A/N: Quick Question to All Readers – Would You Be Open to a Rewrite?
Hey everyone! First off—thank you so much for sticking with As Close as Siblings, especially after my long hiatus. Life got wild, and in the chaos of changing PCs and time slipping by, I ended up losing my original files and outline. I've basically been flying blind writing these new chapters, trying to recapture the spark.
But here's the thing: I've grown a lot as a writer since I first started this story, and looking back, some of the early decisions and writing make me cringe. I still love the core of the story—and the bond between Naruto and Rias especially—but I'm toying with the idea of doing a soft reboot or full rewrite. Clean up the prose, make the worldbuilding tighter, maybe take the story in a direction that feels more aligned with where I am now as a writer.
So my question to you is: Would you be interested in a rewrite of the early chapters? Or do you prefer I just push ahead and finish the story as is?
I'd love to hear your thoughts—leave a comment, DM, or send smoke signals. Your feedback really matters to me.
Thanks again for reading—and I hope you enjoy this chapter. I had a blast writing it
~As Close as Siblings~
~XxX~
The grand halls of the Gremory Estate were usually a place of luxury and refinement, where noble guests walked with perfect posture, and every chandelier sparkled with an elegance that reminded all who visited of the family's prestige.
Today, however, the air was thick with gossip.
Servants whispered behind gloved hands. Nobles murmured with barely concealed amusement. Even the estate's knights—normally the embodiment of discipline—exchanged awkward glances as they stood at their posts.
And at the center of it all, Naruto Gremory sat slumped in a lavishly upholstered chair, head in his hands, enduring the worst day of his second life.
"Naruto," Rias said, arms crossed, an eyebrow twitching in frustration. "Do you have any idea who this woman is?"
Naruto groaned. "How the hell would I know!? I don't even know what's going on! One minute, I'm minding my own business, and the next, everyone's whispering about some mystery lady claiming she was 'inside me for years'—"
Mirajane Strauss, who had been lounging comfortably on a nearby couch, burst into laughter.
Naruto froze.
Rias groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose.
Elfman, standing beside his sisters, blinked in confusion. "I don't get it."
Lisanna, the youngest of the group, tugged on his sleeve. "It's… um… complicated."
Mirajane, however, had the wickedest grin Naruto had ever seen. "Wow, Naruto. I knew you were a troublemaker, but I didn't think you had older women chasing after you."
Naruto's face turned crimson. "That's NOT what this is!"
She cupped her chin in mock thought. "Are you sure? I mean, she did say she was with you every night, keeping you warm and close. Sounds intimate."
Naruto choked. "Wh—what!?"
Rias, clearly suffering, turned to Mira with an exasperated glare. "You are not helping."
Mira smirked, her blue eyes gleaming with mischief. "I could help. But this is more fun."
Naruto groaned and threw himself back against the chair, staring up at the crystal chandelier above them as if it could save him. "Okay, let's think for a second. If someone was with me all my life, it means… it means…"
The words trailed off as his mind caught up.
It meant the rumors weren't nonsense.
It meant it wasn't just some random crazy woman making things up.
It meant it was her.
The fox.
His stomach twisted.
He didn't know much about it—about her now, apparently—but he knew enough. He knew she had been sealed inside him in his past life. He knew people had hated him because of it. And now she was here, alive, out in the world, and—
And she had the nerve to act like she cared.
His fingers curled into his pants.
But the worst part wasn't that she was here. It wasn't that she had tracked him down.
It was that she had let him die.
Naruto swallowed hard.
He still didn't understand what had happened that day. One minute, he was fighting with everything he had, refusing to give up, and the next… everything had gone dark. Sasuke's Chidori had torn through his chest. He had been on the ground, barely breathing.
And the fox had done nothing.
She had been inside him his whole life, and when he needed her most, she had just… let it happen.
His throat felt tight.
Did he want to see her? Did he want to hear whatever excuse she had?
Did he… want to forgive her?
"Naruto?"
He jolted slightly. Rias was looking at him, concern creeping into her features.
Mirajane had stopped laughing. Even Elfman and Lisanna had gone quiet.
Naruto forced a grin, rubbing the back of his head. "Eh, it's nothing."
Rias frowned, unconvinced.
