AN: Review response time:

Anonymous from the 26th of January:

Both the people in-universe and I myself or not sure what to call them yet. Devils with white wings are unprecedented. But they do get a small mention in this chapter, so look forward to that.

Chapter 23: Labours and Rewards *

Before the summer break, Naruto had intended to teach Koneko a certain Jutsu. Due to unforeseen circumstances, he had sadly not had the time to teach her during the break. His plans and the time he had spent helping out the Angels had made it impractical. So, he had only been able to leave written instructions for Koneko to follow in her free time. That he considered unacceptable, and so he had called for a training session with her. Even if they both had to leave for the Underworld in a few days, there was still enough time to check on her progress and help her along.

Before he could get into the matter of teaching, however, he had to get Koneko to adopt the right mindset. At the moment, she was deep in thought. He could sense her frustration and anxiety. Whatever was bothering her, it impaired her ability to learn. And so, he set about fixing the issue.

"You seem distracted, Little One," he said. "What's got you so upset?"

"What do you mean?" she asked back.

He raised an eyebrow and responded: "Don't try to evade the question. Your mind's occupied with something that bothers you. You won't get any training done like that. Plus, I gotta take care of you. That's my responsibility to you as your adoptive father."

That last sentence took the wind out of her sails. Naruto could practically see her retort wither away. That was good. He was not going to leave this alone until she talked.

"Ugh, fine," she said. "… Don't expect me to call you dad, though."

He smiled warmly at her: "That's fine with me, Little One. Now spill."

She sighed. Eventually, she said: "It's school. Or rather, it's the students."

"Ah, schoolyard bullying. I'm familiar with that. Those weren't pleasant times," commented Naruto.

"… I somehow didn't think you had problems like those," she admitted.

He snorted and said: "It was rare. Most people just ignored me. That was its own kind of Hell. But we're talking about you."

Koneko sighed. "It's jarring how different everything is. The contrast to before the summer break gives me whiplash."

"Well, you've grown up a lot, but that can't be it," said Naruto.

"You'd be surprised," said Koneko grumpily. "People are crying over how they lost the school mascot and got 'another fat-titted bimbo' instead. I can hear them talk behind my back; my cat ears work even when I'm disguising them, after all. That's not to mention everyone who's been calling me a slut for being in a relationship with more than one person, never mind who one of them is."

Naruto frowned. "You went public?" he asked.

"It was going to come out sooner or later. There was no point in hiding it," said Koneko. "But it hurts that people who've been smiling at me now sneer at and insult me."

"I see," said Naruto. "Screw them, then. They don't matter much to you, do they?"

"… Not really," answered Koneko.

"Then ignore them," he said.

She frowned in thought and asked: "Is that what you did?"

He snorted. "Goodness, no. I was a very lonely kid. I wanted everyone to acknowledge me, so I cared a great deal what they thought about me. Thing is, I didn't change myself to fit their concept of a likeable person. I made them acknowledge me for who and what I was. Took a few years, though."

"Then why are you telling me not to care about my schoolmates' opinions?" she asked.

"Because it's not your goal to be acknowledged by everyone. You're headed in a different direction. I don't know where exactly, but you're not exactly running for Student Council President, are you?" he asked rhetorically.

A choked burst of laughter came from Koneko. "No. I just want to have a happy life with my loved ones… and a family once I'm ready for the responsibility."

"That's a good goal to have," said Naruto warmly. "And the little bitches who criticise you have fuck-all to do with it, so ignore them completely."

"… Do your life lessons have to be so crass?" asked Koneko.

There was a small smile on her face despite the tone of her retort. Naruto could feel the anxiety within her abating.

That's a job well done, he though.

"No, but it's funny, believe it," he replied to the Nekoshou.

She gave him a flat stare before she said: "Right. Moving on. What's today's lesson?"

"Spoilsport. But fine," said Naruto. "Today is revision day. I gotta get you up to speed with the Jutsu I showed you before the summer break."

"The Rasengan?" asked Koneko.

He nodded. "Yes. It's powerful, but it doesn't cause wide-area destruction, so we won't disturb the others too much. Ideal for today's conditions."

Normally, space would not have been an issue. The training grounds in Naruto's pocket dimension were vast, but he had to restrict the training area for guests to a small part of them. The concealment barriers for the headquarters of his forces did not encompass all that much of the dimension's surface as of yet. As a result, the Gremory Peerage, who had been invited to train here, were confined to a relatively tight space. Fortunately, it still fulfilled everyone's needs at the current time.

"I see," said Koneko. "I'm still struggling with stability. The Jutsu just won't stay in shape."

"Show me," Naruto told her.

