A New Order : Confusion
Disclaimer - I do not own Naruto, Star Wars, or any obscure references to other owned or written material, either official or those of fandom. They are all property of associated parties.
A/N: This is a story that I have been thinking on for quite a while now, but only recently got around to writing. More notes at the end of the chapter.
Naruto awoke slowly, to a rhythmic rocking sensation. The heavy pounding of his pulse made his vision waver as his head ached. Though his eyes were open, he was unresponsive to everything around him. Stray thoughts flitted across his mind, though none seemed to want to stay in place long enough for him to focus on. In an attempt to soothe his migraine, he focused on the steady motions. Back and forth, back and forth. The gentle wind blew across his face, cooling his flushed skin.
When he finally felt up to the task of thinking, he tried to piece together the fragments that composed his memory.
'Where am I? How did I get here? Alright, the last thing I remember was...taking the exam, and I think I...failed? Aw man! After that I went to get some food. Me and Iruka ate, and talked about my problem, then he had to leave to do something. After that I was hanging out on the Monument when Mizuki came up and started talking to me. What... what did he say? I can't..."
He let out a moan as a cold spike of pain stabbed at him, and it apparently got the attention of whoever was carrying him because they stopped.
"Query: Are we finally awake?"
Naruto rolled over in the hard arms that held him, to look up at the face of his captor. His face betrayed his confusion, as he examined the face above him.
"We are not sure. Are we... red?"
"Amused response: Yes."
Naruto glanced around bewildered.
"Then we are awake. But we are very confused."
The... thing, made a strange sound that might have been a laugh, before setting him on unsteady feet.
"Statement: Then that is fortunate. I was beginning to worry that you had been more damaged than I had anticipated."
Naruto looked up at the being with eyes wide. Right before him was one of the weirdest things he had ever seen. It was pretty tall, at least six foot and its skin was a dark, rust red metal. The head was rounded with glowing yellow eyes that would brighten and dimly alternately. It's voice had a strange quality to it, as though being played through speakers, and reminded him of the computers he had seen around the village.
"Who-... what are you?"
"Answer: My designation is HK-47, young master. I am a protocol Droid built and programmed to serve my Master."
"Am I alive?"
"Answer: Yes, young master."
"Where am I? How did I get here? What have you done to me?"
"Placating response: You are currently in Training Ground 44, known affectionately to the locals as the 'Forest of Death'. I have been ordered to bring you to my Master, who lives in the center of this forest. We have been watching for some time now, and my Master feels it is time for you to join us. Urging Query: So, shall we go young master? We need to return to my Master before he becomes impatient. I fear we are already behind schedule."
Naruto still looked skeptical.
"How did I get here?"
"Answer: You had been attacked, and I interfered on behalf of my Master."
"Who is your Master?"
"Challenge: Come with me and you'll find out."
"You really think I'm going to come with you? You're insane! How do I know you haven't just kidnapped me?"
"Rhetorical: If I had gone through the trouble of rendering you unconscious and kidnapping you, why would I ask you to follow me? I would have simply injected you with an anesthesia and carried you the rest of the way."
Naruto stared at the Droid for a couple of minutes,despite everything, he did have a point. A quiet voice within him told him that following the strange being standing before him was the right thing to do, despite his common sense calling him an idiot for even considering the idea. After a long moment of hard debate he nodded carefully. After all, what was the worst that could happen?
"Is it far?"
"Answer: No Master, only another mile or so now. Query: Are you well enough to run?"
Naruto tested his legs by bouncing a little, shifting his weight between them. Other than a tingling sensation from being stationary for so long, it felt okay so nodded at HK.
"Yup, I'm good. Let's go already!"
"Agreement: Very well Master."
The Droid turned down the path and took off in a slow jog, clearing ground easily with long legs. Naruto had to hurry in order to keep pace, not wasting any more breath talking.
After a couple of minutes running at a hurried pace through the trees, the pair came upon a wide open clearing about a quarter of a mile in a rough square. The clearing was completely empty and silent, with the grass dancing in the gentle wind. Naruto stopped next to the treeline and collapsed heavily against a large tree, holding his side as he huffed and puffed painfully.
"Condescending Remark: Oh dear Master, you seem to be out of shape. Uplifted: Fortunately, my Master has a plan to rectify this mistake."
"You keep...calling me...Master...why?"
"Confused Answer: Because you are my master. My programming dictates that I refer to you as such."
"That's the thing, why do you think I am your Master? I have never even seen you before and you especially don't serve me."
