Author's Notice I: Originally, this was Helel Morningstar's fic. Since it was his first fic, I sort of helped him with most of the sentences and characterization to the point where I became the co-writer. Later, he burned out and asked me to adopt the fic since I originally came up wit the idea. I've never written something like this before, so it seemed like a good way to experiment. If you haven't read the original version, don't. Things will be a bit different from the original and that story has a lot of spoilers. Naruto is going to be OOC and for a good reason too. Something I'll reveal later. This was inspired by Reain's "Through the Eyes of" - give that a read if you haven't already.

I don't own Naruto or High School DxD. Yes, it is a sad world indeed.

xXxXx-ADM-xXxXx

"Uzumaki!"

Blue eyes opened reluctantly. He stared at the screamer. Shido was his name, the man hated him. Another one among the many who shared the sentiment.

"Sorry, sensei," he said. The words were impassive and uncaring, something he wanted everyone to know.

"Be sorry when you become a hobo," Shido snarled at him. The teacher pushed his glasses back as he continued the charade. "This is the third time you fell asleep this week. Disrupting the class with your blatant show of delinquency. Sleep when you're at home!"

"I worked late last night," the blond replied, his unkempt hair flickering as he ran his hand through them. He wasn't going to apologize a second time.

He didn't say anything further. There was no need to. They didn't care about him, nor did anyone else. Well, a few did but they were unique cases.

No guardian, no parents, no relatives. It was funny to him. This whole situation.

Naruto Uzumaki mused in his mind, laughing at his fate. The man who flipped off destiny on every turn – finally admitted defeat in its face. He could tell how his friends and family would react to him acting in this manner.

His parents would probably frown at him. While his father would take a more meticulous approach, his mother would rip him a new one. Jiraiya and Tsunade would've done something, anything, to break him out of that state. His friends too.

But they weren't around. None of them were.

He was alone.

The blond understood what Sasuke meant that day. He knew why the Avenger sought solace in such a dangerous manner.

Losing the people that meant the world to you was harsh. A part of you went with them and now that Naruto wasn't with them any longer, self-loathing and isolation became tempting drugs.

It was better this way.

Naruto was a far cry from the person he used to be.

Despite all that, he missed them.

All of them.

Sighing, he reluctantly grabbed his pen and started jotting down notes. He didn't need to think about them right now.

He didn't want to hear Shido's obnoxious voice sneering at him, berating him and so many other words that he chose to ignore. It irked him at the moment. The hushed whispers and gossips regarding him didn't help his case either.

It only annoyed him further.

'Just a bit more,' he thought. 'Then I can go home.'

If he didn't fall asleep a second time. Then again, lunchtime was up ahead. The school cafeteria was a place that he looked forward to visiting. That was something worth looking forward to.

xXxXx-ADM-xXxXx

"So," a beautiful redhead said. "What have you picked up, Koneko?"

"Pervert smells like a dragon, Buchou," a bland, monotonous reply came from a petite, fifteen year-old girl. Far too small and lithe for her age.

"It seems our hunch was right," the redhead said. Hope swelled in her. "And what of the Fallen? Is she still dating him?"

"Yes," Koneko replied. "He goes out with her nearly every day." The girl's answer was short, crisp and blunt. Just as usual. The deadpan tone however was something the redhead tried to change, and failed, every time.

"And you managed to put a flyer on him?" she asked and saw the petite girl nodding as she ate pastry, whatever was left of it. "Good. That'll be all, Koneko. Make sure to be here tomorrow."

"Orientation day?"

"Yup." The redhead said and went back to observing the papers on her desk. She heard footfalls drifting away from her and a routinely 'Goodbye, Buchou' from the girl. Naturally, she waved back with a smile on her face.

Rias Gremory was nothing if not determined.

She was her own person. A High Class Devil. A young woman who wanted to control her own fate. A proud otaku, even if she liked to hide that little fact. An aspiring King who sought to move up in the Young Devils rankings in the Rating Games. As such, she would not let such an attempt slip away from her. For more reasons than one.

Based on what she learned Issei Hyodou, sixteen, socially awkward, and wildly unpopular was a simple man.

He saw boobs, he liked them. One dimensional, a pervert and above all, a person she could persuade with minimum effort.

Having observed how the breast loving boy rarely received any form of affection from the opposite sex, she wasn't surprised when a Fallen Angel – a voluptuous female one at that – asked to be his 'girlfriend' and he, happily, accepted.

At the very least he could've suspected how a beautiful woman came out of the blue to be his significant other. He was naïve, in a cute way.

This also gave conformity to what the Fallen was planning. Which would probably take place tonight. Issei Hyodou was going to die tonight. Of that there was no doubt.

Yes, he would be useful.

Rias wasn't cruel.

No, she was a Gremory and when he did die tonight, she would make sure to bring him back to life. She would treat him like a friend, instead of a servant just like all the other members of her Peerage. Right now, however, she needed to manipulate the boy. For his power.

