"And so, the moment has arrived for us to revel in the sublime task of responding to your comments. ... Though I must confess that I have ceased attempting to make this segment appear epic, for it seems a chimera to find a way to imbue grandiloquence into a simple questions and answers. But let us set aside this digression and get to the heart of the matter.
Ryujomaru15:
Allow me to begin by responding to the curious synchronicity that has united our paths, an encounter that, I must acknowledge, proved quite... peculiar. Your comment burst into the conversation a mere minute before I concluded my interlude. A moment worthy of remembrance. However, I could not respond at that precise instant. Fate, in its capricious wisdom, prevented me then from satisfying your curiosity. But today, finally, I can offer you the answer you deserve.
Ryujomaru15:
You had a couple of recommendations to make regarding the members of the nobility, but first, some questions... which I shall proceed to answer with the celerity and precision that characterizes me. I must recognize, by the way, that I found it much simpler to copy and paste your comment, thus facilitating my arduous labor.
Will this be a solely female nobility, or will you also include some male characters? Concise answer: yes, the nobility will be purely female, but not due to Naruto's desire to form a harem, but for mere reasons of practicality. As you could witness with Okita's case, male demons rarely show respect towards a male demon king. The examples of Kiba and Issei, reluctant to obey Rias's authority in the canon, are paradigmatic. Reincarnation, by awakening hormones, exacerbates their instinct for dominance, driving them to dispute leadership. Naruto, foreseeing and pragmatic, seeks to avoid such a problem. Reincarnating exclusively women simplifies things enormously for him. Following the logic of the canon, supernatural women feel a natural attraction towards strong beings. This dynamic, therefore, resolves the hierarchy problem efficiently and naturally.
How many members of the nobility do you want Naruto to have in total? I ask because I recall that Kuroka was reincarnated using 2 bishop pieces (due to her strong potential) and Issei was reincarnated using Rias's 8 pawn pieces because he possessed the Boosted Gear. You also mentioned an OC Knight character, so I wonder if you will use 2 knight pieces for that character. The answer to this question is: it depends. The number of pieces required is not something immovable, tied to intrinsic potential. Hishibumi himself states that, reincarnated by a higher-ranking demon, Issei would have needed a maximum of two pawns. Kuroka, for her part, was canonically reincarnated by an irrelevant demon, a member of a minor clan. That is, the master's power directly influences the number of pieces necessary for reincarnation. Sirzechs, with his immense power, reincarnated his strongest pawn, Beowulf (an authentic combat monster), with just three pieces. If we were to apply canonical logic, Issei, being the protagonist, should not require five more pawns than the strongest pawn in the entire underworld. Or do you imply that mere protagonism grants him an intrinsic superiority? Well then, Naruto, due to his maternal heritage, is a being of power far superior to Rias. If Issei's reincarnation fell into his hands, at most he would consume two pawns: one for the value of his human strength and another for the value of his Sacred Gear.
Based on my previous question, will Sara/Delta have 2 tower pieces or not? I assume not, due to her age, but if not, it could affect my future recommendations. The reality is as follows: under normal conditions, that is, with Delta healthy and in full possession of her faculties, Naruto could not have reincarnated her using a single rook. Her monstrous strength since childhood would have prevented it. However, at the moment the reincarnation occurred, Delta was possessed, that is, on the verge of death. That critical situation, added to Naruto's immense strength, who was a being of disproportionate power for his age, allowed him to reincarnate her using a single rook. As for the OC knight, reincarnation in his case, with Naruto still being a child, would have been unthinkable, even using two pieces. That knight's power is such that even today, Naruto, in his adult form, had to resort to his full reincarnation power."
"Right now, I have two recommendations for you: for Naruto's Bishop, you can use Ravel. She possesses many of the qualities Naruto seeks in a member of his nobility, such as being a strategist and a potential healer, besides, she can help enhance the power of his flames in the future.
My apologies for the error in the previous edition. Here is the answer to the question about Ravel, edited and enriched with the style we have been using:
Regarding the recommendation for Naruto's Bishop, which falls upon Ravel Phoenix, I must acknowledge that I had already considered her previously. In fact, if my memory serves me correctly, Naruto himself mentions the Phoenix ambition to obtain a member of their clan who possesses the Six Eyes in their lineage. However, at the present moment, I keep Ravel in a state of "on hold." Her worth as a strategist and potential healer is undeniable. But she suffers from a fundamental flaw: a lack of ambition. And Naruto, in his search for the ideal members for his nobility, prioritizes this quality. Natsumi, for example, aspires to become the supreme queen. Delta, for her part, was an exception to this rule, but only because she awakened in Naruto an irresistible fascination, an interest that transcended her apparent lack of ambition.
