302Chapter 27: Bonding Processes
The next day began in a somewhat mundane manner. Breakfast was had, and the way to school was walked. Even the sports competition there turned out to be nothing special. Asia and Issei ended up winning the three-legged race, after which the former had kissed the latter in a public spectacle. But even that was nothing to get excited about. Only after school had finished the day were things starting to become interesting for Koneko.
The contracts she received these days were still mostly the same as they had always been, but there was a new dimension to it. It was good to know that most people who had wanted her to dress up in costumes had done so because they had thought she looked adorable, not because they were kiddie-fiddling creeps. She still dressed in costumes, but they were still geared towards being adorable rather than sexualised like she had feared.
Good. Only a specific group of people is allowed to sexualise me, she thought in approval.
The part of the day that truly had her attention, however, was her daily training. Naruto was around to train with her again, even if he would have to leave soon for another mission. He had told her it would take a few days, though. He wanted to take time to spend time with her and help her develop. It made her feel a bit embarrassed to admit that she liked the way he cared. The things he was teaching her were nothing to sneeze at either.
"We're gonna look into a few different things for now once we're done with the Taijutsu drills. I bet you'd like some more diversity in your Fire Release arsenal, so we'll take a look at what you want in that direction. I'm also gonna teach you how to create your own Rasengan varieties. And then we'll also get into illusory Ninjutsu," explained Naruto.
Koneko frowned at that last part. She asked: "But didn't you say that Genjutsu was useless against most opponents?"
"Oh, it is," answered Naruto. "But illusions aren't. They're not my style, but they're effective when used right."
"What's the difference?" asked Koneko.
"You first gotta understand how Genjutsu works," began Naruto. "When you use a Genjutsu, you inject your chakra into your opponent's brain by piggybacking off their own chakra pathway system. You then use your chakra to manipulate their perception of reality. Because it depends on letting your chakra flow right through your opponent's, they can break your Genjutsu by halting or disrupting the flow of their chakra. The general requirements also mean that it's really difficult to use Genjutsu on people who have no chakra pathway system, and literally impossible to use on people with no chakra at all. You can't manipulate people's senses with chakra when there's no chakra of their own in their sensory organs."
Koneko took a moment to process that information. It sort of made sense to her, though she recognised that having chakra meant having certain vulnerabilities as well. There was no such thing as free power, after all. It was good to know about such weaknesses before it bit her in the backside.
"So illusory Ninjutsu work differently?" she asked her Sensei.
"Yeah," he answered. "They manipulate the senses directly. It takes a bit more chakra, but it requires less fine control. A good example would be the Academy standard Clone Jutsu. The technique can still be disrupted, of course, but it takes an attack or physical contact to do so. Honestly, they're very similar to Youjutsu-based illusions. That's the main reason why I wanna teach you illusory Ninjutsu in the first place."
That statement surprised Koneko a little. "You want me to learn Youjutsu as well?"
Naruto nodded. "It's your heritage as a Youkai. Looking back, I really regretted not having explored my own heritage as an Uzumaki for so long when the time finally came. I don't want you to have the same regrets. Besides, whatever makes you stronger makes me happy. I'll have to worry less about your safety."
A small blush threatened to come onto Koneko's cheeks. The parental feelings he exuded toward her were… comforting.
I think I'll end up liking this. I'm warming up to the idea…, she thought.
She was still a tiny bit embarrassed by it, though, so she changed the topic: "Let's leave that for later. Taijutsu now."
Naruto laughed, but he agreed. "Alright. Let's go, then."
.
Naruto had really started to kick things up a notch. Koneko was hurting in places she had no idea could hurt. The sudden upturn in the intensity of the physical training was a surprise she could have lived without, if she was being honest. Though it had gotten easier the longer it had gone on, the spar still left her completely spent.
"Sensei… what… the fuck?" she gasped out.
"That was a taste of how this is gonna go down in the future," said Naruto. "You've progressed in Taijutsu and Senjutsu well enough that we can go past conditioning and move up to truly developing."
Koneko glared at him. "A warning would have been nice."
"Real life doesn't give you warnings, and I'm doing this to make sure you can survive without any," responded Naruto bluntly. "I thought I'd have more time before I had to pick up the pace, but that battle at the courthouse proved me wrong. Besides, you'll get used to it."
"… You're not going to budge on this, are you?" asked Koneko.
He shook his head. "Nope. Knowing how the world works, you're gonna be right in the middle of whatever shitshow is gonna go down next. I can't in good conscience let your training be any less intense than this. You gotta toughen up soon. That said, this is enough for now. We'll continue with Fire jutsus."
