Chapter 1: Dog Days

Hey everyone, welcome to my most recent work, "Heart of a Human". For those of you who have read my other works you know what to expect from my writing, though I do admit that this one is far more planned out than my other two. For those of you who are new to my stories, I hope you find this one to be to your liking.

How about some character tags to give you an idea about what's going on and to hopefully answer a few of your questions in advance—

Tags: Doctor!Naruto, Surgeon!Naruto, SacredGear!Naruto, Longinus!Naruto, Human!Naruto, Chakra!Naruto, DxD-Born!Naruto.

And since I know how important pairings tend to be in Naruto/DxD stories, I'll say right off the bat that neither Rias nor Akeno will be involved with Naruto in a romantic sense. As for who he will actually be paired with, I do have my ideas but everything is still up in the air at this point. My motivation for writing this particular story is based on plot line rather than pairing. Oh, I will say that Irina will definitely be a part of the pairing for those who are looking for something different.

For those Kunou fans out there, you'll be happy to know that this little cutie will be getting a lot of spotlight in this story. She probably won't be in any kind of pairing because of her young age, but once I introduce her role in the story you'll be glad she's in it for the long haul.

This isn't really all that important at the moment, but the start of this chapter takes place three years prior to the start of the Highschool DxD storyline.

Disclaimer: I own neither Naruto nor Highschool DxD.

Heart of a Human

Dog Days

The hallways of the research institute within Grigori Headquarters were silent as a lone figure made its way toward the vault which contained the sacred gears that were undergoing research along with the artificial sacred gears that were still in their early stages of development. Normally this section of the research facility was guarded by top-class fallen angels, but because of the attempt on Azazel's life just now all focus of the Grigori was on him and the perpetrators.

Raynare's lips spread into a thin smile as she approached the towering double doors to the vault. Bringing her hand up, she deployed a large magic circle before the doors that released the seal placed on it which prevented any fallen angel without the proper authority from entering. What would be noted as out of place was that the magic circle that she used was norse magic rather than the standard fallen angel's style of magic, along with the fact that it was filled with magic power that no fallen angel with only one set of wings should possess.

The double doors opened, revealing a massive modernized room with sacred gears lining each of the walls from top to bottom. There were easily hundreds of sacred gears within the room. Each sacred gear resided within a cubic, transparent case that was embedded into the wall and labelled accordingly. In the middle of the room were a number of desks and computers for studying the sacred gears that were restricted to this room and for compiling research.

Raynare walked toward the center of the room and settled herself down before one of the computers and opened up the archive for the sacred gears recorded in the room. Her eyes quickly scanned over each of the entries, only stopping to memorize the entry numbers of the three sacred gears that she had come for. Once she recorded the final entry in her mind, Raynare covered her tracks and deleted any evidence of what she had been looking for.

Satisfied with her results, the young fallen angel spread the single set of wings that she possessed and flew to one side of the room in search of the sacred gears that she had set her sights on.

Raynare sighed to herself, it had taken a few minutes but she had gathered all three of the sacred gears. There on the table rested [Blaze Black Flare], [Delete Field], and [Shadow Prison], each within their respective cases. The final three sacred gears that held fragments of the Dragon King Vritra's soul.

"First phase, success. For this next part though I'll need my real body."

If one were to pay attention to her shadow, they would notice it shift and distort until a young man emerged from it, and in doing so released the hold that he previously had on her mind and body. Before the fallen angel could even realize that she was in control of her own body once again, the young man unsheathed the ninjatō from his back and carved through her body with great precision, killing her instantly.

He swung his ninjatō to the side to rid it of the blood that now stained the blade before re-sheathing it on his back. It was hard to discern his age because his face wasn't visible, but judging from his height and physical development, he looked to be a young man of about fifteen years of age. He possessed a lean and muscular body that was only accentuated by his attire. On his upper body was a tight, black, short-sleeved shirt and a grey flack jacket. On his arms were a pair of metal arm guards and black gloves. On his lower body were a pair of black pants and ancient shinobi sandals. His unruly golden-blond hair hung over his white, porcelain, dog-themed mask, which obscured his face. He did not know of his true name, but within his organization he went by the name Uzumaki Naruto.

Naruto seemingly ignored the dead body of the fallen angel he had just killed, stepping over her and making his way toward the sacred gears. With a single wave a his hand a norse magic circle appeared before each of the transparent cases, releasing the lock on each of them and freeing them from their confines. He then pulled out a small scroll from the pouch on his back hip and unraveled it, revealing that it had been inscribed with a complex fūinjutsu.

Laying the scroll on the ground, Naruto poured a bit of his chakra into it which resulted in a small burst of smoke being released from the unsealing process. Once the smoke dispersed, it revealed a large amber pot with a thick, white rope tied around its rim. The Kohaku no Jōhei, one of the treasured tools of the Sage of the Six Paths and possibly the most powerful sealing item in all of mythology. It had taken him quite a bit of time to uncover this particular item, but it was well worth it.

"Hm. Last time unsealing Vritra's soul from the sacred gear took too long and with three of them this time it would take even longer..." Naruto muttered to himself, removing the lid from the Kohaku no Jōhei and revealing that it was filled to its brim with a dark liquid. "Maybe since each fragment of his soul is here, the original sealing method will work..."

There were fourteen Vritra sacred gears in total, with the ones before him being the remaining three. The other eleven fragments of Vritra's soul had already been released and sealed into the Kohaku no Jōhei, so with that all fourteen fragments of Vritra's soul were accounted for. As such, it might be possible for the consciousness of Vritra within the [Blaze Black Flare], [Delete Field], and [Shadow Prison] to begin their awakening before being reunited with the other soul fragments. It would make the sealing proceed much quicker than originally expected.

"Well, won't know until we try." Naruto shrugged his shoulders before bringing his hands into a single hand seal. He than called out the evil black dragon's name. "Vritra!"

A thick silence permeated the room, however, because of his high sensory capabilities and his ability to feel all forms of life around him, he could feel a peculiar stirring within each of three sacred gears which wasn't previously there. A moment later each of the sacred gears appeared to activate and a distinctive roar could be heard coming from them, breaking the silence that had settled in the room.

After the roaring settled down, a stream of black aura seeped out of each of the sacred gears and was pulled into the Kohaku no Jōhei, where it merged with the dark liquid and was sealed. Naruto continued to hold that single hand seal as the sealing continued and the black aura that represented Vritra's soul endlessly flooded out of the sacred gear that had contained it for so very long.

Though this process was extracting Vritra's soul from the sacred gears, it wouldn't completely remove the original abilities of them should they ever be put into use. Naruto had learned this when he unsealed the fragment of Vritra's soul that resided within the [Absorption Line], the boy, Genshirou Saji, who had yet to awaken his sacred gear, remained alive and retained his full potential even after the sealing was complete. It was a strange phenomenon that Naruto figured was another bug in the sacred gear system as when a sacred gear was completely removed the host would die.

