Disclaimer:

I claim no ownership over neither the Naruto nor the Highschool DxD series, which are both the respective properties of Masashi Kishimoto and Ichiei Ishibumi.

Chapter I:

"...thus concludes the matter of your engagement. Have you any more inquiries you would like to make?" a voice thundered, permeating the dimly lit room and bathing it in an aura of might and awe befitting of its owner. A streak of lightning split the skies, and for the briefest of moments, it illuminated the silhouette of a man sitting behind a desk: a towering frame and a build of steel, a face carved in stone from which dangled an unruly tangle of beard and a mane of slicked hair veiling underneath a gaze tempered in ice, peering directly into the depths of the lone figure standing before him, scrutinizing her every reaction, judging her worth.

Yet to her credit, and true to her title as the heiress to the Sitri clan, she held her father's gaze, unflinching, defying even, as if trying to prove herself worthy of whatever it is he was gauging her for. "Yes father, may I ask for his name?" she felt the annoyance creeping up her tone but fought to keep it down and sound as neutral as she could. She couldn't afford to affront her father, the most powerful figure in their clan, no matter how angry or displeased she felt.

Thunder rumbled in the distance, and another flash of lightning once again lit up the horizon, this time casting a pale light on the girl who dared hold her father's gaze. What appeared was the bespectacled face of a young woman, fair and beautiful. Violet orbs held within them the same powerful gaze as her father's and then some more, a fire of defiance that refused to surrender to her current predicament.

"That is of no concern right now," he dismissed her curtly, "such matter will be revealed in due time for the Rating Game. For now, focus on your peerage and their training. You have two weeks." Lord Sitri stopped momentarily, further burying his chin into his hands as he peered closely at his daughter. "Truth be told, I don't expect you to lose. What I do expect of you, however, is a show worthy of your name."

Tch, he doesn't expect me to lose? My opponent isn't that powerful then. So then why, she mused, why go to such lengths to organize a Rating Game instead of deciding things by the usual game of chess? Such questions swirled unanswered in her head, and for a reason. This was not her first engagement proposal, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. Just like Rias, given her title as the heiress to the Sitri clan, an overwhelming amount of demands for her hand came in from all across the overworld. Most were shot down the moment they were received, but unlike Rias' case, the few who managed to capture her father's attention were put to the test before any decision was made, pitted against none other than their object of desire herself in a simple match of chess. Win and you shall succeed in ruling over the Sitri clan, lose and you will consider this matter no more, and she had yet to lose. Most of her 'suitors' were after the position and the prestige that came with it, as opposed to being driven by sentimental reasons, but to be honest, neither was Sona. Romance was the last thing on her mind, and while she did find her friend's and her peerage's pursuit of Issei's affection quite amusing at times, she couldn't picture herself fawning over some guy and battling a legion of other girls for his love.

Her standards were high, very high, and her father's were even more so. He valued wit and strategy over brute force, and though no weakling himself -quite the opposite actually-, he would rather focus on a suitor's capacity for thinking rather than brawling, thus the choice of chess over Rating Games, not to mention she wasn't old enough to legally participate in them (she partook in a few before, but those were purely ceremonial and didn't affect her ranking).

Which brought her to her previous question: why a Rating Game? Why not resolve this matter over a game of chess like they did so many times before? What made this suitor so special that her father would rather she partook in one? Add to this the fact that he expected her to win easily, meaning her opponent wasn't that strong, and it made for a very confusing situation that Sona was no closer to solving by mulling over her thoughts.

Regardless, he must have had his reasons, and Sona knew better than anyone else than to question her father's decisions. All she had to do was win the Rating Game and the ordeal would be over with. An unexpected inconvenience to be sure, but not one to dwell over. "I understand, father." she said, her resolve ignited anew. Rating Game or not, she would defend her freedom at all costs, come hell or high water. "If that's so, then you may be dismissed." At her father's prompt, she left the room wherein he had unexpectedly teleported earlier this morning, and set direction towards a defined goal. For now, she needed to take her head off this matter, and what better way to do so than a stimulating, exciting game of chess?