Koneko gave him a cold stare and said: "I can't feel my fingers right now. Hand signs are out of the question."
"… That's a good point," conceded Naruto. "Right, Rasengan training it is."
"I'm not complaining, but isn't that thing complete already?" inquired the Nekoshou.
Naruto retorted: "You can get a technique down perfectly, but a true master can't really complete it. There's always the potential for more development. Plus, in specific, the Rasengan is an inferior imitation of another Jutsu."
She blinked. "An imitation? Of what?"
"You saw me use it on that prissy prick Shalba," pointed out Naruto.
"The Imari," she reminded herself. "It was impressive and… destructive, but I didn't see it spin the way a Rasengan does."
Her Sensei smiled happily at her. "That's a good observation," he said. "The spin is there to compensate a feature of the Imari the Rasengan lacks: positive and negative chakra."
"… Do you mean yin and yang chakra?" asked Koneko.
Naruto had previously touched on that topic. Yin chakra was spiritual and, in Naruto's words, "gave form," whereas yang chakra was physical and "gave life." The former was also the primary component of Genjutsu and, if Koneko were to guess, illusory Ninjutsu. Yang chakra on the other hand stimulated the body and enhanced Taijutsu. She wondered if and what these had to do with Naruto's technique though.
The man dashed her hopes of having her hypothesis verified: "Nope. Positive and negative chakra are… well, the best way to put it is 'emotionally charged.' These chakra types are incredibly rare, and there are only ten people I know of who can use them. I'm one of them, and even then only because the other nine shared a tiny portion of their chakra with me at one point."
"So I can't learn it," concluded Koneko.
"You can't," confirmed Naruto. "That said, you can still make your own varieties and modifications of the Rasengan. I made a lot of those, so I know it's possible. I can guide you through some of those, and then we'll start working on using elemental manipulation on it."
Koneko smiled a tiny bit. "I think I'd like that."
Xenovia liked training of all sorts. That was not to say that she did not have favourites. Sword training was her number one. Not quite up there but still quite far up the ladder was muscle conditioning. By contrast, there were also things she liked less than average. Honing her tactical knowledge was one such thing due to the difficulty she had with it. She much preferred to bash a problem until it stopped being one over thinking her way out of it. The final, third category was the sort of training she had not yet attempted. That one was a journey of discovery, which made her current training a project of mystery for her.
I'm not really sure how this is supposed to work out, but I'll manage, thought the former exorcist. Dating is just training relationship skills.
It was a simplistic view of the matter, but it was not entirely incorrect. Xenovia preferred it that way. She was not stupid – quite the opposite, in fact – but she did not often bother to contemplate matters for too long. It was the same with the topic of dating.
Having been raised in the Church, she was sheltered in that regard. The extensive but entirely too clinical sex ed classes she had had were in no way sufficient information. But just like she was with swordsmanship, she was determined to become an expert in this field too. And just like she had done when she had first started training with the sword, she had conducted research on proper technique. Sadly, both her upbringing and the often misleading "tips" the internet contained had led to the less than stellar first attempts.
It was kind of mind-boggling how such a vast network of information provided all the worst advice as the top options. Then again, it was just one big rumour mill, and the first rule of rumour mills was that all correct information was either hidden or distorted. Xenovia had learned that in time.
The conclusion this had led her to was that the only frequently given advice she could fall back on in terms of dating was to be herself, to find a common point of interest, and to let things develop naturally from there.
Could've been a bit less vague, complained Xenovia internally. I'll have to improvise, but I've got an advantage this time. I've got permission, and so does he. Some of my previous ideas might not be useless after all.
Now eager to get things started, she waited for Issei to show up at the old school building. It had been a few days since the Peerage's return from the underworld, and things had gotten underway. Rias had finally managed to coax a date out of Issei – a simple affair involving a movie and one-on-one cuddle time, apparently – which had opened the floodgates for the others. Xenovia had since then been impatiently waiting for her own turn, and now the time had finally come.
"Sorry for the hold-up," said Issei when he finally appeared. "I had to get rid of Matsuda and Motohama. Seriously, those guys have been a pain in the ass recently. But I'm here now, so let's get started."
Xenovia ignored the mention of his two friends. They were a non-topic for her as she found them uninteresting, and she wanted to focus on something far more important.
"Yes. We'll begin right away. Get Ascalon out and show me what you've learned with Yuuto so far," she told him.
