ch 17 - all actions have consequences

Naruto didn't know how to feel about his current situation.

When he had allowed Kuroka, Bikou and Arthur to capture him, he had done so under the belief that he was doing the right thing. Whoever these people were, whoever was in charge of those three, clearly presented a danger to himself and his friends, and he needed to discover who they were and what they wanted quickly. Those had been his thoughts at the time, and he had been so certain that his choice had been the correct one.

Now he wasn't so sure.

He surveyed his surroundings with gritted teeth and a heavy heart. Kuoh Academy was in ruins. The once beautiful school had been reduced to rubble. Walls had caved in, the roof had collapsed like a glass house struck by a hammer. Nothing remained of the place where he, Rias and the Occult Research Club had spent so much time together. Nothing but rubble.

And it was all his fault.

"Now is not the time for self-recriminations," Kurama growled inside of his head. "You can angst like your brooding Uchiha friend later. You've got an enemy to defeat right now."

"You're right. Sorry for being such a downer."

Naruto looked at the man responsible for destroying his school, for hurting his friends, and he did everything possible to keep from letting his anger bubble to the surface.

"I will give you one last chance to leave," Naruto spoke quietly, yet his voice carried to Kokabiel and the Fallen flying above them easily. "Leave Kuoh Academy and never return. Do so, and your lives will be spared."

Kokabiel chuckled. "Aren't you a magnanimous devil. Do you really think any of us would leave while we're on the cusp of victory? If so, then you are even more foolish than your pathetic king. One devil cannot stand against the forces I have arrayed against you. You cannot even stand against me on your own. I am—"

Naruto had heard enough. With a burst of chakra to his feet, he exploded into action, closing the distance between him and Kokabiel in the blink of an eye. The Fallen Angel barely had time to blink before Naruto's fist plowed into his face. A loud bang! like the crackling of thunder, like the roar of a cannon, echoed across the clearing. Kokabiel was launched off his feet and sent sailing backwards, where he slammed into the ground with bone-jarring force.

The ground cratered. The earth splintered. Cracks appeared along the once grassy field, spreading from the place where Kokabiel's body lay in dazed shock.

Naruto crossed his arms and looked up. The many Fallen Angels above him were hesitant and shocked. They seemed unsure as to what they should do. Should they help their leader? Did they want to risk the wrath of the one who slammed him down in the first place? Naruto could see the questions in their eyes, the uncertainty, the fear. While a part of him disliked being the one who put it there, another part knew this would benefit him. Enemies who feared you were less liable to pose a threat, after all.

"D-damn you…"

Naruto returned his attention back to Kokabiel. The Fallen Angel stood to his feet, dust and earth fragments falling from his frame. He wasn't injured too badly, just a split lip where Naruto had punched him.

"That," Kokabiel wiped the blood off his face, "was an awfully solid hit. I had not realized there was one such as you among the rabble here in Kuoh Academy."

"Then you must not watch news," Naruto quipped. "I've been told that I'm a rather popular figure in the underworld."

Kokabiel shrugged. "I have no need to listen to the drivel that comes from the mouths of devils, though now I'm beginning to think I should have at least started paying attention to rumors." His lips curled into a cruel smile. "It matters not. You might be powerful, but I shall destroy you either way. The real battle begins now."

Naruto's eyes became slits. "I couldn't have put it better myself."

There was nothing left to say. No more words were exchanged. He rushed forward while Kokabiel took to the sky and conjured light spears to rain upon his head.

The battle had begun in earnest.

~Devil Ninja~

Rias winced as another shockwave followed by a gust of wind slapped her in the face. Crimson strands of hair whipped about her in a furious frenzy of activity. Another shockwave. More wind. Rias watched as the battle between Naruto and Kokabiel took to the sky, their battle not one of fist and feet, but of spells, of magic and jutsu. It was truly a sight to behold.

Kokabiel's light filled the airspace, hundreds of spears swarming in from all directions like an endless horde, seeking to penetrate Naruto's defenses. They did not find their mark—no, they could not find their mark. Naruto was like a ghost. His form blurred and vanished, constantly disappearing and reappearing, avoiding the light spears with complete ease. It was not speed. Not the speed of her knight. A jutsu, then, one that she hadn't seen before.

After dodging the light spears, Naruto attacked with his own unique abilities. Power gathered. The air around him swirled. Rias could see them, the strange distortions filling the air, spinning like drills. It started off a single distortion. One became two, two became four, then eight, then sixteen. They quickly multiplied until there were nearly one-hundred of the strange drill-like distortions in the air. And then they were launched at Kokabiel, all of them shooting forward at speeds her eyes could barely follow.

Kokabiel waved his hand. Light shimmered around him. A half-sphere of luminescent power coalesced into existence before him. The wind drills rained down on him like a furious storm, only to harmlessly splash against the shield.

That same shield shifted into a spear several times larger than Kokabiel was tall. Grinning like a madman, the Fallen Angel launched the spear at Naruto, who glared at the offending object before rearing his fist back and punching it out of existence.

"Who knew there would be such a strong opponent for me to face right off the bat," Kokabiel laughed joyously, like a deranged child who had just discovered a wonderful secret. "More. Entertain me some more! I want to be fully warmed up by the time Sirzechs arrives!"

