[Phantom of the Underworld] Chapter 19 - Uzumaki vs Bael (Part 1) (Patreon)

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, High School DxD, or any other anime I use in this story. They belong to their respective owners.

"I will win this game, I will beat Sairaorg with no casualties, and I will show the Underworld just what power it has been missing since the Uzumaki clan fell. That is what will happen, that is my goal, which all of you will bear witness to," he told them all.

Many of them saw that behind his menacing figure, two shadows loomed over him, as well as the sight of several spinning tomoe being cast upon the moon.

Arc II- The White Empress

Chapter 19- Uzumaki vs Bael Part 1

Naruto's press conference continued as normal, that is, as normal as one could be when one made a challenge into a rating game.

Nonetheless, the devil reporters went into a frenzy after Naruto's declaration. Rias could see that plain as day, endless shouting as an uproar was left to stoak in its flame. So much so that the mediator had to step in.

"Alright, alright, settle down, you there, what is your question?" She could see the elder man point to a younger reporter in the front row, trying to get some semblance of order within the chaos only Naruto could start.

The young male fixed his glasses, as he addressed everyone nervously, "Ummm… my question is for Lord Naruto, uh, sir." he started, as everyone's eyes were upon him. As he went on, "Lord Naruto says he will win the rating game without any casualties…" he stated, all of them knew it to be a fact.

"I have," came Naruto's short answer, as everyone's eyes drifted back to the reporter.

"Your question, young lad," the mediator spoke, trying to move things along smoothly.

The young reporter nodded, "Yes, well, the devil registry states that Lord Naruto has a full peerage, eleven in number, but I only count seven here with us now. This means you still have four members not present with us. Sairaorg-sama is only missing one piece, one he has not currently used. My question is: given your declaration of beating Lord Sairaorg, is this a show of power to show the underworld your capabilities of beating your opponent, even at a disadvantage?" Every [King] was forced to register those within their peerage as citizens of the underworld; this was mandated by the satans themselves. Although these documents usually weren't any help within a rating game, as they only listed one's initial qualities, name, age, piece, and things like that, not labeling one's abilities. How this young reporter had gotten hold of such information, they didn't know, as it was only government officials who had access to this information. But if it were true, the ramifications would be immense.

All of them looked at him with widened eyes. Rias's eyes widened as well. Naruto still had almost a third of his peerage not revealed yet. Ones that would not be participating in the current Rating game. The thought was utterly absurd, and not something that most devils would even think of doing out of fear of the loss of prestige should one lose the rating game. It was only something that one of the top 10 rated game champions would do as a way of giving their opponent any hope of defeating them.

Saying 'I could defeat my entire peerage without half, or even a third of my forces,' was one way to stir up the attention of the underworld, as one could only wonder what one would do should their bravado be their downfall.

But for Naruto to say something like this, to the one heralded as the strongest within their generation, no less, it was not something to be ignored. Once again, the crowd of reporters went wild.

Rias turned to see her peerage's reactions to such things. All of them were shocked, none more than Issei himself, but she could soon see resolve flash within his eyes, likely due to his own dreams of owning a peerage, vowing to do something similar in the future. Akeno scoffed at Naruto's bravado, but at the same time, she couldn't take her eyes off the television, not looking away for a second. Kiba seemed inquisitive at this, wondering just who else Naruto had within his peerage. As for Koneko, her face was far more telling than her usual stoic self, a worried expression plastered across her face.

In this chaos, Naruto was left to answer. His voice was cold and dark, almost like the time she had first met him, in the abandoned church, that is. "You are correct…" Naruto spoke, as all of the crowd went silent, "I do have four servants that will not be participating in the rating game tonight," he revealed, as everyone whispered their shock. None more than Sairaorg himself, his fist slightly tightening at his side, as he had thought Naruto would be going all out. But to think Naruto would be going easy on him, well, the thought made him angry.

"But…" the Uzumaki started, "Make no mistake, it was not my intention to state Sairaorg's servants are completely inferior, no, that was not the case," he spoke, his words echoing throughout their ears. "My decision to not include all of my peerages was purely to do with numbers, Sairaorg only has eight members, even if some of those members inherently possess more than one Evil Piece, that truth remains the same. It wouldn't be fair if I were to Sairaorg-sama to take advantage of such a fact, now would it?"

The Blonde looked towards his [Peerage] members, eyeing them all with pride like a father might their child. "Not that I doubt even with the lack of advantage any of my servants will lose, I have far too much faith in them for that to happen." Under their masks, all of them smiled, knowing that they wouldn't disappoint their [King, showing that his faith was misplaced. Even Suigetsu had his toothy grin, as he was ready to just get this fight started.

So that was his game, Sairaorg realized; it wasn't just a show of power to not include all of his members. But a show of quality, to show that every one of his members would defeat his own, regardless of overpowering them with numbers. Well, two could play at that game; he had complete faith in his servants as well and knew they wouldn't be defeated so easily.

With the question finished, the reporters once again went into a frenzy, causing the mediator to call on another new anchor for the press conference. An average, middle-aged, if fairly pretty female, with a small notebook in her hands, "Why yes, Margret Margret for MMU Gossip News, my question is once again for Naruto," she stated, fully looking toward the blonde, meeting his gaze.

Naruto leaned slightly forward, speaking into his mic. "State your question," he spoke, his initial statements underway, as he just wanted to get this interview over and done with.

The older woman slightly blushed under Naruto's intensity, "My question was, given the show of power and passion you ignited within the Phenex's engagement party. It is obvious you care strongly for young Rias Gremory-sama, as you had reinstated an old Marriage certificate under your own two houses. Be that the case, as a reporter, I would like to ask, am I correct and the rest of the underworld correct in assuming that we will see the young lady be with child sometime in the future?" she asked, this was a pretty hot topic, between those of young and old generations of the underworld. Young, because they viewed Naruto's and Rias's relationship to be almost like that of the romantic stories of old, like Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, or the underworld's famous couple of Sirzechs Gremory and Grayfia Lucifuge. And the older generations questioned this because they were hopeful to see a number of pure-blood devils with both the powers of Gremory and Bael, and the Phenex and Uzumaki clans.

Such a question was enough to cause most of the girls' faces within the area to flush. Rias, who had been watching as the question went on, had her face light up like that of her hair at the blatancy of such a question. Although she couldn't help but imagine cute little red-haired and blue-eyed or blonde-haired and green-eyed children running around sometime in the future. She'd have to save that thought for later when she got some more… personal time with the blonde of her ire.

The other girls, particularly Haku's and Hanabi's faces flushed out of frustration, and somewhat… jealousy.

Naruto was glad that he was wearing a mask at that moment, as the absurdity of the question was not lost upon him. Seriously, what kind of person would ask that so blatantly? It was like all the underworld could think about was sex and copulation, especially his and Rias's. Didn't they have anything else to do? This was why the Satans had such a busy time managing all these people.

