Chapter Four: Guardians of the Crescent Moon (Part 1)

"Wait...what?" Naruto said as Michel took the book. "Cressent Moon Island already?! But what about everything else before that?!"

"Relax Naruto...I'm sure things can be handled just fine. Besides, maybe events were merely reshuffled in the story's timeline." Gabriel said to get him to relax.

"...I know that. It's just...is it wrong of me to want be sure my friends that are from before these events happened are safe?"

Michel and Gabriel shared a look. Ok...they had to give him that. Even if they weren't Angels, it was easy to understand that point.

Naruto and Grayfia were first at the gates the following morning, both prepared for the mission ahead. The Uzumaki was dressed in his new clothes with a single addition to the attire; a strap that held a total of five sealing scrolls on it. Each scroll held some manner of sealing arrays that would hopefully be unused; but the young man had been of the impression of "better safe than sorry".

Everyone nodded at that.

Grayfia was in her standard maid uniform, but hidden underneath was her patched up bodysuit. She had found it resting on the dresser of her personal room (which was connected to her master's), stitched together quite well. She had smiled at the sight of it, knowing that it had been repaired by Naruto and appreciating the work he put into it. It was a heartwarming gesture on his part.

Grayfia smiled and nodded to Naruto, no doubt her other was thankful for that.

The next to arrive were Jonin sensei Might Guy and his young protégé in the "Flames of Youth" Rock Lee. Both were sporting green bodysuits that hugged their bodies well and both had red clothed headbands acting as belts for them. However, Guy also had the standard Jonin flak jacket over his suit while Lee had bandages covering his hands from fingertip to elbow.

"Odd looking pair." Sirzechs noted.

"Just wait until they show their personalities..." Naruto muttered.

Naruto had met Lee a couple of times, but the two were acquaintances at best. They only knew one another's names and nothing more. So, this was a good opportunity for the Uzumaki to try and make a new friend.

"Good morning to you both, Guy-sensei, Lee," greeted the blonde with a polite smile. "You both look ready."

Giving his fellow Genin a thumbs-up, Lee exclaimed, "Yosh! I am most ready indeed, Naruto-san! I can't wait to show off the fruits of my training and the strength of my YOUTH!"

Guy was quick to continue, "That's the spirit, Lee! Don't let your flames dwindle for even a moment! They must burn like an inferno and only become embers at the bitter end!"

"Yes sir, Guy-sensei!" saluted the Genin before the two eccentric men began to get emotional.

It ended with them both hugging and crying manly tears, leaving Grayfia feeling a mix of discomfort and intrigue.

"...Are they always...?"

Naruto nodded. "...Yeah...and trust me, this is them being tame."

The non-humans shuddered. They could see why Naruto had warned them about the eccentric duo then.

Naruto however thought that the shared moment between master and student was actually kind of nice. While not to their extreme, Naruto wished to have that kind of bond with both his teacher Anko and any potential students he might have in the future.

Hagoromo chuckled. Asura always did enjoy seeing strong, positive bonds between people. So he suspected that gave Naruto a higher tolerence for these two and their antics.

Moving over to his maid, seeing as both taijutsu enthusiasts didn't look like they'd be stopping soon, Naruto stood next to her and waited for the others to arrive. "Naruto-sama," Grayfia began, getting his attention, "I must thank you for patching up my suit. You didn't need to do that, though."

He smiled back at her. "I know; but I wanted to," was his simple reply, making her return his smile.

Grayfia blinked. Then she smiled and nodded to Naruto.

The compassion she saw in his blue orbs touched her, and it further supported her belief in his potential. In a world where the strong thrived and the weak suffered, such a notion of compassion would be quite alien to many. But, it was because it was so unexpected that it would be all the more worthwhile and inspiring; and Grayfia was pleased that she'd be able to witness her Naruto-sama's compassion change the world for the better.

"Now your other is thinking like an angel." Gabriel said to Grayfia, then the female angel smiled at Naruto. She could easily tell he was actually that compassionate a soul, and she enjoyed it.