But Mira, ever the menace, smirked again. "Well, whatever it is, I say we find this mystery lady. I'd love to see Naruto squirm in person."
Lisanna giggled. "You're mean, Mira."
Mira winked. "I prefer 'entertaining'."
Naruto groaned. "I hate this."
He really, really did.
But beneath the frustration, beneath the embarrassment…
He knew that there had to be more to it than things seemed. It wasn't just anyone that brought him here, it was Kami, the one and only goddess of the Elemental Nations, and she said that this exception was made just for him.
For years he had carried the unbidden guilt in his stomach that he was lying to his new and very loving family because Kami had forbidden him from speaking of his past life. And yes, he could understand the why's of it. He died. It was meant to be over for Naruto Uzumaki. He should have been reborn as a new person, with no memories of what came before. Just thrown into the eternal lottery of the afterlife where he had the same chance's any other soul waiting to be born again, or however the fuck the afterlife worked.
But now the fox was here...
Or was it? It really could just have been some random crazy lady, and as strange as it may sound, he would prefer it if that was the case even if the implications of that would be weird and very fucking creepy.
Yet it would be so much better then the fox being out there. The Kyuubi…
He was hard pressed to stop himself from shuddering, careful not to draw too much attention from his little sis and the Strauss siblings. Rias could be a worry wart and he was already feeling guilty enough as is for keeping his past life hidden from her, even if he knew that he couldn't explain, no matter how much he wanted too.
But this, this was...this just shouldn't be. The Kyuubi was a monster, wasn't it? A soulless beast of wanton destruction. How did that thing get a second chance? And even if he viewed it from the lens of an outsider, unaffected by personal bias, how great were the chances that they ended up so close to one another? In the same universe, the same solar system, the same world, and the same dimension within said world.
He liked to slack off during his studies so he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but still he could tell that the likelihood of that happening had to incredibly slim. It was like two sand grains on a beach getting blown away by a strong gust of wind and then landing right next to each other again.
What were the chances of that happening?
So did Kami do this? Was this some sort of fucked up plan to torment him? First making him physically unable to talk about his past life, and then have the biggest problem of his past literally walk up on his doorstep and near enough let the entire underworld know that Naruto Gremory was actually a reincarnation of a human from a different dimension.
As far as godly jokes went, this had to be one of the better ones. Hera, Aphrodite and Artemis could learn a thing or two from Kami about being a royal cunt it seemed.
Naruto let out a heavy sigh, shutting his eyes in frustration—only for them to snap open when all the air in his lungs was violently forced out.
Something—no, someone—had just launched onto his stomach like he was a damn trampoline.
"Enough with the brooding!" Mira chirped cheerfully, grinning as she rocked back and forth on his stomach, testing just how much weight it would take to squeeze his breakfast back out of him.
"Mira…!" Naruto groaned, barely able to get the words out. "What the actual fuck!?"
Desperately, he turned his head, seeking salvation from the one person who should have stopped this madness. But there she was—his so-called darling sister—watching the scene unfold with an evil smirk plastered across her lips.
"...Why?" he rasped.
"Why what?" Mira shot back, completely ignoring his pitiful wheezing. "So some chick whispered a little spicy nonsense in your ear, and now you're all doom and gloom?" She gave him an extra bounce for good measure. "Come on, no one's judging you for your kinky preferences. So what if you like taking it from behind? She's still a woman—you're not all the way gay."
Naruto let out a strangled noise, torn between horror and exasperation. "THAT'S NOT HOW THAT WORKS, DAMMIT!"
Mira just gave him an evil smirk and continued to sit on his stomach, looking completely natural as if this was just another tueseday to her. "Then how does it work, huh?"
"I—shut up! And get off of me you little menace!" He tried to snatch her but she rolled off of him with a cackle of amusement and before he could retaliate Rias jumped on top of him and started to tickle his sides, just the places he hated most. "Rias! Stop it!"
"Tickle fight!" Mira shouted and jumped right onto her own cowering siblings and before long the entire room devolved into pure chaos of flailing limbs, loud laughter and breathless wheezing.
It was all in all just another chaotic day in his new life, yet in the back of his mind, Naruto knew that he needed to get to the bottom of this whole mess with that strange woman. He would need to find out if it was truly the Kyuubi, or just some weirdo who really needed a different hobby.
