Loveless: Act 1
By Life Is Beautiful
Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto nor do I own Final Fantasy VII or its strands. This an idea I got after playing Crisis Core and reading Birth of the Final SOLDIER. So that's where you get this story from. So, for now, on with the show!
Chapter One-Fatal Tragedy
This was their battle ground of warriors past. A magnificent chasm that separate Hi no Kuni and Ta no Kuni. It was a steep cliff with a powerful river splitting it in half, dropping off the face to form a glorious waterfall. On either side of the waterfall stood two enormous statues, titans of men with power that even the gods themselves envied.
On one side stood the Shodaime Hokage, the man that possessed the Mokuton abilities, the control of wood and earth. With this power he had created forests, created life, just as he has taken them.
With this ability he was able to create the foundation of Konohagakure no Sato.
The other was the found of order in the village of Konoha and friend to the Shodaime, Uchiha Madara. He had fought both against with the Shodaime, helping in the creation of the famed village of Konoha. He was the possessor of the demon eyes, the ability to augment reality and shape it to his whim with just a simple stare; the Sharingan.
This was their final resting place, the sight of their final fight. They devastated this land, creating the scape around them, creating the Valley of the End, marking the turning point of history and how shinobi fought one another.
Or so the story went.
On top of either statue was figure, radiating immense energy, glaring at one another with a deep hatred.
On Madara was a teen with monstrous features surrounded by darkness. His skin was a sickly grey, his Sharingan eyes spinning wildly with rage, the whites replaced with black. Two large, hand like wings ripped the skin on his back, twitching slightly as he panted with exhaustion. His spiky hair reached down to the small of his back, losing all colour.
This was Uchiha Sasuke, the prodigy of the leaf, his skills leaps and bounds above his peers.
On the statue of Senju Hashirama was a blonde teen, roughly the same age, cloaked in malicious red chakra, shaped much like a fox. His eyes glowed red with anger as he snarled at his enemy, his face contorted in a mix of pain and determination. His body was clothed in tatters, his blonde hair matted against his forehead in a mix of dried blood and cold sweat. His whisker marks were deep and exaggerated, his fingernails more like claws.
This was Uzumaki Naruto, pariah of Konohagakure and the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune.
Sasuke's purple lips twitched in a wicked grin as he stared at the blonde, raising his arms. "Let's end this Naruto," he spoke, his voice laced with sinister intent and mirth. "Just accept the fate you are given and die by my hand. You are nothing more than a stepping stone to me."
His hands sped through seals, focusing chakra to his hand. Black lightning arched and crackled as he crouched lower to the ground, gripping his forearm, readying to pounce.
Naruto growled as he held his hand out at his side, chakra swirling around, forming a sphere of terror in his palm. "I said I was gonna bring you back and I will! Even if I have to break all the bones in your body!"
Their glares were defiant, looking at each other with ambition and icy death. Both knew the price of victory, the bridge that was about to be burnt.
With a kick, the two lunged at one another, the ground buckling and cracking under their weight.
"Rasengan!"
"Chidori!"
The jutsus collided in the middle with a quake of power, wisps of black lightning and chakra lashing about, striking either teen with ferocious intensity. Both had to win this fight, their cause was justified in their actions. Their eyes spoke volumes of hatred and of betrayal. This was their defining moment, to ultimately decide who was better.
Naruto's scarlet fox eyes stared deep into Sasuke's crimson Sharingan eyes with rage. How could this bastard do this to them? How could he just walk away from his friends...his home? He had people that cared about him and yet the young Uchiha was willing to throw it all away. All for the slim chance to get stronger than he already was.
It didn't make any sense to the blonde.
Then his eyes softened a bit. He couldn't go through with this. There was just no way he could kill Sasuke. The bastard was the closest thing to family that Naruto had. No matter how much they bickered, how much they tried to best each other, they acted more like siblings. Who was he to stand in Sasuke's way?
So he did the only thing he could think of.
He let Sasuke kill him.
The sheer strength the Rasengan once held was gone. The swirling sphere of pure chakra disappeared just as it appeared. In its place was thin air. It was as if it had never existed, leaving only a phantom of its existence.