"...Thinking like an angel...should I find that worrying?" Grayfia muttered, unsure on how to feel about that.

It was around half an hour for the rest of the Leaf Ninja to arrive. Naruto and Tenten both exchanged polite smiles and waves in greeting while Yakumo gave Lee a curious glance. As for the last member, Neji Hyuuga, he seemed to be adamantly refusing to give Team Anko nothing more than the barest amount of attention.

"Broody stiff with issues?" Serafall asked.

Naruto nodded, "Ex-fatalism. Trust me...had to literally beat that out of his head."

The Leviathan rolled her eyes at that. "Ugh...those types are always such downers! No wonder they had to stick him with the touchy-feely, weepy, over-eccentrics! Had to balance his bad mood towards everyone and everything out, so he got put with those two to try and get them to rub off on him!"

Naruto blinked and looked at Serafall. That made so much sense it wasn't even funny. Heck, he could practically hear Neji screaming in agony from whatever afterlife he'd ended up in as if Neji had heard his old fatalistic outlook had been why he'd been doomed to deal with Guy and Lee at the female devil's words.

"Alright," Anko began, "the client is known as Michiru Tsuki, the Prince of the Crescent Moon Kingdom. With him is his son Hikaru and the Prince's many servants and envoy."

"You guarded a prince and his family, Naruto-Nii?" Kunou asked, looking at him.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah."

Guy then took over. "It is our mission to make sure that both Prince Michiru and his son make it back to their kingdom safely. While we will also try our best to defend the others of this envoy, those two are our top priority. Is that clear?" When he got nods from all five Genin, he gave a pleased smile. "Excellent! While we wait, why don't we get acquainted with our temporary – yet no less youthful – teammates?"

"Actually," Tenten cut in, "Whiskers and I know each other a bit. He came to my family's shop to buy his current uniform."

"Naruto-san and I are acquainted as well, Guy-sensei," Lee added.

"True as that may be, you only know each other on a small level. To be successful, it's best to know who you're working with beyond that of passing glances, first meetings, and initial greetings."

"That is true..." Minato said as everyone else nodded.

Anko decided to cut to the chase. "We'll keep it short and sweet; give your name and something about yourself. We'll start with the Green Mini-Me."

"Not even the least bit bothered by that name, is he?" Michel chuckled.

Lee saluted and exclaimed, "Yosh! My name is Rock Lee, and while I cannot use ninjutsu or genjutsu, I will still serve my home youthfully with my taijutsu!"

"Not at all..." Naruto sighed. Lee was a good friend, but his quirks were grating at times.

Naruto and Yakumo looked intrigued at his chakra related disability, but they didn't comment on it.

"Underdeveloped chakra coils...at lest he knows not to let that bother him and focuse on what he can do rather than beat himself up over what he can't." Yasaka said, nodding.

"One of the best hand-to-hand fighters I've ever seen. Trained himself to the point he's super-human through sheer hard work and effort. Trust me...I've seen him fight." Naruto said.

Ophis blinked. That tidbit catching her interest. If that were true, then that Lee boy could prove useful, eccentrics aside...

Tenten went next, "The name's Tenten Higurashi. I'm a weapons specialist and have two goals; to become a great kunoichi like Lady Tsunade of the Sannin and to get some experience with the many rare weapons of the Elemental Nations."

"You mean like the Seven Swords of the Mist?" Naruto queried.

"Exactly! Each of those swords are unique in their own way, but they're only a piece of the pie."

Both angels hummed at that. If that was the case, they wondered how this Tenten girl would do as a Holy Sword user...that would be worth looking into...

Both of Anko's Genin nodded at her goal, giving her encouraging smiles before turning to Neji. He had his arms crossed as he leaned back against a tree near the gates. "Neji Hyuuga of the Branch House. I specialize in my clan's taijutsu, and that's all you need to concern yourself with."

Naruto frowned at his rude introduction, but he didn't comment on it. Grayfia also frowned, but it was faint since the arrogance the boy showed reminded her somewhat of the Old Faction of the Devils.

