Guess who's back?

By the way, ending notes of last chapter were a lie. The harem list will be posted at the END of this chapter; not the start.

Disclaimer: Raymond Smith, known as pain17ification, owns nothing

Gale Symphony

Chapter Eight: Homecoming

Naruto smiled to himself as he finished packing his bag, standing in the middle of his room in his apartment. The ORC had returned to Kuoh the day before, and Rias dismissed everyone so that they could return to their homes and unwind until they meet again at school.

Thankfully, it was currently Saturday. School wasn't until Monday, and Naruto planned to take full advantage of that fact. Not that he was going to school for a few days longer anyways.

Before he and the others had left, Venelana had pulled him to the side and handed him a few things. The first was a framed picture of his late family, minus Kushina, and the Lady Devil when she had a contract with Naruto's father. That photo was currently hanging on the wall in his living room.

The second thing was a tag with her personal magical circle on it. She informed him that he was always welcome to call her for any reason. He was thankful for that.

The last thing was a slip of paper with an address on it. At first glance, the address wasn't anything special; but it meant so much to Naruto, for it was the location of his old home before Jiraiya adopted him many years ago.

Naruto had never gone back out of anxiety. He didn't want old memories to smother him as he walked through his family home. But he had grown from the small boy who had lost everything dear to him.

It was finally time to revisit the Uzumaki Residence of Kyoto.

"You want to visit Kyoto?" Rias asked in surprise as Naruto stood before her in her clubroom. "Why would you want to go there? It's governed by the Yōkai Faction, and they aren't the best of friends with Devils; or any of the other Factions, really."

He nodded in understanding, having prepared for her surprise and concern with a prewritten response that he handed to her. He saw her curiosity as she took the paper and read it over before it returned to a surprised expression.

"You used to live in Kyoto?"

"Why did you move away?" Akeno asked right after her, serving them all some tea to drink.

Taking a moment to write his response, Naruto answered, "My godfather, Jiraiya, lived away from Kyoto, and he took me in after I lost my family. I never went back after that, and your mother didn't say anything when she gave me the address other than to 'Go see it'."

Rias was still trying to figure out why her mother even knew about that address in the first place. "How do you know my mother, anyway?"

"She looked after me on occasion when my father had a contract with her. She told me that she stopped coming because she thought I'd died with him and my family. I barely recognized her when she visited my recovery room after the Rating Game."

'That leaves more questions, but for mother to answer,' mused the Ruin Princess. "I'm not sure about this, Naruto-kun. If I took you there, we could get in some serious trouble with the Yōkai if they think we're coming to invade or scout."

"What if we landed a few miles away from the border and I went alone afterwards?"

"I'm worried about leaving you by yourself, though," she admitted.

"This is important to him, Buchou," Akeno argued. "If we don't take him, then he'll just board a train." Turning to him, she clarified, "Right?"

He nodded without pause, his gaze showing his determination.

Rias sighed at that. "Let me get in touch with my mother really quick," she relented, leaving the room to contact the woman.

Sitting in a comfortable chair in her office was a regal looking woman with blonde hair and eyes as yellow as liquid gold. Her eyebrows were cut very short and round as a symbol of her nobility. Her hair was tied in a loose ponytail, reaching all the way down to her legs and ending in a spiral with taut bandages to keep it in place. For clothing, she wore traditional shrine maiden robes, and over that she wore a white coat held closed by a red ribbon and a golden crown.

This was Yasaka, the Leader of the Yōkai Faction and one of the two Nine-Tailed Kitsune that resided in Kyoto; the other being her daughter, Kunou.

Currently, she was looking over some papers regarded a territorial dispute between two Yōkai Clans that lived in Kyoto while one of her aides looked after her daughter. She was brought out of her thoughts concerning the dispute by a small magical circle holding a Devil Crest forming out of the corner of her eye.

Raising one of her finely trimmed brows, she used her own power to accept the circle and heard a familiar voice speak up, "Lady Yasaka, this is Venelana Gremory. I hope I haven't contacted you at a bad time?"

Smiling at the distraction from her work, the Yōkai replied, "Not at all. I was actually hoping for something to take me away from this paperwork."

"It never seems to end, does it?" Venelana asked in rhetorical amusement.

Sharing a laugh with the Devil woman, Yasaka asked, "What were you calling for, my old friend?"