And who's a better-suited opponent to go against than him?

The sound of the bell rang across the school grounds, echoing throughout the once empty corridors now being swarmed by students spilling in from their classrooms. The excited chatter of a group of reuniting friends, the exasperated groans of students complaining about what their schedule held for them next, they all blended into that cacophony of indistinguishable noise that was so characteristic of highschools. Soon after, the hustle and bustle spread to reign across every hall and every classroom that made up Kuoh Academy.

All, but for one.

In fact, classroom 3-A could be described as the complete opposite of the merry atmosphere that emanated from outside. A heavy silence hung over every student as none dared move from their current spots, lest they disturbed the great showdown taking place in the middle of the room.

There stood Sona Sitri, Kuoh Academy's student council president, surrounded by empty chairs and tables, face twisted in what one could only describe as the beginning of a scowl, something that both terrified her classmates and aroused their curiosity at the same time. Because if Sona was known for anything, it was her icy cold demeanor and the strict and serious persona she always maintained. Nothing could rattle the student council president, and the most emotions they've seen show on her face were the occasional nose twitch and the raised eyebrow when confronted with some students' questionable actions (mainly Kuoh's infamous trio of perverts).

But this time, this time it was different. They could practically feel the embarrassment and indignation emanating off of her in waves as she stood there, fists clenching and brows furrowing, towering over what appeared to be a napping student sprawled over his table, his head buried deep into his arms. None of his features could be discerned but the ponytail sticking out in the air, reminiscent of a pineapple in its shape, and the occasional sound of a muffled snore escaping his mouth.

She cleared her throat in an attempt to hide her indignancy, and for what appeared to be the third time -they kept count- called in a low, bordering on threatening voice.

"Nara-kun"

And just like her previous attempts, she once again was met with complete silence and a lack of reaction that prompted a wave of 'oooh's and 'oof's from all over the classroom, much to Sona's growing embarrassment. No one ignored the student council president, and certainly not for the three consecutive times while she stood right in front of them.

Her patience thinning down, she cleared her throat a final time and tried to discard the desire to smack him down with as much force as a normal human could withstand -it wouldn't do her image much good to splatter a fellow classmate, after all-. Some of it remained still, however, seeping into her voice as she declared his name with as much self-restraint and patience as she could muster. It had the intended effect, and the now named 'Nara' student woke up with a jolt, his ponytail swaying back with the intensity and suddenness of the movement, confusion and bewilderment clearly apparent on his disoriented face.

"H-Huh? What's going o- oh it's just you." he responded with a start, "What's up?" he then followed up, trying to rub the sleep off his eyes. When it didn't seem to work, and it didn't look like he was getting any answers from the now fuming Sona Sitri, he hunched over and prepared to fall into slumber once again when his head stopped short of a pencil that planted itself onto his table, mere inches of where his nose would have been had he not looked up.

The face that stared back down sent shivers down his spine.

Ignoring the rude 'It's just you' comment and the commotion of raised eyebrows and hushed whispers that followed, Sona tried to put on her most disarming smile which, given the current situation, came off more as a death threat and said in a low, vehement, dangerously-calm voice "Nara-kun, would you follow me to the student council office?"

It didn't leave much room for debate.

"R-Right away..."

For Sona, chess represented more than a simple game, more than an activity to kill time or a way to settle a bet against a friend. For her, chess was an escape, a means to take her mind off her duties as both the student council president and the heir to the Sitri clan, to relax and set free the gears inside her brain to turn and rattle, not in an effort to figure out each club's budget allowance or get a grasp over the politics of the underworld, but to find the most optimized and artistic way to defeat her opponent on a battleground which took heed of no social standing, no family background, no luck or 'hands' or die rolls… no nothing.

