Heads-up now this story starts with DxD for the first act (4 chapters or so) and will branch out into other stuff like Percy Jackson and gain a worldwide view.

This story is of the Godless faction and everything starts in Kuoh.

Story Start!

The essence of every world, every spell and every thought is power. Nothing else matters, because nothing else exists. - Nicol Bolas

It was a sunny day in Kuoh, the sky was clear, the birds were singing and the everyone seemed to be in a good mood.

There was an atmosphere of anticipation as the residents of a certain club rushed around the Old School building in a frenzy of activity.

In the kitchen, the buxom Himejima Akeno reigned. Her prowess as the Occult Research Club's greatest cook was undeniable, which put her in charge of preparing the soup to be served later. Her long ebony locks wrapped up neatly in a hairnet, she took a whiff of the heavenly scent wafting from the huge pot she was stirring.

'Hmm.' It could use some more pepper.

Next to her, the petite Koneko kneaded a massive piece of dough nearly equal to her own size, although none dared to point out her height.

Or more precisely, the lack of it.

The door to Akeno's domain opened and Kiba walked in, carefully balancing two trays of marinated chicken, sliced perfectly into thin strips of identical thickness and length, a testament to Kiba's impeccable skill with the blade.

The only one not doing anything was the newcomer Issei Hyoudou. Even the usually indolent Rias was getting her hands dirty, hurriedly scrubbing down the windows as Asia scurried about, straightening the cushions adorning the living room's sofas. To the boy's credit, Issei had just arrived and hadn't a clue on what was going on.

''Asia, what's all the fuss about?'' Issei asked the former nun as she clapped her petite hands together in joy, the little bishop having perfectly completed another task. The cushions were now impeccably arranged, each square carefully balanced on a single tip atop the sofas.

The club room was usually sufficiently neat and clean, and the brunette was stumped as to why they were all going the extra mile now. Rias was even polishing the windows and brushing down the furniture by hand. In the short time they had known each other, he'd never seen her lift a finger for house chores. After all, that was what they had familiars for.

On that note, where were said familiars?

''Ah, Issei-san.'' Asia stopped and turned towards the boy. ''I'm not sure either, Buchou didn't tell me why we were cleaning when she asked me to help, but I think we will be meeting someone important here today.''

''Huh?'' Issei furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. No one had mentioned anything recently. How long had he been kept out of the loop?

''Yes, Kiba, Koneko and Akeno-san are all in the kitchen cooking a very big lunch.'' Asia blinked as if just recalling something. ''Buchou told me to tell you when you arrived to help out the familiars with the shopping. But I think they're almost done by now.''

Rias was just about to proceed to cleaning the bookcase when she noticed that her Pawn had arrived.

''Issei, why are you just standing there? Get busy, we've still got much to do!'' She exclaimed, waving her feather brush energetically at the bewildered brunette.

''I-um Buchou, what's going on? What do you need me to do?''

''I didn't tell you? Right of course I didn't. We only got news this morning…'' Rias stopped rambling, pinching the bridge of her nose as she lamented her perpetual forgetfulness.

Then a bright, warm smile adorned her visage as she exclaimed excitedly. ''Naruto is finally coming back today!''

Issei's gut clenched, tying itself into knots at his King's exuberant response to the impending arrival of this 'Naruto'. Who was this guy? Who was he to her? Why was Rias so excited to see him? What made him so special? A million questions surged through his mind, but only one word made it out of his lips.

''Naruto?''

''Yeah, he's another member of my peerage. He rarely shows up because he's always busy dealing with other important affairs elsewhere.'' Rias frowned in mild irritation for a second before smiling brightly. ''But he's coming back today, hopefully for good.''

"Oh…" Issei frowned then covered it up with a half-smile while clenching his fist. "Sounds like a jerk…" He muttered under his breath.

*Smack*

Rias' smacked him across the face. He hadn't meant to say it out loud, but had done so anyway.

"You don't know him like I do. Don't talk about him like that." She glared and then glanced to the side. "Go help the familiars unpack."

She turned away and proceeded to re-arrange the multitudes of books adorning her personal bookshelf.

Issei stared at her stiff back as she mechanically went about her task, obviously truly angry at him. It was the first time she had ever shown him that expression.

Sure, she had been disappointed when he left to save Asia without her permission but that reaction had been nothing like this.

Seriously, just what did this "Naruto" guy mean to her?

-An hour later-

The sun was setting and the peerage had gathered outside the school gate in anticipation of their missing member's long awaited return.

Rias and Akeno were front and center, both jostling to be the first to welcome Naruto back. Wisely avoiding the brewing catfight, Kiba and Koneko stood to the left, with Asia and Issei bringing up the rear.

Ever since he had been struck, Issei couldn't get his mind off of the blow. And the person whom his King had defended so earnestly.

"Psst, Kiba" Issei nudged the gently smiling blonde with his elbow. "What kind of guy is he?"

"Naruto?" Kiba tilted his head innocently, blonde locks swaying.

"Yeah, him. What kind of person is he?"

"That's a tough question, I've only met him once and it was years ago. And our first meeting didn't go so well either."

"Oh?" Issei's interest was piqued. Rare was it that Kiba made a bad first impression on someone. His flawless looks and graceful, gentle manner had charmed all far and wide. The multitudes of rabid fangirls in the Academy could testify to that.

Kiba rubbed his chin thoughtfully, mild regret tinging his bluish-grey orbs. "I was a complicated kid with a chip on my shoulder back then, and I lashed out at him in frustration when we first met. He smacked me around the entire Gremory Estate, and I was unable to sit properly for a whole week."

"Sounds like a jerk to me." Issei muttered sourly.

Shaking his head fondly, Kiba defended his fellow peerage member.

"It was my fault really. I attacked him first. He's an odd guy If I were to describe him… he's sorta like a mixture of a fox and a tiger. He always had a cheeky smile on and he could sometimes be a bit condescending and annoying, he really hated being interrupted whenever he was eating ramen. He rarely started fights, but always finished them. Especially if you stole from his precious stash of Instant Ramen."

Here, Kiba shuddered. Akeno had been chased up and down the Gremory Household when the blonde had discovered that she had pilfered his most precious treasure, cackling evilly as she led him on a wild goose chase. Despite ending up quite bruised from his righteous fury, she had thoroughly enjoyed teasing him, barely concealing her moans of pleasure as he tackled her into submission and proceeded to... "punish" her.

Was it really punishment if the one being punished enjoyed it more than you did?

Kiba hadn't known who he feared more then, the furious blonde, or his insane Queen.

Shaking his head at the fond memory, Kiba turned back to Issei.

"I really didn't like him back then, or many things for that matter. But he proved himself to be trustworthy and loyal in time."

"I see…" Issei nodded in understanding, he would reserve judgement. For now.

"Rias and Akeno knew him better and they both are very fond of him, so he can't be that bad." Kiba concluded.

The knot in Issei's chest tightened.

"Is that him?" Koneko pointed at a silhouette ahead approaching the school gates.

