So...depression sucks. Social distancing sucks. Both together majorly suck. Sorry for not getting around to updating sooner, but yeah I have had a rough few months.
Regardless, I am sure y'all don't need any more sadness in your lives so I hope this chapter brightens up your day.
Enjoy!
Xxxxx
Naruto wakes up and hops out of bed, the morning light illuminating his bedroom. A shuffle from the Mesopotamian Goddess signals she is awake as well, not that she is a morning person. Honestly, she can be pretty whiny and zombie-like before she gets her morning coffee.
Naruto runs through his mental plans for the day, which is actually different than most days. It's a super rare off day of training simply because the leader of the Youkai faction in Japan insists that she host the saviors of the captured Yokai that they rescued a week ago.
It sounds like a pain to deal with, but well, Ravel is absolutely insisting that they go. Something about building more relationships to put pressure on the devils. Now he personally doesn't care if he is labelled a Stray, but Ravel is adamant about removing that title eventually.
Still, he is mostly interested in the fact that the Youkai live in Kyoto and supposedly live out in the open with an extremely large-scale genjutsu based on ley lines that make humans be oblivious to their features. Not to mention their own hidden little world.
He heads down to the kitchen where he sees Ravel making breakfast once again for everyone and he pouts. The girl is extremely stubborn about preparing breakfast as he is the one that almost always prepares lunch and dinner.
"Ravel-chan, I thought I was going to make breakfast today?" Naruto asks as he sits down at the counter, watching Ravel work. He finds it slightly amusing and cute that she actually put on an apron just to make eggs and toast.
"I still need practice Naruto-sensei sorry," she states smiling innocently. Naruto shudders as he remembers her first foray into making breakfast food. How could she make such delicious baked goods but be horrible at everything else he'll never understand.
"Alright," Naruto states and just decides to watch her work. In the background he can hear the devil news program of the Underworld, which he assumes Ravel put on.
"Anything interesting?" Naruto asks, which she understands.
"No," she says with a sigh. "I was hoping they'd report about the slavery ring being destroyed by you and saving all those devils but they clearly are keeping that out of the press."
"Makes sense. You can't exactly praise a Stray Devil," Naruto nods his head.
Vali makes her way to the kitchen, with an irritated expression on her face before sitting directly next to Naruto and leaning against him.
"Do we have to go to Kyoto today?" she asks a bit grumpily as Ravel hands over two plates full of food.
"Yes Vali! I already explained why to you," Ravel states exasperated. Vali just scowls and munches on her food.
"It'll be fun!" Naruto says, a bit excited for the trip. Once all the boring stuff is over, they'll get to roam around for the day. Also, there are supernatural women with tails and fluffy ears. He wouldn't be Jiraiya's student if he turned down the opportunity to meet them.
"Something bad is going to happen, I just know it," Vali grumbles, not that either of the two pay attention.
A minute later Ereshkigal stumbles into the kitchen where Ravel has thankfully already made coffee for the poor goddess. A content sigh leaves her lips after she finishes taking a sip.
"When are we leaving for Kyoto?" Ereshkigal asks as she glances around the kitchen.
"We're supposed to be there soon so 15 minutes," Ravel responds after she finishes chewing her food.
"I had Okaa-sama send over some traditional Japanese wear in each of your sizes," Ravel continues while pointing them out on the couch.
Naruto blinks. "Wow Ravel-chan, you really have thought of everything!"
Ravel blushes slightly, before pulling herself up. "O-Of course! I don't want to make any bad impressions or have people look down on us."
"I'll be wearing my usual outfit," Ereshkigal waves off Ravel's offer.
It takes a few minutes for everyone, minus Ereshkigal, to dress the part with Naruto in a black hakki with an orange sash, Vali wearing a deep blue kimono with a silver obi, and Ravel is wearing an orange kimono with a white floral print and a black obi.
"Whoa I like your kimono Ravel-chan! Great color," Naruto praises with a thumbs up. Ravel glances downward looking demure, but with a happy smile on her face.
Vali's eyes cut between Ravel and Naruto before looking down at herself, and she huffs a little annoyed that they are matching while she isn't. Not that orange would be a good color on her, she grudgingly admits.
The back of her mind, her instincts, however fledging they are, are warning her against bringing Naruto-sensei to Kyoto. That she should do everything short of killing him to stop it. She brushes them away, assuring herself that she won't let sensei out of her sight with a woman.
As they get ready to teleport to Kyoto, Vali latches on to Naruto's arm, keeping a firm grip to insure that nothing bad will happen today.