He observed as she opened her right hand. Chakra gathered in it. The energy began to spin in the desired pattern; it looked good. In the next step, Koneko added power. As a result, the orderly threads of spinning chakra began to destabilise. His student attempted to compress the technique, with limited success. The Rasengan sitting in her hand was wobbly, unstable, and weaker than it should have been.

"I think I see where your problem is," he said. "You only start compressing after you apply power. Both steps have to happen at the same time. Here, let me show you."

He put his hand under hers and channelled his chakra. The way he did this allowed Koneko a shadow sensation of what he was doing. To add to the effect, he used a specialised form of Ninshu to link his chakra with hers. It followed his as he injected it into the unstable sphere. The spin immediately smoothed out, and the sphere shrank down before new layers of spinning chakra were added. Within a second, Koneko held a stable Rasengan in her hand.

"… That's difficult. How did you do it?" asked Koneko.

"I cheated," said Naruto without sipping a beat. "I could apply rotation and power myself, but I had to use a Shadow Clone to apply compression. I gotta admit that it made me lazy about it for years until I bothered to do it right."

The white-haired girl blinked. "That's surprising. You're not one for shortcuts normally."

"That sort of diligence has to be acquired. It took me decades," explained Naruto. "As a kid, I only wanted to get stronger as fast as I could, whether there was little effort involved or a lot. That led me to ignoring obvious details in a few Jutsus that would have helped me grow strong faster, ironically. It's why I want you to learn properly. Don't repeat my mistakes."

"Okay. That makes sense," said Koneko. "No shortcuts, then."

Naruto smiled at her and decided to give her some more encouragement: "That's the spirit. Now try again. You're close."

Koneko nodded, her gaze determined. "Yes, Sensei. Let's get this done."

The Nekoshou was not the only one to train that day. The rest of the Gremory Peerage was situated in another part of Naruto's training grounds, refining their own abilities. Among these individual was Issei Hyoudou. So far, he had been working on increasing the number of [Boosts] his body could handle and had been working hard to extend his time in Balance Breaker. But as the training progressed, he grew antsy, for he wished to use a technique he had developed in secret during his summer training.

He was well-aware that it would not be well-received. He was not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he had the intelligence necessary to get into Kuoh, so he was not entirely bereft of smarts. It was why he knew that his new technique was going to earn him critique. He considered the benefits worth it, however. He only had to choose the right moment and framing to broach the topic.

"Guys, I've been wanting to test something," he said.

It was not exactly the most masterful of segues, but it was serviceable. So he hoped at least.

"Should you not have started with that earlier, then? Revision is important, but so is getting used to new techniques," counselled Rias.

Issei scratched the back of his head and said meekly: "It's… well, I don't think it's something you'd like. That's why I didn't bring it up until now."

Rias sighed deeply. "Is it one of 'those' ideas of yours? [Dress Break] did not inspire confidence in the palatability of those."

"Hey, it won me a few fights!" protested Issei.

Akeno giggled and said: "He's got you there, Rias."

"As much as it pains me to admit it, he's right," added Yuuto.

Xenovia said: "I remember it. I guess it could be convenient when you're in a hurry to get undressed."

"Ufufufu."

"Xenovia!"

"Can we get back on track?" asked Rias while rubbing her temples. "Ise, is this technique going to be useful?"

"Absolutely!" replied the boy. "Even Ddraig approves of it!"

[Barely] groused the dragon from the jewel of Boosted Gear. [It has remarkable battlefield utility, even if it's inappropriate and embarrassing.]

"… Have you tried using it before?" asked Rias.

Issei answered: "Miss Shizue let me use it on her once as a proof of concept. She wasn't thrilled, but she said it would be very useful in the field."

Another sigh left Rias. "Alright, fine. It can't be that bad if an instructor let you do it. You have my permission."

A grin came over Issei's face as he responded: "In that case, let's go. Get ready! Pailingual!"

His awareness seemed to expand somewhat. It was similar to the feeling he had had when Koneko had given him chakra. That was deliberate, as he had based the technique off the principles of Ninshu partway through the development. Pailingual was, after all, a technique that was all about understanding.

Even if it's just understanding boobs! He thought to himself.

He thus triggered Ddraig's lamentation: [Save me from this pain!]

Ignoring the dragon for now, Issei focussed solely on his self-given task.

"Alright. Time for these boobs to reveal the truth!" he shouted.

"Why do you have to phrase it like that?" despaired Rias.

"Hehe, sorry," said Issei apologetically. "I guess I should start straight away."

As he focussed on his red-headed girlfriend, he heard her voice coming from her chest: [Oh no. What is it this time? I want to know what Ise is doing.]

"It seems to be working," said Issei. "Think of any number, and don't tell me what it is when I ask. It's part of the test. I'll try to figure it out."

Looking confused, Rias replied: "I don't quite understand, but I will play along for now."

Issei nodded at her, and then asked her boobs: "What is the number?"

