Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Naruto franchise or High School DxD

Warning: Spoilers for High School DxD past Volume 4

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To obtain a complete picture of the incident one month ago, the representatives of all three great powers, Azazel, Michael, and Sirzechs, compile their respective data and assemble a record of the epic battle. The augmented-reality version of Great Red refines in quality until all participants at the meeting have a clear 3D image of the biblical beast of the apocalypse. Not just that, but their combined data is able to fully render the entire battle such that everyone can examine every detail of the golden, fiery warrior wearing a white robe and wielding a monk staff. Against the dragon and warrior, an enormous beast, resembling a humanoid rabbit, of immeasurable proportions towers over even Midgardsormr, known as the sleeping dragon, dragon of the end, and the largest of the Five Great Dragon Kings. What intrigues all three leaders the most is not the two unknowns' wide range of abilities, but the tremendously huge, spherical stone body floating in the dimensional gap. Whatever the golden warrior's logic may be, he created an astronomical object on par with the size of the moon.

"That moon-sized object," Azazel continues the meeting with his thoughts aloud, "the Grigori has been monitoring it and observing Great Red's movement. So far, the beast hasn't left the superstructure since its conception; almost as if the dragon were protecting it. Not one of our researchers has been able to get remotely close to the object."

"Based on your observations, do you perceive any part of this situation as a potential threat?" Sirzechs questions his fallen angel counterpart.

"Nope," the governor general leans back into his seat. "If any of the other mythological religions and factions got the bright idea to get within a kilometer of the object, Great Red would surely annihilate them. Also, the beast has been minding its own business until recent events, so I don't think it'll be a problem if observed from afar."

"Aside from that, please look at this," Michael offers his input and jumps to where the giant ten-tailed rabbit assaults the dragon-armored warrior with an earth-shattering blast. Soon after, the fiery warrior comes back with nine new entities to fight alongside the dragon of the apocalypse before combining all ten beasts into an avatar on par to that of the ten-tailed rabbit. "This was from our portion of the data. Looking closely, the armor decorations resemble an 'Asura' from Buddhism and Hinduism. The 'Asura' often are depicted with six arms and three faces," the archangel leader points out the aforementioned characteristics on the armor. Indeed, aside from the nine-tails, there are three pairs of arms and two additional faces. The middle right hand holds a pitch-black double-helix spear and a cross-hatched shield in the opposing hand.

"So, you're hypothesizing that these new beings are from East Asia and possibly demigods?" Azazel asks his angelic counterpart. From what the governor general knows of those religions, they originate in East Asia. Pure World Buddhism, or Amidism, is the most widely practiced form of Buddhism. Asura, or Ashura in Japanese, is the name of the lowest ranks of demigods derived from Hinduism.

"I wouldn't classify them amongst demigods," Sirzechs offers his analysis. "The power those two demonstrated far outstrips that of any known demigod. Also, we, devils, captured footage of the unidentified person who appeared at the end of that battle." This time, the devil leader jumps to the end of the fight when the ten-tailed rabbit is blown away and reduced to a female humanoid entity. The unknown takes the appearance of a young, black-haired girl wearing gothic lolita clothing. However, the speed at which she phases into the dimensional gap, takes the blond, and disappears beckons a few questions such as, "who is this person?"

"This child must possess a great measure of power to approach Great Red," Michael notes at the sudden appearance of this newcomer.

"We have no information on whom this child may be," Sirzechs adds, "or her intentions as of yet. It's obvious that she's no mere child. Perhaps we should get into contact with Sakra?"

"Meh, that guy, carefree as he wants others to perceive him, is a crafty and cunning fella. I don't think it's to our benefit to include him until necessary," Azazel warns the archangel and devil king about his suspicions of Sakra, otherwise known as Indra. The Hindu demigod has a buzzcut, wears circular glasses, and a Hawaiian shirt. "And…there's one other thing…"

"And what may that be?" Michael, not liking the tone of his fallen angel counterpart's voice, inquires.

"Sir…" Shemhaza's deadly and stern voice warns his superior. Obviously, whatever topic Azazel's about to reveal may be taboo.

"Do you believe in extraterrestrials?" Azazel leans forward with both hands intertwined. Normally, such a question would elicit laughter and disbelief, but coming from Azazel and his reputation as a scientist, this question is not to be taken lightly. "The Grigori found a body floating in the dimensional gap soon after the end of that battle. We may have just made first contact."

The governor general reveals a hidden AR storage device from his coat. Shemhaza stiffens, but does not go unnoticed by the other two great powers. Activating the holographic projector, he reveals a 3d image of said body. Strangely, the supposed extraterrestrial appears human for the most part. With his masculine face, the body sports a full head of long, spiky black hair hanging down to his knees. The body is bare from the naval up, but has dark navy blue pants and sandals, and wears a glove on his left hand.

