Chapter 1: Forever Changed I (Part 0)

Pain shot through Naruto Namikaze's body as his cousin(Maki), his childhood friend(Moka), and his older sister(Chelsea) look at him with fear and worry, tears flowing down their faces. He turns to the left and sees Jiraiya calling an ambulance. Focusing his attention on Moka, the dying blond recalls the day before up until all of this happened.

Yesterday

Naruto (16) peacefully laid in his bed, not noticing his sister Akame (16) entering the room to shake him awake.

"Naruto nii-chan..." Akame calls out as she shook him. Naruto responds by turning away from her, who forms a pouty look on her face as she begins to constantly poke at him with her finger. Twenty seconds pass before Naruto's older sister Chelsea (Akame ga Kill!) entered the room.

"He's not waking up?" Chelsea asked.

"I did all I could."

"Not all you could. You're too soft on him," Chelsea tells her, grinning after as she gently pushed her aside. "Let me show you how it's done." Akame can only watch as Chelsea walks out of the room and rushes back in, jumping up into the air and performing an elbow drop on him, waking him up, Akame shouting, "Naruto nii-chan!?", sounding startled and worried.

What the hell was that for Chelsea!?"

"Today is the final day of your Entrance Exams!" said a very eccentric Chelsea, hands on her waist. "I understand we have a good two hours before you and Akame need to go take it, but I went all out for breakfast, and I want you both to get the food your brain requires." Letting out a sigh, Naruto puts on his glasses and tells her he'll be down in 20 minutes, and heads to the bathroom. As soon as Naruto closed his bathroom door, Chelsea turns her attention towards Akame, a large smile on her face.

"See? That's how you get someone out of bed, Akame," Chelsea told her little sister, giving her a thumbs up after.

"That's a bit much don't you think?"

Kitchen

Itadakimasu..." The three say out loud before digging into their breakfast. As they are eating, Naruto looked at the empty seat at the table.

"Oi, where's that perverted godfather of ours?" he asked Chelsea.

"Sorry Naruto, Jiraiya woke up early to head to Sapporo for inspiration on his next book," she answered. Naruto looked disappointed to find Jiraiya's not present. Jiraiya was the Namikaze siblings' guardian, following the death of their parents, and he was a famous writer. Due to his occupation, he was either in his office or out exploring Japan and locations around the world for inspiration or to promote his books, leaving Chelsea to watch over her siblings.

"He's rarely here..."

"You have to understand, being a best-selling author of several books like the Make-Out Paradise series and the Tale of Naruto Uzumaki is a big deal to him," Chelsea tells her young brother.

"...Why did he use my name for that book?"

"I don't know, you'll have to ask him." Naruto is visibly not satisfied with Chelsea's answer, saying nothing and resuming his breakfast

Chelsea's Car

"By the way Chelsea, you're going to be going to Tokyo U with Kagura, right?" Naruto asked his older sister.

"That's right. To be real with you two, I could've gone to any other school, given the many offers I was given, but I can't help but go where my sweet Kagura-chan goes." Akame voiced how nice it was to be in love, Naruto staying silent and looking out his window.

"If only Naruto could tell how he felt towards Moka. Hard to believe you've failed to confess to her so many times." Naruto turned red and told his older sister to not bring it up.

"It'll be different this time. I'll tell her tomorrow night during or after Maki's concert," Naruto assured.

"So that's your plan, neh Naruto...While I am sure it won't work...good luck trying."

Entrance Exam Building

After exiting the car, Naruto and Akame wave goodbye to Chelsea before she drove away, waving bye to them as she does. Akame, turning to face her brother, smiles at him and tells him, "I'll see you after the exams, Naruto nii-chan!", before running off to meet up with her friends.

"You too." Out of nowhere, a girl pokes Naruto's right cheek with her finger. The bespectacled blond turns his attention towards the girl, a blush forming on his face. The girl in front of him had eyes as red as rubies and silver hair. The tips of her hair have a pale tinge of pink.

"Mo-Mo-Moka!?" Naruto yells out, sounding surprised to see her. Moka (EN: Alexis Tipton, JP: Nana Mizuki) giggles a bit before directing a warm smile towards him.

"Yo, Naruto," Moka tells him, the blushing blond avoiding eye contact with her.

"Y-Yo to you as well," he said to his friend and crush in a shy and nervous manner.

Vending Machines

"Hard to believe we're going to be done with junior high huh?" said Moka, sitting on a bench next to the vending machines with her friend as they held their opened canned drinks.

"Yeah...Nervous?"

"A bit," she admits with a smile. "You, I know you won't have a problem acing these exams."

"...Say Moka...do you...have any plans for what school you're going to?"