To break free from the shackle known as Riser Phenex.

Under no circumstances would she marry that arrogant, sexist, whoring, misogynistic pig.

But first the paperwork in front of her would need to be carefully processed. Perhaps her brother pretended to be a childish man because of the madness that such large, menacing stacks of processed wood pulp brought.

With a reluctant sigh of misery and annoyance, she began.

'Being a King is hard.'

xXxXx-ADM-xXxXx

She saw him every day. Well, each day he came to school that is.

Or, when she would have some free time and observe what the boy did every now and then. Nothing unusual.

He was a normal person, the average human being. About as intriguing as the rest of the world's population, where nameless people with generic faces would bite the dust eventually and be forgotten to time.

However, he was more interesting than he wanted let on. Always looking bored, or pulling off a performance that convinced the world in regards to his state of mind. She had her eyes on him ever since he joined two years ago. With each passing day, he slowly started to invade her mind, her thoughts, her dreams.

He was always there.

As for his social life, it was more or less the everyday routine with him.

Barely talked to anyone, avoided people when they tried to speak at length with him –even when they accidentally spoke to him. He always had excuses ready. His garden. His shop. His various pets which included a fox, a raccoon, a cat, a turtle, a monkey a beetle. Or the general indifference where he shrugged off condescending words -mere specks of dust on his clothes.

Above all, he was determined to not mingle with people. To stay away from them.

The bell rang and the daily drama took place. Actors played their roles like clockwork. Teachers reminding students of how important lessons were and leaving with scowls at their disregard. The students cheerily getting up from their seats, smiling and loquaciously moving out of the room.

All of them. Except him. He was asleep again.

She had to wake him up. She was class representative after all, and she wanted to be the first thing he saw when he woke up. Slowly leaving her desk, she walked with a normal if not regal pace.

The black haired girl was glad there were no worshippers around at the moment. While she enjoyed the adulation and the praises to a certain extent, everyone had their limits. After a while, their words began to mean less and less, from the first year too.

Nothing mildly interested her, except her friend's freedom which she was still striving for.

Until he appeared in her life.

Naruto Uzumaki. The delinquent as everyone saw him. 'The Hobo' as Shido called him. The future dropout as the students labeled him.

But to her…he was so much more.

"Uzumaki-san," she chirped. Her voice, honey. Her smile, a gift for men. "Class ended. You don't want to be left behind now, do you?"

She reached out her hand to wake him, gently, but stopped when she heard the reluctant groan. He got up drearily like a zombie from his grave. The blond rubbed his forehead and stretched his neck. A yawn escaped his lips as he leaned back into the chair.

Finally, she saw it. She saw them.

Those lifeless blue eyes - dark and dull and empty. The pain hidden so carefully beneath those darkened pupils.

It made her shiver. It made her tingle. But most of all, it made her worried.

For him.

"I see," she heard him say. A voice she knew was filled with apathy. He didn't even look at her as he stood up, "Thanks…I guess."

She wasn't surprised.

He was always like that to her. It was only since the last four months she had to decrease her animated talks with him. She was perhaps one of the few who ever spoke with him length, and even after two years she knew so little about him.

Orphaned. Raised alone. Somehow getting a scholarship, a lucky pick she assumed. Attractive, if he didn't have that look on his face. And always alone in that small bubble he made around himself.

It didn't sit well with her.

Loneliness was something she knew and the consequences that came with it.

"Uzumaki-san," she said, putting on her best smile. A full blooded man would melt at the sight.

But him? He was still finding the hallway more interesting as she faced his back. Still, she wasn't one to give up easily.

"Would you like to get lunch together some time?"

"No," he said immediately.

She expected a slower response.

"Are you sure?"

The black haired beauty was still hopeful.

"Yes."

It seemed he was still stubborn as ever.

"Really sure?"

"…"

He walked away, not even bothering to spare her a glance.

Akeno Himejima made a silent promise to herself. To not, even slightly, ignore him like that again. Things would undoubtedly change after tonight, for the better she liked to think.

Then she could begin her friendship anew with him.

With Naruto Uzumaki.

xXxXx-ADM-xXxXx

The world hated him. If not, at the very least, it had some sort of grind against him.

It had to.

Here he was sitting in the park, leaning against the tree and enjoying a good sandwich under the starry sky. Nature was at its finest. The pale moon glowed dimly and he finished his semi-dinner. He went on to smoke and enjoyed the slow, burning sensation of the tobacco.

Despite what people said about cigarettes, it did serve its purpose.

A momentary distraction that Naruto became accustomed too. Mentally, the blond made plans to have some ice-cream tonight. Kuoh Town did have its fair share of perks along with its oddities.

Yet, trouble tore through the lands, searched under every rock and shook every branch until it found him.

Naruto knew this world, peaceful and ordinary as it seemed, was anything but that. There were no large conflicts going on. Warfare here sophisticated even if the humans were unimpressive.

