AN: Ladies, Gentlemen, and Various Others. This story has been knocking around in my skull for about a year now, and I have finally decided to see how it does. Let me say it now: there is no current Pairing in this story. I am going to allow the dice to roll and fall as they will, though he will be having relations of the sexual kind with various women, it doesn't mean that's the woman he'll end up with. This story, for all intents and purposes, is going to be a full-on Discovery Style. The only exception to this, is the eventual Peerage, which has already been chosen. So please, I beg you, don't inundate me with suggestions, you will find out as I go.

As always, a shout to my friend Dreaming of the Moon for his assistance.

Disclaimer: This is the only time I'll say this long Disclaimer! I do not own any of the characters or worlds I use in this work of Fiction, including, but not limited to the following: Naruto, High School DxD, Bleach, RWBY, Sekirei, Soul Calibur, Basilisk, Legend of Dragoon, Assassination Classroom, Overlord, Historyu's Strongest Disciple Kenichi, Fire Emblem, DC Universe, and Samurai Warriors.

Chapter 01: Finding a Successor

Lord Gressen Asmodai lay in his bed, knowing without rancor that he was finally dying. He didn't know just how long he would linger, but he was content. He would finally rejoin his beloved bride who passed from him some centuries before. He could rest knowing that he had accomplished much in his nearly forty-five hundred years of life. He had seen a great deal, from the Great War with the Heavens, to the later Civil War amongst his own kind when the corrupt and arrogant Old Satan Faction needed to be brought down. He had even participated in that battle, himself bringing about the deaths of nearly twenty Legions under the command of the then-current Leviathan despite holding the title of Asmodeus, the original founder of his House, at the time.

No, the old devil had no regrets about any of that. If he had to give one, it would be that his House would end with him. His only son and daughter had both perished in that same civil war, and his only wife, the one woman he would ever bring himself to copulate with, had died only a few short centuries ago. So with his death his House and Name would be removed from among the Registry and the Pillars, which would put all of his servants out in the streets of the Underworld without jobs. Oh, they could seek employment elsewhere, as some had already done, but those who had remained loyal to him, they were a different story.

Gressen was a charitable soul, and he did not want to know that he had left such loyalty unrewarded. Much like his old friends of the Gremory House, he, too, cared greatly for those who served him. It would be a smear upon his name in his last hour to leave them without some form of compensation. So he had called his people together in his mansion's great hall, and asked of them their opinion. He was surprised, to say the least, that they each said they would rather follow him to the grave than serve outside his bloodline.

So he hatched a plan with them. He now waited against time for their findings. Then the door opened, and the two youngest of his loyal maids entered. Both looked to be in their late to mid teens, and were obviously sisters.

"Has it been found then, Militia, Melanie?"

"Yes, Master Gressen. The subject has all the particulars you have asked for," Melanie replied. She was a quiet girl, and had customized her uniform in white with light blue accents. Her twin sister, Militia, was just as quiet, but had the longer hair, and patterned her uniform in black and red. The two were utterly inseparable, they had been human together, and they became devils together, even going so far as to continue to share a bed even now. Gressen had rescued them from a collapsing world that had reached it's potential End, and in return he was rewarded with their loyalty. He would not see that loyalty betrayed now.

"Very good," he was interrupted by a sudden coughing fit that wrenched its way from within his emaciated frame. He regarded his now-frail body with a certain amount of amusement. Devils were powerful beings, with bodies that could take and dish out great amounts of punishment, but when their time came to die of old age, those same bodies suddenly became as frail as any century-old human, and he was indisputably the oldest living devil.

"Shall we commence with obtaining the subject, Master?" Militia asked.

"Yes, Militia. Bring me our hope."

The two girls bowed and retreated from the room. Gressen lay back among the piled pillows with a heavy sigh. It wouldn't be long now. Just a little more time, that was all he needed. Soon, soon he would have what he needed to ensure that the loyalty of his remaining people was paid back.

Soon he would have his successor.

XXXXXXXX- Break

A fourteen year old Uzumaki Naruto stared out over the devastated landscape that had once been a lush forest with a flourishing village at its center. Now the only thing that remained to even denote that a village had even stood there was the circular wall that had encompassed it, and the carved faces on the overlooking mountain. What could have happened to his home? Where could everyone be?

