Chapter Thirty
When The Fox Is Away
Get Wasted and Get Out was having one of its biggest rushes of the week. Considering how there isn't a dip in customers from the Extermination, it was no surprise plenty more people would be visiting the restaurant. Everyone was drinking more alcohol, eating more food, and for the girls currently running the restaurant it was overwhelming.
"Another vodka!" A demon shouted from down the line while cackling with some others around him. "And for my friends!"
Loona glanced up and nodded her head. "Coming up."
She barely remembered what alcohol all these people ordered, and the fact that only Naruto and Haku knew the system of which the alcohol was set up made it even more difficult. None of the alcohol bottles on the wall had a label so she could barely tell which ones were which. If not for Haku breaking down the sections of each alcohol, how the bourbon leads to whiskey and scotch to vodka, she would have been lost more than she currently was.
"Hey, pup, how ya hanging in there?" Husk grinned as he watched the hellhound girl walk to the vodka line in front of him.
"Don't call me pup," Loona bared her fangs before grabbing a random clear bottle. "I'm no dog."
"Sure," Husk snickered as the girl walked away before knocking back a shot of his favorite scotch.
"Here's your sandwiches, sirs!" Octavia rushed through the doors with a wide tray of plates.
A table of seven demons, boys and girls, cheered as the Goetia demoness quickly began putting the plates of large grinders in front of them. They moved the plates around to their proper owners while chatting excitedly about some topic or another. Octavia couldn't focus as she was more worried about getting to the back to run the next load of dishes in the dishwasher and then continue helping Helsa deliver food from the kitchen.
"Ah!"
Octavia screamed when she felt something firmly grab her ass from under her tail feathers. She reeled around to glare at the offending demon but she had an unashamed grin on her face. She is a cougar Sinner with barbed wire designed fur around her neck and exposed abdomen.
"Sorry, my hand slipped, cutie," the cougar chuckled while flashing a grin. "How about I make it up to-"
She couldn't finish her sentence as in the next second she had a hole in her throat, splatting her blood on the table much to the shock of the others. The cougar gurgled and coughed a few times before her face collapsed onto her sandwich.
"Do not assault Naruto's girls." Husk's voice cut through the music and noise of the other clients that continued on without a care or the sudden murder.
The others turned around to glare at the grinning ex-Overlord who was still knocking back shots. He set the glass down and looked up with mirth in his eyes, daring the group of Sinners to do something.
"I'm sure Naruto will not be happy to learn that somebody tried to grope one of his employees," Husk said almost questioningly as he held his chin in thought. "He may even kill you all. I mean, he killed Exterminators so what's a few Sinners?"
The group scowled but they couldn't help the wariness and fear that grew within them. One of them scoffed and got up from the table to try to leave.
"Hey!" Husk called out, making the man stop. "Pay for the food."
"But we didn't even eat!" The demon whipped around to glare at the man. "Why should I pay?"
"To keep mine and Octavia's mouths shut about what happened."
Octavia watched hesitantly as the Sinner grumbled before reaching in his pocket for his wallet to throw some bills on the table. He quickly rushed out of the restaurant, closely followed by his friends as they also paid. When the last one left, she breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Husk to give him a small smile.
"Th-thanks."
Husk waved his hand and turned back around his seat. "Don't worry about it, little bird. Don't thank me."
"Octavia-!" Charlie came running from the front door before stopping when she saw the dead body at the table. "What happened?"
"Just a client getting a little too big for her pants," Octavia glanced at the dead body before sighing. "What's up? I'm going to have to clean up this body to make room for the next group."
"I was just going to say I have to go to the bathroom and ask if you could cover me real quick," Charlie frowned slightly before shaking her head. "Ah, don't worry about it, I'm sure everyone knows to wait or find their own seat. After I'm done I'll help you if you need it."
Octavia nodded her head before starting to gather up the plates of food. As she cleaned up and prepared to bring the tray to the back, she couldn't shake the bad feeling she had building in her stomach. She felt nauseous and disgusted with being felt up by someone that wasn't her mate, especially when she didn't have the mind to fight back. It was as if she was just letting it happen!
I'm gonna throw up. She set the tray on a table after she rushed through the swinging door that divided the bar and the kitchen.
She quickly moved to lean over the trash as she gagged harshly but nothing came up. She knew that this feeling was her instincts crying to get her mate's scent on her after being groped and assaulted by someone else. Her type of demons would usually prune each other's feathers but just a touch would be enough to help her feel normal and safe again.
She needed her mate. She needs Naruto to wash the disgust away.
Please come back soon, Naru.
Octavia sighed as she stood up from the trash pat her cheeks a few times to snap herself out of the funk. She didn't have long until her mate would come back; she just had to wait until then.
