Chapter Twenty-Nine
The Meeting
Heaven's Embassy had been first built in 310 AD of Earth's Gregorian calendar. Its purpose was to strengthen Heaven's control over Hell during a time when Christianity was starting to grow in the world and the conversion or deaths of pagans was beginning to rise. The heavenly marble and glass that made up the current church had only been used during the third reconstruction.
The embassy had been destroyed twice in its time in Hell. The first time was during a Sinner revolt that ended up with a lot of angels dying and being sent back to Heaven. The reason was because of the abuse the demons faced under the angels' scrutiny. The angels came down and rebuilt it after talks happened with Lucifer.
Then the Extermination Day was proclaimed where the angels will hunt down Sinners to cull their numbers. The reason given by Lucifer was that Pentagram City was starting to get overcrowded with Sinners and he was unwilling to kick out hellborn demons to make room. It was three years before the angels started to head to other rings to search for Sinners.
That put them at odds with hellborn and the Princes alike, ultimately brewing into a war that Lucifer could not stop. Satan, Beelzebub, and Belphegor had eradicated the Exterminators and embassy altogether in a sudden and decisive strike. Heaven was in an uproar when they learned that the Sins had attacked them when they were performing a sanctioned duty.
That's when new parameters of the agreement had to be made, since all of the Sins did not want any angels coming to their own rings. That's when the Sinner population had to be kept in Pride and the Exterminators could not leave the city during the culling. The embassy was rebuilt with heavenly marble and glass as it would be able to withstand most physical and lesser to intermediate spells.
The glow it exudes was blessed with God's Light as the angels who worked here would not be able to carry out their duties without being corrupted if it was not so. For the demons who lived nearby, it was painstaking as the Light exuded is the very thing they miss from being alive when they had that feeling everyday. That's what makes life in Hell so harsh, as was mentioned by Bee and her father; the loss of God's Light was hard for many to accept and adjust to.
And they keep themselves smack dab in the middle to torture everyone. Naruto made a face of disgust as he made that thought.
For some reason, he himself had not had trouble with adjusting to Hell's distance from the Light. Standing in front of the embassy was no different, only seeing it as a glowing monument in a drab city, and the detail concerned him a bit. Why did he not feel the Light even as he could acknowledge its presence? Was he too corrupted?
"Hey," Agatha interrupted his thoughts with a raised eyebrow that expressed a little bit of concern. "You okay?"
Naruto nodded his head and looked back at the building. "Yeah. Just in thought. I'm fine now, let's go."
He didn't wait for an answer before approaching the embassy doors. He did not want to share his dark thoughts with the fallen angel. It wouldn't ease her own tense emotions if she knew what he felt and that would not be beneficial to the upcoming meeting.
He had barely touched them when he felt a shining light blind him from above. He barely got a hand above his face to protect his sight before he heard the flapping of wings.
"Who are you?" A feminine voice asked from in the light, their outline all Naruto could see when squinting up. "Why do you approach these hallowed grounds, demon?"
The person landed and showed themself to be a female Exterminator with the typical armored outfit and weird glitching mask. The right eye is Xed out and the two black horns of the helmet are curved back with a glowing black halo above. The spine of her wings are dark gray while the feathers are white with a jagged black line design going through the middle of the wings.
"I've been asked to come here to have a meeting with the Elders," Naruto stared down the masked woman, raising his eyebrow when he noticed the angel was looking at Agatha. "Is there a problem?"
"None." The angel answered sharply before opening the door with her free hand. "Come inside, I will lead you to the meeting room."
She allowed them to pass, Naruto letting Agatha go first so he can make sure she stayed safe while among her former brethren. He knew she would not ask for help, especially from him of all people, but that did not mean he would ignore her plight. He can see the anxiety and fear wafting off of her aura and he tried to convey a calmness through their melded connection to help her get through.
He wasn't sure if it could work like that but it kept the fallen angel from having a panic attack.
"Follow me," the Exterminator motioned with her heavenly steel spear forward before leading them.
As they walked, Naruto took the time to take in the embassy and keep an eye on possible ambushes. He doubted they would be above such methods especially considering the pain he caused them this Extermination. Being surrounded by angels, most of which are Exterminators as well, put him on edge for the worst possible outcome.
He had his abdomen wrapped with a whole sleeve of explosive tags that may not level this place but will do enough damage to have them reeling long enough to get away. As an extra insurance, he also had a heavenly steel longsword and spear stored in a seal on his wrist for him and his companion.
The Exterminator knocked on the room they arrived in and waited a moment before a noise was hardly heard on the other side. It must have been confirmation to enter because the angel turned the knob and walked inside to hold the door open.
"The Sinner and traitor are here, Elders, sir."
Naruto followed Agatha inside and was surprised to see how… outnumbered he was.
