Well, it's been quite some time since I've uploaded another chapter, huh?

I'm sorry about the lack of updates, everyone. Things just get in the way of my writing sometimes, and I am currently in the process of moving into a new apartment with a couple other people.

Plus, I also tend to spend a lot of time writing each chapter because I want to post the best quality work I can produce for you all, while still fitting into the context of the plot.

However, this doesn't mean I am inactive in my developments. I have successfully been able to assemble Naruto's and Xander's respective teams, which I will have more information about at the end of this chapter.

Nevertheless, on with the Disclaimer!

Sixsamchaos does not own Highschool DxD, Naruto, and any anime/manga/game/etc. character in this story. He does, however, own the plot and any and all OCs that appear unless stated otherwise.

*The Next Day*

"Geez, Xander-jiji. You really know how to make a guy sore," groaned Naruto as he stretched his aching body, moaning from a few satisfying pops that came from it.

Xander huffed as he pressed a button on his car keys, locking the vehicle as he followed after his former charge. "Well, get used to the feeling, gaki. Tsunade and I still have a whole lot of ground to cover, if we want you to reach our skill levels. Your healing factor should be able to handle the training though."

Naruto nodded, as he waved to a few of his passing classmates. "So, Rias Gremory will be wanting to meet me today," muttered Naruto as he and Xander walked into the main building and away from prying ears, as the morning bell had not rung yet.

Xander nodded. "Sona will most likely have told Rias about us by now. While her family cooperatively runs the school with the Gremory Clan, Kuoh is actually a territory belonging to Rias' family. Anything that Sona learns about, her friendship with Rias aside, she must report it to the Gremory heir."

Naruto rubbed his head with a sigh. Great, only one day had passed and he was already becoming an interest to the devil community.

"I still can't believe you and Tsunade-baachan are ancient warriors living in 'enemy' territory," added Naruto while quoting with his fingers.

"Or the fact that you're actually the son of two powerful shinobi, one of whom being a nine-tailed kitsune yokai," smirked Xander.

"Yeah, there's that too," sheepishly grinned Naruto.

Xander opened his mouth to talk, but groaned when he saw a certain student council duo waiting patiently outside his classroom. Said duo looking up as they heard Naruto and Xander approach.

"Well, you certainly work fast, Sitri-san," deadpanned Xander before nodding towards the President's faithful friend and Queen. "Tsubaki-san."

"Melee-sensei," greeted the Vice President.

"Sona-san. Tsubaki-san," smiled Naruto, getting a polite nod from Tsubaki and a small smile from the Sitri heir.

"Hello, again, Naruto-san."

"I'm assuming you're here to interrogate me, Sitri-san," grunted Xander.

"I would like to learn more about why a Celestial Hierarch of all beings would be living in Kuoh, Melee-sensei," coolly replied Sona, getting the teacher and her own vice-president to go wide-eyed before turning back to Naruto. "Naruto-san. Rias-chan will be expecting you today after school. Please head to the old school building once classes are finished. She also requested Melee-sensei to come as well, since both Rias-chan and I wish to speak with you both."

Xander sighed, "First of all, it's former Celestial Hierarch. Secondly, I think you're smarter than your ancestors. To think you figured out who I was from just what the gaki told you."

"Thank you for the compliment, Melee-sensei," smirked Sona before returning to her professionally stoic expression.

Naruto, on the other hand, sent a subtle glance towards his old caretaker. It seemed that the return to the supernatural world bothered Xander much more than he let on, as he could sense the frustration coming off the military history teacher.

"Is there anything else you wish to tell us, Sona-san?"

Sona shook her head. "No. I believe that is everything I wished to inform you for now. Besides, school will begin soon and we cannot miss our classes. Have a good day, Melee-sensei. Naruto-san."

"You have a nice day as well, Sona-san. You too, Tsubaki-san," smiled Naruto, while Xander merely nodded in return.

Her task finished, Sona nodded before she left the hall with her faithful, yet still shaken, Queen following, leaving Xander and Naruto standing in front of the older man's classroom. Sighing one last time, Xander merely waved at his former charge, as Naruto moved to get to his first class. Just as Xander unlocked and opened his door, two very familiar students entered the hall and walked up to greet their homeroom teacher.

"Good morning, Melee-sensei," greeted a cheerful Akeno as Rias also smiled at the military history teacher, her eyes shining with an undecipherable gleam.

"Devils truly are sadists with impeccable timing," deadpanned Xander as he held his door open for his young students, a headache already starting to form.

Akeno giggled as she and Rias gave their military history teacher sly smiles as they entered the classroom. "I do hope that we can become friends, Melee-sensei. I do wish to learn about who and what you are," teased Rias, as Akeno continued her giggling.

Xander raised a brow. "Sona-san hasn't told you what I am?"

Rias pouted, her cheeks puffing adorably. "No. Sona-chan merely said that it will be shocking and told me that you'll be introducing yourself at our meeting today."

If the military history teacher was bothered by the Gremory heir's words, he didn't show it as Xander had placed his infamous stoic mask on as more students began to enter the classroom. However, if one were to pay close attention, they would have seen the subtle twitch that Xander's right eye would make from time to time.

'Today is going to suck so much. At least I'm not dealing with Serafall and Sirzechs. How Grayfia keeps those two in line is something I will never know.'

Taking his usual spot in front of his students, Xander cleared his throat before turning to the board. "Please open your textbooks to page 32. We'll be looking over the history and strategy of the Greco-Roman empires this week, including their connections with the Greco-Roman gods, and there is a lot to take in so it's best that you take notes."

Meanwhile, Rias and Akeno were looking over their teacher with a new light, feelings of suspicion and curiosity swimming around within their minds. Not that it was very surprising. Despite Akeno's thorough investigations, the Fallen Angel-Devil hybrid couldn't find any piece of significant information on the white-haired teacher, the only significance being the fact that the man in front of them had nothing about him at all. It wasn't until their good friend and rival, Sona Sitri, informed them of their instructor's awareness of their world that the King and Queen duo made any dent into the man's enigmatic history. Combined with his lack of magical power or any supernatural aura, the military history teacher was no longer only just a mystery but also a potential threat as well.

'And as caretaker of Kuoh, it is my duty to protect this city as well as my family.'

'Ara Ara, Melee-sensei. Things will certainly become more interesting with you and Naruto-kun here.'

Elsewhere, a certain kitsune yokai felt a dark shiver go down his back, looking around his surroundings nervously at the unsettling feeling.

'This is going to be a long day.'

Once he finished writing, the military history teacher turned around to address his students and finally begin his lesson for the day.