~XxX~
It was late at night, and the rest of his family should have been fast asleep—but Naruto couldn't sleep. Couldn't sit still.
Unwanted memories kept him restless, kept his thoughts circling the same pain over and over. No matter how he tried to distract himself, thoughts of her—the fox—always came crawling back.
He needed to do something. Anything. Just to get his mind off it.
That's how he ended up here, dressed in casual clothes, a small wad of cash stuffed in his pocket, sneaking through the dark halls of the family estate. He slipped past servants still awake, dodged patrols of sleepy guards, and stayed quiet. The last thing he wanted was to get anyone in trouble over the stunt he was about to pull.
He knew his parents would be furious. His baby sister too. But he was thirteen now, and the resurfacing memories of his old life left him feeling… trapped.
It was stupid, maybe. He loved his family—his mom's protectiveness, the way people actually cared where he went or what he did. It meant the world to him. But sometimes, it was just too much.
He remembered Konoha. Remembered being Naruto Uzumaki, sneaking out at night when he couldn't sleep. Just walking under the moonlight, no one caring where he went or why.
He shook his head sharply. That was exactly why he had to do this.
Moving quietly, he reached the kitchen window that opened into the backyard. He climbed through, dropping silently onto the grass. The night air was cool against his skin. Without hesitating, he sprinted across the yard, heart pounding, until he reached the tall fence that surrounded the estate.
With a burst of demonic energy and a powerful jump, he cleared the top, landing in a clean roll on the other side.
He looked back once. Guilt and determination warred in his eyes. Then he turned away and broke into a full sprint toward the nearest town.
He didn't care about looking important or noble. Not tonight. Tonight, he wanted to feel like a nobody again. Just a boy with too many thoughts, chasing silence in the chaos of the Underworld.
~XxX~
The town was called Velgrath—a busy place built along the banks of a dark river, nestled between low, forested hills and the glowing skyline of a distant mountain range. It was one of the larger towns under Gremory rule, though nowhere near the size or importance of the Underworld's capital, Lilith.
Naruto had only been here a few times, always with his family, always under the watchful eyes of guards or retainers. But tonight was different.
Tonight, he was just a face in the crowd.
Velgrath didn't sleep like towns in the human world did. It slowed, sure—but even at this hour, lights glowed in shop windows and the streets still buzzed with low energy. Streetlamps lined the sidewalks, their soft amber light powered by small, enchanted crystals rather than electricity.
The buildings were a blend of modern design and old-world charm—stone storefronts with glass fronts and wrought iron signs, apartments above them with balcony gardens, rune-etched railings, and decorative sigils carved over doorways for luck or warding.
The people were just as varied. Mostly devils, of course—horns, wings, tails, or strange-colored eyes gave them away. But there were a few others too: a tall woman in a hoodie with glowing tattoos along her arms; a trio of were-beasts playing cards at an outdoor café; a half-fae street musician lazily strumming an acoustic guitar outside a corner bar.
Naruto kept his head down, his hood up. Not to hide—exactly—but he didn't want to be recognized.
Not as the heir. Not as the son of that house.
He wandered the streets for a while, letting the town surround him. Letting the noise and movement soak into his bones. There was laughter, the clink of glasses, music drifting from open doors. A group of teens zipped by on enchanted skateboards, sparks trailing behind their wheels as they shouted over one another.
He passed a shop selling mana-charged gadgets—stuff like self-heating gloves, floating pens, or instant food cubes—and another offering charms for better sleep, sharper aim, or a little more luck in love.
Naruto chuckled to himself. It really was just a slightly weirder version of a normal town.
Eventually, he slipped into a side street just off the main avenue. It was quieter here. Dimmer. The kind of place where fewer people asked questions and no one looked twice at a kid leaning against a wall in the dark.
He let out a breath.
This was good. This was what he needed.
No guards. No lectures. No careful stares trying to figure out what was wrong with him. Just noise and life and space to think.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a few coins—Underworld currency, marked with the Gremory sigil—and flipped one between his fingers, eyes trailing the soft glow of neon signs further down the alley.
He didn't know where he was going tonight. Didn't really care.
He just wanted to be Naruto.
For a little while, and so with a smile he pushed off the wall and continued.
