Naruto had lived through the school of hard knocks. Dragged through the mud and blood, kicked and beaten. He had learned the fine art of survival at the edge of a knife.

Still, Nothing in all his life could have prepared him for what he was witnessing this fine Monday morning.

"Groundskeeper-san! You have to help me!" The teen shouted once more.

Now usually, Naruto would jump at the chance to help others. It just wasn't in him to watch people suffer.

But seriously, what the fuck?

"Don't mind us Sir, we caught this scum peeping on us in the changing room." A girl spoke, bokken resting over one shoulder easily. She looked sweet enough, with shoulder length brown hair and those deceptively delicate features. There was something in her tone though, some edge that just set off all of Naruto's warning bells.

On one hand, as an employee to the academy, Naruto felt it was his responsibility to step in and free the bound male. After all, this WAS the kendo club, as far as Naruto could tell, the boy would probably be beaten to within an inch of his life.

On the other hand, Naruto also knew he was suppose to keep a low profile, and earning the ire of a dozen plus teenage girls in his first week of work might be highly detrimental to that undertaking.

Time waits for no man Naruto realized as the first blow was unleashed on the male teen's genitalia.

A sharp echo of agony left the brunette as a drop of sweat rolled down the back of Naruto's head.

'Nope.' Was the only thought of the blond as he promptly pulled a 180, and stalked away from the area.

There wasn't a pay high enough in the world to make him deal with that.

"Groundskeeper-San! You can't just- IYAAAAA!"

No where near enough.

-GEN-

It was a peculiar sight that greeted Naruto as he stalked away from...whatever the hell he had just been witness too, but still a welcome distraction.

His sister Kari was animatedly chatting with her new found friend, Koneko. While Naruto still wasn't to happy about his sister's choice in friends, he wouldn't fault her just because of his own misdealings with Devil Kind in the past. Though quite, the diminutive girl seemed mild mannered and even friendly, if a bit cold shouldered.

To see the two together was like seeing Yin and Yang. Bright and Bubble, Cold and Aloof. Strange.

But it seemed right however.

What was odd, was the style of dress the two girls wore.

"What the hell are you wearing Kari?" Naruto blurted out, stopping his sister midword. He was positive she hadn't been wearing the orange panda suit before, and where the hell would she even hide it if she had brought it with her?

"Naruto-nii!" Said orange monstrosity became a blur and smashed into his mid-section, something he had become accustomed to over the last few days, as his sister exploded into exposition at a thousand words a second.

"Ourteacherislettingushaveapajamadaycauseit'sthefirstweekyaknow?butIdidn'townanysoKoneko-chanletmeborrowoneandIpickedthiscauseorabgwisthebestandyoulikeorangetooisn'titgreat!"

All of which promptly flew over the elder blond's head.

"Kari-chan...I don't think Naruto-san understood anything you just said." Koneko chimed in with a soft monotone, ice seeming to form the words in midair. Naruto let his face blanch. Cold and aloof indeed.

"I think I caught pajama and great." The blond weakly defended himself.

As Kari went to draw in another deep breath, no doubt to repeat her earlier word vomit, Koneko cut her off.

"Our sensei wanted to start the new semester off in a more relaxed fashion. He requested a "Pajama Day" for the students of his class and was approved. Kari seems to be lacking in that department, so I offered her a set of mine." The white haired girl spoke, barely above a mumble, but Naruto caught it all the same.

"Ah...I see." The blond really couldn't think of much else to say. Seeing two girls standing outside in what may as well have been a onesie isn't something you see everyday, especially at an academy as prestigious as Kouh Academy was said to be.

They did look adorable though, so Naruto just smiled.

"You two look great, I'm actually kinda of jealous."

"As you should be Nii-chan! It's warm and soft and fuzzy! You have to be stuck in that stinky old uniform all day while I get to be bundled up as a panda!" Kari spoke with a haughty tone, a smug look on her face.

Naruto just raised an eyebrow before he delivered a swift chop to the top of Kari's head.

"Ow!"

"Don't get all high and mighty with me Kari." Naruto huffed out, honestly this girl. "Shouldn't you two be heading to class?" The blond continued as Kari wept crocodile tears.

"Nii-chan is so mean!"

"We have lunch this period Naruto-san." Koneko answered in the younger blonde's stead.

"Ah. Heading to the club room then?" Naruto engaged the diminutive girl. At least Kari's friend seemed responsible.

"Hai. Bouchu said she would have Akeno-senpai make us some snacks." Naruto wasn't sure who this Akeno-senpai was, but from the way Koneko's eyes lit up, they must have been one hell of a cook.

"Well, I appreciate you looking after Kari for me, she can be a little air headed at times." Naruto teased slightly, causing his younger sibling to shoot to her feet with a fierce pout.