Naruto let out a breath and released the hand seal had been holding once the final fragments of Vritra's soul had been sealed within the Kohaku no Jōhei. Even if Vritra was considered to be the weakest amongst the dragon kings when it came to raw power, it would still take a lot of energy to seal him away. Especially when using the already chakra taxing Kohaku no Jōhei on three different sources at once.

With the sealing process completed, Naruto placed the lid back onto the large, amber pot once more and poured a bit of chakra into the fūinjutsu formula which sealed it back into the scroll. With that done, he placed the scroll back into the pouch on his back hip and moved to retrieve the sacred gears, however, he was stopped by a sudden voice.

"So you're the cause of the commotion upstairs."

Naruto immediately raised his guard and quickly turned around, finding himself face to face with a teenager that looked to be of Japanese descent and seemed to be a few years older than him. He had heard the rumors of this man and his affiliation with the Grigori, but hadn't thought he would have the pleasure of crossing paths with him during this particular mission. It would seem that the rumors were true after all, with his own eyes Naruto was able to discern that the man before him was indeed a Longinus possessor.

"Using those three fallen angels as decoys wasn't a bad idea and would've had most fooled..." The man commented as he entered through the large double doors, his eyes shifting to the three sacred gears that laid on the table in the center of the room. He then motioned to the small black puppy that was perched on his shoulder. "But Jin was able to pick up a scent heading toward the research facility, and here we are."

"Ikuse Tobio, better known under the alias Slash Dog. A top member amongst Grigori's ranks—only ranking below the leaders that originally formed the organization—and the wielder of one of the thirteen Longinus, [Canis Lykaon]." Naruto stated matter-of-factly as he brought his arms up and dropped into a fighting stance.

"You're quite well-informed, as expected of Root. I've never personally come across your organization before, but I've heard the rumors. An organization that was created several decades ago, its members comprised solely of humans whether they be sacred gear users, magicians, former exorcists, or even those who have somehow attained abilities similar to that of the Youkai faction. A group that is deeply involved in the blackmarket dealings of both the human and supernatural world. Organ harvesting, drug trade, arms dealing, kidnapping, assassination, terrorism, the trafficking of humans and various races of supernatural beings, and even greater atrocities that I thankfully remain unaware of."

"You seem to be quite well-informed yourself, Ikuse Tobio." Naruto spoke in an even, emotionless tone, unperturbed by accusations that Slash Dog sent at his organization. In truth his mission could be considered completed, but this was a rare opportunity to observe the capabilities of this generation's [Canis Lykaon].

"I don't know quite what you just removed from those sacred gears, but I must ask that you return it." Slash Dog stopped about twenty meters away from Naruto and sighed. "I don't suppose you'd return it willingly now, would you?"

The only answer the teen received was silence.

"I see...To be honest, I prefer fighting behind the scenes as opposed to taking things head on. Though I'd recommend you don't take me lightly, it'll be hard to take you in alive if I kill you from the very start. Now then..." Slash Dog raised one of his hands and summoned a powerful barrier that blocked off all walls of the room, preventing any kind of escape from blasting through them and protecting the sacred gears imbedded within them from damage. "Jin!"

Naruto watched as the small black puppy that was perched on Slash Dog's shoulder—that apparently went by the name of Jin—jumped off onto the ground and shifted from its small puppy form into that of a massive black dog with golden eyes, standing at a height of nearly ten meters tall. Then, at that moment, Jin disappeared from visibility.

Naruto's eyes, however, were able to keep up with the high speeds of Jin and charged forward with his own incredible speed, drawing the ninjatō from his back in the blink of an eye and swinging it to the side as he spun in the air. The young Root agent ceased his midair acrobatics and quickly landed on the ground, the friction causing his feet to drag on the ground until he came to a stop directly in between Jin and Slash Dog. Jin now occupied the position that Naruto had originally started out in, his claws elongated into massive blades with unparalleled sharpness, though there was a shallow wound on his side that just closed up due to its midair encounter.

'An independent avatar-type Longinus? How troublesome.' Naruto thought with narrowed eyes behind his mask as he used his peripheral vision to keep an eye on Jin. 'Incredible speed, independent instinct, and the ability to instantaneously produce blades from its own body. The [Canis Lykaon] is certainly deserving of its title as a Longinus.'

Naruto looked down at his own weapon and noticed that there were already shallow cracks and signs of wear along the blade from just single swing. Not only was the [Canis Lykaon] able to produce blades from its body, but its actual body was harder than even the strongest steel. He could not claim that kenjutsu was his specialty, but he was far superior than that of knight pieces from even the most experienced peerages. For his blade to be rendered to a near unusable state after only a single swing was truly remarkable.

It was a mistake to attempt to take on another Longinus without even activating his own. Heh, despite having already completed his emotional conditioning, he still had his moments of arrogance and pride. Though, before he resolved himself to activate his own Longinus, his attention was immediately grasped by the actions of the [Canis Lykaon]. The independent avatar-type sacred gear appeared to lean down over the table, where the Vritra sacred gears were, and took them into its mouth before swallowing them.

Because Naruto's eyes could instantly analyze and understand all forms of life, he could easily see through the outer surface of Jin's body and see that the Vritra sacred gears hadn't been devoured nor had they become a part of its body. No, it was hard to put into words, but it could be compared to simply picking up a sword and using it for temporary use. For the [Canis Lykaon] to be able to adapt any sacred gear into its body—even if only for temporary use—was a powerful ability, especially in a place like the Grigori where they specialized in sacred gear research and development.

"[Black Blaze Flare], [Delete Field], and [Shadow Prison], huh? Those are some pretty dangerous sacred gears. For Root to get their hands on them...I don't even want to think what could happen." Slash Dog muttered only moments after Jin had swallowed the sacred gears. It would be dangerous for everyone if an organization like Root were to come into possession of the Vritra sacred gears. While their abilities were not overwhelmingly powerful like that of the Longinus-tier sacred gears, their wide variety in ability more than made up for it and was something to be feared.

Naruto narrowed his eyes as he heard Slash Dog's whisper, despite the fact that it should have been impossible for a human at this distance. The fact that the man was aware of the names and abilities of the sacred gears only a moment after they entered the body of the [Canis Lykaon] meant that despite being an independent avatar-type Longinus, there was still a link between possessor and sacred gear. More importantly though, Slash Dog would gain instant knowledge of the sacred gears that Jin absorbed and be able to play off of that. This generation's wielder of the [Canis Lykaon] was certainly an interesting fellow.

"Jin!"

The Longinus nodded at Slash Dog's unspoken command and raised its head, black flames coalesced in the air just inches above its mouth as it continued to grow in size until it easily dwarfed the independent avatar. Slash Dog raised a single hand and erected a powerful barrier in front of him so that he wouldn't get caught in the blast as the only thing between him and the mass of deadly flames. Jin then reared his head back and launched the massive fireball forward, seemingly discarding any previous intentions of bringing the Root agent back alive.