There was no destination in his head, no checklist to follow—just movement and curiosity, and the sense of being free.
The side street he'd ducked into eventually reconnected with another busier road, lined with small businesses that were still open despite the hour. A bakery with warm lights and fogged windows gave off the mouthwatering smell of something sweet and spiced. Naruto's stomach growled.
He paused, peeking through the glass. A devil woman behind the counter was stacking trays of warm, fluffy rolls dusted with golden sugar crystals. A small handwritten sign hung above the counter:
"Pre-dawn Batches - First Come, First Served."
Naruto slipped inside.
The bell above the door chimed, and the woman looked up with a kind smile. "Early start, or late night?" she asked.
"...Late night," Naruto said, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Figured. You've got that 'avoiding something' look," she replied with a wink.
Naruto blinked, but she was already boxing up a few pastries. "On the house," she said, handing him the warm box. "You look like you need it."
He mumbled a thank-you, and ducked back out before she could recognize him.
Outside, he found a bench beneath a softly glowing streetlamp. He sat, opened the box, and bit into a roll. It was warm, buttery, with just a hint of cinnamon and something faintly magical that made the sweetness linger pleasantly.
He sighed through his nose.
Gods, this was good.
Further down the street, music started drifting out from an open door. It wasn't loud—just a casual rhythm, the soft thrum of bass paired with light piano. A small jazz lounge tucked between a bookstore and an apothecary. Through the window, he could see a handful of devils seated at low tables, drinks in hand, talking and laughing quietly.
He didn't go in. But he watched.
Watched a young man with bat-like wings laughing so hard he nearly fell out of his chair. Watched a tall woman in a sharp suit whisper something to her date that made him flush. Watched a waitress with silver eyes pour drinks with an easy, practiced grace.
There was something comforting about it all. The ordinary-ness. The normal in a place he used to think was just war councils, pureblood politics, and demon duels.
He kept walking.
Down another street, he found a late-night bookshop that doubled as a café, the shelves packed with both arcane tomes and paperback romance novels. A few college-aged devils were studying at a corner table, muttering about midterms and mana theory.
He saw a vending machine that offered not soda, but potions—color-coded bottles labeled for energy, clarity, or "emotional rebalancing." One claimed to reduce lingering side effects of accidental teleportation. Naruto grabbed a fizzy citrus one labeled "Focus: Lightning Flavor" just for the hell of it. It crackled faintly when he opened it and tasted like soda with a kick of magic.
He passed a street artist painting glowing murals with a brush that shimmered with rune-ink. The art shifted subtly when you looked away and back again—trees that moved in the wind, stars that pulsed with soft light, a city skyline where the lights blinked on and off.
Naruto watched for a long while.
He didn't realize how far he'd gone until he noticed the river again. Velgrath's wide blackwater river split the town in two, flowing calmly under a broad bridge lined with lampposts and love locks. A couple stood at the center, arms around each other, whispering and laughing.
Naruto leaned against the railing, his pastry box now empty, his drink long finished.
The city moved around him—quiet, alive, strange, but real. Not a battlefield. Not a throne room. Just life.
He didn't smile, not fully. But the weight on his chest had lessened. Just a little.
And for the first time in a while… he didn't feel quite so lost.
Naruto was just about to turn away from the river view when someone stepped up beside him, resting her arms on the railing.
"Beautiful," the woman hummed. Her voice was smooth, sultry. She turned slightly toward him, a lazy smirk playing on her lips. "Didn't expect to run into royalty on such a dull night."
Naruto sighed. "And I should've expected people to be too nosy for their own good."
She scoffed, feigning offense. "You flatter yourself. But if you really wanted to go unnoticed, you might try a spell to change that hair color. Crimson tends to stand out. Especially in a city ruled by crimson-haired overlords."
Naruto rolled his eyes. "I've been trying to keep to myself. The hair's a giveaway, yeah, but most people just stare. You're the first to come up and talk."
Her laugh was low and warm. Naruto finally—though reluctantly—turned to look at her properly.
She was tall, at least by his standards, with dusky skin and sleek black hair pulled into a high ponytail that shimmered like ink under the streetlights. Her eyes were a luminous pink, dancing with amusement. Something about her reminded him of a fox—not that fox, but close enough to put him on edge.