*After School*

"I'm going to need a lot of aspirin later," sighed Xander as he massaged his temples.

Glancing back at his former caretaker, Naruto furrowed his brows as he helped the man complete his daily end-of-school clean-up. It was decided between student and master that they would still attempt to go about their daily routines, despite the newly added complications. Besides, there wasn't any harm in trying to keep some semblance of normalcy in what would undoubtedly be a more exciting chapter in their lives.

…Well, exciting for one. More of a headache for the other.

"You really don't seem to like this meeting, Xander-jiji."

Xander sighed at his young student and surrogate son. "Tsunade and I stayed under the radar for a reason, Naruto. We were tired and done with the Three Factions and the stupid war. Involving myself with the supernatural world again would not only bring Tsunade back in, but a whole slew of old memories and nightmares as well."

Frowning at the thought of his old caretaker and surrogate mother being threatened, Naruto gave his mentor a concerned look. "You know, you don't have to go. I can just tell them that you had something to do, and that you wanted nothing to do with their factions."

Xander gave a slight smile at his former charge's worry but waved the offer off regardless. "Don't worry about me, kid. I'm pretty much an ancient relic to them. It's you that they'll be most interested in. Just be sure to be careful. No matter how nice any member of the Three Factions may appear to be, they aren't above manipulation and force if it means their side's safety or advantage."

Naruto nodded, as he finished putting away the stacks of leftover paperwork. Once the room was finally clean, the duo of master and student dusted themselves off before heading out into the hall and making their way towards one of the school's side entrances. Since Xander was a member of the faculty and with Naruto having already explored most of the school grounds, they were easily able to find and follow the path that would lead them to the old school building.

Fortunately, the trek wasn't very long nor was it tedious. Originally, the old school building served as the main building for Kuoh Academy, as it was meant to only be a local educational institution instead of a large school. When it gained prominence, notably after it had been acquired by the joint Gremory and Sitri families, the small city and its school's student body suddenly found themselves greatly expanding. As a result, a larger main building had to be designed and constructed, especially with some renovations having been made due to the Academy's recent acceptance of male students. In fact, another building had to be designed behind the new main building for the lower grades in order to accommodate the large influx of students. In the end, the old school building was decommissioned but was never scheduled for demolition, having been turned into more of a large storage unit for the rest of the school while the third-floor clock tower served to help nearby students get to their classes. This changed when Rias Gremory gained permission to use the old building for her 'Occult Club' and their 'investigations' into the supernatural, at least that's what it said on paper.

In reality, the old building, while still being used as a storage unit, was renovated to become the headquarters for Rias and her peerage, although she did immediately give Sona permission to use it in case the Sitri heiress and her peerage ever needed it. While the young heiress felt the student council room to be more her sense of a command center, Sona nonetheless graciously accepted her best friend's generous offer, if only to make sure that a back-up safe haven was available for her and her peerage.

Let it be known that Sona Sitri is a devoted follower of the phrase: "Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it."

"So what do you think will happen during the meeting?"

Xander glanced at his young student before returning his gaze to the upcoming school building. "They'll most likely ask us questions like who and what we are. Rias might also ask either of us to join her peerage, while Sona would most likely try and learn more about me. Seeing Rias and her peerage's reactions to our identities might also be a bonus to the Sitri heir."

Naruto grimaced. "As great as she sounds from what I've heard, I'd rather not become the servant of a devil or a devil myself. Being cuddled to death is also something I don't plan on experiencing. As for Sona-san, she always seemed to be a curious one."

Xander nodded. "The Sitri clan was not only known for their great abilities with water magic and medical expertise but also for their desire for knowledge. I've only met a few individuals and groups who were just as inquisitive, such as Athena and her children."

Hearing the name of the Greek Goddess of Wisdom caused Naruto to stumble a bit before he quickly caught himself. "Whoa! Hold up! You've met Athena! As in, the actual Greek Goddess, Athena?"

Xander nodded before grimacing with a grunt. "Met and fought. You know that I don't like getting mixed up with the supernatural world again; however, it is the leaders of the supernatural that are the real cause for my frustration and reluctance. It might be my remnant feelings of humanity, but let's just say that I don't have the best of relationships with most of the Gods and Goddesses of the various pantheons."

Naruto raised a brow at his teacher's words, but decided not to question further, especially since the duo had just reached the front entrance of the old school building. If his former caretaker had something to tell him, then there was no doubt that the man would let him know when the time was right.

"Ara, ara. Thank you for accepting our invitation, Melee-sensei. Naruto-kun," greeted Akeno, as she opened the large doors and greeted the two men.

Naruto smiled politely at the beautiful third year and returned the greeting, while Xander merely nodded, already falling into his infamous stoic expression. In return, Akeno smiled amiably at the kitsune hybrid, although she inwardly frowned at the lack of reaction from her school teacher.

It seemed her usual tactics won't work with the mysterious man.

…Challenge accepted.

"Rias-buchou asked me to lead you to our main room. Sona-sama and her peerage is also there alongside the rest of Buchou's peerage," informed Akeno as she led the master and student through the empty halls.

"I'm assuming you've informed Issei about his new life and responsibilities," started Xander as they approached the large doors that led into the clubroom.

Akeno nodded. "Yes. Issei-kun was a little overwhelmed at first, but he quickly came to realize the possible benefits of being a devil and, more importantly, being a part of Rias-buchou's peerage."

Naruto gave the busty third-year a blank look. "She said he could make a harem, right?"

"Um…yes. That's one of the main reasons he was fine with becoming a devil actually," sweat-dropped Akeno.

The blonde third-year sighed. "Figures."

Xander shrugged his shoulders, "Issei is a pervert. Perverts tend to be very easy to manipulate unless they're intelligent and experienced."

"Um, how do you know that, Xander-jiji?"

Xander pinched his nose with a grimace. "You have no idea how many perverts Tsunade and I had to deal with, whether they were allies or our enemies. Remember all those stories we shared with you about Jiraiya?"

Naruto raised a brow as he thought about his late godfather. "Yeah. You guys always ended up getting run out of town or getting into fights with some sort of gang."

"Well, most of those incidents were caused by Jiraiya's perverted antics. He kept flirting with women who were somehow affiliated with the underground gangs and organizations. They helped us take those scumbags down in the long run, but that didn't mean Tsunade was amused with his perversion."

Akeno giggled, as she reached out to open the large doors. "Sounds like an interesting tale. I hope to hear some of your adventures sometime, Melee-sensei."

"We'll see about that, Akeno-san."