Xxxxx
Yasaka reads over yet another petition by members of the Nekomata clan calling for decisive action against the Devil Faction for their role in the massacre of Nekoshu and Nekomata that were living peacefully in the Underworld.
She sighs as she puts the report down, feeling the burden of being a leader once again. It's not that she doesn't think that the Devil Faction should pay for what they did, but that they simply can't afford overt action.
She is one of the strongest Youkai on the planet, even known as a Daiyoukai, but even that only puts her at mid Ultimate-class levels of strength outside of Kyoto. Inside Kyoto she can draw as much power as she possibly needs from the ley lines, but it is a gradual influx of power that'll make any battle a war of attrition, so she'll only be able to compete with upper Ultimate-class devils.
A war with the devils would bring out multiple Ultimate-class and even Maou-class devils. Even their alliance with the Shinto faction wouldn't stop them from being destroyed. So the only thing they could do is cut off contact with devils, not allow them in their borders, and condemn them on the international stage.
Unfortunately, she already had previously made a deal with Maou Lucifer and Leviathan stating that their sisters could go to Kouh and recruit peerage members from the students attending on behalf of the Shinto and Youkai factions in exchange for trade concessions and money. The first point is moot now.
Sighing, she once again rejects the petition for overt action against devils that has appeared on her desk every week for the past two years since the massacre. You'd think they would get the message by this point.
'It'll be even worse when they find out devils are coming to meet me today,' Yasaka gripes silently. She offered her thanks to Ereshkigal for rescuing Youkai from the devil trafficking ring, assuming it was the Sumerian faction who saved them. She even offered to host them today, when she then found out it was devils who saved them.
Worse, it was the Stray devil Naruto Uzumaki from Serafall Leviathan's peerage. What should have been a simple thank you ceremony and tour of Kyoto could potentially result in huge internal and external political ramifications.
She, however, couldn't rescind the offer without it looking even worse on her and the Youkai faction as a whole, so she grudgingly has to go through with it today. Hopefully, he'll be just as eager to get this over with and leave quickly.
Already she'd given notice to the guards and her top advisors about the issue, none of which looked happy, but they at least like the fact that he, as a stray, isn't on the Devil's side.
"Yasaka-sama, I have received word that they just appeared on the outskirts of Kyoto and are being led up to the palace," the voice of her guard calls out through the wall.
"Thank you very much," she states before setting her paperwork aside and gets up to go greet the guests at the front of the palace.
A leader's job is never done.
Xxxx
"I have to admit, this is pretty awesome," Naruto states as he looks around the hidden world of the Youkai in Kyoto. All types of different people with different faces and bodies, hell he even saw a Youkai that looked similar to a toad!
It makes him a mix of melancholic and curious. Do they practice the same senjutsu as the toads of his world and himself? Do the other Youkai practice their own forms of senjutsu? Is Youjutsu just another name for a mix of Ninjutsu and Genjustu?
Questions swirl in his mind, but he does feel a bit more relaxed being around all these different chakra signatures. Sure, they are getting a lot of stares, with an unnerving amount being on him, but since a child he's been used to people acting like that he can easily shrug it off.
Vali pushes herself tighter against his arm, way more aware of the stares and glaring right back promising death to anyone who approaches. Not that Naruto notices.
Ravel, meanwhile, has a hard time not shrinking beneath the stares of hatred directed at her. Intellectually, she knows it's not at her but her race as Devils tend to prey on Youkai to reincarnate them and the Nekomata massacre that happened a couple years ago, but it still takes every ounce of confidence she has to keep a level head.
They walk up the multitude of steps until they finally reach the palace courtyard where Naruto sucks in a slight breath.
'Kurama! Kurama WAKE UP!' Naruto yells in his mind.
"What brat?" Kurama grumbles as he slowly wakes up from his dream of destroying Konoha and munching on Madara Uchiha.
'There's a Kyuubi,' Naruto states a bit breathlessly.
"WHAT?!" Kurama growls, annoyed that anyone dares to look like him. His anger quickly turns to shock, at what Naruto sees.
"Kit mate with her," Kurama orders.
'Kurama, I don't even…'
"I DON"T CARE! IF YOU ARE ANY KIND OF FRIEND TO ME YOU WILL BEND HER OVER AND COPULATE WITH HER!" Kurama shouts.
'Listen,'
"Sage damnit don't make me force you Naruto," Kurama growls, his tails beating against the floor.
Naruto cuts the connection, not wanting to hear his partner incessantly rant the entire time that he is in Kyoto. He'll hear it afterwards.
The two parties get within a few feet of each other and Naruto offers a polite smile to the Kyuubi.