And show her he did. It was not much, but it was a decent foundation. He knew enough about edge alignment not to break an ordinary sword, at least. That said, he was far from being adept at it either. He showed errors in his stance and guard, and he had a tendency to overswing. It was not a bad showing for a beginner, though it could definitely use improvement.
"My technique isn't really good," said Issei.
Xenovia shrugged. "It's not your style. Yuuto's a technique type, but you're all about power and brute force. That's why I think you'll learn more from me than from him."
It was indeed more her style to abandon fanciful movements in favour of simple strikes. Feints had their place, of course, but she was not fond of trying to dazzle the enemy with flashy sword dances. Her style of swordsmanship was direct and full of striking power.
There was one problem, however.
"Durandal is a lot bigger than Ascalon," pointed out Issei.
It was a fair point to make, so Xenovia explained: "It was not always certain that I would get to wield Durandal. I started training with swords that were smaller than that, just about Ascalon's size. You'll want to take advanced training with Irina, but I'm your girl until you reach the intermediate level."
This was supposed to be her date with Issei, but she was not blind enough to miss her friend's interest in him. How she planned to get anywhere when physical intimacy was difficult as an Angel, she did not know. Nevertheless, Irina deserved to shoot her shot as well eventually. For now, Xenovia focussed on the subject matter again.
Her words had the intended effect, and Issei cheered up. "Let's start right away in that case!"
The training progressed well from there. While Issei possessed no talent at all, he was diligent and attentive. Well, that was whenever Xenovia was not busy pressing her breasts against his back in order to "show him the proper form." It was a training session, sure, but it was also a date.
So, when they began to wind down for the day, she decided to switch to phase two of her plan. And, in her characteristically direct manner, she proceeded without fanfare.
"I think that's enough for today. You're at the point where continuing just makes you more frustrated instead of furthering your progress," she said. "Let's hit the shower and relax a bit together."
Issei nodded eagerly and said: "Sounds good to me. You can go first."
"Let's go together," countered Xenovia immediately. "It's faster, and you won't see anything I don't want you to see."
"Xenovia! That's… uh… awfully blunt," said the young man in response.
She raised an eyebrow. "Are you against it?"
"Hell no!" said Issei. "It's just that it's a bit much for a first date, but I'm not complaining."
"Good. Then let's get going," she replied.
As she walked towards the old school building, she remembered to observe the advice she had pieced together in her research. The slightly exaggerated sway of her hips she put on would hopefully draw the reaction she wanted from the [Pawn]. She shot him a smile over her shoulder and then walked on without looking back again. The slight stumble she heard in Issei's step filled her with satisfaction.
She felt much the same about half an hour later. Their shared shower had been surprisingly uneventful but nonetheless very satisfying. She now had unmistakable proof that Issei definitely liked her body, which she considered a win. There had been no groping or the like, however.
"I'm tempted, but we should probably finish our date first," he had told her.
It had not stopped him from ogling her chest, but he had not lied. The thought was heartwarming to her admittedly somewhat skewed sense of romance, and in hindsight, she agreed with him completely. He was doing his best to ignore his physical attraction to her so they could build a deeper emotional connection with each other. It would only be right of her to respect that effort and respond accordingly.
And we can always get to the touching later, she considered.
For now, she was happy to spend some time with him in the club room. It was empty at the moment as everyone else was away on contracts. They would remain undisturbed for at least half an hour more. That worked to her advantage; or it would have if she had known how to proceed.
I should have thought this through a bit better, she lamented.
She gathered her thoughts as a now-dressed Issei joined her on the couch in the room. Deciding that being blunt had worked so far, she opened by telling him: "I have honestly no idea how to continue from here."
He chuckled a bit and replied: "I'm familiar with the feeling. If nothing else, though, we could start by trying to get to know each other better. I barely know anything about your hobbies."
It occurred to her then that she probably knew more about him than he did about her. His outgoing personality and the fact that he had to split his attention between multiple girls had left him deprived of information there. It was nice to know that he still thought to ask her about it, though. It showed that he cared.
Unfortunately, the answer she had for him was probably not what he wanted to hear: "That's… tough. I'm still relatively new to this life. Before I became a Devil, it was all lessons, training, and missions. I didn't have time for much else, so it's still difficult for me to say what interests me."
"So, what are doing in your free time, then?" he asked her.
She had to think for a bit before she said: "Mostly training still, but I'm spending a lot of time researching things. There are many things I need to get used to in this new life. Right now, I'm just looking for new experiences to make."
Issei, upon hearing this, proudly declared: "Then I'll be sure to show you plenty of new things to experience when it's my turn to plan a date."
Xenovia smiled warmly at him. "I'm looking forward to it."