"Hey, Octavia," Stephen came from the front while dragging the cougar's body, stopping a bit away. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Octavia shook her head before turning to the young sinner. "Oh, I got that. I was just about to come grab her."
"I got it," Stephen shook his hand. "Husk told Loona what happened and she told me. You just have to clean the blood and everything will be good."
"Okay. Thanks, Stephen."
"Of course," Stephen beamed kindly before dragging the body back. "Come on, kitty. Gotta dispose of your body now."
A brief flash illuminated the street corner and the Sinners and hellborn stepped away, expecting it to be an attack of some kind. Would someone dare have a turf war in Naruto's area?
Minato scanned the area quickly before dropping Eir on the ground from her position under his arm as he had carried her when he used his Hiraishin. He raised an eyebrow at the hellfox's shout of surprise and pain as she landed on the concrete.
"Come on, toughen up," Minato rolled his eyes as he turned away from her to face the golden clocktower in the middle of the city.
He could sense his son in that direction. It was a bright light even from inside Heaven's embassy, drowning out a lot of the noise that otherwise surrounded the rings of Hell. He knew it to be the sin and slight corruption that came with being so far from Heaven's Light, at least that's what he understood from being under the Shinigami and Allfather's control.
The Child of Prophecy. Minato knew of the prophecy from his time as Jiraiya's student.
The Toad Sannin had been so sure that he would be the Child that he gave everything he knew to him. Trained him in seals, although Kushina's inherent mastery from her clan certainly helped, and trained him in advanced jutsu theories that only the top shinobi knew of. All while still a genin.
But feeling his son's energy he knew it was not him. It was Naruto who was destined to save the world. To save all of existence.
Or destroy it, Minato thought to himself darkly as he knew what his old masters desired of his son. I have to get to Jiraiya-sensei.
Turning in the opposite direction, he could feel his former teacher's chakra in the far outskirts of the city. With it are three others but they were not flaring like they would during battle. Two were certainly fluctuating but it was more deliberate and hesitant, the signs of an unsure method.
"Where now, argr," Eir glared at the man as she brushed her clothes of the dirt and grime from her fall.
Her breasts could be briefly seen as she did so, gaining the attention of a few passerby demons leering at her. She did not give them a second look, already prepared to kill them should they try anything with her.
"This way." Minato answered simply before dashing away.
Eir was right behind him, her speed matching his easily but remaining on the ground while he used the rooftops. He knew that she would be able to keep up with most of his pace but for the sake of not losing her he had to go quite a bit slower than his fastest. He owed her for helping him get out of the Höll and gaining the ownership of his soul marble.
"How far away from the city are we getting?" Eir shouted as they reached the outskirts of the main city. "I thought you would lead us to your son?!"
"My son doesn't want to see me," Minato informed the hellfox without looking back. "We're going to the next best person; my former sensei. He will help us."
Eir sneered at that, having expected to go to the boy that gained her respect above all others. Now she was having to put her trust and safety in some unknown man that her escape partner trusted? Fucking deceiving argr.
She scowled as she began to catch up to the blonde ningen while he began to slow down much to her annoyance. She was about to ask what was wrong now but then she felt the change. The air had shifted just briefly and she could see an upcoming break in the dense forest.
She came to a halt just at the edge but Minato stopped a few dozen yards ahead of her. In the clearing, she can see four people standing prepared against them as if they had sensed their arrival a while ago. What horrified her is the pressure being exerted by the redheaded woman.
Please tell me they're friendly.
"Minato!" The toad man shouted as he rushed to the blonde man. "What are you doing here?"
"Jiraiya, get back!" Mito shouted as she summoned four chains from her back. "His soul is owned by the Shinigami! He is no friend!"
Minato swallowed and bowed his head immediately at the woman. "Mito-sama! I'm not under that demon's control anymore, I swear!"
"Prove it," the woman barked. "Show me your soul marble!"
Minato reached into his jacket and produced the box containing his marble. He opened it, having unlocked it prior to leaving the Höll to make sure it was in there, and revealed the small marble.
"I was able to escape with the help of Eir, who stole the box holding my soul," Minato said and Mito had turned her attention to the hellfox.
"Hmph," Mito grunted before letting her chains crumble away. "I'm surprised you've escaped. But so long as that marble exists, you are not free of your bindings."
"Do you know how to do that, Mito-sama?" Jiraiya turned to the woman with a questioning gaze. "You seem knowledgeable of Minato's predicament."
"I do," she nodded her head but held her hand up when she saw the hope grow on Minato's face. "I never said I will do it for you. You're the one who made the choice to make the contract with the Shinigami. You should find the way to free yourself on your own."
"Maybe Naruto can help!" Jiraiya grinned and turned to his former student with a smile on his face. "I can just bring you back to the restaurant and-"
"Not gonna happen," Haku spoke up immediately, interrupting the former Sannin. "You do not make the decision to bring a foreign variable and risk the lives of everyone else."