Nonetheless, after some time, Naruto was able to answer the question. His tone was far too impassive than anyone would have liked. "Mine and Rias's relationship, currently… is nobody's business but our own. If you would like to know if any heir will come with our union, I suppose your questions will be answered when and if the contract is fulfilled, after our marriage, per the contract's stipulations." He told them, not that any of them were satisfied. It was the only thing he could think up to say on such short notice, he hoped he didn't say anything too unwarranted.

He really hated interviews, after all.

XXX

Some time later.

"Alright! You know the deal! Thine eyes do not deceive you! Sir Sairaorg-Sama has issued a challenge to Lord Uzumaki for the title of the strongest person in the underworld of thou younger generation. Behold! For a great battle is surely yet to come! It is I, William Shakespeare! who has been blessed to document and commentate on this spectacle…" A brown-haired, bearded man shouted, clearly overjoyed with this whole event.

Naruto tuned him out; it was rather easy, having been around a multitude of strange and weird characters in his lifetime. Not to mention, how annoying his peerage members could be at times. This man was just another name along that long list. And yes, this man was, in fact, the real-life William Shakespeare, one of the most famous and influential writers ever to walk the earth. Rumor had it, this was one of Lord Bael's [Pawns, and he had accepted to great lord's proposal at the prospect of having even more time to view and write more stories within his enhanced lifetime. Nowadays, he just sat around, writing and announcing during some of the more prestigious Rating games, this one included.

It was no wonder the man was here, this event was sure to be a highlight of the year, maybe even the decade.

And he was sure to make it that way…

Instantly, a flurry of lights lit around him. Seals, both for him and his peerage glowed an unearthly purple. Of course, he knew what this was, teleportation magic, of the most basic kind. And it was the only way for them to teleport to the small pocket dimension that would soon be the arena.

As a spiral, the Uzumaki clan's symbol was shown, and they were off.

All the while, his peerage stayed silent. Tens of masked faces diligently observing the sight before them was sure to be their battlefield. Trying to gain any knowledge of the arena so that it might give them any advantage in this game of theirs. As the devilish announcer once again spoke up. "Behold! The arena that both Sairaorg-sama and Naruto-sama agreed to was a neutral zone. Randomly selected, as neither one required a selective advantage over the other for their victory. Will this be a show of skill or foolishness? Only time will tell!" The writer said enthusiastically, as his face was shown all across the sky, and likely the broadcast as well.

Naruto saw a multitude of different landscapes. From small green fields of grass to rocky mountains and hills, even a lakeside if he saw correctly. It was exactly how he was expecting, as, in all aspects, it was rather unassuming. As one might come across such a place on a long-winded drive or a light stroll out of the countryside, there wasn't anything in particular that set it apart.

Just as he had wanted, it was 100% within his right as the challenges to choose the landscape of their battle. But he didn't, no, he knew he didn't need it. He had faith in his peerage and himself that he would be able to obtain victory.

"Very well, come forth, and let the games… begin!" Shakespeare announced as a red light showed all across the sky, signaling the games had begun.

His cloak billowed in the faux wind, and so did his hair, as it spiked in all directions. He turned his head slightly, his blue eyes still showing behind his mask. And he gave a small glance to his servants at his side.

"Go."

And with a single word, they were off, flashing away in a burst of speed as their hoods flew in their movements. Each had been given their own assignments, their own tasks, which they had been informed of. This was their strategy, something that both he and Shikamaru could only come up with. Sairaorg wasn't tactically smart, nor was he tactically unaware. Spreading out each of his forces to battle the other's servants for dominance and territory, only for them to use that advantage to take the other's king. Doing this was the most predictable of outcomes, and he was sure the young Bael was doing the same. Each of his peerage members had been informed of such an attack, and he was sure of their outcome.

"Naruto-sama? What will you have me do?" Haku questioned, as she remained by his side.

Instantly, a small smile appeared on his face; with Haku here, he was sure he couldn't lose. "Well, Haku, my dear, isn't it obvious?" Naruto stated, looking towards the girl, as he smirked. Turning his head, he looked straight over the horizon, where Sairaorg was sure to be. Straight through the middle, ignoring the sides.

"We're going to confront their [King]… along with his [Queen]." He said, stepping forward, she did the same. And soon, it was as if they were just taking a stroll, not a worry to be seen.

XXX

(With Suigetsu and Hanabi)

"Man, this blows," the shark tooth boy sighed, his hands along his neck, as his large head-splitting blade still lay across his back. "I was hoping we'd get to see a little bit more of the action!" he whined.

"Be quiet," Hanabi hissed at his side, "You never know who's watching," she warned.

"Yeah, right, there are thousands of people watching," Suigetsu replied. This was a televised battle after all. Hanabi gave him a firm glare in response, how she could look so imposing with a mask hiding nothing but her eye sockets he didn't know. Then again, with the young girl showing nothing but her byakugan that was staring into his soul, she was truly menacing. "Okay, okay… you're right, I'll be quiet now."

"Too late," a voice stated, startling the shark boy a little as two figures stood right before them.

"GAH! What the— Hanabi! You were supposed to alert me if there was anyone close!" he barked out.

"Sorry~" Hanabi chimed, he could tell that she smirking right behind her mask.

"The Hyuuga certainly was hard to sneak up on, just as Sairaorg-sama told us," one of the two figures stated.

As the other one nodded, "Indeed, she noticed us even when we were several hundred meters away, seems she is truly is one to be feared," the servant stated, before stepping forward in front of the two. "Greetings, servants of House Uzumaki, my name is Ladora of House Buné, serving under Sairaorg-sama's peerage as his [Rook]." Ladora was a tall male, very tall, if a bit lanky and loose-jointed, showing a bit of his strong bones. He had the appearance of a warrior with his plated leather armor, having the abnormal color of green hair and red eyes. Being from the Buné Clan, an extinct family of the 72 pillars, his heritage held the unique ability to tame dragons. He didn't have a companion with him, and within Shikamaru's notes, it was speculated that he would be able to summon them as familiars should the need arise, as he had done in several of Sairaorg's past rating games.

The other figure stepped forward as well, "And I am Gandoma of House Balam, also a [Rook] of House Bael." And if Ladora was tall, then Gandoma Balam was simply massive, standing at a height that would make even Sairaorg look small, towering over his partner's figure. With dark skin hardened to the point it resembled a rock and muscles that would even dwarf the size of Hanabi's head. He had several sets of welts across his skin that would resemble a toad, although it made him look like a monster, or rather, a devil. Being from House Balam, he and his entire family held a unique physiology that gave him a much stronger and more durable constitution than the average supernatural creature. That, coupled with his [Rook] capabilities, he was speculated to be a force to be reckoned with.

Hanabi narrowed her eyes. These two were strong, but they were stronger….

"Well, introductions are always pleasant, unfortunately, our master ordered us not to give any," she told them.

Suigetsu stepped forward in front of the small girl, "Name's Hozuki, Suigetsu Hozuki." Reaching up for his large blade, Hanabi gawked before regaining her composure at the idiocy of her partner.

"Excellent, a fellow warrior with honor," Gandoma gave a nod of respect.