"I actually have something with me!" he said suddenly. "I mean, I didn't plan ahead, but I carry that thing around with me these days in case I have unexpected free time…"
He rummaged through the bag he had with him and took out a device Xenovia identified as a handheld console.
"It's not much," he continued, "but I've got a few games with me. We can try some of them out to see if it's something you'd like."
Xenovia considered it for a moment and then nodded. "Sounds good to me."
And so they spent the time until the others came back playing games. Surprisingly, only one was an eroge, and Issei would have avoided it if Xenovia had not wanted to play it in addition to the other two. She had, though, and she enjoyed it, surprisingly enough. The gameplay was engaging, and she got an insight into what he liked. It would be valuable information for later. But for now she simply enjoyed having grown a bit closer to the man she was interested in.
Naruto's interests were varied. At the top stood family, then came ramen, then Fuinjutsu; and what followed in that sequence was exploration. He had explored many worlds in his life, but the one aspect he found most fascinating on his journeys was the discovery of what a new world had to offer as its afterlife.
It was something he usually saved as a treat when he got bored of walking the mortal plain. His blessing courtesy of the Shinigami allowed him to delve into the realms of the dead at his leisure. Such realms often featured breathtaking sights and physically impossible structures. Finding out their secrets was truly one of his favourite activities.
Sadly, as was the case now, he sometimes had to visit an afterlife on business. He still liked visiting these places in such instances, but it took a bit of the joy out of it. It did not bother him much, though. Sometimes, there was simply a job to do.
Said job took the form of an investigation with two objectives. The first was to find out where Shalba Beelzebub was hiding. The second was a somewhat more delicate request, one which he was receiving in private right at this moment.
"… The matter regarding Samael requires a certain measure of discretion until we know more," said Gabriel.
She and Metatron had arrived in the middle of his preparations for the expedition. They had brought information about the Fallen Angel Samael and his expired prison sentence. Hades' interference had made the situation a mess. It had certainly changed Naruto's list of things to pack.
"I guess Metatron his here to accompany me. He's your resident stealth expert in Heaven, right?" asked Naruto. "I'd better stock up on the food if that's the case."
Metatron nodded. "That is correct. I also hope to study a bit more under you. We have not had time to really delve into proper ninja techniques last time we worked together."
Naruto laughed. "Sure, I've got nothing against that. You won't be disappointed either. We're gonna do less flashy things down there, believe it."
It was then that Gabriel spoke up again: "There is an additional complication. Yesterday, an emissary from the Netherworld arrived at the Vatican. It would be wise to talk to her before you embark on your journey."
"Huh," breathed out Naruto. "Didn't expect that. It's gonna be interesting though. We'll see what she has to say tomorrow morning. We'll leave around noon, so that should give us plenty of time to deal with her. Who's she anyway?"
Metatron answered: "Her name is Bennia Orcus, the half-human daughter of the Grim Reaper Orcus. Our records have nothing on her, so her claim to her identity are most likely true."
False claims of identity usually resulted in a painful experience via the real deal, so her conclusion was not one that could be faulted.
"Grim Reaper? I thought Orcus was a god. The guy was pretty famous around Italy from what I could gather," mentioned Naruto.
"The Grim Reapers are a race of gods who all share similar traits. They're like the Vanir, the Aesir, or the Fomorians in that regard," informed Metatron. "The fact that pure-blooded Grim Reapers cannot be turned into Devils via the Evil Pieces confirms as much."
"Good to know. Thanks for the info," said Naruto. "Has this Bennia said anything about why she came to the Vatican?"
It was Gabriel who answered this time: "Not as of yet. She refused to speak of it without a Seraph's presence, citing her father's orders. She merely mentioned that it was urgent. Michael proposed that you should be in attendance as well due to your investigation."
"I appreciate the thought. Please give your brother my thanks," replied the blond Shinobi.
"I will," said Gabriel with a smile.
With the matter concluded, Metatron spoke up: "I will take my leave and make my own preparations for our departure."
"Pack some rope. You never know when you could need it. A good piece of rope is always handy to have during an infiltration mission," called out Naruto.
Metatron nodded in gratitude. "I will. Goodbye."
"See ya," said Naruto.
The male Seraph departed with a nod to Gabriel, leaving in a flash left behind by his teleportation circle.
"So…," began Naruto, "not that you're unwelcome, but is there a reason you're not leaving with him?"
Gabriel laughed softly and said: "There are some things I am curious about in a personal capacity. If you have time, I would like to ask you a few questions."