She needed no reply as Rias slammed open the gates, sprinting forth before tackling him in a hug, followed closely by her Queen, who couldn't believe she had been outran by her King. Sporting an untamed, wild mane of blonde hair with two bangs stretching to his broad shoulders, Naruto grinned, sky-blue orbs glimmering with amusement, as he wrapped his ecstatic King in a tight, welcoming embrace.

"You were gone for so long this time..." Rias muttered, her voice muffled as she buried her face in his chest, arms wrapped tightly around Naruto.

The sun overhead made it hard to discern any specific features beyond his angular face and chiseled cheekbones, apart from the black jacket, white muscle shirt and black slacks the blonde sported.

Pouting, Akeno refused to let Rias monopolize the blonde, quickly squeezing past her protesting King as she wrapped her arms around Naruto's muscled back, tiptoeing slightly to place her chin on his shoulder, whining into his ear.

"I missed you too, you know~"

Issei's heart ached, it hurt to watch them and it got worse after the reunited trio finally separated, Rias and Akeno each claiming an arm as they led Naruto into the compound, chattering animatedly as they caught each other up after being separated for such a long spell.

As he approached, his features left the sun's glare and became clear to see. Issei was once again reminded of how Kiba had described him as a hybrid of a fox and a tiger. Whiskers adorned both sides of his face, and the cheeky, mischievous smile bore a stark resemblance to a fox's own cunning grin. However, the blonde's confident posture, prowling gait and striking presence could be interpreted as nothing other than the king of predators.

The Tiger.

Quite the combination.

'How am I supposed to compete with that?!' Issei protested mentally as he watched Naruto stride confidently and swiftly up to the gathered Peerage.

"Naruto! Naruto, these are the new members of the peerage I've told you about. Koneko, Argento Asia and Hyoudou Issei." Rias chattered excitedly, briefly releasing his arm from her death-grip as she gestured to them with her left hand.

"He really is just as you described. Cute eyes, lustful yet innocent, a strange combination." Naruto commented, before smiling warmly as he extended his hand. "I'm Naruto, nice to meet you."

Issei looked at his outstretched hand then at Rias and Akeno, who both eyed him intently, before he conceded and shook it briefly.

"I smell ramen," Naruto turned away from Issei and the others, his nose twitching as he sniffed deeply. "Lots of ramen, oh~ this smells great, where is this heavenly scent coming from?"

"From the Club house," Akeno stepped forth proudly, laying her head on his shoulder as she traced her index finger on his chest. "We- no, I made it for you."

Issei stifled the desire to groan and instead rolled his eyes.

"Really? Woah, what we still doing here then, lets eat!" Naruto's eyes glimmered with barely restrained enthusiasm and anticipation, scooping up the suddenly squealing Queen into his welcoming arms before he bolted for the Clubroom at top speeds.

-An hour later-

As it turned out, Naruto wasn't that bad a guy as Issei had initially believed. He was, in fact, very friendly and open, wearing his heart on his sleeve.

The blonde reclined comfortably in his favorite armchair, joking and chattering away at the rest of the peerage who had gathered around the coffee table, listening attentively as Naruto shared some of the more interesting stories of his travels.

"Why haven't you visited earlier?"

The lively conversation stopped after those words came out of Issei's mouth, an awkward silence arising at the sudden interruption, before all eyes turned to Naruto. Despite spoiling the cheerful mood, that had been a good question.

"Busy." Naruto mumbled, as he stuffed a chocolate chip cookie into his mouth, hands already reaching for more of Koneko's freshly baked treats.

"Couldn't you have just teleport here with a magic circle?"

"Nope, I wish I could use them. My life would be a lot easier that way… you do understand, right?"

"Actually yeah, I do. For some reason magic circles also don't work for me…" Issei sighed in relief. Finally, someone who understood his plight.

"It'd be strange if it did, given that you have a dragon inside you. A devil's magical circle can't transport a dragon. The only way to summon a dragon is through the Dragon's Gate, and only another dragon can open it." Naruto remarked offhandedly, as he snatched an entire tray of brownies laced with peanut butter that had been cooling on the coffee table after just exiting the oven.

He could never resist Koneko's treats, especially when she deigned to actually get down to making them. The ultimate connoisseur of sweet treats had learned from only the best of the huge variety of treats she had consumed, and he couldn't get enough whenever she made some herself.

Inhaling nearly half of the entire tray in seconds, he smiled and patted his stomach before passing the tray of treats back to its maker, who devoured the rest, resulting in a pouting Rias as she received nothing but crumbs on the now empty tray.

Burping in satisfaction, Naruto stood up and stretched, working out the kinks in his back.

"This was great, I'm really stuffed. How about we take an hour to digest, then you rookies show me your moves?"

"Sounds like a good idea," Rias got up snatched up an arm, dragging him away to her private chambers.

"In the meantime... I think we've have a lot to talk about."

"Oh boy…" Naruto muttered to himself as he was pulled away unrelentingly by a determined Rias. "Okay, but be gentle with me- I'll see you guys later..."

The door to Rias' chambers slammed shut, drowning out Rias' embarrassed whines at Naruto's choice of words.

"Well, that's that I guess." Kiba got up and proceeded to leave. "I'm going to get ready and you guys should too. Knowing him it's going to be a hell of a wake up call. Fortunately, now we have Asia to heal us after we regain consciousness from the inevitable beat down."

Asia blushed at being singled out for praise.

"Senpai will participate too?" Koneko asked while tugging at Kiba's shirt, golden orbs widening as her lips trembled slightly. She had long since realised how to weaponizee Herinnate cuteness to get her way in things.

Kiba paused, even he was not immune to her weaponized cuteness, before he flashed a gentle smile and patted her head reassuringly. "Sure, sounds like a great opportunity to test myself and gauge the difference between Naruto and I. You're welcome to join me in preparation, just going to do some light exercises to limber up."

"I'll be okay," Koneko shook her head and released his shirt, "going to eat more cookies."

Akeno leapt up and followed closely behind the petite rook, salivating at the prospect of eating more of Koneko's heavenly treats.

She rarely made them unless Naruto was here to enjoy it.

Until Koneko pointedly shattered her hopes and dreams with a blank stare along with a dull announcement.

"Don't bother. I'm not planning to share."

Gasping at the betrayal, Akeno scooped up the diminutive Rook, squishing her head into her bountiful cleavage, before whining pitifully as the pair headed for the kitchen.

"Oh come on~ Sharing is caring, my darling kouhai~"

Kiba stared blankly at the retreating pair, stunned by Koneko's blunt rejection, before he shook himself out of his trance. He paused to glance at Issei, then sighed and left without a word.

Issei caught onto Kiba's blatant warning and frowned, while Asia patted his shoulder reassuringly.

"I'm sure you will be fine, Issei-san. Naruto-san can't be so bad, he seems like a nice person."