With those thoughts in mind, Naruto began to desperately shift through the rubble, his fear lending him strength he didn't know he had. It lent him strength, speed, and endurance beyond what he knew was possible for him. He had returned to Konoha early from his trip with his teacher, Jiraiya of the Sannin, almost a full year. It wasn't that he was finished with his training, not even close, but Jiraiya had disappeared on him three months ago without word, so he figured he could at least go to Konoha and see what had all changed.

He had never dared to imagine this.

So engrossed in his task was he that he never heard the approach of someone from behind until he sensed an attack. Rolling forward in a ball, he spun around and came face to face with his attacker, a man with bright orange hair and quite a few facial piercings.

"I thought you would return here, Kyuubi Jinchūriki."

"Are you the one who did this?!" Naruto growled.

"Indeed."

"WHY?!"

"Because it was needful for peace."

"Bullshit!" Naruto charged recklessly, kunai in hand. "This isn't peace! It's death!"

"Exactly," the man replied even as he dodged every enraged strike with an ease that spoke of practise. "Humanity can only know true peace once they are all equal. And the only way to make everyone equal is in death. Thus must every living person die."

"Hell no! There has to be another way!" The young man denied, his strikes becoming slower as his anger made him sloppy.

"Not for this deluded and perverse world," the man stated with conviction. "The general treatment of you Jinchūriki is just one example I can use to show you how flawed our world is."

Naruto grunted as he was shoved backward by a harsh kick to his stomach. "Even so! There should be other choices! What are you going to do? Kill everyone and then yourself?"

"That is exactly what I intend."

Naruto blinked, "Wha…?"

"It is your turn. I've already dealt with everyone else who called Konoha home, and before this I visited both Kumo and Kiri. Don't worry," A tiny sneer could be seen forming on the otherwise impassive face, "The other humans won't survive you for very long."

Naruto couldn't think. None of this was making any sense. Just because anarchy seemed to be in human nature, they all had to die? That was too extreme! But Konoha was already gone. His friends, the truths of his family that Tsunade-baachan had promised to tell him. And so many more things as well!

With his mind crashing into circles, Naruto's legs followed suit and he fell to his knees in the dirt. He simply couldn't comprehend how this was all happening. He couldn't even focus enough to see his opponent stalking toward him with a kunai ready to slit his throat.

Naruto was brought back into the world at the sound of metal clashing, and looked up to see the man's kunai being shoved aside by a... white high-heeled left boot? His eyes trailed up the boot to the attached leg, up the leg to a ruffled white hoop skirt that didn't quite manage to hide the newcomer's cyan panties, up the skirt to a lithe upper body, up that to nice set of rounded shoulders... and from there the angle was too bad to see anything more than a head of long black hair.

Well, at least it seems I was rescued by a cute girl… I hope. After that thing with Haku…

Naruto then took note of another presence to his left, and turned slightly to see another raven-haired girl, this one in black and red, and wielding a pair of claw gauntlets. Aside from the colors of the outfit, and the weapons, he noticed only that her hair was definitely shorter than her white counterpart. Then the new girl spoke, her voice both bored and somehow threatening. He was going to have to ask her how she managed that.

"I'm sorry, sir, but our Master has need of this young man. So we'll be taking him now."

"I don't think so." The older man replied calmly, though one could see his eyes flickering between the two new arrivals.

"But we do," The white-clad girl replied, her voice almost identical to her... twin? Naruto felt like slapping himself. Twin girls, dressing in opposite colors, with opposite-styled weapons. It wasn't exactly novel, but it was different enough that it threw him for yet another loop, as typically in the shinobi world twins mimicked each other so the enemy didn't know who they were fighting.

"Uh, don't I get a choice in this?" Naruto asked a little timidly, his confusion showing and raising his hand a bit like he was in school.

"No," said all three of them in unison.

"Fine then," he sulked, crouching with a pall over his head and one finger drawing circles in the dirt.

The white-clad girl finally put her raised leg down. "I am Melanie Malachite, this is my sister, Militia. We were sent by Lord Gressen Asmodai, Head of the devil House of Asmodai, to fetch this young man. We will be taking him."

The orange-haired man finally showed emotion: incredulous bewilderment. " 'Devil House'? Are you high, girl? The only devils in this world are the humans infesting and plaguing it."