For Naruto's Second Rook (if you choose for Naruto to have a second one), you can use Rock Lee. One, since this is a Naruto crossover that includes more Naruto characters in general, it would be a good idea. Two, Rock Lee would benefit greatly from this, and Naruto could see that Lee is similar to his cousin Sairaorg, which could be a good benefit. What do you think? That I like your reasoning, and if this were not Gremory, but Sitri (another character from my universe), Lee would be a good rook, since Sitri has a much more dominant and charismatic personality than Gremory.
Regarding the suggestion to incorporate Rock Lee as Naruto's Second Rook, I must say that this character, despite his undeniable potential, lacks a fundamental attribute in Naruto's eyes: ambition. Rock Lee, far from being an ambitious being, embodies the figure of the idealistic idiot, an individual who pursues his goals with a blind obstinacy and a lack of reasoning that Naruto, in his relentless pragmatism, deeply despises. Believe me, Naruto knows the limits of reality and abhors stupidity with the same intensity that he detests the lack of ambition.
It is true that, unlike Sairaorg, Lee does not possess the ability to use magic. However, the difference between them is not limited to that deficiency. Sairaorg has powerful allies and various methods to increase his power, such as the majestic Regulus armor. Lee, for his part, only has access to the Eight Gates, a technique that, while it can grant him colossal power, carries a mortal risk. Using them to the fullest implies imminent demise.
Furthermore, we must consider the issue of gender. Naruto, unlike Sairaorg, who possesses a dominant personality and a natural charisma that allows him to control complex hierarchies, is a being of a calmer and more introspective temperament. He prefers to avoid unnecessary complications. His time and energy are better spent on his own research than on having to constantly deal with power struggles and excessive egos.
In summary, the figure of Rock Lee, with his blind idealism and his lack of ambition, does not fit the criteria that Naruto seeks in the members of his nobility. And for Sitri who has a dominant and charismatic personality and if it were not Naruto then Lee would fit perfectly.
Wow... almost 1200 words just answering your comment, that must be a record... and I don't regret doing it.
Oops idk:
To be honest, I don't think it's as simple as that. The relationship between Naruto and Okita is a bit more complex than it seems. At this moment, Naruto is far from being able to "control" Okita. In fact, Okita does not profess unconditional respect towards him. Okita's attitude is closer to sympathy, and even condescension, arising mainly because Naruto "is not as hateful as Rias Gremory," in Okita's own words.
Also, we must not forget the important detail that Okita serves as one of Sirzechs' knights.
OttotheGoat:
I understand your point. However, beyond the mere interest in the inclusion of male characters (an interest that, by the way, I dismiss due to the practicality of avoiding the problematic power dynamics that tend to appear in male groups, especially when there are women in the equation), it is worth remembering that none of the proposed candidates possesses the attribute that Naruto values above all else: ambition. And the title of this story, "The Power of Ambition," is not a simple catchy phrase.
Dragonkeeper10:
If my memory doesn't betray me, I think you are the one I have responded to the most times in my life as an author, not that it's a bad thing, just curious. I apologize for the confusion.
That said, and repeating what has already been stated in previous comments, I reiterate the reasons why I do not contemplate the inclusion of male characters in Naruto's nobility.
And now, let us delve without further delay into the chapter that concerns us."
Chapter 5:
—Fascinating…—murmured the current Demon King Beelzebub, his voice betraying a genuine and absolute surprise. His eyes, accustomed to scrutinizing the complexities of existence, gleamed with an unusual interest at the spectacle unfolding before him—. You were right, Naruto. I cannot deny the evidence. This therianthrope possesses muscle fibers of extraordinary density, a rarity even by the standards of her species.
Beelzebub, in the course of his millennial existence, had witnessed an immense variety of therianthropes, each with their own peculiarities and characteristics. However, he had never had the opportunity to contemplate a specimen with such astonishing muscle density.
Naruto, for his part, remained silent. He was aware that any attempt to interrupt Ajuka in his current state, however innocuous, would only trigger a demonically long diatribe, a torrent of words and technicalities that he preferred to avoid at all costs. It wasn't that the therianthrope herself didn't fascinate him. Her muscles, with an unusual density and overflowing strength, had awakened in him a scientific curiosity. However, Ajuka, despite his brilliance, suffered from a fatal flaw: a redundancy that bordered on the absurd, a habit of repeating and detailing ad nauseam.