"I'm planning to go to Kuoh Academy," she tells Naruto, who is left surprised by her answer.

"You're going there as well?" Naruto asks her, who smiles at him and tells him it provides one of the best education in all of Japan.

"What about you?"

That perverted fart of mine pressured Akame and me into taking the exams to go to Kuoh Academy after hearing about how it used to be an all-girls school," he answered, sounding annoyed towards Jiraiya.

"He is a weird and perverted one, your godfather. But...he's got a nice heart."

"How so?" asked Naruto, confused. Moka's only answer was, "It's best to find that out on your own." After sipping her drink, Moka asked her friend what he planned to do after the exams.

"After? I'm planning to just head home with Akame and work on one of my model kits. You?" Moka tells him she invited to see a movie with some friends later tonight, asking him if he and his little sister wanted to come. "You sure about that? I would just be intruding."

"I can talk to them. One more movie ticket shouldn't be a problem." Smiling, Naruto thanks her for inviting him. Finishing their drinks, Naruto told his friend they should head inside for the exams.

"Yeah..." From far away, a mysterious flaming fox watched Naruto walk into the building with Moka.

After Exams

"I finished the exams earlier than the other students in the room, so I was left napping the whole time," Naruto told Akame as he walked back home with her. "How about you?"

"It was a bit tough for me, but I managed thanks to your tutoring last night."

"...Akame, Moka invited us to go watch a movie tonight with her friends. Would you like to come?" Smiling at him, she agrees to come. "You sure?"

"Yeah. I didn't have any plans for today..." After a few steps, he stops in his tracks before turning to his left, Akame stopping next to him and turning her head to see what got her brother's attention. In front of them was an otaku merchandise store, which brought a huge smile to his face.

"If it's okay, can we head in there for a bit?" With an approving nod from Akame, the siblings head inside.

Unnamed Otaku Merchandise Store

While Akame was checking out the small figurines of samurai girls in one aisle, Naruto walked along the Gundam model kit aisle, looking through the many kits on the shelves until he stops at one kit in particular.

"Yes, they finally have the Mega Size 1/48 RX-78-2 Gold Coating model I've been looking for! And it's the last one! Lucky!" he says in delight. As he's about to reach for it, he sees another hand doing the same. He turns to his right and sees a woman in her late teens with long blonde hair and pink eyes, and wearing glasses, staring right at him.

"A-...Are you seeking to purchase this as well?" The woman responds with a nod.

"Damn, I've been searching for this one for months now...But..." After thinking about it for a few good seconds, Naruto takes the model kit out of the shelf and hands it to the woman, surprising her with this act of his.

"You're giving this to me?"

"Yeah. I'm patient enough to come across it again eventually," Naruto responds with an assuring smile. For his act of kindness, the woman directs a smile towards him as well.

"Thank you...Uhhh..."

"Namikaze, Naruto Namikaze," he told her.

"Naruto Namikaze. I thank you for your kindness." The woman bows to him in thanks after voicing her gratitude.

"It's what I do Ms.-"

"Agares, Seekvaira Agares." she interrupts.

"Cool..." Hearing Akame calling him over, Naruto tells Seekvaira to have a good day and prepares to go to where Akame was. Until...

"Wait!" The woman known as Seekvaira yells out to him. Naruto stops in his tracks and turns back to see what the young woman had to say. "How would you like to make a wish come true?" The blond turns his whole body towards Seekvaira, curious to what she has to say.

"A wish...come true?" he asks her. Seekvaira says nothing and hands Naruto a piece of paper, who accepts it. "What is this paper for? A maid cafe? Is there like a hidden code in this?"

"Nothing like that. That piece of paper in your hands will change your life," she responds. "All you need to do is want what you seek really bad and it might come true."

"Want what I seek..." Naruto thought about the things he wanted. It was shady to the blond when the woman just gave him a simple piece of paper that supposedly grants him a wish, depending on what he wanted most. "Tempting, but I'm the type of person who'd rather work for what I want than to be handed it out of nowhere," Naruto tells her, Seekvaira's eyes widening from his response.

"Really?"

"If people were to make things come true through a wish, while it's good, I feel it's worthwhile if you make them happen with your own effort, no matter how much it feels like it won't come true, or how foolish it is." With a smile, Seekvaira told him his response was something unexpected, but noble, to hear, telling him to keep the paper just in case.

"Sure..." Seekvaira watched as Naruto puts the piece of paper in his jacket pocket and left to find Akame, the rare Gundam model kit in hand.

"It's worthwhile if you make them happen with your own effort..."

Namikaze Residence

Naruto's Room

Naruto tinkers with some hand-made devices in his room before being interrupted by his 3D Printer making him a mini-drone. Picking it up, he throws it up in the air as the drone automatically goes into flight mode, pleasing him.