"I honestly don't care what your personal views on your fellow humans are. We have been sent to retrieve this man, and you will not stop us." She replied monotonously.

Naruto blinked, the roles were getting corrupted here. First it was him being confused, while the other man was calm and monotone. Now it was the man's turn to be confused, while these girls were dead calm, and apparently monotone... would it be Naruto's turn for the monotone next?

Quite suddenly the man's body jerked into a stiff-as-aboard pose for a moment, before falling to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut, the eyes in the orange-haired body fading from concentric-ringed purple to a more normal blue. Naruto blinked rapidly at the sight, exchanging curious expressions with the two girls. He then asked the obvious question.

"What the hell?"

"Ah, that would be my doing," a new, definitely female voice, said as said woman appeared in a flurry of paper. "The idiot never did learn to stop talking while concentrating on his Paths. If he had, I'm not sure I'd have ever seen just how far he'd fallen..."

Naruto's confused expression encompassed the woman in an instant. Long slender legs covered by tight, dark blue pants. Chest covered by a form-fitting black shirt that left her stomach exposed, while swallow-tailing out behind her. Aristocratic neck, angular yet beautiful face, dark blue eye-shadow, and blue hair. To finish the odd look off, she had six silver piercings, one in her lower lip, and five in and around her navel creating a four-point star effect, and one blue paper flower in her hair.

He sighed in exasperation. He was getting really tired from all these people showing up out of nowhere. It was really starting to screw with his equilibrium. "Okay, and you would be...?"

The new woman raised her head slightly in acknowledgment of the valid question. "Konan of Amegakure. I worked with the nutjob here before today. I was under the impression that we wanted to bring true peace to these lands. I was not aware he wanted to commit mass genocide to achieve this, however. Fear and destruction, yes, but not complete genocide. So I slit the throat of the true man behind this body," she nudged the corpse at her feet, " I then decided to crush his eyeballs and set him on fire, followed by collapsing the floor and roof of the cave he was sitting in."

Melanie and Militia blinked, looked at each other, then gave Konan admiring looks. Militia said, "While some would think that was somewhat excessive, I believe I speak for my sister and I when say: that was nicely thorough."

"No kill quite like overkill," Naruto muttered.

"Precisely," Konan said, hearing him with little difficulty.

"And just what do you want in exchange for your..." Melanie hesitated for a moment, searching for the word she wanted, "assistance?"

"First, am I correct in assuming you two are not from this world?" Konan asked calmly.

"Yes. We are devils in service to Lord Gressen Asmodai."

"That's just perfect. Take me with you."

The twins blinked at the odd request, looked at each other, then looked at Naruto. They just stood there, continuing to stare at him, as if waiting for him to say yes or no. He quickly grew uncomfortable.

"Why are you looking at me?"

"Because, due to reasons we are not-" Melanie started to say, but Militia interrupted her.

"Our orders technically make you our boss right now. So we're going to leave this up to you."

More blinking, Naruto glanced at Konan, then looked back at the twins with a shrug. "Why not? Nothing else today has gone right."

"Cynicism does not become you."

Naruto raised an eloquent eyebrow, hysteria barely held at bay within him. "My home is destroyed. I was attacked by a genocidal asshole. Saved by twins in modified maid outfits. Further saved by another woman who could probably give the Shinigami a good run in a staring contest. And now you're saying that for some reason I'm your boss." He paused to let that all sink in before continuing, "So fuck you, I'm going to be sullen, cynical, and sarcastic for a while."

A silence as deep as the grave settled on the group of four for a few minutes. It was shattered by Konan repeating her request.

"So are you going to take me with you or not?"

The twins once again looked at Naruto, who shrugged and said, "Like I said, why not? I don't even know where they want to take me, but if you want to come along, knock yourself out."

"You're taking all of this surprisingly well," Konan commented.

"Really? I just don't think most of it has sunk in yet," Naruto quipped in reply. "I'll probably go back to having my breakdown later, once everything's done and I can grieve without interruptions."

All three women had the decency to at least look sheepish. In the span of maybe a half-hour he'd had several upsets to his life. It was only natural that something had to give in the face of it all. It was just his luck that it was his sense of disaster.

"Fair enough," All three women muttered in odd concert.