She bows lightly and Naruto makes a concerted effort NOT to look down her kimono, not that her kimono does much to hide her chest to begin with.
"Welcome Goddess Ereshkigal, Naruto Uzumaki and friends. I am Yasaka, the leader of the Japanese Youkai. I'd like to personally extend the thanks of the Youkai for rescuing my fellow Youkai from the devil trafficking ring," she states in a humble tone before raising herself back up.
"Don't worry about it," Naruto waves it off, scratching his cheek looking a bit embarrassed to be thanked so earnestly like that.
"This is Vali Lucifer and Ravel Phenex my students," Naruto introduces the both of them. Ravel bows but Vali doesn't, having no idea that she even should bow.
"Thank you for having us," Naruto states and bows this time. Vali copies him and even Ereshkigal bows slightly.
"It's our pleasure. Please come in and enjoy some refreshments," Yasaka states before turning around to walk back into the palace, motioning for Ereshkigal to join her.
Ravel recognizes it as her thinking that the Goddess is the leader of the group, but doesn't let the displeasure of the slight against Naruto-sensei on her face. Being raised as the princess of the Phenex taught her much about the ways powerful people snub others.
'Besides, I doubt Naruto-sama even cares,' she thinks to herself following them in.
Xxxxxx
Kuroka walks through the forest aimlessly, looking for a good spot to practice. Her favored spot, a clearing near a small river, was already taken by several other Nekomata and she can't exactly show herself.
She ended up here about a year ago while on the run from the devils, hungry and looking for a safe place to stay. As a Stray, especially one of her infamy, there are no shortage of people looking to kill her whether it be for money, prestige, or looking for a favor from the Devil faction.
The message they sent to every faction declaring her insane from senjutsu use certainly didn't help, especially when that isn't even true! Then they killed all the Nekomata and Nekoshou living peacefully in the Underworld and nearly killed her sister! She kicks a rock on the ground, annoyed once more at herself and the devils.
'Why didn't anyone even look into it nya?' she bitterly thinks. A simple investigation into her former Master would have revealed him trying to create a Super Devil through her and Shirone. Anyone could put two and two together to realize that he wanted to experiment on Shirone and she killed him for it.
Fortunately, Yasaka-sama of the Japanese Youkai allowed her to stay once she realized the entire situation so she's been able to live in Kyoto, albeit secretly. She'll do various assignments for Yaska-sama that are off the record and in exchange gets a safe place to live, eat, and practice.
Her hand balls up into a fist as she thinks about her baby sister still in the devil's clutches. She's been able to see her a couple times from a distance now that the Gremory heiress attends a high school in Kouh and can see Shirone is at least healthy. It almost makes her not want to kill her, almost.
Kuroka takes a deep breath and slowly releases it, calming herself down. As a senjutsu prodigy, she knows the dangers of dwelling on hatred and anger better than most, so she consciously thinks about a happier subject.
Babies.
More specifically, the kittens she'll have in the future to repopulate the Nekoshou clan. As far as she knows her and her sister are the only ones left because of the devils. Even if there are a few others out there, there is still a very good chance they could go extinct.
She imagines herself surrounded by 10 or 15 of them, each with happy smiles on their faces as she dotes on them. The father isn't present as she doesn't even necessarily think he'll be in their lives. She just wants someone strong to give her kittens.
Several months ago as she went through her first heat, she searched high and low throughout Kyoto looking for someone strong enough that also has other qualities that would be beneficial for her kittens. Fortunately, she was skilled enough in using her ki that she didn't have to immediately jump the first male that she saw.
None of them impressed her. It didn't necessarily surprise her as Youkai don't generally get extremely strong, there are very few Daiyoukai, but it still was depressing.
Not that she would've jumped their bones in this heat, oh no as she still has to save her sister first, but she would have definitely introduced herself to them and extracted a promise or two. Maybe even let them sample the goods after the heat too, if they were lucky.
'I have hundreds of years nya,' Kuroka thinks with a shrug. Pure Nekoshou, from what Yasaka told her, can have children for hundreds of years with the longest living Nekoshou ever known to live was 852 years old. As a reincarnated devil her lifespan has significantly increased, but no one is sure how that'll affect her ability to have children.
Kuroka finally finds another clearing in the forest, shaking herself out of her baby thoughts, and she sits down on the ground, adjusting her kimono slightly so she isn't giving anyone a free show if they sneak up on her.
She takes a couple deep breaths and starts taking in the nature chakra. Generally, she doesn't need to sit down and relax to take in nature chakra, but it always helps her get into a good head space and works on limiting the mental pollution of using senjutsu.