She wore tall leather boots with heels that made her even taller, black fishnets running up her long legs to a miniskirt that barely covered her. A heart-shaped buckle adorned her belt. Her toned stomach was exposed, and the tight crop top she wore left little to the imagination.
"You're not exactly subtle either," Naruto muttered, ears tinged pink.
She smirked. "You noticed. Naughty boy."
"Do people usually not?"
"Oh, they notice," she said with a wink. "I wouldn't put this much effort into how I look if I didn't want the attention. It's good for business."
"Business?" Naruto raised a brow. "So you're a...?"
"A hooker, yes," she replied, shameless.
"Uh..." Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, caught off guard. "I see."
She chuckled. "You're precious. Let me guess—you're new to this, huh? You've got that look. The mix of pity, guilt, and just a touch of revulsion."
"I wasn't—"
"Oh hush." She waved him off, still smiling. "You're a noble little princeling in a world that's anything but noble. I'm guessing your parents filled your head with sweet ideas about how women should act, what sex should mean. And now here I am, ruining all that. It's fine. Really."
Naruto frowned. Her words stung—not because she was wrong, but because they were close enough to the truth to make him uncomfortable.
"That's not it," he muttered, more firmly. "I'm not judging you. Not really."
"And I said it's fine," she repeated, brushing him off again. "If I got offended every time someone gave me that look, I'd spend my whole life raving mad."
A beat of silence passed. Naruto turned back to the river, eyes on the dark water as his thoughts churned.
"You're not the first hooker I've met," he said eventually. "But you are the first who seems to enjoy it."
She hummed, looking at him. "And is that so wrong?"
Naruto hesitated. "I don't know."
She smiled—not the teasing kind, but something quieter. Genuine. It suited her.
"Good," she said. "Then there might be hope for you yet."
"Hope for what exactly?"
She looked back out over the river. "Hope that you'll stop expecting the world to make sense. Because it doesn't. It never did. You can waste your life trying to sort people into boxes—good, bad, clean, dirty, noble, common. Or... you can just let them be. But you nobles always seem to struggle with that."
"What do you mean?"
She turned back toward him, eyes lazy and sharp all at once.
"The powerful always want to control the powerless. It's how civilization was built—not to serve the people, but to serve those at the top. So they made rules. Told people who they were, what they were allowed to do. And anytime someone didn't fit? They were broken to fit."
Naruto studied her. "You talk like you've seen it happen."
"Oh, sweet summer child," she said with a chuckle. "Down here in the Underworld, age really is just a number. For all you know, I could be twenty-five... or twenty-five thousand."
"So why are you a hooker?" Naruto asked bluntly. He was genuinely curious. She was sharp, self-aware, clearly strong—none of it added up.
She laughed at that. "I thought I told you already. Because I like it."
"You like it?" Naruto blinked. "That can't be the whole reason."
"Why not?"
He hesitated. "I've met a few women like you before. None of them seemed to enjoy it. They looked... tired. Sad. Trapped."
She tapped a painted nail against the railing. "You're not wrong. For most, this job is a last resort. A nightmare. But not for all of us. I love sex. I love giving men the best fuck of their lives. I love taking pleasure from them. This body?" She grinned, running a hand down her side. "It was made for it. Sex is as much a part of me as your devil heritage is part of you."
Naruto's eyes widened. "Wait... you're a succubus?"
She laughed. "Got it in one, princeling." With a flash of pink light, small horns appeared on her head, wings flared from her back, and a long, heart-tipped tail slithered out from under her skirt. "Technically, I'm half-succubus, half-devil. Pure-blooded succubi are... rare."
Naruto took a step back in surprise, more startled than scared. Her tail flicked playfully.
"Damn," he muttered. "You weren't kidding."
She smirked. "I never do. But people love to underestimate me. Makes the reveal all the more fun."
Naruto tilted his head. "So... what's it like? Being a succubus?"
She sighed. "It sucks."
He snorted.
"Literally and figuratively," she added, rolling her eyes. "It's not the worst life, but it's not easy. I'm always horny. And not just horny—hungry. We feed off sexual fluids. Semen, specifically. The stronger we are, the more we need."
Naruto stayed quiet. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't relate—not really.