"So, now that I'm feeling a great deal like I always thought Sasuke might, and I'm not particularly enjoying that I might add, where do you want to take me?" Naruto questioned the twins, a fair amount of sarcasm and angst in his voice.

"Simple," Militia said calmly, ignoring the level of antagonism in the air, "We'll be taking you to the Underworld where our Master lays, dying in his bed. It is he who wishes to see you. And as you have decided, we shall take the woman as well."

Naruto nodded, then asked what seemed to be the most pertinent question in his mind. "And just how are you going to take me to this 'Underworld'? You aren't going to say something like, 'you need to die', right?"

"Of course not," Melanie retorted swiftly, "don't waste our time with these inane questions. We have been watching you for more than two months. We know you aren't as simple-minded as you portray."

He just shrugged. "Alright, alright. Sheesh. That doesn't answer the question though."

"It is fairly simple. We are going to create a one-time-use transfer circle that will transport anyone, or anything, within it to the designated opposite location, and then destroy itself." Militia answered before her irritated sister could go on a rant.

"Transfer circle?" Naruto asked, "is that anything like fuinjutsu?"

Militia shrugged, "I don't know. Does this 'fuinjutsu' work off intricate symbols that are then capable of warping the weft and weave of the world and/or universe?"

"The symbols part, yes. The other? If that's what the user wants, then yes again."

"Huh, then I'd say it's fairly similar."

"Oh. Cool. Mind if I watch the set-up?"

"Be my guest."

As Militia went about making a large circle, easily big enough to hold all four of them inside it, Naruto was taking mental notes. Despite his horrendous grades in the Academy he'd always had a fondness for the intricacies of Fuinjutsu. It came to him easily, along with sword-work, though only Jiraiya had discovered these two hidden talents of his. His Taijutsu was barely passable as brawling, his Ninjutsu ability was only somewhat above average, and his Genjutsu abilities were, for the most part, non-existent. Unfortunately for him, though, Jiraiya was only really competent with Ninjutsu and Fuinjutsu, leaving Naruto to fumble his way through Kenjutsu as much as he could with the use of kunai and an odd sword he'd found as a child.

"You're not even a little curious or shocked about the existence of Devils?" Militia asked as she worked.

"Not really," Naruto replied blithely. "Considering that there are people in this world who can breathe fire and lightning, manipulate water molecules out of the very air itself, or command the wind, a devil is hardly something to bat an eyelash at."

"Ah," she sweatdropped, "you have a point there."

Meanwhile Melanie took a few deep breaths, and then took up a position of watching for possible trouble. She was joined shortly by Konan, who took up a position directly opposite her. Not that Melanie was going to complain, another pair of eyes, especially ones trained like she assumed Konan was, at least halved the amount of work she had to do. Which meant that both women only had to deal with their respective sides, and Melanie could try to come to grips with what she had just learned about Naruto.

She and her twin had spent months watching potential candidates to take their Lord's position. They had finally settled on this Uzumaki Naruto due to him actually possessing all the attributes that Lord Gressen had listed off. Granted, it wasn't a very long list, being mostly about temperament and morals and ethics, with a few physical characteristics that were needed to pull off a convincing enough show, but still... she hadn't expected him to be quite so quick on the uptake. From what she and Militia had seen, he was impulsive, prone to helping others with no thought for reward, unnaturally cheerful, and a natural prankster. Now she had seen him switch into an intelligent, mature young man, with a sense for putting things off until he had the appropriate amount of time for it. This dichotomy was throwing her off enough that she was snapping at him as a way to return him to the knucklehead she had witnessed, and she was honest enough to realize that it wasn't actually going to help her. So now she had figure out a way to fix their already-deteriorating ... well, she wouldn't call it a relationship just yet... "acquaintanceship"?

Yes, that sounded about right. They didn't really know each other just yet, as was evident by her surprise over his cynical side, so they were acquaintances at best. But if all went according to her Master's plans, this young man would become her new Lord, and having bad relations with him would be detrimental, to say the least.

'Argh! Why couldn't he be as simple-minded as he seemed? That would have made it so much easier!' Melanie thought, 'a fool would be placated with a simple apology! Who knows what a man of depth might want in compensation!?'

"He won't mind," a sudden voice in her ear startled her.