Hanabi sighed, "Hanabi…" She relented, not happy to be the odd one out, she'd have to make it up to her [King] in the future. Although she did opt to forgo her last name, it wouldn't do to give her enemies an advantage knowing her skills if she could help it, even if they did likely already know.

"Very well then, we're now ready to battle," Ladora stated, as he prepared himself.

"Heh, I'm always ready!" Suigetsu said, brandishing his blade. Before he turned towards his fellow servant, eyeing the young girl. "I'll handle the big one."

"They're both the big one," Hanabi said, holding out her palms in a fighting stance, preparing to face off against Ladora Buné.

"I know, that just makes this more fun," The swordsman smirked, charging forward.

XXX

(Some time later.)

This wasn't fun.

No, not at all, no matter what anybody said, this most certainly wasn't enjoyable. Enjoyable things were like reading a nice book, partaking in a delicious meal, or even getting a nice training session with Naruto. Those things were pleasurable; this, for one, Hanabi Hyugu, was most certainly not enjoyable.

Not at all.

She didn't need help to figure out why. Ladora, Sairaorg's infamous draconic [Rook, had her figured out, or that was to say, he knew exactly how she would fight. You see, even though she had taken every precaution in trying to hide her identity, she at least tried. In her last match, even when she had taken to hiding within a smokescreen to hide her fighting style, the wounds her opponents received we still undeniable. And to the medic who dealt with after-rating game damages, it was all too apparent. They had likely seen other Hyuuga taijutsu in action, and even when she tried to hide her style, it seemed it was all for naught, and not even the infamous Uzumaki clan could stop the fact that devils were gossipers at heart. It was likely that the doctors talked around, or maybe even Riser's servants, she didn't know. But the point was undeniable, Sairaorg, or more importantly, his peerage, knew about her abilities, such was the downside of being from a very prominent and very well-known clan, at least when it came to her capabilities after all. They knew of her abilities, and more so her weaknesses. But she could use that; all she had to do was be smart, she always was.

Jumping away from an impending fireball, easily getting out of the way fast enough that not even her clothing was singed, she dodged the incoming blasts, seeing exactly where they came from. Their origin was a pair of small twin lizards flying in the air with bat-like wings. Yes, she was fighting dragons.

Ladora was also a part of a clan, and unlike her, he didn't try to hide that fact. She knew he could summon dragons, likely as familiars, and so she was prepared for this. Thrusting her palm forward with a mighty shout, "Eight trigrams: Air Palm," a burst of magic shot forth, nearing the two small dragons. Unfortunately, it seemed the dragons were too far away for her attack to be entirely effective, as they merely dodged to the side.

"Damn!" she cursed out, this [Rook] had her pegged.

"It's no use, your ranged techniques are no match for mine," the Buné clan member stated, as he ordered his twin dragons to send another volley of fireballs her way.

Keeping her calm, Hanabi dodged to the side once more as they continued their assault, the fireballs destroying the surrounding rock in her wake. Hanabi eyed her target. This was weird, and for more reasons than one. For starters, Ladora hadn't pushed on the offensive, not once; he only left his draconian familiars to do the fighting, something that, while not effortless, she could easily deal with for some time. However, the most confusing thing was the very nature of this battle, or rather, who was in this battle.

In rating games, fighting with familiars wasn't discouraged for the simple reason that it requires the user to spend a non-insubstantial amount of magic to both summon and maintain them. The benefits were that in a match between teams of sixteen, it changed those odds, granting one side with advantage of seventeen, eighteen, or so on; the limits were only the amount of mana the summoner held. In higher-level matches, it was a common occurrence to have familiars duke it out for the opportunity to aid their teammates once a winner was determined. In lower-level rating games, it was rare but not unexpected for one or both sides to use a higher-level combat familiar to fight in their battles.

The problem? It usually was the [Bishop, [Queen, or even [King] that summoned the familiars, the reason being that they were the pieces that usually served on the backlines. But Ladora was a [Rook, meaning that his fighting on the backlines wasn't supposed to be his strong suit. She wondered why he was putting himself at such a disadvantage by not fighting in the area he was comfortable with. Was it the fact that he believed her more skilled in the hand-to-hand arts, that's why he was limiting her to fight in a range he believed she wasn't comfortable with. Or was his plan to wear her down? To make it so that she expelled her magic at a high rate and exhausted her body to the point it would equal them out in close ranges. She elected it to be the ladder, assuming that your opponent was going for the simpler option instead of the most likely was what got you killed. Naruto had thoroughly beaten into that line of thinking during their training.

Dodging out of the way of another small fireball, she took the time to speak to her opponent and to get into his head. "Oh yeah? And what makes you think you know anything about my techniques?" she stated, throwing another set of air palms toward her opponent. Although she was unlucky, as Ladora used his [Rook] strength to launch himself to the side, the ground caved in as he did so. However, it seemed that the servant of Sairaorg wouldn't let her capitalize on such an event, as the Buné members' familiars continued their assault.

She was getting tired of this, she thought, as the mini-dragons started to annoy her even more.

"Tsk," she clicked her tongue, trying to formulate some sort of plan to defeat this guy. He clearly knew her moves, of which he wanted to avoid a close fight, considering she would be able to attack his insides with her Juuken style. And while she was capable of fighting at longer ranges, she wasn't very good at it, and given her opponent's speed and tenacity, he would be able to dodge her attacks like it was nothing. She needed to do something; she had to find some way to bridge the gap between them, or else she would fail.

She couldn't back down now, not when everyone was watching, not when Naruto was counting on her.

If only that blasted Suigetsu were here, with him, he would be able to provide a distraction for her to get close, or use one of his water techniques at a longer range, or provide a screen of mist for her to hide in…

Steeling her resolve, she knew exactly what she was going to do. That's when her opponent did something truly unexpected, as his twin dragons neared each other, to the point they were a hair's breadth apart. A magic circle formed in front of them, as they sent another volley of fire towards her, this one being much larger and much grander than all the others. Combining the dragon's fire together, Ladora was able to merge his dragon's destructive output into one attack. One that would surely leave her singed and burning to the point she would need enough medical attention to be pulled from the match.

Nevertheless, Hanabi stood her ground, that was if it hit her that is. As the blaze neared her, she was unmoved, merely looking at the epicenter, even as the intensity increased, her pearly-white orbs only looked towards the impending fire as it struck her.

"Kaiten!" She yelled, forming a large blue dome made of pure energy around her as she spun, deflecting and protecting herself from any flames that she might have inflicted. A large flurry of dust formed as she activated her technique from its spinning rotation.

Ladora's eyes widened at this fact, knowing the young girl's technique, having been informed by Sairaorg on the possible abilities a Hyuuga could possess. It was a higher-level Hyuuga defensive technique, one that only the most talented of the main branch could use. That was why it was so surprising, for one so young, especially by devil standards, to be able to use one of the clan's most formidable techniques only proved her talent.