"Rias-buchou. Sona-sama. Melee-sensei and Naruto-kun are here as requested," called out Akeno as the group entered the main clubroom.

"Wow, this place is bigger than I thought," hummed Naruto as he scanned the spacious room.

The room itself was quite spacious, most likely due to its former occupation as one of the larger classrooms for the old structure. Wood-paneled and decorated with designs and artifacts representative of an occult research club, the room's main features were a few Victorian-style couches and chairs along the walls. A small table could be seen in front of the couches, while a large runic crest was etched into the floor near the other end of the room. There was even an office-style desk set up near the windows that had a small stack of papers on it. However, the most distinguishing, and strangest in Naruto's mind, feature of the clubroom was the bathtub and shower curtain that was placed in the far left corner of the large room. In addition, the duo were able to spot another set of doors on the other end, most likely leading to another room.

Currently though, the large room was filled with a large amount of students, with each person recognizing both of the newly arrived duo.

"Yes it is. Something quite fortunate, as the Occult Research Club rarely has this many visitors, Naruto-kun," spoke the infamous, or rather famously adored, founder of the club itself.

"Rias Gremory."

Rias giggled melodiously, all too used to stoic expressions. "It's good to finally meet you, Melee-sensei. You as well, Naruto-kun."

"Eh?! Naruto?! Melee-sensei?! What are you doing here?!" cried Issei as he saw his best friend and his favorite teacher approach the sitting area, which was filled up with the Gremory and Sitri peerages.

"Ah, it's good to see you still alive, Issei," smiled Naruto as he waved in greeting.

Xander sighed before raising his arm…

*BONK*

*THUD*

"OW! What the hell was that for, Melee-sensei?!" cried Issei as he nursed the bump that was forming, while the rest of the room's occupants stared in shock at their normally strict, yet stoic teacher.

*CHOP*

"OOOOWWWW," cried Issei once again, only this time it was Naruto whom had caused the damage.

"That was for getting yourself killed, and causing me a whole lot of grief," growled Xander as he scowled at his, admittedly, favorite student.

"You really scared me back there, you baka. Seeing one of my friends die right in front of me is something I never wanted to happen," shouted Naruto.

Stiffening at the worried and concerned tones of his teacher and friend, Issei merely gave a weak smile back to the new visitors.

"Sorry about scaring you guys. I didn't know you guys knew about what happened to me. Actually, I'm still a bit overwhelmed from all this supernatural stuff that's going on."

Xander mere sighed, as Naruto helped the second-year back to his feet, while everyone else just stared in confusion at the dynamics between the three men.

"Um, Buchou. Now that Melee-sensei and Naruto-san are here, shouldn't we begin this meeting?" asked Kiba as he turned his attention back to the task at hand.

Rias clapped her hands, as she stood up from her large desk to greet her teacher and fellow third-year. "You're right, Kiba-kun. Now that everyone's here, we can finally get this meeting underway."

Sharing a glance with Sona, Rias and her childhood friend quickly reorganized the seating so that their respective peerages were either sitting or standing behind or next to the two Clan heiresses, as Rias and Sona sat on one couch, while Xander and Naruto were sitting across from them. On Rias' left stood Kiba, while Koneko sat on one of the loveseats. To the crimson devil's immediate right sat Sona, while the Sitri heiress's peerage stood or sat on the far right, with Tsubaki standing right behind her King. Likewise, Akeno also stood behind Rias after having served everyone treats and refreshments.

"…So, what is it that you guys wanted to talk with us," Naruto awkwardly began, as it appeared his mentor had no intention of starting the conversation.

"We simply wish to make sure that there won't be any hostilities between us, as it is our duty to watch over this city and to maintain peace amongst the Three Factions," began Rias, as she smiled warmly at the two.

Sona nodded. "Ever since the Great War between Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels had ended in a stalemate, maintaining the delicate peace between the three sides has always been a major priority. In fact, many of us fear the day when the Great War would begin again."

"We also wish to learn more about you both, as we could hopefully become friends and comrades in the future," added Rias.

Naruto simply nodded in understanding, but was surprised when Xander snorted at the devils' words.

"I can think of quite a few people who'd want the war to start back up again," muttered Xander, as he stared at the two heiresses and their respective peerages.

"Xander-jiji," warned Naruto as he sent the older man a look.

"Fine," sighed the military history teacher, as he waved off the frowns sent his way, though Issei's expression held more confusion rather than offense.

Rias cleared her throat, as she ignored her teacher's unusual and brusque behavior. "Perhaps, we've started off on the wrong foot. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Rias Gremory, heir to the House of Gremory, one of the remaining Seventy-Two Pillar families of the Underworld," greeted Rias as she stood and gave a respectful bow to Xander and Naruto.

Straightening up, Rias then pointed to each of her peerage members and began introducing them.

"Behind me is my childhood friend and Queen, Akeno Himejima. To my left is my Knight, Kiba Yuuto. You both already know my Pawn, Issei Hyoudou, while you've already met my final member, Koneko Tojou, my Rook."

"We've met," smiled Naruto as he waved at the smaller Youkai, to which he surprisingly received a small wave in return.

As Rias sat down, Sona likewise did the same with her peerage, although she did send a brief glare at Saji so that he wouldn't start another fight with Issei. Honestly, the two Pawns were much more alike than they would care to admit. Nonetheless, Sona returned her attention to the two men sitting before her, as Naruto stood up and bowed to the crowd of devils.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki, newly discovered Kyuubi no Kitsune yokai," smiled the blonde third-year, as Rias and the others, aside from Sona and Tsubaki, blinked in confusion and a bit of disbelief.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun, but…did you say that you are a Kyuubi no Kitsune," asked the Gremory heiress, eyes wide with surprise.

Naruto nodded, as he released his illusion and revealed his fluffy ears and tails for everyone to see. Xander, on the other hand, nearly smacked himself when he saw the reactions that the devils were giving his student.

Kiba looked upon the kitsune blonde with a surprised expression, although his eyes soon took on a calculative feel with a slight hint of awe shining in his orbs. Kitsunes, similar like most other upper tier yokai, were legendary for their abilities and fighting prowess. Combined with their inherent love and protectiveness for family, the kitsune species are considered a force to be reckoned with, similar to the nekomata, and was amongst the list of species that the young swordsman wanted to meet and even fight in a contest of blades.