Naruto smirked as he saw the mass of scorching hot flames heading straight toward him. Though he had already completed his mission objective in retrieving the fragments of Vritra's soul, this was the first time that he had witnessed the use of one of Vritra's wide variety of abilities. All of the Vritra sacred gear possessors that he had encountered thus far either hadn't awakened their sacred gear yet or were completely incompetent in its usage, not even aware of how to access its power.

Reaching into the storage pouch on his back hip, Naruto pulled out a tri-pronged kunai and went through a short sequence of hand seals before thrusting his hands forward with the kunai centered in the middle of them. A large fūinjutsu formula erected itself and spread out to cover a wide space in the air with the kunai acting as the epicenter. The mass of flames headed right toward the fūinjutsu barrier, however, instead of dispersing upon contact or breaking through the barrier, the space centered around the formula distorted and Vritra's black flames seem to sink into that distorted space until it was warped away to another previously marked kunai.

'Hiraishin: Dōrai (Flying Thunder God: Guiding Thunder).'

Both Slash Dog and the [Canis Lykaon] looked to be confused at what had just occurred, though their attention was immediately shifted onto what sounded like a large explosion coming from one of the upper floors along with the rumbling of the entire building from the force of the impact.

Taking the opportunity that their momentary loss of focus gave him, Naruto threw his Hiraishin kunai in the direction of the independent Longinus, but instead of teleporting to it immediately, he used his own tremendous speed to move in the opposite direction, closing the ten meter distance between himself and Slash Dog before the Grigori agent could even realize it.

Utilizing his tremendous physical strength, Naruto shattered the barrier that the man had erected earlier with a single swing of his arm. The masked blond then immediately dropped down to the ground, positioning himself directly under Slash Dog, and sent a powerful kick upwards at the man's jaw. Slash Dog's head was forcefully thrust back and the power behind the kick was more than enough to send him into the air. Flipping over onto all fours, Naruto seemingly vanished in a burst of pure physical speed as he moved to shadow Slash Dog's midair movements.

As the arc of Slash Dog's trajectory evened out, Naruto appeared directly behind the man. Amidst shadowing the man's flight, Naruto spun around the older teen and slammed the back of his forearm into the man's chest sending him downwards. As Naruto's momentum carried him he slammed his other forearm into Slash Dog's chest once more, greatly increasing the speed at which they descended.

'Shishi Rendan (Lion's Barrage).'

To finish off his unique taijutsu combo, Naruto flipped in midair and dropped a powerful axe-kick into the man's gut just before they made contact with the ground. Slash Dog impacted the ground with enough momentum behind him to create a small crater in the ground before it shattered from the force of his body, whereas before Naruto could suffer the recoil from his jutsu, he instantly teleported to the Hiraishin kunai which was flying over the body of the [Canis Lykaon] at that very moment.

The young blond had completed his devastating taijutsu technique with unparalleled speed, the entire sequence lasting no longer than two or three seconds in total. With fluid movements and precise timing that only came with years of experience, he had planned it accordingly so at the exact moment he landed the finishing move of the Shishi Rendan, his Hiraishin kunai would be in just the right positioning for him to take care of the [Canis Lykaon].

Catching the Hiraishin kunai with his left hand, Naruto spun in midair as he created a spiraling mass of yellow chakra in his right hand. Thrusting his arm forward Naruto drove his signature jutsu into the back of the [Canis Lycaon], grinding through its body, despite its steel-like skin, and launching it into the ground with enough destructive force to shatter the floor below, forming a crater that easily dwarfed the size of Jin's body.

'Rasengan!'

As the independent Longinus was howling in pain, Naruto noticed that all the damage that was suffered from the Rasengan was already beginning to regenerate. Though it was far below his own regeneration speed, it was still recovering faster than the Rasengan could grind through its body.

'Tch. Regenerative abilities are always a pain.' Naruto thought to himself as his Rasengan continued to grind through the body of the Longinus and its body continued to regenerate in a continuous cycle. It was then that a thought came to his head.

Switching tactics, Naruto dispersed his Rasengan and instead placed his hand on Jin's body. A complex fūinjutsu formula spread outwards from Naruto's hand, covering a potion of the massive dog's back as he activated the seal.

'Keiyaku Fūin (Contract Seal)!'

Naruto smirked behind his mask as he felt the contract seal sever the link between the Longinus and Slash Dog. The contract seal was developed to remove any direct control that exists between two beings, so in theory it should work against an independent avatar-type sacred gear. This fūinjutsu was especially useful against devils as it removed the link between master and servant, as well as preventing reincarnated devils from accessing the powers that the evil piece system granted them.

The [Canis Lykaon] let out a subdued growl before it sank into its own shadow, moving across the shattered floor until it merged with Slash Dog's own shadow, who was slowly getting up from his own place on the destroyed floor.

With his eyes Naruto was able to confirm that the independent avatar-type once again resided within the Grigori agent. Through this fight he was able to gather quite a bit of information on the [Canis Lykaon] Longinus. Though there were records of the sacred gear from previous generations, they had never left much of an impact and opted to stay out of battle, keeping the [Canis Lykaon] as little more than a house pet.

Within Slash Dog's shadow lay the three Vritra sacred gears that the [Canis Lykaon] had previously eaten.

So the sacred gears that are absorbed by it are rejected from its body as soon as it returned to its host, huh? Quite the interesting information indeed. Perhaps if Jin ate a person then it would be able to use the abilities of the sacred gear that resided within said person. Whether that theory was true or not, the [Canis Lykaon] was likely to be the most versatile sacred gear among the Longinus-class.

"So you managed to take out Jin, did you? Nobody save for the leaders of the Grigori have ever managed to do that. Root sure is dangerous organization if they have more members of your caliber." Slash Dog muttered aloud as he brought himself to his feet. Blood was leaking out of the corners of his mouth and his breathing was labored, most likely due to the fact that the force of the hits he had taken broke a few of his ribs. His left eye was also closed shut and blood ran down the side of his head.

Naruto stepped out of the destroyed section of the floor and pocketed his tri-pronged kunai, all the while watching the movements of the Grigori agent across from him. The older teen had his arm outstretched to the side and was presumably trying to summon his [Canis Lykaon] once more. Judging from the fact that the teen's arm was outstretched toward his shadow and that the massive dog had sunk into its own shadow before merging with its wielder's earlier, it could be assumed that the [Canis Lykaon] also possessed a powerful shadow manipulation ability.

Well, with that contract seal in place he wouldn't have any success in trying to manifest the [Canis Lykaon] in its independent avatar form for quite a while. However, though his eyes could not breakdown and decipher the structure of a sacred gear, Naruto could see that there was something fundamentally different with the [Canis Lykaon] when compared to that of other sacred gears.

"I don't know how, but it seems that you were able to seal away Jin's avatar form in such a short amount of time. However, the mistake that you've made was only sealing away his avatar form. I much prefer not having to use his original form—a form that exists solely to reap lives and torture those it slays for all of eternity—however, you've forced my hand." A malicious dark aura manifested around Slash Dog and all existing shadows in the room began to twist and distort as they were drawn to him. A black mist settled into the atmosphere in the room seemingly out of nowhere and all visible light in the room seemed to diminish almost completely, shrouding it almost completely in darkness. "Sink the world into everlasting darkness. Shower the battlefields with your inescapable insanity. Let the damned souls that you have slain weep as crimson rain stains your blade once more. Inugami of the Black Blade."