"And then there's the stigma," she continued, her voice growing quieter. "A normal woman can say no. A succubus? We don't get that luxury. People assume we want sex all the time. That we don't have boundaries."
She looked at him, her expression calm. Too calm.
"To most devils, we're not people. We're toys. And being half-devil doesn't protect me from that. Not when the other half of me is just a walking brothel in their eyes."
Naruto's stomach turned. "That's... messed up."
"Not as messed up as what your kind did to the incubi."
"Male succubi?" he asked.
She nodded. "They were rare. Powerful. Irresistible. The perfect lovers. And that scared people. Scared powerful men—because an incubus could steal their wives, their daughters... without lifting a finger. They attacked them where it hurt most, their ego."
Naruto frowned. "So they were hunted?"
"Exterminated," she said. "Open season. Most races agreed. They feared what the incubi could do. And maybe they were right to. The stories say one seduced a powerful devil's wife... and daughter. Fucked them both in the devil's bed. Waited for him to come home and watch."
Naruto's jaw clenched. "That's... horrible."
"Is it?" she asked softly. "Would you forgive someone who did that to your girl? Your sister? Your mother?"
Images flickered in Naruto's mind—his mom. Mira. Rias. Lisanna. All of them, helpless before someone like that.
"I... don't know."
She smiled sadly. "Exactly. It's easy to say things could've been different. Harder to live with the consequences if they were. Right or wrong, what happened, happened. And if the stories are true, then at least one incubi had it coming, but I suspect that there were many more selfish ones than there were benign ones. Sexual dominance is one hell of a drug, and the incubi called dibs on the whole concept."
"Yet you succubus got to live." Naruto muttered, still wrestling with his thoughts.
"Because we live in a world dominated and controlled by men, not women. We succubi are a fun roll in the hay for the powerful men that rule us, and otherwise completely inconsequential. We might annoy some noble lady because we fucked her husband, but that noble lady doesn't have the pull to start an extermination. The incubi however, they "stole" the property of men, and that just couldn't do."
"It's fucked up." Naruto said, which got him a snort from the women. "And I'm not sure what I should say, or do, or think. You are a succubus, and yet, I don't feel like I'm being seduced. So if the incubus were like that, then what was done to them was just wrong."
"Honey, I'm not trying to seduce you. Believe me, we wouldn't be talking anymore if I tried." She cooed, and just like that a haze overcame Naruto's mind, his heartbeat picked up, his pants became quite tight and his breathing labored.
He didn't know what was going on and then he looked at the woman, and his jaw dropped. She was beautiful before, but now she looked like the most gorgeous being he ever saw. Perfect, in every sense of the word.
A sweet scent invaded his nose and he leaned closer to her in order to get more of that sweet, alluring scent.
And then it was all gone.
"Breathe honey, breathe."
Her soothing words reached his ears and he found himself panting and sweating as if he had just ran a marathon. His pants were incredibly tight, and glancing down his face burned at the realization that he was sporting a massive tent in his pants.
"...what was that?" He panted and took a step away from her, his hands moving down to cover his erection.
"Allure." The woman said, sounding partly amused and partly ashamed. "What you just felt is a succubus' basic charm. Something that all of us can do."
Naruto swallowed hard, the heat in his face refusing to fade. "That… was basic?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Darling, that was me on a leash. You'd know if I turned it up."
His mouth opened, then closed. He looked away, trying to focus on the cold railing beneath his fingers, anything but the fire still smoldering in his body.
"You okay?" she asked, softer this time.
"I—yeah. Just… embarrassed," he muttered.
She chuckled, but it wasn't mocking. "You shouldn't be. That wasn't weakness. That was biology. Our allure isn't just magic—it hits every sense you've got, and a few you don't even have words for."
He exhaled slowly. "I think I understand what they were afraid of."
She nodded. "Incubi, in most cases, were stronger than succubi. So imagine a man who could give off an aura like that—only stronger, and without even trying. A man who could walk into a room and make every woman inside need him. Not want. Not admire. Need. Desperately. Obsessively."
Naruto's skin crawled, not just from disgust, but from understanding. That kind of power… yeah. People would kill for it. Or kill because of it.
"You say that about the incubi," he said after a beat, "but your power seems just as scary. What's stopping a succubus from seducing a powerful man and ruling through him?"