Naruto said nothing. His answer came in the form of several clones suddenly rushing Kokabiel from all sides, swirling balls of condensed chakra forming in the palm of their hands. They surrounded the Fallen Angel and swooped in on swift wings-or they tried to. They didn't make it far because several light spears suddenly pierced them from behind, causing the clones to disperse in a cloud of smoke.

"I don't get it," Rias mumbled as she watched the battle, wincing when several light spears exploded above her. "Why is Naruto holding back?"

"Because of you, obviously," the voice behind her made Rias nearly jump out of her skin. She turned to see the little girl that had appeared with Naruto standing behind her, Koneko dangling limply over the girl's shoulder.

"Koneko!"

Rias scrambled over to the pair as the girl set Koneko on the grass and turned her over. Blood still leaked from the wound in her chest, just a few centimeters from her heart. Her pale face had become so white as to be nearly translucent, and when Rias touched the girl's skin, it felt so cold that she thought she might get freezer burn.

"I-is she going to be all right?" Rias looked at the little girl squatting near Koneko, whose hands glowed with an otherworldly purple light like flickering flames from a small fire.

"She will be fine," the girl assured her. "And to answer your first question, you and this one here are the reason Naruto is not fighting at full strength. If he were to unleash his full power here, you and everyone else could very well be killed in the crossfire." The girl paused and cocked her head to the side. "I imagine those people scurrying around in that ruined building may also be part of the problem. Once I heal this one, you must take her and the others and leave."

As the girl spoke, the hole in Koneko's chest began to heal. The frayed and burnt edges of Koneko's skin, damaged by Kokabiel's holy power, flaked off as the damaging holy power was extricated from her body. Skin slowly reknit, until the hole in her body had closed up, replaced by healthy pink skin. Her face, once pale and clammy, regained some color. Her breathing, which had been stifled, raspy and pained, became even and deep.

Ophis stood up and turned to Rias.

"Take her and go. And be sure to take those people scurrying around those ruins with you."

Rias frowned at the girl, conflict warring within her mind. On the one hand, she was grateful. This girl had just saved Koneko. On the other, Rias had no clue who this girl was, what she was doing with Naruto, or why she thought she had the right to order her around.

Gratitude won out.

"I'll do that, thank you." Rias carefully scooped Koneko into her arms, and then stood to her full height. "What about you?" She looked down at the girl.

"I will be along shortly to heal your other companions," the girl spoke blandly, the tone of her voice a complete contrasts to the explosions echoing around them. "But first, I need to set up a barrier around Naruto and his victims. That way he won't have to worry about collateral damage, and I can finally see him fight at full strength."

The girl's state about Naruto and his "victims" made Rias sweatdrop.

~Devil Ninja~

A dozen more light spears appeared around him, strategically placed so that he wouldn't have any room to evade. Were he a normal person, a regular devil, that may have worked, but Naruto had never considered himself normal.

The spears came in and Naruto replaced himself with a clone, one of several that he had hidden throughout the battlefield, disguised as objects or hidden underground. The one he replaced himself with was pierced by the dozen spears, each one precisely aimed to be a kill shot, each one running his clone through with ease.

It disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"What an interesting ability," Kokabiel tilted his head, looking down at Naruto, who stood upon the ground, glaring up at him. "That is not a devil ability. I sensed a different sort of energy from you. I had not realized you were a magician before being reincarnated."

"I'm not," the voice spoke up from behind Kokabiel, "I just know a few tricks."

Kokabiel's eyes widened. He turned around—

—and was then sent straight into the ground by Naruto's fist. Like a catastrophic cataclysm, the ground around his body cratered. Fissures split the land. Chunks of earth was upheaved, creating what almost looked like a canyon around Kokabiel's body.

Naruto stared down at the Fallen Angel, who lay in the center of the massive crater, his face set in a blank mask.

"Naruto." Ophis appeared before him.

"Have Rias, Koneko and the others moved out of harms way?" he asked.

"They're doing so right now," Ophis confirmed. "I'll be going with them to help heal your friends. I've also set up a barrier around the school. You can now unleash your full power without worrying about causing anymore collateral damage, and the barrier will keep your powers from spilling out into the city."

For the first time since they had arrived at Kuoh, Naruto smiled.

"Thank you."

Ophis shrugged.

"There is no need for that. I am merely doing this for my own benefit. I wish to see you fight at your full strength." She gave him a look, and Naruto could have sworn he saw a glimmer of eagerness, or perhaps anticipation, enter her eyes. "Now, show me what you're capable of. I want to see that power I felt several months ago up close."

"Kurama?"

"We're ready for synchronization," the ten-tailed kitsune growled within his mind. "I will warn you now, however, that you won't be able to keep it up for long. Neither of us have the control needed to utilize this power to its fullest. At most, we'll have ten minutes of perfect synchronization."

"That should be enough time."

"Okay," Naruto answered Ophis. "I'll show you the power that defeated Rizer Phenex with ease. Just make sure my friends are safe and no longer in danger of dying."

"That should be a simple enough matter." For the first time since Naruto met her, Ophis smiled. "I look forward to seeing you in action."

