Chapter - 19

Naruto rubbed the sleep out of his eyes with a long-suffering sigh. It was too damn early to be getting out of bed on a weekend. Anything before noon just killed the redhaired devil boy. "This is some bullshit." He groused, rolling up the sleeves of his white button-up shirt and summoning a blazing crimson teleportation circle.

"Why's she gotta pick up even more pet projects on a Saturday?"

Sinking into the glowing runic designs, Naruto dissolved with a shower of sparks and reassembled near instantaneously in a gold gilded foyer.

Deep blue eyes tiredly scanned the empty room, and he gave another dejected moan. "Can't even be here to greet me? She's so mean…" Despite his complaining, Naruto was actually a little glad he'd been dragged out of his bed. He hadn't expected Rias to give him a call and invite him over, but the redhead wasn't going to refuse.

If a sudden invite out of the blue was her reaching out past her envy, he'd take it. Naruto just wanted things to go back to normal already. His mind was thirty years old. He'd long ago passed his tolerance point for adolescent drama.

"Naruto-sama."

"Ah, I didn't see you there, Koneko-chan."

An irritated tick disturbed one of the nekomata's snowy brows. The face she gave the Gremory heir was distinctly unimpressed as Naruto twisted to offer a sunny smile, her mouth drawn in a bland line.

"You're so small, sometimes I can't help but miss seein' ya, ya know?"

"I resent that coming from you."

"Eh? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Come." Koneko sighed, straightening the cuff of her butler uniform before leading the way deeper into the manse.

"Was it something I said?" Making a face at the cold shoulder vibes he was getting, Naruto fell into step behind his aunt-slash-psuedosister's Rook. Empty halls yawned lifelessly as they moved about the Baroque style manse, pristine and clean but without the milling presence of servants.

Rias' palace always gave him the chills. And it was a palace, even if the complex was on the smaller side for a member of the Gremory family. Outside of Rias herself, only her budding peerage lived there, and a population of three – well, four now - hardly made a village.

The way Rias had up and left to have her 'space' with servants loyal only to her still stung. His aunt still visited the main house for meals nearly daily, and continued to show her affection for everyone there, but Naruto knew he wasn't imagining the slight reluctance in her manner when he tried to joke with her as he had before their 'duel'.

Naruto couldn't even really pretend to convincingly sympathize with her new mindset. Living with all his precious people in one place had been a dream come true compared to his first childhood.

It wasn't like they didn't have space at the main house if Rias needed some quiet time away from Naruto specifically, and turning her back on her family bonds reminded him uncomfortably of Sasuke at his worst. Naruto didn't want to see another one of his precious people walk down the dark road of isolation.

Even if Rias was ashamed at having handily lost the 'friendly duel' she challenged him to that led to him being chosen as heir over her, did that really justify her cool resentment and newfound desire for independence? The natural talent of his body was just as much a part of Naruto as the red of his hair. It wasn't his fault that Grandpa Zeo had chosen him to succeed the clan, and nor was it Naruto's fault that he was years younger than Rias but a better fighter than she was.

Maybe it was just devil puberty.

"Ara ara, you're looking very handsome if I do say so myself." Akeno's teasing lilt echoed through the air, and Naruto knew they were close by. An indistinct murmur replied to her, along with Rias' bubbling giggles.

"Um." His danger senses were tingling. Offering a sickly grin to the miniature butler, Naruto stopped and began to slowly step backwards. "You know, I'm not feeling so well Koneko-chan. Maybe I'll just go back home and rest, ya know?"

Koneko's small hand shot forward to wrap around the redhead's hand in a steel crushing grip. "Rebellion is not to be tolerated." The nekomata deadpanned, amusement tugging the corner of her mouth up by a mere fraction.

The relentless pulling at the ten-year-old devil's arm had him praying and squeezing his eyes shut. "Please don't let it be what I think it is. Please, please, please! My body isn't ready for this! I still have scars from the last time!"

Snorting at the childish wail, Koneko gave a final yank and forced the reluctant Naruto into an enormous dressing room. The space into a large central area hemmed in by armoires and dressing screens.

