Chapter Twenty-Five
The Truth Comes Out
Hagoromo stared at the woman that threatened an axe against his chest. She is breathing heavily, much more distressed than he had ever seen her. That could be understood, however, as she had just asked a very stressful question.
"Tell me, geezer sage," she said again and her eyes burned with restrained anger. "Tell me my kid is alive in Konoha!"
His eyes softened and his shoulders sagged as he lowered his eyes. She found him.
Kushina's eyes widened as she saw him look away, and she felt something inside her crack. Her lip quivered and tears welled in her eyes. "No. No, please. Please tell me, Hagoromo."
The man shook his head solemnly. "I cannot lie to you, Kushina."
She dropped the axe now and staggered back as if she received a blow. Her hand moved to her mouth and she had to brace against one of the dining room chairs. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
Her son… is dead? That meant that the one she called a fake and tried to kill, threatened at the end of her axe… oh dear God!
She collapsed to her knees and sobbed as the reality dawned on her. Hagoromo was by her side in an instant, trying to console her. It was regrettable that this had to happen but she could never have known in a normal sense. Not only could they not trust her to not risk becoming a fallen angel for Naruto, she would very likely lead the Darkness to his location in her pursuit for him.
"I couldn't tell you, child," Hagoromo whispered remorsefully. "He isn't supposed to be dead. This wasn't supposed to happen."
"H-how?" She sobbed and wiped her face of the snot and tears. "How could this have happened? Why is he in Hell?"
"We don't know," Hagoromo answered truthfully, ashamed of his own words. "The Darkness had a hand in it, but that's as far as we know."
"What about Ashura," she hiccuped and looked at him with puffy eyes. "He was to take care of my son, you promised me. What happened to that?"
Hagoromo clenched his jaw and swallowed the lump in his throat. "Ashura… he was incredibly injured."
Kushina's eyes widened at that. The man's son, Ashura, was selected by the old sage to be Naruto's guardian angel. His own son who had protected Hashirama, the man who led to the formation of a peaceful village and a warless decade. The one who could have become Gabriel's student if he had the ambition but instead became a Virtue.
He was injured? That would not have happened with any normal creature of Darkness!
"Come, sit," Hashirama easily held the woman and led her to a chair. "I will explain everything to you."
She didn't fight him, exhausted from the mental anguish of learning her precious baby was in Hell. She had threatened to kill him. No, I didn't…
She couldn't say that she didn't mean it. She knew deep down that she did. She was overcome with a hatred that has built up over countless fruitless Exterminations. She has been so unsatisfied with being unable to save her husband, even at that moment in Hell being so close but unable to do anything, that she had threatened her son just because she couldn't believe he was there.
Hagoromo sat in his own chair, the feeling of many centuries to nearly a millennia now affecting him. He isn't that old by some angel's standards, still seen as a spritely man because of his youthful appearance, but he did not feel it. He felt every bit the years he has existed both alive and in Heaven.
"Your son was fighting to bring back a fellow ninja who was trying to go rogue," Hagoromo started softly, getting the woman's attention. "He was doing a fine job, likely to be successful even without Ashura's help. My boy was making sure that their two final colliding attacks would not end your son's life as was his duty. But something happened."
He breathed in deeply. "Ashura had been hit from an attack typical of a Harbinger-level abomination. In that attack, your son was left defenseless and he had suffered the worst possible fate."
"Who conducted his purgatory judgment?" Kushina's anger is renewed now as she listens. "His life at thirteen would not have gained him a sentence to Hell! Who gave that judgment?!"
"Junior Seraphim Emily was in training when your son was killed," Hagoromo told her and she was shocked at that news. "Yes, you are starting to get it. Emily is naive to a lot of things still and was given a falsified report on your son's life, exaggerating the 'sins' and ignoring the good. She did not think that someone would lie but she is learning more now that the Elders are involved."
"But it must have mentioned he was a…" she stopped as she realized that he said it was a falsified report. "She didn't know he was the Promised Child."
Hagoromo shook his head. "No, and the only reason we found out was because Ashura had come back nearly dead a few days later."
Kushina looked up at that. "We? Who else knew?"
"Sigh, the meetings I've been having with Eve, Uriel, and Azrael have been about the whereabouts of your son," Hagoromo answered. "We have been trying to find and then contact Naruto these last three years. He had not popped up until now, as you know as not even you had run into him during your time there."
Kushina put a hand over her mouth as she reeled from the severity of what she was learning. "So even the Elders are now aware of my son being in Hell? What are they doing about it?"
"Just trying to find the culprit for now. They do not want to go to Hell and get Naruto when Heaven has an agent of Darkness lurking. It would also risk a war with Hell and a violent Sinner population if we try to bring one person to Heaven."