She gobbles up all the chakra around her, feeling the hate and animosity the planet has towards the beings that harm it, and adds it to her own, strengthening herself. While senjutsu doesn't strengthen her to the degree of Touki it does give boosts to stamina, speed, and strength, but she mostly uses it for sensing and stealth.
Of course, it does have its more esoteric capabilities like controlling the life and death of plants, bouchujutsu, a healing technique used in the bedroom, and even controlling when other Youkai go into heat, but she doesn't or can't use them.
She continues to pull more and more nature chakra into her, expanding her range of sensing for miles until she can feel some of Kyoto. She's been teaching herself how to identify people by their chakra signature alone, or even to identify beings with other energy sources.
Kuroka is startled by feeling 3 devil signatures, two strong ones, and an insanely powerful goddess with Yasaka-sama in the shrine.
'Shit are they here for me?!' she thinks to herself, worried she may bring trouble down on the Youkai faction. A small part of her brain also whispers that Yasaka-sama will sell her out if necessary.
Rationality takes over when she realizes that Yasaka-sama had told her that she would be receiving some guests who had saved many Youkai from devil trafficking. A shiver goes down her spine at the thought of being captured like that.
Sure, she sold herself into slavery to a mean master in order to help Shirone, but he thankfully didn't need her for anything other than his science experiments.
Then she looks just slightly closer at the devil signatures, as she can somewhat tell what type of devil they are from their auras, before it feels like she is drowning in an ocean of chakra. An ocean of warm, bright chakra.
A purr comes out of her throat as she starts feeling heated. She squirms a bit as she relishes in the overwhelming feeling of chakra this devil has. She thought Yasaka had an ocean of chakra, being a Kyuubi who is also over 200 years old, but she feels like a small pond compared to this.
Kuroka pants a bit, before her tails go straight in shock as her eyes fly wide open.
'I'm… in heat?' she questions incredulously as she feels the familiar lust building up.
Her brain shuts down for a moment as she thinks how impossible this is. She just had her heat, and it should take years before she goes into another one! She even has heard there is only one possible way to go into heat early and that is to find a master senjutsu practitioner who can induce it.
Now again, Kuroka is a genius at senjutsu and all things related to chakra, so it takes only a moment to figure that there is a second method to induce heat, and that's from being near an insanely large power source of chakra. It takes another second to figure out that you have to actively drown yourself in the feeling of the chakra, probably using senjutsu, in order to induce heat.
Otherwise, every Youkai in Kyoto would be trying to get that devil's pants off.
'Who the heck has that much chakra and is a devil nya?' Kuroka asks, still in shock. She would have heard of them before. Heck the whole world should know who he is.
She still isn't sure just how much chakra he has, that's how much it is. If she had to compare it to anything it was like trying to feel how strong Amaterasu-sama was. She couldn't comprehend it.
She can feel her urges growing and immediately gets out of senjutsu and stands up from the forest floor. No luck, the urges continue to grow.
She isn't super worried about her urges, knowing she can control herself, but her curiosity over the mysterious devil is boundless. She has to know who it is, so she immediately runs back to Kyoto, mind awhirl with plans.
But you know what they say, sometimes curiosity kills the cat.
Xxxxx
Bored. Annoyed and bored is how Vali feels in this stupid thank you meeting with Yasaka, the leader of the Youkai faction. She doesn't care how many males would kill to be in her position, she just wants to get Naruto-sensei the hell away from this vixen.
Sure, a thank you is nice, especially when they went out of their way to rescue them, but that's it! She doesn't need to visit in person, she doesn't need empty flattery, and she especially doesn't need another woman after the man she loves!
Not that Yasaka has made any moves or even implied anything, but god dammit she knows her boyfriend is a lady killer.
Yes, she has officially decided to call him her boyfriend. It's a step to mate or husband or eternal love, whatever the final official title will be, but Ravel talked her out of saying those things yet. 'Might scare or pressure him,' she says.
Even though she already has confessed her undying love…
'Why did Ravel have to decide to make us come here,' Vali complains, shooting a glare over to her best friend.
Ravel studiously ignored said glare like a pro as she talked to Yasaka about how she ended up with a stray devil of Naruto's renown. Her eyes flicker over to Ereshkigal who looks at ease, not even worried about the walk Yasaka's eyes continually flick over to Naruto.
As she contemplates leaning up against Naruto, not caring if this is the proper setting or not, the door opens and in comes a cat?
