shidou and a few others had been questioned. The results had not made him happy. By proxy, the other Great Seraphs were also not enthused.
"Is it truly this bad? It seems we have made serious lapses in judgement. How grievous they were is the question that we must find the answer to. The investigation clearly should be sped up if we are to discover the true extent of this disaster," commented Raphael.
Disaster was the right word for it. Before any in-depth investigation had even taken place, there were already several notable members of the clergy under scrutiny. Some had even blatantly committed treason and heresy without a report ever being made. Then there were also incidents of excommunications being issued by certain Bishops, a clear breach of protocol. That these excommunications had been directed at loyal priests, nuns, monks, and exorcists was one more irritant. Most of them had wound up dead in short order as well. Bribes were involved in at least four such cases. One thing was clear; those responsible had to be found and punished.
The leader of the Great Seraphs, Archangel Michael, knew this and said as much: "I had hoped it was not that bad. Unfortunately, it seems that I was mistaken to assume that the problem would be on a small scale. What we have instead is a cancer infesting the Church."
"Heaven may be affected as well, as Uriel mentioned," said Gabriel.
She was the most innocent of the Four Great Seraphs. That lent to an appearance of naivete, which was warranted in some cases, and made people underestimate her. She was not stupid, however; far from it. She had seen her fair share of combat, war, and suffering. She knew much about threats to the security of Heaven and the Father's legacy.
"It is uncomfortable to consider, but if you say it, it may be true," replied Michael.
His sister continued: "The blatant abuses of power and the flaunting of Heaven's orders and policies could not have happened without someone spotting them. Yet we did not receive word. It means that the Inquisition and our other intelligence operations are compromised. Some fairly high-ranking Angels must be involved in this web of lies."
Raphael's countenance darkened as he considered her words. "Something must be done, and fast. We cannot afford to be bogged down by internal conflicts so close to the Peace Conference."
That was another issue they had to deal with. Heaven had been contacted by Sirzechs Lucifer in an official communiqué, officially inviting their faction to a Peace Conference to be held in Kuoh. Michael had been more than happy to agree, seeing as he desired peace, and was willing to officially put an end to the hostilities with the new order of the Underworld. The paperwork it generated was less desirable, and so was the complexity of the political dimension.
"You are right," said Michael, "which is why we will be acting quickly and decisively."
Gabriel gently chided: "But hopefully with mercy."
"Of course, Dearest Sister," responded the Archangel. "Mercy is a gift. That is why we will not be conducting a purge. We have had far too many of those in our past. No, instead I want to take certain precautions as we clean house."
"What are your orders, Brother?" asked Raphael in his role as chief enforcer of Heaven.
"Raphael, you will lead the efforts to clean up our administration in Heaven. Raguel and Remiel will be under your command for the duration of this mission. Uriel, take Sariel and Sandalphon; make the necessary arrests to cleanse the Inquisition of corruption. Gather those you have deemed trustworthy and put them under Pahaliah's command. Their task is to begin rooting out the miscreants within the Church. Gabriel, contact Raziel and let him know that he will be in command of Heaven's forces during our absence. Additionally, I will order Metatron to interrupt his training and provide additional security at the Peace Conference," said Michael.
"But Brother, will that not leave Heaven vulnerable?" asked Uriel.
It was Gabriel who answered in Michael's place: "I don't believe that this place is in danger of being attacked at the moment. Besides, Raphael's detachment will not be leaving Heaven."
"… That much is true. Very well. I have no further objections," said Uriel.
Raphael commented: "I have no complaints either."
"There is nothing to add from my side," said Gabriel.
Michael smiled and replied: "Wonderful. Our path is decided on, then. The next order of business is deciding what we shall bring to the table during the conference…"
As she listened to her brother summarising the situation, Gabriel sighed internally. It was not meant to be like this. Father was supposed to still be there. He would have known what to do. She and her brothers were Angels; made to enforce Father's will, not make the decisions. Then again, had things turned out like originally planned, the world would have been in for a gruesome end. Gabriel shuddered at the mere thought of that bloodbath. She was glad that He had decided that the end He had foreseen was undesirable. Perhaps it was better the way it was now, despite the pain of Father's loss. Sadly, it did not change anything about the ennui that running Heaven brought with itself.
At least we will be able to leave that horrible war in the past, she thought. Maybe then we can all finally heal and forget the pain.
Koneko was at a loss on what to do. After the somewhat more harrowing than ideal end to the time at the pool, she had pondered about what she had learned. Even the brief confrontation between Issei and Vali, the White Dragon Emperor, about which she had only found out after the fact, had not changed that. Instead, Koneko had been busy trying to feel out her fellow peerage members. What she had found out now left her with a profound sense of unease.
While she had not had a chance to ascertain Yuuto and Xenovia's emotional states, she had earlier had the opportunity to feel out Issei and Asia. That had left Rias and Akeno. The former was mostly fine.
Pride. Conviction. Exasperation. Avarice. Jealousy. Anger.
The latter two, Koneko thought, were likely due to the situation in the shed. Naruto had also said that Rias seemed fine, so the Nekoshou did not worry.