The gathered non-humans all frowned at that.

"I'll go next then. I'm Yakumo Kurama, Heiress of the Kurama Clan. I specialize in genjutsu, but I don't overly rely on it." She smirked at them, leaning on one leg with a hand on her hip. "I'm also starting to train in Lightning Style, so don't be surprised to see something shocking."

"Needs to work on her jokes, her social skills are stunted a bit, too..." Kushina said

Naruto snorted a little while Anko and Tenten smirked in amusement. Neji didn't react to the pun while Guy gave a laugh. Lee grinned at Yakumo and gave her a thumbs up. "I cannot wait to be shocked by your skills, Yakumo-chan!"

The heiress blinked at the added suffix, but she smiled all the same and nodded in thanks.

Naruto shuddered. There it was. His pity for Yakumo's other self. Sure Lee was a good guy once you got to know him, but...

"Alright Gaki, your turn," Anko said, turning to her blonde student.

"Right," nodded Naruto. "My name's Naruto Uzumaki, and as of recently, I'm the Heir to the Uzumaki Clan. While I used to live in the Red Light District," Neji perked up a little, but was unnoticed, "I now live in my parents' old compound and plan to make my lost clan be recognized again. With me is Grayfia Lucifuge of the Lucifuge Clan."

The she-devil gave a nod of her head in greeting, hands clasped in front of her as her position's etiquette demanded. "A pleasure to meet you all. As Naruto-sama said, I am Grayfia, and I am Naruto-sama's personal retainer."

Neji frowned at this, feeling her introduction hit a bit too close to home for his liking. "His retainer? So, are you his slave?"

Naruto cringed, recalling Neji's seal. Figures a Hyuga of the Branch House would take that badly...

As for Grayfia, she frowned at that, while Minato and Kushina looked outraged at Neji's words.

"Naruto-nii would never do that to someone!" Kunou yelled, pouting.

Grayfia rose a brow at his tone while Naruto looked disgusted. "No way!" he vehemently denied. "She's not my slave and I didn't force her into becoming my retainer! She chose to do so, and she's the one who keeps saying I'm her master no matter how many times I've said she doesn't owe me anything!"

Grayfia nodded firmly at that.

"...I remember having to tell people that exact same thing...get used to it kid..." Sirzeches sighed.

Grayfia was touched at Naruto coming to her defense so quickly, but she decided that a clarification was needed. "Naruto-sama found me when I was weak and close to death. It was mainly thanks to his personal hand in my recovery that I am standing here before you. As much as he denies it, I owe him much and have dedicated myself to him. Everything that I have – everything that I am – belongs to Naruto-sama."

"Well...I understand being grateful; but openly stating that to just anyone..." Michel said, trailing off.

Grayfia glared at the Angel, "Is there something wrong with my other being proud of her loyalty?" she said icily, eyes blazing with outrage.

"What my brother meansto say is, there's nothing wrong with loyalty, but suppose the wrong people hear it; his enemies, for example. They'd learn to go after your other to try harming Naruto's other self that way." Gabriel said quickly, trying to defuse the situation.

Grayfia pursed her lips, considering that point. That was fair about needing to be careful with information. "Fine..." she relented.

Naruto blushed at this, being reminded of the night she had declared such to him while the rest of Team Anko simply looked amused at the byplay. They were used to seeing Grayfia's dedication to Naruto and his embarrassment at being placed on such a pedestal by someone of her power. Meanwhile, Team Guy had mixed reactions.

Guy and Lee were once more weeping manly tears; though this time they were for Naruto's selflessness and Grayfia's determined standing about serving him.

"Eccentric as they are, I'm glad those two understand, at least." The devil maid said.

Tenten knew that Grayfia was already Naruto's retainer, but she only knew a little about the reason why. Seeing her dedication to the blonde Uzumaki was surprisingly inspiring to the young kunoichi.

"Seems she has a healthy respect for commitment." Gabriel said.

Grayfia nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips.

As for Neji, he kept his frown.