Let him correct himself; he wasn't surrounded, as any issue of numbers he could fix with the use of a lot of Shadow Clones. No, what he meant was by being outnumbered in power because each of the people in front of him with the exception of the tall man in the weird priestly robes were insanely powerful. He can feel the dense mess of their aura and the unique powers hidden within even if he did not know what it was specifically.
And among them is the black-haired angel that attacked him, lazily laying his head on an outstretched arm on the table.
"Greetings," the blonde angel with blue-themed robes smiled at them. "My name is Michael, and these are my siblings."
"Gabriel." The twin of Michael introduced himself with a kind smile.
"Uriel."
"Raguel."
"Raziel."
"Raphael."
"Zachariel."
"Remiel."
"Themiel."
"Azrael."
The black-haired angel lazily looked up and his golden eyes locked with Naruto's. The tired bags under his eyes gained the blonde's attention first but then it was his aura. Blue, gray, and green came from him plenty.
"And I'm Adam, the First Man," the brunette human greeted with a grin.
"Greetings to you all," Naruto bowed his head respectfully but his eyes remained on all of the angels. "I am a ningen Overlord of the Entertainment District… but I'm sure you already know about me."
His scarlet eyes flashed to Azrael and the Angel of Death smiled at being acknowledged, unashamed of his actions. This earned a sigh from Michael while Themiel began admonishing his brother quietly but he didn't even look bothered.
"I apologize for Azrael's actions that day," Michael apologized honestly. "Please, sit. We have a lot to talk about."
Naruto nodded his head and moved for the chair across from them.
As he did so, Uriel was closely watching him as her burning eyes looked deep into his soul. She knows that this is the Prophecy Child they lost three years ago. How could she not? Even from here she could feel the purity of his soul burning like a bright light. This is despite being in Hell for this long, the beacon that is his divine soul powered through the sin that flooded every corner of Hell.
The Angel of Fire wondered if anyone in Hell could feel his God-like presence, and if they did if they were using him. She doubted Lucifer would do so, mostly because even now he was a good boy that had just been naive in his youth. No, it would have to be the others who still work on Darkness' behalf.
She really wondered how Izzy had still thought that the Child could be too far gone even when coming face to face with him. Even that bit of corruption she sensed could not compare to the beacon that is his Light.
"Vaggie," Adam called with the Exterminator near him. "You can take a seat over here."
He motioned to the chair beside him on the other side of the table from the blonde Sinner. The fallen Angel glanced at the chair and then at the chair next to Naruto. He did not look back at her but she could tell he was waiting to see what she would do.
I can't go back. She told herself after a moment of conflict and shook her head. "I'm fine over here."
Everyone is surprised to see Agatha take a seat next to the blonde, even going so far as to scoot the chair a little bit closer. What made her trust this Sinner so quickly? What made her choose to stay fallen when she was given the chance to choose to walk back to Heaven's side?
"For the record," Gabriel spoke up as he pulled out a pen and large notebook to begin scribing. "Please state your name."
Naruto bit his lip as he glanced around the room. "My name… is Naruto Uzumaki."
Gabriel's hand halted as he had prepared to write down the boy's name and he glanced up to confirm he wasn't hearing things. His siblings were all feeling the same as well, but he could see that Uriel and Azrael were not as surprised as the rest of them. Even Adam was surprised by the answer for many reasons.
"Wait, Uzumaki? You're from the same family as that woman?" Adam looked back at his Exterminator. "What was her name?"
"Kushina Uzumaki, sir."
"That's my mother," Naruto chuckled at the man's shocked expression. "Can't you see the striking resemblance?"
Adam did not answer but he did realize what this meant. He knew the first name of the Child of God, how could he not? Being the First Man and the patriarch of the First Family made him privy to a lot of things. But the fact that the Child would be the offspring of that bitch?
He couldn't help but instinctively move uncomfortably in his chair, feeling the phantom pains of the time that woman used that appalling finger technique. 1000 Years of Death? Fuck, it was the worst thing he ever had the misfortune to know exists - and he was into a lot of shit!
Agatha herself glanced at Naruto with wide eyes as she learned that new piece of information. He was her mentor's son? Him! She couldn't believe it. He was nothing like his mother.
Oh, wait. His temper. In the short time that she's been around him, she can see the anger and wrath flooding under his red eyes like an exploding volcano. He hid most of his negative emotions under a guise of kindness and understanding, but he never let someone get away with something they've done. Unlike Kushina who would express her anger in the moment, Naruto would bide his time to properly enact his own emotion.
Michael cleared his throat into his fist to get everyone's attention. "I know that you understand why we have you here and that this is an interrogation of the events of Extermination Day. I hope you cooperate with our questions and answer truthfully. If you cannot answer honestly, then please state that you are not comfortable with answering. That would be better than lying, agreed?"