—Believe me, Ajuka. I know firsthand how powerful her muscles can be—commented Naruto with a distant tone, while distractedly caressing the fingers of his left hand, a gesture that, inevitably, did not go unnoticed by the astute demon king.
Ajuka Beelzebub, of course, made no comment about it. He was fully aware of Naruto's recent visit to the icy lands of Siberia, his daring adventure with the aim of mastering absolute zero. He was still pending to receive the full details of that excursion, but harbored serious doubts about its success. The best ice mages in the world had tried, with unusual failure, to reach that temperature since the dawn of the mythical era.
However, Ajuka decided to abandon that line of thought. Naruto, after all, was a being as stubborn as his older brother, Sirzechs. The crucial difference lay in the presence of a much better-placed head on his shoulders, a brilliant and pragmatic mind. And once he set a goal in his mind, nothing and no one was going to stop him. His current obsession, the search for a metal with properties similar to the illusory Gammanium, a metal he called "Galium" due to a translation error that he didn't even bother to correct, was palpable proof of this. Honestly speaking, Ajuka awaited with a mixture of curiosity and condescension the moment when Naruto would realize his mistake. He and Serafall had a bet about it. They seriously doubted that Naruto would discover his error and would create a new metal and give it a superhero name.
—Is he always like this, boss?—inquired Delta, pointing at the demon king with an accusing finger. The gesture was undeniably impertinent, but the young therianthrope, immersed in the peculiar atmosphere of the laboratory, had succumbed to a state of almost childish excitement. Ajuka, for his part, had spent at least ten minutes immersed in his thoughts, oblivious to the outside world.
—Sometimes, it can be much worse—replied Naruto with a shrug. In his short life, he had witnessed Ajuka Beelzebub immersed in obsessive ramblings for almost five consecutive days. The object of such fascination: a crystal theoretically capable of improving the Evil Pieces system. The final result of such strenuous effort turned out to be a useless and beautiful paperweight, an object with more pretensions than functionality.
—And don't point—Naruto reprimanded her with a stern but soft tone.
—It's bad manners—Delta clarified, vaguely remembering the teachings of Okita, who had devoted a large part of the previous month in Siberia to instilling good manners in her. The results, however, were questionable. Delta only paid attention to Naruto's words, and only when they came with a direct order for her.
—No. Ajuka has an extreme level security system here. There are demons capable of launching rays with their fingers, so the system interprets any gesture it considers as pointing at someone or something as a potential threat—Naruto explained with a wave of his hand, as if it were obvious. To tell the truth, the security measure was absolutely necessary. Demon history was written with blood and metal. Civil wars between clans were the daily bread, and although it may be something rare for the demons of his generation, many old demons remember more than one of these conflicts. That for the human time scale is a lot, but for beings who can live for years, 50 years are like a blink of an eye.
Delta, despite not fully understanding the nature of the security system, felt slightly intimidated by her "boss's" words. Slowly, she lowered her finger, keeping her gaze fixed on Ajuka. Her four little tails, however, moved at a dizzying speed, an involuntary gesture that revealed the immense emotion that filled her at that moment. After all, her "boss" had promised her that Ajuka would help her design a personalized training plan, an exercise regimen suitable for someone with her characteristics."
"Naruto, for his part, aware that Ajuka Beelzebub would remain immersed in his thoughts for an indefinite time, once again took his notebook and began to record Delta's capabilities. As with Natsumi, he would implement two types of training: a basic program, designed by Ajuka, and his own program, much more extreme and demanding.
—Do you have basic magic knowledge?—Naruto inquired. Despite his obsession with replicating Cosmos energy, Naruto was not so stupid as to waste the power of magic. Even if it was not a flexible magic system, it constituted the second-best option.
—Nope, Delta is strong!—chirped the young therianthrope with a festive tone, her expression lit by innocent joy.
—I can work with that—was Naruto's concise response. However, in that brief comment, a slight nuance of annoyance managed to slip in, a subtle shadow that betrayed his reservations. Despite Delta's exuberant demonstration of strength, the redhead perceived her limitations. A rook reduced to mere brute force was, in his eyes, a blunt instrument, lacking the versatility and refinement that magic could provide. Without magic to reinforce her muscles, to erect impenetrable defenses or to channel her energy into controlled power explosions, Delta was, in essence, an uncontrollable battering ram.