"Make me a bowl of ramen," he commands the drone. The drone responds by short-circuiting and dropping to the floor, much to Naruto's disappointment, just as Akame entered Akame. "So close...I'll have to pull it apart again and find out what's damaged and figure out what needs to be improved."

"Another one of your inventions?" she asks her brother.

"It's a ramen drone. Designed to memorize and cook several ramen recipes and carry it to me." he proudly tells her. "Though...as you know now, it's a work-in-progress..."

"Why have a drone do it when you've got me? I make better ramen."

"That we can both agree on. Plus I'm a horrible cook." Akame smiles in agreement, nodding her head as well.

"You DID set the kitchen on fire making a calzone."

"Yeah...I also want to make sure that, should I ever be home alone, I have something to feed me. Can't always order delivery. Drone aside, are you here to do my laundry?"

"Yeah."

"You don't have to do it for me. I can always do my own-" Akame interrupts by leaning her face closer to his, a demanding smile on her face.

"I insist...as your sister." Naruto has no way to convince her not to do his laundry. Knowing her, once Akame sets off to do something, no one could stop her, not even him.

Why do you always want to do my laundry? Naruto asks his adoptive sister, earning a blush from her. "I feel pretty bad about having you do them."

"Chelsea's not going to do it, and because I like to help my family. Your parents were nice to adopt me, and you and Chelsea are always kind to me."

"I see..." Naruto smiles from her answer. "Alright then, my dirty laundry is in your care." Akame directs a smile towards him before leaving the room, with a basket of Naruto's laundry in her hands. From outside Naruto's window, the mysterious flaming fox watches him, unseen and unnoticed.

Night

Kuoh Town Movie Theatre

"When's your good friend and Akame going to show up?" asked one of Moka's school friends, who was standing beside another female friend and their boyfriends, who have also graduated from their junior high.

"In a few minutes," Moka assured.

"This friend of yours, how long have you known him?" asked the second girl.

"Since second grade."

"Second grade!?" the second girl yelled in surprise. "I wonder what he's-"

"Oh, Naruto, Akame, over here!" Moka yelled, happily waving her arms up and down as Naruto and his sister approached Moka and her entourage, who were surprised to find out Naruto was the friend they were waiting for. "Him!?" they yelled, Moka nodding her head to confirm it.

"She didn't tell us it was him, of all people..."

"Here, I got you and your sister your tickets." Moka hands Naruto his ticket, the latter smiling after seeing he was to be seated next to her. Akame looked annoyed when she found out she was seated next to Moka instead of her brother.

"The movie will start in ten minutes. You guys can take your seats. I'll go buy us some-"

"I can do it Moka," Naruto interrupts.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I don't mind."

"I'd feel bad if I let you pay for the snacks. The theatre's concession stand is very pricey. How about I split the cost?" Moka suggests.

"You've done enough, Moka. I have the allowance to pay for them." As Naruto and Moka talked about, the latter's friends and their boyfriends thought to themselves, "There he goes trying to win her affections...He's got no chance."

Theatre Room 6 ("Love Me, Love Me not")

Moka's friends and their boyfriends didn't focus on the screen. Instead, they were focused on Naruto sitting with Moka and Akame, the latter three seated one row in front of them. The three looked like they were enjoying themselves while sharing a large tub of popcorn together.

"Naruto nii-chan, I'm out of Dr. Pepper. I'm going to go refill," Akame whispered over to her brother.

"Now? This is a very important scene of the movie," Naruto told her. Grabbing his drink, he told her they could share his drink since he also had Dr. Pepper, and it was half-full.

"S-Share?" Akame whispered. "Sure..." Once she grabbed her brother's drink, Akame looked at the straw her brother's mouth was on before she took a sip out of it. While watching the movie, Moka picks up her drink and finds it empty.

"I'm out of Cola. I'm going to go get more." Moka assures Naruto it was okay since she already read the whole manga and knew the whole plot.

Girls' Restroom

After filling her cup, Moka found herself needing to use the restroom, quickly rushing into the girls' restroom and taking an available stall. Moka lets out a sigh of relief once she "goes". After flushing, Moka prepares to leave when she hears her two female friends enter the bathroom talking bad things about Naruto. The girl had to put up hearing this in secret, not saying a word. She always hoped a day would come where the friends she made would accept him. But every time she had them hang out with Naruto, she'd hear the awful things they said, holding in the intense feelings of anger and hurt she felt. This day was no different.

"How does someone like that teacher's pet nerd become Moka's friend?" asked the first girl as they use separate stalls to do their "business".