Meanwhile, every single one of the female devils seemed to have frozen for a moment before suddenly squealing, blushing, or fidgeting at what they perceive to be a very handsome and cuddly fox. However, the adorable surprise seemed to have the greatest effect upon three of the girls in particular. Koneko was blushing and fidgeting a bit, being drawn to the large and very comfortable warmth that was Naruto's chakra, while Akeno seemed to be staring off into space, letting out a perverse giggle every few seconds. Finally, Rias seemed to have stars in her eyes, as she stared at the blonde's rich and fluffy characteristics, a healthy blush upon her cheeks. Likewise, Sona and Tsubaki also seemed to be a bit flushed but they kept their composure nonetheless.

Issei and Saji, however…

"Dammit, Naruto! Just one poof, and you get all the beautiful oppai girls to drool over you!" cried out Issei, as he and Saji both had tears streaming down their faces in true anime fashion.

"I hate you and respect you so much, you blonde bastard," whimpered Issei.

Naruto simply sweat-dropped at the two, while shivering slightly at the looks he was getting from all the beautiful girls.

Xander let out a tired sigh, wishing he had brought some Tylenol to deal with the oncoming headache. "We get it. Naruto here is adorable as hell. However, we need to get back on topic. You can cuddle him to death later."

Hearing their military history teacher's tired voice, Rias and Sona both snapped out of their distracted states before nodded.

"Apologies, Melee-sensei. It's just that it is unheard of to see a kitsune yokai to be a Kyuubi no Kitsune at such a young age. In fact, I don't recall there ever really being a record of such an occurrence," apologized Rias, as Sona nodded in confirmation.

Naruto scratched the back of his head, a little embarrassed at the implied praise, "I guess my appearance has a bigger effect than I thought…"

Xander nodded, a frown on his face. "Such events are usually unprecedented or kept secret. Paranoia and fear from the higher ups and the older generations usually result in an attempt to control or the death of young people who hold great power."

Having come from families with large amounts of history, Rias and Sona nodded grimly, recalling such events during their studies. In fact, Rias winced as she couldn't help but compare her teacher's words to the situations that resulted in Koneko and Akeno becoming her Rook and Queen respectively. Gasper's situation was also similar as well, and even her newest addition, Issei, to a certain respect. Glancing around, Rias confirmed her suspicions when she saw Koneko and Akeno's eyes dull a little bit. Not so much to be noticeable, but then again the crimson princess came to learn how to read her friends' emotional states over the years.

Once everyone was calmed down, the leaders of the two peerages immediately went back to the task on hand, now looking towards the teacher that just seemed to be full of surprises. Xander himself appeared to be reluctant at making his introduction, but a reassuring grip on his shoulder from Naruto gave him that final push.

And so, the military history teacher finally made his return to the supernatural world. Standing up, Xander gave a respectful bow, although not as low as when the two heiresses and Naruto had performed their bows. Straightening up to his full height, Xander took a deep breath before looking at his students with the most serious expression they had ever seen.

"I am Xander Melee, Hierarch of Dimensions, Guardian of Gaia, and Kuoh Academy's military history teacher."

…

"WHAT?!" cried out nearly everyone in the clubroom, and almost causing Naruto to fly over the couch he was sitting on.

Fully expecting such a reaction, Xander simply kept his serious composure.

As for Rias, the crimson-haired princess immediately looked to her oldest friend in disbelief, only to feel her eyes widen and jaw drop from Sona's nod of confirmation.

Meanwhile, Sona was inwardly highly amused by Rias' reaction and the reactions of the crimson princess's peerage. Admittedly, the reactions of her own peerage members were also very amusing. However, the Sitri heiress couldn't blame them, as she herself had felt the same disbelief that everyone else was now showing.

However, the silence quickly dissipated as a confused Issei open his mouth. "What's a Hierarch? Also, why is everyone so shocked?"

Saji nodded, also confused as to the sudden uproars.

Sona sighed, as she remembered that Saji had no idea of the significance of their teacher's title, as she had yet to teach him the full history of her race. The other members of her peerage had already studied quite a bit on devil culture and history, but it was comforting to know that her hard work had paid off. Likewise, Rias was able to reboot herself and answered her new family member's questions.

"A Hierarch is a title given to the leader of an organization, group, or people. While the rank of Hierarch is generally used in a religious order of some kind, there have been cases where it has been used outside of these orders."

"However, the rank itself is technically not as significant as Melee-sensei's affiliation. To put it simply, a Guardian of Gaia is a being of great and ancient power. They have been known to kill Gods and other immortals," continued Sona, as her calculative orbs stared into her teacher's serious ones.

"K-Kill Gods," stammered Issei as he and Saji stared at their teacher with both fear and awe.

Xander simply nodded his head before sighing and retaking his seat. While the girls weren't entirely correct, the main basics of what a Guardian was were technically true. Things were actually more complicated than what Sona and Rias had said. Still, he hated these types of reactions. They always made everything that much more frustrating.

Naruto turned to his mentor with a raised brow. "I thought you said most people wouldn't know who you are."

Xander grunted, "The Sitri and Gremory clans are two of the Seventy-Two pillar families of the devil world. As such, they are old enough to have ancient historical records. However, I am actually not famously labeled amongst the Three Factions as a Guardian of Gaia."

"Really," asked Issei, as Rias and the others blinked in confusion.

Xander nodded. "It was during the Great War. I was once known as the Void Knight."

"Impossible," gasped Rias, while Sona nearly jumped out of her seat.

"Rias-buchou, why are you so startled?"

Rias immediately turned to her Knight, a look of fear plastered on her face. "The Void Knight was one of the most dangerous enemies that any of the Three Factions had ever faced!"

"No way," cried Issei and some of the others, as they turned their sights back on their teacher.

Sona nodded. "Indeed. The Void Knight was legendary for being able to stand and fight overwhelming numbers and was even known for defeating the most powerful warriors that any of the Three Factions had ever produced. However, it was believed that he disappeared some time before the final battle. Today, the legend of the Void Knight is used mostly as a story to scare little children in the devil community."

"He even appeared in my closet and scared me out of my wits," cried Rias as she shivered at the memory, causing some of the others to blink.

"It's true. We were with her at the time," nodded Akeno as she and Koneko gave their teacher wary glares.

"Wait! So you mean to tell us that Melee-sensei, our old robot of a teacher," started Issei, to which he received a glare from said man, "is some kind of warrior boogeyman?!"

Xander scowled before frowning. "One, I am not a robot," he began before smacking a snickering Naruto over the head, "and two, I am not a boogeyman. I never went to the Gremory home much less hid in Rias' closet."

"But you said you were the Void Knight who came to collect our souls," countered Koneko, shivering from remembering the specter's dark aura.

Xander raised a brow before his eyes shined with some recognition. "Was I wearing nothing but white clothing, and carrying large scythe-like blades on my forearms?"