Even so, even with all of Hanabi's abilities, the young girl's Juuken style, her air palms, even her newly discovered Kaiten technique, all of this he could handle. All he had to do was—

"You're within my field of divination…" he heard a bone-chilling response interrupting his thoughts. "Eight Trigrams: Sixty-four palms!" out of the smoke formed from her kaiten, Hanabi rushed towards Ladora faster than he could react. All he could do in response was throw his arms up in a hurried attempt to shield himself. His dragon-like familiars were too far away for him to do anything.

"Two palms!" Hanabi sent a set of palms toward the man's rushed guard. "Four Palms!" Even faster, she sent even more blows into his forearms. "Eight palms!" It was at this moment that his defense faltered, his arms paralyzed, and Hanabi was finally able to strike at Ladora's chest. "Sixteen palms!" Even more vicious strikes were sent at him at a faster rate. "Thirty-two palms!" Her hands were so fast he couldn't even place them, and as such, he was only able to see the younger girl's smirk in victory."Sixty-four palms!" With the violence of her strikes, Ladora was sent back, rocketing toward the other side of the clearing, where they were in a heap. His familiars, unable to be sustained by the Buné member's lack of mana, disappeared from whence they came.

And with that, Hanabi's victory was assured, or so she thought. Ladora got back up, wiping the leaking blood off his lips with his forearm. "Ha, so that was your plan, for you to use such a high-level and costly technique as a distraction for your real finishing move, even I couldn't have expected it."

Hanabi smirked, "Well, I did learn from the best, after all, Naruto-sama taught me that." Naruto was infamous for being able to spam out such costly and flashy techniques at the drop of a hat. Carefully leading and goaded his opponent with strategies that happened to put him in favorable situations. Of course, Naruto being her main teacher, she would learn this habit. And although she didn't quite have the massive magic reserves that Naruto had— he really was a monster in that aspect— she could throw around a few of her high-level techniques without being too strained. She was a high-class pureblooded devil after all, it was only natural she'd have higher reserves than most devils her age.

Ladora managed to cough up even more blood, lying on the ground, it was only by the miracle that he had managed to raise his arms that he wasn't completely paralyzed. "To think the Hyuga clan's technique would be so formidable, I couldn't imagine it would go through my body's durability as it did," he admitted, "You'll prove to be a real problem for Sairaorg-sama if you get to him, I can't let that happen."

Hanabi's eyes steeled on her opponent, "Oh really, I don't think you're in much of a position to try and take me out at the moment."

"Ha, maybe not now." It was then that Ladora gained a smirk as well.

Hanabi felt a chill run down her spine as she saw him reach into his waist cloth, pulling out a glowing bottle she was all too familiar with. 'Phenex tears?!' she realized, trying to get close to the lanky man before he could use them. Unfortunately for her, it was too late, as the man was able to consume the vial.

Instantly, his injuries and mana system were healed, which gave him the perfect opportunity to: "Secret Buné clan technique: Dragon transformation!" As his body began to glow gold and transform, Hanabi's eyes widened in horror.

XXX

Minutes Earlier.

(With Suigetsu and Gandoma)

"Heh, I'll admit, you're not so bad," Suigetsu said, grinning like a loon as he readied his blade.

Gandoma grinned as well, crushing his rocky fists together as he punched them together, "And I, the same." At some unknown signal, the two rushed towards each other, Suigetsu jumping up and aiming his sword from up high, while the rock-like man aimed to block with his forearm, using the opportunity to ready his fist to thrust forward in a counterattack. He did just that, but what he wasn't expecting was for the shark boy to use his sword as a catapult, launching himself upward and dodging Gandoma's powerful blow.

In the air, Suigetsu did a flurry of one-handed hand signs, as a large ball of water shot from his mouth, aiming straight for the man's backside, "Water Release: Gunshot!"

But Gandoma was ready. As he turned around, reacting quickly, he struck the ground harshly. Causing the rocky terrain to cave in on itself and form much-needed cover from the Uzumaki [Rook's] water magic. Losing sight of his opponent, he looked to survey the area he might be, finding that Suigetsu was nowhere to be found.

Suddenly, a small condensed bullet of water was sent towards the Balam's head, but with sharp instincts, the rocky man quickly got out of the way to dodge just in time. How such a big and obviously slow individual could move so fast, he didn't know. But the fact that he could make his grin widen even more, he could tell this was going to be a fun game. And, if his opponent's smirk was anything to go by, then Gandoma's smirk was the same.

"I will take a lot more than a water pistol to beat me," Sairaorg's [Rook] goaded, but that only widened Suigetsu's grin even more.

"Heh, and what makes you think all I got are water techniques?" Suigetsu shouted as he formed a single-handed sign. "Water style: Hidden mist technique!" As a rather sizeable cloud of mist began to form around the two, blocking out each of their visions and giving Suigetsu a considerable advantage.

"You're planning on shutting down my sense of sight and attacking me when I least expect it, clever," the rock-like rook realized. "I believe you used this against Riser-sama's peerage as well."

"This is my silent killing technique, a specialty in the hidden village I'm from. Here, all sight and sounds are limited, a place I'm all too familiar with… the perfect place for killing," the shark [rook]'s voice resounded.

"I see…" Gandoma took in this information, matching it with Sairaorg's own. As he stood his ground, not willing to move around within Suigetsu's foggy coffin."What's wrong, scared?" His voice sounded out, as the [Rook] tried to differentiate where the Uzumaki [Piece] was located. "It's no use, you'll never find me, heh…" As if reading what the other [Rook] was doing, he spoke, as a barrage of water bullets were shot at Gandoma, none of which he dodged. He took the brunt of the volley, as he remained standing, not moving a single inch, the bullets only seeming to crack his skin, if ever so slightly.

"So it would seem…" the balam member stated, but it was then that Suigetsu charged forward, getting just close enough to slash at Gandoma's chest. He did get the chance to, but as soon as he did, a fist was sent into his own. "Found you!" he shouted, as the shark [Rook] was sent back with considerable force.

It was at that moment that the smoke around the area dissipated, leading Gandoma to lock eyes with his opponent. Suigetsu, who was just getting up off the ground, looked no worse for wear aside from a few tears within his clothing, his mask quickly cracking and falling apart from the blow he had just received. "So that's your game," the shark-boy realized, quickly wiping away a bit of water leaking from his mouth. "You used the opportunity I used to attack to find my location and quickly counter-attacked. You're hit was strong too, if I didn't have the ability to turn myself into water, I would have been done for," he said, as he stood up and wiped the dust off of his knees. Before he did took out a small water bottle along his belt and downed the contents.

"Now, what's say we continue this, heh?" Suigetsu smirked as he crushed the bottle in his hands. It was only then that his arms expanded, doubling—no, tripling in size to the point it seemed almost overexagerated in comparison to his rather small body. He placed his large sword along his back and got into a fighting stance.

His opponent smirked as well before he crushed his rocky fists together. "I couldn't agree more," Gandoma smirked, as he charged forward, and Suigetsu did the same. Their fists collided, as a small shockwave erupted from their clash. A flurry of blows was then set at each other, some being either blocked or parried, while others were taken at each other with their full force. Neither was unrelenting, as they both continued their attacks and went on, taking blow after blow one after the other.