"This is what we found. Luckily since there's no oxygen in the dimensional gap, decay did not set in. I guess it's too early to call this specimen an extraterrestrial since upon dissection of its body, we discovered that he's human, but with one exception: an entirely extra circulatory system. We can't figure out what's the purpose for this foreign circulatory system, but a human-like species to evolve this separately from us, it must have a specific reason to have evolved. However, the only missing parts of his anatomy are his eyes. Based on forensic analysis, someone or something extracted this specimen's eyes. I don't know why, but I'm hypothesizing that it has a connection to the battle we just reviewed," Azazel interrupts his long-winded report to focus in on the ten-tailed rabbit and Asura/Indra composite. Particularly, he narrows in on their eyes. "Thanks to today's conference, I just came up with this hypothesis. If this person has any connection to these two entities, then it may lie in the eyes. Even I cannot propose a reason as to why their eyes have those distinct patterns. I don't recall seeing them in any historical records."

"That's quite an interesting proposal you improvised," Sirzechs, no longer carrying his light-hearted demeanor, leans in as well. "You were so eager to draw data from both us devils and angels, yet you were going to hide this revolutionary information from us," The Satan Lord calls out Azazel's hypocrisy.

"As you understand, there are those who still carry deep grudges on all three sides," Azazel states matter-of-factly. No one in the room can deny. Each of them experienced the horror of the last war. "As a sign of good faith, I'm going against my own organization to garner your support without external factors forcing us, great powers, to work together. Plus, say that we fallen angels hadn't found this body; whereas the devils had. Surely, you devils would have turned over this body to Ajuka Beelzebub. He'd be willing to reincarnate this body, and from the extensive testing, the Grigori can also deduce, based on his musculature and bone structure, that whoever this being was, he used to be a skilled warrior. If he was as much of a warrior as what we three just witnessed through our complied data, then that'll surely put the devils ahead of both fallen angels and angels."

No one in the room can deny the Grigori's logic either. From what little data the fallen angels had before this meeting today, they already knew the power the two unknowns wielded. Even though machines may malfunction, there were many observers from all mythologies and factions who must have surely witnessed the cataclysmic battle. Such a shock will put many powers on edge. The fallen angels stumbled upon a gold mine in the form of this humanoid alien. Ajuka Beelzebub, known as the chief advisor of the devil's technology department and another Devil King, could have manipulated this body and pushed the devils beyond the angels and fallen angels. He is the being who created the evil pieces, so the logic is not farfetched. Even Azazel is wary of this individual. Thus, the Grigori forbid Azazel, even though he's the governor general, from revealing this information at this meeting, but Azazel bets on the goodwill of the devils and angels.

"We understand where you're coming from," Michael nods his head with approval. He looks over to his devil counterpart, Sirzechs, who smiles as well. "This is an unprecedented event no one in this world could have predicted or knows how to respond to. I am glad that you Azazel, leader of the fallen angels, would put this much faith in a possible alliance between the three great powers."

"Well, you're right about Ajuka, Azazel," Sirzechs smiles. If anyone knows about the Devil King who carries the title of Beelzebub, it would be Ajuka's childhood friend, Sirzechs. "He'd certainly would have tinkered and toyed with this specimen had the devils discovered it. I can't blame your organization's logic on this issue. I'm humbled by your actions today, Azazel. You've certainly got the guts to follow what you believe in."

"We all bear responsibility for the position the three great powers are in right now," Azazel solemnly leans back into his leather seat and looks off at nothing in particular in the distance. "This system of hatred we have, you guys have given me hope that we can really break it. Maybe, we can open up to the other mythos as well."

"That won't be an easy task," Michael warns. "We beings who have lived for so long, most of us are set in our ways and prefer to exclude outsiders."

"Hey, hey, don't be so tightly wound up. I mean, look at much we've accomplished just today," Sirzechs eases tensions a bit, but Michael speaks the truth. Devils, angels, fallen angles, gods, Buddha, etc. have lived beyond modern man and have even influenced the direction of civilizations. Even though some gods' times have come and passed, they still retain their pride as once all-encompassing beings. This hubris has played a role in the hatred and distrust amongst religions.

"For now, I suggest we use the information gathered today for further research on our own time," The leading archangel proposes to which his two counterparts agree.

"Even though it was brief, this meeting was rather successful," The red-head devil king reiterates his point. "If you so desire Azazel, Ajuka can analyze any data you're willing to release on this specimen. Perhaps, he can give his opinions on this matter."

"Sounds good and all, but…" Azazel glances slightly at his second-in-command whose exterior remains cool and unemotional, but underneath, the leading fallen angel can tell he's seething. "I'm going to have to deal with some backlash."

"Maybe we can trade in return for today's information? I can get you in contact with Ajuka and his resources," Sirzechs suggests. He, himself, is going to have to deal with backlash from the other high-ranking devil families for coming to this meeting and exchanging information with angels and fallen angels. Hatred runs rampant everywhere.

"I know you're interested in sacred gears as well," Michael opts in on this barter as well. "If you may share your insight and information on those missing humans you suspect to possess sacred gears, we angels will be willing to come to your aid."

"Yeah, as well as the missing sacred gears. What, has it been twenty years since three of the top four sacred gears have gone missing?" Azazel poses the rhetorical question since the True Longinus, Dimension Lost, and Annihilation Maker have gone missing for two decades. Zenith Tempest, the angels have the second strongest sacred gear capable of controlling the weather.