Naruto nodded his head in understanding and sat straighter in anticipation.
"First, we want to know why you acted against the Extermination?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow at the genuine curiosity. "I mean, other than me and my friends being the targets during said event? I was always uneasy with how sadistically gleeful the angels were while killing us Sinners. I also know that while there are genuinely bad people who deserve to die, I also know that there are some including myself who are not deserving of true death."
Most of the angels were puzzled at that and began quietly looking at each other in confusion. Themiel, even with his blindfold, was clearly confused and even distressed by something he said. It took his brother holding his hand to calm him down, but even Azrael sat straighter now.
"You know people who are not deserving of punishment?" Michael asked, wanting Naruto to clarify his words.
"Oh no, some of us still deserve punishment, but I don't think a permanent end to existence is it," Naruto answered truthfully as he looked the Angel of Battle in his eyes. "I'll use myself as an example. I lived my life as an orphan with a village of people who wanted to see me dead. I had to steal, lie, and hurt to have food and water to live to the next day. I know that what I did was wrong, I don't deny that, but do you think a child deserves the sentence of Hell and the threat of extermination?"
"I mean, you're what, nineteen," Adam asked with a wave of his hand. "That's old enough to understand right from wrong."
"I died when I was thirteen, and I've spent only three years in Hell," Naruto told the man and that made the First Man swallow thickly at that.
Adam regretted his words immediately at the blonde's statement. He was an asshole, he acknowledges that, but even he had a hard time swallowing the idea of children dying from anything. For that child to then be in Hell? An orphan child with no role model?
His stomach churned a bit but he didn't say anything, only sitting back quietly.
"You are ningen, so were you a shinobi?"
Naruto nodded his head at Michael's question. "I was. But believe it or not, I had not killed a single person either. So, tell me, if I can be sent to Hell for the bare minimum sin and I have to survive this culling every year for just trying to survive, what about others like me? I can tell you don't think I deserve it, your faces tell me all I need."
His question ended in a soft solemn silence and no one could answer his question. But he could see that they were still shocked at something he had said earlier. He wanted to question them on it but Michael had continued on.
"So you fought against the Exterminators, and being a ningen gave you extra abilities beyond what some of our angels are able to deal with," Michael had heard of the amount of clones the boy had spawned and no ningen had been able to do that before. "You didn't… permanently kill them even when you had the chance to, which we appreciate. We can understand your feelings and we sympathize, but the Extermination is an important act that we take to keep the balance of existence in check."
"If there is too much good or too much bad for too long, everything goes," Adam made weird warbling and crashing noises as he jerked his hands around. "Then Darkness comes in for the buffet line and nomnomnom!"
Naruto raised his eyebrow at the man's childish display and even some of the Elders were palming their heads in disappointment. Even the angel near Adam shook her head as the mask showed a clearly unimpressed expression.
"That's… colorful, and I still don't understand too well but I'm not really trying to challenge the law," Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "I can't speak on something that has existed for longer than I can fathom. I just think some things could be done differently."
Shrugging his shoulders, he deferred to Michael to ask his next question.
The blonde nodded his head in understanding, more awed that he was so mature even in this kind of situation. Any other demon would be trying to condemn them and call them hypocrites and such without fully understanding the situation. "What brought Agatha Connolly under your care?"
"She's a fallen angel," Naruto waved his hand towards her head to show her lack of halo. "She protected a child and mother Sinner from her bloodthirsty compatriots, earning her their ire and her new station. I arrived to see the angels hurting Charlotte, Lucifer's daughter, and decided that their time in Hell had run its course. Seeing as Agatha was now no longer an angel and injured, I brought her to my place to care for her. She's kinda stuck around from then."
Agatha sneered at the flippant ending that made it seem like she was some lost pup trying to stay near her master. But he was not entirely wrong, just that the way he presented the answers rubbed her the wrong way.
"Do you agree with the line of events, Agatha?" Michael turned his eyes to her and she swallowed.
"Yes," she stammered out softly. "I went against my orders in my first Extermination. I'm sorry but I couldn't carry out what I was to do when I saw that those who I was hunting were families. I just- I couldn't…"
"It's okay, dear," Uriel spoke up, her warmth calming the fallen angel nearly immediately.
The Elder's words washed away the guilt and shame Agatha felt in the face of those she let down. She had always worried about how her sisters and superiors would view her act of treason. It had finally come to a head when she faced Adam and the Elders and now she was having tears well up in the corners of her eyes.
"We understand." Adam sighed and scratched his head harshly in agitation. "The Exterminations are a harsh duty that not everyone can carry out. You faced the harsh truth of what happens to angels as they carry out this task. I will punish the angels that hurt you. They should not have turned their weapons on their comrade, no matter if you fell or not."