The three teens nodded before blinking at the man's tired sigh.

"That wasn't me. That was my twin brother," groaned Xander, rubbing his temples to stem another headache.

"Twin…brother?" muttered Rias.

Xander shook his hand in a so-so gesture, "sort of. His name is Void. He came into being around the same time I did. He fought in the shadows during the Great War."

Naruto raised a brow. "You never said anything about having a brother."

Xander grimaced. "With good reason. Void is extremely dangerous and is utterly insane. He is essentially an evil version of me, although with a very small conscience."

"Then, he scared us for no other reason than for laughs," frowned Rias as Akeno's aura also burned.

"That would be the most likely reason. I could never really guess what he would do next," replied Xander.

*Ahem* "Childhood trauma aside, I believe it is best to continue on with this meeting," coughed Sona, as she faced her sensei.

"As previously mentioned, our duty is to make sure that no harm comes to Kuoh and to prevent the Great War from starting again. While we know that neither Melee-sensei nor Naruto-san wish to cause trouble, this revelation regarding Melee-sensei cannot remain between us."

Xander sighed, knowing where Sona was going with this. "You plan to inform the Four Maou of our existence."

Sona nodded. "While Naruto-san has informed me that you do not wish to be associated with us and to continue on living a normal life, I do not believe it will be wise to keep something like this from the Four Maou."

"There is also the added fact that a misunderstanding could potentially arise later on. In fact, your history with the Three Factions might make the truce a bit more stable," added Rias.

"More like everyone teaming up to get rid of me once and for all," huffed Xander, causing Rias to wince at her poor choice of words.

"Easy, Xander-jiji. I'm sure Rias-chan didn't mean it like that," softly spoke Naruto, as he tried to calm his mentor.

Taking note of the affectionate honorific, Rias nonetheless nodded enthusiastically, sincerely appearing apologetic.

Xander sighed. "Just try to keep Sirzechs, Serafall, and Grayfia away from me. I've had seen enough of them back during the Great War."

"Is there a history between you and Onii-sama and Onee-sama," asked Rias, while Sona also seemed interested in her teacher's relationship with her own older sibling.

"All three of them were young upstarts during the Great War. They were still reckless and unrefined, despite their incredible skill and talent. I fought each of them back when they were simple commanders and lieutenants. However, the worst relationship I have amongst those three would be Grayfia."

Rias blinked. While it was true that her older sister-in-law didn't have the best of relationships with some people, especially with those whom were her enemies, it still stood that there was mutual respect and admiration between the silver-haired beauty and her foes.

Sensing his student's confusion, Xander decided to elaborate further. "As you know, Grayfia Lucifer is more commonly referred to as Grayfia Lucifuge, and is a former member of the Lucifuge family."

"Is this Grayfia's family important or something," asked Naruto.

Xander nodded. "The Lucifuge family is a clan whose members once served the original Lucifer and his direct descendants. They were amongst the strongest of the subservient clans to the original Maou."

"So what happened that caused what sounds like a lot of bad blood," asked Issei.

Xander grimaced, "I killed many members of Grayfia's family during the Great War, including her younger sisters. Sakuya and Selvaria Lucifuge."

Many of the devil teens gasped at the revelation before immediately understanding why their teacher did not want to meet with Grayfia. Rias now understood why her beloved older sister always regarded the Void Knight with such disdain and hatred whenever she mentioned him, and the slight pain her eyes always seemed to hide. As for the others, they too had a feeling of how hard it would be for the famous heroine of the Devil Civil War to carry such pain, even though none of them had gone through such a tragedy. Even Issei knew how devastating losing a sibling, any family member really, could be to a person.

"It was during the middle stages of the war. Grayfia and her siblings were assigned to back up a group of high-class devils. They were going to attack a village that was located near angel territory. I fought for the humans during the war, and was at that very same village at the time…"

"You fought off the devils and ended up killing Nee-sama's sisters," finished Rias, to which Xander nodded.

"I do not believe that Grayfia-sama won't find out about you, Melee-sensei," grimaced Sona.

Akeno nodded. "Sona-sama is correct. Grayfia-sama is Sirzechs-sama's wife and Queen. It will be impossible to inform the Maou and keep the knowledge of your existence away from her."

Xander merely waved off his students' concerns. "If it comes down to it, I will confront Grayfia. Whether anyone likes it or not, this confrontation has been a long time coming. My disappearance from the war prevented any sort of closure she could have had."

The two heiresses shared a worrying glance before sighing in acceptance, although they still weren't happy with the way Xander had simply waved off their concerns. Grayfia was powerful even before she had challenged Serafall for the title of Leviathan and was known as the Strongest Queen for a reason. Still, their teacher's situation regarding the Strongest Queen was a personal matter and did not truly affect the uneasy truce amongst the Three Factions. His presence alone was another matter altogether though.

"Very well, Melee-sensei. As my older sister is the Maou in charge of foreign affairs, I shall be the one to inform them of the situation," spoke Sona.

Xander merely nodded before turning to Rias, whom stood up and clapped her hands.

"Well, I believe that puts an end to this meeting. I really do hope that we could all become friends, Melee-sensei. Things have changed since the end of the Great War."

Unfortunately, Xander didn't share the crimson princess's enthusiasm, though Naruto smiled amiably at the young woman, liking her cheerful personality.

Now that the business had finally concluded, the tension in the clubroom seemed to slowly lift, as Xander, Rias, and Sona worked out some of the finer details, such as making contact with each other and how to inform one another about any new information that might come up.

Meanwhile, Naruto left the couch so that he could mingle with his fellow classmates and to check up on how Issei was dealing with the whole devil thing. The perverted sacred gear user was a bit overwhelmed from the information dump but seemed to be doing fairly well. However, the blonde did sweat-drop when Issei excitedly began talking about finally being able to achieve his greatest fantasy.

However, it was Naruto's mingling with Koneko and Akeno that seemed to cause the biggest impact. When Naruto walked up to greet the young Nekoshou, Koneko surprised everyone by immediately pulling her senior down to the couch before settling herself onto Naruto's lap, wrapping his fluffy blonde tails around herself. The young Nekoshou could no longer ignore the warm and comforting nature of Naruto's chakra. Sighing in contentment, Koneko unknowingly released her own yokai features, further surprising everyone around them. Not to be outdone, Akeno joined the two on the couch and teasingly leaned up against Naruto, whispering sweet nothings into his ear.