"Fufufu~ I wouldn't count on that." Akeno gave them one of her 'not-so-nice-girl' smiles as she returned from her successful venture, having pestered Koneko till she gave in and surrendered one of her precious brownies, which was currently cradled possessively in her bosom. Raising a hand to her cheek, Akeno sighed in masochistic pleasure, "He's always been brutal when it came to training. I've missed sparring with him. He could both take, and dish out lots of punishment~ He was always bad at pulling his punches..."

"Even with you and Buchou?" Issei asked, his previous anger for the whiskered blond making a rapid comeback.

"Yes, even us." Akeno's visage gained a nostalgic expression. "It was normal for us to get out of spars with black eyes and busted lips at least, although I once got in a good lick on him that left him having to eat soup and liquids for a good week."

"Wow, when you put it like that he kinda sounds like a prick… I don't think I could hit you or buchou, or any other girl." Issei commented.

Akeno raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"Because…" Issei fidgeted and looked down, "you know…"

"Fufufu, you're so cute." Akeno pinched his cheek. "It's cute that you wouldn't, but it's also a bit insulting. Him always taking us seriously is one of the things I like about him. He sees us not as weak damsels, but as strong women with potential for further growth. He isn't a bad guy so don't say that about him, especially behind his back." A hint of disapproval colored her tone.

"Sorry…"

"Don't worry about it, he probably wouldn't care anyway. It's just rude to talk behind someone's back, especially since he's one of us." Akeno began to collect the empty dishes abandoned at the dining table, stacking up the bowls and cutlery. "Even if he doesn't know you well enough yet, now that you are officially part of our little family, I'm sure that if it came down to it, he'd die for you without hesitation."

Appropriately chastised, Issei nodded at Akeno and turned around. "I'm going to go get ready."

Asia stayed behind to help Akeno with the dishes.

Making his way out of the old school building, Issei plopped down on the grass with a sigh, pillowing his hands under his head as he looked up at the sky contemplatively, trying to organize his muddled thoughts.

Naruto appeared to be someone unreliable that was never around when needed, yet his compatriots swore by his loyalty and trustworthiness. He routinely beat them up in training and they praised him for it, even Rias and Akeno! Furthermore, Rias seemed to have no compunctions in wanting to spend some 'alone time' with him, especially with the way she'd said it.

From first-hand experience he seemed like a decent guy, cheeky, mischievous and confident.

A part of Issei liked him, but a far larger part hated him for Rias and Akeno thinking so highly of him. They defended Naruto without hesitation, went out of their way to welcome him back, and clung to him the moment they saw each other again. How could that be anything other than them harbouring feelings for the blonde? If Issei was in Naruto's shoes, he wouldn't leave them behind while he went away on his own missions, he wouldn't beat them up in training, he'd treasure them, so why'd they pick him?

Thoughts of Rias and Naruto alone in a room kept surfacing in Issei's mind. He'd try to bury those thoughts but his overactive imagination kept conjuring up vivid, torturous scenes that made his stomach clench as he closed his eyes, shaking his head to get rid of those traitorous thoughts.

A hand was placed on Issei's shoulder. He was shaken from his stupor and blinked owlishly as he stared at the curtain of blonde hair hanging over his face, bringing with it the scent of freshly plucked lilies.

It was Asia, the petite nun on her knees beside him, peering at him adorably with her large, innocent, viridian orbs.

Stunned that Asia, of all people had managed to sneak up on him, he sat up and looked behind him.

Naruto stood a couple of yards to his right with his arms crossed, a foxy grin decorating his visage, flanked by Koneko and Kiba.

Akeno brought up the rear. Rias was presumably still in her private quarters.

All eyes were on Issei.

"Huh?" The pawn stuttered, confused as to why everyone was gathered around him.

"Are you ready, Issei-san?" Asia asked while leaning closer to him, the delicate smell of lilies once again pervading his nostrils.

Issei blushed, red tinging his cheeks as he strained not to react from the former nun's proximity.

'DOWN, boy! Down!'

Naruto snickered in the background at his predicament.

As Issei wallowed in the midst of his self-imposed mental torture, a full hour had already passed, and he missed both the march of time and the peerage gathering behind him.

"Yeah I'm ready." Issei got up and patted down his pants, brushing off the grass clinging to the fabric of his uniform.

Flexing his neck, Issei cracked his knuckles, ready to see how he measured up against his erstwhile nemesis, beckoning teasingly at Naruto, he taunted.

"Bring it on."

Naruto's leveled a deadpan look at him, not rising to the bait.

Turning around to face Koneko, he clarified. "The intent of this exercise is for you rookies to show me what you're capable of. As your senpai, I will be the one evaluating you, although Akeno will be watching. Kiba, as the senior one here, you will have to show them how it's done. When you're ready, then come at me."

Naruto casually slipped off his black jacket, folding in neatly before passing it to Akeno, who smiled warmly at Naruto before donning the jacket herself, luxuriating in Naruto's unique warmth and scent. Rias would have been proud of her, if she hadn't been pouting impotently at having missed out on an opportunity herself.

Akeno: 2978

Rias: 48

Twirling a strand of long ebony hair, the Queen smirked in victory as she tallied the slightly skewed scoreboard to include her latest win.

Now clad in a comfortable white muscle shirt, Naruto flexed slightly, working out the kinks before hopping slightly on the spot, limbering up as his chiseled form rippled under the well-fitted shirt.

With a cocky smirk adorning his face, he pointed at Kiba before beckoning confidently.

Needing no further prompting, Kiba leapt straight at Naruto, a red scimitar materialising mid-leap in his right hand, his Knight-given speed eating up the distance between the opponents in a blink of an eye. Despite Kiba's rapid approach, Naruto remained stationary, calmly bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet, patiently waiting.

He didn't have long to wait.h

The blonde knight reappeared in front of Naruto, his entire body leaping up as he crashed his blade downwards with all his strength, augmented by gravity's pull on his body's weight, culminating in a brutal, powerful sword strike almost invisible to the naked eye.

Naruto merely smiled.

And lightly hopped backwards, his light jump integrating perfectly into the timing of his constant hops as he slowly warmed up. Kiba's sword tip whistled as it sliced the air barely an inch before Naruto's nose, making Kiba swear under his breath. He had been aiming for Naruto's neck in that strike, not holding anything back in order to stand a chance against the deceptively calm blonde.

Having overextended, Kiba didn't bother slowing down. Instead he shifted his stance, lowering his center of gravity before swinging his sword around in a full circle, seamlessly integrating the movement efficiently to flow into another attack.

Naruto's smile widened. "You've gotten better."

Kiba nodded his head at the compliment, not bothering to reply, instead focusing completely in delivering a blindingly fast flurry of sword strikes that each flowed into the next, an unending stream of lightning-quick attacks, designed to overwhelm any defence.

Finally, Naruto ceased his hopping, stepping back fluidly as he tilted this way and that, constantly evading Kiba's brutal assault by a mere inch, the displaced air parting his blonde locks slightly as he leaned back to avoid the next flurry of stabs and slashes.