The result was almost instant. Sasuke's hand slammed into Naruto's chest, cutting through the flesh and bone with a sickening wet crunch. The young prodigy's eyes widened as he heard his best friend gasp in agony. A sickening feeling rose in his gut at the bloody sight. It was a living horror story that he and the rest of Team Seven told during missions.
The black haired youth couldn't believe his eyes. The fruits of his labor had come at a hefty price, a toll that he would have to live with for the rest of his life.. His mind kept running through the mantra that this will all be worth it in the end. He would finally have the power to finally kill the man that destroyed his entire clan in a single night.
He would finally be able to kill Itachi.
His hand subconsciously moved in the dying blonde's chest. He could feel the warm blood soak his arm...Naruto's blood. He could feel jagged bone scrape at his wrist, mixing his blood into the Jinchuuriki's. Naruto's ragged breath rang through Sasuke's ears, haunting his mind, reminding the young prodigy that he caused the pariah his pain.
Was it really worth it?
Naruto's eyes flickered from crimson to azure as he stared into Sasuke's sharingan orbs. The blonde could see animosity and regret.
Was it possible that the young Uchiha was regretting what he had done for power?
The blonde teen moved slightly, groaning in pain. Sasuke had missed the mark. He could feel the hand twitch with shock and fear inside his chest. He coughed, feeling blood move up his throat and leak out of his mouth, the same warm fluid dripping down his arms. Naruto looked into strange scarlet orbs with a pain filled smirk.
"You missed teme."
Sasuke's eyes widened in shock as he dropped the blonde into the river far below. This could not be happening. There was no way he could have missed. He didn't want Naruto to survive through this pain. He wanted the blonde to die quick and easy, not bleed out. His eyes caught the blonde as he splashed into the river, floating with his back facing the sky.
His hair receded back to normal, his skin becoming a normal pale. His eyes were now onyx he was born with, his hand-like wings receding into his back.
The realization that this was happening hit him like a ton of bricks. He could not take any of this back, no matter how much he wanted to. He could not just let the blonde float there, he had to something for him.
With a quick jump he dove into the river below, creating another splash as he swam to his blonde teammate.
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Genesis was a tall man, his thin muscular body clothed in black SOLDIER garbs and a long read leather coat with thicker leather shoulder pads. His ghostly blue eyes glowed with the mako energy that was infused in his body during his induction into Shin-Ra. His reddish swayed in the helicopter as the blades chopped the air.
At his side was his long crimson rapier; an elegant blade with a beautiful winged hilt, the guard wrapping around the hand.
His greenish blue eyes focused on the moving scenery around them, the terrain being alien to him. He was a complete outsider to this strange new land; Genso no Kuni, the land that floated on Life Stream.
It was a world told in legend, a fairy tale to most, but to Shin-Ra and those foolish to explore, it was the land of Hell that took the life of even the most experienced of warriors.
"Guess we fall under the truly foolish," he mumbled to himself, turning his gaze to inside the cockpit.
Inside were three others, two were males and a female.
One man, the man that sat in front of him, was an older man with thin black hair worn in a military fashion. His eyes were hard like steel, focused on his hands. His thin body was clothed in common street clothes, a simple pair of jeans, a gray shirt, and a leather jacket.
The other man was a pilot, dressed in Shin-Ra infantryman armor, his helmet having three red lenses, covering half of his face.
The woman in the co-pilot's seat had a strong air around her. Her face was half covered by her metal SOLDIER helmet, a contraption that was made of three components that leafed over each other allowing for it fold neatly. Her platinum hair escaped from her metallic helmet, reaching to the small of her back. The rest of her body was clothed in the usual baggy SOLDIER uniform, hiding her body from prying eyes.
"You sure this is gonna work?" she asked, her voice cold and smooth.
The man in the leather coat sighed, straightening up as he turned his gaze to the woman inside the cockpit. "It has to work, this is the only chance we get. I want no heroes on this mission, we get and get out, do I make myself clear?"
The occupants nodded, turning to their own devices for a few moments. The sound of the blades above chop the air rang through the hull loudly, the feeling of the metallic beast moving made everyone numb. The air was thick with anxiety as everyone waited for something to happen.
Then the radio crackled as a voice sparked to life on the speaker.
