Celestial Path Chapter 28

I exhaled a bit boredly as while we were being clearly watched remotely. No one was approaching us directly. Which meant... I was left with just sleeping due to the many kitsune that were horny at seeing all the clear blessings on me.

'Heh, I wonder how those kitsune would react if they saw my 'dark' form. That so clearly has a sort of blessing from Izanami.'

But then the reminder of Izanami and Amaterasu made me slightly frown. As with the Celestial Grimoire as my cheat... It was rather odd how so many of my pulls were seemingly intercepted and modified to fit the two goddesses' domains.

Though, to be fair, with how I unlocked and used the Mokuton rather publicly. Amaterasu's eyes was going to be on me. Getting a weird halo that wasn't actually a powerful source of power and my physcial form turning into a kitsune was just... Demanding her to take me as a champion.

Likewise, for Izanami, with my various forms of immortality, and the Rune of Death that had transformed and further elevated my soul. Her 'Not' paying attention to me would have been the true miracle, obviously.

The sun-like halo that hung over my head as I walked around was a clear like... Fucking sign to Amaterasu, saying. 'Please look at me senpai!' Likewise, for the Rune of Death, it was a clear indication to Izanami that I fit into her domains as well.

'Only a few rolls of mine have seemingly been actually influenced... Well, more like, it's less of that the gods can influence the Grimoire, but their passive blessings are influencing what forms the resulting pulls I get from Grimoire take.' I mused to myself thoughtfully.

Then I was dragged out of my thoughts as Kiyomi snuck over. And I let out a hum of amusement as the older sister pushed herself into my arms.

And with the typical Uchiha 'tsundere' attitude, she said quietly. "Just... Hug me so we can cultivate our chakra."

From over Kiyome's dark black hair, I also saw Kaori who was previously sitting on a chair across from her sister, and reading was giving me an annoyed look.

As though I should have asked her to come over first or something.

Still, I just shrugged from my sitting form on a long couch, and I pulled her into my lap where I encircled her with a hug that made Kiyome exhale with rapturous joy as my super death hug went to work.

'Is it bad, I am ruining hugs for the girls in my lives? I mean, ruining sex for them is just a given as a guy. Thats our dream... But imagine if they get like a hug from their grandma and all they can think is that this hug sucks compared to this random dude in my life.' I thought.

My kitsune ears atop my head twitched as I heard the window unlatch its lock, and I looked over, and my face twitched seeing Yoruichi casually climbing in through the previously locked window.

"Seriously... You had to climb through the window?" I asked sarcastically.

To which Yoruichi gave me a look and said flatly. "You truly are Jiraiyia's student... Snuggling up with a teammate while on a mission isn't a good look, you know." 

Then she added with some amusement. "Anyway, I was on the roof watching the youkai doing their business and eating my food well away from everyone else."

And to that I clarified righteously. "We aren't just snuggling right now! We are sharing our chakra through Ninshu to slowly build up our chakra reserves!"

Well, helping to build up Kiyome's chakra pool mostly. The people getting hugged got like 90% of the benefits. I on the other hand... Got the joy that was a beautiful kuniochi in my arms.

Yoruichi just rolled her eyes and said. "Yeah, yeah, next thing you say is that sex can give a genin a Jonin's chakra pool."

Kiyome and Kaori both flushed at that as they knew that the more intimate our embrace was. The more chakra was exchanged and their growth was increased.

"That is true. But we aren't ready for that." I said with a wry smile as Kiyomi squeezed her arms around me in warning at the first half of what I said.

Still, my wry smile turn more serious and I asked more firmly. "So, when are the priests, mikos, and Amaterasu's retainer youkai going to make a move on me?" 

Yoruichi gave an exhausted shrug before she said helplessly. "Can't say Akari. They aren't exactly advertising their motives and plans. It could be an entire parade coming to invite you to the main temple... Or the Head Miko in Yae Miko could just break into our room in the middle of the night with how she is." 

"The head miko woudn't do that right? That would make a terrible impression." Kaori said quietly.

And yet, Yoruichi retorted with a helpless smile. "Sadly... Yae Miko lives off of chaos; sure, she can play the regal head of the Amaterasu Shrine. But when are things in her control? She loves to make her prey squirm for her enjoyment."

"We shall just have to see. The kitsune who has been following me hasn't been an issue. But either way, its like she can force me to stay here after all." I said quietly as I closed my eye's and relaxed.

Regardless of what Yae Miko the head of the Land of Fire's shrines, did or said. We would be here in the city for at least three days so that the noble brat could be cured of his issues.

And soon enough, Kaori here self-made her way over. Making me and Kiyome adjust so she could hug my other side as we lay out on the couch with Yoruichi, just shaking her head at the sight.