And then he stepped forth. Right into Kiba's oncoming slash.

Kiba's eyes widened. After dodging the best assault he could put forth with near contemptuous ease, why was Naruto now giving up, walking straight into another powerful blow?

Setting aside his confusion, Kiba put forth his full weight on the blow, sending his scimitar crashing down with immense strength, right at Naruto's calmly grinning face.

He would wipe off that confident grin, one way or another.

Until Naruto crouched down, leaping up high, up and over his whistling sword, which swung past and smashed deep into the ground, its blade embedded deep into the soil, sending Kiba stumbling from the jarring impact. Reaching the peak of the parabolic arc Naruto had etched in the air, he returned to gravity's embrace, somersaulting gracefully back around as he sent a powerful kick right into Kiba's unprotected back, which threw the Knight forward and into the dirt.

Landing with nary a sound, the blonde slid his hands casually back into the pockets of his black slacks, starting that ridiculously annoying bounce again, the one which dared the opponent to attack his deceitfully lowered guard, past his non-existent defences.

Kiba, you're better than this. Use that knights speed, give me your best. You can't embarrass yourself in front of your kouhai, right?" Here, he gestured at the waiting Koneko, the rook barely restraining the urge to pounce at Naruto, only being held back by Kiba's warning stare.

Rhythmically tapping the ground as he hopped to a beat only he could hear.

''Just getting warmed up.'' Kiba got up from the dirt, brushing off his hands before materializing an immaculate European longsword in each hand, the perfectly crafted blades glimmering in the light.

The knight charged, twice as fast as before and swiped at Naruto's face, pivoting his body to smash down blow after blow as his body spun about, chaining each powerful strike into the next. Finally deigning to remove his hands from the pockets of his black slacks, Naruto grinned a toothy grin, a single kunai appearing in his right hand as he parried Kiba's mighty blows, sparks cascading off the crossed blades as Kiba smashed down strike after strike unrelentingly.

Summoning up all his strength, Kiba utilised both his swords longer reach and his entire bodyweight, he brought both swords crashing down on Naruto's single Kunai, aiming to send the cocky blonde to his knees from the sheer force of the blow.

"Impressive." Naruto praised, before he tossed his tiny blade in the air, snatching it back up in the reverse grip, darting forwards in a blindingly quick dash, sliding down on his knees past Kiba's stunned block, before parrying Kiba's crossed swords with the flat of his kunai's blade, the smooth edge not creating any sparks as the blades clashed, allowing him to get into Kiba's guard, where he delivered a single, devastating punch straight into the Knight's chest.

Instantly, Kiba was thrown back, blood spewing from his lips as all the air in his lungs left with a pained 'whoosh'.

Right into Koneko, who caught the swordsman and supported him with her petite, yet strong figure.

Stowing away his kunai, Naruto smiled warmly. "You've really trained hard, Kiba. You've gotten a lot better in these few years that I was gone."

Before his confident smirk returned, "But still not enough to beat me. Why don't you work with your kouhais?Together, you might actually stand a chance."

Spitting out a gob of blood, Kiba grinned as he shook his head to get rid of the stars orbiting his head from the force of Naruto's punch. The blonde really hadn't changed in all the years he was gone. Still the same cocky, cheeky, confident bastard who had the power to backup his words.

Kiba turned to smile gently at Koneko and Issei, "ready to hop in?"

Koneko deadpanned. "Do you really need to ask?"

Adjusting her combat gloves, embroidered with cute white cats all over it, Koneko aimed a focused glare at her senpai, who beckoned welcomingly with open arms.

"Let's wipe that smirk off his face." Issei confidently intoned, the {Boosted Gear} materializing on his right arm.

And they charged, the chivalrous swordsman, the tiny brawler, and the hot-headed fighter.

Kiba's speed increased till he became nothing but a yellow blur to Issei's inexperienced eyes.

Koneko charged as well, delivering a blur of punches and kicks in conjunction with Kiba's attacks, the two flowing seamlessly together in an awe-inspiring display of sheer teamwork, trust and confidence enabling them to play off each other's attacks flawlessly.

Where Koneko punched, leveling the ground as Naruto barely dodged the mighty blow, Kiba capitalized, sending a flurry of sword strikes that Naruto parried with his kunai.

Whenever Kiba circled around and struck, Koneko made sure to attack from the front, driving Naruto towards Kiba's blades, with seemingly no way of escape, boxing the grinning blonde in between, literally, the rock and a hard place.

Yet, the foxy smirk never left his face as Naruto seemed to defy the laws of physics, squirming in and out of their combined assaults, using the tiniest of spaces to wriggle out of range of their attacks, neither of them managing to land a single scratch on the immaculately dressed blonde.

"That's the spirit!" He cheered them on.

The gap in skill between them and Issei was evident. For all his talk, Issei could hardly keep up with their movements, to him it was all a mess: Kiba had become a white and yellow whirlwind around Naruto and Koneko, the former that somehow was still capable of evading and blocking them both.

Issei looked for an opportunity to tag in, but… looking at the swirling typhoon that was combat between Kiba, Koneko and Naruto, he hadn't the slightest clue on what to do. What could he do? Kiba and Koneko couldn't touch him and the pesky blonde wasn't even sweating.

Nothing intelligent came to mind, so he did the next best thing, something stupid, which was to charge straight into the fight, yelling a battle cry.

Kiba slowed down to not collide with Issei, throwing off his balance with the sudden deceleration, before hastily attempting another lunge at Naruto.

"Too slow." Naruto grabbed Kiba's wrist mid-thrust and pulled him into the path of Koneko's incoming punch. It was too late for the girl to pull back.

The Rook's powerful blow sent Kiba collapsing to his knees, his swords falling out of his grip as a torrent of blood erupted from his mouth. Kiba fainted.

Koneko froze in stunned horror at the damage she had inflicted to her own teammate, a costly mistake as Naruto flicked her on her forehead gently, the deceivingly light flick sending her to the depths of unconsciousness instantly. The petite rook collapsed on top of the insensate form of her senpai, a bruise forming on her forehead despite her Rook durability.

Unable to face the fate of his teammates, Issei focused on moving as fast as possible, having Boosted a few times while looking for an opportunity to enter the fight, delivering a solid, powerful punch to Naruto's face with all his might.

The gauntlet smashed with a meaty thud into something, grinding against flesh and bone and Issei grinned, he'd done what Kiba couldn't!

Until he collapsed with a scream of agony, excruciating pain radiating from his stomach area.

Curling into a fetal position on the soft, soft grass, Issei wailed in pain, moaning as he extracted his fist from his gut...

Wait.

What?

Blinking away the tears that obscured his vision, he looked down.

From her seat a safe distance away, Akeno winced in sympathy.

As Issei singlehandedly caused the destruction of his entire team, she first saw Naruto's grin vanish, a look of irritation crossing his face before he steeled his expression as Issei's fist, clad in the {Boosted Gear} careened at breakneck speeds for the blonde's face.