"He's Naruto's father, kid," Jiraiya grumbled as he jabbed a thumb at the man.
"Even more so to not bring the stupid cunt," Tayuya scowled when Haku held up his hand and gave a small glare. "I'm not fucking wrong."
"Naruto does not want anything to do with his parents, and even you know that Jiraiya," Haku said with a level tone despite the harsh stare. "Considering you yourself are in a corner. Minato-san is not coming to the restaurant unless Naruto himself makes that decision."
"Uh, I don't mean to interrupt but," Eir got everyone's attention as she spoke. "There may not be a restaurant to return to. The fallen god Mars is sending his Hoplites to attack the restaurant to either kidnap Naruto or the people close to him."
"W-WHAT?!"
Husk was knocking back shots from a second, or was it his third?, bottle of scotch. It's been an hour since he killed that Sinner but, eh, whatever. Not like they're completely dead. Given time, that cougar will pull herself together. Or possess something else.
Husk had long since grown uncaring of everything around him, especially the lives of other Sinners. He's heartless, he knows that, and the only thing worth surviving every Extermination are booze and card games. He can gamble away everything and still be able to eventually drink himself into a coma. It was a magnificent thing to him.
But then he met the blonde owner of the restaurant he now frequents more than any other place in the city. Naruto Uzumaki. The boy had been a strange one when he first ran into him two years ago. A ningen, one of those offshoot humans from another dimension, but he managed to fly under the radar in Hell for this long.
The thing about him is that he is very kind and calm, much too pure to be a Sinner but he always thought the boy had some dark part of him he didn't show. That was also wrong as the boy went out of his way to be kind and helpful, taking in these strays and giving them a job and home on his own efforts. He expects nothing in return, not even the greed of money as everything in this building that can be bought is the cheapest ever.
That sure pissed plenty of expensive shitty restaurants around, Husk mused to himself into his glass of amber fire.
No, the boy was as pure as can be. Sure, he was a killer under those niceties but he never showed it to anyone that didn't deserve it. And he could ignore plenty of his buttons being pressed. Husk himself had seen the few things one does not do to the blonde or in front of him.
One, you do not insult the man's companions and employees to his face or to his friends' faces. He takes offense for them and he makes sure you don't make that same mistake twice.
Two, do not destroy his restaurant whether you are shitfaced or not. Plenty of people have been beaten up and sold to pay the damages. Whether through labor in the restaurant or to Cannibal Town where the butchers pay nicely for live cattle.
Three, you do not come here if you are a sinner of considerable crimes. He has no patience for rapists and molesters, and he can sniff one out before they even enter his sight. Husk has never seen what happened to those types of people and he didn't want to.
The boy does not care if you insult him or threaten him. He laughs it off and throws you out if you actually try anything. But if you try against those around him or his customers? Fuck, you would have wished you died in the Extermination instead.
Ding!
Husk's eyes widened the moment the front door rang to signal someone entering the restaurant. It wasn't that but the energy that flooded the restaurant the moment the newcomers walked inside. It was like facing that damned Radio Demon again but worse. It was overwhelming and he whipped around in his seat with his magic cards in his hand.
There are five men in full Greek armor. BC dating if the bronze weaponry were anything to assume. The men are wearing bronze helmets with four of them having black plumes in a Mohawk while the fifth, the one in the front, had his red and fanned out sideways. They are wearing a bronze and leather cuirass over a long chainmail shirt with their forearms wrapped with thick leather bindings. A red cloth and brown leather skirt covered most of the chainmail shirt reaching their mid-thighs. Their shins are protected with leather and bronze plates while wearing sandals.
Each of the men are carrying a long spear and a large round shield. Four of them had unpainted bronze shields but the one in the front had a gorgon head painted on.
The man in the front shouted something in a language not understood by Husk before he extended his shield in front of him. That's when he realized what was happening. The magic in the area was gathering to the gorgon head!
Oh, fuck.
Ringing.
All she can hear is ringing.
Ah, what happened? Charlie bit back a cough as she got onto her knees.
There was screaming all around her and she could hear the muted sound of fighting from beyond the vicious ringing in her ears. She had just come out of the bathroom when she was blasted back from some kind of concussive force. It was so powerful that it buried her under the walls of the stalls and some ceiling tiles.
"There's one over here!"
She looked up at the sound of stomping feet and stared at the bronze helm that concealed the face of the man. He is wearing a bronze and leather cuirass over a long chainmail shirt with leather bindings over half of his forearms. A red cloth and brown leather skirt covered most of the chainmail shirt while his shins were protected by leather bindings and bronze plates.
But her eyes were drawn to the rounded decorative bronze shield. The face of the large shield is painted with the face of a Gorgon, a monster of Greek mythology.