"But it was an error! He doesn't deserve to be there!"
"And how do we know he is the only one?" Hagoromo's question cut through her anger like a hot knife and she recoiled. "If we open that can of worms without properly knowing the extent of all of this, we put everyone's faith in God in jeopardy. We have given judgments on His behalf and we screwed up, but the backlash without Him here will be beyond our control."
Kushina sagged in her seat, her expression one of complete defeat. "What do we do then, geezer? I can't just sit here and twiddle my thumbs as my son stays in Hell."
Hagoromo sighed and he shook his head. "You can't do anything or else you risk falling. Just trust in me, trust that I want your son safe as much as you do."
Minato walked the halls of the grand Höll that houses his temporary master and some of his forces. He was allowed free reign, mostly because he could not leave without permission but also because there were plenty of Húskarls guarding Óðinn's home. It did not bother him either way, he just kept himself busy by wandering the building and taking notes of the layout.
He would not be idle and let himself be used, especially when they want his son for their nefarious purposes. He had plans, calculated movements and paths keeping his watchers none the wiser. All while he made his beginning steps to escape his containment.
And his first plan was the one who was gaining doubts about her current allegiances.
Eir was a fairly calm and open-minded warrior when it came to many things. She is a respected Hersir, a type of warrior leader among this culture. Her duties outside of leading raids and such were mostly administrative, organizing rations and materials, but other than that she was just another Tribune.
It is her devotion and steadfast determination that allowed her to be chosen to capture Naruto in the Gluttony Ring. If not for that transformation his son had, he was sure she could have been successful. But after her loss, and the punishment after, she has been doubting not just her god but her position here.
That meant it was an opening to get himself out of here. If he can get her cooperation to steal his soul marble from Óðinn's chambers, then they could make their way to Pride. He can get in contact with his son, or more likely Jiraiya, and start working to get his soul free from the marble.
"You've passed by four times now. What do you want?"
Minato smiled and turned to see Eir glaring at him from her door. As one of the best warriors, she had her own room and privacy. "Hello, Eir-san, how are you?"
Her eyes narrowed dangerously and he could see the shadows of bags under her eyes. "What do you want, argr?"
Minato's eye twitched at what she just called him, knowing it meant something like 'unmanly' or 'passive' and was a way these people insulted someone's honor and bravery. "I want to talk."
Eir's eyebrow raised and crossed her arms. "What is it you want to say? I don't have all day."
"Privately." He insisted.
She looked at him intently for a moment, her eyes mulling over his request before moving her head for him to follow her into her room. Once he was inside, she closed her door. She couldn't lock it since no one had that amount of privacy other than their god and just had to hope no one would come.
"Speak."
Minato nodded his head at her demand. "I know you are questioning your loyalty to Óðinn."
Eir was at his throat with a dagger in an instant, her eyes narrowed and dark with distrust. "What makes you think I would ever turn against my god?"
"Because someone showed you better," he did not waver and his eyes stared at her honestly. "You know as much as me that Óðinn sees you as nothing more than a tool to use and discard once finished. You can serve something better if you help me."
"What makes you think I want to help you? If I wanted, no one would look at me a second time if I chose to leave. I could just leave you."
"You could do that," he nodded his head. "But how will you survive? Without help you will be found again and likely hunted like a dog. If you help me, I can get us both free and out of here quickly, and then get us in contact with someone who can help."
"How? This place is crawling with Óðinn's most elite húskarls." Her eyes narrowed but she pulled away from the man to release him. "You are being controlled, and on top of that you are as alone outside of here as I am."
"You will have to trust me, I can't reveal the specifics until I am free of Óðinn's control. You will have to sneak into his chambers and get my marble to me so I can't be controlled anymore."
"Oh great, and what else? Steal his underwear?"
"Not particularly, but I won't judge you for your tastes." He grinned at his own quip and enjoyed the annoyed stare he got in response. "My marble is in a locked box on his nightstand. Steal that, and we will be free to leave."
Naruto's clones were all around the city making repairs to the infrastructure that was damaged during the Extermination. Most of the blood he washed away with a simple Water Gun technique was golden from the angel's he had 'killed'. He knows they're not dead as he had not used a single heavenly steel weapon, and his new surplus of the weapons made him the third biggest single owner.
He plans to keep the weapons for himself in the event he needs them. He also didn't care to let these weapons end up in the average Sinner's hands. He knew that would only spell trouble and he didn't want a murder epidemic on his mind. For now, he just kept them in his office in a large storage scroll for safe keeping.
"Naruto!"
The blonde smiled at a few customers that saw him and waved.