Akeno on the other hand…
Amusement. Avarice. Lust. Happ- ?ç#(%. Self-loathing. Hatred.
Koneko shuddered at the memory. It left her with the distinct impression that Akeno needed help, and that she needed it quickly. Try as she might, however, the white-haired girl was not qualified to provide that kind of help. She needed advice. Fortunately, she knew someone willing to give it. Perhaps he knew what to do.
That was why she was now at the ramen shop. She had gone there to find out if he was already back from his mission, and he was. He sat in front of her, humming as she told him what had happened and eating all the while.
"I see," he said after swallowing a mouthful of noodles. "You've encountered a beginner problem from what the texts said. It's not as bad as you think it is."
"… Not as bad? I felt an awful lot of negativity," countered Koneko. "Though I have to admit that I haven't read all the documents you've given me yet."
He replied: "Of course you felt a lot of negativity. This sensing method is based on local traditions. Negative emotions are amplified by it until you get better at sensing them. Right now, what you're sensing is tainted by the malice in nature Ki."
She frowned. "But isn't natural energy neutral?"
"Yeah. Natural energy is. But we're using nature Ki for the emotion sensing method; life energy released into nature by living beings. Living beings feel, and their feelings colour nature Ki. You gotta filter that stuff out," answered Naruto.
"… So I'm overreacting and the others are fine?" asked Koneko.
He shook his head and said: "I'm not saying that. They've got problems. Those problems just aren't as catastrophic as they appear. It could spell trouble in the future if nothing's done, but if you rush in without a plan, you're not gonna have a lot of success."
"I just don't know what to do," said Koneko. "It's not like I'm great at comforting people. I'm not all that emotional."
He snorted. "You're plenty emotional. You're just suppressing it; not healthy, by the way. Either I or Pervy Kid and his antics are gonna get you out of that funk one of these days. There's still plenty of stuff you can do."
"What do you suggest?" she asked, ignoring the implications of his statement toward her.
"Ask them about their problems. A lot of stupid shit I had to deal with in my youth could have been avoided if people had spoken plainly," answered Naruto, thinking of the evasions and the lies that had turned Sasuke towards his dark path. "Besides, you got a good chance that they'll tell you. They're your friends, and they trust you."
She considered his words, then responded: "How do I even ask? Those topics are not things that should be broached out of the blue."
He shrugged and told her: "That's for you to find out. You'll find moments for a deep conversation soon enough. It's not even that difficult sometimes. We're having one right now."
Koneko's flat stare stayed on him for a few seconds. She was not impressed by the unhelpful piece of advice.
"I expected something more concrete," she said.
Naruto snorted in response. "Tough. But seriously, I can't give you a step-by-step guide. That stuff has to come from you."
"… I just don't want to bring up bad memories," said Koneko.
He replied: "You'll have to. Those weird emotional blocks you've no doubt sensed on Pervy Kid and the resident wannabe BDSM-enthusiast are typical for trauma victims. Kiba had those too, but they've mostly cleared up since we kicked Kokabiel's ass. My point is, you can't overcome your pain if you don't face it. Any resolution to your friends' hang-ups will involve bringing them up."
The look he sent the young Nekoshou as he said that made her feel uncomfortable. She knew that he was talking about her own problems too. She was also aware that he was right. The trouble was that she was simply not ready to face her problems yet.
"It's easier said than done," she said.
He rolled his eyes. "Of course it is. But you still have time. You just gotta be aware of what's necessary."
She sighed. "… That makes sense. It will take a long time to help the others, though."
He smiled at her and said: "Don't be so down. It's important to face challenges with optimism. Plus, I have a handy tool for handling time management. You've got enough chakra to use it."
Koneko perked up as she heard that. She asked: "What is it?"
"It's the Jutsu I've used the most in my life. It's handy; it's convenient; it's easy to learn; and it's one of the greatest assets you can have. It's my tried and true Shadow Clone Jutsu. I hope you're ready for it," he answered with a grin.
"It's easy to learn, you say?" asked Koneko.
He nodded and replied: "It is. I took only a few hours; and that was when I was a thirteen-year-old idiot. The only drawback is chakra cost."
She listened eagerly as he explained the technique. It was as simple as he had promised, and his speech was also more engrossing than she would have thought. In fact, as he went on, she put her mind away from her voice and instead invested it in following the outlined steps. The evening would be a good time to practice and learn.
Later that day, in the late evening, Naruto sat in the living room of his apartment. He was in the process of engaging in scholarly pursuits.
"Show me your secrets, damn it!"
To be more precise, he was pondering the orb of holy light in front of him. It was the one he had taken from Kokabiel. The results he had gotten so far were great, but the majority of what he felt it could reveal remained closed to him. This served to frustrate him, especially as what little it did show him was incredibly tantalising.