"Answer: You are my Master because my Master has decided that at some point he will pass along my ownership to you. Admittance: I must admit however, I am unsure why he would take this path of action. Regardless however, I will serve my Master and if I am to belong to you, then I will serve you."
Naruto shook his head as he regained his breath and stood straight. He obviously wasn't going to get a straight answer out of the machine. He could only hope that whoever his master was, made more sense than it did.
Despite his pleas, HK refused to elaborate, instead walking to the center of the field and stopping a ways off from the middle.
"Urgence: Come young master, we are almost there!"
Naruto's eyes widened again as he watched the Droid take a single step forward and vanish! It simply disappeared, leaving Naruto alone in the field. The boy walked forward, searching for any signs of HK but failing. All he could find were the heavy indentations of the Droid's footsteps which simply disappeared entirely in mid-step.
The boy stood directly on the last two footsteps and reached forward like a blind man, feeling foolish. His embarrassment dissipated when he felt a strange buzz in his fingertips just before they disappeared like the Droid had. A jerk of panic shot through him and he leapt back only for his fingers to reappear once they passed a specific point.
"Urging: Master, please hurry, we must go before the Master gets impatient."
The voice came from right in front of him, though the machine wasn't visible. The boy took a final deep breath and closed his eyes. As he stepped across the invisible barrier, the tingle washed over his body, making his skin crawl and neck hair stand on end.
When he reopened his eyes, he was shocked by the magnificence of the structure in the center of the clearing. The building was composed of some kind of black marble or obsidian, and was built like a half-finished pyramid, layered and towering high. The design ended well before the pyramid was complete and four statues decorated the corners facing outward. They were all different people, though all obviously male. One was altogether different from the other however but it was difficult to see any details from the angle he was at. In the middle of the top layer was another, smaller building that apparently led into the center of it.
Naruto was about to ask about them when he noticed HK was heading to the temple and was almost there. Naruto hurried to catch up while trying to catch as much detail from the grounds as he could. The inside of the invisible walls he had passed through glowed with a pale blue light and emitted a low hum. The grounds surrounding the Temple were what really got to him though.
There were seemingly hundreds of Droids, like HK-47 but shorter, silver and in better condition. While HK's metal body had scorch marks, scratches, dents, and strange dark stains on it that gave it an old look, the silver ones were flawless and shiny. While they were too far away for Naruto to clearly see what they were doing, flashes of red light kept shooting outward from a squad of the Droids on one side, flying towards some makeshift targets set up in the shape of a human silhouette. The others were performing other tasks, from cleaning up the grounds to breaking down and seperating piles of rubble that lay scattered around the building.
Reluctantly, Naruto turned away from the spectacle just as HK-47 punched some numbers into a pad on the wall and a pair of large double doors slid open to give them access.
"Welcoming Statement: Welcome to your new home, young master."
"Indeed, welcome Uzumaki Naruto. We have been expecting you."
Naruto's eyes widened when he saw two tall men standing in the now revealed hallway. The speaker on the left was clad in a black cloak which concealed most of his face and ended just above the floor. He was taller than most of the people in Konoha, with his head topping out at 6'5" and towering over him. Behind the shadows of the cloak's hood was the bare outline of a face and yellow eyes. What skin he could clearly see was pale and betrayed a life spent in the shadows, away from the sunlight. His expression, from what he could see, was dark with a hint of ancient wisdom.
"Relax Bane; you're scaring the poor kid."
The second man stood to the right and was practically the polar opposite of the tall man. He was a little shorter, but stouter. His arms and face were a tan bronze and hard, advertising prowess at physical labor. His arms were thick and corded with dense muscle, evenly proportioned with his chest. He wore a simple pair of blue pants in a strange material and a black t-shirt with heavy boots, completely different than the sandals he was so accustomed to seeing.
'Bane' sighed as he turned to his partner who was chuckling happily. While Bane gave off an aura of darkness that made Naruto tense, his partner seemed happier and light-hearted, much to the boy's relief.
"Hey there! My name is Kyle Katarn and this is my friend Bane. As HK has no doubt told you, we have been watching you for some time now, and I'm happy to say we're impressed."
"You have many questions boy, and they shall be answered in due time. Most importantly, I can assure you that you are safe here. But for now you need food and rest. It has been a long day and you have not yet fully healed from your wounds. Follow HK, he will show you where to go."
Naruto hesitated and looked between the two men, unsure what to do. On one hand, they were strangers and whenever a stranger offered to help him it never ended well. On the other hand however, he had long since learned to trust his instincts, and despite the feeling that his life was on the verge of changing dramatically, for better or for worse in ways he could hardly begin to comprehend, there was no sense of danger from the men before him. The last time he had felt like that was just before he was informed of his acceptance into the Shinobi academy.