"Anyhow, I henceforth call this meeting of the three great powers adjourned," Azazel stands tall and speaks in a falsely serious tone. With that, they depart, each with a complete record of Naruto's final bout against Kaguya Otsutsuki, and the mystery behind the missing eyes of Madara Uchiha's corpse.

Rossweisse, the Norse chief god's bodyguard, is not having a good time. First, her superior ditched her to go off to who knows where. (If Rossweisse has to guess, he went to peek on women again). Second, the sun sets much earlier this close to the Arctic Circle during November, and the night makes searching much more difficult. She has been looking for clues for a few days already, but the weather conditions have no made this task any easier. Her pride as Odin's bodyguard prevents her from leaving this mission unfinished. Third, her trail has gone cold. Whoever were the perpetrators who started a battle in Norse territory without the consent of the leading gods, they need to be brought forth to Odin and explain themselves.

Back at ground zero, there were traces of demonic energy. One of the culprits belongs to the underworld that much she's certain. Small traces of magic littered the ground as well, so mages are involved. Stray magicians, those whom have been expelled by the director of the mage's council Mephisto Pheles, may be involved in this incident. However, there's a trace of unknown energy lying about. Despite Rossweisse's vast academic knowledge, this lingering energy is something completely foreign to her. Although unfamiliar, the Valkyrie is aware of senjutsu, or sage techniques, that utilizes the natural energy from the environment. The most prominent senjutsu master is Sun Wukong, the monkey king illustrated in Journey to the West, but there's no trace of yojutsu, yokai magic, in the senjutsu. He's certainly capable of that much destruction, but it's not in his nature to cause such a ruckus in territories belonging to other factions.

"Well, well, lookie at what I've found, he he he," An ominous voice calls out to the battle maiden without her noticing anyone sneaking up on her. However, she can recognize that voice anywhere. "Did Odin finally decide to dump his pet?"

"Loki…" Rossweisse, battle ready, turns around to face the Norse prankster god. Of all the beings she could have run into, this may be one of the worst. Even with her proficient skills in magic, a god still outclasses her in every way.

"Now, now, no need to show me that kind of face," Loki wags his right index finger left to right. "Not here to start a fight. Just checkin' on what's all this ruckus in Norse territory. What's that stupid chief god doing? Allowing something like this. If I find whoever has the balls to start something in my lands…" The prankster god is not too fond of outsiders and beings belonging to other mythologies. Most ancient deities are xenophobic towards each other in modern times.

"So far, I have found nothing," The Valkyrie, still tense from this encounter, must respect her superiors, even though he often badmouths her direct superior. Though she too ridicules Odin.

"Welp, carry on. Just so you know, it's going to be a cold night," Loki lustfully mocks her armor and leotard formfitting on her curvaceous body. However, what he says is true. Even though it's not that late in the afternoon, the sun is already below the horizon since the Norse territory is so far north on the planet. "Oh, and one last thing, find a boyfriend. Maybe then you'll have something else up your ass other than that stick…"

"Wha…" Flushing bright red, Rossweisse angrily burns with the desire to launch a barrage of destructive magic spells upon the impudent god. It's not her fault that she doesn't have a boyfriend! She's just too busy to care about that drama (or so she tells herself).

With that last insult, Loki takes his leave through a Norse teleportation magic circle. The lonely battle maiden, in the freezing cold, decides that she should return to Valhalla where hopefully Odin has returned. Suddenly, she hears rumbling from her stomach. She has been so caught up in this failed assignment that she has not eaten for a day. Realizing her location, Rossweisse sees that she's close to her home village. Though her parents and most of her extended family reside in Asgard, her grandmother remained in the human world and raised Rossweisse in the countryside. Knowing her grandmother, Gondul, the Valkyrie knows that her elder would be happy to feed her. Though Rossweisse will have to deal with more of her grandmother's nagging on her single lifestyle, it's better than going back to Odin. Utilizing Norse magic, she takes to the skies and heads over to a secluded fjord. The high cliffs on both sides a body of water and trees closer towards sea level, characteristic of this beautiful land, are covered with snow. Although the arable plots of land are unusable at this time of year, fishermen brave the turbulent seas to catch deep sea creatures to sell internationally and for local sustenance during these cold months.

Rossweisse arrives at her grandmother's isolated small cabin. However, the lights are on, which confuses the battle maiden. Normally, with the sun already set though it's only the afternoon, her grandmother would be watching over the fishermen as they endure the tough conditions. As a Valkyrie herself, Gondul waits for the opportunity for a fisherman to die, and if she deems the person worthy, she'll escort the individual to Valhalla for the coming of Ragnarok. Gondul is home. Her granddaughter knocks on the door. A few moments pass before she sees her grandmother's surprised, yet happy face.

Sitting at the table are two unknown people: a blond hair teenager, and a black hair female child.

Few days passed since Naruto escaped from the Khaos Brigade's base with their symbolic leader, the ultimate dragon Ophis, and defeated the descendant of the previous Leviathan, Cattleya. This winter weather puts Naruto in even more dire straits. He's set up camp and hunted down any game available out in this unknown wilderness. With just the thin clothes on his back, he endured the cold climate with sage mode. However, even he cannot stay in this state for so long. Sometimes, Naruto wishes that he knew other elements beside wind style. In his base form, Naruto cannot utilize the other elements without the tailed beasts. This fire before him, he started with wind chakra creating friction with rocks. The resulting sparks ignited a campfire which Naruto set up in an igloo-like structure made from snow. The days are too short, and the weather too cold. With freshly roasted rabbit and fish over the fire, Naruto shares his catch with the dragon god. Although stoic, Ophis accepts his food.