The nature of the orb was intriguing to say the least. There was the obvious holy energy; that much was a given. Yet, despite it coming from a Fallen Angel, it was nearly indistinguishable from Pahaliah's own light, which Naruto had been able to study last time they had met. The thing that differentiated normal Angels from Fallen ones had to be something else, then; something from the outside. And, ironically, this connection to the outside came from inside. Naruto had not just extracted the holy light from Kokabiel, after all; what he had removed was its source within the Fallen Cadre. Said source was this orb, which Naruto could say was connected to something. Sadly, that something was elusive, and the orb refused to give up its secrets, so only speculation and hypotheses remained.
The holy energy of a Fallen is practically the same as that of a regular Angel. Fallen Angels have lost the Grace of God, though. The question then is: What is the Grace of God? Leading from that, there's another one: What judges an Angel? God is no longer around to do so, so it's gotta be either Michael or Heaven itself. I think it's the latter. Does this connection within the orb go to Heaven, then? It's possible, contemplated Naruto.
[I have no clue what this thing is, but it kind of feels like us Bijuu when we communicate. It reaches a deeper place you can't access without being its Jinchuuriki.]
"Huh, so I was right…," muttered Naruto.
Then, he blinked. He knew that voice, but he had not heard it in years.
"Kurama, you're awake! Finally," he yelled internally, projecting happiness.
The Nine-Tailed Fox called Kurama was his oldest living friend. He had been with Naruto since his birth, and though they had been hostile towards each other initially, there was no one closer to the blond Shinobi than Kurama; Hinata excepted, of course.
[Yes, I'm awake. I woke up a few minutes ago. It took a surprising amount of time to draw in all the energy types of this world. There were a lot of them,] said Kurama.
It was because of their deep friendship that Kurama had grown frustrated at his inability to keep up. His father, Hagoromo Otsutsuki, had created him at a power level he could not naturally surpass. As a result, he had stayed the same while Naruto had acquired vast power. A solution had fortunately presented itself once the former Hokage had begun exploring other worlds. As he had been born to a combination of natural energy and chakra, he had been able to attune himself to new worlds and draw in their energies. He himself was sentient energy, so it had taken him only a few decades of experimentation to devise a method by which these drawn-in energies could be made part of him. This method unfortunately put him in a deep coma-like state as his being adapted to the new energies. The result was that he grew stronger with every world he visited with his friend, and if the energy types could be increased in quantity with training, as was the case with many soul-based energies, his growth took off like a rocket. This time, it had taken years for Kurama to adapt to the many energies of this world; a sign that boded well for his ambition to be on the same level as Naruto.
The human grinned at the fox's words. He said: "Good. There are quite a few you can train up. Human magic in this world is based on calculations, for one."
Kurama grinned as well as he heard this. Of the two of them, he was the one with a better mind for mathematics and physics. Many a professor several universes over would be green with envy at his accumulated knowledge in these fields, although some of it was not applicable, depending on the natural laws of any given world. Nevertheless, a power that gained potency in tandem with mathematical knowledge was a goldmine for Kurama.
He laughed approvingly and said: [Good, good. The energies of this world grow more fascinating by the minute.]
"This one here is a great example. That ball produces holy light, one of the primary energies here. If what you've said is right, it connects directly to heaven. That's some sort of afterlife/alternate dimension created by a really damn good seal master; as in, the guy was at least as good as I am. I fell that if I can crack this orb's secrets, I can get access to Heaven and its seals," explained Naruto.
[Let me check,] said Kurama. There was a moment of silence from him before he resumed speaking: [I have a small pool of that as well. It's not much, and it regenerates very slowly. It seems that the connection is quite important to the energy's potency, seeing as I don't have that connection. On the upside, it's also compatible with chakra to a good degree.]
Naruto's eyes lit up as he heard that. "I think I have an idea," he said with a grin.
[… Don't you want to run more experiments before you do something stupid?] asked Kurama.
"Pfft! You know I'll survive it, even if it's harmful. Besides, if holy light is compatible with chakra, I'll adapt to it soon enough," retorted the blond human.
It was time to put those words to the test. Naruto put his hand to the floor and let a seal matrix spread out beneath the orb and himself. He may be doing something reckless, but he was not stupid enough to not record it for later analysis. Fuinjutsu knowledge was at stake, after all. With his preparations finished, he reached out to touch the orb, and then performed Ninshu on it.
There was a bright flash of light the second his spiritual energy touched the holy light and Kokabiel's "source" at its core. A familiar yet utterly alien sensation washed over Naruto. His spirit was… not assaulted – examined was the right term. Something nearly emotionless touched him, although faint echoes of emotions could be felt, and then reciprocated the touch of Naruto's spiritual energy. The flash intensified as a golden glow reached up his arms and then down is body. Upon touching his belly, the foreign presence resumed its examinations. The seal that held Kurama glowed a pale white. Finally, the orb flashed again, blindingly this time. This led to a painful sensation In Naruto's back. And, as he grunted in pain, something knocked him out. He lost consciousness as a two-coloured glow enveloped his body.
.
[You dumb hairless ape!] growled Kurama. [Of all the foolish ideas you could have possibly had, you chose the most stupid option available!]