All that mattered was the player, and their capacity to think ahead and react accordingly. And while the rules and regulations were nothing to scoff at, they were easy enough that a match or two should be ample to cement them into the mind of any passionate new player. All these things and more made chess the perfect game in the eye of Sona, and a subject of interest to dedicate her attention and time towards ever since her young age, spending most of her time growing up challenging any and every opponent she would come across, sharpening her skills and taking to absorbing new strategies and techniques like a sponge would to water. By age 12, she could already measure up to the best of what her clan had to offer, and the Sitris were known to be the smartest and craftiest of the twelve that governed the underworld.

But that was not to say she was invincible. If anything, Sona had lost more games than she could remember, and even more than she was willing to admit. There were even some opponents that she couldn't even hope to decipher, let alone defeat, her father being a prime example of one.

But it was those experiences that made her the well-rounded player that she was today, not only in-game but in-person too, capable of holding her ground and taking important decisions in the most critical of moments. It was those experiences that allowed her to fight for her freedom and come out victorious against any suitor that presented himself for her hand. If not for them -she shuddered at the thought- she would probably be somewhere out there in the underworld, married to some pompous schmuck who had one too many molecules of testosterone in their system for their own good (a certain Phenex came to mind).

But more importantly, it was those same experiences that allowed her the pursuit of her grand dream: to one day open up a school for Rating Games, to which students from all social standings and backgrounds could flock. An overly idealistic dream to be sure, but one she was set on realizing no matter the stakes, come hell or high water.

So then why?

Why?!

Why was she getting her ass handed back to her on a silver platter, time and again, by this same guy who looked like he would rather be asleep somewhere off quiet than in the student council office facing off against her? This guy who was defeating her so easily and so offhandedly she started doubting her own abilities. This guy who could read clearly so far into her moves, predict her actions long before she even thought of them and react accordingly, lead her by the hand, avoiding every single trap she's set just to make her fall into one of his own, all the while sporting that same disinterested look on his face throughout every step of the game as if he wasn't playing the formidable opponent she thought herself to be, but a fledgling beginner who had just learned the ropes of the game and could barely stand by herself.

It felt unfair. It felt… frustrating. Sona never considered herself to be a sore loser. If anything, she actually quite liked losing (but not quite as much as she did winning, of course). The feeling of serenity that would come to encompass her mind after the game had ended and the winner was declared, when she saw her opponent raise one of his own pieces to topple down her king after a long, intense battle was something she welcomed with open arms. Instead of putting her down, it gave her the drive to push forward, analyze every nook and cranny of the game and gather as much data as she could: mistakes she'd made, traps she'd fallen for, strategies that her adversary employed that she wasn't quite familiar with… It gave her insight on how to improve herself, both as a chess player and a decision-maker. It felt…

It felt satisfying.

This, however? This was so devastating, so crushingly one-sided that it reminded her of those times she would challenge her father as a young child, when, instead of holding back and letting her win as any other sane parent would do -she was 7, for god's sake!- he would come at her in full force, holding nothing back as he toppled her pieces one after the other, cackling madly along the way about extremely important 'life lessons' of never underestimating her opponents and always staying one step ahead of the game.

It generally ended with a frying pan hitting him square in the face courtesy of her mom. Usually too late, as by the time the mighty kitchen-utensil-turned-weapon found its target, she'd already been crying and bawling her eyes out and demanding that her 'stupid daddy' went off somewhere and got himself lost forever.

Oh god -ouch!- the embarrassing memories were resurfacing, and the occasional commentary from the rest of the student council body did nothing to quell them back.

"Oooh! Prez lost again?"

"Yep. What's that make it? 23rd, 24th time?"

"25th, actually." Everyone's head snapped towards Tsubaki -Sona's vice president- who smiled slyly in response. "I've been keeping tabs."