Eventually, it reached the point that they both had to back off, each of them looking considerably worse than when they first arrived. As Suigetsu wiped off even more water spilling from his mouth, some mixed with his blood as well, "Damn, you're harder to take down than I thought, as many times as I hit you I know most devils would be down by now."

Gandoma grunted, "Hmm, of course, my body is made of some of the hardest stones out there, it'll take a bit more than a few punches to take me down," he said in pride, but under bravado, Suigetsu could see the slight amount of cracks along his skin, a telling that his attacks weren't all for show like his opponent had said.

"Is that so?" Suigetsu smirked, ready to get back into the action.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Before a large amount of thunder claps and echoes sounded all around them, leading Suigetsu to look at his opponent in confusion. It seemed Gandoma was also surprised by such a turn of events, "To think he would use his technique on such a little girl, the Hyuga clan must be as powerful as they say," he muttered.

"Hey! What the hell is going on?" Suigetsu demanded, as his opponent retrained his eyes back toward his opponent. But not for long, as the echoes only continued to increase, growing louder and louder, as they each were privy to what exactly was happening to create such a noise.

"Stop moving, you insolent vermin!" A large figure shouted as several blasts of fire were sent towards the ground.

On the floor, Hanabi was ready, as she spun, creating a large dome of spinning magic around her, "Kaiten!" she shouted as she protected herself, the fire rolling off of her figure in waves.

As the flames and the smoke dissipated, it revealed the origin of the booming noises. Ladora Bune, a member of the Bune clan, had the special ability to tame Dragons. However, in his clan, there were a select few who held a second technique, one that was far more powerful than the one the majority inherited. It was a technique thought to be lost, given the fact that his clan largely remained extinct. However, that seemed not to be the case, as now the peerage member of Bael had grown in size exponentially. Large wings had manifested around his back, black in color, as scales, spikes, and talons formed all across his body.

That's right, Ladora Bune had taken the form of a dragon, something that Hanabi had read as a possibility of the man's abilities, but the chances of it happening were slim, almost nonexistent. But here she had been proven wrong, as her opponent had transformed his appearance, dwarfing her in size.

He did not relent, seeing his opponent, the crazed dragon, tried to strike, swinging down its large forearm to try and smash at Hanabi. Luckily, even with its increased size, the young Hyuga remained the faster of the two, as she was able to dodge to the side.

Unfortunately for her, the strike still landed its mark, seeking the ground, as a large rupture began forming across the ground where Hanabi had once been standing just a moment prior. Narrowly dodging, the shockwave sent her flying high into the air in the opposite direction. Swaying her movement in a backflip, Hanabi minimized the force, and it was only thanks to Naruto's training that she could do so.

However, it seemed that she did not remain unscathed.

Landing with such force had caused her right leg to receive damage, as blood soon began forming, and her leg remained bruised. She shifted to her other foot, trying to minimize the damage as she hissed in pain.

Meanwhile, Suigetsu stared at this exchange, a strike barreling at his head as he did so. "Don't take your eyes off your opponent!" Gandoma yelled, hurling his fist toward the white-haired [Rook, taking advantage of the male's momentary distraction. Although Suigetsu was adept enough to notice this, blocking the large man's strike with his sword, as he redirected the force to launch himself back as well, right towards where his partner was.

"Heh, well then, looks like you got yourself in a pickle there, princess," Suigetsu laughed at the younger girl's condition.

Hanabi panted, breathing heavily, as she wiped a bit of blood from her mouth, "Yeah, well, I don't see you doing any better, last time I checked, we haven't made hardly any progress against these guys."

"Don't get too ahead of yourself, it's not like I really took any damage as well. Each time he hit me, I was able to convert my body into water, no sweat," He said with his familiar shark-like grin. Hanabi glared at him for this. But even without her all-seeing eyes, she could tell that Suigetsu was starting to get tired, his water supply was reaching low, seeing as how he only had a few bottles left, and a bead of sweat trickled down his face.

Her look was enough to dissuade his confident attitude, just enough for him to listen to her. "WE need a new strategy, my Juuken style doesn't seem to be working on Ladora given his size, and Gandoma seems to be too durable for your sword to cut him," Hanabi analyzed, thinking up a possible strategy to defeat their opponents.

"Alright then, you're the smart one, what do ya get?" Suigetsu asked reluctantly, seeing the cogs turning in his partner's head, as he took the time to down another bottle.

It was then that Hanabi smirked, "Just do what you've been doing, and wait for my signal," she stated, before rushing off, leaving a flabbergasted Suigetsu in her wake.

"Yeah, all the help that's been!" he shouted, before whipping his mouth from the excess water. Shrugging, he pointed his index finger towards his opponent. "Alright then, let's pick up where we left off… Bang!" Suigetsu smirked, firing a water bullet towards Gandoma, which the rocky man quickly blocked, as the shark-like boy charged.

Meanwhile, Hanabi charged toward her opponent on the opposite side as well. Weaving in and out of the way of Ladora's fire blasts and powerful blows, being careful not to put too much pressure on her bruised and possibly sprained limb as she did. It was her harsh training with Naruto that caused her not to falter. Dodging and moving in a way that she was able to predict where the large dragon was going to strike. Seeing everything with her Byakugan, she was able to send a flurry of her Air Palms into the figure when given an opportunity through his blind spots. But it seemed even with all Hanabi had done, she wasn't able to do any lasting damage, the draconian monster being too monstrous for her Juuken style to handle. She ducked under the western dragon's fist, weaving under it and in between its legs.

Suigetsu blocked his opponent as well, using his large broadsword to take the brunt of the damage, pushing on it steadily. Unfortunately, it seemed his opponent did the same, pushing on the large blade's side with both his hands with a strength not many could match, and soon, Suigetsu was put on the back burner. Struggling to keep his hold as his opponent pushed on him, the shark boy now realized how sharp his blade was as it tried to pierce into his side.

"Suigetsu!" Hanabi yelled, running towards him.

"Grrrr… A little busy here, Hanabi!" He said in frustration, putting all his effort into pushing on his sword, it seemed [Rook] strength was all it was cracked out to be. He was physically stronger than most, even before he was reincarnated with his [evil piece, yet here was another devil able to nearly match him; he would need to train more, or at least remember to fight when there was more water around.

"I don't care, splash-face, switch with me!" Hanabi yelled as she sprinted towards her partner, Ladora, very much on her tail as he followed her.

"Rah—! All right!" Suigetsu yelled as he maneuvered all his strength above Gandoma instead of towards him. Redirecting the rocky male's force upward as he launched himself off the Balam using his sword as a springboard, flying towards Hanabi's direction. "A little boost?!" he yelled at his partner as he neared her in the air.

Instantly, Hanabi understood what he wanted to do, as she swiveled on her feet, thrusting her arms forward as Suigetsu passed her. "Air Palm!" she shouted, sending a volley of mana through the air at just the angle that she was able to hit Suigetsu's blade, launching him even further.