Naruto was curious as well as pleased. He wondered what she wished to talk about, and he also recognised the opportunity this presented. Spending non-work related time with Gabriel was somewhat difficult. This occasion was a godsend in that regard.
Naruto laughed internally at the pun: Heh. Godsend.
To the woman herself he said: "Sure. It won't take much time to finish packing. I can always do that a bit later. How about you join me and Hinata for a bowl of ramen while we talk about your questions?"
"I will not say no," answered Gabriel. "I have not had many occasions to taste this dish, so I have no objections."
Having secured her assent, Naruto quickly made a two Shadow Clones. One he sent to begin cooking, the other to fetch Hinata. There was no way she would want to miss out on this. Making their move on the Archangel was their combined project, after all. It only remained to be seen if Gabriel was receptive to it.
Until she arrived, however, he had one more piece of business to discuss with her. He had actually completely forgotten about it until Metatron had left. There was an item in his possession that would be well-received by Heaven. It had been lying around in one of his storage seals for nearly a thousand years now, and he had not had the opportunity to make use of it until recently. Fortunately, he could finally do something with it.
"I guess what you want to talk about it related to my extradimensional origins," he said, touching upon the topic.
"That is correct," confirmed Gabriel.
Naruto nodded in satisfaction and replied: "That's good. I've got something for you that I found in another world. I think the musclebound Cardinal could make the most use of it."
He promptly summoned the specific storage scroll holding the item in question. A small puff of smoke appeared above the scroll, and its storage space emptied itself. The thing in Naruto's hand was a piece of rusted metal. It almost looked like a cross, but the war and tear made it clear that it had once been something with a far different purpose. It had once been a renowned relic.
Gabriel looked at it in askance. "What is it? It feels… familiar yet not."
"It should feel familiar. This is Durandal," pointed out Naruto.
Her eyes widened. "That cannot be. Durandal is in possession of Xenovia Quarta, and it looks far more pristine than this."
"It's… how should I put this?" began Naruto.
A sigh interrupted him, followed by words: "Stop trying to be mysterious, Naruto."
A smile spread across his face. "Hinata! Good that you came so fast."
"Like I would ever miss spending time with you and Gabriel," she said as she threw both of them very appreciative glances.
You're putting it on a bit thick there, thought Naruto.
"I am enjoying myself so far," replied Gabriel with a soft smile of her own. "But I am curious as to the explanation of this…"
"Rusty piece of crap?" asked Naruto.
Gabriel looked at him as if she were about to chide him. "I would not have put it in those words."
"Eh, it's the truth of it, at least in my hands. Found the thing in another world," explained Naruto. "The place was devoid of life. The afterlife though… The place was too big to explore before I was asked to leave, but they told me I could take whatever I wanted from the empty mortal coil. That sword was the only thing worth taking."
Gabriel's face had a conflicted expression now. Naruto's emotion sensing abilities told him that she felt curiosity, hope, apprehension, and dread. She asked: "If you have found a holy sword like Durandal, was there… Father?"
Naruto sighed and answered: "Earth is one of the most common things you can find when you travel between worlds. I've been to dozens of worlds where Earth exists. Some of them have a supernatural element to it. Some of those have gods in them. I've never met your father, but I found proof that analogues of him existed or exist in some of those worlds. I've only spoken to one of them, and he told me to leave until I was ready to learn how to 'sing,' whatever that means."
Gabriel lowered her head. Disappointment filled her, but a small hope remained. Naruto hoped she would keep it.
He added: "If you want, I'll take you and Hinata to meet him one of these days when we're free. He might want to talk to an Angel."
A small smile graced Gabriel's face again. "I think… that I would like that."
"It's a date, believe it," said Naruto with a smirk and a wink.
Gabriel's face went red all of a sudden, and Hinata giggled at her obvious embarrassment. Naruto's sensed picked up on it, obviously, but she also radiated excitement. It was definitely not bad news.
Still softly blushing, the Great Seraph quickly changed the topic: "So, what is the deal with this version of Durandal?"
Naruto chuckled at the switch, but he played along and answered: "The thing's got three main attributes beside being a holy sword. First, it's completely and totally indestructible. It can tarnish when it's abandoned for too long, but it can never break. Second, it can only be used in the hands of a true believer in God. And third, only a human can awaken it and keep it awake."
"That is… What does awaken mean?" asked Gabriel as she tried to process that information.
"Look at the way it is now," said Naruto, pointing at the sword. "It's a rusty stick. Sure, it's an indestructible rusty stick, but it's barely above a pipe in terms of offense. Only a human believer can make it take on its real appearance and lethality."