Melanie spun around, wondering how someone was able to escape her notice, even distracted as she had been. She came face to face with a strange mask, one that resembled a caricature of a cat. The person behind the mask was obviously female, if the body behind a set of gray upper body armor was anything to go by. But before Melanie could speak, the woman had turned away, nearly smacking the white-clad girl with her long purple hair.

Naruto noticed the newcomer's presence, and seemed surprised, " Anbu! Neko!"

Anbu, the elite forces of any village. They obeyed only their own Commander and the Kage of their village, in this case the Hokage. What was she doing here?

The woman, now named Neko, knelt in front of him in an obvious sign of submission. "Uzumaki Naruto, on the final command of the Godaime Hokage, Senju Tsunade, I was to find you. Having succeeded in that, my objective was to change should the village have fallen in that time, to protect and serve you until my death. From this moment on, you are my Hokage, carrying the entirety of Konoha's Will of Fire."

Naruto stepped forward excitedly, "Neko, what about everyone else? Are there any other survivors?"

If Neko survived, then surely others-!

His thoughts were interrupted by a slow shake of the head. When she spoke again, only the barest of tremors in her voice and posture betrayed her emotional state. "I'm afraid not. I was just about to get off medical leave when the destruction started. Tsunade-sama sent me out with my orders just before the village forces attempted their counter-attack."

"No one else?" He whispered.

A choked sob, "No, there was little enough time to send me."

Naruto dropped to one knee in front of her, reached out, grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into his own, her mask falling in her surprise. "I'm sorry. We've both lost everything here. Now all we have left are each other and our memories of our home."

The woman broke down and cried into his shoulder, clinging to him for the comfort of knowing someone shared her grief, that she wasn't alone, that there would be a reason to continue existing. Living. She didn't know Uzumaki Naruto well outside of a few missions given to her by the Sandaime Hokage to protect the boy when he was younger, and the civilians were dumber. And of course there were the rumors she'd heard from other shinobi about his skills. He was a good lad, but he hid most of his emotions behind a mask of cheerfulness. She was on duty the day he started to do that, mask his true emotions. It had startled her so much that she had barely managed to remember to report it. Now he was the last link she had to her home of twenty-four years, and it was her job to serve and protect him.

When she had learned he was outside of the village, being taught by Jiraiya of all people, she had despaired of finding him. Jiraiya was infamous for his ability to move around without a seeming pattern, and even if he was dragging an apprentice around with him, the two of them would be nearly impossible to find. So when she had felt a new, strong chakra source enter the remains of the village, she had been filled with both curiosity and dread. Upon finding that the new signal was her target, Neko had nearly danced for joy. He was here! He wasn't dead! He was... leaving? Oh, HELL NO! Her desperation had caused her to then appear before him and these strange women.

Then what he said hit her, and she pulled back slightly, revealing her heart shaped face with dead-looking brown eyes. "No, Naruto-sama. We have a few other things. Tsunade-sama made certain to send me off with everything she had prepared for you. She meant to give it to you upon your return, but..."

He nodded, a tear trail running down his cheek from one eye, the other suspiciously dry. "-but this all happened. I understand. I'll ask you to hold onto whatever it is for a while longer."

She nodded, clearing her eyes with one hand. When she looked up again, she took note of the oddity of his eyes. "Naruto-sama, why does only one eye weep?"

He raised a hand to his right eye, the one not leaking tears. "Oh, this? It's fake, Neko. One of the enemies I faced last year got a little too creative, and heavily poisoned a rusty knife. I'm rather lucky, apparently, as it missed piercing into my brain by mere millimeters, and it didn't touch outside the eyeball so it didn't scar. Unfortunately as Jiraiya and I were supposed to be not drawing attention to ourselves, I had to get a fake to replace the destroyed eye. Medics capable of transplants or regrowth are rare, ya know?"

He scratched his cheek below the fake eye a little, "If nothing else, it has reinforced the need to pay attention in battles, and to think before I do something. This one injury taught me almost as much as Jiraiya did."

Neko stared in shock. Melanie stared in shock. Militia stared in shock. Konan gaped openly. How could he be so nonchalant about something like that?! He just smirked at them, and they could feel the smugness in his voice.

"Come on ladies, if you're this shocked, think how my opponents of the past year would react knowing they got their asses handed to them by a half-blind man? On the upside, it moves and seems to focus like a normal eye, so it's more than capable of fooling my enemies."