Another warrior in similar armor walked up behind the man and his eyes quickly looked her over before shaking his head. "Not her. She's the princess."
The first man grunted before turning around to walk back into the wreckage, searching through the rubble.
Charlie shook her head as she tried to get on her feet but a weight pressed on her back and pushed her back down.
"Stay down." The second warrior said as he pushed his foot on her small back.
"Why… are you doing this," Charlie managed to gasp out as she weakly struggled against the larger man's weight.
"Orders," the warrior answered before resting the bladed tip of his spear into the floor near the girl's head. "Do not make me hurt you. You're not our target."
Charlie stared at the blade with wide eyes.
"No! Let me go!"
She looked up and saw one of the warriors dragging Helsa away, the girl fighting back as much as she could. "H-Helsa!"
"Charlie!" The heiress tried to kick her way out and reach for her girlfriend. "Fuck! Charlie!"
Charlie tried to get up but the foot was pressing even harder on her back. "No! What are you doing with Helsa! Leave her alone!"
"Quiet." The man warned as he watched the hellborn be dragged out. "Is that all?!"
"No!" A voice answered from further in. "We got one more!"
Another warrior staggered from the back of the restaurant, carrying an unconscious Loona. The girl was over the man's shoulder and her arms swung almost lifelessly. That made Charlie fear the worst.
"She's really injured, sir," the warrior addressed the man with the foot on Charlie's back. "She will need medical attention."
The leader nodded his head. "Go. I'll be right behind you but get the two to Ares immediately."
"Yes, sir," the warrior nodded before leaving out the front door.
Charlie could only watch them leave, much to her shame and anger. She glared up at the leader and bared her teeth in a snarl.
"You've got fight in you, that's good," the warrior chuckled as he dug his spear into the floor. "That means you'll deliver this message to the one who needs to read it."
The man reached into a pouch at his waist before pulling out a square piece of folded paper. It is held closed by a red wax seal with no apparent insignia to discern.
"Hand that to the Prophecy Child." The man said before taking his foot off of her back and turning around to leave. "Hopefully we don't meet again, Princess of Hell."
Charlie could only lay on the ground while staring at the paper left by the warrior. She stayed there for who knows how long, her eyes dead and dying as she felt like the biggest failure.
Why can't I fight back? Mom and dad are powerful demons, and I'm their child! She curled into herself as she began to sob. I'm just a coward! A no-good, stupid coward.
She couldn't protect her girlfriend. She couldn't protect herself! And now here she is, left in the destruction of the bathroom. The restaurant is in ruins with the bodies of the demons who were enjoying themselves a little while prior.
I want Naruto back. I need his help.
EXTRA: Be Reborn
"Hello, again, Naruto."
He looked up at _, his red eyes trying to focus in on their face. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to keep you company." _ pulled gently on the chains that held the blonde in place. "Do you want me to leave?"
"No," Naruto said, almost sounding like a plea. "Please don't. Stay with me."
_ smiled softly and caressed a hand along the boy's whiskered cheek before getting onto their knees. "You know I will not abandon you."
Naruto leaned into the touch, feeling almost relieved and placated with such a simple thing. He could stay like this, make it through the torment he faced everyday, so long as he had _ with him.
"How much longer can you take this, hm?" _'s touch reached down against Naruto's chest, resting above his heart. "You are strong, but you have limits as you are."
"I will endure anything. My entire life was pain, this is nothing new."
The answer made _ tear up a bit, closing their eyes in pain. "I understand."
"Hey," Naruto said, getting _'s attention. "Do not cry for me. I do not fear my own death. It is yours and everyone's life that I fear losing."
"You've been made to be strong," _ admitted and hugged Naruto tightly, wrapping their arms around him gently.
Naruto closed his eyes, accepting the embrace and the love that came with it.
"Do you mind if I… pray for you, Naruto?"
Naruto shook his head, not opening his eyes or leaving _'s embrace. "I don't mind."
_ smiled sadly and closed their eyes as they began their prayer.
"Dear Father, I lift up Naruto to you in his time of suffering. Please surround him with your love and your peace, providing for him comfort in his pain. Grant him the strength to endure, and the hope to believe in brighter days ahead." _ shivered as he felt the boy's breathing slow and his body relax against the chains.
"Let your healing touch rest upon him, soothing his heart, mind, and body. May he feel your presence guiding him, even in the darkest moments. Give him courage and patience, and grant him assurance that he is loved by you and those he holds dear. In your name I pray. Amen."
Naruto's smile is all _ could see in the darkness in the cell.
The prayer for one who suffers.
For one's final moments.
But in the darkness of the cell, _ was no longer alone. Even as he held the dead body and wept, two more hands rested on them and the boy.
A white and golden light filled the cell as chanting could be heard faintly.
"Shed the limited body, Naruto. Be reborn as one of Us."