However, Naruto did not let himself be discouraged by this thought. He glimpsed a possibility, a path to follow. He could use the blind loyalty that Delta felt towards him, that almost canine devotion that drove her to follow his orders to the letter, to induce her to learn basic magic. A task that, however, he would postpone momentarily. At that moment, his main priority was to establish an efficient and comprehensive training itinerary for the young therianthrope, a plan of action that would maximize her innate capabilities and transform her into an invaluable piece in his emerging nobility.
Finally, after almost half an hour immersed in the depths of his ruminations, Ajuka Beelzebub returned to the present, wrenching himself from his reverie. His eyes, previously lost in a labyrinth of calculations and hypotheses, settled on the two children, finding them in the exact same position where he had left them. The demon king, in a gesture of murmured apology, as if trying to compensate for his prolonged absence, guided them with a wave of his hand towards his office, a more intimate and reserved space. There, in the privacy of his office, he would have the opportunity to discuss with Naruto all the conjectures he had reached regarding the new rook, and elucidate the most effective method to exploit her capabilities to the fullest.
Ajuka, with his characteristic elegant and distinguished bearing, led both children through the labyrinthine corridors of his laboratory, a morass of shelves filled with ancient scrolls, strange artifacts and archaic-looking machinery, silent witnesses to the centuries of research and experimentation that those walls harbored. The silence was interrupted by the constant dripping of mysterious liquids, the vibrant hum of some operating machine and the resonance of their footsteps on the stone floor, a subtle cacophony that evoked the oppressive atmosphere of the place.
Finally, they reached his office, a refuge illuminated by the dim and warm light of crystal lamps, suspended from the ceiling like trapped fireflies. Naruto, with his habitual lack of formality, promptly took a seat in a leather chair in front of the desk, adopting a relaxed but alert posture. Ajuka, for his part, did the same, settling into his imposing oak chair, a piece of furniture whose grandiosity seemed a reflection of his power and intellect.
—Irreverent, I see—Ajuka commented with a slightly raised eyebrow, observing with an analytical gaze the behavior of Naruto's rook.
Naruto, undisturbed by the comment, shrugged with nonchalance, downplaying etiquette. Manners and social conventions, in his judgment, were mere ornaments, empty formalities devoid of meaning. It is true that, on occasion, he might force his subordinates to behave decorously at large social events or formal situations. But outside of large crowds and high society commitments, frankly, he cared little about Delta's behavior, which he did not judge by itself but by the utility it provided him.
—Well, Ajuka, is there anything important I should know?—the redhead finally inquired, adopting a direct and pragmatic tone. His eyes, however, remained hidden behind his inseparable lenses of absolute darkness. Ajuka, for his part, was aware that deciphering the direction of Naruto's gaze was an almost impossible task, an unfathomable enigma.
Without giving much importance to Naruto's apparent irreverence, Ajuka hummed to himself for a couple of minutes, a melodic and deep sound that seemed to arise from the depths of his being. During that time, he remained absorbed in the methodical organization of his thoughts, structuring in his mind the information he was going to transmit. Finally, he broke the silence with a laconic question. —She was possessed, wasn't she?—His voice, calm and confident, resonated in the room with an almost disturbing tranquility, as if it were a trivial comment and not a transcendental revelation."
"Delta, of course, felt her body tense slightly at Ajuka's brusqueness, an involuntary reaction to the harshness of his words. Naruto, for his part, nodded with a slight inclination of his head, indicating to the demon king that, if he wished to delve into the matter, he could access his memories of that particular encounter without any problem.
This was a little-known and even less understood ability by most, an arcane power belonging to the Astaroth clan. The demons of knowledge, as they were known, possessed the ability to delve into the minds of any being, reading their thoughts, observing their memories, and extracting information and knowledge with a simple glance. While it was not the combat skill that had earned Ajuka Beelzebub the title of the second most powerful demon of his generation, it was still a tool of incalculable value, a way of reading the truth that, in his opinion, far surpassed any conventional lie detection method.
With a slight nod of approval from the demon king, Naruto removed the dark lenses from his face with an unusual elegance, a gesture that evoked a strange formality. It was the first time in many years (at least, intentionally and consciously) that he publicly exhibited the mythical Six Eyes. Ajuka, in turn, scrutinized Naruto's memory for five long minutes, a considerably short period of time, given the complexity and magnitude of the memory he needed to examine. When he finally turned his gaze away from Naruto's mind, the green-haired demon could only formulate a single question, tinged with undeniable curiosity.
—How the hell did you regenerate your fingers?