~Devil Ninja~

The fallback point designated Beta Point, had been created in the event that Rias, Sona and their respective peerages were overwhelmed. Located several miles outside of Kuoh Academy, the fallback point could only be accessed through a secret passage underneath the school grounds.

Rias ran through the tunnels, trying to keep up with the little girl Naruto had come back with, who even now floated several feet above the surface and rushed down the hallway like Hade's hellhounds were nipping at her heels.

Who knew such a tiny girl could move so quickly.

"Can you slow down?" Rias asked as she boosted her speed using demonic energy. While it wasn't really meant to be used as a muscle enhancer, Rias had, with Naruto's help, created a spell that she could use to increase her physical abilities. Even so, the girl remained ahead of her, speeding down the hall like nobodies business.

"I cannot," the girl didn't even look back, "I would like to hurry up and heal those comrades of Naruto's before he unleashes his power. If I miss seeing that because of something like this, I will be very displeased."

Rias clicked her tongue and fell silent. Still, she couldn't help but wonder about this girl. Who was she? How did she and Naruto meet? Above and beyond all the question swirling through her mind like a rampaging Ultimate Class Devil, one stood out the most.

Why do I feel so wary of her?

Rias wouldn't say she was afraid of this little girl, but she definitely felt wary. From the moment this girl had entered her presence, Rias had a distinct sense that she wasn't human. There was power within that girl, power like nothing Rias had ever felt before. It caused the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end, made a thrill of uncertainty travel up and down her spine. Despite her seemingly innocuous appearance, everything about the person she was currently running behind screamed power.

They entered what appeared to be a bunker of some kind. Everything from the floor, walls and ceiling was made of cement. Hospital beds were situated within the bunker, and all of Rias' peerage minus Akeno lay on those beds, badly wounded and suffering greatly.

"Rias," Sona looked up from her work on keeping Kiba stabilized, "I'm glad you made it. I could use some-who is she?"

"She's here to help," Rias started, "I think?"

"You think?" Sona would have raised an eyebrow, but she was too busy keeping Kiba from going into shock to do so.

Before Rias could answer, Ophis clapped her hands.

And suddenly, a miracle unlike anything Rias had ever seen occurred right before her very eyes. The occupants in the room, the people lying still on the hospital beds, healed. It wasn't a subtle thing either. Purple energy covered their bodies, coating them like a sheet of semi-translucent silk that moved and flickered as it if were a sentient flame. When the energy left, all of the wounds hers and Sona's peerage had suffered were healed. It was as if they had never been injured in the first place.

"All of the physical damage has been healed, but they will require rest," Ophis told them. "Now then, if you will excuse me, I am going to watch Naruto unleash his full power."

Rias watched as Ophis spun on her heel and left without a backwards glance.

"Rias," Sona's voice was soft. It held a tremor that she'd never heard before. "Who was that?"

"I don't know," Rias admitted, and that admittance scared her more than anything, "but I'm going to follow her."

She heard Sona's shout behind her, but didn't pay it any mind as she rushed out the door. Naruto was battling against Kokabiel and his Fallen Angels, and she needed to be there in case something went wrong.

~Devil Ninja~

Kokabiel burst into the air, forcing his brethren to flee lest they get caught within the vortex created by his speed. Several spears coalesced around him, luminous and deadly. They hurtled toward Naruto, who stood on the ground, staring up at his opponent with a mostly impassive gaze.

They didn't make it.

Naruto swiped his hand across the sky as if attempting to rake tears in the fabrics of reality. From the tips of his fingers they came, crescent blades of wind. They expanded as they traveled toward the spears, growing four times larger than their original size. The wind slammed into the spears, cutting them apart, forcing them to become particle elements that rained harmlessly upon the ground. Continuing on, the spears slammed into Kokabiel, whose ferocious roar was an exertion of his will as he cut the blades apart with his bare hands.

"You think such a pathetic attack will hurt me!" The angry Fallen Angel roared. "Do not insult me, child! Such a fledgeling ability will do you no good here!"

"Then it is a good thing that was one of my weakest attacks," Naruto said from behind Kokabiel. The Fallen spun around, eyes bulging like a pair of grapefruits. He tried to block Naruto next attack, but received a fist to the face for his troubles when, like any good shinobi, the Naruto in front of him vanished in a puff of smoke, and the real Naruto slipped into Kokabiel's guard using the smokescreen his clone had created.

Sent hurtling down again, Kokabiel managed to keep himself from smashing into the ground by spreading his wings to their full span.

Unfortunately, he could do nothing when Naruto slammed into his stomach feet first. Spitting out blood and bile, Kokabiel once more found his place among the dirt.

Naruto leapt off the Fallen, flipping onto the ground several meters away. He crossed his arms and waited. The wait wasn't long. Kokabiel burst out of the dust cloud his attack had created, a maniacal gleam entering his eyes.

"DIE!"

He wove through the spears of light, his body becoming a ceaseless stream, a flow of never ending movement. Occasionally, a spear would come close, but when that happened, he would just bat it out of the way with a solid chakra enhanced punch. Once he got a feel for Kokabiel's attack pattern, he channeled chakra to the bottom of his feet and burst forward.

Kokabiel's eyes threatened to pop out of their skull.

"Why won't you die already!"

Naruto didn't answer with words.

He answered with another fist.