They just stared some more, before Militia shook her head in admiration and went back to work on the transfer circle, making certain it would accommodate yet one more person. If there was one thing she was sure of after observing him, it was that Naruto would never leave a comrade behind. So she may as well see to it that this new woman could come along as well.

Naruto picked up the fallen mask, looked at it for a moment, then to Neko's revealed face. "So, when the mask is off, who are you?"

She snatched the mask out of his hands, a small blush of embarrassment on her cheeks. "Uzuki Yugao," she mumbled.

"Yugao-chan, huh?" She blushed a bit more at the suffix, "Alright! I've decided!" She looked at him curiously, "Unless you absolutely have to, I don't want you wearing that mask! I get the feeling I'm going to need a friend in the days to come, and you and I have at least some history beyond today. I'll need Uzuki Yugao probably as much as I'll need Anbu Neko."

Yugao thought about it for a little bit, and reluctantly had to agree with him. "Very well," she replied as she attached the mask to her waist, next to her weapons-pouch and a large scroll.

Naruto's gaze traveled downward, "I take it that scroll holds the things you were talking about? What Tsunade wanted me to have?"

"Yes."

"Ah." He sounded satisfied, "yeah, hold onto that a while longer."

"As you wish," she took up a position at his side, keeping an eye out for trouble, causing Melanie and Konan to return to doing the same. Naruto on the other hand went back to observing Militia's work, noting the slight changes that were necessary to allow more people. If nothing else, this was a good learning opportunity.

*Shudder!* Never thought the day would come when I would want to study something!

"I'm done," Militia announced, stepping into the circle. "We can go now, Naruto-sama."

Stepping into the circle, Naruto took one last look at the demolished area that had been his hometown. He burned the image into his memory. He would never let another home of his suffer this fate!

XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX

His vision cleared, and Naruto's first thought was, that's excessive.

To be fair his sight rested on an enormous mansion of a design he was unfamiliar with, but he was certain it was more than a tad over the top. Soaring turrets, graceful arches, wrought iron fences, stained-glass high windows, a small gathering of maids and butlers...

Wait, what?

"Welcome, Naruto-sama!" Came a chorus of voices as seven people bowed to him. A single older-looking man dressed in a sharp suit stepped forward and went to one knee on the cobblestones at Naruto's feet.

"On behalf of everyone, I welcome you, Naruto-sama. I am Sebas Tian, Head Butler to the Asmodai House. Do you or your companions require anything before you meet with Lord Gressen?"

Naruto blinked, and then looked at both Yugao and Konan. The two women just shook their heads, "Uh, no, it seems we're good right now."

Sebas stood gracefully and with great dignity, "Very good, Naruto-sama. Then if you three would follow me, I will conduct you to my Master immediately."

"Of course, uh.. Sebas-san, was it?"

"Just 'Sebas' is fine, Naruto-sama."

As they walked through the mansion, Naruto and the two kunoichi took in the details of the design. Now, Naruto would be the first to admit that he didn't exactly have a great sense of style, but the number of potential assassination points they passed was simply staggering. It was like the designer couldn't conceive of anyone trying to harm the masters of this place and built it without any kind of practicality outside of the columns needed to bear the weight. Honestly, this place was starting to put him on edge.

"Is everything alright, Naruto-sama?" Sebas asked, head turned just enough to see the unease in his charges.

"I'm well enough, Sebas," Naruto answered, "but as someone trained as a shinobi, an assassin basically, this place is practically a murder fun house. It's a little off-setting."

"Ah," the older man responded with an understanding tone, "I see. Yes, this mansion was designed in the days before assassination was common, and none of the Lords since then have attempted to rectify this. It is of little concern either way," He turned his attention back to the direction they were traveling, "Few have dared to come after any of the Lords in recorded history, and those who have did not live long enough to come near them."

Naruto felt a little impressed at that statement, but could not help asking, "Out of curiosity, why is that?"

Sebas replied evenly, "Because we servants protected them. Even if we had not, there are a few others who stand as Guardians. I have little doubt you will meet them soon enough."

The young man blinked. He was doing that a lot today. He looked at Yugao, "I have the feeling I was just politely told to shut up. Is that right, or am I imagining things?"

The woman just smiled at him slyly, "Yes."

Naruto shook his head, "You are enjoying this far too much, ya know that?"