The truth is that in the memory of the encounter with Delta there were many more details worthy of mention and analysis. However, that was not a matter that concerned Ajuka Beelzebub. His priority at that moment, the question that consumed his mind, was to decipher the mystery surrounding the unusual regeneration of Naruto's fingers. An ability that, according to ancient tales and the most recent scientific knowledge, was reserved exclusively for members of the Phoenix clan.
Naruto, in fact, gave a sly smile. A hint of satisfaction crossed his face as he revealed his secret, a strange mix of pride and mischief. With an unusual elegance, he placed the dark lenses back on his face, hiding his eyes with a calculated impassivity. —I inverted the intrinsic negative polarity in my demonic energy, creating a positive energy that allows me to heal any wound instantly.
Ajuka, for his part, had to blink repeatedly. His brilliant and analytical mind stumbled for an instant, trying to process the information that Naruto had revealed to him. The ability to invert the polarity of demonic energy, a technique that defied his understanding and called into question the foundations of demonology. Then, he chose to set the matter aside, for now. It was a fascinating enigma, but not important enough to distract him from pressing matters. However, he would not forget it. That strange ability deserved exhaustive analysis.
—You'll have to tell me more about that later—the demon king sentenced, his tone slightly disconcerted, still processing the disturbing information about Naruto's regeneration—. Now, back to your rook.
Ajuka, despite his usual composure, was visibly stunned. The idea that Naruto could invert the polarity of demonic energy was heresy to his ears. An insult to the laws of nature and an affront to the knowledge he had gathered throughout his existence. However, he tried to regain his composure, his mind returning to the matter that had brought them together in the first place.
—Without a doubt, it is one of the worst cases I have seen in my life—Ajuka commented with a hint of regret in his voice, his gaze fixed on the young therianthrope—. The truth is that I am surprised that she managed to survive so long in those conditions.
Delta, for her part, tried to open her mouth to speak. She longed to ask, to inquire about the peculiarities of her survival. However, a slight, albeit authoritative, glance from Naruto was enough to silence her immediately. She knew that it was a complex subject, beyond her comprehension. And she knew Ajuka's verbosity, a cascade of technicalities that, at that moment, she was not willing to listen to."
"—She doesn't know what possession is, does she?—Ajuka asked with an amused smile, observing the peculiar interaction between both children, Delta's submission and Naruto's control.
—I haven't had time to explain it to her properly—Naruto replied with a resigned sigh, intuiting the prolonged and tedious explanation that was looming.
Ajuka nodded in understanding. —Possession is, in simple terms, an excess of magic completely flooding your cells, a process that causes your flesh to corrupt and rot, leading to an extremely slow and painful death—he explained in the simplest terms he was able to articulate.
However, Delta, with her expressionless face, showed that she had not understood a single word of the explanation.
Naruto, ever pragmatic, intervened. —You had so much magic in your body that it was killing you.
His explanation, compared to Ajuka's complex definition, was much more direct and accessible. Despite this, he was still not entirely sure why the term "possession" was attributed to that particular disease.
—Why didn't you say it like that?—Delta inquired with her ears slightly folded back, a gesture that denoted her confusion.
—Scientists ramble, I suppose—Naruto replied as if it were the most obvious explanation in the world. After all, among colleagues, the ability to ramble and delve into technicalities was a common trait. Although in this case, even he felt that Ajuka was overdoing it.
Delta accepted Naruto's answer without further objection. It was not a topic that mattered enough to her. However, she now had a new question to form. —What does it imply that I was possessed?—It was a surprisingly sensible question for a girl whose IQ hovered, at best... around that of a barely functional person.
—Frankly speaking... many things—Ajuka commented, finally regaining his composure. The Demon King shook his head, aware of the implications that possession entailed—. To begin with, you possess much denser and more powerful magic, and immense reserves of magical power.
—I think it would be better if I explained all those implications to her. After all, you ramble more than I do—Naruto snapped, nipping Ajuka's potential rambling in the bud.
Ajuka, surprisingly, nodded without replying. He was aware of his tendency to get lost in endless explanations. Perhaps Naruto was right. Delta's incomprehension, at least at that moment, did not justify the waste of verbiage.
And for that very reason, after a couple more hours, during which the demon king explained to Naruto all the details he would have to take into account to properly train Delta, the two children finally left the laboratory and set off on the way back to the Gremory mansion.
End of chapter.
Yes, again, it is short, and almost a third is me responding to comments, but honestly, the next chapter is going to be obscenely long... that and I'm more occupied putting together the nobility, and a training schedule, if my OCD reaches that level, so much so that I'm inventing a damn schedule to train Natsumi in absolute zero."