Like thunder striking the ground, a shockwave erupted between his fist and Kokabiel's face. The Fallen went flying. He soared backwards, his body parallel with the ground.

Naruto made liberal use of the shunshin to transport himself to directly above Kokabiel. In his hand was a blue orb of swirling, destructive energy.

"Rasengan!"

His enemy barely had time to cough blood before he was plowed into the ground, rupturing the earth like it was being hit by a massive earthquake.

Knowing this wouldn't be enough to finish Kokabiel off, Naruto leapt away from the newly formed crater and waited some more. He didn't have to wait long. Barely two seconds after his feet touched solid ground did a massive light spear pierce through the rising dust and try to impale him. A rasengan appeared within his hand, and he did not hesitate to thrust it into the spear's tip, demolishing it. As the spear of holy energy disintegrated, spreading particles of light all around him, Kokabiel appeared before him, having used the light to mask his movements.

He shouldn't have bothered.

Twin swords appeared in Kokabiel's grasp, weapons composed of the Fallen's power, which he used sliced into Naruto, cutting into his body like a blade through soggy paper.

Puff!

"What?!"

Kokabiel's eyes didn't have time to widen as six chains shot out of the ground around him. Two wrapped around his arms. Another two his legs. The fifth coiled around his torso and the six constricted his neck. He struggled against the chains, fought to break free, but the more he strength he used, the harder he tried to break the chains, the stronger they seemed to become. They pulled him down until he was on his hands on knees. Still, he continued to struggle, his teeth grit so hard that blood dribbled down his chin.

"Wha… what are these things?!"

"I don't have to answer you," Naruto floated above Kokabiel, his hands making hand seals. "A shinobi never reveals his secrets-unless he's bragging, and right now, I'm not really in a bragging mood."

A tornado like mass of wind appeared before Naruto, becoming compressed until its density reached a peak. He then released the attack, which slammed into Kokabiel.

"Wind Release: Pressure Damage."

Normally, Pressure Damage would be a technique that blasted people off their feet. When combined with a fire technique, it blasted people off their feet and scorched them to ashes. However, because Kokabiel was chained to the ground and the attack came from above, he was not sent sailing, but was instead crushed between the indomitable force that was Naruto's jutsu, and the unforgiving ground.

Kokabiel struggled against the force, naturally. He screamed as he strained his body, tried forcing himself to rise. Naruto could feel the power rolling off the Fallen in waves. It was, admittedly, an impressive deal of energy, but according to Kurama, it was barely able to match Isobu.

"Don't think… that I'll be defeated HERE!"

With a great roar, Kokabiel shoved at the blast of pressurized wind. His power ascended, reaching a plateau. Holy light emitting from his hands turned into hundreds of spears that were shot into the wind technique. Over and over again they were blast at it, chipping it away until, little by little, the wind jutsu was negated.

Kokabiel never had a chance to celebrate his victory.

Because at that moment, Naruto descended with another technique.

"Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan."

Naruto thrust his hand forward. The attack slammed into Kokabiel without mercy. And in that instant, the entire world came to a standstill.

~Devil Ninja~

Rias was nearly blasted off her feet as an explosion of energy erupted from the place where Naruto and Kokabiel were fighting. Gritting her teeth, she covered her face to protect it from the dust and debris smacking against her. By her side, Ophise stared at the massive half-dome of blue energy, which had rapidly expanded to nearly the size of Kuoh Academy's old school building.

Massive winds swept across the landscape. The Fallen who hovered over the battlefield caught the brunt of excess energy. It slammed into them, pushing them back. Several were unable to maintain their positions and were sent sailing into the purple barrier, which did an admirable job of burning their bodies to ash.

The school, what remained of it, was destroyed. The strong winds rushed over it, tearing it apart brick by brick. By the time the dome of energy died down, nothing remained of Kuoh Academy.

Nothing but a giant crater.

~Devil Ninja~

Naruto frowned as the Fallen rose to his feet, as he stood on shaky legs.

The battle had not been going well for Kokabiel. Cuts littered his body. Bruises covered his chest, splotchy and black, shaped in a semblance of Naruto's fist. The entire left side of his face had been burnt, the flesh melted, disgusting boils forming on his skin. He was breathing heavily. His chest rose and fell in ached pants, coming out as asphyxiated gasps. He was missing his left arm. Only a stump remained.

All around them Kokabiel's Fallen Angel brethren regained their previous positions, floating indecisively. It seemed they were unsure of what to do. Kokabiel had ordered them to stay their hand while he put Naruto in his place, but it was clear to them that their leader was losing. Should they intervene? Should they stay their hand and risk Kokabiel's wrath? Neither choice appealed to them, and Naruto could sense that.

"You…" Kokabial's pained gasp made Naruto turn his head back to the Fallen Angel. "How are you so strong? There's no way that a newly reincarnated piece of devil trash can be as strong as me!"

"I don't have to answer you," Naruto said, his face set in a calm mask. "Kokabiel, I am going to give you one more chance; take your comrades and leave. Never darken this city again, and I will forget this incident ever happened."

Kokabiel laughed at him, the sound harsh and grating, like nails on a chalkboard.