"Hey!" Saji, one of her pawns, interjected from the side. "It's not because our president lost 25 times in a row that she's bad! I'm sure she can win if she puts her mind to it!" He stopped for a beat. "...probably?" he added meekly, not so sure of himself anymore. "Okay, maybe not, but still! That doesn't mean that you can just- what's up with you guys?" He stopped again after noticing the horrified look on his teammates' faces, some of whom were gesticulating wildly and flailing their arms in what he guessed was an attempt to tell him to 'can it, you dumbass!'.

And he'd guessed correctly, as seconds after the words were out of his mouth, he felt an icy cold stare settle on his back and an impending sense of doom seep into his guts.

Sona Sitri looked positively fuming. Be it from anger or embarrassment -or a mixture of both- they didn't know. What her peerage knew however was that they'd stepped on a particularly fragile twig.

"It recently came to my attention that one of the kendo club's training dummies was destroyed." He didn't like where this was going. "Their president personally told me that the accident is hindering their training and that they could use a replacement as soon as possible. The kendo club has contributed greatly to our school's prestigious reputation and as such, an order for a replacement dummy has been put as fast as possible. However," she turned around to face a now very terrified Saji, the slight smile adorning her lips promising punishment worse than any purgatory could ever inflict. "they said it would take some time before it is ready for shipment, time that would be wasted instead of training and sharpening their skills, and we really," her smile grew ever so slightly, "really don't want that. I'm sure in the meantime, a human target would make as good a replacement as any, maybe even better. Hmmm?"

Saji, in response, retracted whatever response he may have been preparing and tried to make his presence as small and unnoticeable as possible.

Leaving the terrified boy to fend off for himself against the ensuing barrage of giggles and teasing, Sona turned her attention once again towards the boy in front of her that had, mere seconds ago, been her opponent.

Truth be told, his profile was nothing exceptional or worthy of note. Of average build and looks, his only redeeming features being his long, protruding ponytail, reminiscent so much of a pineapple's head, and the characteristic bored look he always wore on his face, easily blending in with the masses of students that attended this school daily.

But Sona knew better than that, though she had to reprimand herself for trusting her eyes at first and judging him according to his looks. She could never forget their first game and the mix of awe and powerlessness that she felt as she watched the heap of her captured soldiers pile up higher and higher as the match advanced, her board being stripped down of its most important pieces, one by one, to leave her king alone, unable to fend off against the torrent of strategies her opponent unleashed.

Even if her pride would not allow her to admit it, there was no denying that Shikamaru was one of the best players she had ever had the chance -and the pleasure- of facing off against. While contemplating the idea, her line of thought naturally shifted towards their first meeting, and the shady circumstances surrounding his enrollment at Kuoh.

"I heard that there is a new transfer student joining in today..."

"Eeeh? At this time of the year?..."

"What's more, he's actually a male!..."

"Well, hopefully, he's good looking. If not, then at least make him normal. God knows we don't need the perverted trio gaining a new member…"

"Sigh, you can say that again…"

For a Monday, the atmosphere pervading the class of 3-B was uncharacteristically jovial. Rounds of chatter and discussion filled the room, sparked by the arrival of this mysterious student and giddy with excitement from all the potential of gossip this news held. After all, it wasn't that long ago that Kuoh Academy had forgone its original all-girls system and made the switch to a fully co-ed one, resulting in a male-to-female ratio that was disproportionately leaning towards the latter. Coupled with the fact that the school still held somewhat of a prestigious standing, and the commotion over this new arrival suddenly made much more sense. A new student integrating their class at such a time of the year just wasn't something you witnessed every day.

"So, Sona, what do you think?"

A young girl had sprung up in front of Sona's seat, excitement and curiosity oozing off her demeanor. She leaned her face closer in, and without missing a beat, continued "You're the student council president, so you must know a thing or two, right? Right?"

It wasn't long before the other girls got wind of what their classmate was trying to do, and soon Sona found herself swarmed on every side by a horde of giddy classmates whose excitement could barely be contained, and who all wanted to know a bit more than what they were allowed to before the transfer student's arrival.