"Oh boy...here we go..." Naruto cringed, he wasn't looking forward to this.

Being a Branch House Hyuuga, he knew his life was to be one of servitude; a life he had no choice in living.

Everyone frowned or winced at that.

Seeing this woman – one who had a stature befitting a person of power and experience – willingly choose to live the life of a servant got under his skin. What bothered him more though was how Naruto – a self-admitted person of lower class – was suddenly living the life of an heir with a new home, a new servant, and – most importantly – a life better than what he was meant to live.

"Ah...I see now. Envy. The forced servitude makes him bitter. Understand why it would, though." Azazel frowned.

Somehow, someway, Naruto Uzumaki had broken free of his fate and now had a newer, more fulfilling, destiny ahead of him. It made the Hyuuga's jealousy simmer beneath his normally stoic nature.

"Something tells me that Neji guy would risk being a Stray if someone turned him into a Devil via Evil Piece," Ajuka noted.

Naruto cringed as he remembered Neji nearly killing Hinata during the Preliminary Matches.

However, he quickly – though with effort – reeled back that jealousy when their client finally showed up. Surrounded by guards and servants was a man who looked fairly young, but was already showing some girth due to his lavish lifestyle. From his legs, to his stomach, and his face there was an extra mass of skin that was proof of his weight.

"Very...ah...indulgent, isn't he?" Yasaka asked, trying to be polite about her first impression of the noble.

"Was at first. He did get better." Naruto said.

Next to him was a young boy who wore a pair of glasses. Unlike the obvious Prince, the boy was of a healthy weight; though he had a look of annoyed boredom on his face. Having seen the look before, both Naruto and Neji already felt a slight dislike for the kid. He had the expression of a child who could want for nothing, and yet didn't look satisfied. For the two orphaned teens who grew up with little, the boy's expression came off as insulting.

"Not my place to say about Neji, so don't even think of asking." Naruto told the others firmly.

Grayfia took note of her master's slight frown and patted his shoulder to assure him. When he gave a guilty expression in response, she merely smiled to ease his worry. She wasn't mad at him or disappointed, for she could see where he was coming from.

Coming from a house that lived to serve, she saw all types of masters. While some were kind – like her own – others were arrogant, greedy, and cruel. From what she could see, both the Prince and his obvious son were leaning towards the arrogant side of the three; with a helping of greedy for the Prince.

"A LARGE helping of greedy," Azazel snickered. "Stars above, is that man ever satisfied?"

Naruto fought a frown at that, remembering how Michiru came around in the end and even carried the blonde Uzumaki after Idate had petrified his leg. He smiled at the memory of his Crescent Moon Rasengan and made a mental note to tell his father about it.

"Prince Michiru," greeted Guy with a crisp salute that was mirrored by his more exuberant student. "We are ready to depart at your leisure."

The Prince smiled at his ninja guards, pleased to have so many looking after him; even if most of them were still young teens. "I appreciate it. The rest of my envoy is waiting outside of these village walls, so we'll go ahead and meet up with them before heading for the ports."

Anko took this moment to speak. "Prince Michiru, my fellow Jonin and his team will watch over you and your son while my team and I will shift around the envoy and keep them protected. Team Guy is the more experienced group, so they should have no trouble keeping you both well protected."

Minato nodded with a smile. "Good call having the more experienced team focus on the client. And another for offering to defend the envoy as well."

Everyone else nodded.

Michiru nodded in acceptance. "That sounds just fine to me. You're the ninja here, so you would know protection better than myself." He then spotted Grayfia, and more specifically her style of clothing. "Is she accompanying us? I wasn't expecting one of you to have your own servants."

Hikaru looked up from his handheld gaming system at his father's question, taking notice of the silver haired maid and how close she stood to the blonde teen. "Is she not one of ours, father?" he asked, earning a faint frown from Naruto.

"...I want to hurt him..." Sirzechs said tightly.