Now what is Naruto going to do? He releases sage mode and revels in the fire's warmth. He's in a completely unknown world, cannot communicate fluently with the locals except for supernatural beings, has a terrorist organization on his tail, a dragon god to look after, cannot communicate with the tailed beasts inside him, and his entire home world trapped in a false dream. Also, that unidentified person, his intent felt like that of Orochimaru. If that were the case, Naruto was no longer safe while in enemy territory; another reason for him to escape. He hasn't felt this solitude since his early childhood when none of the public accepted his existence. The dragon god across from him, he just couldn't allow that organization toying with her desires in order to increase their strength via her snakes. Ophis is just lonely and wanted a friend. Naruto often listened to Vali and Ophis talk to one another when it was Vali's turn to watch over the dragon god and her supposed pet. The white dragon emperor, he's not as much as a pompous ass as Naruto assumed. There was a genuinely nice and caring man underneath his battle obsessions.

For now, Naruto stretches his sore muscles. He's still not fully recovered. These eyes, the last gift from his transmigrated brother, drain a bit more chakra than Naruto prefers. No wonder the late squad leader of team seven wore his headband over his left eye. Right now, it'd be foolish to navigate in the dark, so it's best for him to sleep through the long, long night up north of the Arctic Circle. Deep in REM sleep, Naruto drops into his subconscious. Before him is the eight trigrams seal holding that mass of energy back.

"Ya'll awake now?" A familiar voice call for him from behind.

"Yeah, well, a gigantic freakin' dragon might've something to do with it." Naruto grins as he turns around and faces the dragon born of dreams and illusions, Great Red. "I see that you're speaking with that tone again. How did you get into my subconscious?"

"Hear ya still talkin' like some mentally retarded Jap. Pretty cozy in here." The giant red dragon sarcastically remarks as it looks around at the sewer Naruto has for a subconscious. The tight corridors forces the monstrous beast to fold its wings and squat down. "I was born from dreams."

"Hey, if you can talk to me in my dreams, why didn't talk to me the past month?" Naruto asks the beast residing in the dimensional gap.

"Somethin' was blockin' your location. Guessin' t'was that Ophis," Great Red rationalizes. Ophis, the strongest of the top ten beings in this world, is certainly capable of setting up a barrier with the Khaos Brigade's resources. "Where all ya other beasts? Could'a started a zoo with all them."

"That…I don't know. That last attack, we put everything we had into it, and Kaguya didn't die. I had to use the seal on her. I don't know. I can't go deeper into tailed beast consciousness. Maybe they're sleeping? Or maybe they're…" Naruto's eyes look down to the lower right. Even though the nine tailed beasts are enormous masses of chakra given life and shape, the blond never thought it may have been possible to completely exhaust those reservoirs, until the battle against the ten-tails began. When a shinobi completely exhausted all of his chakra, that ninja dies. Did the same happen to the tailed beasts? Right before they had a chance of freedom?

"Sleepin'? I wasn't born from illusions and dreams for nothin'" The red dragon smirks. Dreams and illusions are its domain. "If they're sleepin', I can enter those dreams."

"Really!? You can do that!?" Naruto exclaims while pointing his finger at the enormous beast of the apocalypse.

"Yep. Whatcha think I'm doin' now?" Great Red mocks the blond's denseness. Surely, a warrior of his level and battle prowess, Naruto can't be so thick-headed? Right?

"Yeah, that's true…" Naruto crosses his arms. He can't remember a time when he entered his subconscious while asleep. Usually, he stands before this gate when he's unconscious or meditating. So, this dragon, not only insanely powerful, but can also connect people's dreams and memories. "Anyways, you can help me get back into tailed beast consciousness?" To which, the cramped dragon nods.

The blond shinobi, once again, hops onto dragon's horned, thick and scaly head. Allowing the beast to delve deeper into his mind, Naruto feels them sinking into the floor of his sewer of a subconscious. Once through the first layer of his mind, eventually, they make way down to the part that once was connected to the tailed beasts. However, he finds no physical signs of his friends. The giant dragon nudges him to look down. Naruto sees the malformed and mangled bodies of the nine beasts submerged beneath them. The tailed beast consciousness also does not feel right. Much like the chaotic energy Naruto locked away in the eight trigrams seal, more of those energies makes the entire water-like floor turbulent much like a strong current in the ocean. Naruto can't bypass this layer separating him from his friends.

"Looks like your rash decision to synch with the Great Red backfired," A new voice calls out to the duo. Naruto, turning around, sees the ultimate dragon deep in tailed beast conscious with him. She casts an unassuming glance at the enormous red dragon, but clear in her eyes is murderous intent.

"Woah, woah," Naruto steps in-between the two to prevent a clash in his psyche. He doesn't need to be a vegetable so early in his life. "Calm down. How did you get in here?"