In a blur of movement almost beyond even her ability to see, Naruto moved, and sidestepped Issei's wild, desperate punch, the Pawn's last attempt to extract victory from the jaws of defeat, both hands coming up as they grasped the {Boosted Gear} in an iron grip, adjusting the fist strike's direction down, down and into Issei's own gut.

Essentially, the blonde had in a blink of an eye, turned Issei's boosted strength against himself in a blur of movement that confounded expectations.

So Issei had knocked his own lights out. Something he would never live down even years later.

Talk about falling on your own sword indeed.

Asia would be quite busy for the next thirty minutes reviving the fallen trio.

"So... How do you guys think you did?" Naruto inquired cheerfully from his perch on the sofa in the living room.

There was an awkward silence from the three ashen-faced people slowly recovering in the sofa facing the blonde.

Naruto turned to face Kiba, deciding to break the increasingly uncomfortable silence.

"Do you know why you couldn't touch me?"

Kiba took a deep breath before sighing. "Because you are even faster?"

Naruto's smile diminished, becoming serious as he lectured the Knight.

"Yes... but actually no. Despite my advantage in speed, your main issue is that you're way too predictable. For all your vaunted speed, it's worthless if your opponent could anticipate and guide you. There were only so many angles and methods you could attack me from, especially when I factored in a slower ally, your preference to the left side, your rigid style and the false openings I created. Well… you know the rest. I'll grade you a C minus."

Kiba bowed his head in acknowledgement. "Thanks, you have given me much to consider."

Here, Naruto scratched his head, laughing awkwardly as he said, "It's mostly training, although to me it's instinctive. Sometimes the smart thing to do is the dumb thing and the dumb thing is the smart thing. Knowing how to balance both takes practice, so don't worry about it, you'll get there." Naruto patted Kiba's shoulder reassuringly.

Rounding on Koneko, he patted her head soothingly, offering her a peanut butter brownie that he had saved from earlier. As she munched slowly on the comfort food, relishing in Naruto's remarkably soothing head pats, Naruto continued his debrief. "C minus like Kiba. You fight with your instincts, which isn't bad in and of itself, but despite polishing it well, your movements are also too predictable. You exemplify he classic rook, using your enhanced strength to charge straight at your foe, your immense hitting power guarantees an instant downer if it hits, but your predictability makes it easy to dodge, especially with your current speed. Despite that, you both worked extremely well together. I'm proud of you both."

And then he turned to Issei, who had remained absolutely silent, knowing that nothing he said could've been of benefit.

"You." Naruto growled, his slitted eyes began to glow an ominous hue.

Issei gulped.

"What were you playing at? I'd have to invent something lower than an F just for you. You need to work on everything, frankly, running in like that was the worst possible decision you could've made. Kiba had to slow down so that you two wouldn't have crashed hard, which led to the downfall of the teamwork between Koneko and him. You alone, caused them to lose formation and get taken out. You rely too much on your sacred gear for power and you don't think hard enough on how to use it properly."

Issei clenched his fist, biting back the rage that threatened to erupt.

"This isn't right, you barely gave me time to prepare." He protested.

"Prepare? You think your enemy is going to sit there and watch you power up? Your gear doubles your power every ten seconds and I just don't have all day." Naruto shrugged and turned around. "Your life as a devil has just started, you have immense potential, you just need to work at it. The objective of this exercise was to see where you stand - and I did - end of story."

''Hey! Don't just walk out like that! Where are you going?''

Naruto stopped and glanced back over his shoulder, his blue eyes blazing in a cold fury, and Issei's body stiffened instinctively, a cold shiver running down his spine. The {Boosted Gear} materialized upon his instinctive recoiling in fear of a superior enemy.

''Listen, buddy. I'm don't feel like arguing with you right now, so don't push your luck. You have nothing to prove anyway, you are what you are, there is no shame in being weak. If you don't like it then train and get stronger, it's really that simple."

The pressure crushing down on Issei eased and Naruto calmly exited the building, vaulting easily over the Academy's walls before disappearing from view.

Issei's gauntlet disappeared and he clenched his fists in impotent fury. Naruto was wrong, he did have something to prove, this was his chance to show Rias that he was strong!

Rias…

Issei looked around for his beloved King, but she remained elusive. Why was she still cooped up in her private chambers? The room was now empty apart from him and Akeno, who had remained silent throughout the debrief, Koneko and Kiba having left after Naruto did.

''Something isn't right…'' Akeno said to herself, bringing Issei's attention to her. ''I should talk with him.''

Issei reached to her but it was too late, the Queen followed Naruto, wings unfurling as she glided gracefully out of the room in pursuit of the blonde.

He frowned and turned back to the now empty club room, today really wasn't his day.

On his way back home, he glanced up at the window of the second floor, only to see Rias looking down blankly. She looked sad, her eyes were puffy and her hair a bit messy.

As if she had been in an argument.

What had happened between Naruto and her?

Later

With Naruto

It was now dark and cold, the sun having long set after the fiasco just now, the dim street lights illuminating Naruto's path as he strolled throughout Kuoh. He'd been roaming around since he left the school without any particular destination in mind, simply retracing the routes engraved in his memory.

Following the wind like he'd done for most of his life.

Kuoh was a strange city, for the peace and overall tranquility of the city was nothing but a facade.

The feeling it gave off wasn't a foreign one, Naruto had felt it before in other cities in different ways, the feeling of fate's machinations.

Something was about to happen, something big, if not now or tomorrow then soon enough.

'Whatever happens here will somehow relate to Rias and that kid, Issei Hyoudou...'

He sighed and scratched the back of his head. Old habits die hard.

There was a small park up ahead, poor lighting, two teenagers smoking pot on a wooden bench, a woman in a skimpy outfit nonchalantly posing under a lamppost and a homeless man sleeping on a bench under a tree.

'Seems like a good place to clear my head…'

Taking a seat on one of the benches, the farthest from everyone else, he leaned back and stared at the night sky.

'The sky sure is pretty tonight…'

He closed his eyes and sank into his seat.

'That Rias, what the hell is she thinking? With her wedding closing in by the second she's still playing highschool dollhouse with those kids.'

A cold breeze went by.

'No, that doesn't feel right, she does know… she's just given up on fighting it and wants to enjoy the little time she has left as an almost-normal girl. That's why she picked Japan of all places. She loves it here, damn Souji all-but turned her into a weeb.'

He opened his eyes to see that the two teens were leaving with the woman.

'Rias… you'll be the death of me one day."

4 years back

It was a warm night in a small town in Pennsylvania, the north-eastern state in the US. A full moon illuminated the night sky, bathing the town in its benevolent light, without a cloud in the sky to obscure its pure white light.

A young boy quietly walked down the sidewalk alongside the main road of the town, with the moon hanging over his back, illuminating his golden blond hair.

The boy was most peculiar, he wore a small and innocent smile and walked barefooted down the streets, his eyes closed. He wore a black shirt and slacks, sporting a backpack made of the same unassuming colour and un-reflective material.