Though the room was shrouded almost completely in darkness, Naruto's eyes were able to follow Slash Dog's motions acutely. Despite all visible light having been eaten away by the darkness, the older teen's shadow still seemed to exist, though rather the position it was in earlier, it mirrored Slash Dog's position on the ground right in front of him. A cold and malicious aura was escaping from within the shadow and it gave off an intense pressure that seemed to cause the immediate area around it to decay before being erased entirely from existence.

From within the shadow a single black daitō rose up. An overwhelming evil intent could be felt emanating from the blade, as well as countless torturous screams and lifeless voices chanting something low and inaudible. The chant of sorts that Tobio had muttered earlier seemed to fit this daitō perfectly. Before its wielder could take it into his hand however, several dozen pillars of intense holy light were erected all across the room, illuminating the endless darkness and disrupting the malicious influence of the cursed sacred gear.

"Ikuse Tobio. It is forbidden for you to release the Inugami of the Black Blade within Grigori Headquarters. Merely its release could very well destroy the entire institute and anyone within the general vicinity. What is the meaning of this?"

"Hmm. It seems we've come upon something quite interesting, don't you think Baraqiel?"

Two new voices resounded throughout the room as they made their appearance. Naruto knew who these two men were without even needing their names, though the ten jet-black wings on each of their backs would help even those who didn't limit down the possibilities. Shemhazai, the Vice Governor General of the Grigori, and Baraqiel, a Cadre and one of the first fallen angels that God ever made fall.

"So two more have arrived, huh? Looks like things have become a little complicated." Naruto muttered to himself from behind his mask. He had been looking forward to seeing what this 'original form' of the [Canis Lykaon] was capable of, so he was a bit disappointed that things had ended this way. Though, he had already gathered far more than was expected out of him from this mission.

It was about time for him to make his escape anyways. If operating under standard procedure, then it could be said that he had broken protocol by merely engaging the possessor of the [Canis Lykaon]. He had already outstepped his boundaries by going beyond the scope of the mission, however since he had been confronted by a Longinus possessor, it would have been asinine for him not to gather what information he could when the situation presented itself.

"Shemhazai-sama, Baraqiel-sama." Slash Dog pulled his arm back and let the black daitō sink back down into his shadow.

Baraqiel's eyes then settled on the deceased form of Raynare that lay motionless on an undamaged portion of the floor and then finally on Naruto. "Ikuse Tobio, who is this child? Is he the one who is responsible for all of tonight's commotion?"

"Yes. He's a highly-skilled member of the Root criminal syndicate and is targeting the Vritra-type sacred gears that Grigori has in its possession." Slash Dog motioned to the three sacred gears that laid beside him. "I caught him as he was sealing away something from inside the gears, though they still seem to be operating as they would normally."

Shemhazai lowered his outstretched hand and let the pillars of light that he had created disperse since the shadows and darkness that covered the room vanished the moment that Tobio's daitō was returned to his shadow. He then lifted one of his fingers, causing the [Blaze Black Flare], [Delete Field], and [Shadow Prison] sacred gears to rise into the air and levitate in a circular motion over his overturned palm.

"Indeed. They do seem to be functioning normally, however they feel empty when compared to before. Almost as though the Dragon King Vritra no longer resides within them"

"I see. That is indeed troubling..." Baraqiel's face scrunched up as he processed that bit of information. "Though it would be even more troubling if the power of a Dragon King were to get into the hands of an organization such as Root. For that it would be better to deal with him immediately and worry about finer details afterwards."

Baraqiel raised his arm forward, summoning several magic circles above Naruto's head with arcs of holy lightning sparking across them. Each of them held tremendous amounts of power and could easily erase the entire room from existence if not controlled properly.

"Ikuse Tobio. I came here solely for the Dragon King Vritra, but you've piqued my interest. I look forward to the day we fight once more." With those parting words, Naruto disappeared in a flash of yellow. His departure was perfectly timed as the instant he vanished, Baraqiel's holy lightning rained down on his previous position, completely vaporizing a large portion of the floor below.

Shemhazai closed his eyes and confirmed that he could not feel the masked boy's presence anywhere within the Grigori. He let out a sigh and turned back toward the door that they had entered from. "It seems that he managed to escape, and with the soul of a Dragon King no less. Tobio-kun, come with me. We should get your injuries taken care of and then report this to Azazel. Your witness account will be quite important."

At this time of year, the weather in Yokohama was always beautiful. Though August was really only a month before the summer season of the year ended, it always tended to be the hottest. Hottest didn't mean unenjoyable though as children could be seen playing about in parks, families were setting up picnics under the shade of trees, teenagers were laying under the sun watching the clouds pass by, and everyone just seemed to be going about their day leisurely. The midday sun shone over the afternoon sky and showed no signs of setting anytime soon. There was a slight breeze rustling through the city streets, cooling down the slightly warm temperature and allowing the trees that occupied the area to gently sway.

The city hadn't changed in the slightest since the last time he was here.

Naruto ran a hand through his spiky blond hair as it was blown about by a particularly strong wind. His cerulean blue eyes scanned over the small slip of paper he held in his hand that possessed the directions to his new apartment before looking up to see if he was anywhere close to the address yet. Slung over his shoulder was a black backpack and in his other hand was a small traveling bag, so most would assume that he was a tourist.

It wasn't uncommon to see tourists around Yokohama during the summer season, however, despite first impressions he was indeed half Japanese and had actually been raised in this very city. Though it had been a few years since he had been here.

Glancing around, Naruto finally found the street address and name of the apartment complex that matched what he had on his directions. Looking back down at his directions, he nodded to himself in confirmation and folded up the slip of paper before returning it to his pants pocket. His gaze then shifted up toward the apartment complex itself.

It was a small, two-story building that—while perfectly livable—was a bit more on the run-down side. While not the most ideal of living arrangements, he had certainly made do with worse.

Putting that aside, Naruto made his way onto the property and through the small garden area. He stopped in front of what looked to be the apartment manager's living quarters and pressed the door buzzer next to the Japanese-style sliding door. While he waited he noted that while the apartment manager's living space appeared to be of a traditional Japanese-style, the regular apartment units were of a western-style.

"Yeah?" The sliding door violently slid open, revealing a small older woman with her gray hair tied up into a bun. "We don't need whatever it is you're selling! Hm. Wait, you don't look like a salesman. Oh, you must be animal control! There have been a couple stray cats hanging around here lately. I don't know if the tenants have been feeding them, but I want them gone!"

"Huh?" Naruto put on a confused face at the odd misunderstanding. "Ah! No, no Obaa-san! I'm Uzumaki Naruto, the one who inquired about the apartment space that you have available."