-

While Kiyomi and Kaori went out to explore the city a good bit, and Yoruichi did the same while also gathering the latest info for not only the mission but also just in general, spying for the village's sake.

I myself... Happily stayed in the nice rooms we had rented with the mission money. Just training in my chakra control and doing funny things.

Funny things like crystal, ice, and magnet releases. These were obviously elemental combination techniques. Though I did it mostly out of the thought of the special elemental release I was interested in.

Dark release. An 'element' that lies outside of the typical elemental chart and has a sort of gravity power, along with the ability to seal jutsu's thrown at the user and even devour the chakra within said techniques to fuel the user.

Because as much as I would love to figure out Swift release or Steel release to fill up my shortcomings of Taijutsu. And make it my strongest point. I didn't have the special bloodline that allowed me to transform my body into chakra steel.

And even if I had various forms of immortality... Being burned alive still fucking sucked. So being able to cancel out hostile jutsu would be very nice.

"Hmm, the city is beautiful to look at least." I mused as I sat atop the roof of the inn we had been staying at. 

It was night currently, and the city was alight with countless thousands oil lanterns that were fueled by ghostly spirits that gave off each individual light depending on the soul in question.

Because apparently... Izanami and Amaterasu had a bit of a deal going on. Where, instead of the evil souls in jingoku/hell being tormented much more severely. Evil souls who hadn't done 'as bad' and were still eligible for reincarnation once they paid their dues.

They were sent back up, and the souls were made into candles that acted to fuel the countless soul lanterns that burned away their karma.

"I wonder where my soul will go actually." I mused as my situation was actually pretty confusing now. Sure, if I got powerful enough, I could just go full Ōtsutsuki and explore the universe that had life outside of this world.

Or. As my sponsor said before I got reincarnated, I get properly powerful enough to just break the boundaries between universes and just go wherever the fuck I wanted.

After all... The only thing stopping me from reaching the world of DXD and burying my face into Rias's tits was the power to get into said universe!

'Wait... How would Yasaka react to seeing me? Another nine-tailed kitsune?' I mused thoughtfully before my thoughts were cut off as the strong youkai hiding in the shadows near me finally spoke.

"Hmm, truly comparisons are the most painful thing in life." A soft, teasing female voice spoke.

I raised an eyebrow as I looked to the side as the sounds of some 'Geta', the wooden shoes that people liked to wear sometimes, rang out with the wooden clogging noises.

Yae Miko was... Beautiful for lack of a word, but she was blessed heavily by the divine so it wasn't surprising that she was beautiful. No, beyond her voluptuous form, beyond those teasingly swaying pink tails behind herself.

It was her eyes that drew me in. As I could see the sheer mischief and teasing that was screaming that she was already scheming on how to bully me into submission.

"And what comparison are you making?" I asked calmly as Yae Miko walked across the roof and then also sat down next to me but a good couple feet away. Not right beside me notably.

Still Yae Miko sniffed and I jolted a bit as one of her own tails nudged my own and she pouted. "Your tails of course! I been watching you for the last few days and I can say for sure that I without a doubt hate you now."

I just blinked and... She wasn't done either. "You don't spend hours each day cleaning, maintaining your perfectly fluffy tails like my own. Not to mention that you got all your nine tails at once! It's just not fair!"

To which I shrugged helplessly and I said. "I am a guy. Why would I spend hours cleaning and taking care of my hair."

And those words. They seemed to electricfy Yae Miko down to the soul and she said in a hollow voice. "He doesn't even understand... The goddess didn't give him the blessing of power, of mere beauty. No, she blessed him with the perfection that is his tails and hair always being perfect!"

'Oh yeah... The Incomparable Beauty perk also made my tails also perfectly fluffy and well taken care of as well.' I mused in realization.

As even before I had the perk, I never really paid TOO much attention to my tails. And also, Eleanor also very happily helped brush my tails which allowed me to figure out that wrapping my tails around someone also counted as hugging them with my super powered hugs as well.

And as though in retalitation of thinking about the Grimoire, it flexed and drew down another star with my mind filling with content quickly and... It was just a general power increase either way.

[High Class Power- you get High-Class levels of power and if you are a devil gain the benefits of the societal part of this as well, now having Evil Pieces to use as you please, this does not grant any other abilities such as the Power of Destruction however.]

Seeing as I was neither a devil nor even in DXD, basically the perk just dumped a good Jonin level's amount of chakra and physcial strength into my body in reality subtly.

Yae Miko at least didn't notice as my chakra was already well concealed within myself and there wasn't any outward proof of the chakra growth.

There was a moment of silence after Yae Miko finished her rant and then she leaned back a bit and said thoughtfully. "Akari Sadra." She spoke my name as though tasting it like a wine and deciding its value.