The answer came promptly: [92]

Satisfied, he looked at Rias' face again. He asked her: "Was the number you thought of 92?"

An expression of shock came upon her. "Y-yes. How did you-?"

"Yes! It works!" shouted Issei. "I can finally communicate directly with boobs!"

"… Senpai has lost it," commented Gasper. "Scary."

"No, you don't understand! Boobs don't lie, don't you realise?" protested the [Pawn]

"Uhm," interjected Asia, a furious blush on her face, "can you explain?"

As he focussed on her, Pailingual did so as well. It was informative: [It's so embarrassing! B-but if it's him, it's okay. He'd better not use it too much on others, though! That's for us!]

That communiqué dampened Issei's spirits somewhat. Yes, he was excited that his technique was a success, but he did not want to upset the girls he loved. Any of them.

"You don't have to worry, Asia. I won't use it without reason," he said.

"That reason had better not be any enhancements to your peeking, at least not on anyone but… us. You know who," said Rias. "Though I haven't heard any complaints about you doing that for some time."

"Well yeah. Why would I peek on anyone but my girls?" he asked. "Besides, Pailingual is something I came up with to get a better understanding of women. I… I want to do right by you, and I need to understand you if that's my goal, right? I'm not good with words or with complicated stuff, so I came up with something to simplify things."

[I reluctantly admit that the ability could prove invaluable in a relationship. My male hosts in the past have frequently complained about their lack of understanding for women] commented Ddraig. [The other utility aspects are worth considering as well.]

"Ufufufu. What other utility are we talking about?" asked Akeno.

Before Pailingual could look in and give Issei what was probably a detailed run-down of her fetishes, Ddraig answered: [We have just established that it is not possible to lie, deceive or obfuscate if the ability is successfully executed. The utility against female opponents in battle is obvious; no plan of a woman would stay secret. Additionally, it represents an interrogation method that is guaranteed to give accurate results and does not rely on shoddy techniques such as torture.]

"And what if it falls short of your expectations?" asked Yuuto. "You will have to consider that as well."

"I have," said Issei. "It's not much, but I can use to synchronise with Asia at the very least. We'll win that three-legged race if nothing else."

It was an activity had had wanted no part in. Sadly, Kiryuu had tricked him into volunteering while he had not paid attention in class. The mitigating factor in this was that he was partnered with Asia. She was the type to enjoy things like this, so he upped his efforts to win. It would make her happy. The small benefit in the whole affair was that he and Asia would be more in synch by the end.

His ruminations aside, his statement drew a round of laughter from everyone, though Asia held a light blush.

Damn, she's so adorable, thought Issei.

"Let us shelve that topic for now," said Rias. "Focus more on your Balance Breaker and work on… this ability in you free time."

Guess I'll have to tackle that later. Not that it matters. My passion will not be stopped, declared Issei internally.

Hours later, when the kids were gone, Naruto fetched Hinata and brought her along to his next stop for the day. He wished to check on the base of operations his forces had established and its inhabitants. Since Gabriel was there as well at the moment, Hinata's attendance was all but guaranteed.

It was not like Naruto minded this. Hinata would surely distract the conversation from business, but that was fine. His interactions with Gabriel so far had rarely not been business, so it would be a change of pace. That said, business still came first.

"Do you need me to take a look at the women's foreheads? That symbol they have on there looks suspiciously like a seal," inquired Naruto.

Gabriel shook her head and answered: "That is not necessary. I know what it is. The Mark of Cain appears on those who have committed grave sins and were forgiven by Father Himself. It denotes divine protection – and retribution. Anyone who kills a bearer of the Mark of Cain shall suffer sevenfold retaliation."

Hinata furrowed her brows and asked: "How does that work? Once can hardly die seven times."

"Death causes a shock to the soul," said Naruto. "Does the Mark of Cain amplify that shock?"

"Yes," answered Gabriel. "It is an utterly agonising way to die, and may even cause the soul to destabilise completely."

"… Right. I'd better leave it alone then," commented Naruto.

He was fairly safe from soul-based shenanigans thanks to the blessing of the Shinigami, but he was not fool enough to put that assumption to the test with such a volatile power.

"That would be for the best," said the Archangel. "There is something else I would like for you to take care of in any case."

"What is it?" asked the blond Shinobi.

A look of frustration came over Gabriel's immaculate face as she answered: "The recent betrayals have made it clear that neither the Church nor Heaven are as secure as I would like them to be. The women we have freed from Diodora Astaroth's clutches cannot be put in the custody of either. My request is that you and your people shelter them indefinitely. I or another trusted Angel will still come to visit them from time to time, but I believe they would be much safer with you."

"That can be arranged without issue," said Hinata. "I have not kept up to date with everything, but my husband and our clan have never turned away those who come to request help in good faith."