His name was Naruto Uzumaki.

It was unusual for children his age to be out and about in the streets, especially at the late hour, but he was no ordinary kid and he harbored no fear of the dark. He strolled down the sidewalk with the confidence of a king, fearless and relaxed, head raised high without any shame.

He went with the wind, free like a bird, and the wind had never sent him astray. Not that he had somewhere specific to be, but with nowhere to go back to, the only path remaining was forward, to wherever the wind blew.

The town was quiet, with only a few houses still having their lights on. Besides Naruto, the only others on the street were shady looking people lurking around the alleys. The wind guided Naruto through the urban maze and into a warehouse. The inside of the warehouse was covered in a layer of pitch-black darkness, the metal door was wide open, hanging precariously on a rusted hinge, and there were no guards on the prowl.

Stepping past the threshold, Naruto pierced past the veil of obscuring darkness, revealing steel wires coiled up in large and heavy-looking stacks on the side, emanating the slight scent of iron.

Until Naruto noticed his bare feet get sticky and wet, coated in some semi-liquid substance.

He looked down.

So that was where the stench of iron was emanating from.

Blood.

Lots of it.

It wasn't fresh as it had already coagulated, something that would take roughly half an hour.

An odd thing for a 14 year old child to know, but he knew nonetheless.

There was a lot of blood, spread around in three large pools a distance from each other. But coagulated blood was all there was, no bone or flesh…

Until he looked up.

In between the metal beams holding up the ceiling of corrugated steel, three corpses hung, suspended on twisted metallic wires, with their chest cavities ripped wide open. Their bodies positioned directly above the three pools of blood.

Naruto whistled and raised an eyebrow. "The boys in blue will have fun explaining away this one…"

Footsteps approached from the rear entrance to the warehouse, two separate sets tapping away on the concrete floor, producing a rhythmic echo reminiscent of hard tipped dancing shoes, but worn by a duo with a soft, graceful gait. Likely young and female. The culprits?

Naruto turned to face the source of the footsteps and two girls around his age stepped out of the shadows into a a ray of moonlight piercing through a hole in the roof.

One sported long, elegant raven hair, the other's long locks coloured a fiery crimson. Their eyes shared a faint eerie glow and they wore intricate dresses, black and blue respectively, with the red headed girl adorned with a ruby necklace and a gold bracelet, both likely worth more than a fair sum.

Their eyes widened upon seeing the blood coalesced into three pools, and the blond boy appearing to be around their age standing next to the gory carnage, staring curiously at them. In response, they immediately raised their arms in defense.

Naruto found their reflexive raising of their guards to be cute, but their calm and collected reaction, or the lack of it to be precise, to the corpses unsettling.

"Hi!" He waved at them cheerfully. "I swear I found it like this when I got here."

"I don't trust him." The brunette told the other girl while standing in front of her, arms spread apart protectively.

"He's lying Rias, a boy his age shouldn't even be out here in a place like this at this time."

"Oi! That's rude! I'm standing right here, you aren't so far away that I can't hear you." Naruto pointed at them. "Besides, look whose talking."

"He has a point, Akeno…" the red-head now identified as Rias smiled knowingly, glancing between the two.

"Still, look at him, he's smiling! He's standing in a pool of blood in the middle of a warehouse with a smile like that. That's the definition of alarming, he may as well have come straight from a 80s horror movie." Akeno pointed back at him. "I say we roast him just to be sure - What did you do to the bodies?"

"Okay so first off. I'm always smiling. Second, yeah I can see how being here is somewhat incriminating, but the same can be said for you two. Third, let us not roast the Naruto, a roasted Naruto isn't a delicious one. And lastly they're up there." Naruto pointed upwards to the corpses. "I mean, look at me. How would I be able to get them up there and do all this without getting any blood on me?"

A chunk of liver fell on Naruto's head with a wet splat.

His smile faltered slightly. "I just had to open my big mouth…"

Rias giggled and covered her mouth with a dainty hand.

"Oh, so you think that's funny?" Naruto removed the bloodstained hunk of flesh with the tip of his fingers, flicking it away as he groaned.

She nodded.

"Now who's the strange one for smiling?" Naruto's smile returned to normal. "What are you two anyway? Cause I know you guys aren't human."

Rias' giggling faded away and she was stunned for a second before starting to shake. "D-don't be an idiot! Of course I am. What else would I be?"

Another piece of flesh fell and Naruto sidestepped it.

"That has got to be the worst lie I've ever heard in my life." He deadpanned, leveling a blank, judging stare at the sheepishly blushing redhead.

"It's okay if you aren't human. I know neither of you killed those guys." Naruto pointed up at the suspended corpses as he made his way towards the two. "My name's Naruto and I am uhh… a Naruto. There isn't a name for my species."

Naruto opened his eyes to reveal twin slitted blue eyes, gleaming with a feral light, that dilated after a few seconds.

"Oh, wow." Rias blinked owlishly. "I'm Rias Gremory, she's Akeno Himejima. We're both devils."

She took a deep breath and a thin red aura enveloped her, red, leathery bat-like wings unfurling from her back.

Naruto merely raised an eyebrow dully.

His reaction to to her dramatic reveal, or rather lack of it was… disappointing.

Akeno followed her example, a thin blue aura appeared around her and a pair of wings came out from behind her, one wrapped in smooth velvety feathers of the darkest night, the other a leathery one like Rias'... a curious combination.

Rias pouted and her aura vanished. "Nothing? Akeno, am I doing this right? I even used my aura. Sirzechs-nii said that presentation is everything."

Akeno cancelled her aura. "You did nothing wrong, I think he's met devils before, haven't you?"

"Nope, you two are my first devils. It's just that I've seen lots of weird shit." Naruto corrected cheerfully.

Akeno gave him an judging look. "You have a dirty mouth…"

"So I've been told. Can we continue this chat outside?" Naruto pointed towards the exit with his thumb. "This place reeks."

Rias shook her head. "We have to stay. Got to investigate this place for any clues left behind by the stray that did this."

"Stray?"

"Yeah, a stray is a rogue devil. We caught wind of one lurking here, preying on humans, so we're hunting it down as training."

"Oh, that sounds fun, and explains what you two doing here… but you sure you should be hunting rogues? Sounds dangerous."

"This one shouldn't be too strong, and we got backup if things go too bad."

"Huh? That's lame, if you aren't in any real danger then how will you give it your absolute best?" Naruto sighed and shook his head. "Whatever, any training is better than no training I guess. I can help you find this devil, but not from here."

"You can? How?"

"I can smell blood." Naruto tapped his nose. "Not in here though, the scent of blood is too strong to determine a direction. I'd have to go outside for that."

"Okay then lead the way!"

-Present-

It was then that they had met and their worlds collided.

The princess that had everything and the orphan that had nothing but his name and the clothes on his back.

"Those were good times, things were simpler back then…"Naruto reflected. His life had always been a mixture of both complications and lull periods of simple problems.

Roaming from place to place, stumbling across the supernatural at every corner, that was his curse.