The old lady seemed to have a look of realization after he said that. "Oh, you're the new tenant? Sorry, I hadn't been expecting someone so young. The one who contacted me on the phone through the real estate office sounded much older."

"Hmm. Who was it that set me up here again?" Naruto pondered out loud. "Ah. It doesn't really matter. I think it was either my uncle...or maybe my aunt? Well, I don't know all the details either, this was all a little sudden for me as well. The relatives that I had been staying with travel a lot on business and had just been offered a position within their company oversees, though I had decided to remain in Japan. As soon as they saw your advertisement for apartment space they probably went straight to the real estate agency to set everything up. And here we are." Naruto explained with a shrug of his shoulders.

The old woman nodded in understanding. "Well if that's the case, it's understandable enough. Your relatives already took care of the security deposit and first-and-last-months' rent. All that's left is to sign the lease agreement, but I'll get that paperwork together later. Let me just grab your keys and I'll bring you up to your unit."

"Your quite the easy-going landlady compared to the places I had been looking at previously, Obaa-san." Naruto smiled at the old woman as she went into the back rook to fetch a set of apartment keys.

"What's with the 'Obaa-san' crap? Show some respect from your elders!" The woman scolded as she returned to the front room. "Now come on. Your unit will be on the second level."

Naruto followed the woman out of the Japanese-styled room and closed the sliding door behind him. They walked through the small garden and made their way up the staircase that was near the entrance to the property and offered easy access to those going and returning. Despite its shabby appearance, Naruto noticed that the apartment building had a quiet and peaceful atmosphere that would go well with his type of lifestyle.

"Oh by the way Uzumaki-san—" The woman began as they traveled up the second flight of stairs, but was cut off by Naruto.

"Naruto is fine. When people say Uzumaki-san I immediately turn around to look for my relatives. Formalities make me a bit uncomfortable as well because of my casual manner of speech." Naruto admitted while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "It's a habit I picked up while I was overseas."

The landlady raised a finger to her chin as a questioning look appeared on her face. "Hm. I heard from the realty agency that you had spent that last few years abroad, but that you were originally from Japan."

"Yeah. I was raised here in Yokohama actually, though by my appearance you might guess that I'm only half Japanese." Naruto smiled as he looked down at the woman. With his blond hair and blue eyes, most would assume that he was actually an American. "I'm actually half Italian as well and spent a bit of time there in the past three years, but I've been mostly living in Northern Europe during my time away from Japan."

The two of them ascended onto the second level and walked down the long hallway, stopping at the very last apartment unit on the level.

"Well, I know it must be hard getting accustomed to Japanese culture again and such, but try to get along with your neighbors and don't cause any trouble." The old woman requested as she took the apartment keys and unlocked the door.

Naruto took the set of keys that she handed him and gave a small bow in appreciation. "No problem, Obaa-san. I like to think that I'm a pretty friendly and sociable guy, so I shouldn't have a problem with the other tenants. Bringing around trouble shouldn't be much of an issue either since I should be working most of the time."

"Well that's fine then." The landlady took a few steps away from the door so that she was no longer blocking the entrance. "I'll draw up the rest of the paperwork and bring them up later today. Until then, it'll be fine if you get settled in."

"Thanks a lot, Obaa-san!" Naruto gave the old woman a big cheesy smile as she made her way back down the hall.

That smile remained on his face as he gripped the door handle and stepped into the room. Though as soon as the door shut behind him, that cheerful, outgoing persona faded and was replaced by a cold, calculating look.

His piercing eyes surveyed the apartment, though nothing looked particularly out of place. He walked into what looked to be the living room and set his bags down up against the wall, after which he went through the standard check to make certain that the room was secure. He moved into the kitchen area and turned on the faucet in the sink, letting it run. This would provide enough background noise to cover his movements while he checked for any listening devices.

Moving back into the living room, Naruto started with the small desk which happened to be one of the few pieces of furniture in the apartment. Pulling out the two drawers, Naruto inspected them closely until he ascertained that they were clean. He then positioned himself under the desk and ran his hands along the sides. They were also clean. He repeated a similar process with the bathroom, bedroom, closet space, and kitchen as well.

After every inch of the apartment was meticulously looked over, Naruto could safely determine that the unit was free of any previously planted listening devices.

Those who lived a normal, everyday life would have seen this as a meaningless and paranoid act, but for a Root agent it could mean the difference between life and death. Off the top of his head, he could name at least two dozen targets that were exponentially stronger than him that he had taken out only through surveillance and preparation on his end.

Though those days where he was considered the dead-last amongst the trainees had long since passed.

He was no prodigy, that much he would freely admit. He had no talent, he didn't possess a high intellect, he didn't inherit any special traits, he was just a kid born with a powerful sacred gear. But even then, it was worthless because he didn't possess the knowledge or stamina to be able to utilize it to its full potential. In his youth he was considered a disgrace to the organization, not even worth the time or effort to train. As such, Root decided to simply keep him around until his body developed enough to handle the stress that his sacred gear put on it.

What he did have, however, was an indomitable will that refused to accept being looked down upon and only yearned for acknowledgement. As such he took matters into his own hands. Training his body everyday until his bones shattered under the stress, then letting his sacred gear passively repair them so he could get back up to continue his training regimen. Spending countless hours studying medicine, biology, chemistry, anatomy, psychology, physiology and various other fields that would benefit his understanding of his sacred gear. Steadily building up his chakra reserves and control after going through the standard process of gaining it just as every other Root member had. For years he continued to put himself through such torturous training methods in order to become of use to the people who saved his life when he didn't even know who he was.

That initiative made all the difference as he eventually became the youngest Root operative to be put in the field at the age of ten and was later promoted to an executive position at the Northern Germany branch at the tender age of thirteen, something that was unheard of in the history of the organization.

Though after the conflict with the Norse that had been settled several months ago, the branch offices in Northern Europe had been forced to lay low for the time being—making it more difficult to conduct business and complete missions—and he had been ordered back to Root Headquarters in Japan.

After turning off the faucet in the kitchen, Naruto moved back into the living room and removed a single scroll from his traveling bag. Unscrewing the bottom of the scroll, he removed a paintbrush with the tip covered in ink. The scroll itself wasn't exactly necessary—as he was neither sealing away or unsealing anything at the moment—however, its center contained the ink that he would be using to secure the apartment.

'Well...might as well get started.' Naruto groaned to himself as he made his way back to the entrance of the apartment. Bringing his hand up to the door frame, he began making fluid strokes with the brush as he painted fūinjutsu symbols directly onto the surface.

This measure wasn't a standard of Root protocol, but a product of his own time in the field. Despite that fact, he could truly say that he hated writing out these seal and barrier formulas every time he was relocated to a new residence. This process was quite time consuming—oftentimes taking several hours at the very least—and was incredibly tedious, as he needed to cover every wall that connected to the outside world, along with the floor and ceiling. Surfaces that couldn't be broken through to get into the apartment—such as the walls that divided the living room and the bedroom—were not subjected to this treatment, however, the wall that divided his apartment and the one next door would be.

