"Naruto-san, you're asking me to trust in your words when you won't even tell me the truth in regards to who you are. How can you ask something of me when you won't even follow your own beliefs." Rias reprimanded. Naruto looked taken aback by that statement. Then he opened his mouth to respond.
"You're partially right about me not being completely truthful Rias-san, at least about me being a magician. But I am telling you the truth about being hunted down by bad people, that is a secret that I want to keep hidden until I trust you more. Besides, I didn't want us to begin trusting one another completely...I wanted us to begin that process by helping each other out. I told you about the fallen angel problem and I told you that bad people are after me, so I am trying to trust you. I mean...are you telling me right now that you are willing to tell me why you are so desperate for Peerage members?" Naruto retorted, Rias just blinked at the quick change of the blond's demeanor. From a fool to a philosopher, she had a hard time figuring him out.
"...Maybe you're right Naruto-san, I don't want to share my personal problems or information with you. But remember that I would have been fine with there being a simple agreement of non-aggression. It was you who wanted to ferment trust between all of us, between devils and heroes. Those who want such a change must be the ones to show everyone their example! Yet you are doing no such thing. How can I trust you? How can anyone trust you?"
Koneko's eyes were glued towards the battle of wills going on in front of her. She was shocked at the sudden turn of events that erupted from the fallen angel issue. All was silent after her king's retort, but then Naruto spoke again.
"If you can't believe my words from before...then at least believe this." Naruto spoke solemnly, before slamming his hands in front of Rias and on her desk. This sudden action shocked both devils in the room before Naruto spoke, with eyes entreating them.
"I want people to get along no matter who they are or what race they belong to. I want to count all of you guys as my friends. I want to call of you comrades! So...if you can't believe anything I say then believe that! Please believe in me for a little bit longer so that I can prove to be worthy of your trust Rias-san! So that I can prove to be worthy of everyone's trust!" Naruto shouted while bowing his head.
The whole room was silent as Naruto finished his speech.
Rias was actually legitimately dazzled by the blond's words. Almost like it was spoken straight out of one of her favorite mangas. She wanted to trust him, in his words and in his motivations. She really shouldn't though, she should be cautious and wary since this boy in front of her was still an 'unknown' in every possible sense of the word. She had the lives of her friends and comrades to consider, if she made a mistake in trusting him then their lives could be adversely affected as well. She shouldn't trust him.
And yet she did.
He was dangerous.
Ever since she met the whiskered blond face-to-face, he had upturned every possible expectation she had for him. She simply couldn't get a proper reading on him.
His motivations, his power, his goals, his personality, his intelligence.
He was unpredictable.
So Rias agreed to the now dubbed 'Kuoh Pact' not only to get some breathing room to better understand the situation, but also to better understand Naruto.
She still didn't understand him. But hopefully she would soon enough, there was a reason she sent Naruto to talk to Hyoudou Issei and it wasn't just because he was the best person to send.
Rias waved her arms up in surrender. "Fine fine, I'll trust you. Now please pick your head up...you're embarrassing me." Rias said lightly, the tension in the room finally dissipated as Naruto picked his head up and scratched the side of his face lightly.
Maybe he got a little too passionate...
His truthful admission was definitely what convinced Rias at the very least.
Both of them seemed to have temporarily forgotten that Koneko was still in the room, but they could be forgiven since she was extremely quiet.
But it was more appropriate to say that she was speechless. His force of personality actually managed to push away Buchou's reasonable suspicions. The only reason she wasn't more affected by his speech was because she wasn't at the receiving end of it. Although she had to admit that it was a heartwarming speech.
More importantly, Koneko actually felt the convictions behind his words. The feelings and belief behind every statement. It was mind-blowing how thoroughly the blond believed in his convictions...she couldn't help but look at the admittedly silly boy in a new light.
Rias sighed and sat down in her chair again in order to give an answer to the blond about the fallen angels, they were pretty heavily side-tracked. After mulling it over a little bit more she finally gave her answer.
"After thinking about all of the possible risks and issues involved with the fallen...I've decided that we are going to stay out of this affair." Rias said simply, Naruto just nodded to her response, he sorta expected that.
But Naruto still had a slight problem with her ruling.
"Rias-san, is it ok to stay out of this entirely? You have no idea what their intentions are by this point and they are definitely here for some reason." Naruto reasoned, her ruling was better than going to fight the fallen. But to just leave them alone without knowing their intentions was still he didn't want to do since they seemed pretty hostile.
Although in their defense, that could have just been the fact that he kidnapped their comrade.
Rias raised an eyebrow in his direction. "If you wanted to know what the fallen angels were up to...then why didn't you follow them afterwards? I mean they thought you were dead yes? Even supernaturals aren't good at sensing other supernaturals when they aren't aware they are there." Rias said sensibly.
...
Ah...
Both Rias and Koneko just silently stared at the now depressed blond as he cried waterfall-tears on the ground. The red-head shook her head helplessly while Koneko just sighed at the fact that her new-found respect for Naruto was quickly waning.
He wasn't exactly the visage of power.
"Damn it...how could I have been such an idiot...it could have been easy for me to follow them..." Naruto said listlessly. But then a proverbial light bulb went off in his head.
"I can still find where they are! Rias-san! Give me a day or two in order to find their base and then find out what they're up to! Just please make sure not to call your onii-san!" Naruto said quickly as he wiped away the faux tears and then dashed towards the entrance of the club room.
"Huh!? Wait! Naruto-san!" Rias called out, but Naruto was too far gone. Rias stood there with her arm outstretched, slightly shocked that Naruto would go and try to solve the issue of the fallen angels on his own. Although his words did actually touch upon a concern she had when considering the fallen angels in her territory.
Should she call on her onii-sama?
No matter how she looked at it, the best she and her comrades could hope for in a battle with someone like Yuuma Vretiel...was to stall. They simply weren't strong enough to fight a fallen like that, even if Sona were to reinforce her. So one of the possible options she bandied about was to call upon her onii-sama. In the end she decided not to because she didn't want to start a war either.
But the thought still persisted.
But Naruto...if Naruto said that he could find out what the fallen angels were up to. Then she would do what he asked her to do.
Place some faith in him.
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