"Back then it was all fun and games, so I never realised that trouble followed my footsteps wherever I went, like a dog hounding at my heels. Or maybe trouble was always there and I'm just drawn to it… that could be it too."

The same trait that had brought them together on the night where the wind smelled of blood and roses, would be the trait to bring them apart. Rias wanted a peaceful human life and she got it, something nigh-impossible with a supernatural magnet around.

Things would have been just fine if everyday school was the extent of her problems, but her engagement remained looming over her head like the proverbial Sword of Damocles. She wouldn't get out of the situation on her own, too weak and too dependant on others to do it for her, hoping for a last minute saviour to lead her on the path to salvation.

And so it was now up to him to make his decision, after 44 minutes of second time.(1)

To stay and help her prepare for the inevitable conclusion. The final clause of the contract, where at the very last minute, should the two "fiancees" still not see eye to eye, to resolve it all in a final, unofficial Rating Game.

Or to leave it to fate, and do things his way, seizing the opportunity in the US of the missing Olympian Master Bolt, but in the process letting her fend for herself and possibly lose…

Naruto felt that he couldn't just bail her out, it'd be besides the point. The whole reason she couldn't get herself out of it like Sona was that she was too passive to take an initiative and train or do something.

But was the lesson worth it?

Was breaking her heart worth it?

It had to be.

'Sirzechs won't even dare to interfere directly, that fucking pussy. He hides behind his role as a Maou, making excuses that he can't be biased, but fuck that. As if Serafall even knew the meaning of the word when it came to her sister. Damn sis-cons. Besides, what could they even do to the strongest Super Devil in existence even if he did show favouritism? Banish him? How would they do that? Who would they send to do that? The only other devil that could even stand up to him was Ajuka and they're as thick as thieves, it was common knowledge that wherever Sirzechs went, Ajuka followed. Losing both at once over some ruffled feathers, literally, would be too much to bear.'

He straightened his back, shook his head and spat on the floor, a contemptuous sneer appearing briefly on his visage.

'He just doesn't want to stain his image. Lucifer the prideful, a fitting title. They should add "the coward" to it as well... or maybe Grayfia is the one holding him back? Millicas, their son woupd become the Gremory heir in the case of Rias marrying into the Phoenix Clan.'

A familiar scent wafted into his nose, the scent of ozone.

''Ara, ara, so here you are.'' A woman with a soft yet sultry voice spoke from behind and then sat besides him. ''You are a hard one to find, Naruto.''

''It can't be that hard since you're here now, Akeno…''

''Mou~ you're still the same bully, you haven't changed at all. Just let me have the win and be happy'' Akeno nudged him in the side with her elbow. ''I was worried about you, you were acting really strange back there with the others.''

''I'm fine, you can go back now.''

''Come on~, the fact that you're dismissing me instantly tells me that you aren't 'fine'. I've known you long enough to know that you let Kiba, Issei and Koneko off the hook far too easy. I had beds in the Sitri hospital on standby for those three, but their injuries were all easily fixable by Asia alone.''

A single golden-blonde eyebrow arched and azure eyes turned to face the stubborn, annoyingly perceptive woman.

''I really don't feel like arguing tonight Akeno, just leave me alone and go back to Rias, she needs you right now.''

Akeno blinked, her expression softened. ''Why? Just what happened between you two? Did you two fight? Are you going to leave again? That'd break her heart, she and I, we both missed you so much.''

''I know…" Naruto's smile became somewhat melancholic.

''But you just came back, why do you have to leave again?''

"Because that's how things have to be."

"What kind of answer is that?"

"The truth. I've never lied to you two. And I won't be starting now."

Akeno struggled to suppress the red crawling up her cheeks and the nape of her neck, before she frowned and sat beside him, curling into his warmth. "When are you leaving?"

"Sirzechs gave me a week to wrap things up and say my goodbyes before I' lave the peerage and be made into a rogue."

"W-what?"

Tears built up in Akeno's eyes, her shoulders quivered, and her hands clenched.

"Why?" She cried out, holding Naruto even tighter, as if she could prevent his leaving if she held on long and tight enough.

''Because I have things to do that are very much illegal and I can't do them as a part of the peerage."

Naruto sighed and separated from her

"Rias' marriage to Riser is just around the corner and what are you two doing? Playing at being just being normal humans in highschool? Nobody is doing anything constructive to resolve the situation, you're all sweeping the problem under the carpet, pretending it won't happen when it will! At best it'll come to a rating game, then what? Do you feel ready for that with two rookies that barely know how to fly?''

Akeno flinched with every angry, yet factual accusation in his spiel.

''N-no but if that's the case then you can help us get ready. We can train together, you don't have to leave, you can help us prepare...'' The violet-eyed beauty stammered, struggling to hold back the tears obscuring her vision.

''Only now do you want to start preparing?" Naruto didn't relent, staring down coldly at the tears that slipped down her porcelain cheeks.

Akeno flinched again.

He sighed. He couldn't do this anymore.

Gently leaning forward, he rested his forehead against the smooth skin of hers, a single, long finger coming up to brush away the silvery liquid flowing down Akeno's face, the intimate gesture causing her cheeks to bloom with sudden heat.

"Don't cry." He murmured, "You both know I hate watching the people I treasure the most cry."

The dam broke.

Wailing, Akeno leapt straight into his lap, ignorant of the stares that passers-by leveled at the ensuing scene.

The ebony-haired beauty buried her face into his chest, her tears soaking his white shirt as Naruto wrapped his arms around her thin waist, bringing the sobbing woman closer, resting his chin atop her head, murmuring soothingly at the girl attached to him like a limpet to a rock.

"You've always been such a crybaby, even more than the princess."

Sniffling, Akeno choked out a muffled laugh from her spot in his lap.

"But you both know the the time for that for planning has long passed. Now's the time for action." Naruto shook his shaggy mane of blonde hair, and sad smile appearing on his lips. ''You two really do think alike, don't you? We both know that Rias needs to take control of her own destiny firmly in her hands and stop depending on others to save her."

Akeno raised her head, violet eyes shimmering vulnerably with unshed tears.

"Bu-"

''OI! Dickface!'' A teenage voice yelled from afar making the entwined duo turn to face the voice.

And as just as the emotionally charged moment would reach its climax, a perverted teen came barreling in with a raging bon- gauntlet, eyes alight with righteous fury.

''Great… it's him.'' Naruto sighed and got up, gently unwinding Akeno's tight grip around him, placing the stunned beauty back in her spot on the bench.

The Pawn darted towards them with impressive speed, crossing the distance in two seconds as he launched a devastating punch at the blonde's face.

Despite his improved speed and power, it paled in comparison to Kiba's own. To Naruto, so the brunette might as well have been running in slow motion.

Naruto sidestepped Issei in a blur of movement, extending his foot as Issei careened past the blonde, tripping him up as he lost his balance, before the blonde added to his momentum by giving him a light push on his back.