"You remember that home I asked to take care of personally years ago?"

"That rather small one that had been assaulted by those rogue clergy?" the Kitsune clarified.

"Yes, that one…"

"I remember, and I've made sure it's been left alone. Why do you ask?"

"…There was a survivor," Venelana informed, earning surprise from the Yōkai Leader. "He was the young hybrid that I would occasionally look after for Minato-san. I thought he had died with his family, but he was away at the time and was taken away by his godfather. I've recently reacquainted myself with him and told him to visit his old home."

"And, considering his current affiliation with Devils, you'd like for him and whoever he's with to be allowed entry into Kyoto," deduced Yasaka.

"Please…"

"Tell me what his mixed blood was first, then I'll make my decision."

"His father was Human while his Mother was half-Siren and half-Human.

"…Was his mother a redheaded woman?" Yasaka asked after a brief pause.

"Yes, her hair was similar to that of my husband and our children."

"I see…" She was silent for a moment as her gaze went distant before she shook herself out of her thoughts. "Very well, I'll allow it. I'm assuming you or someone you know will accompany him?"

"I'd be more than happy to, but I'm too busy at the moment and he wanted to see the home today. My daughter, Rias, will more than likely accompany him along with her friend, Akeno Himejima."

"I understand. Tell your daughter that only she and her friend may accompany him. What is his name?"

"Naruto Uzumaki, son of Kushina Uzumaki."

'Sounds right so far… My love, is this the one you told me of?' Yasaka mused. "I'll let someone know to meet them at the southern border."

"Thank you, Lady Yasaka," Venelana bid before ending the call.

Silence ruled the office while Yasaka's thoughts drifted to her old mate. "Kura-kun… I hope this is the Naruto you told me of… The one you said was your friend…" (1)

"You're good to go, dear," Venelana informed Rias. "Lady Yasaka will only allow for Naruto, you, and Akeno to go, however."

"That's fine. Thanks, mom," Rias bid before ending the call. "Well then, shall we?"

Naruto nodded with an eager smile while Akeno moved to stand next to him. Rias stood on his other side as she summoned her magic circle and focused on the southern border of Kyoto. In a flash of red, the trio were gone from the clubroom.

Witnessing a red magic circle appearing followed by a trio of strangers was a servant of Yasaka, a One-Tailed Kitsune named Selkie (2). She had been tasked to await the arrival of a Yōkai hybrid and a pair of Devil girls to be escorted to a random – to her – section of the city.

She easily smelled the Devil scent coming off the girls, and the lone male nearly made her recoil at the sight of his whiskers; but the lack of Kitsune scent eased her.

Giving a respectful bow, she greeted, "Welcome to Kyoto, visitors. My name is Selkie, and I've been tasked to act as your escort through the city. If you'll follow me, I'll guide you to the section Lady Yasaka informed me of."

"Thank you very much, Selkie-san," Rias replied, taking the lead with Naruto and Akeno trailing behind as they followed the Kitsune girl.

They started by passing through a massive bazaar that spanned a few streets and was inhabited by both Yōkai and Humans that lived peacefully in Kyoto. Naruto smiled at the warm atmosphere, feeling a sense of nostalgia that he believed was from his childhood memories; vague as they were of this place.

It seemed, to him, that most of his memories were clearest when they involved his family; not about other things like his old hometown. It saddened him since this place felt so inviting to him, making him wonder what would've happened if he had stayed and Jiraiya hadn't taken him away.

A delectable smell brought him from his thoughts, and it made his stomach growl in anticipation. Recognizing the scent, he noticed that it drifted from a humble little stand that had curtains covering the patrons from sight; for privacy, of course. Breaking from the others, he headed over to the stand without looking to see that they had stopped to see what he was up to.

Entering from the curtains, he saw a man barely into his middle-ages with a bald head, but full and trimmed beard, calmly stirring a pot of tantalizing broth while adding in freshly made noodles and some cleanly cut meats. The man noticed him and smiled warmly.

"Welcome to Kyoto Ramen, young man. What'll you have?"

Naruto grabbed a menu and browsed it before turning it around and pointing to his selection.

"Miso Ramen, huh? Not a problem. Just have a seat and we'll bring it out in a moment."