"Followed my path," Great Red growls. "Little bitch used her energy lingerin' in ya to follow."

"Ok, ok, don't get so worked up. So now, since the two of you are here, you guys have any idea what's happening?" The blond points down to the chaotic ocean of swirling crimson blood red and black purple energies. He thought that he had quarantined the energies, but so much excess still riddles his mind.

"I, do not know," The ultimate dragon responds monotonously. "This has never happened before. No being has ever encountered both the infinite and the dream. No being has ever contained the powers of the infinite and the dream."

"Ya're unpredictable, that's for sure," The DxD, dragon of dragons, ironically agrees on one point with his counterpart.

"I, believe you have to separate the infinite from the dream to revive your pets," Ophis delivers her opinion on this issue. "As the energies are now, I cannot extract my power from the dream because doing so shall throw the balance off and may kill you."

"100% synchin' with me brought not only ya life force to almost zero, but also theirs. They're hangin' on by clingin' to ya life force," Great Red explains further the situation. The Uzumaki clan and the transmigration of Ashura, Naruto's heritage has given him possibly the largest life force in the ninja world. Naruto solemnly looks down to the writhing mass of differing animal body parts. Yes, Kaguya was sealed, but at what cost?

"Ok, then how do I split your powers? I mean, this has never happened before, right?" Naruto asks once more to confirm Ophis's statement. They both nod. Sighing, Naruto scratches the back of his head. However, his training has almost always lead to some deadly consequences, i.e. Jiraiya pushing him off a cliff, rasenshuriken's double-edged sword, sage arts toad transformation, and fighting Kurama.

"Oh, a visitor?" Ophis looks up at the emptiness of the realm of tailed beast consciousness.

"Shit," Naruto swears. He was too deep in his mind to sense potential danger while he's sleeping. The conversation comes to an abrupt end as Naruto wakes up.

Eyes wide open, Naruto, faster than a blink of an eye, reflexively gets behind whomever this interloper may be. Though, this person, female, feels elderly as the blond restrains her hands behind her back. Even if he's not utilizing chakra mode, Naruto got the basics of sensing not just chakra, but also hatred and negative emotions. He senses none in this person and releases his hold on her. Ophis, eyes closed and lying on the ground with her arms across her chess like a mummy, and he have been so deep in his mind that they (maybe just him) did not sense her entering through the igloo's small entrance and approach his sleeping form. The newcomer wore a plain, blue full body cloak over her lithe frame. She begins speaking in an unfamiliar tongue. Great, as per usual, everyone in this world talks in a different language. Naruto decides to annunciate a few words that Vali's group understood. Surprise across her face, the elderly lady opens her mouth again.

"How strange. It's not often I find a Japanese speaking young man out here in the wilderness, but your accent is quite unusual. Nothing I've ever heard before. My name's Gondul," The older woman introduces herself in the familiar "Japanese" Naruto's accustomed to. One day, Naruto will have to figure out what exactly is this "Japanese," and why it's so similar to his native language.

"Nice to meet you, I guess. Sorry about that," Naruto points out the bruises on her wrists where he held her.

"Self-defense, it's alright. It's my fault for soliciting," She apologizes by bowing, customary to his tradition strangely, or is it Japanese customs? "Pardon my question, but why are you out here? It's dangerous in this weather."

"Well…" Naruto looks left, right, and then down. He realizes that he's still in hospital garments. Not only that, but Ophis wakes up as well. Maybe she was awake, but Naruto can never tell what goes on in her head. Also, blond hair and black hair, Ophis and he bear no resemblance, and she has a child's body wearing such revealing clothing. Part of Naruto, right now, wants to knock her out now and run away.

"Yes?" Gondul questions in a stern tone. To her, this situation is incredibly suspicious: a pedophile and his victim.

"Wait! Wait! I can explain!" Naruto waves both his hands in front of him while Gondul seems to be building magical formulas. This is not the time and place to start another conflict. Suddenly, a huge pressure drops down upon the opposing pair. Gondul immediately pauses as the stiff atmosphere makes it difficult to move her appendage.

"What's going on? What are you?" Gondul asks the seemingly little girl who's much more than meets the eye.

"Hey, hey!" Naruto places his hand on the upright dragon god. "Easy, it's just a misunderstanding."

"She would have caused problems. I, would have eliminated her," Ophis monotonously states without any emotion. The dragon god sure has a one-track mind.

"Phew, now that's over. Hey, um lady, I'm sorry for everything so far. I can tell you don't mean any harm. We're refugees, sort of…" Naruto replies with an incomplete truth, but tries to answer as much as he can.

"You're human, but she's…" Gondul shifts her gaze from Naruto to the little girl. They are too far up north from the wars going on in the Middle East at the moment, and too far west from the civil war in Ukraine. Also, this young man only speaks a corrupted from of Japanese, but they're nowhere near the Pacific Ocean. Things do not add up.

"Are you perhaps familiar with magic?" The aged mage questions the blond.

"Huh, um…sort of. I know it exists, but I can't perform it," Naruto answers truthfully.