"You were so cool! You taught those bastards something they'll never forget!"
Naruto chuckled at the praise and nodded his head in thanks. This has been a thing all day; people would be praising and complimenting him for what they saw on TV. The Vees have aired the whole thing, which he didn't mind, but that also meant he was getting more business than usual. Even Rin has called him that his restaurant in Uptown was busier than normal.
There were many reactions he expected but this was not at the top.
He walked to the front to find Charlie trying to help carry the delivery order inside. Trust Henroin to have my supplies delivered the day after Extermination.
Two boxes were in Charlie's hands and she teetered a bit as if she was about to fall. He quickly grabbed the boxes and helped her hold them up. "Woah, there. Need help, Charlie-hime?"
The princess smiled at him and nodded her head. "Thank you, Naru, I thought I had it but I guess not."
He smiled and took the boxes out of her hands. "Of course, it's no problem!"
He led the way to the back with the girl following him but making sure to hold open doors for him. He couldn't exactly see that much around the boxes and his two hands were preoccupied to open doors.
"Here we are," He placed the boxes on the prep table they use for miscellaneous menu items.
"Thank you, Naru!"
She quickly kissed him on his cheek at the corner of his lips. He was surprised with how close she was to making lip contact but he was sure she would not have complained. He would even bet his left nut that she would have done it on purpose herself if he had made a decision on the harem idea.
Multiple partners is what my grandparents would have done. And it's not like he had a clan to revive in the afterlife. Wow, that puts a whole perspective on things. I was the last Uzumaki and now that clan is dead, at least as far as I know.
If he really wanted to, he could just make his own clan in Hell, like the Goetia or von Eldritch are families of Hell. It was every guy's dream to have their own harem where all the girls agree and get along. Wasn't like he was that much against it…
"Just fuck her already, foxy."
Naruto startled as he didn't realize he was spacing out, much less who had spoken. He turned to see his girlfriend standing next to him while eating a Wasted slider that is nearly quadruple its original size. He really never understood how she did that and all she told him was 'science magic'.
"I've yet to fuck you, why would you tell me to fuck another girl?"
She looked at him from her burger and grinned as she chewed. "Because I'd watch and join in."
"Isn't Charlie like a niece to you?" Naruto raised an eyebrow at that. "Even my home had standards that you didn't have relations with anyone closer than second cousins."
"We're not blood related so it doesn't really count," she shrugged and finished her burger. "That's a good burger. So, why are you turning down all these girls?"
"I'm already in a relationship."
"Doesn't mean I'd say no to a bed full of women with you."
"Don't forget the boys," Haku said in passing without stopping.
"Oh, right, them too," Bee grinned and pinched Naruto's cheek, seeing him give his friend an annoyed stare. "Anything my babe wants."
"That line is getting old!" Naruto shouted at Haku but only got a giggle, which was when he noticed his friend's choice of clothing. "Why the fuck are you wearing a schoolgirl uniform?"
"Actually, it's a Ryuko Matoi cosplay, and I'm wearing it to a Halloween party," Haku answered and checked himself out in the uniform. "Stephen thought it would be amusing to see how many we can trick into thinking I'm a girl."
"It's Hell, the amount who would actually care is slim," Naruto gave a deadpan stare. "Change. Now."
"What! Why?" Haku turned on his heel to face Naruto.
The blonde, however, blushed and slapped his hands over his face when he saw the skirt twirl and lift up when she spun around. He really did not understand the Yuki boy, especially why he chose to do this stuff. He wished Zabuza was here to help him navigate all of this.
"I think he looks cute," Bee complimented with a nod as she appreciated the outfit.
"Thank you!"
"You know what, I don't believe you wore that pink kimono as a disguise anymore," Naruto groaned and glared at the grinning boy. "Just admit that you're a crossdresser."
"I just like whatever is comfortable," Haku answered teasingly. "Nothing wrong with that."
Naruto slapped a hand to his forehead. "Go change, you're not going out like that."
"I'm not a kid anymore, I can decide on my own what I want to wear." Haku raised an eyebrow. "Or are you jealous other guys will be seeing me like this."
"You're being indecent." Naruto did not take the bait.
"I'm not changing."
"You are."
"Not."
"You won't be allowed back."
"I'll change but I'll start calling you daddy since you're acting like one."
"I know you mean that sexually, so no. Change and don't call me anything like that."
Bee sipped on her large cup that she held with her four hands as she looked between the two. She was enjoying the banter, finding it more amusing than any TV show she's watched. It helped that Naruto's expression has not changed from a blank stare and monotone voice.
"I'll do it for a kiss."
"You can kiss my ass."
"I'll do more than that."