Despite his ranking as the top field agent within the organization, Naruto did have his own specialization as an executive. He was in charge of illegal organ harvesting and black market organ trade, the most profitable of Root's dealings alongside drug trafficking. With a worldwide shortage of organs available for legal transplantation and an average wait time of three and a half years for an organ to become available through legal channels, many turn to illegal organ trafficking in their desperation.

Though the need for organ transplants touched every corner of the globe, Root had systematically cornered the market in organ trade solely because of Naruto. One of the many abilities of his sacred gear was the precise removal of any organ or tissue without the risk of deterioration after excision, no matter the time that passes. With that overwhelming advantage and his own unparalleled prowess as a surgeon, he had revolutionized organ trade to the point where patients from all over the world would sooner turn to Root for a transplant than their local hospitals.

The harvesting of organs from a single body could save up to eight lives through the removal of its organs and could save or enhance more than one hundred lives through the use of its tissue. That being the case, a large operating room or expensive laboratory was not necessary to preform these delicate operations. With a little remodeling and a few modifications, one of the larger rooms in the apartment could easily be converted into a makeshift operating room. The sealing and barrier formulas that he was setting up—while serving their purpose of preventing anyone from forcing their way in and intruding on him—would also prevent any sound from leaving the unit and neutralize any lasting smell from the corpses that he would be operating on.

It wasn't the most glamorous of positions, but it benefitted both Root and the tens of thousands of people that would have died waiting for an organ to become available otherwise.

After finishing up his final brush strokes, Naruto stepped back from the bedroom wall and breathed out a deep sigh in exhaustion. He returned his paint brush to the scroll, after which he took a look around the apartment. Fūinjutsu symbols covered the floors, ceiling, and most of the walls so completely that the original color of the surfaces could barely be seen.

Raising one of his hands into a single hand seal, the fūinjutsu formulas were outlined in a light blue color and sank into the surfaces they were painted on as Naruto completed their activation. When the light died down, the apartment had regained the appearance it originally possessed with not a single spec of ink marring the bland complexion of its surfaces.

With that done, Naruto through the scroll in his hand onto his bag in the corner of the room and made his way over to the window. He opened up the curtains and slid open the window, allowing the cold night air to hit his face. Judging from the night sky and position of the moon high up in the air, he had been setting up those barrier and sealing formulas for at least several hours—as per expectations.

Looking down at his watch, he idly noted that the apartment manager shouldn't be by for another hour or so. That meant he had quite a bit of time to himself until then.

He supposed that he could unpack his belongings in the meantime, but he really didn't have very many personal items and what he did have was already conveniently stored in storage scrolls. He could take a walk around the neighborhood to familiarize himself and work out some emergency escape routes and contingency plans—like he usually did when stationed in a new area—but he knew Yokohama like the back of his hand and had already established that the city hadn't changed in the least since he had last been here. With those two out that left...

Naruto's train of thought was cut short by a loud growling sound that permeated the stale air of the apartment. One of the primary functions of his barrier seals was preventing sound from leaving the apartment, however, it did nothing to the sound coming in from the outside. That being said, he was certain that the growling was coming from within the apartment—and since he had already done a thorough check of the unit—that left only one source as the origin of the noise...

Looking down, he confirmed that it was his stomach that was making such an obnoxious noise.

He turned his head toward the direction of the kitchen, before remembered that he hadn't brought along any food with him besides ration pills—which he wouldn't recommend anyone to eat outside of missions.

"I guess I should stock up on some food then."

Root had not always been involved in terrorism and high-profile criminal activity. Originally it had been a research institution with the goal of human advancement under various experimental programs after its founding in the early years of World War II. The study of these experimental programs was taking the premise of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution and natural selection to its limits. The aim of those researchers was to accelerate the slow and short steps of natural human evolution into giant leaps.

The experimental programs were largely successful, producing soldiers with strength, endurance, agility, speed, reflexes, durability, and healing that reached the zenith of natural human potential. However, those soldiers never had the chance to step foot on the battlefield as the United Nations received word of the project's completion from their spies within Japan beforehand. Out of fear, the United Nations dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki—which housed two of the three research institutes—in order to erase any existence of the project and force a Japanese surrender.

The third institute resided in Yokohama and was thought to have been destroyed in the Great Yokohama Air Raid of 1945, where approximately seven to eight thousand people were killed and nearly half of the city was reduced to rubble. However, as opposed to the other two research institutes, the third institute was built deep underground and out of the public eye because the experimental programs that were being carried out were far more extreme and inhumane, thus surviving the air raid.

Though it survived the Allies' firebombing campaign, the third institute was ordered to be disbanded and shutdown after the war's conclusion. During wartime it was widely accepted for more extreme measures to be taken—as demonstrated with the dropping of the atomic bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki—in order to prevent more lives from being lost, but once that looming threat vanished so did that acceptance. As such, top officials of the Japanese government reached the conclusion that it would not bode well for them to be linked with the cruel and inhumane actions of the third institute.

The survival of the third institute was covered up and labelled as having been destroyed during the air raid on Yokohama. Its research facilities and laboratories were raided and the scientists, researchers, and test subjects were killed. All documentation and research was transferred into the possession of the government and the institute was left abandoned deep beneath the surface of Yokohama, existing as nothing more than an empty facility that was closed off from the outside world.

It was the perfect coverup of what could have caused a controversy that paralleled the United States' decision of dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Or it would have been if not for the fact that the Japanese government had overlooked one crucial detail.

The head of the third institute was a very cautious and vigilant man. Such was to be expected out of a man in his line of work. He had originally been a kind-hearted, laid-back, and optimistic man with an easy-going approach in life, however, what he saw on the battlefields as a soldier during the first world war changed him. When he finally stepped foot on Japanese soil again, he had grown into a pragmatic and serious man who was distrustful of all but his closest friends.

With the war over and many options still open for his future, he turned toward genetics research with the images of his comrades dying off in troves within trenches and having to sleep amongst their bodies still fresh in his mind. Though distrustful of the government and far from a patriot, he took up the position of head authority and researcher of the third institute in order to do his part in the war effort of World War II.

He eventually fell in love with one of his female researchers not long after the institutes were founded and had a child with her. She died from the stress that childbirth put on her body, but their son survived. A boy that they had previously agreed to name Shimura Danzō.

With his natural distrust toward the government and the nature of his research, he and his lover had agreed to keep the birth of their child a secret before her unfortunate death. As such, Danzō grew up within the third institute—away from the public eye—where not even the other researchers knew of his existence. For five years Danzō lived within the confines of that institute and on his fifth birthday, he was hidden away by his father in a secret passageway beneath his office just before several dozen armed government soldiers raided the institute and massacred all those within. From his hiding place, Danzō witnessed the entire scene.

That incident and the trauma Danzō suffered that day was what eventually led to the birth of Root. With his father's research in hand and a single leaflet with a magic circle inscribed into it that he had by chance been handed in the streets of Yokohama—which introduced him to the supernatural world—Danzō created the most powerful and influential criminal syndicate that the world had ever seen, perfecting his father's research and advancing it by leaps and bounds.