Naruto groaned as he shook off the unconsciousness that had taken him. "What's the big deal? You didn't think it was all that risky either, or you would've objected harder," he complained.
Kurama's growl preceded his answer: [That's because you didn't tell me that this seal master was apparently a god, you moron! You blended your chakra with a foreign divine power. Have you forgotten the Shinigami's touch on you?]
"Uh…. Oops?" said Naruto.
He had forgotten that detail. The Shinigami had blessed him with certain protections before his first trip to a foreign world. They had never come into use, so Naruto had forgotten about them almost completely. His complacency in that regard was now biting him in the ass.
[Well, whatever happened, it made the orb disappear. Be happy that the conflicting divine energies didn't make you implode,] groused Kurama.
"Hey, I would have put myself back together again," protested his host.
[But it would have made a mess and possibly blown up the neighbourhood,] said the Bijuu.
Naruto scoffed and replied: "I'm not that dumb. The building has so many containment seals on it that it could stop Kaguya on a rampage."
Kurama acknowledged the point. While Naruto was prone to bursts of stupidity, age and experience had instilled the need for precautions in him. He had also grown wiser, so the fox accepted Naruto's statement as truth.
"Are you arguing with Kurama again, dear? You always make the funniest expressions when you do."
"Yes, I am, dear," replied Naruto absentmindedly.
He blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then he slowly turned his head. There, right next to him, stood the kimono-clad form of his wife. His dead wife.
"Hinata?" he asked.
She nodded. "Yes, it's me, Naruto."
"Have I accidentally travelled to the Pure World or something? How are you here?" he asked with a dumbfounded expression.
Hinata giggled as she looked at his face. Then she answered: "You've been far too attached to the Pure World because of me. But you're alive, and the living should not be in the Pure World for too long, even if they're allowed there. So, I decided to come and stay by your side again. Finding you unconscious on the floor was a bit strange, but you seem to have recovered."
Her husband just stared at her for a few seconds before he formulated his reply: "But you would've had to transcend death. I know I did it, but I was alive when I transcended. Old Man Super Sage could also do it because he had so much chakra, but you couldn't."
"I built it up over time," she simply said.
Naruto frowned: "How? Spiritual energy is possible for souls, but you had no body to produce physical energy. How did you get enough of it to transcend?"
The blue-haired woman laughed suggestively and said: "You've been pumping me full with plenty of yours on your every visit. Enthusiastically. All day long."
The implications of her statement were hard to miss. He blushed a bit. "Oh."
"Oh indeed," said Hinata with another laugh. "That aside, the Shinigami was kind enough to help me. It didn't ask for much in return. I can tell you all about it, but I first want to hear what you've been up to."
[I'd like to hear that as well,] said Kurama.
Naruto scratched his cheek, though he began his narration without further ado: "It's a bit of a long story since I'm gonna retell the parts you already know, Hinata. Kurama wants to know too."
"That's fine with me," said Hinata with a smile.
Naruto nodded and then began: "It all started when I landed on a continent called Africa…"
As she entered the school grounds, Koneko got the feeling that she was in for a long day. The annual visitation day was not supposed to be a tedious or stress-inducing affair, but she knew better than to expect anything but bedlam. The relatives of some students would ensure that.
The one saving grace she had on this day was that she was a grade below the two with the most overbearing relatives. She shuddered at the thought of having to put up with the treatment Rias and Sona always received from their siblings. And despite the sadness that the thought of them usually evoked, she also had no parents to embarrass her today.
"Good morning, Little One," said a voice from right beside her ear.
"Gah!" she yelled and spun around.
Behind her, she spied Naruto as he laughed himself silly at her expense. Not only was he making fun of her, he also wore the biggest eyesore she had ever laid her eyes on. He was dressed in a well-made suit, which was, much to her chagrin, bright orange. It was not just the jacket either but also the trousers, dress shirt, tie, and shoes. It was like he had shown up just to be an embarrassment. She glowered.
"Sensei… why are you here?" she asked.
"It's visitation day, and you're a daughter of the Clan. That's something I take very seriously," said Naruto.
Despite her irritation, Koneko felt her chest warm a bit at that. She did not care much for being a "daughter of the Clan," as her mentor put it, but it warmed her heart that he cared enough to come visit her. Even though she did not view him as family, he still took up the responsibilities associated with that descriptor.
"… You didn't have to," she said.
He raised an eyebrow and countered: "Of course I had to. My wife would've never forgiven me if I didn't let her have the opportunity to meet you."
Koneko blinked in surprise. Naruto had mentioned his wife often enough, but she had never seen the woman. "Your wife?"
"Hello," said a woman who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. "My name is Hinata. I'm Naruto's wife. It's nice to meet the young woman he has adopted into the Uzumaki Clan."
She was beautiful. Her height was fairly average, but nothing else about her was. She had beautiful dark hair with a blue tint, a very attractive face, and a graceful stature. She was also very gifted up top. There was toned but well-disguised muscle definition on her arms and legs as well. Her eyes were a strange, pupil-less white, though they did not look ugly at all. On top of it, she wore a sort of formal dress which, despite its propriety, did nothing to hide her amazing figure. There was still something weird about the way she looked, however.