She laughed—light, almost fond, but still mocking. "Honey, I'm flattered you think so highly of me. But really, check your ego. You're a Gremory, sure, but in the grand scheme of things? You're a small fry."
Her smirk deepened.
"Let me ask you this. Do you think your brother—the Lucifer—would be affected by my allure? Of course not. He'd probably smile at me like I was a child playing dress-up, then send me on my way."
She flipped her hair back with a casual flick of her fingers.
"Allure, charm, illusions—they only work on the weak-willed. On the weak, period. If a succubus is stronger than the one she's seducing? Easy as pie. That's why most of us dwell up on Earth, hunting humans. They've got nothing to defend against us. It's far easier to dominate someone weak than to seduce someone powerful."
Naruto frowned. "But then… how did the incubi become such a problem that they had to be exterminated?"
She shrugged, her tone more matter-of-fact than emotional. "Because they were inherently more powerful than succubi. That's it. It's not that mysterious."
"In most races, the males are stronger—dominant, trained to fight, built for war. Same story with incubi. So yeah, they were more dangerous."
She leaned against the railing beside him, voice dropping lower.
"And we aren't just mindless animals, you know? Incubi didn't just go after their prey thoughtlessly. I imagine they very much weighed the options they had and chose vulnerable women to seduce. And I imagine there were plenty. Devils love their harems. They never much cared about consent."
Naruto swallowed, the uncomfortable truths she was throwing up hit close to home. He knew his dad had a harem, knew that his mom managed that harem. He had even met some of the women in the harem, and from what he's been told it was all one great open relationship where the women in his dads harem had families of their own, and even husbands who apparently were willing to share. But was that truly it?
"My dad has a harem," he said, voice distant, more to himself than to her.
The succubus arched an eyebrow, her tone light, almost amused. "Yeah? That why you're looking like someone just pulled the rug out from under your whole life?"
He didn't answer right away, mind racing through a maze of thoughts that led nowhere. "My mom manages it," he muttered eventually. "They never hid it from me or my sister. It was always… normal."
She leaned against the railing beside him, gaze flicking his way. "Define 'normal.'"
"Our nursemaid was one of them," he went on, scratching at his cheek as if that would help clear the confusion out of his head. "She has kids with her husband—three of them. But she was also… part of my dad's harem. So were some of the maids, the chef, even a couple of his peerage. Everyone knew. No one ever made a big deal about it."
"Huh." The woman tilted her head, thoughtful. "That doesn't sound like a harem. Sounds like an open relationship."
Naruto blinked. "What?"
She grinned. "A real harem is built on control. One man owns the loyalty and bodies of multiple women. They're exclusive to him, and he doesn't share. What you just described? That's mutual. Your dad's women have lives, families, other men. And your mom manages it all? That's not a harem, sweetheart. That's a whole polyamorous ecosystem."
"But how can that be okay?" Naruto asked, brows furrowed. "I can't imagine being a husband and just… letting my wife be with someone else. Especially someone more powerful."
"Letting?" she echoed, amused again. "See, that's the issue. You are assuming that these women needed permission. Maybe they didn't. Maybe your dad didn't force anything, maybe he offered, and they said yes. Maybe the husbands agreed, and maybe, just maybe they got something out of it too."
"Like what?" Naruto snapped, frustration bubbling to the surface. "What could make something like that fair?"
She looked at him with a small, knowing smile. "I don't know. Maybe the same thing that the women get out of it. Fun. These women get to have their fun with your mom and dad, so maybe their husbands get to have their fun with other women as well and their wife's are cool with it. Maybe those men come to visit me once or twice every week, while their wives are with your dad. Maybe they get something more out of it. Maybe power. Status. Maybe just the thrill of it all. People aren't simple, kid. And neither are relationships. Consent isn't always about strength. First and foremost it is about choice. And if we started to talk about what sexual fetish could compel someone to share, then we'd stand here for a week."
"But ultimately," she continued while looking out over the river, "that's not a conversation you should be having with a hooker late at night. Talk to your dad about it. Tell him about your concerns and let him explain himself before you stand here and start to judge without ever asking about the whole picture. That's neither noble nor kind."
Naruto leaned heavily on the railing, eyes distant. "You're really good at ruining things, you know that?"