Which was silly, Sona thought, because it shouldn't be moments before he was here. In fact, he ought to be ushered in any minute now by Kamoda-sensei, their homeroom teacher, and invited to present himself to the class. However, such bits of information were supposed to be kept unrevealed to the rest of the student body, and the only reason she knew of it was because of her position as the president of the student council.

So like any other self-respecting student council president with their integrity intact, she gave an upfront and honest response, the kind that was so characteristic of stoic self. "That may be so, but I'm not allowed to say anything before the official announcement."

"Eeeeeh? Common Prez, tell us what you know! It'll be a secret just between us, we promise!"

'A secret between the whole class, huh? What a secret that is…' Sona thought, and just as she was about to reformulate her same previous answer, albeit with a little more firmness in it, another voice intervened.

"Ara, ara. Give the Prez a little bit of rest, would you? She's just trying to do her job, after all."

All heads turned around, and there, standing in the middle of the classroom, they saw the two figures of the Kuoh's Two Great Ladies. The clash of midnight-black and blood-red flooded the eyes, and the gracious yet commanding postures brought the young women's pestering to a halt.

"That's right. We wouldn't want to overwhelm our cute little student council president now, do we?" The second girl added, and the words were spoken with just the right amount of playfulness and natural seductiveness that any response the group could've mustered died instantly within their throats. With a resigned groan and a collective sigh, the small assembly of students dispersed, leaving only Sona with her long-time childhood friend and rival, Rias, accompanied by her faithful queen, Akeno.

"No need to thank me, Sona. You'd have done the same for me, right?"

"I wasn't about to thank you, Rias, and for the record, you're way better at handling these kinds of situations than me, so you wouldn't have needed my help either way."

"Ooh, touché."

"Ara, ara. It's good to see you two getting along so perfectly."

"Good morning to you too, Akeno."

Sona's lips broke into a smile. She wasn't exactly the ongoing type, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy bickering with her friends. She turned around to face the red-head and her companion and raised her eyebrows in anticipation of the question that was obviously to come, her retort already at the tip of her tongue.

"So, Sona, what do you really think about our newcomer?"

"That's quite hypocritical of you, Rias. Shooing the other girls for asking one question just to ask the same one?"

"Well, technically I'm not exactly asking the same question. I've already had a look at his file -my brother owns this school, you know- so I already have an idea of who he is. I'm more interested in your opinion on the matter."

"That may be so, but that's still sly of you…"

"Of course," she brought her voice down to a whisper, "we're devils after all."

"Fufufu… That's our leader for you."

"Sigh…" A defeated sigh escaped her lips, but before long, the smile on her face fell, a serious look soon taking over. She brought her hands to readjust the frame of her glasses over her nose and, in an acute tone that had lost much of its joviality, readdressed the two curious devils in front of her.

"I won't lie, I'm as perplexed as you are. Birthplace, birthdate, guardians' names, quite a lot of information was missing from his file. Hell, half of the stuff on his birth certificate is either missing or feels like it's been jumbled over in a hurry. A file this incomplete will get you nowhere, so it's obvious your brother had to intervene directly to complete his enrollment."

Rias, upon hearing her friend's thoughts, and realizing that they mirrored her own, simply sighed in resignation and turned towards her queen. "Yeah, that's what I thought too. Akeno, what do you think?"

"Well, contrary to how he acts in your presence Rias," Akeno threw a mischievous look towards her king, "Sirzechs-sama rarely does anything without any good incentives. It makes sense that he has his own reasons to personally involve himself with this young man. Fufufufu, he is our Lucifer after all."

Just before the conversation could go any further, the sound of the sliding door rang through the class, cutting through the lively atmosphere of chit-chat and giddy gossiping, and signaling the start of the first period of the day. She wouldn't admit, but Sona found some guilty pleasure in the surprised reactions of her classmates when the teacher wished for them to welcome a new transfer student within their ranks. That very same transfer student whose arrival they thought was a long way coming, and so amused themselves by trying to make predictions as to the date of his arrival.