"And so you suggested Vasco Strada," said Gabriel.
The former Hokage nodded. "Yup. I looked him up. The guy's a brute force fighter. He's got plenty of technique too, but smashing the opposition is his go-to. An indestructible sword fits that style."
"An astute observation," agreed Gabriel. "I will give it to His Eminence at the earliest possibility."
"If that is everything on this front, let us get back to you," interjected Hinata. "I believe you had questions of you wished to ask."
Gabriel looked a bit sad as she replied: "You have already answered the biggest one, but I admit that there is another one that is on my mind."
"Then ask away," prompted Hinata.
Naruto was content to let her lead the discussion from here. It was her turn to make an impression on the gorgeous Angel in front of them, and wooing her was Hinata's plan to begin with. A little interaction between them would go a long way of furthering that goal. So far, Hinata had not had much of an opportunity to do so.
"I have a feeling that I wish to confirm," began Gabriel. "You have had more contact with me than with any other Angel. You go out of your way to make me the point of contact, even when others would be the more prudent choice. Is there a reason for this?"
Naruto resisted the urge to say something himself. This was Hinata's show now, and he would let her deal with the difficult questions. Your plan, your explanations, dear wife, he thought.
He could sense Hinata's calm as she answered: "There is a reason for this, yes. You see, Naruto is much like you an ageless being, and so am I now. If we factor in his ability to access the realms of the dead at any time, well… Staying attached to the world of the living is hard. We need an anchor, and it cannot be just about anyone. It has to be someone with whom we would like to spend that unlimited time we have."
"I… am honoured, but what are you implying?" asked Gabriel.
"Simply put, we have a romantic interest in you," explained Hinata.
A light blush and a soft smile graced the Archangel's features as she heard that. "That is… Can I ask why? You must realise that as an Angel, I have limitations to what is possible in certain… areas."
"Of course," said Hinata. "You are a kind woman; a highly attractive one too. You have strength of character and know how to keep yourself safe. You also share many of our ideals without being a copy of either of our personalities. It is hard not to be attracted to you."
Reasoning that his input was required at this point, Naruto piped in as well at this point: "Physical intimacy isn't too big a deal. Don't get me wrong, we like doing it, but the thousands of years we've been around have made us more than capable of controlling ourselves. What matters more than that is how we, and more importantly, you feel about this."
He could pick up on Gabriel's feelings with ease. She was embarrassed, but there was no hint of revulsion or outright rejection in her emotions. A certain apprehension was there, obviously, and a hint of anxiety permeated her being. On the other hand, there was also a certain sense of happiness in her. It was a good enough impression that the woman was at least a bit receptive, but had reservations.
"To be honest, I like both of you," she said. "But it is a bit early to judge if I can enter a relationship."
"That is completely understandable," replied Hinata. "You do not have to make a decision now. It was not our intention to immediately propose marriage to you or something silly like that; it is far too early for such a thing. My idea was that we could spend some more time together when we are all free. Is that all right with you?"
Gabriel blinked at that and thought it over. "I am not opposed in principle," she answered. "We could try it."
"Excellent," said Hinata with a smile.
Naruto grinned slightly and made his own comment: "Neat. Now all that's left is asking for permission."
Gabriel felt confused to his senses. "Pardon?" she asked. "You do have my permission."
"Sure, and that's the most important thing if this is supposed to work," replied Naruto, "but we gotta think a bit further. Your father is a bit old-fashioned when it comes to stuff like this, right? Old-fashioned fathers tend to like it when prospective suitors ask permission to date their daughters."
"Uhm…," Gabriel did not know what to say to that.
Her reaction drew light-hearted laughs from Hinata and Naruto.
"She reminds me of you when we were young," said Naruto between snickers. Then he calmed down and said to Gabriel: "So, yeah, we're gonna ask your father if it's alright for us to date you."
"But how?" asked Gabriel. "Father is…"
"Temporarily dead, yes," finished Hinata.
Naruto smiled and said: "But we can directly communicate with the Holy Ghost. It's your father's soul, so it should be fine."
"I see. I had not thought of that, but it might work," said Gabriel.
It was then that Naruto's Shadow Clone walked in with their meal.
"Well, let's leave all this talk about dating on the side for now. It's time to eat and enjoy ourselves," said Naruto.
Gabriel smiled slightly. "Very well. Let us set matters of courtship aside for a moment."
A companiable silence fell over the trio as they began to eat. There would be more to discuss at a later point in time. For now, the topic was postponed. Work would come calling soon in any case. Nevertheless, everyone walked away a bit happier after the meal.