"He's taking advantage of her kindness of course. He's obviously smart enough to use that brain of his to wow her into being his friend, talking all those big, headache-inducing words and impressing her." The second girl lets out a half-assed laugh, telling her fellow girl, "Maybe he's in love with her and trying to get with her."

"If that's true, it's so lame!" the first girl yelled. "Moka won't find any guy for herself with him around!"

"I bet the girl he will eventually end up marrying will have to put up with that smart mouth of his."

"My boyfriend says he'll (Naruto) probably end up alone for the rest of his life." Having heard enough, Moka abruptly opens her stall door, the force she put into it producing a loud slamming sound, startling her two friends. "Who did that!?"

"Nothing...You both know nothing about him, or me." The two girls' eyes widened, realizing she had listened in on them. "Many times I tried my best to give Naruto more friends, to let them see how I see him and give them a chance to like him..."

"Moka..."

"If you can't find it in yourselves to try and know, even like someone genuine like him, then I'm sorry you couldn't find it in yourselves to do so..."

Theatre Room 6

"I'm sorry it took long you two. I had to use the restroom for a bit," Moka told Naruto and Akame as she took her seat.

"It's fine," Naruto told her.

"Listen Naruto, the girls and their dates have something going on after the movie. Would you like to go somewhere? Just us?" Akame frowned when Moka asked Naruto to hang out after the movie.

"Sure." Noticing Akame's frown, Naruto asked her if something was wrong.

"Nothing..." Smiling at her, Naruto reached his hand out to pat her head, telling her he'd make it up to her for leaving her to go home by herself tomorrow.

"If you say you'll make it up to me tomorrow...I want go have fruit tarts in the afternoon, at the usual place. The one where they coat the insides of the crust with chocolate."

"It's a deal, Akame."

After the movie

Ramen Ichiraku (Kuoh Town)

Following the movie, Naruto and Moka said "See you later," to Akame before she left for home. Now alone together, following their split from Moka's friends, the two decide to have ramen at their favorite restaurant chain, Moka ordering a croquette ramen, her friend ordering the usual miso ramen.

"...What's bothering you?"

"What do you mean?" asked Moka. Naruto tells her she doesn't always invite him to ramen just to eat and hang out.

"You sometimes invite me to ramen when something is bothering you and you need someone to talk to other than your family...If I had to guess, it's your friends."

"...They said horrible things about you in the restroom, like you taking advantage of my kindness to get something out of me, among other things."

"So it all boils down to me..." Naruto said out loud, looking down at his glass of ice-cold water.

"I am sorry that the friends I make don't even think about giving you a chance." Naruto assured his friend it was okay, saying he at least had her as his friend. "...Naruto..."

"Yeah?"

"No matter what happens along the way...I'll always be your friend. You know that, right?" Giving his best friend a huge smile, he told her, "Yeah!" Seeing how happy he looked, Moka smiles with him as their female server sets their bowls of ramen in front of them. To their surprise, she sets down a plate of skewered quail eggs wrapped in bacon.

"We didn't order this," he tells the female server.

"It's on the house. The chef is a sucker for seeing cute couples acting so loving towards each other."

"Cou-Couples!?" Naruto and Moka shout in unison, the former telling the waitress they weren't dating.

"Really? You two look like you'd hit it off," she responds, making things awkward between the two teens. "If that's the case, please have them anyways. I promise not to tell the chef."

"...Well, since it's on the house, I guess we can eat it together. As friends," Moka says to the female server, winking at her. The female server directs a pleased smile towards Moka before leaving to get back to work.

[Fate/stay night [Heaven's Feel] I. Presage Flower Original Soundtrack - calm and quiet days]

On the way home

"That croquette ramen was delicious!" Moka says at the top of her lungs as Naruto walked alongside her. "The bacon-wrapped quail eggs were also great entrees. I can't believe I ordered three more plates of it after the first one."

"You think you could've gone for a fourth?" Naruto joked.

"I'm confident in my fast metabolism to make it work," Moka responds. As she went on about her metabolism, Naruto couldn't help but take in her smiling face, accompanied by her beauty, which was further enhanced when the moon shined on her silver and pink hair, a captivated smile on his face.

"Are you listening to me?" Moka asked, snapping Naruto out of his trance as the two stopped in their tracks.

"I-I was!" Naruto said in a panicked voice. Smiling at him, Moka constantly poked his right cheek with her left pointing finger and called him a liar. "You were obviously lost in your own thoughts. What were you thinking, Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze?"

"Eh, let see...Ummm..."

"I won't stop poking at your cheek until you tell me..." Calmly grabbing at his friend's left wrist to stop her constant poking, Naruto asked Moka if she was a fan of the idol group μ's. "I'm a very huge fan of theirs, why?"