"Echo One this is Ghost Two. The target has been sighted."
The voice was filled with static, hushed, as not to alert anyone of his presence, with tone that only a military man could have.
The older man nodded, moving towards the cockpit. His pale hands gripped the receiver. "Read you loud in clear Ghost Two. We're moving on to your position. Stand by for extraction."
"Roger that Echo One, standing by."
The leather coated man nodded, putting the receiver back on the hook. "Alright, we're closing in on the target. Genesis, you will have ten minutes to retrieve the target. After your time is up we will come and extract you." His pale hand gripped a curved metallic device and gave it to the redheaded man. "You are to be a ghost got it? Leave all identifiers here."
The SOLDIER nodded as he attached the device to the back of his neck. With the flick of the wrist the device became the helmet, the same one that the woman wore. The next step was to take off his coat, folding it and setting it to the side. The final step was to set his rapier to the side, stopping to admire the crimson blade's beauty.
As he set the sword to the side he felt a hand squeeze his shoulder. "Be careful SOLDIER."
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Kakashi ran through the forest at incredible speeds. His silver hair that usually defied gravity swayed in the air as he jumped from branch to branch. His visible black eye focused on the path ahead of him.
He was an imposing figure, with tall lean physic. His strength was known far and wide. He was known as Kopi-Ninja, the man of one-thousand jutsus.
Yet despite all his laid back qualities gained through war, he thought he could relate to Sasuke. After all both were prodigies, both lost everything in swift movements.
But he could not relate to the brooding teen. They chose two different paths.
As he jumped all he could hope for was that he was not to late.
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Sasuke gasped for air as he pulled Naruto to shore, a scarlet line marking his direction. His shinobi impulses acted first, checking the blonde's vitals as if they were simple comrades again. As he expected, the unorthodox shinobi's breathing was ragged and his pulse was slowly fading.
Then he made a mistake.
He looked at the wound.
It was a disgusting fist-sized hole, blood flowing freely from the massive puncture. The same thick scarlet fluid drenched them both. The flesh around the wound had started to knit itself together at an excelerated rate, using some strange red chakra, the same frightening chakra that thrashed the teen around earlier.
It was a disturbing sight to watch. But the feeling he was getting was even sicker. He wanted the blonde dead, just to fade out of existence. That much was confirmed. But when his hand rose to end a life, he could not bring himself to do it.
He rose his hand one more time, knowing that a simple slap at the chest would end Naruto's life. It was that simple.
But it ended in the same result.
He simply could not go through with it. He was so close to get the tool to aid him in his conquest. Yet he could not go through with it. He wanted something more out of it, a sick satisfaction that could only be attained by destroying a foe that was an equal in a swift blow. Not a cheap bleed out.
"It's time to leave Sasuke," a cold sadistic voice rang out.
The teen's eyes narrowed as he swiftly pulled out a kunai, turning his attention to the man behind him. He knew that voice; he knew to be cautious.
Sasuke's defiant onyx eyes were met with the venomous dark brown eyes of Yakushi Kabuto, a white haired young man garbed in blues and grays. A spy-like man not to be trusted.
"I want you to heal Naruto."
Kabuto turned his attention to the bloody mess known as Naruto. The wound was abnormal. Most blades caused punctures with more precision, not like it was carved out by a cookie-cutter
He remembered what Orichimaru had said to him. Sasuke was to kill Naruto in cold blood to achieve a fable. It was infamous tale as old as the great villages themselves, the eyes that can control the demons of Hades and bring the very Kyuubi to its knees. They were that of the Mangekyou, the ultimate doujutsu.
Kabuto being told to heal him was a virtual smack against the plan. But he could not just tell Sasuke 'no'. That could lead to complications, complications that could cause the young prodigy to walk away.
No, this had to be taken care of delicately.
"Go ahead Sasuke, I'll patch up Naruto here."
Sasuke glared at the young white haired man. This man was conniving, very well at getting under good graces. He had to be to get under the Sandaime's radar.
So why should the raven haired youth believe a single word of a man that built himself around lies and subterfuge? There was not a single reason that he could find, no subtle chance.
And yet the man was so convincing with strong words that strummed the cords just right.