Soaring high into the air, right towards where the large dragon was standing. Ladora didn't notice him, after all, he was but a fly to a creature that size. That had been what Hanabi and he had planned in that split second, as he rose to face the giant creature. Suigetsu did the only thing he could do on the route to meet such a giant and powerful opponent, a large sword in hand…

He slashed.

Using his water techniques to fuel his body as he expanded both his arms to resemble those of a bodybuilder. As he started to descend, he slashed with all of his might, and it was only at the very last moment did Ladora notice him.

"Take this, ya bastard!" He yelled, hurling his full force and momentum towards the large dragon, slashing kubikiribucho down with all his might.

Boom!

An explosion of dust rang as he collided.

Meanwhile, the white-eyed girl continued her sprint forward, eventually reaching Gandoma.

"It's no use, girly, you'll never match me in power!" the Rocky [Rook] stated, as he swiped down as Hanabi neared him.

The Hyuga smirked, "I don't need to outmatch you, I just need to beat you!" she stated, as she ducked under Gandoma's strike, being much faster despite her injury. As she got close, aiming her fingers right toward the [Rook's] chest. "You're in my range of divination! Eight Trigrams: Two palms! Four palms! Eight palms! Sixteen palms! Thirty-two palms! Sixty-four Palms!" she yelled, delivering faster and faster strikes into the rock-man's body. Now at first, Gandoma was confident, arrogant even that his skin wouldn't even be broken from this attack, however, by the eighth palm he was getting sweaty, and by the next flurry he was downright worried. He was anxious because he couldn't feel a thing where Hanabi struck, and by the time the girl finished, fluid and spitlle flew out of his mouth.

"Ahhh— H-How?" He stated, as his body gave out, falling to the ground in an instant, the much smaller boy standing over her.Hanabi's grin continued, although you couldn't see it behind her mask."You're strong, durable, for sure, but my clan specializes in taking people like you down . I just had to inject my magic into your system, it doesn't matter how tough your skin is if my strikes pass through it. Your friend was an exception, because of how his transformation worked, I couldn't push my magic as effectively into his body due to his unique size and physiology. You, however, were much easier to deal with," Hanabi explained.

Gandoma thought on this, "So that's how it is, I suppose I should have expected as such given what clan you're from…" The rock boy realized, closing his eyes, as he was teleported away.

[Sairaorg Bael's: Two Rooks… retired]

As Hanabi grew an uneasy expression under her mask, "Alright then, now to check on how fish-face is doing…" she stated, before hissing slightly in discomfort, her ankle still sore, especially considering how much pressure she had put it under during her sprint, even if it was necessary, as she neared where he landed.

"Oh… Hanabi… I don't feel so good," Suigetsu sounded, his body turning into water as he lay on the ground.

Hanabi rolled her eyes beneath her mask, kicking him a little. "Alright then, fish-face, get up, we can't have you being retired, Naruto-sama has faith in us after all."

"Ok… just… give me a minute," the shark boy groaned.

Hanabi kicked him, as she winced a little bit at the pain in her leg as she did so.

XXX

(With Shikamaru)

"Troublesome," the pineapple-haired young boy sighed.

Everyone else out there was fighting, challenging, or being challenged by Sairaorg's peerage. And here he was, in the middle of nowhere, just wanting to look up and watch the clouds.

They were fake, of course, he could tell just by looking at them. They moved far too abnormally, were shaped just a little off, and there were many other tells he'd noticed just upon first glance. Now, to many, these clouds would look like any other; to a meteorologist, they might even be able to ascertain what type of cloud they happened to be modeled after. But, to a Nara, any one of them stared up at the sky long enough so they could tell that they were utterly contrived and fake.

It just didn't sit right with him. Oh, how he wanted to be somewhere else, with real clouds. But instead, he was here, in a battle arena, being forced by that troublesome blonde to fight against some devil who would likely be alot stronger than him. He didn't even know why Naruto had chosen him as his [Pawn]. Well, he did, and it was exactly that reason that he knew it wasn't because of his strength.

It was his brains, his tactical genius, and his ability to lay out and formulate the best strategies for every single scenario that would make him seem crazy. That is what had enticed Naruto to recruit him all those years ago, and it's what had gotten him into this mess.

"Troublesome," once again escaped his lips, just wondering who would become his opponent. Would it be Ladroa the dragon user with a will as strong as steel? Or would it be Gandoma? The rook with immense strength and durability, as hard as the strongest stones, would certainly be a hard opponent to face. Probably not considering they were retired. He doubted he would face someone as strong as Sairaorg's [Queen, no, he was pretty sure Kuisha would be entirely Haku's, he knew the scary woman wouldn't allow anything but.

With luck, he wouldn't have to fight any [bishops]; those were always troublesome to deal with, especially given the variations within their abilities. They could practically do anything, ice, fire, water, healing, darkness, light, all of the possibilities just made them so troublesome. Then there were the [knights, just as, if not more irritating than the previous pieces. They were the epitome of speed; a good knight was able to run circles around their opponents. He knew what that meant, it would just be alot harder for him to trap them within his Shadow Possession Technique. But if he did, he knew he could take them out pretty swiftly; all it required was some kind of trap he had to set up on his part. On the opposite side of the spectrum, you had the [Rooks, usually the brawl of the peerage. He knew trapping them in his technique would be no hard task, but keeping them in it and dealing with them afterward was a whole other story. Most rooks had hardened skin or special durability that meant that anything short of a pretty hard attack wouldn't put a scratch on them.

All in all, everything was just so troublesome.

He just wanted to sigh at what opponent he would get, he was in for a pretty tough battle. He was sure…

A faint noise reverberated throughout his ear, sending shockwaves throughout his entire body. Instantly, he turned to the side, awaiting just what sort of monster lay around him. Nothing came, that was to say, nothing he could perceive became aware to him.

All he heard was a noise; it was faint, but it was noticeable. It sounded like music, like violin playing sensually, it was almost like—

"Ahh~" A gasp of pleasure could be heard, as Shikamaru whipped his head around, knowing exactly who it was he was facing.

Coriana Andrealphus.

He knew of this woman, of course, he did, he had spent all last night researching ways for him and Naruto to take down every one of Sairaorg's members. Of course, her name would show up on the paper. She was from the Andrealphus house, a dwindling clan not from the pristine 72 devil pillars. But they were a family of many talents, all of which pertained to the ability to gain information, to lull their enemies into a false sense of security, and to do things not many could manage. They were a clan that specialized in taking down angels, making them mentally weak and defenseless for others of their kind to take them out.

This woman, he knew, was also of those many talents, with curves and proportions not many could match. Legs long enough that they seemed like they ran for miles, and blonde wavy hair that could entice even the blindest of males to look her way– And she was currently stripping right in front of him!

"Hey, there big boy~" Coriana moaned, sending a flirtatious wink his way with those ruby-red eyes of hers. He was powerless to stop it. His whole body seemed petrified as if caught up in his jutsu he was left unmoving, frozen in his shock.