Issei tumbled forwards, thrown straight into a solid birch tree, nearly knocking his lights out.

''Kid, you're a hundred years too early to even think about challenging me."

"Besides, what on Earth is wrong with you? Running around in the middle of the night with that thing out?"

"I… uh…" Issei looked at the still shocked speechless form of Akeno, whose tear tracks were still obvious, and got up, wincing at the stinging pain rippling down his back.

His anger increasing tenfold from misreading the situation, believing that Naruto

"I'm here to kick your ass!"

There was an awkward silence at the Pawn's declaration.

Naruto deadpanned, leaning casually against a nearby tree as he folded his arms.

"Uh huh… you want to try saying that again? Maybe you should try saying it with more conviction, I'll wait till you actually manage to believe what you're actually saying."

Issei charged again and took another desperate swing.

"Why is it that you want to 'kick my ass'? " Naruto inquired casually, sidestepping as he tripped up the enraged Pawn again. "Or better yet, how do you even plan on doing that?"

"Shut up! You know why!" Issei roared, muffled by the dirt that now filled his mouth.

Picking himself up from the ground, Issei threw another punch that Naruto dodged with ease.

The jewel in his gauntlet shined.

"BOOST!"

"Oh boy, you still have lots to learn.… you didn't even put up a barrier to keep the civilians away- he's your puppy Akeno, you're cleaning up his mess."

Akeno groaned, having removed all traces of her emotional weeping earlier, but she knew he was right. Fighting like that out in the open with no barrier was a massive headache already forming.

"Why you… quit pushing her around!"

Finally losing his cool, Naruto caught Issei's gauntlet with his index finger and thumb, stopping all of Issei's momentum with a mere two fingers.

And then he did what he always did.

Finish the fight.

In a flurry of movement, he drilled a punch into Issei's gut, the air in his lungs whooshing out from the force of the blow, before Naruto pivoted around and kicked the back of the Pawn's knees, sending him kneeling helplessly in the dirt. A final flick to Issei's forehead sent him to the floor, his eyelids flickering drunkenly as he struggled to hold on to consciousness after a blow that could have overpowered even Koneko's Rook durability.

"You're beginning to test my patience… I guarantee you, that's not a smart idea. Just go home before you get yourself hurt… "

Staring at the barely conscious brunette, Naruto corrected himself. "Hurt more, I mean."

"You arrogant son of a bitch…" the Pawn mumbled.

"BOOST!"

Issei got up with difficulty, swaying drunkenly like a punch-drunk boxer, managing to regain his feet in a feat of pure will that actually grudgingly impressed Naruto.

"You made her cry, even after you took them from me, you son of a bitch!"

Issei yelled, throwing an uppercut so pathetic, Naruto doubted he could even see more than two feet in front of him, Issei's crossed, dilated eyes proving his point as he struggled to even see straight.

Finally losing his patience, Naruto's smile faded away, the mirth and amusement vanishing from his face, leaving behind a cold, steely expression.

One that could freeze an ocean in an instant.

Issei's arm to stopped an inch away from the target. His whole body froze in sudden paralysis.

Naruto's sheer presence felt like a massive mountain crushing down on Issei's shoulders, freezing him instantly. He could barely breathe.

Even Ddraig maintained a respectful silence at the sheer force Naruto's presence inflicted on his host.

The blonde pushed the fist enclosed by the gauntlet away with his index finger and crouched down to the frozen Issei's eye level.

"I would've ripped you into pieces and fed you to Kurama if you weren't a part of my family." Naruto whispered in his ear, the threat no... a vow that left no doubt of the sincerity of his words.

Having sufficiently quelled Issei's insubordination, Naruto gently pushed the frozen Pawn back.

Issei fell on his butt with a thump, the pressure and paralysis wearing off as Naruto reigned in his aura.

"This was amusing before but now you're just embarrassing yourself." Naruto extended his hand. "Give up and go home. I'll forget this happened."

Issei looked at his hands and then at Akeno. She was giving him the look.

"Issei that's enough, just stop, please."

He slapped Naruto's hand away and got up.

"Wait, why are you looking at me like I'm the bad guy? It's him!" Issei pointed at Naruto with indignation. "He did something to Buchou, she was crying because of him!"

Akeno turned to him. "Is that true, Naruto?"

"Rias and I had a talk, about what we were talking about before he showed up. She wasn't happy." His eyes and expression softened. "Hyoudou Issei, I can see why Rias chose you for the peerage."

"Save it! I don't want to hear your excuses!"

Naruto sighed, the kid was as dense as the gauntlet he wore. There was no point in conversing with someone incapable of listening…

Enough was enough. He had tolerated the kid's antics for long enough, his patience fraying at the edges, Naruto vanished right before their eyes, only to appear behind Issei, delivering a vicious chop to the back of his neck, sending him to the welcoming embrace of unconsciousness as Issei's brown eyes rolled up into his head.

"You got a good heart kid, just need to get your head out of your ass and stop thinking with your dick."

"You didn't need to knock him out…" Akeno frowned slightly while looking at the unconscious form of Issei.

"Can't talk with someone that won't listen. Dragging it out would've been pointless." Naruto grabbed Issei by the shirt and flung him over his shoulder. "A team is only as strong as its weakest link. He'll be the end of you and me."

"He isn't that bad…"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "You're right, he's worse and I'm not talking about just his pervertedness. He's immature, thinks with his nothing but his dick, and has no battle awareness or instincts. We know how Rias is, when things go south she'd take his place and bail him out, and as poetic as self-sacrifice is, it shouldn't be the first option."

"That's a pessimistic view…"

"It might be, but it's how things are, I've seen it too many times to fall for it again. It's nice and cute for everyone to be dependent on one another, but the more intricate the clock then the easier it is to smash it to pieces, one faulty clog is all it takes."

Akeno shifted her eyes trying to find the right words, but before anything came out, he continued.

"Which is why we'll have to make this week count if I am to whip you lot into shape before I take my leave."

"Wha- me too?"

"Yep, all of you. And when we start you're gonna wish I left…" Naruto turned around and left with the unconscious Issei, easily carrying the knocked out brunette over his shoulder as he casually gestured to the crater Issei had been beaten into. "You're in charge of clean up now. Good luck erasing the memory of everyone that saw him with the {Boosted Gear} out before they start posting it on the internet…"

Akeno groaned in dismay, it was just her luck that something like this would happen.

- Chapter end -

(1) - Is a Brazilian saying of Football/Soccer of when you want to do something at last minutes that you didn't do the entire game.

I don't bash characters, not even Issei, he's a perv and an idiot but mostly harmless. Issei is very immature and prone to jealousy which is why he antagonizes Naruto and clashes with him on this chapter Which will leave me room to work, evolve him, work on his character. But hey, Naruto at some point has fought almost every friend his.

Naruto likes Issei, he likes the whole peerage despite not truly knowing most. He's seen a lot and suffered losses so he's strict when it comes to strength and training.

I will post two weeks or so, with chapters of around this size between this and my other story.