"Do you know anything about stray magicians?" Gondul pries further. Recently, there has been missing stray mages from this region of Norse territory. The magician council usually tries to keep tabs on them, but for so many to disappear in a short amount of time. Plus, even though Naruto is not a mage, the little girl holds some kind of power; extraordinary power the old Valkyrie senses.

"…" Naruto remains silent to her question. In some ways, he's affiliated with the secretive Khaos Brigade. If he blabs now, he'll put the former puppet leader in danger. Dammit, he may actually have to knock her out and flee with Ophis again.

"Ok, see when I said we're refugees, I really do mean it, and if I say anymore, she'll be put in even more danger," The shinobi explains the situation a bit further without revealing everything. He hopes to defuse the situation.

"I can see that you have no intent of fully answering me, but I also don't sense any hostility from you," Gondul also retracts her magic. Without realizing what had happened, Naruto's makeshift shelter of snow was destroyed. Cold air chaffs against Naruto's thin garments, and without sage mode active, he curls up to preserve warmth. "I'm sorry for causing so much trouble. Quickly follow me. My place is not too far from here."

Gondul forms a Norse transportation magic circle underneath her feet. Naruto and Ophis step onto the circle, and in a few moments, disappear from the site. At the destination, a magic circle opens up, and the three arrive at what appears to be a small, antiquated log cabin with the living space, open kitchen, and stairs leading upstairs. A quick glance out the window, Naruto sees the dark night and menacing shadows of tree branches. A cozy fireplace warms up the small abode. Gondul pulls back her hood and reveals her aged features, pale silvery hair, and a wisdom beyond even her appearance. She stares at Naruto's face for a bit. His facial characteristics greatly stick out like a sore dumb.

"Are you a yokai? Those eyes…nothing like I've ever seen in my life," Now in the light, the elderly Valkyrie can see more clearly. Gondul approaches his face to get a better look at the ripple pattern in Naruto's left eye, blood red in the right, and tomoe patterns in both eyes.

"It's a long story, but I'm not a yokai. I'm human…more or less," Naruto curses his unfamiliarity with these eyes. Kakashi also had difficulty controlling the sharingan and always seemed to be in an active state unless he pulled his headband over the left eye. Gondul is another who asked if Naruto were a yokai. Kuroka also had animalistic features, namely the cat-like eyes and ears.

"And she?" Gondul points out Naruto's companion. "I'm aware she's not human. Her aura reminds me of a dragon," One of the top magic practitioners even to this day, Gondul, possessing adept skills in rune-style, fairy magic gandol-style, and spiritual magic seiz-style, can distinguish various types of energies.

"You've figured that much out. You're pretty good," Naruto compliments with a big smile on his face. "That's up to her to decide. I'm sorry for evading your questions like this, but saying anymore will put her in more danger," Naruto apologizes and bows before the Valkyrie.

"Your words and actions seem authentic. Your body looks a bit emaciated. Come, I will prepare something to eat," Gondul offers her hospitality to the alien shinobi and dragon god. She seats them at a table in the kitchen. Suddenly there's a knock at the door. Surprised, Gondul excuses herself and answers the front door. Naruto leans towards the side to get a better look at the visitor. She appears to be a young woman, possibly around his age, with silver hair like Gondul. Granddaughter maybe? And what's up with the weird outfit? Quickly, Naruto performs a transformation jutsu to conceal his eyes and facial marks.

"Granny!" The teen hugs Gondul. Confirmed to be the granddaughter. The younger woman looks over her grandmother's shoulder and sees two unknown guests. "How are you?"

"I'm well, Rose," Gondul happily greets her descendant with her nickname. "What brings you out to this area? Is that Odin giving you trouble again?" The older Valkyrie sternly questions the younger Valkyrie. The chief god seriously needs to stop goofing off.

"Yeah, though he always does. I'm actually on a mission, but I rather not talk about it with…" Rossweisse eyes her grandmother's visitors. Gondul nods. "Since I was in the area, I wanted to visit you, granny!"

"You work too hard. Keep it up and you'll get wrinkles. Then, no guy will want…" Gondul rambles on about Rossweisse's main fault. The young Valkyrie was ready for the ridicule, but her grandmother's words still stabs her deeply. The silver-haired teen slumps over in a corner with a dark, depressing aura over her head.

"Um…is she ok?" Naruto voices his concern as the granddaughter seemingly teleported to the corner to grieve over her life decisions.

"That's just how she is. Already her age and never once in a relationship," Gondul shakes her head. Teenagers her age should experience romantic love before becoming young adults, and Rossweisse is only one year away from being considered an adult. Though, part of reason why Rose is this way is because of her inability to inherit the family magical crest. Even though Rossweisse knows how proud Gondul is for her, that trauma still lingers to this day.

"Rose, come sit with my guests. I'm going to prepare a meal for us," Gondul prods her granddaughter out of her corner to the dining table. Of course, she notices that Naruto disguised his most prominent features, but with her granddaughter in the same room, Gondul does not want to start an argument. The young lady sits at the table and examines the two newcomers.

"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name's Rossweisse," The young Valkyrie cordially greets and extends her hand.