"It left us in a tight spot once or twice, but she's right. We're not gonna throw them out, believe it," added Naruto.

"I am relieved to hear that," said Gabriel with a smile.

"Glad to help," he replied. "Is there anything else you need?"

She shook her head. "I have no further requests, although I have an update that you will appreciate. Vasco Strada has been interrogated and tried. Since it was an internal matter of the Church and not an international incident, we had some leeway in regards to the severity of the punishment. His Eminence is now once again active in our forces, even if there are certain stipulations attached. He will be an invaluable ally in the current conflict."

"Nice. I'm looking forward too seeing the guy kick ass. I've heard he used to be damn good at it," commented Naruto. "Thanks for the info."

Gabriel smiled again. "You are welcome."

A clap broke the resulting silence before it could become awkward. It came from Hinata's direction.

"If business is concluded, we may as well dedicate some time to more relaxing activities," said Hinata. "How about we get to know each other a bit better? I am keen on getting better acquainted with you, Gabriel."

Ah, she's starting her charm offensive. Time to hop on the wagon, thought Naruto.

"I gotta agree there," he chimed in. "We've been working together for some time now, but we know barely anything about each other."

Even if he were not following along with Hinata's plan to get romantically involved with Gabriel, this would have been a point for him to make. He considered Gabriel a friend, and he desired to know her better. For his own peace of mind, at the very least, he wanted to know how she ticked. Such knowledge was necessary if he wished to deepen their bond. There was no room for shallow friendships with him, after all.

It seemed that Gabriel agreed.

"That is a splendid idea," she said.

"Then let's go and eat something. A nice and relaxed conversation over a shared meal sounds nice, right? It's about time for dinner anyway," reasoned Naruto.

.

A few minutes later, the three of them sat at Naruto's kitchen table. He had teleported them straight into his home and told the two women to take a seat. They were thus sat by the table while Naruto operated the stove.

"I was not expecting to get a homecooked meal," admitted Gabriel. "I am pleasantly surprised."

Hinata laughed and said: "Naruto is very proud of his cooking skills. He worked hard for them since he had no talent for it when we were younger."

"It was honestly embarrassing," he said as he readied the ingredients. "I kept burning stuff for decades. I'm not joking; I sucked at cooking. But the hard work paid off. The first meal I made for Hinata was on our wedding anniversary, and it was perfect. The smile it put on her face… that was magical."

His voice carried the weight of fond memories. He had never felt prouder of himself before.

Hinata's giggle took him out of his reverie. She added to his tale: "I should mention that it was our thirtieth anniversary. He admitted that he had not considered himself ready before then."

Naruto grumbled as Gabriel laughed. It was a beautiful sound, which fit her perfectly. There was nothing about the woman that was not beautiful. Now if only she derived her amusement from something other than his inadequacies…

It is what it is, he thought to himself.

"It is heartwarming to witness how much you love each other. I see it so rarely these days. People seem to be losing the ability to form meaningful bonds. The fondness with which you interact is balm for the soul," said Gabriel.

"Then it is all the better that we are forming a meaningful bond with you here," countered Hinata. "Let us speak of light-hearted matters this evening."

"What do you suggest?" asked Gabriel.

Hinata hummed and said: "Since this is all about getting to know each other, our interests might be a good starting point."

"Back when I started my Shinobi career," began Naruto, "our Jounin Sensei forced us to go the whole routine. Names, likes, dislikes, ambitions. It had the side effect of highlighting our immaturity. Boy, that was embarrassing in retrospective."

Gabriel frowned. Naruto could sense a certain unease from her. She asked: "How old were you at the time?"

"I was twelve. So was Hinata. We're the same age," answered Naruto. "I know what you want to say. It's too early to start a bloody profession like that, right?"

"That was indeed what I was going to say," said the blonde woman.

She received her answer from Hinata: "It was never publicly discussed, but my father, who was a high-ranking Shinobi, explained it to me when I asked him the same before graduation. The two main reasons were tradition and deterrence. Tradition because less than a century earlier, teenagers had typically been veteran combatants already; and deterrence because a big war had drained the manpower pool, which was in need of quick replenishment."

Naruto added: "The system of Hidden Villages, the way in which we Shinobi live, had been founded by Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage. In the times he had grown up, clans had warred against each other with practically no restraint. Children as young as five had been sent into combat, which was how he had lost one of his brothers. After he had founded Konoha, the first Hidden Village, the number of children who were sent to the battlefield under the age of ten sank to the single digits. That said, by the standards of the time, letting Shinobi graduate twelve was considered newfangled and soft among the older generations."

"… That is saddening to hear," said Gabriel. "It is not like other humans have been any different throughout the ages, but it is always disheartening to hear of such desolate circumstances."