The music kept playing, it only seemed to highlight her actions. Each of her hands went down her body on a course to unbutton her short skirt, showing off even more of her shapely legs and pink lace panties.

He was mesmerized, and Coriana knew it, as a telling glint in her eyes showed as she looked towards him. Leaning forward, which was at the perfect angle to accentuate her bust to appear even larger through her cleavage. As she reached down towards her hips, hooking the last remaining fabric between the world and her womanhood, from the world.

"What's say I get these off? Then the real fun can begin~" she chimed, her voice like silk and honey, Shikamaru being left unable to move from the show. As she tried to pull down… and tried again, and again, and again, and again. What the hell was happening to her body?

"Wondering why you can't move?"Shikamaru questioned out loud as if mirroring her thoughts. That's when she realized his shadow, it was long, longer than it should have been, as her eyes widened. "I see you've noticed, it may be a drag, but my family has the ability to control our shadows," he explained. "It's perfect for trapping your opponent. Although it's hard to get them to be stupid enough not to notice my shadow paralysis. Luckily, you distracted yourself enough," he smirked.

The woman pouted, "Oh, does that mean you didn't enjoy my show?" she said with mock hurt.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "Troublesome, I'm not allowed to answer that, my mom's watching, and she'll kill me if I say anything not to her liking, troublesome…"

Coriana giggled, "Oh my~ A momma's boy, that's kind of cute."

The dark-haired boy sighed, "It's a drag, but do you mind surrendering, that way this rating game will be over with faster," he requested.

"Very well then," the blonde-haired woman acknowledged, as she did just that.

[Sairaorg Bael's: Bishop… retired]

XXX

(With Asuma and Kurenai)

"Damn it! I could have sworn they went this way!" a handsome-looking male said with wavy brown hair and green eyes. His body was adorned in heavy armour, as he rode upon a black horse also wearing silver armour.

"Yeah, well, where are they?!" A young male with blonde hair and silver eyes wearing a lighter set of armour that was brown in color, a sword resting at his hip.

"I don't know, all there is around us is nothing but forest," Beruka Fercus pointed out, the [knight] of Sairaorg Bael, a member of the Fercus clan, a race of devils known for their ability to tame horses.

He looked towards his partner, a fellow [knight, Liban Crocell, a half devil who was part human. He was proficient in ice magic, although his real talent lay in his [Sacred Gear: Gravity Jail, which had the ability to increase the gravity of anything within his sightline. He was also proficient with a sword, which, coupled with his immense speed, led to him being one of the most promising [knights] in the underworld.

They were in a forest section of the arena, with many trees surrounding them. this made it hard for Beruka's horse to move, considering the large amount of sticks and unclear path.

"Alright, I'll scout out ahead, make sure they aren't hiding somewhere," The Fercus spoke, already getting tired of all the foliage. "I'll send a signal if I come across anyone," he told him.

"No, wait!" Liban tried to call out, but it was already too late; he was gone. "Damn it!"

Suddenly and unexpectedly, a wave of fog rolled into the forest, something that set Liban on edge. "Beruka! Beruka! Damn it!" he called out again, trying to acertain where his partner was.

Unfortunately, another voice seemed to answer him, "Fraid your partner is a little busy, bub," a man said from behind him, as he held a set of trench knives in his hands…

As a monkey mask lay upon his face.

Unfortunately, his partner wasn't in a position that was any better, as he, too had been separated in this unsettling fog.

"Liban! Liban!" Beruka called out, not being able to see anything from the top of his horse.

This was bad, this was really bad. The Uzumaki Peerage had used fog in their last battle, and he wouldn't be surprised if they attempted to use it in this rating game too. He knew he needed to get back with his partner, even if his sacred gear were at a disadvantage in this weather, he would still be useful in dealling with any enemies that might come their way.

Inwardly, he hissed at this kind of battle measure, finding it unchivalrous in the name of battle. They relied too heavily on the element of surprise, too heavily on cheap tricks for his liking. Although a small part of him could find them effective. They were a disgrace in the name of proper fighting and lacked honor.

The fog only grew thicker, and that's when the trepidation in his head soared to new heights.

"Liban, where are you!" He shouted again, but he was met with no response. Suddenly, his horse halted, as if scared by something that wasn't there. "Woah, easy boy…"

He was too fixed on the state of his horse to realize the tree behind him was starting to wither.

…as a woman with black hair and a Raven mask appeared from the tree holding a kunai right between his back.

XXX

(With Shizune)

After the two's respective battles, Hanabi and Suigetsu luckily managed to come across their team's medic, Shizune Kato, the woman with the Slug Mask.

"Oh, Shizune… I don't… I don't feel so good," Suigetsu commented, his body still turning to water.

As the dark-haired medic held a palm to his chest, her fingers unleashing an unearthly green, almost like the famous Twilight healing [sacred gear]. "You over-exerted yourself. Your body is starting to desolidify. Normally, I would suggest retiring yourself. But—"

"But he can't do that!" Hanabi interrupted. "Naruto-sama made the distinct promise that not one of his peerage members would retire in this match. If Shark-face messes that up now, our [King's] honor will have been ruined," she said fervently.

Shizune nodded behind her slug mask. "You're right, and although I don't quite enjoy devil politics, I think Suigetsu may be able to continue in this match if he gets immediate medical attention after."

Hanabi sighed, returning to her more Hyuga-like nature, "Alright, Fish-face, do you think you can hold out long enough?"

The shark-boy mustered up a smile, "Well, of course I can, a little fight with a dumb-lizard isn't going to stop me, heh!-Ouch!" He winced.

Hanabi nodded, "Good, let's just hope everybody else isn't having as much trouble as we are."

Suddenly, the announcer's voice came into play…

[Sairaorg Bael's: Two Knights… retired]

A feeling of relief washed over Hanabi, happy that it was two of their opponents who had ended up losing, rather than any of their own. "That must have been Monkey and Raven's work," she surmised. Seeing as how the two often worked in pairs, Asuma and Kurenai were a worthy adversary for the knights of Sairaorg, who were said to be some of the strongest up-and-coming fighters in the underworld.

"That's good, less time for us to work, I suppose," Shizune commented, having finally finished healing Suigetsu for the time being, as his body once again turned solid. Before she turned towards Hanabi, "Alright, now you…"

Hanabi looked surprised. "Me? But I…"]

"Oh please, I could see that you sprained your ankle from a mile away, now come here before I have to restrain you," The woman told her.

"Very well…" Hanabi said, a little embarrassed at the fact she had been caught so easily about her injury. She had wanted to keep it a secret, slightly out of the shame of the fact she had endured such a blow, feeling as though it was her own weakness that had caused her to do so.

As the medic lowered a palm to her ankle, "Alright, I fixed it for now, try to keep the pressure off of it for now until you can get proper attention. Now, normally, I would try to send you to a hospital, but I can see that you wouldn't listen to me if I did," the doctor instructed.

"Hai!" Hanabi nodded, the medic was right. There was too much riding on the event for her to fail now. She could not fail her [King] so callously.