"They're coming back to Japan tomorrow night for their final tour performance before they go on break. I got Special VIP Passes for two." Moka has a look of surprise on her face, shouting, "Tomorrow tonight!?"

"Yeah..." he responds, handing her one of the VIP Passes, making her happy as she jumped up and down in place, stopping after three seconds to put her hands on her friend's shoulders.

"How did you get these!?" Moka excitedly asked.

"Maki Nishikino is...my cousin," Naruto said, looking away with an embarrassed expression on his face, leaving his friend shocked by this reveal.

"EHHHH!? Why haven't you told anyone about this?"

"I don't like to attract a lot of attention around me and my family," Naruto responds, sounding a bit quiet. "I also...wanted to make sure who I said this to was...a genuine friend."

"You are full of surprises, Naruto Namikaze. What's the occasion?"

"It's to congratulate us passing the exams. It's a no-brainer that we'll enroll in Kuoh Academy, so I figured why not celebrate it early before the results come in the mail? That said...Do you still want to go?" Smiling, Moka happily embraced her friend in a hug, their foreheads pressed against one another, and told him she'd love to go, the blond's face heating up from the contact. Realizing her breasts were pressing against his chest, Naruto removes himself from the hug and said, "Great, so we're both good for tomorrow night! I can't wait to introduce my cousin to you!"

"I can't wait to meet her myself."

Namikaze Residence

Naruto's Room

Naruto laid on his bed as he looked at the piece of paper Seekvaira gave her.

"All I need to do is want what I seek really bad and it might come true, huh..." Naruto sets the piece of paper down next to his glasses on his desk and told himself, "I don't think so..." Looking up at his ceiling, the blond assured himself he'll finally tell Moka how he felt tomorrow night.

[Music End]

Next day

Afternoon

Unnamed Bakery

Akame hummed with delight as she savored the peach tart in her mouth, Naruto sitting opposite of her as he quietly watched her reaction, a large cup of coffee in hand.

"Naruto nii-chan, are you going to have a pastry?" Naruto tells Akame he was fine with his coffee, taking a sip from his cup after. "...Do you plan to tell Moka you love her during the concert tonight?"

"Yes, I am planning to do it," he told her, admitting he was feeling a bit nervous. "I can't remember how many times I've tried and failed. I'm sure tonight will be different."

"It's good to stay optimistic, Naruto nii-chan," Akame comments. "...If you don't mind me asking...This has been bothering me for a very long while, but...What if...What if you and Moka never get together?" Naruto looked surprised when his sister asked that question, let alone been bothered by it when it became known to her that he liked Moka. "I support you trying your best to confess to her, but what if it never happens, permanently? What if...she rejects you?"

"...I admit, even I question them from time to time, Akame. Moka is...a genuinely kind person anyone would be lucky to have. I can't picture anyone else with her, but if that were to happen...if that person made her happy and treated her well, I wouldn't want to ruin it, and I'd still want to be friends, even if she were to reject my confession. That also means I'll need to try hard to find someone who makes me feel the same way I felt towards her, no matter how long it takes."

"If those scenarios were to happen, I hope you DO find someone who makes you feel the same way you felt about her." Hearing Akame's response, Naruto jokes how that girl may be close, he just isn't aware of who it could be. This made Akame's whole face turn a very bright shade of red.

"Akame, you okay? Do you have a fever?" Akame had smoke coming out of her ears as her brother went over to her and pressed his forehead against hers. "Oh, your temp's pretty high." Backing away from him, Akame assured him she was fine, saying it was from the coffee she had with her tarts. "You should drink some water after. Don't want you fainting on me."

"I will..." While the siblings enjoyed themselves, the flaming fox continues to watch Naruto as several people pass by it, unable to see it.

Night

Chelsea drops Naruto and Moka off at the concert before yelling, "Alright have fun you two!", giving Naruto a thumbs up after and driving away. In her car, Chelsea says to herself, "He's so going to fail this one."

Backstage

Looking around, Naruto and Moka spot Maki talking to Nico, a fellow member of her idol group. Naruto happily yells out her name. Maki turns her attention towards Naruto and Moka, who wave hello to her. Turning to Nico, she told her she needed to have a small chat with her cousin.

Remember, we're going on in 5 minutes."

"Hai..." Nico leaves to get ready for the show as Naruto and an awestruck Moka are approached by Maki. Moka can't contain her excitement as she yells, "I love your music!" Maki smiles, happy to know that μ's has another fan.

"This must be the friend you were telling me about?" Naruto responds by telling her, "She has all the μ's albums."