"Do you really think I would leave after coming all the way here to start a war?" His smile mocked Naruto with its condescension. "Do not be foolish, boy. I have no intention of leaving this place until all of Kuoh runs red with the blood of you devils!"

Naruto closed his eyes.

"I see."

"Kurama?"

"We're ready to synchronize."

"Then let's do it."

Within the seal, an image of Naruto appeared, a metaphysical representation of his conscious. He stood before Kurama, his back turned to the large kitsune. The ten-tailed fox placed both of his hands on Naruto's shoulders, and the two quickly worked to synchronize their chakra.

Power burst from Naruto's body like water shooting from a geyser. Gold chakra erupted from his very pores, coating him in a thick layer of potent energy. The ground beneath his body cracked and dented, as if earth's gravity had suddenly increased by several factors around Naruto.

Everybody near Naruto felt this power as well. The Fallen Angels surrounding him had all ceased up, their bodies freezing as if they'd been trapped within an ice jutsu. Kokabiel, being the person closest to Naruto, suffered the worse. The power that rolled off Naruto had forced him onto his hands on knees. His breathing came out as harsh rasps, a strangled sound like someone had wrapped a cord around his throat.

Naruto raised his hands to his face, frowning as he clenched and unclenched his fingers. He could no longer see the tanned skin of his fingers or the blackness of his gloves. Golden chakra covered them, coating them like a second skin or body paint. His hands were further covered by a layer of ethereal golden flames. The only other color he could see were the black lines meandering a path along his hands and down his arms, creating unusual designs of magatama and symbols he recognized as belonging to the Otsutsuki clan.

"This form is different from my previous one," he muttered to himself.

"Of course it is. I am no longer the nine-tailed kitsune. My power has expanded since gaining a tenth tail, and your new form is a reflection of that growth."

"Makes sense."

Naruto looked behind him to see the nine spaded tails jutting from underneath his haori, and the two pinions spearing out of his back, flapping as they expanded to their full wing span. Made from the pure golden energy of his new form, they illuminated his back and the surrounding area. He had to admit, they looked pretty badass.

"We have a lot more power than before."

"Yes. Those streamers of chakra are the excess energy that I'm releasing to keep our form stable. If I didn't, the power of this new form would implode on itself."

"We'll need to work on our chakra control, then."

"Yes."

"W-what is this?" Kokabiel's strangled gasp made Naruto and Kurama turn their attention to the Fallen Angel, who remained on his hands and knees, staring at him with the frightened eyes of a child. "Who are you?! What are you?! There's no way a mere devil can have this much power?!"

"I don't need to answer you," Naruto said, his tone cold enough to freeze Amataresu's flames. "You're already dead. You just don't know it yet."

~Devil Ninja~

Rias Gremory stared at the figure of Naruto. He no longer looked like the Naruto she remembered. His body was wreathed in ethereal golden flames, which made him look nothing like a devil. A long haori flutter within a nonexistent breeze, and it, too, was lit ablaze with the golden energy. Black lines spread along the surface of his body. She recognized them as seals, though she could not read them. The symbol on his back was that of a crescent moon with a circle. Nine spaded tails writhed behind him, and two devilish wings flapped and moved as if they possessed a mind of their own.

"So, that is the power he's been hiding." Ophis stood next to her on the large hill overlooking Kuoh Academy, her normally bored eyes alight with excitement. "I knew that he was hiding some great power, but I never expected it to be this strong."

Could this be Kurama's power?

As she continued watching him, Rias saw Naruto's lips move. Several seconds later, he disappeared, vanished into thin air.

"W-what the-where did he go?"

"Hmm, he's fast," Ophis murmured, "he's already defeated all of the Fallen Angels."

Rias glanced at Ophis, and then looked back at the battlefield to discover that the strange girl was right. All of the Fallen Angels that had been hovering in the air were now lying on the ground in pools of blood, their bodies still and unmoving.

No longer moving at speeds even her knight couldn't match, Naruto stood with one hand wrapped around Kokabiel's throat, the other punching a hole through the Fallen's chest. The Fallen Angel leader was trying to free himself. It was a futile gesture, as Naruto's grip seemed ironclad, but that didn't seem to stop him. He fought and struggled and suffered, until finally, his form became still, his body going limp.

"Well," Ophis patted her dress of imaginary dust, "it looks like this farce is over. Time to take down the barrier."

Rias looked startled.

"What?"

Ophis didn't answer. She snapped her fingers, and the barrier suddenly shattered like fragile glass, revealing the audience who'd been trapped outside of the barrier and trying to beat their way in.

~Devil Ninja~

Azazel wasn't sure what to think anymore. After learning that Kokabiel planned on starting a war and was using Kuoh as a staging ground, he'd gathered his forces and immediately headed to the human world in the hopes of stopping his wayward general. However, upon arriving at Kuoh, he discovered that his intervention not only wasn't necessary, but that someone else had already defeated Kokabiel and his entire army.

On their own.

I can't believe a single person just defeated a force of one-hundred Fallen Angels by himself.

It was an incomprehensible thought, and yet, right before his very eyes, that was exactly what had happened. Some boy with blond hair and strange powers had completely decimated Kokabiel and his forces within a matter of seconds. To his shame, Azazel hadn't even been able to see what happened because it had been nearly instantaneous. One second the boy was standing there, his body glowing like a miniature sun, and the next, all of Kokabiel's forces were lying dead on the ground. Defeated. Utterly and thoroughly routed.