"That's a lie Nii-chan! Slander!" Kari shouted, her arms swinging as hard as possible to hit the elder blond, who just laughed off the attempt at violence, her blows feeling like nothing.

He couldn't remember the last time they were both able to be so carefree, couldn't even begin to think about the last time he had seen Kari so animated. So happy.

Naruto dropped his hand on the top of Kari's head, rubbing it affectionately and messing up her hair at the same time, a soft easy going smile on his face.

Kari stopped her thrashing as her brother tussled her hair, her eyes widening a little at the open display of brotherly love.

"I have to get back to work Kari, so you should head off. I'll be around campus if you need anything." Were the words he spoke before Naruto marched off, a light hum leaving him.

Kari stood there for a moment, watching her brother meander along, recognizing the tone he hummed as he walked.

"Kari-chan?" Koneko's voice broke her from her thrall, causing her to cut her eyes to the catesque like girl.

"Huh?" Truly a one with words, the younger Uzumaki.

"Are you okay? You seemed...lost."

Kari just smiled brightly at her friend, a nod and hum leaving her. "Nii-chan...he was humming."

Koneko just tilted her head, a confused look on her face. She wasn't really sure about the importance of that fact, but it seemed to brighten her friend up considerably.

As the two girls continued on their way, Kari let herself fall into her memories, bringing forth harsher, but in some ways happier times.

It had been along time...since she had heard Nii-chan hum their mother's lullaby.

-GEN-

"I still don't understand why I have to clean THIS building." Naruto mumbled to himself as he made his way to the Occult Research Club building. Seriously, no other students used it, and how come that Devil girl got her own building for a SINGLE club anyway? Though he supposed her being Sirzechs' sister might have had a hand in it.

Still he shouldn't be forced to clean a whole building!

"Stupid schools. Stupid job. Stupid Lucifer." The blond continued to mutter as he made his way to the third floor, planning on working from the top down. It was well into the evening, he was tired, and he just wanted to go back to his ridiculously lavish two bedroom apartment and spend sometime with Kari.

"Ara, ara, you shouldn't complain about the one who granted you this opportunity groundskeeper-san."

The soft voice made Naruto take in his surroundings, wariness at the unexpected company, his eyes captured the sight of a teen girl, buxom in the most literally definition of the word. Her hair was a cascading midnight black, flowing down her back. Her eyes violet and a lot in both amusement and some other emotion Naruto couldn't really place.

She seemed every bit the beautiful high school girl, but Naruto knew the presence of a devil when he felt one.

"I take it you are one of Rias'?" Naruto cut straight to the point, not really in the mood for games after a long day of being the staffs whipping boy.

Lazy pricks.

"Ara, so quick to assume...what makes you believe that Naruto-san?" The girl replied, a sultry smile crossing her face.

Naruto just scowled, far to use to female devil's attempts to woo him for him to see it as any thing less than a failed seduction.

"Aside from you knowing my name, and being in her building? You reek of devil magic." An intention insult to the dark energy flowing throughout the girl, he may not hate the devils under Rias' command, but on the same hand that didn't mean he had to be nice.

"Oh so biting, I may enjoy this kind of play." The girl replied, a light blush crossing her face as sparks bounced off her hands. "However I can't take such an insult lightly, honestly saying I reek? Such a mean spirit Naruto-san is."

Naruto felt the tension in the hall rise as sparks became more prevalent, the energy of the girl becoming more focused and compact.

Naruto tensed, preparing for a fight as his combat knife slipped into his grip from the back of his belt.

"That's enough Akeno." Rias' voice cut through the hall in short order, dissipating the tension as quickly as it had arose.

"Ara, ara, I wouldn't have hurt him too much Bouchu." The now identified Akeno spoke, a certain disappointment in her tone, the sparks from before vanishing in an instant.

"We both know that is a blatant lie. It's a pleasure to see you again Naruto-san." Rias spike as her heels clicked against the hardwood floor.

"Yeah well, excuse me for not jumping for joy." Naruto replied blandly, his hand re-securing his knife to his belt. Atleast he wouldn't have to explain why Rias was down a servant to Lucifer. That would have been a problem.

"You astound me with you charm, truly." Came the biting remark from the red head. "This is my queen, Akeno Himejima. Otherwise known as the Priestess of Thunder."

Naruto regarded the girl lightly, a flash of recognition at the name. He had been a memeber if the underworld fighting circuit for sometime, he was all to aware of the possible new up and comers.

"A pleasure Naruto-san. Kari and Bouchu speak very hightly of you." The girl bowed, all former signs of hostility completely absent.