"I'm glad Naruto has you as his friend. I'm surprised that he never mentioned that he was related to me." Naruto responds again, telling her, "I don't like the extra attention." Maki, while she understands what Naruto means, she doesn't fully agree with him. "There are times where attention is good Naruto. It shows that you exist, you know that right?"

"Yeah..."

"Also..." Maki opens her arms to Naruto. "Come give me a hug. I haven't seen you for a while, and I've missed you." Moka blushed at this as Naruto is caught off guard by his cousin hugging him. Naruto has no choice but to hug her back, making Moka blush even harder.

"Ahem!" she interrupts. Maki turns red as she stops hugging Naruto and gives him his space.

"Well now, I guess I should go get ready for the show. Let's meet up after the show. Naruto responds by saying, "Sure." Smiling back, Maki leaves to get ready to go onstage.

"...You two are very close."

"Yeah...Moka?"

"Yes, Naruto?" Both teens gaze into each other's eyes. As they do, a blush forms on Naruto's face.

"Before the concert starts, I just want you to know that I..." In his mind, Naruto knows that this is the moment he finally tells her. The time is right. "I want to tell you that-" As Naruto's telling Moka that he loves her, the concert begins, his confession unheard due to the fans screaming, Moka's face showing confusion.

"What?" was Moka's response..

"You...didn't hear it?"

"Hear what?" Unable to tell her again, Naruto instead tells her, "I just want to tell you that I am happy to see this concert with you..." Moka smiles as she told him, "Me too..."

Moka goes over to watch the concert, leaving Naruto alone. After a few seconds, Naruto comically yells, "AHHHHHHH, DAMMIT, I SCREWED IT UP! IT WAS THE RIGHT MOMENT!" After that, he sighs. "I bet Chelsea's going to have a nice laugh at my expense when she comes..."

After the concert...

"That was an amazing concert Maki-chan! I made sure to sing along with everyone!" Moka happily tells the idol.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. Naruto, what did you think of the concert?" Maki and Moka turn their attention towards Naruto, who is currently sulking to himself at the moment.

"It was good...Best concert ever..." is Naruto's response, a comically defeated expression on his face.

"Na-Naruto? Are you okay?" Maki asked, directing a look of worry towards him.

"He must have a stomach ache," Moka said, having no idea of the real reason. While not true, Naruto plays along.

"Yeah, that's right, a stomach ache..." In his mind, Naruto tells himself that he's failed again before smiling, having gotten over his failed confession.

"I will try again another day..." he thinks to himself. He then tells Moka he'll be fine.

"Are you sure?"

"Really sure." Turning his attention towards Maki, he asked her if it was okay for her to be out here with them.

"The girls said it was fine since you're family, and I was planning to visit you and the others anyways."

"Chelsea's on her way to pick us up as we-" Before Naruto can finish, someone interrupts him.

"Naruto, there you are!" The blond, Moka, and Maki turn their attention towards Jiraiya, who had just arrived out of nowhere, directing a smile towards them.

"Akame told me you were at a concert. Maki, you're looking livelier than before! Moka, good to see you too! How's the family?" The three don't respond. After a few seconds, Naruto angrily runs at him, his right fist cocked back.

"YOU FUCK!" is Naruto's response as he throws a punch at Jiraiya, which hits him in the face and knocks him down. Moka and Maki are surprised by this.

"What the hell was that for!?" Jiraiya angrily asked his godson.

"That's for rarely being around yesterday and today you perverted fart!" is Naruto's answer.

"I have a very good reason!"

"How'd you even get here!?"

"By helicopter...before I crashed it!" Naruto and Jiraiya continue arguing as Moka and Maki look on.

"I'm surprised you're okay with Naruto being violent." Maki awkwardly smiles as she says, "Only when it involves Jiraiya. Honestly, I think Naruto's anger towards him is his way of showing that he's (Naruto) glad to see him (Jiraiya)."

"That sounds about right..." is Moka's response. A few minutes later, Naruto and Jiraiya get some time to talk while Moka and Maki have a private conversation of their own. As Jiraiya smokes his cigarette, Naruto looks at him with a bothered expression.

"Smoking's bad for you."

"My life, my choice..." Jiraiya responds. He continues smoking a few times from his cigarette before pausing. "Failed to confess to her again?" Naruto can only nod to confirm this.

"Chelsea's going to have quite a reaction, won't she?" Naruto nods again. "...You'll try again, won't you?"

"You were the same with Tsunade."

"Before she settled down with Dan..." The two don't say anything for 5 seconds. Looking down, Naruto breaks the silence.

"Being in love is difficult, isn't it?" Jiraiya looks at Naruto, understanding what he's going through.

"You're right...But when you finally get love, it's all worth it..." This makes his godson smile a bit, making Jiraiya happy, knowing that he made him feel better.