"Pleased to meet you," said Koneko, suppressing the urge to ogle her.
Naruto laughed. "I told you she'd do that."
"Don't make fun of her," chided Hinata, "I distinctly remember how your brain would shut off whenever you looked at me after the first time you'd seen me naked."
He simply grinned in response.
Embarrassed at being caught, Koneko blushed slightly. "Stupid hormones," she complained.
"Well now, since we've suitably greeted you, we'll leave you alone for a bit. We'll visit your class some time later. I wish to explore the grounds a bit beforehand," said Hinata.
As soon as Koneko had left, Naruto and Hinata turned towards each other. Exploring the grounds was indeed what they were going to do, but not out of any scholastic interest. There was a chakra signature around that belonged to neither them nor Koneko. Naruto had felt it before, but had never seen its owner. There was no better to investigate than now, however.
"Soooo, are we going on a scouting mission?" asked Naruto.
Hinata answered: "Yes, dear. We are."
The two of them moved at great speed to find the source of that signature. It was not that far away, and so they arrived quickly. It was a black cat, which jumped into the air in shock at their appearance. It tried to run away, but it was quickly caught by the scruff of its neck, at which point it went limp. The cat knew that it was caught.
"Who are you? I wonder," said Naruto. "You're not hostile, but you're suspicious."
"Would you please transform? We'd like to have a small chat with you," added Hinata.
The cat was enveloped by a flash of light. From it emerged the form of a young woman. She was not very tall, though not short either, had black hair styled in a rather odd way, and was very voluptuous. She had yellow eyes full of mischief belying an intelligence few would have been able to guess at. On top of her head were two cat ears, and behind her were two cat tails. Those two features were all that remained of her cat form. She was still caught, however, as Naruto had shifted his grip from her neck to the beautiful black kimono she wore. It made her look a bit comical.
"You caught me, nya," she said.
"A Nekomata? Oh my. But that face… Yeah, you're not just any old Nekomata. You gotta be Kuroka. You have your sister's eyes and eyebrows, and your cheekbones are similar to hers," commented the blond man.
The woman in his grasp blinked at that. "I could be anyone," she said.
He snorted in response and retorted: "Not really. You fit the descriptions I've read, and there'd be no other Nekomata with a reason to snoop around Kuoh repeatedly. Plus, you look way to similar to Koneko."
"Her name is Shirone," said Kuroka with narrowed eyes.
"I'm using the name she prefers," said Naruto in response. "But it's clear that she's the reason you're here so often. The question is why."
"She's my sister, nya. I have to look out for her," responded the Nekoshou.
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Yet you abandoned her when you went on your rampage."
Through Kurama's negative emotion sense, Naruto felt a spike of rage from the captive woman. It was accompanied by loathing, hatred, and crushing guilt.
Now that's interesting, he thought.
Kuroka's answer held a bitter tone: "I had no choice. I knew I'd get no trial. If I had taken Shirone with me, she'd be dead by now… or worse; test subject and breeding stock."
She hissed out the last part, and another spike of rage could be felt from her.
"If that is true," interjected Hinata, "I cannot fault you. To protect my own sister, I would do more than just murder."
Left unsaid was that she had done worse. There had been plenty of attempts to kidnap Hanabi, even after the mess with Toneri Otsutsuki. The mangled and mutilated corpses Hinata had left in the wake of her wrath had made these attempts cease permanently. Naruto well knew what kind of force someone could resort to in order to protect a younger sibling.
Itachi comes to mind, mused Naruto. To Kuroka, he said: "Let's say we believe that; what makes you think that there would have been danger to your sister?"
Kuroka scowled and answered: "The Nebiros and Naberius Houses are tricky bastards, nya. Devil nobles and unethical mad scientists. They always get away with everything."
Naruto frowned in thought. He had heard about those two Houses from Desran. He had nothing good to say about them. They were rich and influential, and they were indeed always involved in shady dealings. Yet they had the political capital and acumen to escape any and all accusations levied against them; and those were numerous. There was the possibility that Kuroka spoke the truth.
"You might have a point there," he admitted to Kuroka. "And from what I've heard, due process is a new and unpopular concept to the old timers in charge of Devil society."
There was now a neutral expression on Kuroka's face. It seemed like she had not expected that statement. "You believe me?" she asked.
He shook his head and said: "Not fully, but your story is plausible enough that I don't wanna hand you over to the Devil authorities."
He let go of her kimono, releasing her in the process.
"I'll investigate the incident," he said, "So I'm letting you go for now. Leave and don't come back until I've got a handle on things. I'll look out for Koneko in the meantime. It's my duty as her teacher anyway. Plus, I kinda adopted her into my clan. You don't have to worry about her."
Kuroka's eyes narrowed. "Adopted, nya? What do you mean by that?"
"It's nothing formal or binding, at least on her end. Now scram, before someone notices your presence," said Naruto with a shooing motion.
The dark-haired Nekoshou looked ready to object and ask further questions, but she stopped herself. A frown formed, however. "I guess I've got no choice. I'll be going, then, nya."