Accepting the offer, Naruto sat down on one of the stools and waited for his food, with Rias and Akeno sitting on either side of him while Selkie chose to wait outside for them. The trio noticed a girl a few years older than them walk out from the kitchen while expertly balancing a few bowls of ramen on her arms and head.

She had brown hair and gray eyes like the man who took Naruto's order, except she also had a pair of brown feline ears on her head and a single tail poking out from behind her; the tail itself was even expertly carrying a bowl of ramen. Her eyes also had a slightly narrowed pupil like a cat's, making the trio deduce she was a Nekomata; possibly a hybrid on her mother's side since the apparent father looked Human.

"Orders up!" she declared brightly, serving the other patrons with smooth precision as she slid the bowls across the counter; each one coming to a clean stop in front of their respective owner without spilling a drop. She smiled at her success and at the warm gratitude the patrons gave her before heading back to the kitchen, giving Naruto a friendly wave when she noticed him. "Welcome to our humble stand!"

He smiled and waved back, enjoying the atmosphere and delicious smells the ramen stand gave off. When the waitress came back, she set a bowl in front of him and gave him another smile; this one slightly showing her sharp canines.

"Order up! Go on and try it!" she urged, standing back and waiting for him to taste the meal.

Naruto broke his chopsticks and took a quick sniff of his ramen, already eager to take his first bite. Grabbing some noodles, he brought them to his mouth and slurped them up, chewing them slowly to savor the taste before swallowing with a content sigh.

Looking back to the waitress, he gave her a grin so large that his eyes closed on instinct and his whisker markings stretched to resemble the Kitsune race he was so often mistaken for. She nodded once, as if knowing from the start that he would enjoy their ramen.

"That's good to see. Not a single customer has visited our stand and left unsatisfied. We take pride in our food, and we share that pride with every person who comes for a bowl."

The other patrons gave a resounding cry of support, making her giggle and wave them off with a small blush before she offered her hand to the blonde Siren.

"I'm Ikki, and my father's named Tenzin," she introduced, sharing a handshake with him. "What's your name?"

Quickly pulling out his notepad and pen, he wrote his name and the names of his friends, making sure to point to each name and their respective owner for the waitress.

"Nice to meet you all," she replied after being informed of who they were. "We've actually had a couple of Uzumaki stop by here when they were passing through. They were big spenders here, devouring a good chunk of our inventory. Right, dad?"

"Oh, you wouldn't believe how quickly we lost that inventory," Tenzin supported, his voice carrying from the kitchen. "Surprised that you're only sticking to one bowl, though. You sure you're an Uzumaki?"

Naruto gave a mute laugh at the teasing, nodding to say he was an Uzumaki.

"We're actually being escorted by someone Lady Yasaka provided for us," Rias informed the two cooks. "We don't want to keep them waiting for too long."

"Lady Yasaka, huh?" Ikki repeated, taking empty bowls to be washed. "You three must know some important people to get her to provide an escort; let alone let you in the city."

Rias and Akeno knew that she was talking about them specifically, once again being reminded how much distrust between Factions affects how they interact or deal with each other.

Having finished and enjoyed his meal, Naruto left money for his food and gave the two chefs a respectful nod before he and the girls left the stand. Selkie smiled at him as they approached her.

"Enjoy your meal?" she asked, earning a grin from Naruto. "Good. This stand has been around for a while now, but they refuse to upgrade from a stand to a full restaurant. No one has been able to figure out why."

With a shrug, she beckoned them to follow as she resumed guiding them to their destination. From the bazaar section, they moved to a more residential area of Kyoto with humble homes; some of them being stacked atop one another. No one seemed bothered by their living conditions and the trio saw that neighbors weren't afraid to stop what they were doing to assist one another; seen by a young Monkey Yōkai stopping his chores to help an elderly Kappa with her purchased groceries.

"Here we are," Selkie declared, showing them a simple looking home.

The building was one story, but a large window was seen where an attic would be; showing a possible room that had been added during a renovation. The outside was colored a dull red while the roof was a dark brown. The front door and the borders for the windows were both colored a dark yellow shade; though the upper window had orange paint for its border.

Rias stood beside Naruto as he looked at his old house, making sure the address matched the one her mother gave him. When it did, she pocketed the paper and gently gripped his hand, making him look at her while she gave him a soft smile.