"Naruto...do you want to know why I used your name for my book?"

"Yeah, I do."

"I did that because-" Before he could say why, Jiraiya is interrupted by a call from Chelsea. The white-haired writer picks up, leaving Naruto disappointed. "Hello?... What do you mean you're lost?... Fine, I'll come to you." Jiraiya ends the call before turning to Naruto. "Sorry, but it seems that Chelsea needs me to go get her. Will you be okay staying here with Maki and Moka?" Naruto looks away, telling him, "Yeah, just go. I'll be fine." Jiraiya rests his right hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Atta boy..." Jiraiya leaves the scene as Naruto walks over to Moka and Maki, the two girls having just finished their private conversation.

"What were you two talking about?" he asks the girls, both blushing when asked the question.

"We were...We were talking about...boys." Moka answers. This sparks Naruto's curiosity.

"Boys?" Maki then follows up by saying, "It's a girl thing."

"What type of boys?" asked Naruto.

"Well..."

"Maki? Maki Nishikino?"

Naruto, Moka, and Maki turn their attention towards a male who's two years older than them. He has on a black jacket and blue jeans. His face looks crazy, something that worried the bespectacled blond.

"Oh wow, it's really you." Maki is visibly disturbed by the fan as he took a few steps forward.

"Uhhh yes, would you like to-"

"You're so beautiful. We'd make an amazing couple." This compliment creeps the three out.

"Maki, Moka, get back..." is Naruto's response as the three slowly back away.

"They said that I had no chance with you. All those comments online. They hurt me. Really, really...bad. That's why," Naruto's fears are known when the crazed fan takes out a knife and rushed at Maki.

"if I can't have you, no one can! Maybe in death, we'll be together!" screams the crazed fan as thrusts the blade forward. To Maki and Moka's horror, Naruto gets in the way and is stabbed in the shoulder. The blond immediately feels the pain from the stab wound, his blood trickling down the left side of his body. Though in pain, he used his weight to tackle the crazed fan to the ground. Naruto struggles to wrestle the knife out of the fan's hand. Despite having an above average build, he was at a disadvantage due to his wounded shoulder. Finally, having had enough, the crazed fan stabs Naruto on the left side three times before pushing the blond off him and stabbing him in the stomach four more times. The blond can only stare at the fan in horror and shock as he felt each stab, the crazed fan shouting how he made him do this. Moka and Maki can only look on in horror, the former screaming her friend's name as the crazed fan gets up, turning his attention towards the two girls, mainly Maki.

"He won't be interrupting us again, my love..." Before the fan could take another step, Chelsea appears and tackles him to the ground. She manages to knock the knife out of his hand before angrily pummeling the crazed fan, bruising the fan's face and drawing blood.

YOU STABBED NARUTO! YOU STABBED MY LITTLE BROTHER! MY LITTLE BROTHER!" Chelsea shouts in anger. While she knocks the fan into submission, she continued to pummel the fan. Jiraiya comes from behind and pulls her off thim so Chelsea doesn't kill him.

"LET GO JIRAIYA! I'M NOT DONE YET!" Chelsea angrily tells her godfather "I'M NOT YOU HEAR ME!?"

"HE'S DOWN CHELSEA! IT'S OVER! WE NEED TO GO SEE IF NARUTO'S OKAY!" Chelsea stops struggling after Jiraiya mentions Naruto. Chelsea and Jiraiya run to Naruto's side. Jiraiya, Chelsea, and Moka look at a dying Naruto in horror as he coughs blood. Seeing this, Chelsea tears up before directing her attention towards Jiraiya.

"Call an ambulance Jiraiya! Call a damn ambulance!" Jiraiya immediately takes out his phone and begins calling for help as Chelsea turns to Naruto.

"Chelsea, it hurts...It hurts so much..." Chelsea tears up even more as she can do nothing but watch as Naruto starts bleeding out.

"Naruto, you'll be fine you hear me? You're strong." Chelsea assures Naruto. "You'll get through this."

"I'm glad that...that Maki's okay. That's all that matters..." This makes Maki cry.

"You shouldn't have done that..."

"He had a knife...I couldn't let him kill you..."

"Naruto..." Moka said as she's crying. Naruto directs his attention towards his crush.

"Moka...That look on your face...doesn't suit you..." Naruto passes out from blood loss as an ambulance and 3 police cars arrive. Naruto's body is put on a stretcher and into the ambulance that drove him to the hospital.

Kuoh General Hospital

Moka, Maki, Akame, Chelsea, sit in waiting as Jiraiya paced back and forth impatiently. Soon, a doctor enters the room. Jiraiya turns to the doctor.