That was the man who now stood in the depths of Root's headquarters, in what was formerly the third institute's laboratory.

"So he finally managed to track down all the soul fragments of the Evil Black Dragon, Vritra, did he?" The man standing next to Danzō commented in a slightly pleased tone. His golden slitted eyes shone with an unreadable emotion as he stared at the numerous rows of human-sized containers filled with liquid. Floating within these containers were the test subjects for a high-priority experiment that he was currently occupied with. "I suppose that even with his eyes, it would take time to find all of those sacred gear possessors with how many pieces Vritra's soul was split into. Śakra certainly did a number on him."

"You're too eager to revive your ancestor, Orochimaru. I need not remind you that we will only get one chance to perform the ritual before it gains the attention of the other factions." Danzō sternly warned his most senior executive. "With Naruto's ability to analyze the body of all living beings—allowing him to determine whether or not a body possesses a sacred gear with a single glance—he was able to track down all of the Vritra-type sacred gears. However, bringing Vritra to our side was only the first step towards a revolution. There will be many more to follow, but having that boy by our side once again is an important move in and of itself."

Orochimaru finally turned away from his experiment in favor of sending Danzō a questioning look. Unless he was mistaken, it almost sounded like the old fool was praising the boy. Danzō never praised his subordinates, even those that he had taken an interest in and personally trained. To Danzō, field agents and even executives were nothing more than tools, weapons to be wielded in the name of Root. Though it wasn't as if those operatives weren't using Root in their own way either...

"Is that so? I do find it odd that there are now three of Root's hierarchical figures gathered in a single territory. The standard of the organization has always been one executive per territory—Yokohama being the only exception as it is our headquarters—but there are now two executives in this territory, along with yourself, Danzō, our leader. Certainly the branches in Northern Europe took a significant hit from the conflict with the Norse, but I do wonder for what purpose Naruto-kun was transferred back to Japan. If he had been given the order to remain in Germany, our forces would have been able to hold their ground and may have eventually come out on top." Not that Orochimaru particularly cared about the condition of the Northern European branches, his focus was more centered around the return of that boy.

Of all the Root operatives that managed to make their way onto his radar, Naruto was one of the few whose thoughts remained a mystery to him. As mentioned before, everyone used Root in their own way. For some, it was their way of life. For others, they had hit rock bottom and needed something to latch onto. Some were raised from birth within the organization, making it all they knew. Whichever of those reasons—and the numerous others—it was easy to find a person's reason for living with a little digging. But that was what always raised questions in Orochimaru's mind.

Naruto's actions never seemed to have any reason at all under the surface.

"Uzumaki has become more of a wildcard as of late, though his demeanor has never been the model of what a Root operative should embody." Danzō remarked as he stepped forward towards one of the experiment containers, the noise of his wooden cane resounding through the room as it hit the steel platform with every step. "It may have cost us our operations in Northern Europe, but I couldn't allow him to do as he pleased for any longer. However, he is too valuable an asset to be eliminated. As such, I decided to station him here in Japan, where he could be under our watch and where we could respond accordingly should such action be deemed necessary."

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed as he watched the lights fade in one of the containers and the liquid drain from its confines, marking the death of yet another failed experiment. "If he's causing such an inconvenience then why not just take care of him. Certainly Naruto-kun is an important asset to the organization, but he's also a liability. Besides...with his corpse we could gather more of his DNA rather than just a handful of hairs or a few vials of blood and maybe, just maybe, we could turn this failure of an experiment into a success!"

Orochimaru violently swung his arm out to the side, breaking one of the containers and causing the liquid inside to flood out through the shattered glass. What it revealed was the horribly mutated body of a child. The body was heavily muscled, despite its child-like size and looked as though it had been torn apart. Blood flowed our of nearly every cell and dripped into what little liquid remained at the bottom of the container, dying it a deep red. The child was just another failed experiment. A vessel that tore itself apart trying to contain the raw physical strength that originated from the minuscule amounts of DNA that it had been administered. Not a single test subject had been able to survive the experiment to recreate a being that matched Naruto's physical capabilities in the two years that the project had been underway.

"That would be the simple solution and the benefits of a new break in this experiment would be invaluable, however, it would reflect poorly on us in this critical time. Usually it would be best to think of the long-term, but in this case the short-term needs to be our main focus." Danzō calmly explained, not at all perturbed by the gruesome sight of the body before him. "We should have the necessary components to begin the ritual in just under a year, until then Uzumaki's abilities will be invaluable. Especially since Longinus are said to be able to slay even the Gods, and with what we have planned it may very well come to that."

"What of the other Longinus possessor that recently emerged?" Orochimaru inquired, ridding his arm of any excess liquid and glass. "The [Absolute Demise] I believe it was. I don't recall hearing of what became of that particular investigation. Though since it was instigated by the German branch under Naruto-kun's command, I suppose our operatives were forced to pull out prematurely due to the rising tensions with the Norse."

Danzō stared into one of the tanks that was still operational and observed as the bones shifted beneath the child's skin until they erupted outwards in a shower of blood, piercing through the boy's organs and tissue killing him instantly. The elder man didn't even flinch as the bones elongated and pierced through the glass of the container, their growth stopping merely inches away from his un-bandaged eye.

He answered Orochimaru as the light within the tank shut off and the liquid within drained out through the bottom. "All that is known is that the [Absolute Demise] possessor is currently a member of the Magician's Association, the Grauzauberer under Mephisto Pheles to be precise. Our aim was to recruit this magician into our organization after identifying them, but our operatives were unable to ascertain their identity before being pulled out. However, now that things have settled down we may have received a second chance..."

"Every time a Longinus emerges, the balance of the world is placed into their hands. That's why it has always been preferred that the host never awakens their sacred gear, at least in the eyes of the three factions." Orochimaru recalled the words of the numerous members belonging to the three factions mentioned in the bible that had been captured and interrogated by Root over the years. Each and every one of them had spilled their guts and turned on their factions after several hours of torture at the very most, though the organization had never been able to get its hands on high-ranking figures within any of the three factions. "However, if their awakening is inevitable or has already passed, the only options left are assassination or bringing them over to our side. And if the chance to gain a powerful asset on our end presents itself, it would be foolish not to capitalize on it."

Sacred gear users made up a fair portion of Root's operatives, a fact that was not very surprising since every member of the organization was born with human blood flowing through their veins. Some were born as hybrids, some were implanted with organs that originally belonged to high-class devils, some were administered with the blood of youkai, some went through even more unspeakable methods in order to match the beings from other factions. However, each and every member of Root was born with human DNA.

Since much of its members relied heavily on their sacred gears, Root was naturally deeply invested in the research and development of sacred gears and sacred gear users. Their understanding wasn't as far along as that of the fallen angels, but it was a close second. Despite that, there was still much of the system created by God from the Bible and many of the sacred gears, themselves, that remained shrouded in mystery.