She quickly left the premises, taking on her cat form again as she disappeared into the distance.
"Was that wise?" asked Hinata. "I sympathise with her, but shouldn't you have taken her into your custody?"
Naruto shook his head. "No. I don't have the time to babysit a prisoner while doing everything I do."
Hinata inclined her head. "A good point. I'm surprised she left without asking more questions, though."
Her husband grinned and said: "She was checking on us with Senjutsu. She knew I was being honest. She may also have been freaked out by you. You don't have a body right now. To a Sage, you appear completely dead. You creep them out."
"And you find that amusing," commented Hinata drily.
"Believe it!" said Naruto with a laugh.
Hinata shook her head in exasperation. With a sigh, she said: "Let's go back to the school. There are places to be and people to meet."
Thanks to their excursion with Kuroka and their self-imposed tour, the married couple missed certain events. Some of them were amusing, such as Issei's surprisingly well-made sculpture or Rias, while others tended to be rather boring, such as most lessons. Nonetheless, they had managed to attend a few of Koneko's classes, causing some embarrassment for her. There was another incident they ended up bearing witness to.
The excentric appearance of Serafall Leviathan caused various reactions. There were the horny kids ogling her in her almost indecent outfit, outraged parents glaring at her for said outfit, and a few people trying to restore order. The subsequent confrontation between the Devil politician and her little sister Sona was cause for great amusement in Naruto's mind. It was a memorable first meeting.
There was, however, one more new person to greet. Koneko had informed him and Hinata that Rias' first Bishop would be released from a seal. Being curious about seals in general, Naruto and Hinata eagerly followed her to the ORC building once the time had come. If nothing else, it would be beneficial to get to know this person.
As it turned out, it ranked in the top 100 of weird encounters Naruto had ever had. The sealed Bishop ended up being a dhampir… a cross-dressing, time-stopping shut-in dhampir afraid of people and nigh unwilling to drink blood. Stranger things had happened over the thousands of years Naruto had been alive, but meeting Gasper was very memorable indeed.
"I still can't believe that's a guy," said Issei.
"Don't be so quick to underestimate him," said Naruto.
Issei shook his head. "I'm not. He's clearly got a lot of potential, even if it's not showing much right now."
Indeed. Gasper was currently being chased by Xenovia. That girl kept swinging around Durandal as she pursued him. It was dangerous, highly so, but for all her shot-sightedness, she at least knew not to swing it at him when he was actually in range. It would continue like that for a while until it was time again to help train Gasper's Sacred Gear.
"Appearances can be deceiving, especially with traps," said Naruto.
Koneko looked at him curiously. "I feel like there's a story behind this."
"There is," admitted Naruto. "The first time I met someone like Gasper, I was out on my first mission away from my hometown. I'd been training too hard and had passed out. I was woken up by a pretty girl shaking my shoulder. She was one of the prettiest girls I'd ever seen, in fact. Turned out it was a guy though. My reaction was quite similar to yours, Pervy Kid."
Everyone listening in chuckled. Naruto continued: "He almost snapped my neck instead of shaking me awake."
The chuckles stopped. "What?" asked Koneko.
"We were on opposing sides. I had no idea that Haku – that's his name – was the apprentice of our strongest enemy combatant. He was specialised in assassination."
Xenovia had stopped chasing Gasper, and both she and the boy were now listening in, together with the others. The former exorcist asked: "Why didn't he do it?"
Naruto smiled sadly. "Because he was merciful. In the field of assassination and heavy combat, mercy is often seen as a weakness, but personally, I believe that that is not the case. It's what separates soldiers from unfeeling weapons. And Haku's mercy led to a short but very valuable friendship. His philosophy inspired me for the rest of my life."
Hinata giggled. "That is definitely the case. You couldn't spend a week, for decades, without making a 'precious people' comment at some point."
The blond man grumbled at the good-natured ribbing his wife gave him.
"What was this philosophy? Was it the Will of Fire?" asked Koneko.
Naruto shook his head. He answered: "No, the Will of Fire is my hometown's philosophy. Haku's… Is there someone or something you wanna protect? That's a question for all of you, by the way."
A few frowns graced the assembled people. There were also some mutterings.
"Valerie…," breathed out Gasper, too low to hear for anyone but the two adult Shinobi.
"Why are you asking us that?" asked Issei.
"Because it's important," answered Naruto. "As it stands, all your dreams and ambitions are hollow on their own. So was mine when Haku asked me this question. Fame, glory, recognition, revenge; all of those aren't enough drive to get to where you gotta be. It doesn't matter if it's Pervy Kid's dream to get a harem or some other goal; it's not a good source of strength. It's only when you've got someone to protect that you can become truly strong. What else are wealth, power, or influence good for?"
"That's it?" asked Koneko with a frown.
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Really? Isn't that why you want to get stronger? To stand at your friends' side and protect them?"
"… Yes, but I didn't think it needed to be said," she replied.