Her smile didn't change in the least, "Probably, but unlike you I actually had to watch Konoha's destruction, so forgive me my coping mechanism."

Naruto had the grace to look both sheepish and chagrined at that. "Right, sorry Yugao. Considering I'm doing almost the exact same thing I don't really have the right to talk, huh?"

"No, you really don't."

Further conversation was interrupted by coming to a set of double doors, where Sebas knocked once. "Lord Gressen, the twins have returned with the subject."

"Very good, let them in, Sebas," a thin voice responded from the other side of the door.

Naruto shared a quick glance with his two human companions, each of them having the same thought. That voice may have been thin, but there was an undeniable amount of authority in it. That was the sound of someone who regularly gave orders, expecting them to be carried out faithfully, and was not disappointed in their faith. No, that was the voice of a man who knew his servants intimately, and they him, and both sides had bonded so strongly that the very thought of disobedience or betrayal was anathema.

Sebas opened the door and allowed the three ninja to enter, closing the door behind them. The first thing Naruto noticed upon scanning the room was the rich upholstery, from several velvet couches and hanging tapestries to a giant curtained four-poster bed. The second thing he took note of was a beautiful woman in a demure-yet-seductive white dress with two horns that looked somewhat like a crown and twin pairs of black feathered wings on her lower back.

Okay, she's beyond good-looking. It's too bad that I'm certain if I looked too long she'd try to castrate me.

A heavy cough brought his attention to the sole occupant of the bed. Naruto took the man in at a glance. Emaciated figure, withered white hair, pale gray complexion, sunken cheeks, and a small amount of blood now spattering the bed sheets that covered him. The man's eyes, however, caught Naruto's attention. A bright, lively and vivid eyes spoke of an unwavering conviction and determination. They told Naruto that this man was alive right now only because of his pure willpower to push back Death's hand.

Naruto swept into a low bow of respect. "Lord Gressen Asmodai, I assume?"

Yugao stared at the young man in shock. She had never heard him be polite to anyone, not even to the Sandaime Hokage who practically adopted him. Heck, according to what she had heard, Naruto wouldn't even show respect to the Daimyo!

Yet here he was, bowing and speaking with a respect and deference that she had not seen or heard of outside of Imperial Courts. This is Uzumaki Naruto?!

"A young man with manners. I am surprised! Especially considering that the files I have on your personality say that you wouldn't even use those manners with your own leaders!" A hollow echoing cough came from the old man as he unconsciously echoed Yugao's thoughts, but not answering the question.

Naruto straightened his back and an impish grin crossed his face. "Oh, I have manners. I just reserve them for moments when they are either more deserved or important."

Another dry laugh came from the supposed Lord Gressen. "Well, at least you seem to have a keen grasp of your situation. Something many young devils your age lack these days."

"Wouldn't know, I don't think I've met any young devils." Naruto replied cheekily.

"You have," the woman in white said, her voice a lilting melody that was quite pleasant to hear. "The twins sent to retrieve you are not truly much older than yourself."

"Come now, Albedo," the old man chided, "you know the government's stance on reincarnated devils."

"Yes," she agreed, not bothering to reveal what they were talking about, "but I also know that none in this House are of the same opinion, Gressen-sama."

Well that answered Naruto's question from earlier. This was indeed the Lord Gressen Asmodai he heard the twins talking about earlier. That was nice of her.

"Well, shall we get down to business?" Lord Gressen asked with a certain amount of amusement, "since Albedo has accidentally ruined the fun I was having of keeping you children guessing as to whom I am, I'll just say it; Uzumaki Naruto, I want to formally adopt you as my son, and have you inherit everything I own."

Naruto stared at the elderly man in absolute shock. This was so far away from what he thought was going to happen.

"I'm sorry. What?"

The old man cracked a grin. "I want to adopt you as my son, using an ancient ritual, so that my House is not destroyed and erased upon my death. This means that everything I own will become yours, my servants included, as they have chosen to remain in service to my House."

Naruto blinked. Blinked again. A third time. Then he shook himself, like a dog shaking water from its fur. Too many things. He had far too much on his plate right now.

"I don't suppose I could have time to think about it? I kinda have a lot on my plate at the moment."

"A few weeks, maybe a month at most. I am quite nearly at my limit as it is," Lord Gressen admitted with a small nod. "As it stands I will have to leave the bulk of your education as a devil up to my servants, like Albedo."