However, there weren't just humans in this world. Senjutsu helped him feel the presences of everything around Kuoh Town.

Animals, humans and three other signatures he couldn't recognize.

One felt comforting and the second was confusing, almost as if it was at war against itself. Finally, last one felt heavier than the others. The second type were the ones he had seen and avoided.

Out of fear?

No.

He didn't want attention from these crow winged people. Then again he should've known better. When he was nine he received an object out of the blue. Its existence and ability only confirmed his theory that this world was bizarre, and the object, somehow, concealed his presence.

Regardless of all this, he went on with his life. It didn't concern him any way.

"Will you die for me?"

Now, it was different. He saw how a couple entered the park. A bit younger than him perhaps. Then the girl asked that question -not the most romantic one either.

She reeked of bloodlust. A quality he didn't want in his girlfriend should he ever become bound.

He saw how the bewildered boy got stabbed in the shoulder with a pink…something. Naruto didn't want to assume what it was, given the awkward shape the light conjured weapon had.

He could've saved the boy. It was that easy. An innocent would be spared from a meaningless death and he'd sleep with a clear conscience. The old him would've rushed at such a scene.

Now, he didn't want to.

The boy could've run away, he had several chances yet he was busy looking at his dark winged murderer. There was also the fact that Naruto let these crows kill people before. This situation, like the others, had nothing to do with him.

So he began to walk away until – much to his shame – he stepped on a broken twig on the grassy ground. It echoed like a siren in the quiet park.

"Who's there?"

Naruto resisted the urge to sigh as he massaged his forehead. He heard a squelch, a croak, some choking and wings flapping. Soon enough the crow lady was in front of him.

In his opinion, while the outfit was lusty and showed off her fantastic figure, it completely killed the mood. Whatever, speck of seriousness that built up in him, faded when he noted her appearance. Her bloodlust was paltry before. Now it was gone.

He was honestly disappointed.

"Who are you, human?" the woman asked. The sharp, pink weapon present in her hands.

"Just someone who really wants to be left alone."

"Well, isn't that a crying shame," she said, a horrendous smile formed on her face. "For someone so young to fall into such a horrible predicament."

Naruto didn't even bother to hold back the sigh.

'Some things never change.'

"Please go away," he said, cutting her off. "I really don't have time for this."

"Is that arrogance I hear?" she sneered. "It doesn't matter. In a few seconds, you'll be dead like that boy."

"That explains the smell," he replied, noticing the repugnant stench in the air. His plans to get some ice-cream were completely ruined now.

"Don't worry, you'll be doing the same very soon."

"Before we start," Naruto told her, "mind telling me what you are?"

"Raynare," she replied. At least she had manners if not tact. "Your personal angel of death."

He had to close his eyes at that.

Death.

Was he afraid of death?

He didn't know anymore, he'd seen its face so many times before.

Did he want to die at the hands of a woman claiming to be an angel? She wasn't bad to look at, and dying in this prospect would be one hell of a way to go out. He knew someone who'd smile and give two thumbs up to her.

At the very least he knew this much. This woman, crow, or angel as she liked to call herself, could never kill him. No matter how much she tried.

"Angel, huh? I think you're mistaken, crow," he said, his blue eyes seeing how fury settled on her features. She seemed to have taken some offense to his wording. 'One point to you, Naruto.'

"You dare mock my wings?! You worthless Adamspawn," she howled and the boy opened his eyes, lunging towards him with the weapon, to gut him and leave him for dead.

It was so slow.

Naruto reached out and caught the weapon.

"Let's take this elsewhere."

xXxXx-ADM-xXxXx

Rias Gremory heard his wish. His penultimate request before leaving this mortal realm.

He wished to see a beautiful woman before he died. The heiress could grant this wish.

Kneeling down in front of the boy, she let him drink in her appearance. There were worse ways to go out. She saw how his eyes became excited at her sinful figure, her chest particularly, and finally saw that light fade from his eyes.

Issei Hyodou was dead and she brought her Evil Pieces forth. She would resurrect him. In turn he would gain a long life, strength, a Peerage should he be worthy of it, but above all he'd help her in breaking the chains that bound her.

Yes, everything was going according to plan.

"Chess pieces?"

"Yes, they…" fear gripped the Crimson Ruin Princess.

The voice came from behind her. She had kept her senses up and should've heard footsteps or felt the appearance of a circle.

Hesitantly, she turned around to see a blond young man standing in front of her. Cool cerulean eyes looked back at her greenish-blue ones. It was as if she were an ant under his boot. Above all, she felt very nervous now.

"Go on then," he said, "they do what exactly?"

xXxXx-ADM-xXxXx

Author's Notes II: And done. There is the first chapter and again, if you're reading for the first time don't read Helel's story as it will take a different turn from what he planned - or rather couldn't plan. If you're looking for those extra spoilers. check out the one on his page. That said, would you kindly review this? Until next time, take care.