"Nice to meet ya. Name's Naruto Uzumaki," To the blond's surprise, Rossweisse speaks Japanese as well. She must have heard her grandmother talking in Japanese to him. He accepts her salutations. To Naruto's chagrin, he just realizes that he never formally introduced himself to Gondul, but they got off on the wrong foot. He'll apologize when food arrives.

"And who might you be?" Rose questions the quiet, little girl before realizing the attire the dragon god is wearing. What a lewd outfit with almost her whole torso exposed except for "x"-shaped black tape on her nipples. "Granny, what's going on?"

"Oh dear, wait a moment," Gondul intervenes before her granddaughter blows a gasket regarding lewd situations. "Rose, these people claim to be refugees. I have questioned them about their choice of clothing, but they haven't given me a straight answer as of yet," The old and young Valkyries glare at Naruto. The blond ninja sheepishly rubs the back of his head. Seriously, who designed Ophis's outfit?

"Well, if granny can tolerate you two, then I shall too," Rossweisse sighs, but things are not adding up. All of Gondul's earlier suspicions, her granddaughter thinks of them as well. Maybe he has a connection to her mission and the stray mages?

Gondul quickly whips up leftover meat and fish from the refrigerator and some pickled vegetables on the side. To complement the main dish, she adds cream sauce and lingonberry jam. She not expected extra mouths at the table, so this is what's available to feed everyone. In winter, the very small areas of arable farmlands are covered in snow. The main sources of food are game hunting and fishing. The vegetables and fruit have been prepared and stored for the winter months. Thanking the elderly Valkyrie for the meal, Naruto and Ophis graciously eat, but remain silent at the table while Rossweisse and Gondul happily converse with one another. Naruto can tell they are extremely close and wants to join in on the fun. However, he keeps his mouth shut; otherwise, he may inadvertently spurt out unnecessary information. Though Naruto has learned a few things about Norse culture and mythology from listening to their conversation: 1) Odin is their chief god, 2) Odin is as much of a pervert as Jiraiya was, and 3) Valkyrie's follow heroes and lead them to Valhalla for the coming of Ragnarok. Ophis mentioned these before, but to confirm the info from actual Valkyries is another deal. Gondul sensed a "hero" in the wilderness and stumbled upon Naruto's shelter.

After the jovial talk and scrumptious meal, Rossweisse and Gondul go upstairs and leave Naruto and Ophis in the kitchen. Naruto offered to clean up the dishes after dinner. Ophis, as usual, just silently observes the events playing out before her. While the two are gone, the blond ninja activates sage mode to feel shifts in energy coming from the upper floor and increase his range of hearing. He knows they are suspicious, and eavesdrops on Rossweisse explaining her mission. She investigated the battleground where Naruto had fought Cattleya Leviathan, and now suspects Naruto's involvement. The two Valkyries also discuss Naruto's potential link to the increasing number of missing magicians. Of course, Naruto knows of the mage army the Khaos Brigade is accumulating. Should he reveal the information he knows? Gondul seems nice enough, but when information gets out, there may be a chance of a leak. That may lead the Khaos Brigade back to Ophis.

"Naruto, still doing dishes?" Gondul steps down the stairs along with her granddaughter.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. Just got a lot of stuff on my mind," Naruto, while his back facing towards the two, releases sage mode. "I'm also sorry about not introducing myself."

"That's alright. You have your reasons. While we'll be wary of you, you don't seem like a bad person, just lost," The elderly woman smiles understandingly. Naruto bows in gratitude for her forgiving attitude.

"We also found some of my old clothes from when I was younger. Sorry, but we don't have men's clothing. Hopefully this little lady won't have to wear such inappropriate clothing any further," Rossweisse carries with her some small, old one euro (approximately 130 yen) jerseys and sweatpants. The young Valkyrie tugs on Ophis before the dragon god allows herself to be lead upstairs to change.

"Thanks, again, for everything," Naruto says once more after Rossweisse and Ophis leave. "I really hate keeping secrets from you."

"You're a kind child, but your personality belies your emotional state. Your eyes, they hold much exhaustion and pain," Even with a transformation technique disguising Naruto's true eyes, Gondul can perceive Naruto's mental state through the eyes. Living as long as her, she has seen many emotions in the eyes of the heroes whom she has led to Valhalla.

Naruto, uncharacteristically, remains silent. Many things weigh on his heart. He has been through many ordeals, but this one seems the greatest of them all.

"Tomorrow, Rose will bring you into town to find some clothing your size. I assume you lack money, given your proclaimed refugee status. Therefore, you'll have to pay me back eventually," Gondul provides a conditioned offer. Maybe she's trying to get on his good side and get him to spill some information?

"You've been too nice to me. I can't just take your money," Naruto's conscience speaks against her goodwill.

"Nonsense. Besides, my granddaughter Rose needs to stop working once in a while," Gondul waves off Naruto's indecision.

"What!?" Rossweisse arrives with a newly clothed Ophis just in time to hear her grandmother's outrageous proposal. "Granny, what are you saying!? I have to report back to Odin tomorrow! I can't just take a day off!"