At the same time, a similar yet different discussion took place in the club room of the Occult Research Club.
"We should go on a date," proposed Koneko.
"Huh?" asked Rias as she looked up from her desk.
The two of them were the only ones currently present. The others were doing their contracts or training. Koneko had planned to do so as well, even without Naruto's presence, but the opportunity for a one-on-one conversation with Rias had finally presented itself to her. She had been waiting for this for a few days now.
"Yeah. The two of us. We should go on a date," Koneko repeated herself.
Rias blinked owlishly. "… What makes you say that?"
Koneko deadpanned at her and answered: "We've been kissing and groping each other for some time now. Don't you think it's time we actually went on a date? We are in a relationship, after all."
"I mean… you're not technically wrong," said Rias in response. "I simply haven't thought about it, but you're right. It's just… not yet all that ingrained in me."
"What do you mean by that?" asked her [Rook] curiously.
Rias hummed and answered: "Mother doesn't go on dates with the other women in Father's harem. I guess it just never occurred to me that something like that would happen."
"… I'm with Ise on this. Your parents' harem sounds lame," commented Koneko with brutal honesty. "Let's do it better."
The redhead tried to refute the statement, but no sound came out of her mouth. It simply stayed open for a moment before she closed it again. Koneko's judging stare made her shut up and sigh.
The younger girl followed up: "… Thought so. When, where, and what?"
"Shouldn't you be proposing that? This was your idea," pointed out Rias.
"I know, but I'm taking suggestions," said Koneko.
Rias huffed. "Fine then. We could watch-"
"No," interrupted Koneko.
"You didn't even let me finish!" protested Rias.
Koneko gave her a deadpan look and said: "I won't let you just watch anime on every date you go on, and I know for a fact that that's what you did with Ise."
"What is your idea then?" asked Rias back.
"Lunch, a walk through the park, and making out when we're back home," answered the Nekoshou promptly.
Rias blinked. "That's not the worst plan. Why did you ask me for my ideas when you already have one?"
"Because we won't go on just one date," said Koneko. "We need to get a bit creative if we don't want things to get stale between all of us."
That gave the [King] pause. Koneko could practically see the thought rolling around in her head.
"You may be right…," said Rias thoughtfully.
It did not take long for the introspection to lead to a look of realisation. It quickly turned into embarrassment with a hint of excitement. Koneko's passive use of Senjutsu picked up on it well enough to make that distinction by now. It confirmed that the redhead now seemed to have an idea.
"Well, there is one thing," she began slowly, a dusting of red on her cheeks. "But it's embarrassing."
"We've done plenty of embarrassing things. It can't be that bad," reasoned Koneko.
Rias sighed in response. She probably knew that Koneko would not let this go until she told her what it was.
So, Rias bit the bullet and did just that: "I have been wanting to practice dancing. We could do that together."
Now it was Koneko's turn to blink owlishly. "Why is that difficult for you to say? That's pretty normal. And don't you already know how to dance? You're good at it."
"It's, uhm… a special kind of dancing," said Rias hesitantly. At her [Rook's] expectant look, she continued: "Pole dancing."
Those two words set off images in Koneko's mind. She could see the redhead in racy lingerie grinding herself against a smooth metal pole, slinging her leg around it, winding herself around it. And then she imagined herself right beside her, mirroring those movements. She liked what her imagination was feeding her.
Fuck, that's hot. I want to see that for real, she thought. But wait a second…
"You're not just doing this for Ise, are you?" she asked.
Rias shook her head. "No. I was interested in that even before I met him. And with Riser hanging over my head back then, I also never thought someone would ever see me do it. I just knew that it was something that needed a lot of skill. Not to mention that Akeno kept egging me on. It was her idea in the first place, though I ended up wanting to try it."
Koneko snarked: "Of course it was her. I'm not even surprised. But I'm glad she did. I'd love to see you pole dancing."
Rias' blush returned with a vengeance as she heard this. "W-well, if you want that, you'll have to join me. I will not be the only one embarrassing herself!" she insisted.
A small smirk came over Koneko's face as she replied: "Sure. So long as only Ise and the other girls get to see it."
A shaky but happy smile preluded the answer she received. "Deal."
To be honest, Koneko did not care as much for the thing itself as she did about her [King]. This was about spending time with one of her significant others. Sure, she was definitely not opposed to seeing Rias going all sexy, but she was not constantly horny despite her supernatural hyper-puberty. The only thing that did was making her more receptive to the idea.
Not to mention the side benefits, she thought.