She blinks, confused on how and why a black two tailed cat with golden eyes comes into the room who looks around and sees Naruto.
It races up to him and rubs itself against his legs.
"Ah pardon my house cat. She is very affectionate and free-spirited," Yasaka states after a moment, her face never betraying anything other than amusement.
Naruto blinks as he pets the cat, who is actually crawling into his lap purring loudly.
Is it weird for Vali to feel jealous of a cat? Because she certainly is right now.
"Yasaka, are you sure this is just a cat?" Naruto states, causing the cat to immediately stop purring.
"Oh? Why do you think differently?" Yasaka asks, not betraying anything.
Naruto continues to stroke the cat. "Well, it's really tough to notice and I wouldn't have unless I focused the cat, but it is masking its chakra," Naruto states as he looks closer.
"Is it a summon? Can you talk?" Naruto asks the cat, a bit excited. If this is a cat summon maybe he'll be able to go home!
"Naruto-sensei," Ravel interrupts, "Nekomata have the ability to change into cat form, so that's probably a person."
"Oh," Naruto states as he slowly stops petting the cat. Vali looks at the cat and where its position is before letting out her KI.
The cat immediately tries to jump away but she snatches it, holding it up in front of her.
"And what do we have here?" Vali asks a bit too sweetly.
"Vali let her go. I am sure she didn't mean anything malicious," Naruto chides her. She looks at him for a moment before clicking her tongue and placing the cat on the ground.
In an instant an 18-year-old girl appears with a kimono even more scandalous that Yasaka's appears with a yellow obi, yellow beads, and her two black tails and ears showing.
Ravel goes wide-eyed as the cat-girl shamefully bows her head to an angry Yasaka.
"Kuroka what in Amaterasu's name are you doing?!" Yasaka sternly reprimands her.
"I - I am sorry Yasaka-sama. I really couldn't help myself," Kuroka states with a severely flushed expression while her thighs rub together slightly.
Yasaka's eyes go wide with surprise. "So soon?"
"It's your fault I am like this nya," Kuroka states looking at a confused Naruto. "Please take responsibility nya."
"What?/WHAT?/Sensei!" several people shout.
"I didn't do anything," Naruto puts his hands up as if proclaiming his innocence.
"Let's make kittens nya!" Kuroka yells and pushes Naruto down, straddling him. She reaches for his waist when someone yells "Bitch!" and tackles her.
A solid punch lands in her gut making her hiss slightly in pain as she sees silver hair and arctic cold eyes glaring at her in fury.
Laughter rings out as Naruto pulls Vali off of Kuroka while Ravel and Yasaka just sort of stare at her. She laughs weakly but her eyes are still trailing Naruto like he is the juiciest piece of meat ever.
"Kuroka come here," Yasaka orders. Kuroka reluctantly goes next to her, pouting and even hissing at Vali who is hanging onto Naruto glaring right back.
Yasaka's touch calms her and it soon settles her heat. "I am sorry about her, it seems she believes that you somehow induced her into her heat, which is mating season for Youkai."
"Again I didn't do it," Naruto proclaims his innocence.
"Kuroka would you mind telling us what happened?" Yasaka asks, but really commands.
"Wait!" Ravel interrupts. "Are we really going to ignore the fact that an SS-class stray devil just burst into the room?"
"I think you have an SS-class stray devil yourself," Yasaka points out.
"Yeah, but Naruto-sensei didn't kill the person who turned him while going insane on senjutsu!" Ravel counters looking at Kuroka warily.
'Insane?' Naruto thinks confused.
"I didn't go insane! He was going to experiment on my sister Shirone so I killed him nya! Then you devils killed off all the Nekomata and Nekoshou in the Underworld nya and almost killed my sister!" Kuroka yells back.
Meanwhile Ereshkigal is silently laughing at this impromptu comedy while Vali and Naruto listen on confused. Neither of them have actually heard of Kuroka before or any Nekomata massacre.
Ravel goes silent at Kuroka's rebuttal with nothing to justify the killing of the Nekomata, nor had she ever heard that Daniel Naberius was experimenting on peerage members.
"As you heard, the facts surrounding this case portrayed by the devils aren't correct. Nor did they endear themselves to by raping and killing hundreds of Nekomata as a result, so we've been giving Kuroka a safe place to live," Yasaka steps in, eager to control the flow of the conversation.
"I can also personally attest to Kuroka being able to use senjutsu without being overcome by the hatred," Yasaka states definitively. Her word on senjutsu is taken seriously as a daiyoukai.
"Hang on," Naruto states with a furrowed brow. "What hatred when you use senjutsu?"