"Give me one good reason to believe you."
Kabuto simply looked towards Konoha, moving to the dying blonde. "Do you really think that Konoha would send only a team of gennin with a newly instated chuunin without backup?"
That struck the young gennin. A nukenin was taken seriously, not many getting very far out of the village before they were either drug back to once they came or killed at the site. They took no chance when it came from dealing with these deserters.
That's what he was.
A deserter.
Konoha sent who he knew. People that knew him on a personal level. Each one of them had potential. But only one matched him. Who would they send next? What juggernaut would he have to face to achieve his goal?
"Alright, I'll go ahead."
Kabuto smirked slightly, turning to face the renowned prodigy. "Head north to the closest town, wait there. I'll catch up to you and lead the rest of the way." With a spin he walked the rest of the way to hearing Sasuke speed off towards the town.
A spiteful smirk dawned the man as he crouched towards the blonde teen. "You had such potential. The power of a beast that could topple mountains and the will of iron and yet you played the part of a simple pawn. Such a pity that Orichimaru had not planned anything further for you than death. You could have been such a tool to further our cause."
His hand gripped his curved kunai, taking the edge above Naruto's tanned neck. "But I am not the one who calls the shots here. So I will leave you with this, rest easy."
With a blast of bright red energy, Kabuto was sent skidding across the floor before his body splashed into the water.
Genesis walked forward, his hand glowing red from the residual mako energy. He could not believe the level of control that he was getting with his magic. Normally that attack would cause more of a bang but he managed to keep it down to a minimal as not to cause damage to Naruto.
A smirk passed his half covered face, watching the young white haired man pull himself out of the water before his eyes widened, realizing how the conniving man was pulling himself up. The would be killer was pulling himself out of the water as if there was an invisible platform.
Was it possible that all the soldiers in this strange world, this Genso no Kuni, was capable of pulling off this incredible feat?
Kabuto glared daggers at the new arrival, standing up as he bared his unique kunai in a reverse grip. This man had a certain uniqueness about him. There was no chakra radiating from his body, yet this man was able to launch an attack of pure energy.
The man was also strange looking. His face was obscured by a helmet that exposed half of his pale narrow face. His thin body was covered in black garbs, his torso covered by a thick turtle neck sweatshirt that exposed his arms. His baggy pants held up by a pair of thick suspenders. The belt that covered most of his midsection held an emblem of two strange fists side by side. On the strange man's back was a broadsword attached to the suspenders peculiarly without any aid.
"You're going to regret this," Kabuto seethed, his hand glowing blue.
Genesis laughed at the man, drawing his sword. It was standard for SOLDIERs to have one of them, all looking the same. They were durable against the weaker foes that were commonly seen throughout Gaia. But the redheaded man was not sure how it would hold up against these bred soldiers.
"Dreams of the marrow hath shattered the soul. Pride is lost. Wings stripped away, the end is nigh."
Kabuto cringed his teeth, his muscle tensing to run towards the man. But he never did. His ears quirked as the leaves ruffled and twigs snapped in the unnatural sense of a person walking. His dark eyes turned to the source, finding Kakashi walking towards the two, a kunai readied in his hands.
"Seems like we have another to add to the party."
Genesis turned his gaze to the new comer. He knew that this man would be trouble. The air around the silver haired man was strong, imposing, terrifying. He carried himself like a soldier, something that was rather common in this battle torn land.
"So another imposing force here to stop me from making a hero of this boy?"
Kakashi glared at the man, easing his kunai. "Naruto is already a hero."
Kabuto laughed slightly, walking forward. "Naruto is a nothing more than a weapon that is desecrated on. I am here to liberate him."
"You want to kill him," Genesis spoke out. "I saw you with your knife. That is hardly liberating."
"He needs to go home."
The strange man with no chakra turned his gaze towards the new comer, his facial features serious. "To a world that abhors him? His life would be better if he comes with me."
The silver haired man cringed, taking a stance. This man, this strange soldier in an unrecognizable outfit was about take Naruto away from his home, people that cared about the blonde. The blonde loved Konoha, he would never willingly give it up.