It was basic dexterity and strength training when one looked it from a certain angle. It was perhaps not as efficient as specialised regimens, but at least it would be kind of fun.
"I'm looking forward to it," said the Nekoshou.
"Then let's table that topic for later. I need to keep a straight head," responded Rias while picking up a piece of paper from her desk.
The redhead sighed heavily at the sight. "Back to work."
Koneko picked up on her exasperation. It was easy to do, even without the assistance of supernatural abilities.
Shared suffering is also a form of bonding, she thought before speaking to Rias: "What is it?"
The pure-blooded Devil tried to deflect: "It's nothing too big. Just a small annoyance."
It did not work.
"Gimme that," said Koneko before she snatched the paper out of Rias' hand.
As she read it over, disbelief made its way into her heart. "Is this for real? Asia got detention?"
Rias sighed again. "Yes. It's kind of hard to believe. She's usually such a good girl."
"What even brought this on?" asked Koneko.
"Apparently, she dragged Kiryuu out of the classroom before classes began and did not return until the first period was over," answered Rias.
Koneko looked contemplative. "So that's why Kiryuu looked like a beaten dog today. Any idea why Asia did that?"
"If I were to guess, it's because she followed Kiryuu's advice when she 'helped' you that first time," explained Rias.
Koneko nearly grimaced. It had not been bad, but if her physiology and resilience had not been what they were, Asia pushing her head would have resulted in Koneko's first time going down on Issei with her puking all over his lap. It was an unappetising thought.
Asia had been inconsolable after they had finished their "activities" and she had received a lecture on safety in the bedroom from Rias.
And suddenly I don't feel bad for Kiryuu at all.
"If that's what it was, deserved," concluded the white-haired girl.
"I'm not mad at Asia. It's just a shame that it is on her record," said Rias.
Koneko considered that statement. "True enough."
"Quite," responded Rias.
Seeing that the conversation was not going anywhere with that topic anymore, Koneko decided to leave before awkward silence could ensue.
"In that case, I'd better go looking for Asia. She's earned a reward," she said.
Rias snorted. "You do that."
"You'll get one too tonight," said Koneko boldly.
She stepped around the desk next to Rias and yanked on her beautiful red hair. Rias gasped and bent her neck backward. Koneko wasted no time and placed a heated kiss on her lips. She only broke it when her lungs began to burn from lack of air, leaving behind a dazed redhead.
"Finish up soon and don't leave us waiting too long," she finished.
After that, Koneko strutted out of the room. She was only fortunate that Rias could not see her face, or it would have completely ruined the image of confidence she had projected just a moment ago. She was blushing bright red.
Why did I have to take a page out of Akeno's playbook? Why?! Damn hormones, she complained internally.
At least the enjoyment she would get out of it later was worth the embarrassment. It was something to look forward to.
Yeah, that's right. Better have some fun before the world starts going down the drain again, she thought.
AN: Greetings, dear readers! Welcome back to yet another chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.
This time, Naruto started turning up the heat for Koneko. Her training has gone up in intensity, and she's now learning all kinds of things. The small Genjutsu vs Illusory Ninjutsu part was me addressing a particular argument in the comments I've received since last chapter.
Xenovia and Issei finally get a bonding moment. I've always considered Ascalon to be a bit of a forgotten plot point in DxD, so I thought I'd work on that a bit this time.
If some of you are curious why she'd be unbothered by eroge, recall that she, Asia, and Irina not only canonically raid Issei's porn stash but also sit him down to play his eroge with him.
The situation with Gabriel is also finally getting somewhere. Apart from the main plot with the Netherworld, we not finally got the romance aspect started there. Expect more development on that soon.
That section also highlights a small inconsistency between DxD lore and actual legends on Durandal. The ones I found references to depict Durandal not as the sword of destruction but as the sword of indestructibility.
And at the end, there is a bit of bonding between Koneko and Rias. A thing that many a harem series forgets is the interaction between the girls in it. I thought I'd get a bit of narrative attention there. Is it a masterpiece of romance? Probably not, but I hope it's good enough to be entertaining and to work as a genuine bonding moment.
Also, "why pole dancing?" I hear you ask. Three reasons: First, practically everyone has seen that part of the anime even if they've never watched a single episode (such as myself). Second, it's definitely something Akeno would bully Rias into doing. Third: From what little I know of it, it does take some skill and strength, and is thus actually suitable as an exercise routine.
And that's everything truly significant, I think. Thank you, dear readers, for your continued support, for the reviews, and the engagement with my story.
Until next time. Stay happy and healthy, everyone!