Grayfia answered the young boy, "No, young master." Team Anko all blinked at the professional tone she had. "I am not a servant of the Tsuki Royal Family. I serve the Uzumaki Clan as retainer of its sole heir, Naruto-sama." She gestured to said heir, making him wave awkwardly to Prince Michiru. "I have chosen to accompany him so that I may offer him and his comrades some assistance on his mission."

"Very professional, honey," Sirzechs noted with a smile.

"The situation demands no less, Sirzechs-sama," she replied, making him slump at the respectful title used.

"Does the situation demand it NOW?"

"I'm not going to dignify that question with a response, Sirzechs-sama."

"Ah, I see. Well then, I welcome you as one of my protectors," Michiru declared with a wide smile.

"I appreciate the invitation, your highness," replied the maid with a respectful bow before she stepped back, staying just an inch behind Naruto.

"Well then, let's get moving!" Guy proclaimed before the Leaf Ninja all took their assigned positions and began their escort mission.

"I take it you're satisfied with what you saw, Kakashi?" asked Sarutobi to the Copy Ninja. Both men were in the Hokage Office with the Jonin reading his ever-present orange book.

"Don't understand why he needs to watch over my other self in the first place," Grayfia remarked. "If he's that worried about Naruto, he should've been upfront about it."

"Thank you!" Kushina exclaimed. "Finally, someone gets it!"

"I must admit that her dedication to Naruto is somewhat inspiring. It reminds me of how some of our more patriotic ninja are for the Leaf. But, she also has shown some…interesting signs," noted Kakashi.

"Such as?"

"None of your business, ya old pervert!" Serafall snarked.

Looking up slightly from his reading, the scarecrow answered, "She's been making attempts to give Naruto a more…affectionate level of bonding. From what I gathered, she shares his bed and is trying to get him to move past his mental insecurities around older women; even if she isn't notably aware he has such insecurities."

The readers were all silent at that, until Naruto exploded.

"SERIOUSLY?! HE SPIED ON ME WHILE I WAS SLEEPING OR HAVING PRIVATE MOMENTS WITH GRAYFIA?!"

Even Ophis looked shocked at the outburst.

Sarutobi sighed at that. "It's a shame that such a mishap happened to Naruto, and at such a young age too. Even Hana has been affected by the even; not that I should be surprised. To think that she went from striving to join the Hunter Division to studying Medical Ninjutsu." He took a drag from his pipe as he continued, "It was fortunate though that both she and Naruto were able to move on from this; even if it was only slightly."

"Why didn't you take him to Inoichi after the incident, Lord Hokage?" Kakashi asked in genuine curiosity.

"Gee... I wonder why poking around the mentality of a Jinchūriki is a bad idea?" Kushina began sarcastically.

"Yeah, me too, Mom. I mean, it's not like there's any risk of being attacked by the sealed Bijuu, right?" Naruto agreed, just as sarcastic.

Everyone else sweatdropped at them.

"Because it would've been too risky. The boy was too young for most practices, and a Mind Delving on Inoichi's end would've been much too dangerous considering the Kyuubi." He regarded his subordinate with a regretful stare. "Believe me, I wish I could've done something more proactive in helping his mental state, but the options were limited. At least he's only nervous around them and not downright phobic of them. Such a fear would've been a serious hamper to his ninja career and his goals."

"Not to mention his social life! How's a guy supposed to get laid if he's afraid of women?!" Azazel ranted before he was made into an ostrich by one of Yasaka's tails.

"I can imagine," agreed Kakashi. "At any rate, it seems Grayfia-san's presence in his life is definitely a beneficial one." He then couldn't help but give out a perverted giggle. "I'm also pretty anxious to see just how far she'll go to help him get over his insecurities. Naruto sure is lucky."

"...Next time I see him, Kakashi's ass is grass," Kushina declared with a dangerously twitching brow.

"No offense to you Kushina-san," Sirzechs began, "but get in line. He's perving on my WIFE after all."

Grayfia smiled faintly at her husband's defensive nature, mentally promising to show her "gratitude" later.