"Lord Azazel," his second-in-command, Baraqiel, spoke quietly, "what should we do?"

If that isn't the question of the day, than I don't know what is.

"Perhaps we should withdraw," Azazel mused to himself. Yet even as he entertained the notion of withdrawing, two more forces every bit as large as his own, appeared on the scene. In that moment, the three forces, each representing one of the three biblical factions, stared at each other in a tense stand off. "Oh, hell."

~Devil Ninja~

Naruto did not move as the three forces converged on his location. He stood in place, staring down at the corpse by his feet. Even in death, Kokabiel's face was etched into a macabre of malice.

The clinking of metal forced his attention elsewhere. Sirzechs stepped forward, no longer carrying himself like the kind and somewhat goofy older brother. His face was grave, his expression serious. The confidence radiating from the core of his very being was the kind only a leader could possess. Combined that force of will with his crimson plated armor and even Naruto could admit that he struck an intimidating figure.

"It seems we were not the only ones who received word of Kokabiel's actions," the crimson-haired satan's tone was that of someone ordering a meal at a fast-food joint, not someone standing on a field of corpses.

"Indeed you are not," another figure spoke, an angel. Wreathed in blessed light, the holy being possessed a dozen wings, each one blazing with a golden luminescence that symbolized his position as a leader. Blond hair framed a handsome face with compassionate green eyes that currently held a look of steel. His clothing, beautiful without being ostentatious and with only golden pauldrons for armor, gave the already regal man a very poised appearance. "Though I will admit that we were unaware of Kokabiel until we felt the massive surge of power emanating from this place seconds before."

Naruto ignored the pointed look sent his way.

"Sirzechs," the man who spoke next appeared almost plain compared to the other two, yet the twelve wings blacker than raven feathers told Naruto that his prowess was likely on par with the them, "I believe I owe you and all the devils here an apology. I hadn't realized that Kokabiel had gone rogue until a few scant hours ago when he, along with two-hundred of our brethren, disappeared from the citadel."

"I find it hard to believe that a man of your stature was unaware of his subordinates disloyalty, Azazel," Sirzech's voice turned hard, cold. Azazel flinched. "Had I not been aware of your eccentricities in advance, I would have assumed you were lying to try and save face."

The soldiers of the three factions shifted. Fingers tightened around weapons. Armor clinked together, clacking ominously as if knowing that a battle was about to break out.

"He is not lying."

Everyone turned to him. Naruto stared at Sirzechs as he gestured to Azazel.

"He is not lying."

"How can you tell?" the blond Angel asked. Standing beside him, another Angel, a woman with twelve white wings, also looked curious to know how he knew that Azazel wasn't lying.

"I can sense the intent of others," Naruto directed his words at the angel. "Whether it's killing intent, the intent to cause harm, or the intent to lie, I can feel it." He gestured toward Azazel. "I sense no intent to lie in him."

"He could be fooling this sense of yours."

"No," Naruto shook his head, "you cannot mask intent like that. You can hide lies behind a calm facade, or disguise the tremor in your voice that tells others you are lying, but the ability to mask intent itself is not something anyone, be they human, devil, fallen angel or otherwise, possess."

While the angel did not seem convinced, Sirzechs smiled.

"If my itouto says Azazel isn't lying, then I guess I have no choice but to believe him."

"Thank you, aniki."

"I had not realized you had a brother, Sirzechs," the angel seemed surprised by the titles he and the Crimson Satan called each other.

"I don't," was Sirzech's cheerful answer, "however, Naruto here is dating my little sister, Rias, and so even though he's not related by blood, he might as well be family."

"So I see."

"And speaking of family."

Sirzechs looked to his left as the sea of devil reinforcements parted to make way for two people.

"Naruto!"

"Rias," Naruto whispered as the girl rushed him, pouncing like a tigress pounces on a mouse. Naruto stumbled back a step, but held his ground as he wrapped his arms around the redhead. He spun around once, and then set the girl on her feet, still holding her in his arms. It was only after several seconds of holding each other that he realized she was crying. "Rias?"

"I was so worried about you." Fingers clenched the back of his shirt, and a fist clenched his heart, causing it to constrict painfully in his chest. "When you disappeared, I was so worried. I don't think I've ever been more worried in my life."

"I'm sorry," Naruto whispered, his hold around Rias' waste tightening. "I never meant to worry you, and I'm sorry that you had to go through so much while I was gone. Had I known what would happen, I would have never left."

Rias didn't say anything. Her grip tightened and her tears continued to flow. Those around them, witnessing this scene, shifted uncomfortably.

"Well," Sirzechs started, "I believe we should give them some privacy."

Michael nodded in agreement.

"It is only right."

"Besides that, we have a lot to discuss," Azazel added, "don't we?"

"Yes," Sirzech's nod was quite grave, "we do."

~Devil Ninja~

The elation at seeing Naruto return safe and sound had worn off, and all that remained was a feeling of hurt. Hurt and betrayal.

"You left me."

Naruto winced.

"I know."