"The hatred of the world of course nya," Kuroka states as if it should be obvious.
Naruto blinks. "That doesn't happen when you use senjutsu," he retorts.
"Yes it does nya."
"No it doesn't."
"Yes it does!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
No!"
"Yes!"
Naruto and Kuroka yell back and forth, each looking more and more childish. A clearing of the throat from Yasaka gets both to stop and realize how silly they are acting.
"Naruto-san, Kuroka is correct in that you do take in some part of the hatred of the world while using senjutsu," Yasaka informs him politely.
"Okay," Naruto states skeptically as if they are trying to prank him.
"Back to the topic at hand, I hope you please all keep the secret of Kuroka living here," Yasaka requests, bowing slightly.
"Pshhh we have our own stray devil you know," Ereshkigal interjects, settling the matter.
Yasaka checks the clock hanging high on the opposing wall. "I am sorry to cut this short, but I do have a very busy schedule today. Please feel free to explore the rest of Kyoto during the day, but please leave by nightfall," Yasaka states with a put out expression, something she has practiced in the mirror before.
"Thank you Yasaka-sama. Do you have any places you recommend?" Ravel states, eager to move on as well.
"I'll show you around nya!" Kuroka volunteers, moving over to the arm Vali is not clinging and grabbing it.
Vali pulls Naruto away and growls, "He is mine!"
"Who declared that?!" Ereshkigal shouts and grabs his free arm before Kuroka could wrap around it. "He is my King consort!"
Ravel watches as Naruto looks helpless, not knowing what to say as the two women holding onto him glare at each other.
"He can be yours nya! I just want kittens!" Kuroka giggles before jumping on Naruto's back and sensually nibbling on his ear.
'Am I actually the only adult woman here?' Ravel asks herself as she sees Vali rip Kuroka off and throw her to the ground before glancing at Yasaka and feeling better.
"Thank you again Yasaka-sama for hosting Naruto-sensei and us," Ravel politely bows.
"Nya! You're a teacher?! If you teach me, I'll teach you Bouchujutsu nya!" Kuroka shouts as she flirtatiously winks at Naruto.
"You're welcome Ravel-san," Yasaka smiles slightly stiffly. She waits a moment before they're all out of hearing range before using senjutsu herself, curious as to why Kuroka thinks Naruto induced her into heat.
It doesn't take but a few seconds before her own tails bristle outwards gaining a healthy blush herself. She shudders as her hormones run throughout her body, the last time feeling this way she got pregnant with Kunou.
It takes her a few moments to exit her own heat with her senjutsu skills, licking her lips as she stares at the direction she sensed Naruto.
"Akihiro," Yasaka calls out and her trusted guard opens the door behind her, "please go get Uzumaki-dono's phone number. Tell him it's in case we need to contact each other and have him know that it is okay to reach out for any reason."
The guard disappears and Yasaka smiles before returning to her paperwork.
Xxxx
Naruto ignores the vice grip Vali has on his arm, getting tighter each time Kuroka says something suggestive or implies sex. It's cute how she thinks that she'll get a rise out of him.
For one, he is a student of a super pervert who wrote some pretty raunchy books, and something he still writes today. He was a bit surprised by how well they sell with porn being an option, but his wallet certainly isn't complaining.
Two, he lost his virginity young. At 14 in a brothel. The things he heard and saw there make all of Kuroka's attempts seem childish. Not that he'll ever admit it.
Does he regret it? Hell no. Jiraiya taught him some soft skills, like infiltrating, seducing, and yes bedroom techniques, that many shinobi, especially kunoichi learn. He'd take every single type of training he could get from a Sannin, even if it wasn't what he expected.
Is he a hypocrite making Vali wait? Yes, but he feels fully comfortable in that hypocrisy. As a sensei, it is his job to make sure she makes the right decisions and gives herself adequate time to do so.
Besides it's not like he is banning her from going out and having sex, just if she wants to have sex with him then she should be 16.
A body presses up against his side and this time it is Ereshkigal. He looks over and sees her red face purposely looking away, but determined to stay at his right side.
His eyes flit over to Ravel, who is walking slightly ahead and smiles. With how everything has been changing in his personal life, it feels like their relationship is a rock he can rely on. He feels bad that she came to him for training, but now has to put up with all this too.
Mentally, he makes a note to spend a bit more time with her in training to make sure she gets what she came to him for.
"Let's eat," Vali grunts as she pulls Naruto along, causing Ereshkigal to stumble slightly. It takes a moment for Ravel and Kuroka to realize that they weren't behind them, but they quickly make their way to the Korean BBQ restaurant.