"Welcome home…" she whispered, making him blink in surprise before smiling back at her.

Letting go of her hand, the blonde Siren slowly approached the front door of the home and shakily gripped the knob. Almost agonizingly slow, he turned the knob and pushed open the door; surprised that it wasn't locked.

As if knowing what he would ask, Selkie informed him, "Lady Yasaka had someone come here before us and unlock the door for you. She gave me a key to give to you should you want it."

Nodding in understanding, Naruto stepped into the house and was greeted to sight of the family living room. The floor was a dark brown wood while the walls were a contrasting white color, the furniture was a dark red leather couch and recliner facing a simple television while a familiar piano was situated in the corner. There was a set of stairs leading to the upper loft while there were entryways for the kitchen and a hallway.

Ignoring the piano for now, Naruto walked down the hall and saw a door on either side while another rested at the very end. Opening the one on the right, he saw it was a full bathroom while the one on the left presented a guest room; probably the one Grandma Tsunade and Shizune used when they stayed with them. Which meant that the door at the end led to his parent's bedroom.

Rias and Akeno decided to respect his anxiety and sat on the couch to wait for him to finish inspecting the home. Selkie took the recliner and pulled out a book and took out her placemark before reading where she left off.

Approaching the door to his parent's room, he softly opened it and saw that it was pretty simple for a master bedroom. A bed big enough for both his parents with tall dressers on either side; one for Minato and one for Kushina, obviously. There was a closed closet door, and another that no doubt led to the master bathroom.

The floor was a soft rug that was colored peach while the bed covers held a slightly wavy design with dark and lighter blues coloring it. Against the wall from the bed was a simple desk, which Naruto guessed his father used, while a hanging shelf was placed above it full of books.

Reaching for a random one, he saw that it was related to music from Latin America. He then saw that the spines of the other books held titles showing music inspired from other parts of the world; classical music from old Europe, traditional African music, tribal music from the Native Americans, inspirational Chinese music, and of course Japanese.

'Must've been mom's shelf,' he mused with a smile, his eyes growing misty at the thought of her.

"Are you alright, Naruto?" Two asked in concern.

'I will be… Thank you.'

"If you need someone to talk about how you're feeling," Four began.

"We're here for you," One finished. "For now, why don't you go upstairs?"

"Your room should be up there," Three deduced.

Nodding in agreement, Naruto put the book he was holding back on the shelf before leaving the bedroom, making sure to close the door as gently as he opened it. He stepped out from the hallway and gave Rias and Akeno a small smile before heading up the stairs, where there was no door and it simply opened up to a large room that spread out above the floor below.

The flooring was the same dark wood of the first floor; though noticeably sturdier than the one below considering the renovation. The walls of the room were a dark orange, which was his favorite color. He smiled at his parents letting him choose the color and at the room itself.

He saw his old bed, other instruments perfectly put away, a desk full of musical sheet drafts, and some toys from his childhood. It was the toy on his bed that made him give a teary chuckle, for it was a stuffed fox with fur the same shade as his walls, red eyes surrounded by black fur, and nine tails.

'And I would wonder why people thought I was part Kitsune,' he thought in amusement, sharing a mental laugh with some of the Intoners; though he knew all of them had some semblance of a smile.

"So, what do you think, coming back to this place?" Five asked him.

'I honestly thought I'd be crying much sooner, or that I wouldn't have even made it to my parent's room. I guess…I've grown up from my past; not fully, but it's a start.'

"That attitude will only help you continue to grow from it," Zero told him. "And when you finally can grow from it completely, you will be stronger than you've even been before; I guarantee it."

'Thanks, Zero… And you all, as well. I'm glad you could see this place with me…'

They didn't respond to that, but he still felt some warmth from his connection to them. Satisfied with what he had seen, Naruto walked over to his bed and gently picked up his childhood toy. A smile was on his face as he ran his free hand from the head to the tails of the toy, and he turned to leave with it still in his hand.

When he returned downstairs, the two Devils saw that his smile was stronger than it was before; though they were curious about the toy in his hand. They didn't get the chance to question it, because he moved straight for the piano and set the toy on top next to a framed photo.