"Tell that to Sword Boy over there. He was one step away from being a lunatic before he got it into his head that he's got people to live for," said Naruto while pointing his finger at Kiba.
The boy in question blushed in embarrassment. Clearly, he knew that his revenge trip had not been one of his brighter moments.
Naruto continued: "I was a weakling until I realised what Haku truly meant. From then on, I was unstoppable. The power that you can harness from the bonds between you and your precious people is limitless, believe it!"
"Ufufuf, such an inspired speech. The ending ruined the mood, though," commented Akeno.
The blond man laughed and said: "One day, you'll know."
"Well, that was interesting," said Rias. "But we had better get back to training."
"Then let us not impose any longer," said Hinata while putting a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Enough philosophy for today. Let's go."
He nodded. "Alright. See you guys soon. Oh, and Koneko, I have a training mission for you to perform tomorrow."
The next day, Naruto and Koneko were sneaking after Issei through Kuoh towards a shrine. Koneko knew what was there; it was where Akeno lived, after all. She was unsure why, however.
"What are we doing here? Is this supposed to be a mission?" she asked.
He nodded and answered: "Espionage training. We're gonna listen in on what Akeno wants with Pervy Kid. Plus, it's close to the conference, and I sensed some interesting stuff going on in that shrine. I've seen a few gift-giving ceremonies recently, and this might be one too."
They soon reached the shrine and got in position to observe what was going on. From where they were, they had a good view of the Archangel Michael's appearance.
What is he doing here? wondered Koneko.
They witnessed Michael giving Ascalon, the dragon-slaying sword of Saint George, to Issei. The irony of a Devil with a dragon-type Sacred Gear wielding that sword was kind of funny. It was interesting to see how the Sacred Gear seemed to absorb Ascalon, however. That was certainly a surprise.
"Fascinating," muttered Naruto. "The seal matrix must be a lot more complicated than I thought."
Soon after that, the Archangel left. Issei and Akeno retreated deeper into the shrine.
"Let's follow," said Naruto. "Enter Sage Mode."
"What? Why?" asked Koneko.
He smiled at her and said: "I think we're about to see something that should make you a bit less gloomy."
"I'm not gloomy," protested Koneko.
"Yes you are," objected Naruto. "You've been gloomy ever since I showed you how to feel people's emotions. Now come on."
Reluctantly, Koneko did as asked. She slipped into Sage Mode as Naruto did the same, if considerably slower, and followed him. They snuck past the entrance, hiding where they could in order to avoid discovery. They ultimately reached a vantage position from where they could listen in on the talk Issei and Akeno were having.
"So… Vice-President Akeno…," began Issei.
"Ufufu, why so formal?" asked the dark-haired girl.
"Miss Akeno, then? I never really know how to properly address you. Anway, I wanted to ask something. You're the daughter of a Cadre of the Fallen Angels, right?"
Akeno's mood dipped slightly. Koneko could feel apprehension from her.
"Yes," said Akeno. "My mother tended to a shrine. One day, she happened upon Baraqiel. He was injured, and she nursed him back to health. The two fell in love, and eventually, I was born."
Apprehension. Disgust. Self-loathing. Fear.
Those were the emotions Koneko was able to pick up from her. While the Nekoshou was busy analysing those feelings, Akeno spread he wings. They were both black, but different from usual, one of them was the wing of a Fallen Angel. That explained the feelings, Koneko thought.
"Do you see those disgusting wings? They belong to an abomination. I was born with the wings of a Fallen, but then I became a mix between a Fallen Angel and a Devil. A thing with dirty blood. Disgusting," said Akeno. She had a pained smile on her face and went on: "What do you think of me now, Ise? You hate the Fallen, right? After what they tried to do to Asia and to this town, you can't have positive thoughts about them."
"Well, yeah," said Issei. "I hate the Fallen-"
Disgust. Self-Loathing.
"-But I can't hate you. I like you. I'm really sorry that I asked you something bad and for being insensitive," he continued.
Relief. Hope. Affection.
Still somewhat unsure in those feelings, Akeno said: "It's… it's fine. But can you forgive me? For having the blood of a Fallen. For tricking you into believing I was just a Devil and approaching you like that. I'm the worst kind of woman, aren't I?"
"Don't talk nonsense!" said Issei. "I don't care. Yes, I hate the Fallen. A lot of them have tried to hurt me, and Azazel is kind of an asshole, but you're not them. You have the blood of a Fallen, but you're still Miss Akeno. I like you for who you are. I… want to say more, but I can't find the words for it."
Tears began gathering in Akeno's eyes, and while Issei got into a minor panic about it, Koneko sensed her feelings.
Hope. Happiness. Affection. Lust. Love?
Startled by the nuances she felt, Koneko glanced to Naruto, who was touching her. Comprehension dawned on her. He was enhancing her senses with his own Senjutsu again. She quickly diverted her attention back to her fellow peerage members.
"Those words were plenty enough. They hit me right in the heart…," said Akeno. "If you say things like that… I'd better take this more seriously."
She moved forward and wrapped her arms around Issei in an affectionate manner that honestly surprised Koneko.