She grinned. "And you're adorable when you're overwhelmed."
He shot her a look, but there was no real anger behind it. Just exhaustion. The quiet between them stretched again, but this time, it wasn't uncomfortable.
"Can I ask your name?" he said eventually.
She raised a brow. "Why?"
"I don't know," he admitted. "I guess I just want to remember you as more than 'random hot succubus who wrecked my worldview in under an hour.'"
She laughed. A real one, this time. Light, free, almost girlish.
"You can call me Selene."
"Selene," he repeated. "I'm Naruto."
"Oh, I know who you are, princeling." She winked. "Your reputation precedes you."
He chuckled weakly. "Yeah, not always in a good way."
She chuckled, "I did hear about that little fox making a scene in front of the Gremory mansion. My, I didn't want to believe that an innocent cutie like you was already taken in by a dominant older woman. And here I had hoped…"
Naruto's face burned in embarrassment. "Nothing of that is true!"
"So I still have a chance?" She fluttered her eyes at him, "I can make your first time free of charge, and if you aren't a complete disaster, we can talk about a discount for any future visits."
He gaped at her, speechless. Standing there with a burning red face and mouth gaping like a fish, and Selene couldn't hold in her laughter, breaking out into stitches.
After a few moments Naruto joined her in her laughter, ignoring his burning ears and the little voice in his head that wanted him to take her up on her offer, or how tight his pants still felt from her continuous teasing and show of power from before.
After a few more moments of playful and content laughter, Selene sobered up and straightened herself out, wiping away a tear of mirth rolling down her cheek before reaching out to playfully ruffle Naruto's hair.
"You know what, kid? Come along, I'll treat you to a drink to end this little conversation on a better note."
Naruto playfully swatted at her hand before bobbing his head in agreement, he had nothing better to do, and she was fun to be around, he couldn't deny that.
Besides, by now someone was bound to have noticed his absence at home, so he was screwed when he got back home anyways. So might as well end it with a nice drink in the company of a pretty girl before his mom ripped his head off.
And so the two new friends headed off into the town, ready to enjoy each others company over a good drink…
~XxX~
A/N: And that's the end of yet another chapter of As Close as Siblings! I really hope you enjoyed it—because man, I had an absolute blast writing it.
This chapter marks a turning point in the story—not just for Naruto as a character, but for me as the author, too. It's the first time in a while I've felt like I'm truly hitting the tone, worldbuilding, and emotional depth that I've always wanted this story to have. This chapter, and the ones that will follow, are the vibe I'm aiming for going forward: deeper themes, grounded character development, and bold, immersive worldbuilding.
That said… I've got a bit of a confession to make. I originally started this fic years ago, and back then, I only made it to Chapter 9 before life pulled me away. I lost a lot of my notes and files when I switched PCs, and honestly? When I came back to re-read what I had, a lot of it made me cringe. I've grown a lot since then, both as a writer and a person, and I can feel the gap between where the story started and where it's going now.
So here's my question to you, my readers:
Would you be open to a soft reboot or full rewrite of the early chapters?
I'd love the chance to clean things up—tighten the pacing, sharpen the dialogue, smooth out some of the worldbuilding, and bring everything up to the same level as this chapter. I wouldn't throw away what makes the story fun—the sibling dynamic, the chaos, the humor—but I want the storytelling to match what I'm capable of now.
Let me know what you think in the comments, DMs, or wherever you usually reach out. Your input means the world.
And about this chapter specifically—I seriously loved exploring Selene as an OC. I've always been fascinated by succubi lore, but I rarely see stories that really ask, "What would it feel like to be one?" So I dipped my toes in… and accidentally wrote my longest chapter ever. Oops.
Selene may have started out as a side character, but she kind of took on a life of her own. If people like her, I'd love to keep her around as a mainstay—maybe even part of Naruto's peerage someday. She's got that energy, you know?
Thanks for sticking with me. Whether you're a longtime fan or someone just discovering this fic, I appreciate you. This chapter is a little glimpse at what I want As Close as Siblings to grow into—and I can't wait to take that journey with you.
Until next time—be safe, stay awesome, and don't let a succubus ruin your worldview too hard.
(Pa-Tre-On/ragnartherad – for those feeling generous)