Naruto opted to stay quiet and listen, curious in what the high-class devil thought.
"Honestly, I had every reason to be skeptical. You had no stake in any of this, no angle, no ulterior motive, and simply no...reason to promote such a difficult thing. It was nonsensical for you to do so. So I thought that you must have had some sort of selfish reason that I simply haven't considered yet. Yet...you never proved me right." the red-headed devil continued, her quiet tone belaying her seriousness.
"Before I even asked you to ask Issei to become a devil for me...I already began to trust you a little. Far more than I should. You just seem to have that charisma and force of personality that makes people...gravitate to you almost. Yet...you never tried to abuse such a skill."
Rias finally turned away from the sunset and to her blond ally.
Comrade.
Friend.
Savior.
"...Co-existence between a hero and devils seemed to be an impossibility, yet you managed it. What's to say that you can't pull of the impossible and help create peace between the Biblical factions? I wouldn't have supported such an attempt unless there was a reasonable expectation of success...but I think that you are a person that can change everything." Rias finished seriously, her intense stare unwavering.
Naruto didn't say anything, he just stared at the Gremory heiress with interest.
He didn't really think that she thought about it this far...
"Wow, I guess you thought about this pretty deeply, huh? I never really saw my actions as that incredible though..." the shinobi replied sheepishly, feeling slightly uncomfortable with her words.
He couldn't take such thoughtful compliments too well yet.
Rias shook her head lightly. "Those are my true feelings Naruto. Not fabrications. I want to help you with your goal, as a woman who wants to support her friend as they have supported her. As well...as an individual who has never experienced the horrors of war...and doesn't want to go through such an experience in life."
The blond grinned a little, despite her deep words. So that was her answer huh...?
"Good, because I don't want some half-ass to help me. Nor do I want a friend who feels indebted to me to help me out, that would be killing the point of what I'm trying to do." Naruto retorted smartly, a growing grin on his lips.
Rias just grinned back.
Both teens were silent for a while, simply staring at the sunset.
Then a question began to wiggle in the blond's head.
"Hey Rias-san? Do you have a dream?" Naruto asked curiously.
The red-head blinked, processing his words for a split second, and then finally turned to him in slight confusion.
"That's a rather...interesting question. To be perfectly honest, since my species is so long-lasting...I never really thought about anything that long-term yet. I simply have plenty of time to kill." Rias said simply in response.
She was giving her friend a curious look, wondering what was going on in her friend's- savior's- friend's...head.
Naruto shrugged helplessly. "Just humor me for a bit. I think that I should be more specific...is there anything that you want in life?"
The high-class devil turned away from him for a moment, giving his words serious consideration.
Was there anything that she wanted? Outside of getting out of her engagement?
Her engagement...no, Riser's marriage with the Gremory heiress.
"...There is one thing that I would like. Perhaps it's because of my older brother, or perhaps it's because no one truly recognizes me yet...but everyone tends to see me as merely the 'Gremory heiress'. A title, not worth putting a name to." Rias whispered, a more somber tone to her voice.
Blue eyes watched the crimson-haired girl, her dilemma sounded...familiar.
"Truth be told, I've always dreamed that some dashing man would see me for something more than my title. It's a bit...childish, but that's what children do I suppose." the red-head mumbled, a bitter smile stretching on her face.
Naruto didn't say anything for a moment, simply staring at her form in contemplation.
Then he spoke.
"Hey Rias-san...can I tell you a little story? I think you might find this story to be pretty...insightful."
Rias glanced at Naruto curiously again, wondering how someone younger than her could tell an insightful story.
That was the stuff of those who went through a lot of experiences, of older people.
The happy-go-lucky Naruto didn't seem like such a person...
Taking her silence as the go ahead, the blond started his story.
"Well, when I was younger, I met this boy. This boy was the grandson of the leader of the village where I grew up. Because he was the grandson of that village leader, many in the village would refer to him as the 'Honorable Grandson' instead of using his name. Preferring to see him as his title instead of as a person." Naruto recalled, eyes drifting off towards a more simpler time...
Rias was watching his profile intently, eyes glued as she realized just how eerily familiar this boy's story was to hers.
"What did he do...? How did he solve his problem?" the red-head pressed, wondering how he solved his problem.
...Or whether he solved it at all.
Naruto ignored her questions and continued his story, unfazed.
"That boy became sick and tired of his treatment, so instead of sitting around and waiting for something to change, he opted to try and become the village leader himself. To make his own name. Although he went about it the wrong way." the shinobi went on, a wry smirk stretching across his face.
Paper shuriken and sexy jutsus were not exactly the 'right' way.
Naruto finally turned to face his audience, his expression serious.
"Rias-san, your problem is just like the one that my friend from my old home faced. But unlike him...you're waiting for something to happen. Practically praying that someone would save you from your issues...but I think that you're looking at it the wrong way. Instead of waiting for someone to help you...why not try to fix it yourself? With your own two hands?" Naruto inquired simply.
Rias' eyes widened at the blond's question.
She raised her own hand and stared at it like it was a foreign object. Her hand...
...Fix it herself? By her own two hands?
Could she really do such a thing? Change people's perceptions of her through her own will?
The shinobi practically rolled his eyes, was it really such a foreign concept to her? Proactively chasing after some sort of goal instead of waiting for someone to give it to her like a present?
Yeesh...
"...Why are you telling me this, Naruto? Why tell me that story? Why encourage me to solve my own problems?" the high-class devil eventually asked as confusion and uncertainty danced in her eyes.
The blond merely grinned at her in response.
"Well...you're going to help me out with my goals, I figure that such a partnership shouldn't be a one-way street I guess. Just like you'd like to support me...I'd like to support you too."
Naruto began to scratch his cheek a little, a small and embarrassed smile began to make it's way to his face.
"That and...I'd like to see you lot all succeed. I want to see all of you stand on your own two feet rather than rely on someone else to do so. Even more than that...I'd like my new friends to achieve their own dreams. That's just who I am dattebayo."
Rias stared at him, jaw slightly unhinged.
Incredible.
This boy was simply incredible.
She could only shake her head in silent wonder, just who was Uzumaki Naruto?
She didn't know.
But...by this point.
She didn't really care.
"Uh...is something wrong, Rias-san?" the blond asked her in slight concern.
She was just shaking her head with a smile on her face after all.
Rias turned to face her friend.
Nope, nothing was wrong. In fact, everything seemed to be going really really well for her.
...Except one thing.
"There is something wrong, Naruto." the high-class devil claimed, before pointing one of her fingers at his face.
"You keep using the honorific '-san' with my name, after all of this time no less. So I'd like to ask you to take it out." Rias declared with slight gusto.
What was this feeling? This...excitement?
Naruto gave her a deadpanned look.
"What are you talking about? I don't use '-san' to your name." the shinobi retorted with an annoyed look on his face.
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