"Table for 5 please," Naruto tells the host, who gives an appreciative glance at Naruto's companions before leading them to a corner table.
Vali immediately scoots into a booth and pulls Naruto along with her. Ereshkigal again takes his other side while Ravel sits across from him.
"Vali, I'm right here. It's fine," Naruto soothingly whispers to her, even though all the other members of the table could easily pick up on what he said due to their enhanced hearing.
Vali hums as she lets go of Naruto's arm and just leans into him with a sigh.
"She has it bad nya," Kuroka remarks, a bit astonished by how possessive Vali is acting.
"It isn't her fault really," Ravel replies in her friend's defense.
"Cause she's a part dragon part devil?" Kuroka asks.
"How'd you know that?" Naruto asks curiously.
"She smells like a dragon nya. Like reeks of it," Kuroka points out. Vali takes a moment to smell herself, just to make sure she doesn't smell disgusting.
"Nekoshou nya," Kuroka comments as if that clears everything up.
"My treasure is Naruto-sensei," Vali states, looking at Naruto possessively, before glaring at Kuroka. "It's why I don't appreciate a whore trying to steal his attention away."
"Vali," Naruto chides.
"It's true!" she huffs before turning away.
"You can't control him nya."
"I know that! I just…" she trails off not wanting to say more.
"Harem dynamics are pretty complicated huh?" a girl no older than 16 with purple hair and golden eyes comments as she sips on a juice box sitting next to Ravel while looking at Naruto interestedly.
Everyone else blinked in surprise as no one saw her sit down. Naruto gives her a quick once over, noticing that she is wearing jeans and a t-shirt. His perverted side notes that she is flat.
"Who are you?" Ereshkigal asks the question on everyone's mind.
"So Naruto when are you going to do something interesting?" the girl completely ignores the goddess. "I like the changes you're currently making but they're all small so far in the grand scheme."
"What?" Naruto asks confused.
"They are working out for you obviously," she states her eyes flickering to each of the girls, "but it's not enough. It's been so long that I forgot what entertainment is like. Please do your best. I'll be sure to reward you by putting more in your path."
"Don't ignore me!" Ereshkigal half-shouts looking a bit enraged at the disrespect given to her. She is a high-level goddess for crying out loud.
Those golden eyes turn on her and dim a bit. "Your story is so boring that I nearly fell asleep. All you did for thousands of years was build cages and store power. You tried gardening, but that didn't work out. At least finally something interesting happened when you met him," the girl says, dismissing her.
Ereshkigal chokes, going red in a mixture between anger and embarrassment. Vali snickers quietly.
"Who are you nya?" Kuroka questions, the gold eyes turning toward her.
"Hmm it's not surprising you don't know. Most people find comfort in not knowing I exist," the girl states with a shrug, sipping on her juice box. It makes a slurping noise before it vanishes, like it never existed.
"Time's up. Someone interesting may drop by later today," the girl states sliding out of her chair. She favors Naruto with a small smile, genuine fondness in her eyes as if looking at a pet.
"Remember please do your best to keep me entertained," she reminds him before just vanishing.
"That impudent little brat!" Ereshkigal grits out, looking murderous.
"Can I take your order?" a waitress asks before flinching at the glare Ereshkigal gave her and deciding to come back later.
"That was strange," Naruto states. "Anyone know who she is?"
"She's lucky I didn't find out," Ereshkigal spats. If there is one thing she can't stand it's being ignored.
"'Comfort in not knowing I exist?' What could that mean?" Ravels wonders, furrowing her brow.
A silence descends on the group, each trying to figure out just who that girl was.
"Well Naruto-kun, can you teach me your way of using senjutsu nya?" Kuroka interrupts, not concerned about whoever that strange being was. She doesn't actually believe him, but it'll be a way to stay around him for a bit.
"We only planned to stay in Kyoto for today before heading back home…" Naruto tells her apologetically. Vali smirks at the rejection.
"I can just come with you nya!" Kuroka exclaims. "I was thinking about leaving soon nya as I don't want to cause Yasaka-sama any trouble, but I didn't know where to go! This is perfect nya!"
Naruto hums in contemplation. Back home all shinobis were taught in groups of 3 as it is the best way to teach teamwork, or at least he assumes that. They would've used a different system if it was more effective right?
Plus, and this is a little shameful for him to admit, he does want a student with chakra. Vali and Ravel are great students, but he can only teach them so much, but a student with chakra opens the door to ninjutsu and senjutsu. He might even learn a thing or two.