"I see." The blond made note to keep an eye on her. She seemed a little...off, to say the least. "I expect you haven't done anything...inappropriate to my little sister, correct?" His voice was tense, a slight threat in the tone. This woman had feed his little sister, there was no telling what kind of things she could have done to the food.

"Perish the thought! Kari is a delight, and I would never risk Koneko-chan's ire by hurting her new found friend." Akeno replied easily, a smile still on her face. This groundskeeper was so defensive, and quick to assume. Then again, him being an angel and her a devil...well old habits.

"Hm. I take it your club activities are done for the day? I'd like to get cleaning as soon as possible." Naruto addressed Rias, snapping the girl from her eyes bouncing between himself and Akeno.

"Ah yes. We were just about to head out actually. Something important came up." Rias spoke evasively.

"Well, what ever it is, keep Kari out of it." Naruto bit out as he moved past the two. "I don't need her more tied up in the machinations of your kind."

Rias watched the blond go, a touch miffed at his attitude. He could atleast be cordial with her. "Rias-sama...it's almost time."

Rias snapped her eyes to Akeno, who was also watching the blond's back as he moved further down the hall. "Right. Hopefully my familiar was able to give him the flyer. Better safe than sorry."

Naruto tried to ignore their words as he made his way to the third floor supply closet, but they weren't exactly being subtle or quiet.

'Why do I feel like things are going to become more complicated here soon?' The blond thought with a sigh. It was always something.

-GEN-

Naruto watched the teen from yesterday bounce from person to person, his face and body language becoming more and more depressed with each passing conversation. Part of him was curious but the rest frankly didn't care. As he continued racking the fallen leaves into a small pile. While it was still mild spring, the trees around the academy still left quite a bit of a mess through out the day and night, and it was apparently his job to clean it up.

Working sucked. He ones this was Lucifer's fault. Some how.

"Excuse Groundskeeper-san." The voice of a male brought Naruto from his inner monologue before it could really kick off.

"Huh?" The Uzumaki where truly masters of the spoken tongue.

It was the peeping tom from yesterday, seemingly coming to him after being brushed off by the other students out and about.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but do you recognize this girl?" The boy held up his phone, that displayed a picture of a sweet looking girl with with delicate features, her long black hair kept straight and flowing, the soft smile highlighting her face.

Naruto ignored it completely in favor of the feel the boy was giving off. It was weak, barely a spark, but it wasn't there yesterday.

'So that's what they must have been talking about.'

Naruto wasn't unfamiliar with the Evil Piece system, but on the same hand, neither was he accustomed to it. To feel the difference between a human and their reincarnated self as a devil was mildly shocking. Even if it was lackluster. He expected more from the invention of Ajuka Beelzebub.

"Sorry kid. Never seen her." Naruto dismissed out of hand. He hadn't really looked, but he didn't want to be involved any more than he already was. If Rias wanted to use this academy as a recruiting grounds, that was outside of his preview and he'd like to keep it that way.

"Ahhhhhh, How come no one remembers her! I finally get approached by a cute girl and everyone acts like she doesn't exist!" The brunette groaned, flopping to the ground in a heap. Naruto gave an annoyed grunt at the teen falling into his pile of leaves.

That had taken a good ten minutes!

"Yeah, yeah kid, sucks to be you. I'm working here so maybe you should get to class?" Naruto tried not to bite the kids head off, it wasn't his problem, so he didn't want to deal with it.

"Is this really all you have to do? Man you must have it easy." Naruto felt an eyebrow twitch at the dismissive tone from the teen. He knew he shouldn't get riled up, he was just a kid after all, had no idea how much work it actually took to do his job.

"I mean racking leaves seems like a dream come true if you could get paid for it, so simple and easy. A monkey could do it."

Breathe Naruto, breathe.

The blond looked near ready to hit the brunette as he casually disparaged his job/punishment. Groundskeeping was tough damnit!

The bell saved the boy, as he swiftly moved to the school proper. "All well, sayonara Groundskeeper-san."

Naruto just sighed as he looked down at the scattered leaves that had once been a pile.

It was official.

He hated his job.

A/N hey guys! Sorry for the delay on all my stories. As I said in CATB, I just settled into a new job and it's taken me some time to adjust. I plan on updating my Re:Zero cross next, then KOQ, followed by NGD. I'll probably follow that up with the SDP story I started if I'm in a more serious mood, or carry on bouncing between these four. All depends really. A short shooter here, but the next one I plan on starting on the Asia arc, so it'll either be a really long one, or a couple shorter ones. Haven't decided how I wanna do it yet. Let me know what you think!

Oh and before you guys comment about Akeno's attitude towards Naruto this chapter, she's a sadist devil who has an angel working at her masters school. I feel like her wanting to...mess with Naruto is fully justified. I may not have her personality 100% yet, so let me know!

Dark_Star, Out.