"It did get better eventually," reasoned Hinata. "There hasn't been a war between Shinobi for thousands of years, unless you count the digital simulations."

Gabriel perked up at that. "That is good to know. I am relieved to hear it."

"I noticed that we drifted away from the topic," interjected Naruto. "We were talking about interests."

Hinata nodded. "Yes, that is true. Let us return to that, then."

"I would like that," said Gabriel. "Who shall begin?"

Naruto took this as his cue: "Since I'm the host, I might as well. You already know that I have a passion for the sealing arts, so we might as well skip that point for now. My other great passion is ramen, as you may be able to tell. It's what I'm cooking right now. From what I heard, my mother was as obsessed with it as I am. Other than the best food in existence, though, I guess I like taking care of my plants in my free time."

"The ramen thing seems rather obvious in retrospect. You own a restaurant that sells exclusively that alone," commented Gabriel. "But plants? That is a surprise."

"It is to most people," said Naruto. "Still, I make sure they're low-maintenance plants. I never know when I gotta go for a job or an emergency. That said, I like seeing things grow."

Gabriel hummed in satisfaction at this answer. "I feel much the same in regards to the last thing you said. Growing life is very pleasant to behold… Should I continue?"

Hinata then took the initiative: "Let us save the best for last. It's my turn."

"As you wish," conceded Gabriel.

The pale-eyed woman continued: "Just like Naruto, I have my own food-based passion. In my case, that would be cinnamon rolls. They were the first things I learned to make on my own when I was a young girl. Outside of that, I am an avid reader, although I prefer mostly non-fiction. A broad knowledge base tends to be rather useful, after all. This usually fills out my days. My nights, on the other hand, are spent exploring a… shared interest with my husband."

"Hinata," said Naruto warningly.

What are you doing? That's not appropriate for a conversation like this, he complained internally.

"Well, it's true, is it not?" asked Hinata rhetorically.

Gabriel laughed at their byplay. "No need to be so circumspect. I am very much aware that practically every sapient species enjoys sex."

The flow of the conversation stalled at her words.

"Uh… I didn't expect you to be so…," began Naruto.

"… flippant," finished Hinata for him.

The Archangel laughed with no small amount of mirth and replied: "I may be uneducated about the topic, but I am neither naïve nor blind. There is no shame in this."

"Huh. Well, if that's the case, let's move on," said Naruto.

"I believe it is my turn now, yes?" she asked.

"It is, but let me put the food on the table first," answered the man.

Gabriel looked at him in surprise. "It is already done?"

Naruto smirked. That surprised look never gets old.

"Ramen always takes too much time to cook normally. Some space-time Fuinjutsu on the stove fixes that issue for me. Enjoy," he said.

He put three bowls on the table, one for each of them. He then sat down with them and opened the meal with the customary sentence.

"Thanks for the food!"

It was the signal for everyone to dig in. Naruto and Hinata did so with gusto. Gabriel on the other hand had stopped after the first mouthful.

She swallowed and took a moment to compose herself before she said: "That is extraordinary. I believe I now understand how Mister Gesualdo never tires of sampling the cuisine of every place he visits."

Then, she too continued to eat.

"I'm glad you like my cooking," said Naruto with a smile.

"It is the recipe you have practiced the most," mentioned Hinata. A few bites later, she turned to the other woman and said: "Let us continue at your pace. I am eager to know more about you."

Gabriel chuckled. "Am I that interesting?"

"Why, yes, of course," said Hinata.

"Very well," replied Gabriel good-naturedly. "I must admit that my life and routine are fairly mundane. There are my duties as one of the Four Great Seraphs, of course, and also the duties any regular Angel must face. Answering prayers and providing protection for places of faith are merely two of these duties, but they are the most frequent and least classified. I also take my time to dispense help where I can. My free time I spend exploring Father's creation as far as my duties allow me to."

"Could you explain that last part a bit more?" asked Hinata.

Gabriel took a moment to gather her thoughts, eating a few more bites as she did so. Eventually, she said: "We Angels spend so much time frantically defending what our father created that most of us do not take the time to examine what exactly that is. He left us so many wonders to behold, and barely anyone does. Sacred Gears, powers, spells, seals; those are certainly awe-inspiring, but there is so much more worth exploring. Nature is full of His works, yet it goes overlooked because an ordinary date palm holds no combat application. Most frustratingly, I am almost unique in my fascination with Father's greatest creation: Humanity."

Naruto hummed in thought. "Yeah, humans do get overlooked really damn often. Interesting hobby of yours, though. Knowing what you're fighting for is the first step to getting truly powerful."

"Agreed," said Hinata: "I am also interested into knowing why we humans are the subject of your curiosity. Most other sapient species are… less squishy."