Hiruzen fought a blush at the implications, coughing to both clear out the sudden intake of tobacco and regain his composure. "Yes well… We'll just have to um…keep an eye on them for the time being."

All Kakashi did was let out another giggle in response.

"Annnnnd...dead." Sirzechs growled, glaring at Kakashi's image.

It took longer than necessary to get to the nearest port town that would charter a ship to the Crescent Moon Kingdom. With the large group slowing them down – as well as the Prince making multiple stops to have a feast (both large and small) with his son and the Leaf Ninja – it took the group almost a week of travel; and they weren't even there yet.

Instead, they had stopped at a traveling circus troupe that put on an entertaining display for their Honored Guests.

"Please tell me that didn't really happen?" Yasaka almost begged, earning a weak grin from Naruto. "He's an heir to a country! For pity's sake, he should ACT LIKE ONE!"

It was here that we find Naruto seated on a bench outside of the circus tent with Grayfia diligently standing beside him. "This is taking forever," sighed out the whiskered blonde.

"Huh... Guess I don't watch the show in this story," Naruto mused.

"Was it good at least?" Serafall asked.

"Meh, it was okay. Although, I guess I'm judging them too hard since ninja could pull off acrobatics and other tricks pretty easily."

"I agree," Grayfia responded. "It is irresponsible on Prince Michiru's part to make so many stops to…engorge himself."

"Engorge is putting it lightly, Grayfia-san," Gabriel stated with a wince, knowing she was insulting another life.

Naruto sighed again, resting his chin on one of his palms. "I guess excess really changes a person…"

"Only if you let it do so, Naruto-sama," assured the she-devil, earning his attention. "A weak integrity makes for an easily influenced mind; as seen in the Prince. But," here she smiled at him, "I doubt I'd have to be concerned about your integrity, Naruto-sama."

"Growing up with little to your name makes you appreciate what you have. Even if you had an excessive amount of money, I believe your growth with little funds would influence your choices regarding purchases," Gabriel noted, smiling at the whiskered blonde.

He rubbed the back of his head bashfully at that. "Thanks, Grayfia-chan." Patting the spot next to him, he suggested, "Why don't you take a seat? You don't need to be standing all the time, y'know."

"I appreciate the concern, Naruto-sama, but-"

"Grayfia," he cut off, stopping her short. "I want you to sit next to me. Please," he requested sincerely.

Gabriel smiled from her seat at Story Naruto's consideration for Story Grayfia, easily seeing the real Naruto behaving exactly the same way.

Serafall and Yasaka, on the other hand, felt a growing jealousy for Story Grayfia. Mentally, they both wished to see the real Naruto show THEM that same level of consideration.

She stared at him for a few seconds before smiling faintly. "Very well, Naruto-sama. Thank you for the invitation." She moved next to him and adjusted her uniform so that she was seated next to him comfortably. Looking to him, she saw him grinning brightly at her, which made her smile grow. "You're much more different from many of the Lords and Ladies that my house has served, Naruto-sama?"

"How so?" he queried in curiosity.

"You're incredibly considerate of my condition and feelings, compared to other masters who focus on themselves."

"Well…why wouldn't I be concerned?" he replied, his tone saying that such a notion should be the most obvious thing in the world.

"It really is," Naruto agreed. "Why wouldn't I be concerned about someone I care about?"

"Asura was the same way," Ophis noted. "The more I witness from you, the better I understand WHY you carry on his legacy."

She brought a hand up to her lips, demurely covering a laugh that escaped her.

The supernatural beings, save for Sirzechs, Grayfia, Kunou, and Ophis, looked shocked at the sound of GRAYFIA laughing.

"B-But she... She NEVER laughs!" Serafall cried out, unable to comprehend it.

"Not true," Grayfia spoke up, a rare smirk of mischief on her face. "I laugh; just not in front of others."

While he blushed at the beautiful image and sound, she answered, "I suppose that should've been expected of you by this point." Lowering her hand from her lips to his cheek, she softly caressed his face while her smile became warmer. "I'm grateful that you were the one who saved me, Naruto-kun," she said, just short of a whisper.