They were in one of the many rooms of their mansion. Naruto sat in seiza on the ground rather than taking a couch. The contrite look on his face proved his remorsefulness at one he had done, but that did not change how hurt Rias felt, it did not heal the damage done, the feelings of betrayal his leaving had caused.

"Why?" it was a simple one word question, but it carried so much meaning behind it.

"I…" Naruto didn't shift, but he did hesitate. "At the time, I thought… I thought it was a good idea. I knew that whoever was in charge of the people who came after me wouldn't stop chasing me if I defeated their henchmen. I determined that it would be in the best interest of your peerage to find out who this was person and deal with them before they became a threat."

It was, in all honesty, a sound and logical decision, and Rias couldn't help but applaud Naruto's forethought. At the same time…

"So you went off to an unascertained location, to meet a person powerful enough to order around the likes of Kuroka, without giving so much as a 'by your leave.'"

"I asked Asia to tell you what was happening…"

"That doesn't make this any better!" Rias snapped. "Don't you get it, Naruto? You left us, you left me, without orders, without a word and with no way to reach you! Never mind the fact that you nearly worried me to death, you could have also damaged my reputation as a king, and thereby damaged Sirzech's position as a Satan!"

Being the king of a peerage meant more than simply having servants to boss around. It was a way for other devils to judge your worth, a method of determining your value in society and, by extension, the value of your family. Kings who were too weak to control their peerage lost status among other devils, and a weak king was a soon to be deposed king.

Rias was a high-class devil, the heiress to one of the seventy-two pillars, and the sister of a maou. A lot of pressure had been placed upon her shoulders, and with that pressure came a lot of stress. People were always watching her. Judging her. Determining her worth. That was part of the reason she'd left for the human world, to allow herself a bit of freedom away from the gawking stares of her peers and the observation of high-ranked devils waiting for her to screw up.

However, just because she had removed herself from the eyes of pompous nobles did not mean their eyes ever truly left.

"I'm sorry," Naruto whispered, his head bowed, eyes closed. "I never meant to threaten you or your brother's position. I… I am so sorry."

Rias' smile was sad, a reflection of her heart, which felt like thousands of needles dipped in acid had pierced it.

"If saying sorry was all it took to make things right, than our world would be a much better place."

~Devil Ninja~

Kuoh Academy had been completely rebuilt. Naruto had heard a rumor that it was the Fallen Angels who had rebuilt it as a means of reparations toward Sona and Rias for Kokabiel's actions, though he knew nothing about the veracity of those rumors.

The hospital had also been rebuilt, and that was where Naruto found himself. His relationship with Rias was strained, and so he'd decided to take care of those who were still unconscious as a means of distracting himself. It helped, if only a little.

After ringing out the cloth in his hand, Naruto walked over to the bed of the one called Irina Shidou. Akeno had told him that she, along with the blue-haired one, Xenovia, were both exorcists working for the Church, and that they had been a great help during the debacle with Kokabiel and the stolen Excaliburs.

Guilt struck him like a fire dragon jutsu to the face, but he pushed it back. Sitting by the girl's bed, he slowly wiped off the accumulation of sweat that had gathered during her fight.

"Ngg… gg…" The girl moaned. Her eyelids fluttered open, slowly at first, revealing purple irises. Eyes flickered around in their pupils before locking onto him.

"Hello," Naruto spoke kindly, if a bit distractedly.

"You…" a strained whisper. "Who… who are you?"

"My name's Naruto," he introduced himself, even as he continued his actions of slowly wiping some sweat from the girl's face.

"Naruto," Irina breathed heavily, her voice thick with exhaustion. "Rias talks about you a lot."

Naruto ignored the sharp stab to his heart that her words caused. He knew she didn't mean anything. She didn't know about his strained relationship with Rias.

"Is that so? I hope they're good things."

Irina's half-lidded eyes smiled at him.

"She always talks about how strong and compassionate you are. She says that… that you're the strongest, nicest person she's ever met."

The words created a conflict within his mind. Pride and pain warred with each other, battering against his heart. None of this showed on his face, and instead, he gave the girl a kind smile.

"I don't know about the strongest or the nicest," he began, "but I suppose I'm not the worst."

"Is it true?"

"Excuse me?"

"Rias told me that your dream is for a world of peace," Irina stated. "Is it true?"

"Yes," Naruto whispered, memories of Jiraiya, the man who'd passed his legacy onto him, filling his mind. "My goal in life has always been to achieve a peaceful world through compassion and understanding. I think if everyone can learn to understand one another, then we'll eventually be able to achieve true peace."

Irina blinked several times, her eyes slowly fluttering open and closed.

"That… sounds like a nice dream. You're an odd devil, you know that?"

"Am I? No one's ever told me that before."

"Well… you are… you're really… odd…"

Naruto's lips twitched as Irina fell back asleep. It had only been a few hours since the battle, so he guessed she was still exhausted from the ordeal. Ophis had healed her physical wounds, but there was no healing from exhaustion.

After he finished wiping off Irina's face, he replaced the cloth and then moved over to Ravel's bed. He had just sat down and began cleaning off the dirt and grime when her eyes snapped open and locked onto him.

"Naruto-sama?"

"So you're awake," Naruto sent the girl a gentle look, "I'm glad to see that you've recovered so quickly. I guess you're not a Phenex for nothing."