"Oh relax! You haven't taken a day off in who knows how long. You don't look at any of those young male heroes at all. At this rate, how are you supposed to get a boyfriend? I'll be sure that Odin gets his just desserts. Just think of this as practice. One day, you'll find a man befitting you. Also…" Granny knows exactly what button to push. The dark, depressing cloud returns to hang over Rossweisse once more. Gondul walks up to Rose and places a hand on her shoulder. A serious look writes across Rossweisse's face as granny whispers something into her ear. Naruto's eyes narrow. With his keen hearing, he guesses that granny is keeping at least one Valkyrie close to him at all times under the guise of a shopping trip. However, he needs resources like money and clothing.

"Ok, granny, you win," Rossweisse sighs. She just can't win sometimes. "However, I get to manage how much money is spent."

"Yes, yes, you and your stingy attitude. Honestly…" Gondul chuckles. "I've already set up the spare mattresses. They're not the best, but they beat sleeping on the floor."

"Thank you," Naruto begrudgingly thanks her this time. He knows that they are keeping him close by to watch his movements and actions.

Ophis and the blond follow the two Valkyries to their sleeping arrangements. Naruto can't ask for much more. Dinner and a bed to sleep in, feels as close to home as he can get. Home, how's that going to work out? What's Hagomoro doing? Has his chakra run out and returned to the pure world? What about the Divine Tree? Will his friends, fellow shinobi, and denizens of his world transform into White Zetsu's before he finds some way to get back to them? The tailed beasts; Naruto was entrusted to take care of them, yet they devolved into that mass of unstable chakra. How's he supposed to split the infinite from the dream? More and more questions weigh down his mind while he attempts to sleep. One question in particular tugs at his heart greatly…

"Hey Ophis, when I used my abilities, I sensed much hatred around the world, even greater than that of my home. What's going on? Why is there so much pain here as well?" Naruto solemnly questions the dragon god who has spent much time amongst humans of this realm.

"For as long as I've lived, not just the mythological factions, but also humans have waged war and stirred up conflict for personal gain. That gain can come in the form of resources, land, ideology, or whatever reasons human beings imagine. No matter what beliefs humans conjure for their origins, they are mere animals upon which the driving force of evolution selected for greater cognitive capacity. After dominating the lands, humans continued to fight amongst themselves to survive. They steal from each other, inflict pain upon one another, and instill hatred amongst fellows. As time moved on, so did human capacity for destruction. Now, humans are capable of matching some gods on scales of devastation. As long as there is a need to survive and the will to take whatever necessary to live, humans will continue to wage war. Two World Wars resulted from this, and maybe on the brink of a third.

Their spiritual leaders, the religious factions, are no better. They preach hypocrisy. Religious factions teach humans to be peaceful to one another, yet wage war against other factions. They use humans as sacrificial lambs to maintain their dominance against opposing religions. Humans, in turn, use their conjured religious beliefs to substantiate their heinous acts against one another. That's how the world operates. It's a vicious cycle of hatred in which the winners will take from the losers, and the losers are forgotten as time moves on." The disguised dragon lays down a brief history of mankind, one wrought with conflict and much hatred.

"You use so many complicated words, but if I understand a bit, it's the same here as well?" Naruto, lying on the adjacent mattress, stares up at the ceiling. Hagomoro tried to instill his belief of peace on the people of Naruto's world. However, this world desires Kaguya's truth over Hagomoro's ideal. Naruto understands Madara's ideal, misguided as he was. Hashirama and Madara, both desired peace. What would they say if they see this world? How people commit the exact same atrocities as in the shinobi world?

"What do you think? Do you believe that, one day, people will understand each other?" Naruto asks the dragon god about Jiraiya's ideal, naïve as it may be.

"I, do not know. I, have lived amongst humans for thousands of years. They remain the same. However, you, a human, are different. You seek balance between the infinite and the dream. Two forces that have never come into contact until now. In you, I, see a different future; one which even I, cannot predict," Ophis, much like before, continues to observe this strange alien whom she met just over a month ago. For now, her relationship with Great Red is tremulous at best, but if this child keeps his promise, there may be a way to compromise the ideals between the infinite and the dream.

"Heh, you sure like to talk all mysterious, but thank you. That was a real eye opener, and also uplifting, somewhat," Naruto grins widely. Even the bland loli girl can say meaningful words. Releasing his transformation disguising his facial marks and eyes, the blond shinobi then decides to sleep on a higher note than rather a depressing one. While dreaming, his own words replay from his memories:

"If I stop believing just because things get difficult, if the hero in this book were to change who he is, then it'll become a whole different story. It sure wouldn't be the story our master left behind, and it wouldn't be about Naruto. The thing is, I can't write books like our master did, and so any sequel has to come the life I live. That's why no matter how much pain my own path brings, I'll keep walking because that's who Naruto is!"

A/N: Thanks to my beta reader, fairy tail dragon slayer, for checking continuity, correcting and revising the rough draft, and giving me the green light. By now, the third anime season, BorN, has debuted. I don't mind that the development team reworked some events from the light novel source because fitting about two-three volumes into twelve episodes is not feasible. Again, thank you to those who have read and reviewed this story. You may send pm's if you want to send constructive criticisms.

Also, of those who read this story, are any knowledgeable on the political structure and cultural practices of Sweden? Anyone familiar or are Swedes? I would like help in writing the next chapter. Thank you.