As Suigetsu rose to his feet, he had a sharp grin on his features directed at Hanabi, a teasing glint in his eyes at the fact that she had almost messed things up as well.

"You shut it," Hanabi snapped at him. "Alright, let's go group up with Naruto-sama, he ought to be at the rendezvous with the others, Slug-san, will you be joining us?" she asked.

Shizune only shook her head, "I'll reconvene with everyone in a few. I have some other matters to attend," she answered.

Hanabi looked at the woman for a few seconds, analyzing her expression with her pearly eyes for what seemed like an eternity. She found what she was looking for.

"Okay," She nodded, turning toward her partner. "Fish-face, let's go."

"You don't have to tell me twice, princess," he stated, as they both made off towards where Naruto was, leaving the medic alone with her thoughts.

Or she should have been…

"Alright, you can come out now…" Shizune called out, seemingly to nobody.

But then, out of the shadows, came another figure. He was a young boy with light green hair and violet eyes, wearing a white cloak with golden accents. This was Misteeta Sabnock, Sairaorg's final [Bishop, a half-human devil hybrid, and the mage of their group.

"Wow, I'm actually surprised you were able to spot me, you don't know how long I waited for your companions to leave," the young boy commented.

"Yes, well, I suppose you've waited long enough, I figured you'd show yourself if I were alone like this," Shizune said.

"Well, you found me, but it seems that might've been the biggest mistake you'll make in this game," Misteeta spoke, as he raised his large sceptre, "Magical bindings, I seal you!" he enacted, as the staff glowed.

Suddenly, a circle of purple fire surrounded the woman, encapsulating her completely, as strange markings wrapped around her skin and clothing. Shizune's eyes widened, feeling the woman of her magic completely lost to her, her movements were slowed, and she felt her body sluggish. Just what sort of technique was this?

"Behold! My Trick Vanish! My [Sacred Gear] that holds the ability to steal any of my opponent's abilities just long enough for me to take them out," he explained. "Vanquishing you, the Uzumaki peerage's medic, will surely make this battle that much easier for Sairaorg-sama."

"I see…" Shizune commented, finally understanding the parameters of her captivity.

As Misteeta pulled out a knight from his pouch, intent on finishing his opponent off now that she couldn't use her magic. "Now then, I suggest you retire yourself, this may not be pleasant, but I intend to do what is necessary for Sairaorg-sama—" he paused in his words.

As the [Bishop] felt a trail of blood trickle down his cheek, instantly his eyes widened, him not having even seen what had happened, as he looked towards his opponent.

"I'm afraid I won't be doing that, a field-medic has to have a few tricks up her sleeves, after all," as Shizune then rolled up her sleeve, revealing a strange contraption as long as her arm with several bands and a single drawstring.

Misteeta was unable to react, as within an instant, Shizune pulled her contraption back, and shot at him several metal senbon around his face and arms. Not something to entirely damage him, but enough to graze him.

As the [Bishop] of Sairaorg jumped back, he erected a magical barrier. "Ha! As if a little needles would be enough to scare me—" When he suddenly felt a pang in his chest.

"I don't need to scare you, my senbon were tipped with a powerful paralytic, enough to render your entire body immobile for several hours," Shizune explained. Her powers may have been gone, but she was still a skilled marksman with her poisons, which, with Misteeta's seals, were unaffected by. "Don't worry, they will wear off in a few hours, I am a doctor after all."

As Misteeta's bloodstream was infected with the poison Shizune injected him with, he felt his whole body going numb. The last thing he saw was the scary image of a woman with a slug mask hanging over him.

With his last thought that…

He had really underestimated the capabilities of a field medic in combat.

XXX

(With Naruto and Haku)

[Sairaorg Bael: Bishop… retired]

"And… that makes the last of them, just as planned," Naruto said, Haku still by his side as they walked.

The woman nodded, "It is to be expected. Although it seems Owl and Shark may have had to put up with more trouble than expected."

"Yeah, seems they did," Naruto agreed. If their intelligence was right, then the two should have taken them out alot easier. "But I'm sure the two of them realized the importance of choosing your opponent and teamwork. That knowledge will prove good to them in the future, if anything else. I know those two will go far…" the Uzumaki said with a smile upon his face, recalling his two servants with a fondness as a teacher would their two troublesome students.

Haku listened intently, already knowing the compassion he held for his peerage members. Truly, their master was one of a kind, treating them as if they were their own family—no, to him, they were his family—and he would do anything to help them.

Suddenly, Naurto stopped, Haku did much the same, "Well then, I suppose this makes as good of a spot as any…" he commented, as they were in a valley that was surrounded by a large ridge that was the shape of a circle along half its side.

"Did you enjoy the view? The game makers surely worked tirelessly to make this arena for us, it wouldn't do for us to not at least enjoy it," Naruto asked his companion, actually wondering about her answer.

The dark-haired woman bowed, "It was most enjoyable, Fox-sama," she stated, a small smile showing below her rabbit mask.

"That's good to know," Naruto nodded, before he turned.

He then projected his voice, "And you, Sairaorg, how are you enjoying this most hospitable arena our benefactors have provided?!"

As right on the other side of the valley stood a man he knew all too well, the son of the Great King of Bael, who had not been given his power.

His opponent in this fight, Sairaorg of the Bael clan.

At the man's side were his two last remaining peerage members, Kuisha Abbadon, his queen, and the blonde-haired woman who was most beautiful. As well as the boy who was known as the Longinus-class [Sacred Gear, known as the Regulus Nemea.

As the Darker-haired [King] neared him enough, stretching out his strong muscles, "Eh, I'm not all too into art or looking at landscapes, although I can appreciate it when an arena is big enough for a proper battle."

"Yes, quite," Naruto agreed.

Before he sighed, taking off his mask as he sealed it within his pocket dimension, reaching up for his cloak's buckle at his chest, as he then sealed that away as well. The large piece of blue clothing going away like a leaf in the wind.

Naruto's form was bare underneath, showing off the fact that he no longer wore a shirt. He merely wore a pair of dark pants and a set of black and red gloves that went up to his elbow. He no longer needed his hair color to be changed—no longer hiding his identity— as his blonde hair billowed in the artificial weather.

Suddenly, six figures appeared behind Naruto along the ridge above him.

Each wearing their respective masks and cloaks—sans Suigetsu's, whose was broken. As they stood menacingly atop the two [kings].

"Well then… shall we get this fight started?" Naruto inquired. They wouldn't want this arena to go to waste.

Sairaorg began to flex his muscles, "I couldn't agree more," He said with a grin, his two peerage members at the ready.

As Naruto put a hand to his face, covering it completely apart from his eyes, which began to close. When he removed his hand, he showed a similar grin, one that showed off his pointed canines, as if he were a large predator—a fox, looking for his next meal.

And it was then that Naruto opened his eyes, showing his Mangekyou Sharingan in their entirety.

As Sairaorg looked Naruto dead in his eyes, he heard. "Then let this Rating Game truly commence."

Naruto's eyes spun.

As the battle began.

End Chapter.