Needless to say, Naruto was confused, embarrassed, and scared all at once. Issei and Saji somehow conjured up their own thunder clouds and huddled depressingly in the corner, while Rias puffed her cheeks a bit at her friends' actions. Xander merely ignored the trio and continued his talk with Sona.

"Damn pretty boy," muttered Issei, as Saji continued crying.

*An Hour Later*

Once everything was in order, Sona said goodbye to Rias and told the military history teacher that she would be in contact before leaving. Likewise, her peerage also spoke their goodbyes before leaving the clubroom as well.

Currently, Naruto was back on the couch with Xander, still a little flustered from what Akeno had whispered into his ear, but no longer wrapped around Koneko. The young Nekoshou finally managed to recompose herself before muttering an apology to her fellow yokai and was now enjoying sweets that Akeno had cooked up. Akeno herself was again passing around tea and drinks to the room's occupants before taking her place next to her King. Kiba and Issei were simply lounging in their respective loveseats, occasionally having small talk with Naruto.

"So what is it that you wish to ask us, Rias-chan?" smiled Naruto, although the kitsune had a feeling about the reason why the crimson beauty wanted them to stay.

Rias nervously clasped her hands as she stared at the handsome young teen. "Um…N-Naruto-kun…Melee-sensei…"

"Yes," smiled Naruto encouragingly.

Although Naruto's smile was comforting, Rias still squirmed a bit as she inwardly cursed herself. This was the first time that the crimson heiress was actually trying to invite someone to become a part of her peerage. While Rias was taught by her parents and older brother on how to gather and bond with her peerage, the crimson heiress had never actually straight-up asked anyone to become her 'servant'. In fact, most of her current peerage members just sort of fell into her hands or were convenient opportunities.

"Would you both like to join my peerage, please?!" cried out the flustered King, deciding to simply go with the direct approach.

*Fufufu* "It seems Rias-buchou is a little flustered in asking Kitsune-kun and Melee-sensei to join our little family," giggled Akeno.

"No," replied Xander immediately and bluntly.

The blonde kitsune also denied the young heiress's request, although in a much more apologetic and polite manner.

"B-But why…"

Naruto gently raised his hands in a placating manner, smiling apologetically at Rias. "It's not that I'm not flattered, Rias-chan. It's just that I have no intention of becoming a devil anytime soon, especially since I'm still learning how to control my kitsune powers."

"You wouldn't really have to worry about your kitsune abilities, Naruto-san. The Evil Piece system doesn't really take away any physical or spiritual attributes. It simply reincarnates a person into a devil, making them a sort of hybrid," informed Akeno, as she showed Naruto her different wings to back up her statement.

"She can't use her pieces on us anyway," grunted Xander, causing everyone to blink in surprise.

"What do you mean, Melee-sensei," questioned Issei.

"Naruto here has too much chakra to turn into a devil. Likewise, I'm too powerful for any number of Evil Pieces, even if they're mutated ones," answered the military history teacher.

"What are Evil Pieces?" blinked Naruto, as he turned to Rias for an explanation.

"The Evil Piece system and its pieces are what allow us devils to reincarnate other species into new devils. After the Great War, each of the Three Factions suffered terrible losses and their populations dwindled. One of the Four Maou, Ajuka Beelzebub, developed the Evil Piece system so that we might be able to recover our numbers. Each High-class Devil, like myself, is given a set of Evil Pieces, which take the form of a single chess set, when they reach a certain age. Many devils use these pieces to form peerages, although the cost of each potential member differs upon their strength and what piece is being used to reincarnate them," informed Rias, as she gave a basic description of the system's purpose.

"You left out the part where those pieces essentially enslave those whom are reincarnated into devils," scowled Xander, horrifying both Issei and Naruto with the information.

Rias looked down in guilt, while the others frowned at the man's words.

"What are you talking about, Xander-jiji?"

"The Evil Piece system does more than reincarnate other species into devils, Naruto. Each Evil Piece is enchanted with a failsafe spell that the 'King' can use to force the people of their peerage into submission and follow their orders. Although this is mainly used to keep the newly reincarnated from going rogue or causing trouble, the pieces still have a passive spell that affects the reincarnated individual. It's a form of benign brainwashing that makes each peerage member become more accepting to being devils. The bottom line is that peerage members are essentially servants to their 'King' and their family, even when those members achieve higher rankings in devil society."

"The Gremory family has always been rather uncomfortable with such effects," grimaced Rias, "but it is an unfortunate safety net that Ajuka-sama placed in, so that newly reincarnated devils couldn't abuse their new abilities or cause trouble for the other factions."

"Rias-buchou is correct," added Akeno, "The Gremory Clan is famous for being the most family-oriented amongst the Seventy-Two pillars. The bonds of family and togetherness are ideals that are deeply integrated into Rias and her family."

Xander snorted. "Just because Rias and her family is appalled by it doesn't mean that other devils won't take advantage of the system's power. I've killed quite a few who were true scumbags."

Seeing his former charge's confusion and the looks of Rias and her friends, Xander decided to elaborate further. "This was back when you were a baby, Naruto. I'm still connected to Jiraiya's spy network. Sometimes I'm called in to handle the more complicated and messier situations."

Although frowning at discovering even more of his former guardian's secrets, Naruto nonetheless smiled and spoke comfortingly to Rias. "I'm sorry, Rias-chan. I can sense that you and everyone else here are good people, but I simply have no desire to become a devil, especially when I'm still just a teenager."

"Don't be, Naruto-kun. It's your decision in the end, and I will respect it. I just thought that you and Melee-sensei would make great members of our family," smiled Rias, her sadness lifting a bit.

Xander sighed. "I'm sorry if I upset you, Rias. It's just that I believe highly in the freedom of choice. The ability to willingly choose something and to fully accept the consequences is one of the few true freedoms that anyone could have."

"It's alright, Melee-sensei. Truthfully, I don't really like the powers behind the Evil Pieces, but I learned that the enchantments were a necessary evil."

"Still, I apologize. My words were harsh, and I had no right to push my frustrations upon you and your friends."

Naruto smiled upon hearing his former guardian. While his surrogate father wasn't the best of people to deal with, Naruto knew that Xander wasn't a malicious man and always wanted to make things right with others. He was definitely enigmatic and secretive, but a good man nonetheless.

Rias and the others smiled as well, the mood lightening a bit, as Naruto began to ask his new friends more about their lives and general devil life. Meanwhile, Xander was content with simply allowing his former charge to socialize with the young teens. Now that his student was fully and officially involved with the supernatural world, the military history teacher knew that such quiet moments would soon come to be rare occurrences.