Not that she wasn't excited herself, mind you. He was, after all, someone who the great Lucifer himself must've gone into a great deal of trouble to enroll here personally without raising suspicion. That same part who felt this excitement must have also hoped that he'd be the answer she's been looking for, to fortify her peerage and guarantee her victory in the game that her father decided would seal her fate.

Any and all such hopes, however, were all but decimated the moment this new transfer student had stepped in and opened his mouth to present himself.

His appearance itself was nothing worthy of note. Of average build and looks, it seemed like her classmates' hopes of gazing upon a new prince charming were dashed. His features were sharp, with narrow brown eyes worn into an expression of boredom that conveyed that he would have preferred to be anywhere else but here. His hair, which she assumed would reach down to his shoulders when undone, was tied up into a spiky ponytail, the whole coiffure reminding her so much of a pineapple.

All-in-all, nothing out of the ordinary, and certainly no signs of a promising addition to her peerage. The soft whispers of disappointed sighs reached her ears, and it seemed to her that her classmates were on the same accord: this guy… was nothing out of the ordinary.

At least he didn't appear to have the makings of a pervert, she imagined her friends thought, but that was still to confirm.

His presentation, however, or what could only be counted as an attempt at one, did raise some eyebrows.

"I'm not really good with presentations, but here goes I guess." The new student sighed, then put his hands on his chin on what she thought was a thinking position. After being seemingly pleased with what words he gathered, he started again. "The name's Shikamaru Nara. I don't have any particular hobbies, but I do enjoy sleeping and cloud watching. I hate troublesome stuff, so if you guys have any of that, please let me out of it." He then turned his head towards his teacher, as if asking if those words would do, and upon receiving a troubled nod, made his way towards the nearest empty seat, which just happened to her right.

His next line of action was even more astonishing, as just as he had made it to his seat, he flopped right down and laid his face on his arms. A flabbergasted teacher called up to him, but it seemed that he was already doing right by his words, and off to watch his clouds in a dreamy sleep.

'Well', Sona thought to herself with a smile, 'seems like our new guest isn't as typical as he seems."

Thus was the first time she had laid eyes upon Shikamaru. Their first interaction, however, and her discovery of his affinity for chess wouldn't come until much later.

What's up, you wonderful people.

Sigh... you can't imagine how happy it makes me to see myself on the scene of fanfiction writing again. I did have some fanfics here (their beginnings at least), but I realized that none were up to my standards and removed them at once. Here's to this one not sharing their fate, hopefully...

Anyway, I know that these times are really trying, what with the coronavirus and whatnot, and that some of you are bored out of their minds in forced containment right now, so here's my gift for you: a little idea that I've been wrestling with for some time, and that wouldn't leave me alone until I decided to put it down on paper. You've seen a lot of Naruto x DxD crossovers, right? And what do all of those fics have in common? That's right, Naruto as the protagonist who gets transported into the world of DxD.

What if we tried to spice up the recipe a bit, and made it so another character took his place? See, now you're going at my pace ;)

I know that this chapter doesn't give much in terms of information, but I just wanted to give guys a taste of what's to come, and to put the state of our characters into perspective. I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but with nothing to do on my hands right now, except for a few MMOs to level through and books to read, I'd expect to get off my bottoms soon and start working on it.

With that said, please do give me your opinions on how this chapter turned out: the writing, the grammar, the characters (if they were too OOC or IC, I'm aiming for the latter actually) and really, anything criticism that comes to mind, as long as it is constructive of course.
If you have any suggestions on where should the story go beyond the first arc, then please... HELP ME because I have no idea where I'm going with this...

With that said, stay safe and remember, S-T-A-Y H-O-M-E. seriously, you get a lifetime chance where you get ASKED to stay home and laze about doing nothing, what more could you want. Love you guys.