But what irked the man of one thousand jutsus more was that this swordsman was right. Most of the hidden leaf had ill feelings towards the young shinobi. Naruto was nothing more than a constant reminder of what they lost. He was a hero that only saw darkness of Konoha.
"He won't go with you."
Genesis laughed, taking a stance. "When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end."
In a flash of steel Genesis lunged at Kakashi, moving his blade in a vertical arc. In a clang silver steal of the redhead met with the blackened metal of the silver haired man's kunai. In several strokes the two clanged, trying to get a scratch on the other.
Then Kabuto ran to them, swiping his blue hand at the back of the strange man.
But both the men were aware. The white haired spy wasn't quiet in his dash towards them.
With a flip, the strangely dressed man flipped over Kabuto, leaving the silver haired jounin to deal with the trained medic.
With a few successful dodges and some quick snaps of his wrist Kakashi evaded the Chakra-no-Mesu and the custom kunai. He knew what that hand could cause. It was a medical technique that was designed to perform surgery without cutting the skin. It could also be used to immobilize targets. Not being able to move around a deadly shinobi like Kabuto was not an ideal situation.
In a swift movement Kakashi swatted a crippling strike from the Chakra-no-Mesu, swinging his kunai at Kabuto's neck. But the deadly medic-nin was ready, blocking with his custom kunai, locking the blades.
With a kick, Kabuto knocked the infamous Kopi-Ninja away, turning as he heard footsteps rushing towards him. He only had seconds as he shifted his weight to the side, dodging the sharpened edge of the shining steel broadsword. His hand lashed out in quick movements, aiming his oddly shaped kunai at the swordsmen's ribs.
Genesis shot his hand out, gripping the white haired man's wrist. With a kick, he let Kabuto go, watching the man stagger. Mako energy surged through his hand. The skin tingled as he could feel the power pulse through his veins.
It was invigorating.
Intoxicating.
The feeling of this raw power was addicting.
With a quick movement of the arm, he gripped Kabuto by the face. The mako energy that coursed through his hand released itself all at once in a pulse of explosive red power, sending the white haired man flying back, skidding against the floor a few times like a skipping stone.
Kakashi acted quick, jumping over the skipping Kabuto as he dashed towards the helmeted man. His black eye held fire as he prepared his kunai for a lethal strike.
He had to win this fight at any means necessary.
Naruto was to stay in Konoha.
With a few precise swipes on both parties several clangs rang out before the two struck at each other in blood. Crimson flew as one of them hit their mark, their blade savoring the metallic taste of blood mixed with meat and some bone. Their eyes had locked, seeing each other through the metal barrier with a defiant gaze.
Kakashi's hand had gripped the broadsword, the edge cutting through the leather of his glove and meeting his flesh, lapping the fluid that flowed like wine from the deep crevice on his palm. All in an attempt to stop the blade from sinking any deeper. His breathing was ragged as he felt the warm fluid stain his skin, soaking his clothes.
Genesis growled as he slid his blade from the scarecrow's grasp, splattering blood across the dirt floor. With a sharp kick, he sent the the silver haired man to the floor. His ghostly blue eyes almost pierced past through the visor of his helmet as he glared at Kakashi. He raised his broadsword, pointing it at the man's chest.
"Legend shall speak of sacrifice at world's end."
His glad spun like a pendulum, the point facing the ground. With a powerful movement he slammed the sword down, seeming to pierce the downed man's chest, splaying blood in every which way.
But something was off. There was too much resistance for this to be a human body. It bled like one but something was off.
Then the 'body' popped, covering itself in a small plume of smoke. As the smoke cleared Genesis's glowing blue orbs widened under the helmet as he stared at what he had 'killed'.
A/N Alright, and that is a wrap for this chapter. I did some rework to help with the overall flow of it.
The pairing will be either Naruto/Cissnei or Naruto/Tiffa. Both are kinda hard due to Cissnei being a blank slate and Tiffa being Cloud's friend and stuff like that. So no matter the choices, it'll be difficult.
He will NOT replace anybody in the Final Fantasy VII canon.
As to why Genesis is there, that'll be explained later.
And just as a head of time, I was playing Crisis Core so Bolt will be Thunder and stuff like that.
As for the rest of your questions, put them in a review and I'll answer. So don't forget to review.