Akeno was twirling a lock of her unbound ebony locks around a finger as she tugged at the hem of her French maid uniform. Smirking at the new arrival, she gave a wave.

"There you are." Rias greeted nonchalantly as she stepped out from behind a screen. The Ruin Princess was considering her nephew with a distant teal stare, but Naruto could see a little more warmth there than there had been during his previous visit, so he counted it as a victory. A rumpled pair of slacks was thrown over one arm while the other settled a white cap over her thick crimson mane. "What do you think of my sailor fuku?"

Dropping his face into his hands, Naruto began to dramatically weep. "Not the cosplay! Momma please!" Outside of being the daughter of one of the richest devils in existence, Rias Gremory was also an unapologetic weeaboo. It was Serafall Leviathan at fault for corrupting his aunt; he just knew it.

"At least it's not mahou shoujo." The Gremory heir consoled himself, only to have a lurid pink outfit shoved into his hands.

"We had that saved for you, Naru-sama." Akeno winked, setting a plastic wand on the pile with a flourish. "Don't be shy, it's nothing you haven't done before with us."

Exhaling with despair, Naruto teared up. "Why am I not comforted?"

"Probably because you're a veteran of this form of torture." A new, vaguely familiar male voice interrupted gloomily. There was the faint sound of a zipper being done up. "At least you can comfort yourself knowing you're prepared for psychological warfare after this."

"Mou, Sasu-chi. Why are you so cruel?" Akeno whined, accepting Rias' exaggerated pat of consolation. "We worked so hard on your outfits. As Rias Gremory's newest Pawn you need to look the part, and because of our tireless efforts you will. All those sleepless nights and bandaged fingers to create your uniform, and then you go and say something like that. I'm really going to cry, you know?"

"Kill me."

Hammering a fist over his heart, Naruto sniffled. "I feel your pain, my brother in arms. Know you're not suffering alone, and that you will be rewarded for your trials in the next world!"

A dejected sigh filled the air as the sound of footsteps rose behind the dressing screen. "Dumbass."

"You were rejected, Naru-sama."

"Ahh! Tsuntsun Koneko strikes again. My heart, ack!"

"Enough of this idiocy–" The devil behind the screen interjected as he stepped out, only to cut off at the sight of the gathered devils in the dressing room. He looked absolutely miserable, clad in a black soldier's uniform with gold buttons. Black gloves and a black tie contrasted with his white undershirt. Topping it all off was a black service cap that crowned a very familiar face.

It might have been more than a decade, but Naruto wasn't liable to forget the sight of a sixteen year old Sasuke. The Uchiha had tried to kill him too many times for that, and even wan and half-starved while dressed in cosplay, it was unmistakably him.

Twin expressions of shock crossed both faces, and Naruto struggled to find something to say. The hot sting of tears was just beginning to prickle at the corner of Naruto's eyes.

Damn it, he didn't want to go crying like some girl. But after so many years a bond he'd thought was gone might not be after all. Naruto had never been isolated in his second life, but there were secrets he'd never shared. How could he tell his family something like 'Oh by the way, I've been reincarnated or something and I'm actually thirty-ish years old'?

It wasn't realistically an option. Some secrets needed to be kept. But Sasuke shared those secrets. Fate must be fucking with him, but who else would join Naruto in the new world except his brother through time?

"Oh, it really is an idiot."

Moment ruined.

"Bastard!" Naruto roared, stomping ride up to Sasuke and poking the much taller boys side with a tormenting finger. "Haven't seen you in years and the first thing you call me is an idiot!"

"Stop poking me, chibi."

"Fuck you, I'm not that short!"

"Midget."

"Do you want me to strangle you or something? Because I can I can do it ya know?"

"Wouldn't you need a stool first?"

"Not if I break your kneecaps, arsehole."

"Bring it on. I'm not scared of dwarves."

Naruto's cheeked puffed up in dramatic frustration as the pale Uchiha stared down at him with a smug expression. He should have known the bastard wouldn't want to have a moment. Sasuke wasn't much of a moment kind of guy. Neither was Naruto for that matter. They had always communicated with their fists. That was their way.