However, the man still inwardly frowned when he felt a subtle pulse coming from Issei. The military history teacher had no doubt that the young man had been made aware of his latent powers, but the pulse still made Xander feel a bit uneasy. Issei's sacred gear was powerful even though it still felt dormant, and it had felt disturbingly familiar.

'I really hope it isn't one of the dragons. Ddraig and Albion were a bitch to deal with the last time. I don't know if I can handle those two causing trouble again. I'm still rusty from my inactivity.'

"Something wrong, Xander-jiji?"

The former guardian waved his hand. "Nothing serious. It's just that it's starting to get late. We still need to go to that special location we talked about yesterday. You should say goodbye to your new friends. You can meet up with them later."

Naruto nodded, while Rias and her peerage seemed intrigued by the words 'special location'. Nevertheless, the group said their goodbyes to the master-student duo as Naruto donned his illusion once more with Rias offering to escort them out.

Meanwhile, Akeno began to assign Issei his new devil tasks, while Kiba and Koneko prepared for any new contracts for the night.

As Xander and Naruto followed their crimson-haired escort, the young kitsune could not help but make glances towards the beautiful heiress. Naruto couldn't put his finger on it but something seemed to be drawing him to Rias. While he knew that she was very attractive and even admired her beauty, the young kitsune was never shallow when it came to things like love, or even dating in general. Still, the blonde third year certainly wouldn't complain about getting to know his new friend some more.

Unknowingly, Rias' thoughts weren't all too different from the blonde's. Soon enough, the three of them were standing in front of the main entrance, the sun having already set.

"Well, today was certainly exciting wasn't it, Naruto-kun? Melee-sensei?"

Naruto nodded, while Xander merely sighed. Rias giggled at her teacher and turned to Naruto.

"I really do hope you'll visit the Occult Research Club again, Naruto-kun. I think you've made quite the impression on everyone," smiled Rias.

Naruto chuckled. "I wouldn't really say that, Rias-chan, but I wouldn't mind spending more time and learning more about everyone. I might even make a request to join your club," grinned Naruto.

"I certainly wouldn't mind, Naruto-kun," smiled Rias.

Naruto was about to open his mouth, but Xander's hand immediately clamped itself over the blonde's lips. "We thank you for your time, Rias-san. However, we really do need to go. You and Naruto can flirt with each other later."

Both teens blushed, as Naruto immediately ripped the hand off his face before facing his mentor. "Xander-jiji! We weren't flirting!"

Xander rolled his eyes. "Whatever. The point is that we need to get going."

Rias shook her head a bit before smiling at Naruto once more, having controlled her blush. "Melee-sensei is correct, Naruto-kun. You should get going to where you need to go. I'll see you later."

"Alright," sighed Naruto before he grinned, "I'll stop by soon, Rias-chan."

Rias giggled, as she saw Xander grip Naruto's shoulder before two suddenly vanished. There was no noise or any disturbance of any kind.

Sighing to herself, Rias placed a hand on her chest as she turned to head back to the clubroom. "I really do hope we see each other soon. I can already tell that you are a special one, Naruto-kun."

*Several Miles Away From Kuoh*

Xander sighed, as he and his former charge finally reached their destination. Releasing his grip, Xander gestured Naruto to follow him through the forest. The two walked in comfortable silence for several minutes until they reached a clearing. As they approached, Naruto looked up and gasped at what he saw.

Under the glistening moonlight, the clearing was a large and circular. Beautifully colored flowers and plants were scattered throughout the area and swayed gently to the soothing breeze. Fireflies fluttered about, while the only noise to be heard was the current of the small river that flowed across the clearing. In the middle of the large area, a small but wide pond was dotted with several lily pads, and in the middle of the pond was a small circular piece of stone. It was etched with ancient runes and seemed to glow from the reflective water and moonlight.

"It's so beautiful," whispered Naruto as he stepped forward.

Xander smiled, appearing to be much more relaxed than before. "Yes, it truly is one of a kind."

"Where are we, Xander-jiji?" asked Naruto, as he turned to his mentor.

Xander gently brought his former charge to the pond before spreading his arms out, his eyes meeting with Naruto's.

"This is the Sanctuary of the Sages. It was created by your mother, father, and godfather years ago. It was here, that the three mastered and perfected their training in Senjutsu, Chakra, and the Sage arts."

Naruto gasped in awe as he looked around the sacred area, one of the last few remnants of his dead family. "My parents and Jiraiya-jiji created all this."

Xander nodded. "This area was a simple clearing years ago. However, it was used as a training and relaxation ground for your parents and godfather. In fact, it was here that your mother and father met, and also where Jiraiya first met Tsunade."

"It's amazing. How come you never brought me here before?"

"The same reason why we kept your kitsune heritage and our true identities from you. After your parents and godfather died, Tsunade and I decided to become protectors of this sacred place. We wanted to keep it safe from intruders. However, we felt that bringing you here could wait until after you had learned more about your heritage. This place is important to us, Naruto. And now, it is important to you."

Naruto sighed but nodded in understanding before turning to the stone island. "What about that stone island, Xander-jiji? Are those runes your handy work?"

Xander nodded before jumping onto the stone island and moving to stand right at its center. "There is another reason why this place is sacred, Naruto. While it is connected to your family spiritually and emotionally, it is connected to me physically."

"What do you mean, Xander-jiji?" blinked Naruto.

"Do you recall those stories about places being gateways to hell?"

Naruto nodded, starting to get an inkling of what his former guardian was talking about.

"Well, this location is a gateway as well. It is one of only a few locations on Earth that leads into the Afterlife."

Naruto gasped as he stared down at the ancient writings. "You mean this place leads to heaven?"

Xander shook his head. "Heaven, the home of the Angels, is an afterlife for the mortals and those chosen to be part of the Angel faction. The Afterlife is as its name implies. It is the next world where all supernatural beings go to after death. From the Three Factions to the many Yokai species. From chakra users to sages and spirits. Even immortal beings whom have faded away. They all are sent to the Afterlife before they choose to move on through the cycle of reincarnation."

"I can't believe it…"

Xander nodded. "I was surprised to find such a place in this world as well, but it has given people like Tsunade hope that there is a happy ending for everyone."

"But why are you telling me all this?" asked the blonde.

Sure it was amazing to be brought to such a place, but it didn't really make sense to the young kitsune. His mentor didn't need to tell him about the sanctuary being a portal to the Afterlife.

Xander smiled gently at his surrogate son. "It's because this will allow you to learn more about your heritage, Naruto."

Naruto felt his breath leave him. "Xander-jiji…"

Xander smiled as he focused and built up his energy, his eyes glowing brightly with the sudden boost in power. The ancient runes also began to glow with increasing intensity, surging with the energies coming from the former Hierarch.