"You are set to have many a trial in your future, you know?" She said quietly.

"Yae Miko... I am well aware of that." I said softly with a sigh. Then I said rather coldly. "But these trials. If they have no meaning, then only blood will be spilt in the end."

I had the fucking Celestial Grimoire, and my own immortality and ways of killing immortals. Hell if I wanted to... I bet if I detonated the Rune of Death within myself in a blaze of Destined Death flames.

Only a proper death goddess like Izanami could survive. And that survival? That was a big maybe.

So if the shinto gods tried to jerk me around on BS quests like the Olympians often gave their demigods in Percy Jackson. They were going to be in for a rude awakening when I turned this setting into God of War. And all the divines were on the chopping block.

"Are you here to give me such a trial then?" I asked rather blandly with Yae Miko looking at me with glowing eyes that did put a bit of pressure on me.

But I held fast. Until she hummed thoughtfully and said. "I do have a so called quest, many in fact. Just for you Akari Sadra. To kill a great demon, to seduce a foreign demigoddess of another land here to the Land of Fire and into your arms. And many other possible tasks."

My face twitched at the two listed 'quests' being offered to me. And I said flatly. "So, kill someone, or seduce someone and cuck them from their own patron god right?"

To which Yae Miko's own face pinched and said helplessly. "Initially... The goddess had no such plans of using you in such a... Dark way, but you can only blame how beautiful you are."

I shook my head and said flatly. "Yeah, I got better things to do. Besides... I am going to be busy with the war that is literally a bent grass blade from exploding into existence." 

Cloud and Iwa's agents were in the Land of Grass, the Land of Waterfall's was acting fucking weird and they were one of our direct neighbors. And so many other agents were at work that it was just all those interacting agents that were keeping things tense.

But it was going to be literally any day now when someone... On some side, probably a samurai leading it's troops all so bluntly as a hammer was going to be the firing pin that would ignite the world into war again.

"Ufufu, do you think that you will be so bored as to be playing a ninja in this Great War Akari?" Yae Miko said not even teasingly. But with simple pity.

"You are the champion of Amaterasu, stories will be writen of you fighting the champions of other lands own gods. You will drink with the heros of your own land, and our goddesses own allies in the divine court. You will bed beautiful women and you will be betrayed and face horrors uncounting." 

Yae Miko's words weren't a mere warning. In her eye's she saw my future as inevitable.

But after a moment of thought I chuckled and said. "Nah... I'd win. I am going to be even stronger then Hashirama and Madara. My destiny is my own."

I then looked at Yae Miko and then like a shameless rogue I teased back. "Oh, and speaking of beautiful women?"

Yae Miko snorted and said with a chuckle. "Hmph, I am a prize that you will not be able to earn in your lifetime." 

And I almost said. 'Yeah, I would take you. Not earn you.' But I held back and then said with a shrug. "Either way. Did you just come over to be cryptic?"

Yae Miko nodded and then she said coldly. "Lady Amaterasu has a quest for you here and now Akari Sadra that you will take."

She leaned in and my expression darkened as she spoke.

"Two Uzumaki's are held within the Land of Grass's own Ninja Village, but they are not even welcome within the village. They are kept as fuel for the nobles who visit the village for their healing... Abilities, in an entertainment focused city on the shore of the Great Kara River that seperates the Land of Wind and Grass from one another." 

"You are to bring them back to Konoha, reunite them with their lost family in Kushina Uzumaki and a great reward will be granted to you in turn." 

'Wait... She wants to bring Karin and her mother back to Konoha?' I thought before I grimaced at a heavy realization.

This 'quest' wasn't something I could just ignore or outright tell Yae Miko and by extension Amaterasu to go shove it.

Naruko herself was a good friend of mine, and her mom was also kind to me even after I teased her for being a weirdo who dressed in drag and 'pretended' to be Hokage.

How could I go back home to the Leaf. Look Naruko and Kushina in the eye and not feel guilt that I just left her cousins to be tortured by a shitty side village.

"Which city are they in." I demanded flatly.

Yae Miko sighed and said softly. "Tenshuku City." Then after a moment of silence she stood up and her wooden shoes clicked as she moved a bit away. Then she paused... Before she said leadingly.

"Akari, The goddess does not seek to strip you of your agency or use you as a disposable pawn. Yes she wants to use you, but look at me? I served her for more than a thousand years, each century of service gaining another tail until I reached nine tails."

"You? You started off with the potential of nine tails. You are all but a demigod of both Amaterasu and Inari. To say nothing of what you owe her... You will find that our goddess's quests and trials are not things that will force you to do evil things. She is not Jashin after all."