So Naruto communicated with a punch to the taller boy's nuts.

"Oooh." Akeno winced sympathetically as Rias' Pawn crumpled to the floor in a wheezing ball. "That's cold Naruto-sama. Isn't that against your man code?"

"Maybe, but just ask this bastard - I'm not a man am I? I'm just a little boy, so the rules don't apply to me."

"That's dirty." Sasuke gasped, clutching a protective hand over his family jewels. "But what else can you expect from a midget? He stunted everywhere that counts."

The vulgar exchange going on before her eyes baffled Rias. "You two know each other already?" The Ruin Princess clarified, focusing on that juicy tidbit. Their posturing ease with each other was also noteworthy.

Scratching the back of his head, Naruto chuckled nervously. "Yeah I guess. We met, uh…"

"A long time ago." Sasuke finished vaguely, shoving his hands in his pockets and watching the redhaired boy stutter warily. "We wouldn't want to bore you with the tale of something so thoroughly unremarkable."

Catching on with relief, the Gremory heir nodded empathetically "Yeah. Just a chance meeting years ago… I didn't expect you to be so tall though." Naruto added with a sullen pout.

"Yeah, well I totally expected you to end up as the scion of a rich and powerful ancient noble clan." Sasuke rebuffed sarcastically with just a touch of visible envy. "Let me guess, next you'll tell me something like 'By the way, my daddy's a Great Satan. Just thought you'd want to know'?"

"Well, actually…"

"Are you seriously fucking kidding me?"

Cutting off the building argument with a clap and a frown, Rias sighed. "Alright children, enough of that." The easy camaraderie the two boys shared prickled her pride. She was tired of Naruto always managing to be better at everything and rising higher in the esteem of practically everyone they both knew. Not even her own Pawn seemed to be exempt. It was like some ridiculous law of the universe.

"I had thought to introduce you to my new Pawn, but it seems you already know one another. Shall we dine for lunch instead then? Akeno, Koneko – you know what to do."

A faint line between her eyebrows was the only sign of Akeno's concern as the pair of girls bowed and left. Teasing aside, the half-breed knew Rias better than anyone else. So Akeno knew that her mistress harbored an inferiority complex and would not take too kindly to the thought of her Peerage rubbing elbows with the young nephew that had always outperformed her.

Naruto watched the swaying of Akeno's hips with lecherous interest that was slightly out of place on the face of a ten year old boy, but quickly refocused on his aunt once the buxom priestess left. Jerking a thumb towards Sasuke, Naruto grinned. "So how many Pawns did you decide to give this bum? Two?"

"Eight."

Red eyebrows shot up in surprise as Naruto snapped about to stare at Sasuke. "Eight?" That was absurd. Naruto didn't consider himself a snob who would discriminate based on power, but the Uchiha's magical presence was very weak. He couldn't have had more raw power than the average low class devil. There was no way Sasuke should be walking around with eight Pawns with how weak his presence was. He ought to have exploded into gory pieces, unable to contain the sudden infusion of magical artifacts. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, Naruto." Rias shot back irritably, glaring at his dubious tone. "I can count to eight."

"Hmm, odd." Concluding with a shrug, Naruto burst into another grin. "Wanna go for lunch then?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the predictability. Naruto always thought with his stomach. "Fine."

Biting the inside of her cheek, Rias eyed her nephew and Pawn with an indescribable look before turning and sweeping wordlessly from the dressing room.

Sasuke moved to follow, only to be jerked to a halt by Naruto's sudden grip of his elbow.

"It might have been more than ten years, but I still know you, and I know you don't want to play second fiddle to anyone. So I don't know what the hell you're playing at joining Rias' peerage. But if you hurt her – even if it's you – they'll never find the body."

Black eyes delivered a cutting gaze as Sasuke roughly shook Naruto's grip away. "You're right. It's been more than ten years. You know less than you think." He delivered caustically before trudging off after the mistress of the house.