Naruto nodded, sketched a half-bow and turned to leave the room, still a little stunned, but half-turned back. "One question, why me?"

Lord Gressen coughed again, blood once again mixing into his otherwise pristine sheets. He gave the young human a wry expression. "My wife was blonde. Bright as a wheat field kissed by the noonday sun. Not unlike your own. My father was possessed of blue eyes, once again not unlike your own. Those physical qualities were necessary to pull off an adoption that doesn't look like an adoption. There can be no true doubt as to your legitimacy to the Asmodai name." He sighed heavily, sinking slightly into the pillows propping him up. He gestured to Albedo, urging her to continue the explanation in his place.

"Of course, if that was all that was required, we could have simply found a devil to easily carry the name. However, Gressen-sama was adamant that the person he adopted should have many of the same morals and ethics he himself possessed. Of all the potential candidates, you, Uzumaki Naruto-sama, have everything he listed. Honor, courage, noble character, kindness, gentle when needed, and capable of a strong stance when you you wish to not be moved." She paused for a moment, "in other words, he wanted a strong person, not merely a powerful one,"

Naruto nodded. That he understood. A person was only truly strong when they had the heart and will to protect someone or something precious. He truly believed that, and apparently Gressen Asmodai was of a similar opinion.

"Very well," the young blonde said. "I'd like to get rid of some of the things on my plate first, but I can guarantee an answer in no more than two weeks."

XXXXXXXX- Break -XXXXXXXX

"Naruto, why did you say you could guarantee him an answer so quickly?"

He sighed at Yugao's question. Sebas had seen the three of them to another richly appointed room so they could rest. For some reason Konan refused to leave him, and Yugao felt that her oath to be both his friend and protector meant that she should be near him at all times.

"Because first I need to grieve for Konoha's loss. I estimate that alone will take a few days, maybe a full week."

A blush colored both women's cheeks as they realized that they had actually managed to forget about the village. Yugao mentally kicked herself. It was her home, yet she had forgotten about it in the last hour or so. What kind of person did that make her?

Konan cleared her throat to clear the awkward air. "You said that was first, what's second then?"

He grinned hollowly, not an ounce of amusement reaching his eyes. "I think that I should talk in depth with both of you about this. Both of you followed me away from our world, so I think it only fair that you have a say in where we go from here."

Konan shrugged. "I can give you my answer right now," she said as a single black-feathered wing sprouted from her right shoulder. "I'm at least half of this world, so I don't mind if you take him up on his offer. I'll just keep following you until you do something I don't agree with. Sound good?"

Naruto nodded dumbly. She had a wing? What the heck?!

Yugao had a thoughtful expression. "I think there will be things we need to talk about, but first should come the release of grief."

"Agreed." With that said, he wrapped an arm around each of their necks and began sobbing into their shoulders, letting go of the tears and pain he was barely holding back. It didn't take long for Yugao to join him in tears, burrowing her face into the side of his neck.

Meanwhile Konan just sat there, holding them both. She had no attachment to Konoha, but a single tear did course it's way down her cheek for all the needless lives lost.

None of them noticed when someone entered and left a tray of food and drink behind.

XXXXXXXX- Ending Notes -XXXXXXXX

-Yes, the first two maids are the bouncers from Junior's club in the show RWBY, Melanie and Militiades Malachite.

-Yes, the Maids and the Butler are from Overlord. If you want images of them, go look 'em up, the Plaeiades. I've cut one out, simply because there was no image. I may rectify that if I ever see one.

-Yes, I'll be appropriating some of the Floor Guardians from Overlord as well for the purpose of House Guardians for this fic. Which ones... I'll let be a surprise.

-No, I will not tell you the full Peerage. You'll get the pieces as I bring them in. You can feel free to guess, of course, but don't expect much more than private confirmation should you get a future piece correct.

-I will give you a run-down on the value system I have for this fic: Human = 1 point, Low-class Sacred Gear = 1 point, Middle-class Sacred Gear = 2 points, High-Class Sacred Gear = 3 points, previous skills = 0 points. From there I'll probably just make it up as I go along.

~Dreaming of the Phoenix~

Peerage Hint: Bishop - I get jealous when others tease my perverted dragon.

Dreaming of the Moon