"How is he?"

"He's lost a lot of blood, and some major organs have been damaged. We did the best we could but...he might not make it through tomorrow." This leaves them all shocked.

"Can...Can we see him?" Moka asks the doctor. The doctor looks worried but allows it.

"...Alright, but only for a few minutes." They enter the room to see Naruto lying on a hospital bed. Seeing his state and fearing that he won't make it, Akame tears up.

"I should've been there for him..." she told herself as Chelsea consoles her.

"He looks so peaceful..." Moka said. Jiraiya looks at Naruto as well, finally speaking.

"...Naruto, I don't know if you can hear me, but...The reason why I used your name is because it's the name that gave me a purpose, and a family. I had no one. I was alone, Tsunade found love, Orochimaru became insane, I had no relatives left. Your mother and your father opened their hearts to me, gave me guidance when I needed it, made me a part of your family. When they decided to give you the name Naruto, I was so happy. When your parents died, your father trusted me with raising you and your sisters." Jiraiya starts tearing up, sounding hoarse as he powered through the intense sadness he was feeling.

"We're not related by blood, but I raised you all as if you were my own son...The book was a way to tell you that...you're my hero Naruto, and you showed it tonight. Please Naruto, don't die..." The doctor enters the room and tells them it's time for them to leave. Jiraiya and the others leave the room one by one. Moka's the last one to leave. Before leaving, she plants a kiss on Naruto's cheek, tearing up as she does it.

"Goodnight..." is all she says before leaving.

Later

After two hours of being out, Naruto opens his eyes, surveying his surroundings. In his mind, he knew he was dying. Realizing he won't see everyone again and knowing that he won't be able to see Moka's smile or tell her how he feels, he tears up.

"There's so much more I want to do...That man...he's going to take it away...It's not fair...I want to live...Please..." Naruto tearfully thought to himself. Suddenly, a glowing light shines in front of Naruto, blinding him. Out of it comes Seekvaira, holding a Mutated Rook Piece. He looked surprised to see her.

"Oh, so this is where you were. I was wondering why I found myself in a room with your belongings."

"Seek...vaira?" The blonde female devil looked surprised, but at the same time happy that he remembers her name.

"Oh, you remember my name."

"How-"

"I did tell you I can make your wish come true. Your wish: To live. I'm here to fulfill it." Naruto, in his mind, couldn't believe his ears when Seekvaira told him she can make his wish come true and give him his life back.

"No matter how far you are from the piece of paper I gave you, once you touched it, your will was connected to it, allowing me to feel the strong response to your wish and bring me to it." Seekvaira pulls out the piece of paper she gave him, which produced an ethereal string that was connected to him.

"You...You can fulfill it?"

"Of course. Though I wonder...Do you really want me to fulfill it?" she asked. "If I recall yesterday, you said it's worthwhile if you make what you wish for happen with your own effort. I'm sure that with time those serious wounds will heal and-" Hearing Naruto's painful groan, Seekvaira panicked a bit before apologizing, admitting she wanted to get a jab in, given what was happening now, before turning serious. "However...in giving you another chance at life, you will become a devil, as well as a member of my Peerage." Naruto's eyes widen from hearing her response. He wouldn't come back as a Human, but a Devil.

"A...Devil?"

"I know what you're thinking, and yes, it's all very complicated, especially for those hearing it for the first time. Now, tell me: Will you become a devil in order to get a second chance?" Thinking to himself, Naruto remembers Moka, Maki, and Chelsea crying before looking at Seekvaira with determination in his eyes.

"If it's the only way I can see everyone again, then I will become a devil."

"Given how average you are, seeing as how you have nothing special about you, not that I mind, I figure someone like you needs to better defend yourself and others. For that, I will make you my Rook."

"Rook?" Seekvaira went on to explain the attributes of being a Rook, mainly how Rooks had superhuman strength, which gave them high offense and defense but low speed and agility.

"By being my Rook, you will have the power needed to protect those you care about and more. First, I must ask this of you: Are you willing to become my Rook and serve me? Are you willing to be mine?" Naruto doesn't hesitate to say, "Yes," surprising Seekvaira, who forms a smile on her face.

"Answering without hesitating...There's something about you Naruto...that I like," Seekvaira thinks to herself. "Seems we have a deal," was the last thing Naruto hears Seekvaira tell him before the devil placed the Mutated Rook piece on his chest, which begins to fuse with him, the blond passing out after.

"We'll see each other again soon enough, Naruto Namikaze." Seekvaira teleports away, leaving him alone once more. With Seekvaira gone, the mysterious flaming fox that had been watching him used this opportunity to enter the blond's body.

TO BE CONTINUED...