Gabriel sniffed and wiped her eye. "Sister...?" Michael asked in concern.

"I'm fine. It's just so inspiring to see a blooming love from people of different races," she explained. "It only proves that Devils CAN love and that those foolish prejudices were nothing more than lies and propaganda."

While his face burned at her smile, gesture, and voice, he stuttered out, "I-I'm glad I did t-too…" He then coughed into his hand, regaining some composure before smiling back at her with confidence. "I can't imagine my life now without you in it."

Grayfia raised an inquisitive brow when she noticed looks of jealousy aimed at her from Serafall and Yasaka.

This time she blushed – though it was faint – at his words. But still, she retained her smile before removing her hand and sitting in comfortable silence with the blonde Uzumaki. Both human and devil watched as people went about their lives, showing contentment in their gaze and their smiles. Such a scene was a pleasant change to Naruto.

"I can agree with that. People Watching became a hobby of mine when I was growing up," Naruto admitted. "It was a way I could see how it was to be 'normal'..."

Kushina looked sad and grasped his hand while Minato placed a hand on his shoulder. "Sweetheart, I never wanted you to be normal or ordinary," Kushina confessed, giving him a loving smile. "I wanted you to be YOURSELF; and you, my Maelstrom, are nothing short of EXTRAORDINARY."

He choked back a sob through a chuckle before embracing her. "Thanks mom..."

Then, his eye caught a girl, around his age, leading a large saber-toothed cat with gray fur by a leash.

With the exceptions of Naruto and Ophis, jaws dropped. A saber-toothed tiger?! Those were supposed to be extinct!

Thanks to his training, he was able to catch what the girl was saying to the animal. "It'll be okay, Chamū," assured the girl. "I know you don't like the performance, but the people paid to watch us." She stopped walking, crouching down so that she was face-to-muzzle with the cat.

"Is that even safe?" Azazel asked, seeing what the new girl was doing.

With a mischievous wink and smile, she suggested, "How about I sneak you an extra helping of food if you put a bit more oomph into your act?" Her tone became singsong as she added, "I know how much you like cow~"

Chamū frowned at her for a moment before his expression lightened and he licked her cheek, making her giggle before hugging him around the neck.

"That's a good boy."

"Guess that's a yes..." Michel and Gabriel nodded, shocked.

Curiosity got the better of Naruto and he decided to go introduce himself to the girl and her friend. "Hello there," he greeted, earning her attention. With a friendly smile, the Uzumaki stuck out his hand and said, "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, one of the ninja assigned to help guard the Prince. Can I ask your name?"

The girl before him was just a bit taller than he was. She had brown hair that was tied in a high tail that was braided and tied near the tips. Said tail was long enough to reach her waistline. Her eyes were a light brown color and her skin was beautifully tanned. As for clothes, she wore predominantly pink colors, with a long sleeved top that stopped above her belly button and had wide sleeves, matching colored pants that were tied at her shins in with darker pink ties, brown shoes, dark pink wrist bands, a small skirt of a more redder shade, and dark pink clothing that focused around her chest, neck, and shoulders.

Naruto blinked. "Ok...she wasn't there with my and my group." he had to admit she was pretty cute, through...

Smiling in return, she happily took his hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you! My name's Ty Lee! I'm an acrobat of this circus troupe!" She then patted the tiger's head while said animal looked at Naruto warily. "This fuzzy cutie is Chamū. Say hi to the ninja, Chamū!" When the cat just gave her a deadpan stare in response, she laughed sheepishly. "Sorry. He's not really a people person."

"Or cat!" Serafall snickered.

"That's alright," assured Naruto before gesturing to his retainer. "This is Grayfia Lucifuge, a close friend of mine."

While she was pleased that Naruto viewed her as close, the she-devil couldn't help but once again give her own comment. "I'm also Naruto-sama's personal maid and retainer," she gave a faint smirk, "even if he keeps saying I don't need to be."