"Miss Akeno?" said Issei.
The dark-haired girl whispered in his ear just loud enough to still be head by the unseen spectators: "I've come to a decision… You like the President, right?"
Obviously startled by that question and flustered by Akeno's behaviour, Issei replied: "O-of course I like her!"
Akeno mused: "… I assumed as much. She's going to be the legal wife. Then again, Asia could be too. So the number one and two spots are taken… Hey, Ise?
"Yes?" he asked with slight confusion.
"I don't mind being in third position," said Akeno.
"Third position?" asked Issei in a small voice.
How does he not get this? thought Koneko. She could sense his emotional blockages in that regard, but even with those, Akeno's meaning should have been hard to miss. He's such an idiot.
"It's a pretty good position," reasoned Akeno, "and it also has that slight feeling of unfaithfulness. How exciting."
The feeling of lust she practically broadcasted at the Sages subsided slightly. She then continued: "I feel like spoiling you a bit. How about a lap pillow?"
"R-really?" said Issei with excitement.
Strange that he gets excited about something like this as much as he does with more perverted stuff, considered Koneko.
As Akeno put Issei's head on her lap, she asked him: "Could you just call me Akeno? No Miss, no Vice-President; just Akeno."
Issei blinked. "Eh? Is that really okay?"
Akeno nodded. "Of course. Please say it."
"… Akeno."
The girl was clearly excited. She sighed pleasantly. "I'm happy, Ise."
Happiness. Affection. Love? Lust.
Koneko blinked as she sensed Akeno's emotions. This… could escalate.
Naruto tapped her shoulder at this point and whispered into her ear: "Let's beat a retreat. Red's coming."
That averted one disaster, though it would create another, Koneko was sure. They would simply not be there to witness it. Naruto now gripped her shoulder and formed a hand sign. The student-teacher duo then vanished in a subtle Body Flicker Jutsu. Thus, they left the clearly irritated presence of Rias behind.
The Body Flicker's effect stopped a few hundred metres away from the shrine. Koneko took a moment to gather her thoughts, dismissing Sage Mode as she did so. She looked up at her Sensei, who had done the same.
"… That was…. Informative," she said.
"It was," said Naruto. "For various reasons. I didn't expect Heaven to hand over one of the True Holy Swords to Pervy Kid of all people. Then again, he's not malicious, just stupid. And he's connected to Red, who's connected to Big Red."
"… Big Red?"
"Sirzechs," explained Naruto.
"I see," said Koneko. "And why did we stay to listen in on Akeno and Ise?"
Naruto smiled at her and ruffled her hair. "Because it helped you," he said.
"Huh?" asked Koneko.
He elaborated: "You've been worried about your friends' emotions ever since you sensed them. They're a troubled bunch, but I think today showed you that they're not trapped in an abyss of negativity. You also got to see how one of those deep conversations happened, right? We talked about this. If you want to help your friends, just ask them about their problems. If a dumbass like Pervy Kid can do it, then so can you."
Koneko blinked as she thought his words over. He had been right about many things. Negative emotions were easier to pick up on than positive ones. However, Akeno had not been a depressed wreck even before the conversation with Issei, even though her negative emotions had been easy to pick up. The strong positive emotions Koneko had sensed today were a stark contrast to the negative ones. Their effects had been visible. The thing about deep conversations applied as well; they were just as simple to initiate as asking. She would consider this in the future now that she had seen it work so well.
A smile tugged at her lips. "I think you're right. Thanks, Sensei."
Naruto laughed and ruffled her hair again. "You're welcome. Believe it!"
AN: Greetings, dear readers! I hope you've enjoyed this chapter.
I apologise for the lack of action, but there was some plot progression. For those worried about the pacing, I'm sorry, but I do want to develop stuff properly. For the sake of expediency, I even cut short Gasper's introduction.
Speaking of introductions: Hinata has arrived, and Kurama has also joined the story. There can be no Naruto without Kurama, in my opinion. He's also got a few upgrades going for him.
A lot of other stuff happened too. The introductory scene in Heaven serves the purpose to expand their role a bit, as I feel that they're woefully neglected in canon. Heaven itself will play a larger part further down the road.
The last segment was, I felt, something that I had to include. It was a pivotal point in Akeno's life and outlook on herself in canon, so it had to be here too. Koneko may be the central character of this story, but the presence of the other characters in Issei's harem should not be a contrivance.
Finally, I should reiterate a point a guest reviewer asked about two chapters ago. I have not read or watched Boruto, and what little I know of it indicates that it's quite disrespectful to the original Naruto series. About the only thing I'm including from it is Prof. Dr. Kurama's physics degree (Dude figured out particle physics while the rest of the world was in medieval stasis). There will be no Otsutsuki showing up. If you must know of their fate, they were part of the Outsiders who thought they were hot shit and got their asses handed to them by the Shinigami.
Alright, with all that said, I wish to express my thanks to all my readers, especially those who have followed, favourited and reviewed. I'm happy to know that my story has been entertaining you so far.
That's it for today. Until next time. Stay happy and healthy, everyone!