Naruto raised an eyebrow at the man's words and even Agatha was surprised by this. The First Man was being oddly understanding, considering in any other capacity from before he was always being a dickhole to everyone. Womanizing, misogynistic, and sarcastic to all fuck.
"You've read the pamphlet, haven't you?" The Exterminator behind Adam questioned as she saw the confused stares. "There's a reason we offer therapy and weekly check-ups throughout the year. Nobody is unaffected by their duty, even your mentor had to use our services."
"Then why carry it out?" Naruto's baffled question was filled with confusion and even accusation. "If this is just causing more corruption, then why?"
"For balance," Adam answered with a tired stare as he rested his chin on his palm. "We answered that already. World;" he made a bunch of noises similar to before. "Darkness; nomnomnom."
Naruto blinked at the man as he slowly processed the man's… energy. He turned to look at Michael and Gabriel, the only two angels that were keeping it together.
Themiel was shaking in silent laughter and even Azrael had a genuine smile on his lips. Uriel and Zachariel just sighed deeply as they seemed used to the man's behavior. Raphael was grinning and watching Naruto for his reaction, mostly because it was always to see first time reactions to Adam's true self.
"I was under the impression you were an asshole, not a man-baby," Naruto said as he turned his attention back to the man. "No offense, of course, it's just… the orchestrator of the Exterminations did not appear in my head as you."
Adam laughed out loud. "And how was I supposed to be? All grim and bloodthirsty? Please, I'm an asshole but I am not some psycho. You should meet my firstborn, Cain. Now he's who you'd expect to run the Exterminators."
"Maybe some other time," Naruto narrowed his eyes as he realized that he had everything wrong about these people.
How can these be the people that make it into Heaven when I'm sent to Hell? Is there some kind of preferential treatment of some people?
"How much longer are we going to beat around the bush?" Azrael finally asked while looking at Michael. "Let's get to the point now that he's here."
Naruto's eyebrow raised and noted the annoyed and disappointed glances the angel got.
"We are trying to ease into it, Azrael," Remiel gave an annoyed look at the Angel of Death.
"I'm sorry," Naruto interrupted and raised his hand slightly to get the angels' attention. "Ease into what exactly?"
Michael sighed and glanced at his brother, getting a meaningful stare back. "What Azrael means is that we have been looking for you and we are meaning to bring it up to you."
"What he means to say is that you are the Child of Prophecy that we have been looking for," Azrael spoke up again much to Michael's chagrin.
"Ah, that again," Naruto sat back with his arms crossed. "You kept calling me that while trying to kill me. So what, is this now an execution but there's now more of you?"
Themiel turned to his brother, getting a shrug in response, and Michael just palmed his face.
"I apologize again for Azrael's actions. That was not what he was supposed to do when he found you." Uriel tried covering for the man, the only one who knew the intricacies of his mind and of their meetings with Hagoromo and Eve.
"So," Naruto continued, uncaring of the excuse. "What does that mean, the Child of Prophecy?"
"You're the second Son, basically," Adam supplied helpfully, getting a snort from his subordinate.
"That's a crude but simple way of explaining it," Michael drawled slowly. "Truthfully, you are the second Son of God and the next savior but instead of being the savior of Ninkai you are the one for all dimensions. There is not much we can share beyond that."
"Unless you choose to come with us to Heaven, that is," Azrael said out loud and this time his brother actually shushed him. "Oh, I'm sorry, are we not asking God's son to come back to Heaven with us? Isn't that where he belongs?"
There seemed to be an argument building but Naruto was not for it. "I'm sorry," he interrupted before anyone could say anything. "I'm not planning on leaving Hell. I have people I care about here and I will not leave them to fend for themselves during the Exterminations."
The angels were all shocked by his words, mostly because they would not think he would turn them down. Didn't he understand what they just told him that he was the Child of God? He was rightfully belonging in Heaven!
"Can we ask why," Raguel's deep voice questioned.
"I mean, I gave one," Naruto answered with a shrug. "How about I don't have a reason to trust you? One of you already tried killing me personally, while the other threatens the life of my friends once a year with an army. All I have is some improbable explanation that I'm some prophecy and I have no reason to believe that."
The angels and First Man all watched him with concerned gazes but they couldn't exactly argue with him.
Michael sighed and nodded his head in acceptance. "I can't say I agree or understand, but it is how you feel and we will not force you. But I would like to offer you the ability to visit here to ask us any question you want. We are here to help you understand any time you need even if you do not want to come to Heaven."
Naruto nodded his head, appreciating the offer. "If there is anything you need, I offer the same of myself to you."
"If that's the case," Themiel excitedly spoke up, getting his siblings' curiosity. "Tell us about Luci's daughter! How is she? What's she like? Tell us everything!"