Ravel blinked several times, as if not quite sure what she saw was real.

"Naruto… sama…"

"Um, Ravel?"

"Naruto-sama!"

A jolt of shock coursed through him like someone had coated their finger with a chidori and poked his heart. He looked down at the blond girl who'd launched herself from the bed to bury her face in his chest. Her hold on him tightened, and it was with a start that he realized she was crying.

This is the second girl I made cry in the past two hours. Naruto thought mirthlessly. I must be an asshole.

"Naruto-sama! Naruto-sama!"

"It's okay," Naruto pulled the girl off the bed and into his lap, where he wrapped her in a hug. "I'm sorry for worrying you."

"Wasn't worried," Ravel's muttered words were muffled by his shirt. "I knew you would come, but I… I just…"

"You were scared." Ravel nodded against his chest, her hold around his waist tightening. Naruto closed his eyes, his grimace one of pain. "I'm sorry. I should have been here to protect you."

"That's right. You should have," Ravel tilted her head to look at him, her blue eyes wide and an adorable blush lighting up her cheeks. "You… because you weren't here to protect me, you have t-to take… you have to take responsibility!"

Naruto had absolutely no clue what that meant, but decided that it really didn't matter. He'd wronged this girl. He should have been there when she needed him, should have defended her when she was in danger. Instead he'd been off gallivanting with a group of potential enemies and an entity beyond the power of all three factions combined.

"You're right."

"Eh?"

"I said you're right," Naruto cast the flabbergasted Ravel an amused smile, "I have to take responsibility for not protecting you when I should have."

"W-w-w-wha… you… you don't have to," Ravel suddenly became shy and bashful, burying her face further into his pectorals, which she did without really thinking. He knew this, because less than a second later, she squealed and leapt out of his lap and back onto the bed.

"You're right, I don't have to." Ravel's head snapped to look at him. "But I want to."

She looked back down at the bed, at where she poked her index fingers together.

"Do you really mean that?"

"Of course," Naruto thumped his chest, "I promise that I'll take responsibility and always be there to protect you—eh?! R-Ravel!" Naruto reached out and caught the girl in his arms as her body went limp. Steam rose from her head and her face had become a mass of red. "Ah, crap! Ravel? Come on, answer me! Ravel! Ravel!"

~Devil Ninja~

Naruto aimlessly wandered the halls of Kuoh Academy. After Ravel had fainted on him, he'd panicked and called a real nurse. Grayfia, who'd responded to his frantic shouts, had informed him that there was no need to worry, and that Ravel would recover soon enough. She had then promptly kicked Naruto out, stating the patients needed rest and he was a disruption.

"Ah, there you are," a familiar voice spoke up.

"Aniki," Naruto greeted as Sirzechs started walking alongside him, "can I help you with something?"

"I hear that Rias-tan is mad at you." Sirzechs must have noticed his flinch, because his next words were clearly meant to be reassuring. "Try not to let her giving you the cold shoulder get to you. She loves you very much. She's just hurt because of what happened, and worried about what might happen the next time someone comes after you."

"I know." Naruto gave Sirzechs a pained smile. "I know why she's doing this, and you don't have to worry. I won't let this get to me."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"So how are the talks between the three factions going?"

"They're going as well as can be expected," Sirzechs said with a cheerful mien. "We three leaders have been trying to speak on even footing for some time, and now we're finally able to do just that. While I dislike how it was because Rias and Sona were attacked and nearly killed, that doesn't mean I can't latch onto this unique opportunity."

Naruto nodded noncommittally. He knew that Sirzechs had been trying to broker peace between the three factions for a long time now. Ever since the great war in which God had lost his life, the three biblical factions had lost much of their power. Even covering up God's death as they had done hadn't stopped people from noticing the difference. Devils acted with more caution. Fallen Angels no longer roamed free as they once had. The Heavenly Host had sequestered themselves behind Heaven's gate, only coming out to communicate their will to the Church. It was a broken system, and Sirzechs had dreams of fixing it by forging an alliance with Angels and the Fallen.

"Has there been any talks of peace?"

"Not yet," Sirzechs admitted. "Despite being the leaders of our respective groups, we can't have peace talks between just the three of us. Other members will have to become involved. High-class devils, Grigori generals and the Seraph. A peace brokered by just us three is doomed to fail because there will be those who feel as if we went behind their backs, and there are some who will dislike the heavy-handedness of our actions."

"Politics," Naruto sighed, "I hate politics."

Sirzechs smiled mischieviously.

"If you plan on marrying Rias, then you're going to become involved in politics one way or another."

Naruto stumbled, but managed to catch himself. He sent Sirzechs a glare.

"Rias and I haven't talked about that yet, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't bring it up until I've had a chance to speak with her."

"So what you're saying is that you have thought about marrying my sister." Sirzechs seemed inordinately pleased by this. "You know that if you did marry Rias, you would become my brother in more than just name, right?"

Naruto wasn't really in the mood for this conversation, so he did what came naturally to him and changed the subject.

"Tell me," his face shifted, becoming serious, grave even. Sirzechs must have sensed the tension that quickly permeated the air, for he, too, masked his face in a gravely visage. "Have you ever heard of the Chaos Brigade?"