Gabriel laughed. "That is indeed what most people think about them. Nevertheless, I remember humanity's creation in Eden. Humanity was created in Father's image, and their gift was infinite potential. That is the reason for their so-called weakness. To be able to be anything, one must first be nothing. Once a human finds a path of growth that works for them and has enough time, there is no stopping them. Vasco Strada shall serve as ultimate proof in time. Adaptability and compatibility are another uniquely human trait. They can interbreed with nearly every supernatural species, they are much more fertile, and their souls are powerful."

"Powerful souls, eh?" asked Naruto.

"Yes," confirmed Gabriel. "There is a reason why in the old days, Devils used to devour human souls. They are extraordinarily powerful and resilient. That is the only reason why artificial fertilisation and cloning work in humans. Attempting that with any supernatural species results in stillbirths and soulless flesh automatons. It is the reason why so many races depend on humans to replenish their numbers."

"That is pretty fascinating, I gotta admit," said Naruto. "With the population crisis the Devils and you Angels have going on, that's gotta be really important information."

The Seraph nodded. "It is indeed. Humanity is truly blessed with their ability to receive the gift of life so easily. It is a shame that I have sadly never been able to observe the process through which new life is conceived, but I plan on rectifying this one of these days."

Naruto's brain short-circuited as he heard that. Does she mean-?

"Oh? You could watch us demonstrate it if you want to," joked Hinata with a note of mischief.

"Hinata!" interjected Naruto.

Gabriel seemed to either miss Hinata's intent or to mask her emotions superbly. She wore a bright smile as she replied to the other woman: "I would love to."

"Gabriel!"

Naruto lamented internally: What have I gotten myself into?!

[Hahahahaha! This is priceless]

"Shut up, Kurama!"

[Hahahahaha!]

Naruto sighed and said: "Damn it, we just had to go there, didn't we? Fine, let's talk it out."

It was going to be awkward; that he could tell.

Asia was well-aware that the silence in the room had long since grown quite uncomfortable. The two girls across from her did not help matters. Neither Xenovia nor Irina were saying anything. It was all the more frustrating when one considered that all three of them knew what they should have been talking about. It was why they had met up in an empty room in the old school building in the first place. They had two topics to discuss, after all. As the silence continued, Asia resigned herself to the fact that it was up to her to choose which one would be addressed first.

Deciding to take tackle the easier issue first, she finally spoke: "We are a strange congregation, aren't we?"

"Don't we need a priest for a proper congregation?" asked Xenovia.

That was a good point. Priests were usually part of those.

Irina made her difference in opinion known: "We don't need one. I'm an Angel, so it's alright!"

As she spoke, she flexed her pure white wings and showed off her halo. That was a bit of a trend with the girl. She was very excited to have those extra appendages. It was not like Asia could fault her. If she had not become a Devil, she would have been ecstatic to become an Angel. The wings and halo were also, just like the rest of Irina, really nice to look at.

I wonder how she looks naked, came an unbidden thought. She sighed internally, adding to her thoughts: The others have corrupted me. I don't dislike it though. But that is a thought for later.

For now, she wished to continue in the direction in which she had begun this conversation.

Not having been distracted, Xenovia responded first: "I doubt it."

"Hey!" complained Irina. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Xenovia scoffed. "You're not much of a godly woman. You're pious; I'll never deny that, but there's not a single priestly thing about you."

"I'm plenty priestly! My father is a priest!" protested Irina.

Xenovia blinked, and so did Asia.

Aren't priests forbidden from marrying and having children? she thought.

"Oh, right, you're Protestant," said Xenovia. "No wonder you don't care about celibacy."

Irina sputtered: "W-what are you even saying?! And more importantly, why?"

Asia was not the most adept person at figuring out social cues, but even she knew where this was headed. It seemed that her attempt at delaying that particular topic had run its course.

"The main reason you're here is because of Ise," said Xenovia bluntly. "Heaven could have sent anyone, but they sent you. Lord Michael isn't dumb, and you're not exactly subtle."

"T-that has nothing to do with it!" said Irina with a bright blush. "Besides, you're the last person to lecture anyone about subtlety!"

Xenovia grunted. "I still think he's the reason why you're in Kuoh. Though I have to admit you're right about subtlety. My bluntness doesn't seem to be working."

"Working with what?" asked Irina.

"Having sex with Ise," answered Xenovia promptly.

The other two girls blushed and sputtered. Irina was a mystery to Asia, but she could guess her reasons. She herself was just shy about such things, although she had been getting bolder recently.

You can't just say it like that in public, Xenovia! I guess I should throw her a bone, she thought. "Your bluntness isn't the problem.

Those words drew the attention of the blue-haired girl. She furrowed her eyebrows and asked: "Then what is? I thought I was attractive, considering the way the boys at the school look at me."

"That isn't the problem either," said Asia as she shook her head. "He definitely thinks you're attractive."