Still, this isn't necessarily his own decision. "Ravel-chan, Vali, you're both my students so I should at least hear your opinion."
"What about me?" Ereshkigal asks with a bit of bite.
"Well, you aren't exactly learning anything from me," Naruto states a bit confused on why Ereshkigal should have any say. Sure, she sometimes helps train one of them to break up the monotony but mostly she stays out of it.
"No way," Vali spits out looking venomously at Kuroka. In response Kuroka droops her ears and pouts slightly, trying to look as cute as possible.
Ravel, however, takes a second to think it over. Many don't realize, but Ravel is a genius. Not in battle, as she has to work extremely hard for every skill she has, but in everything else she is a genius. Her eidetic memory just heightens her natural genius.
She instantly understands Naruto has a desire to actually teach Kuroka as he would have rejected her outright if not. Maybe her story made him sympathetic toward her or he finds her attractive or he just wants another student. Regardless, he has already made up his mind so as his student and the man of her affections she should support him.
'But,' Ravel thinks as her eyes slide to Vali. Her best friend is not for it at all and agreeing to Kuroka's inclusion could strain things between them. That isn't something she wants for several reasons.
Ultimately, she comes to the decision that it is best to deflect the question and not answer it either way. It took her only a second to reach that conclusion.
"I am fine with whatever you decide Naruto-sensei," Ravel states with a smile. She feels a glare from Vali, but she didn't disagree with her so they'll be fine.
Naruto shrugs his shoulders and comments, "Sure! Just don't cause any unnecessary trouble."
"I promise I will nya!" Kuroka grins mischievously.
[Don't make a scene here hatchling,] Albion advises.
Vali bites the inside of her lip hard enough to draw blood, mentally sending back her reassurance that she won't.
[You are already getting closer with Naruto. Just focus on that and everything else is secondary,] Albion continues.
'You're right. I just need to relax a bit. It's just hard to remember that in the moment,' Vali retorts a bit disappointed.
[You're a hormonal part-dragon part-devil rapacious teen with your greed centered solely on your powerful sensei who continually attracts attractive females. Cut yourself some slack.]
Vali cheers up a bit. 'Thanks Albion.'
The dragon just chuckles before curling back up. Having been a Sacred Gear for so long he's been an advisory figure to hormonal teens for a long time and knows how to rile them up and calm them down.
Vali takes a deep breath before leaning against her boyfriend and exhales slowly. He wraps an arm around her waist to pull a bit tighter and she grins at the nekoshou, relishing the feeling of his scent and body all calming her down.
She half listens to the conversation. 'As long as everything stays like this, it'll be okay.'
Xxxxx
They teleport back into Naruto's house, everyone tired from the day and happy to be back.
"Wow nya! This place looks pretty nice nya," Kuroka comments as she looks around the house. It's not a mansion or anything, but it does have quite a bit of living space for when they're inside.
"Yup! There is a hot spring in the back and your bedroom is on this floor over there," Naruto states pointing over to his left.
"I can't convince you to let me share yours nya?" Kuroka asks as her kimono slips down slightly showing off her assets a bit more.
Naruto just rolls his eyes, making Kuroka pout and saunter away, before plopping down on the couch and turning on the tv. Ereshkigal goes upstairs as she hasn't been in a good mood ever since lunch while Ravel sits down in a chair reading about the Nordic Faction.
Vali heads up stairs to change, wanting to get in something more comfortable, when the doorbell rings.
It's odd as well, pretty much no one knows they are here and there is a barrier put up to ward off humans.
As the closest to the door Vali opens it up, only to see Freya standing at the door, a suitcase in hand with a smile on her gorgeous face.
Vali shuts the door in her face and turns around with an ugly scowl, walking towards the bedrooms.
The doorbell rings again, but Vali ignores it, desperately trying not to scream in frustration.
"Vali who is it?" Naruto calls out as he approaches the door, but she doesn't answer as she walks away.
Climbing the steps, she goes to her room, changes into a shirt she stole from Naruto and her panties, before going into his room and climbing in bed with Ereshkigal looking at her in confusion.
"This is my new sleeping spot," she declares shamelessly.
A major ruckus ensues.
xxxxx
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! A couple things to note:
1) Ravel actually has perfect recall in canon (or at least the wiki says so).
2) It's getting closer to canon time! Have some fun things planned (and some already written) it's just a matter of connecting the A to B.
3) Hope everyone likes Kuroka! Honestly, she is one of my favorite characters and with the absence of Team Vali I still needed to find a way to write her in somehow.
As always, please follow, favorite, and review if you haven't done so! I really do read all the reviews! :)