"Longinus possessors are hard to come by, and for good reason. Out of the hundreds of sacred gear possessors within our ranks, only one can claim to hold the title of Longinus. The fourteenth Longinus that was only born this generation, [Operation]. The ability to create a territory wherein the user obtains the power to manipulate anything within it in a surgical manner, an absolute immunity to disease and poison, and near perfect regenerative capabilities. And in the hands of Uzumaki, it is truly a sight to behold." Danzō praised, recalling the variety of abilities that belonged to the fourteenth Longinus. Though there was still much that was unknown about it since Uzumaki was the first host who wielded the [Operation] as a Longinus. "However, it is too much to hope that [Absolute Demise] will be of equal caliber to [Operation]. That being said, the pieces for the infiltration of the Magic Council are already in place..."

"I do hope that this time goes better than the last attempt to recruit a Longinus into our organization. We can't afford to let anything like the [Telos Karma] incident happen again." Orochimaru turned around and began moving toward the exit, but not before sending Danzō a sidelong glance. "Just give the order and I'll have my subordinates deal with Naruto-kun. Matching his strength is out of the question, but I've been developing a new kinjutsu that should be enough to tip the scales."

Having nothing else more to say, Orochimaru continued with his departure from the spacious laboratory. The sound of his footsteps echoing throughout the room continued as he disappeared into the darkness of the room, leaving Danzō as the only one to remain.

"In time that may come to be the only solution, however, at the moment I need every weapon available at my disposal." Danzō mused to no one in particular. "Though before any of that comes to fruition, I need to first rid myself of the rat that has invaded my territory..."

Naruto sighed in content as he slurped up the steaming hot noodles from a cup of instant ramen, guiding them to his mouth with a pair of chopsticks. As he had thought, Japan had the best instant ramen. It wasn't as though Germany didn't sell instant ramen—he wouldn't have survived these past few years without his main dietary staple—it just couldn't compare to the kind sold in Japan.

The refrigerator in the corner of the room managed to catch Naruto's eyes for the briefest of moments as he guided more noodles into his mouth. Despite having already made a trip to the local market, it remained empty save for a carton of milk, some orange juice, and a little butter. For all his skill and experience, cooking was a field that he possessed no talent in. The few attempts that he had made in his early life ended up tasting even more repulsive than the ration pills—which was a feat in its own, though not the good kind.

With is poor talent in the kitchen, naturally there were very few things that he needed to grab while on his little excursion to the supermarket. The vast array of instant ramen that filled his cupboard was an accurate sample of his everyday diet. There were a few loaves of bread and some dried goods to add in a little variety, but all in all he was an individual who lived off of instant meals. He was living the dream of teenage boys all across the country with his current bachelor-esque lifestyle without even knowing it.

He never really understood dreams.

Naruto was brought out of his thoughts by a knocking sound coming from the back room, though he never stopped his meal. Having been expecting a visitor for quite some time now, he got up from the kitchen table and made his way through one of the doorways until he was at the window where the sound was coming from. Opening up the curtains, he stared down at the form of an average-sized black cat sitting on the windowsill.

With his history involving luck and karma, it was never good when he came across an omen of misfortune. However, seeing this was how Root operated in its Japanese territory those superstitions shouldn't apply in this instance.

"What have you got?" Naruto asked the cat after opening up the window. He reached down and took off the cat's collar, flipping it over and quickly finding the seal formula inscribed on its underside.

As an underground organization, Root made extensive use of word-of-mouth communication in relaying both missions and operative status. Most operatives had minimal amount of contact with their branch headquarters, however, the executives that ran each branch had their own personal way of doing things. Naruto was an exception since—despite being an executive—he continued to operate as a field agent.

The cat was nothing more than a cat, though its mind had been possessed by a Yamanaka clan member in order to discreetly deliver assignments and messages to the operatives in the immediate area. For the Japanese offices, the Yamanaka clan was essential in surveillance, reconnaissance, and communication. Magic formulas for teleporting mission assignments to designated locations was a method that was previously used, but was risky if there was an individual in the area who excelled in reading the flow of auras.

"Your standard assignments, though Danzō-sama has also added an additional mission that is to be completed in a timely manner." The cat responded in a feminine voice before jumping off the windowsill and onto the outer walls of the apartment complex.

Once she was out of his sight, Naruto shut the window and closed the curtains behind him. He put the collar down onto the small table in the bedroom and pushed some chakra into it, releasing the seal. From the seal emerged two scrolls, one white and one black. He placed the white scroll off to the side of the table for the time being since he knew it to contain freshly deceased bodies for organ harvesting, and took the smaller black scroll into his hands.

Black scrolls usually represented a mission that had no particular specialization, but rather one that needed to be taken care of as soon as possible. They could range anywhere from B-rank to S-rank mission and were usually only assigned to the upper ranking of field operatives that the residing field office believed to be capable of getting the job done with the least chance of failure.

Naruto smirked as his eyes scanned over the last few lines of writing that were presented on the scroll. He hadn't gotten a mission that sounded this exciting in quite a while, and he didn't even need to travel halfway across the country since it was in his own backyard.

'So the second son of the Phenex house has been given control of the Yokohama territory, huh? Poor bastard doesn't even know what he's gotten himself into.'

Chapter End

To everyone who made it through this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it. If not, then I hope you stick around and maybe you'll find something to your liking in the next few chapters. My inspiration for writing this story was that I wanted to focus on something different in this crossover section. You won't find the more commonly used plot lines, overly-used cliches, and typical romances that you will find in your normal Naruto/DxD story but I don't intend to go completely off the rails and write a story that has absolutely no resemblance to the source material.

I know at this point "Naruto" doesn't really resemble Naruto all that much—and I had originally planned to flesh out his character a lot more in the original version—but I wanted to focus a lot on building the setting and atmosphere in which Naruto is currently living his life. You've probably noticed that it's a lot different from your typical DxD-born Naruto story and I really needed to get that point across so that the rest of the story made sense.

By "original version" I mean that I've re-written this chapter so many times that I can't count them on my hands and toes. This chapter went through so many versions, scene changes, and re-writes that I nearly decided to just scrap everything halfway through out of frustration. But after getting over those humps I can say that I'm really enjoying how the story has turned out so fan and I'm really having fun with it. The first chapter is always the hardest to get through, everything else should flow from there.

You may be thinking that this will be a story that is just filled with characters from the Naruto universe, but I can tell you that won't be the case. If you want a ratio then I'd say it'd be 99:1 in favor of DxD characters. If having a bunch of characters from the Naruto verse isn't really your thing then you shouldn't have a problem with this plot.

Honestly through the duration of writing this story I had always planned to say a lot at my end author's note, but I can't seem to remember what I wanted to voice so I'll just let you come to your own opinion about my story and we'll go from there.

So review, flame, criticize, rant, correct, analyze, PM, do whatever you want. I'd really appreciate any kind of feedback you all could offer me since I'd like to hear your honest opinions with how much time I've spent on this chapter alone.