"I'm going to stab you."
"Mm, never tried knifeplay before."
"You're insufferable."
"And you're cute when you're annoyed."
"I hate that you make a compliment sound slimy."
"Stop hating."
"Stop being a ho and go change."
Stephen turned the corner towards the end of this and raised a hand in greeting. "Hello Haku, Nathan. What's up?"
"The ceiling, and my temper," Naruto answered immediately without turning. "Why did you tell Haku to dress like this?"
Stephen shrugged. "I knew it would tease you, and I am going as Aikuro."
Naruto looked over his shoulder with a flabbergasted expression on his face when he heard Stephen's explanation. "Wait, you're going as Aikuro Mikisugi?"
"Yep," Stephen grinned sheepishly.
"Huh," Naruto now spaced out at the thought of the timid boy being that specific character. "I would have expected Nonon or even Hōka from you."
"So, I can stay in the outfit?"
Naruto glared at Haku but shook his head and threw up his hands. "Whatever, you do you."
"Thank you, daddy."
Bam!
Naruto launched a stack of soft tortillas at the boy's face. "Fuck you."
Bee giggled as she set her cup down and grabbed Naruto's hands to drag him away. "Come on."
Naruto huffed before realizing he was being dragged upstairs. "Where are we going?"
"Your bed."
"I'm guessing you won't take no for an answer?"
"Nope. Hope you got the energy, cuz I'm ready to hit double digits with you."
Sweet fuck, one of us will not be walking after this. Good thing I implemented those silencing seals to my room.
Lucifer hummed to himself as he was making a new duck for his collection. This one he got inspiration from seeing Naruto fight the angels in his city yesterday. He was still wondering about the form he had taken but it also brought a wave of creativity.
It has fox ears and whisker marks detailing its head, while six wings came from the back. It was a very cute duck version of the boy's likeness, but he was struggling with the final part. He just couldn't figure out how he would get those seven arms on the duck's back without ruining the winds.
Making a wire ring with the arms fanned out across that could work.
Humming a little tune to himself, he prepared to start making what he would need when he started hearing a phone ringing. No one ever called him, especially by phone. Bee would just show up out of the blue if she wanted, Ozzie was apparently dating now and wouldn't come up, and the others just weren't as close to him.
It wasn't time for the Seven Sins quarterly meeting either, so who would be calling his phone.
Picking it up, he brought it to his ear. "You've reached the number of the ruler of Hell and duck enthusiast, how may I help you?"
"Hello, brother."
BAM!
Lucifer slammed the phone down on the receiver as hard as possible, surprisingly not breaking it. His eyes were wide as he registered the voice he just heard for the first time in decades. It couldn't be… could it?
Ring! Ring!
He picked up the phone and slowly brought it to his ear. He didn't say anything.
Then there was a sigh on the other end. "Are you going to hang up again?"
Lucifer did not answer, only swallowing nervously.
"I will take that as a no. It's Michael, as I'm sure you've realized by your reaction. I'm calling because I've heard from Adam that one of his Exterminators has been kidnapped."
"I-is that right? By who?"
"Some blonde Sinner fighting back in one of the Districts. I've also been told you've threatened one of our angels for doing her duty."
"Oh is that what you were told?" Lucifer now had more courage from the blatant lie given by his brother. "One of your angels was hindering my efforts of relocating a ningen when he came from purgatory. She stepped out of line and I reminded her of her place in my home."
"Sigh, I didn't call to argue, Luciel."
"It's Lucifer now, Michael," Lucifer swallowed thickly as he reminded his brother of his name. "You lot in Heaven took my name when you cast me out, remember?"
"Such was your punishment for introducing the humans to Darkness." Michael's tone is harsh but also tired. "As I said, I'm not calling to argue. It has been decided that the Sinner responsible for kidnapping the angel is to meet at the Heaven Embassy on Friday."
Lucifer breathed in deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I will let him know but I make no promises to make him go."
"Find a way to convince him, Lucifer. Or we may have to find him ourselves and that will only cause trouble."
"Like Azrael causing trouble during Extermination Day?"
Lucifer's sarcastic question was met with silence on the other line. It had been a few moments before he began to think that his brother had hung up already. He wouldn't put it past him. Despite being made as the first Seraphim and God's most loyal angel, Michael had been a warrior at heart and was as hard headed as one. He doubted he'd change.
"I was not aware of Azrael's actions. I will investigate it myself, I promise."
Lucifer rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair. "Whatever, I'll tell the Sinner that he will have to meet at the embassy. Is there anything else, brother?"
"No."
The soft answer was all Lucifer needed to hang up the phone. He sat back in his chair and slowly circled his arms around his body to hold himself.