In the photo was a man with smooth features and spiky blonde hair that had thicker bangs that framed his face. In his arms was a beautiful redheaded woman with an almost angelic face and hair that reached below her waist. She was seated in front of the blonde man, and in her arms was a bundled baby with chubby whiskered cheeks, eyes as blue as the ocean, and hair a more brilliant shade than his father's. He was giving a toothless grin to the camera while the woman, with eyes closed and a bright grin on her face, held him close so she could rub her cheek to his in the photo. (3)

Naruto held the framed picture, finally letting more tears fall as he smiled. It was their first true family photo after Kushina had recovered from her depression regarding the loss of his voice. They all looked so peaceful in the frozen image; peaceful and in a time that he couldn't go back to.

Staying strong, he put the frame back on the piano and opened the key cover. He had been trying so hard to think of a final song for his CD, and seeing this place – seeing his old home – finally gave him the inspiration for a perfect final melody.

Taking a breath, and unaware that all three of the women in the room remained silent for him, Naruto began to play the song.

(Instrumental Version of "The Promise" from Final Fantasy 13)

With nothing but the piano, started the melody with high-to-middle notes. The song started slow, but its sound gave off a blend of loss and hope that somehow worked well together.

One hand started to focus on a slight repetition of the beginning notes while the other added in some backup notes that enhanced the melody, and he steadily brought the tempo from its slower pace to a slightly faster one; this technique adding onto the hopeful vibe and slowly removing the one of loss.

It was a song that was meant to act as a promise to his lost family; a promise to stay strong and to keep moving forward while never letting go of their memory. Smiling towards the end, he felt that it was a perfect title for the song: The Promise.

(End Music)

When his song ended, he gave one last look to the photo and his smile grew more hopeful. He sent a mental prayer to his family, wherever they now were, and recovered the keys before he stood up and grabbed his old toy.

Turning around, he saw that Rias and Akeno were giving him supportive glances while Selkie was trying to hide the fact that some tears had been shed. He respected her pride and didn't give notice to it, simply holding out his hand for the keys to the house.

Selkie, after wiping her eyes, reached into a pocket of her outfit and handed the Siren a single key with a metal charm that held the Uzumaki Swirl carved into it. She gave him a small grin and offered, "If you'd like, I'll ask Lady Yasaka if I could look after this place for you? I figure you won't be back for a while, so…"

He nodded gratefully to her offer, moving to hand her the key before she waved him off.

"Milady has another key. She figured you wouldn't stay either and had a second one made just in case." She chuckled at his surprise. "Don't be so shocked, buster. Lady Yasaka need foresight like that to continue her great work as Leader of the Yōkai. At any rate, I'll escort you three back to the southern border of Kyoto. People might act up if you use your Devil Magic within our territory."

"We appreciate it," Rias thanked as the group of four left the building.

Naruto locked up the home and safely pocketed his new key before giving the others a smile to show he was ready. With that, they took off back to the border so that the trio could return to Kuoh.

Unnoticed by any of the four, someone had watched them from atop a building with a perfect view of the home and through the window of Naruto's room. Behind a pair of glasses, gray eyes watched the blonde Siren and studied him, looking closer than what any spectator would see.

Slowly, a smile formed on their face as the observer pulled out a book and wrote down a simple notation:

Anomaly Rediscovered

1~ Cyber FanFiction Cookies for those who correctly guess who she's talking about!

2~ Selkie is from Fire Emblem Fates

3~ If someone would please draw or make this image, I promise to let them either get a spoiler or decide on something of my choosing down the line

How was the chapter? I hope it was to your liking, but please don't assume that I took so long only to let you down. The reason I was gone is very simple:

I got lazy.

That's it. Sure, there were family matters and other things, but I could've made time to type. I just didn't.

I'm speaking truthfully so that I can be totally honest to my readers. You guys are the ones who give stories any form of popularity with your viewings, favoriting, and reviews. I don't want to lose you guys by giving you half-assed or bullshit reasons for my shortcomings.

Finally, we get to the harem. I'm going to try and keep this simple:

Rias, Ravel, Serafall, Rossweisse, Corrin (FE Fates), and Ophis.

Akeno is a solid MAYBE because I still haven't decided.

And I want to add Gabriel, but I've been told it'll practically impossible; so, I'm asking for advice/help on bringing her in IF possible.

That gives Naruto 6-8 lovely ladies that will go for his affection.

Until next time!

~pain17ification~