Not long after, Xander's body began to glow as well, while orbs of pure energy began to form and encompass his hands. Once the former Hierarch believed he was using enough strength, Xander carefully brought his hands closer to his chest with his palms facing each other.

As all this was going on, Naruto looked on in shock, awe, and anxiousness. The young kitsune felt his illusion dissolve as Naruto felt the awesome power that was surging before him.

Xander grimaced with his eyes closed in concentration, sweat beginning to drip down his face. It had been quite some time since the last time he needed to call upon so much power, and any mistake now would have some catastrophic consequences.

Gritting his teeth, the military history teacher focused his energy into forming a small vertical disk that shined brilliantly from the shifting energies. Slowly, the former Hierarch spread his arms part as the portal began to increase in diameter and size. As it grew, so did the intensity of the light, as Xander fed the portal more of his power.

The intense light even forced Naruto to shield his eyes and back away slightly for safety.

Meanwhile, Xander continued the process of opening the portal until the shining gateway was as tall as his body and several feet in diameter. Panting slightly, Xander carefully began focusing his powers into keeping the gateway stable and the flow of power consistent.

Soon, the gateway began to lose its intense light until it simply gave hummed with a slight glow.

Naruto cautiously lowered his arms but quietly gasped when he saw two people step out of the shining gateway.

Standing before him were two people that the young kitsune wanted so desperately to meet, yet had never been able to do so. In fact, Naruto believed that he wouldn't be able to meet them for a very long time.

However, it seemed fate had other plans.

Standing before the frozen teen stood Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, parents of Naruto Uzumaki.

"…"

"NARU-CHAN!"

"?!"

*THUD*

Naruto blinked as he suddenly found himself flat on his rear with his head being squeezed into the bosom of his smiling mother. However, the young teen finally managed to restart his brain and was fiercely hugging back, while Kushina continued to smile at her child, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"Easy, Kushi-hime. We don't want to give our son a heart attack," chuckled Minato as he approached his wife and son.

"Shut up, Minato-kun. I haven't seen my baby boy in seventeen years! Years! I plan on making every moment here count," shouted Kushina as she hugged her son even tighter.

"You won't be able to if you end up suffocating the kid, Kushina," groaned Xander as he stumbled from behind the portal and approached the family.

"About that, is it really wise summoning a gateway, Xander? We may be grateful for being able to finally meet our son, but opening such a portal is very dangerous," spoke a concerned Minato.

Xander merely waved off his old friend's concern, as he collapsed next to the pond. "Relax. The seals and runes that we placed throughout the area will keep anyone from finding us. If they do somehow get past the illusions, then the traps and deterrent seals will keep them out."

Minato shook his head before turning back to his family. The former shinobi smiled at how Kushina was currently rubbing her cheeks with Naruto's fluffy tails, while the young teen seemed to purr from her attention. For now, Minato decided to simply enjoy this small moment with his family and joined Kushina in talking to their son.

After a while, Naruto was finally able to snap out of his euphoria and looked over to his former guardian, confused as all hell.

"Xander-jiji. Not that I mind this, but why did you bring my parents back from the dead?"

Xander huffed as he remained on his back. "I didn't bring them back. At least, not fully."

Kushina raised her brow, as she ran her hand through Naruto's hair. "What do you mean 'not fully'? Minato-kun and I can feel and hear our son just fine."

Xander groaned as Minato helped him into a sitting position. "You two are tangible and can interact with Naruto so long as you both are within the sanctuary. You and Minato are technically still spirits, and will become ghosts the moment you step out of the boundaries."

"But why did you bring us back in the first place? You know it takes a lot out of you to open a portal to the Afterlife," Minato gently chastised.

"Plus, you aren't as strong as you were back during the war," added a surprising, yet familiar voice.

Perking up at the voice, the Namikaze-Uzumaki family turned to see Tsunade entering the clearing, although the famed healer was still in her doctor's uniform.

"Tsunade-baachan? When did you get here?" asked Naruto, as Kushina immediately went to embrace her surrogate mother and elder sister.

"I keep telling you," glared a scowling Xander, "I'm…"

"Just rusty," finished Tsunade, rolling her eyes, as she embraced her long-dead friend.

"What brings you here, Tsunade?" asked Minato as he gave the woman his own embrace.

"I sensed someone coming into the sanctuary. Aside from myself, there is only one other person alive that knows about this place."

Xander huffed. "Naruto needs to learn how to learn the shinobi arts and his family's techniques. Getting to know his parents was simply a…bonus on my part."

Tsunade snorted as she smiled at her favorite blonde. "You've always been a big softie, despite your gruff nature. You and I both know that you just wanted Naruto to be with his parents even if it's only temporary."

"Whatever floats your boat," muttered Xander as he looked away.

Tsunade nudged her old friend, "Don't be so brusque. You did the same thing with Jiraiya and Shizune for me. Hell, you even did it for some of the others."

Xander glanced at Kushina and Minato as they started to fuss over Naruto and ask him a lot of questions. "I may not be a Hierarch or a Liberator anymore, but that doesn't mean I no longer uphold my oath."

"You never officially resigned or were kicked out," sighed Tsunade as she also watched her surrogate family. "You're the only one who thinks like that."

Xander didn't respond as he decided to simply sit and watched the happy reunion with his old enemy-turned friend. "Yeah…I guess you're right."

Tsunade snorted. "When it comes to keeping you from being an idiot, I always am."

"Shut up," was the tired response.

Well, I hope you liked the chapter. Now, onto a few updates about my absence.

Naruto and Xander are each getting their own team made up of different characters from other series. This is what was mentioned in my author's note previously.

The suggestions were good and I certainly liked some of the ones that were turned in, but I could not guarantee that they will appear or even be a part of the teams. However, this does not mean that they can't appear in other ways. Grayfia's sisters are perfect examples.

Can you guess what anime those two are from?

Anyways, I hope to turn out the next chapter sooner but I can't guarantee anything. I would just like to thank you all for your patience.

Now, for all you haters out there, I already discussed this in the author's note, but I will not tolerate any flames and outright bashing to myself or my characters and other stories. I do not care if you don't like Xander or even the story. You cannot simply curse and insult another person or their work just to make yourself feel better. It causes too many problems that shouldn't exist in the first place.

Now, for everyone out there who aren't trolling bastards, I do like the constructive criticism that you give me in your reviews. This helps me improve my writing and making things more enjoyable for you all.

Well, that's it for my ranting. Have a good one, everyone!