Naruto huffed and looked away playfully while Ty Lee giggled at their byplay. "Nice to meet you, Grayfia-san. Hey, if you're supposed to be guarding the Prince, why aren't you with him?"

Naruto waved her off with a smile. "Eh, he's got plenty of people watching him. Besides, my sensei said Grayfia and I could just hang out outside the tent. We just have to be close enough to help if something happens."

"And because you're Mr. Cool Ninja, that isn't a problem for you, is it?" teased the acrobat, though Naruto took it in stride.

"You know it!"

"Humility escapes you sometimes, son," Minato deadpanned.

"Don't listen to him! Uzumaki are proud to be seen as the badasses we are!" Kushina exclaimed.

"Apple doesn't fall far, does it?" Sirzechs asked rhetorically with a sweatdrop.

"Funny hearing a Devil say that..."Azazel muttered.

She giggled again at his optimistic attitude, enjoying how bright his aura was. "You're really lucky. I wish I could've been able to become a ninja too, but I'm more than happy here at the circus. Besides, even without a teacher, I was still able to pick up on a few things." She gave a confident wink and added, "I could also bring down jerks with a few taps if I wanted to."

"A few taps?" asked Naruto. "What do you mean?"

"Pressure points," Grayfia answered, earning a bright nod from Ty Lee. "It seems this young lady has extensive knowledge on the pressure points of the human body, able to pinpoint where to effectively hit and disable anyone she has an issue with."

Ophis looked interested in that tidbit. To take down foes with minimal effort thanks to some strikes to correct places? That would prove VERY useful.

"That's right! See, when I was training my body to be more flexible and agile, I also took the time to study from some of the physicians here in the troupe. Sometimes, they had to numb a patient's body since we don't have much supplies like anesthetics. So, I picked up on a few things and now I know enough to either take some jerk down, or to help someone relax."

"That…is seriously cool," Naruto praised with a look of amazement. "I'd love to have a spar with you sometime after the show." He then looked unsure as he added, "Well, that is if we don't immediately afterwards and you're okay with it?"

"Eager to spend time with the cute girl, eh, Naruto?" The Fallen Angel chuckled. Not that he blamed the young man. She was cute...and as an acrobat, he was willing to bet she was REALLY flexible, too! Sounded like a good time to him!

She smiled and nodded eagerly. "Oh, I'm so up to it! If your team stays after the show, come find me and we'll definitely have that spar; promise!"

Naruto grinned back and the two teens shook on it before the acrobat waved him farewell and resumed leading Chamū to the tent. "She was nice."

"I agree; though I'm honestly curious about her potential here," mused Grayfia.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, based on what she said, she has a fair level of physical training, as well as some self-taught ninja exercises under her belt. Not to mention her knowledge on something as complex as the human body's most sensitive points of pressure. While she could become a great acrobat – maybe even a phenomenal one – wouldn't you agree that she could also become an effective kunoichi, Naruto-sama?"

Azazel chuckled. "Despite not leading towards Evil Pieces, that Devil mentality is still there. Looking for ways to have that girl join your ranks..."

"Are you not the same, Leader of Crows?" Grayfia fired back casually.

He blinked at that before cupping his chin thoughtfully. "You have a good point… But, even if she would have a good shot, this place is most likely her home and these people are probably like family to her. It'd be hard for her to walk away from it all to pursue a different path in life."

"Glad he's looking at factors like that first." Gabriel said.

"Understandable," agreed Grayfia. "I was merely putting it out there, Naruto-sama. It shouldn't be much of an issue to merely suggest the idea to her, after all."

He smiled at that, nodding in agreement. "I'll be sure to bring it up to her after the show. Maybe Anko-nee will consider teaching her some stuff. I mean, we are short a Genin after all."

"I'm starting to get concerned about a Devil's influence on your son," Michael commented, ignoring the looks shot at him from the Devils in the room.

Grayfia smiled in return, showing a faint glint in her eye at the prospect of Ty Lee becoming a kunoichi. "That you are, Naruto-sama. That you are…"

"And that's it for this chapter." Michael said before looking around, "who reads next?"