Prologue

"When your opponent is hurrying recklessly, you must act contrarily and keep calm. You must not be influenced by the opponent."

― Miyamoto Musashi,

"You know this is the end of the line for you, Grand Admiral," a distorted voice spoke from the shadows, their target being a man looking out a sheet of reinforced glass and into the vastness of space.

"That is how these stories seem to go, my assassin, between those that have power and those that seek it. It's a shame that so many people had to die though," the man at the window responded, his cobalt colored eyes spying the wreckage of what had once been an Imperial Star Destroyer.

"This isn't about power, it's about all the things you've done, all the families you've torn apart, all of your sins," even with the voice modulator, it wasn't hard to detect anger in the person's voice; they had come here for blood.

The Grand Admiral chuckled, turning back to look his assassin right in the eyes, "All the things I've done, what could you possibly know about all the things I've done? You know nothing, you understand nothing, and soon enough you will be nothing."

"Before you die, and you will die by the end of this conversation, my employer requested I get your story. Don't know why, not to mention I don't really care, but I am going to get it even if I have to beat it out of you," the assassin pulled out a small recording disk and placed it on the table between them, "Have a seat, Grand Admiral, we're gonna be here for a while."

The grand admiral, seeing that he had almost no choice in the matter, took a seat at his table and calmly watched his would be murderer sit down across from them. He had no weapon, most of his men were dead, and this person would kill him the moment he even twitched a finger the wrong way. It would seem he would have to play along, for now.

"You want to know my story? Fine, but it's a long one," the Admiral leaned in close, allowing the light above them to reveal a relatively young man.

The Admiral could be considered handsome by most standards, with his short blonde hair, sharp facial features, striking blue eyes, and six strange looking birthmarks on each of his cheeks. Yet it was the slight glow in his right eye that revealed it to be cybernetic in nature, from either losing it in a fight or it being damaged some other way. Yes, he was handsome.

The Admiral dook a deep breath, closed his eyes, and spoke, "I am Grand Admiral Naruto Uzumaki and this is my story."

(Twenty-Four Years B.B.Y.) (Jedi Temple: Coruscant)

The firm control of one's emotions was an expected trait for all those wishing to go beyond being a simple Jedi youngling and move on to become a padawan. You meditated for hours on end, practiced with your training lightsaber in your free time, and went against every natural impulse to build bonds with those around you. You were almost looked down upon if you cheered for a friend, wept at a funeral, or got angry when something didn't work out the way you wanted it to. You were expected to remain calm in all situations, to solve problems logically, and to always uphold the Jedi code.

Yet, despite years of indoctrination, because that's what it really was, Padawan Naruto Uzumaki found himself barley containing a thousand watt smile as he walked down the halls of the temple. The reason for this was quite simple, he had participated in the anual Apprentice Tournament and a Master had chose him from the many others that had been there that day. Not only that, but it was none other than Jedi Master Sora Bulq that had taken Naruto on as a padawan!

Naruto received his padawan braid earlier that morning, not to mention a haircut and a new set of robes. His lightsaber hung from his new utility belt, a slender and simple looking weapon he had created two years ago, and Naruto could feel the small amount of comfort the crystal inside gave him. Despite everything said about him not being able to make it, about him being sent to raise plants on some backwater world, Naruto felt proud of himself. Yet he knew he had to cover that pride with a mask of indifference, always with a mask of indifference. Still, this was a special moment in his life, so Naruto allowed himself one small twitch of his lips when he saw no one was looking.

Arriving at the water fountain guardian, which overlooked the vast city skyline that made up the entire planet, Naruto found his new master in a meditative position while several rocks floated around him. Naruto approached Master Bulq as quietly as he could, since most Jedi didn't like their meditation time being interrupted, and tried to remain as quiet as possible.

"You need not walk so quietly, my new padawan, I've been waiting for you," Sora suddenly spoke, yet the rocks floating around him didn't even waver at the apparent break of concentration, showing just how much focus the Jedi Master really had.

"Sorry Master Bulq, I came as fast as I could," Naruto apologized, shyly scratching the back of his head in embarrassment for being caught trying to sneak up on his new teacher.

"Hm, come and sit with me, we've much time to get acquainted and doing so while meditating will be an interesting experience," Sora motioned for Naruto to sit down across from him, to which the newly made padawan did without question, and it was at this time that both Jedi studied one another.

Master Sora Bulq was a member of the Weequay species, a race of humanoids from the Outer Rim planet of Sriluur, and was known throughout the Jedi Order as possibly the best lightsaber duelist if recent generations. Naruto Uzumaki was a human, discovered by the Jedi during a slave raid on an Outer Rim planet, and had a habit of going against the tenets of the Jedi Order. The Padawan saw someone he could learn much from, someone that could mold him into a great Jedi one day. The Master saw a child with a troubled past, someone unwilling to conform to beliefs he did not believe in, and potential to become the greatest padawan he had ever trained.

(Six Months Later)

The Jedi Temple was a massive place, far larger than almost any other building on the planet, and it was for this reason that massive training rooms were able to be built. Everything a Jedi would need to master the force, the lightsaber, and themselves were readily available any time they wished for it. It is at one of these training areas, one with several stone pillars, no wider than half a foot, positioned three feet away from one another, that we find Naruto and Sora locked in a lightsaber spar.

Well it was more like Sora casually batting away every attack Naruto sent at him, while balancing on one foot no less, than an actual spar. Naruto, on the other hand, was mostly trying to just stay on the pillars and still attack at the same time, something of which he was having some trouble with. He didn't have the combat experience his master did, nor the physical discipline to even give him a challenge, but he did have something Sora valued above all forms of natural talent. Naruto Uzumaki had an unrelenting determination to grow stronger, smarter, and wiser. That was why Sora put his new padawan through such rigorous training, every other day for the last six month, so that he would continue to grow stronger.

"Watch your footing, you must always be aware of the battlefield around you," Sora taught as he lazily swung his training lightsaber at Naruto, who just barely managed to stumble backwards onto the post behind him.

"Easier said than done, Master Sora," Naruto grumbled as he regained his balance and settled both his feet on two different poles, trying his best to keep a low center of gravity.

"You're right, this type of training may seem difficult for you at first, but everything is difficult at first. Determine that today you will overcome yourself of the day before, tomorrow you will win over those of lesser skill, and later you will win over those of greater skill. If you can adopt this state of mind, then there is little you cannot accomplish," the way Sora spoke captivated Naruto for a moment, he'd never heard a Jedi Master speak so passionately about self improvement before!

"Right!" Naruto went to charge his master again, only for his foot to miss the pillar entirely and cause him to dramatically fall to the ground below, "I'm ok!"

"Just like Mace when he was that age,"