It was hard not to notice that. Issei's eyes wandered a lot in the former exorcist's direction. Not that Asia could fault him. Xenovia was very easy on the eyes.

The blonde continued: "The problem is that you lack connection."

Xenovia listened with rapt attention, as did Irina.

There might be some truth to Xenovia's assumptions about her presence, thought Asia.

"What do you mean by connection?" asked Xenovia. "What does it have to do with sex?"

Asia's cheek's reddened again as she answered: "Ise is… very enthusiastic, but emotional connection is very important to him. If you want to join his harem, you need to connect more with him. You could try to teach him how to use Ascalon, for example."

"I see…," muttered Xenovia.

"Shouldn't you be a bit more pensive about this?" asked Irina of Asia. "I know harems are pretty normal in the supernatural world, but isn't this a bit too nonchalant?"

The former nun shook her head. "I have never thought about it much. There is no frame of reference for me either. To be honest, I like the harem. Everyone is making me feel loved and cared for, not just Ise, so I don't mind if it gets larger."

"Wait," said Irina with wide eyes. "So you and the other girls-?"

"Yes," answered Asia. "We're all together, though we have been very clear that it's not a requirement."

She turned to the third girl in the group and added: "You would not have to be intimate with all of us if you don't want to."

"I don't mind," replied Xenovia bluntly. "I guess it makes bonding easier too."

"I think so as well," agreed Asia. "The thought of kissing you has crossed my mind once or twice."

Xenovia blinked. "Really? Interesting. What about Irina?"

"Don't involve me in this!" said the reincarnated Angel.

Her tone was not very convincing. She appeared curious.

Blushing slightly once more, Asia gave her answer: "I have. Both of you are very attractive, and I like you two. So yes, I have thought about kissing you two, or you two kissing Ise, or you kissing each other."

"Hmm…."

Xenovia appeared deep in thought at those words. Irina's reaction was somewhat more pronounced.

"W-what? I mean- I- this-," she stammered.

Her face was red, which Asia did not mind much. More alarmingly, however, her wings flickered between black and white, and her halo phased in and out of existence as well. The signs were unmistakable.

"Let's change the topic!" said Asia quickly.

I don't want to be responsible for making her Fall, she thought in a panic.

Fortunately, that did the trick. The flickering stopped, and Irina's wings were just white again. A silent sigh of relief was shared between the two.

Xenovia had caught on as well, and she quickly went along with it. "Then let's return to what we talked about before: The congregation…"

That was close, thought Asia as she listened to Xenovia.

For now, that topic was a lot safer than Ise and the harem. Those could wait.

"Koneko? It's time. We shouldn't wait any longer," came Rias' voice from the door.

This had become a habit over the last few days. Koneko's chosen reward for her performance during the Rating Game against Sona had seen to that. She had chosen to be present during the next daily session of Rias or Akeno draining the dragon aura from Issei's left arms. It had been a way for her to try and turn her first wet dream into reality. However, when the time had come, she had chickened out and had instead merely watched in arousal and anxiety. On the upside, she had managed to convince Rias to make it a regular occurrence. Those session were no longer one-on-one events but occurrences involving the whole harem.

This, if she was honest, had been a beneficial development. The presence of Rias, Akeno, and Asia while the former two were performing near-sexual acts on their mutual boyfriend was desensitising. This had allowed Koneko to gather the courage to really go for it this evening.

"I'm coming," she told the redhead. "I'm ready."

Koneko left her room dressed in nothing but a bathrobe. If there had not been other inhabitants beside the harem, she would have worn nothing at all. They all already slept in the same bed without a shred of fabric on either of them, so propriety was not much of a factor between them. Evidence was for this that not even Asia bothered to dress in anything anymore in any bedroom they shared.

It was thus no surprise to Koneko that, when she entered Issei's bedroom, she saw the naked forms of Asia, Issei, and Akeno. Rias joined them by quickly discarding her nightgown, and Koneko promptly followed suit.

"Ufufufu, there you are. I was already beginning to think I would have to start without you," said Akeno teasingly.

Rias snorted. "Don't say it like you'd be against that."

The [King] then took position next to Issei, who sat on the bed. Right of him sat Asia. Akeno was kneeling behind him, wrapping her arms around his torso as Rias took his left arm in her hand. The young man sat stiffly, in more ways than one, as Koneko observed. He also sported a bright-red face, a state which was exacerbated when he made eye contact with her. She smiled slightly and knelt down in front of him.

He tensed, but he relaxed when she simply leaned over his left leg as if to observe Rias. To be fair, she was planning to pay attention to Rias while she drained the dragon aura. It was a job Koneko wanted to be able to do if neither Rias nor Akeno were available at some point. That said, her position also enabled her to go forward with her own designs for the evening once the time was right.

"Watch closely, Koneko, Asia," said Rias.

As had been the case since the two younger girls had started attending, Rias began by slowly putting one of Issei's fingers in her mouth. Even with how lewd it looked, they approached this seriously; Koneko even with Sage Mode active. This enabled her to not only see but also sense how the redhead began drawing out Issei's dragon aura. She did so with slow, deliberate sucking motions. Her pleased sigh reinforced the suggestive image, even if it was more of a byproduct of absorbing the dragon aura.

"Rias' technique is good as always," said Akeno. She stroked Issei's chest as she added: "Though I personally prefer using my tongue."

The boy's sudden tensing merely caused her to laugh. It earned her a glare from Rias, however.

Asia, bless her heart, projected genuine curiosity as she asked: "Should… Should I do that too when I try."

A certain part of Issei responded to that.

No surprise there, thought Koneko.

"That is entirely up to you, Asia," answered Akeno, "but I think Ise would like that."

"Y-yeah," he responded nervously.

To Koneko's senses, Issei appeared wound up even more tightly than he looked visually. She assumed that he had to restrain himself tremendously in order to not let his impulses get the better of him. None of the girls were helping him in that regard.

The opposite was true, in fact. Asia and Akeno likely got him to fantasise, and Rias, spurred on by her competitiveness, caressed Issei's arm and sucked on his finger like her life depended on it. All that ended up doing was stimulating him more and more.

Mercifully, however, it sped up the draining process. After only a few minutes, Rias was finished.

"There, that's everything," she said.

Issei sighed in relief. That was short-lived, thought. The [King] had not stopped caressing his arm at all, and neither had Akeno stopped doing the same for his chest; not that he should have been surprised by this. Those two liked to tease him. They never relieved any tension.

At least Asia leaned into his side and gave him a soft kiss. Koneko was not sure whether it was because of her personality or because she was a dragon tamer, but it helped Issei stop being so twitchy.

Well, most of him, thought Koneko as her eyes drifted to the side. He's plenty twitchy there. Is this the right moment?

She gathered her resolve. This was what she had been hyping herself up for recently. The opportunity to make her fantasy real was right before her. There was no part for doubt anymore. So, she went ahead.

"Can I practice?" she asked.

The others stopped moving and looked at her with various expressions of surprise.

Rias was the first to act. She said: "You're not quite ready yet. You're close, but your demonic power still needs to stabilise a bit."

"I know," replied Koneko. "But isn't it better to practice a technique before you need it?"

"There is some logic to that," admitted Rias. She relented. "Fine, but no use of demonic power, got it? I want no accidents."

She then held out Issei's left arm so that Koneko could easily access the hand. He let her do it, too busy staring at them to make any form of protest.

The young Nekoshou leaned her head forward and took Issei's finger in her mouth. It was the exact same Rias had sucked on before. She licked off all remnants of the redhead's saliva and popped the finger out of her mouth again.

The [Pawn's] response to the scene was quite obvious to her. The relevant part of his anatomy was basically right next to her head.

Good. Now I only need to lead into it, she thought to herself. It was not truly necessary, but it made her wildly beating heart more manageable.

She spoke out loud: "To prevent accidents, I think I should practice on a part that isn't dragon. Ise would enjoy it more too."

Rias asked: "What do you-?"

Koneko had stopped listening at this point. She felt the blood rushing through her veins as she acted. Her cat years and tail sprouted from her body. She turned, facing Issei's crotch. Her gaze turned upwards, and she locked eyes with him.

She shot him a look of undisguised arousal and said: "Kitty wants her milk, nya."

And then she dove forward.

AN: Greetings, dear readers! Welcome back to yet another chapter.

It's been a while since there was a bonding moment between Naruto and Koneko, so I hope you liked the one I've written this chapter.

Pailingual has also made its first appearance. It's a routinely underrated ability with many applications. In canon we see it used as: an espionage ability, a therapy tool, a method to erode mind control, a partial success at combating the Sleeping Sickness, and an untraceable long-distance communications device. And the best part? In this continuity, it's still a secret ability.

Next up we finally have some proper bonding between the Uzumaki couple and Gabriel. Gabriel's voyeuristic tendencies are canon, by the way. Irina inadvertently outs herself and Gabriel as closet voyeurs in one of the short stories.

The Church Trio have now also had their first proper interaction. Don't worry though; they'll stay on topic one of these days without drifting into relationship drama.

And finally, Koneko's reward has come to a head, pun intended. It's a pretty big step in the relationship but not much else narratively.

Let me at this point express my gratitude for my readers. I'm happy to know that there are at this point more than a thousand of you. It's a very rewarding feeling. Thank you for your continued support and your reviews.

With all that said, it's now time for me to bid you farewell. Until next time. Stay happy and healthy, everyone!