After what felt like an age, he nodded slightly and was surprised to see Kyle smile a bit.
"Good lad. HK will show you where to go. Just relax and rest well; we have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow."
"Statement: Follow me Master, and I will show you to your quarters."
The Droid turned his back from Naruto and walked down a hallway to the left, his metallic feet hitting the ground with a dull thump every step. Barely giving time to throw a glance down the hallway behind him, Naruto was surprised to see the two men had already gone though the echo of receding footsteps could still be heard, along with soft voices.
Naruto followed HK down a maze of hallways, twisting to such an extent that he would have been lost instantly, if not for his guide. Though the walls were identical to him, HK seemed to know exactly where he was going. Tall walls made of a black stone stood wide enough for three or four people to walk comfortably, side by side. Every so often the walls would be broken by a wide door of a lighter material. Some were open while others were sealed shut, but they were all the same with no identifying markings. One door in particular caught his attention so completely that he stopped moving and forced HK to backtrack once he noticed his absence.
The door was massive, towering at least ten feet tall and four wide. Across the surface, from top corners to the bottom opposite ones stretched two thick chains with a heavy looking lock connecting them. Just by the look of the chain and lock combination, it was more than apparent that it was supposed to keep some out, or something powerful in. Behind the door was a power the likes of which Naruto had never felt before. Even the carefully suppressed chakra of the Hokage was only a drop in the bucket compared to the waves being emitted from behind the blockade. The air surrounding it was laden with a deep throb that echoed within his mind.
The dark aura of the door was making him uneasy, but when he turned to leave he thought he heard a whisper. He spun around to look behind, but he was alone in the hallway. He stood as still and silent as possible until the only sound was his pounding heartbeat. As he convinced himself that it was only his mind playing tricks on him, he heard it speak again.
"You're weak…"
His heart beat faster and his throat dried up. Fear gripped him and his blood turned to ice in his veins.
"Who's there?"
His only reply was the haunting echoes of his own voice bouncing off the perfectly smooth walls. Once again, after a moment of silence, it returned, louder, angrier, and in greater numbers. The realization came a moment too late that he wasn't hearing them with his ears… but with his mind. They seemed to grow constantly louder in an attempt to make themselves heard over the others, causing them to overlap violently.
"…-engence, return their hatre-…"
"…pathetic! Strike bac-…"
"…-lease your power. They are…"
In a vain attempt to block them out, Naruto covered his ears with his hands and screwed his eyes shut. The darkness somehow made it worse, and the volume increased steadily until he was sure his head was going to explode from the pressure.
"…still alive is outrag-…"
"…you could be great…"
"…Let them fear you!..."
"Shut up!" Naruto roared. He shook his head violently and turned his back to the door, trying to drown out the voices. At first it seemed as though he had succeeded in driving them off when all the voices quieted, leaving the hallway silent once more. The peace was short-lived as one voice returned, speaking softly.
"You are strong to resist us, and stronger still to survive what you have. It would have killed a weaker man."
Cautiously, Naruto removed his hands and let them fall to his sides. The the voice sounded kind, it had an underlying tone that seemed to want to remain hidden, almost like a serpent's hiss. Something that fled from his conscious thought, from the light.
"It's terrible that no one sees the truth, what you could easily become. You are the true prodigy, not their beloved Sasuke."
Naruto's eyes widened at the name and his distrust sky rocketed. How did it know about Sasuke? There was no possible way it could.
"You think Kyle and Bane are the only ones who have been watching you…Naruto? We know everything about you, even more than you know about yourself."
Naruto stepped closer to the door, almost imperceptibly.
"We know your hates. We know your fears. We know your desires. And we know… your secret. The one within you, yes? We can sense it. We can taste it."
Naruto frowned in confusion, until an onrush of information struck him, aided by the voice inside his head. A wave of sights, sounds, and other blended sensations from earlier. He stood in a forest with his two academy teachers standing before him. Iruka was heavily injured with various weapons sticking out of his body while Mizuke stood proudly, gloating over his victory. The silver-haired traitor was speaking to him, addressing the anger and ignorance that had been aimed at him during his lifetime. Despite Iruka's pleas for him to stop, Mizuki had told him a secret about his birth, about the... Kyuuni! Intense emotions shot through him, the most prevailant of which was his distrust of the voices in his head. What are they?
"You question us, yes? We are nothing but memories, fragments once great powers no longer. We survive to teach, to pass on our knowledge to those we find worthy. We feel your hunger for companionship, we'll be your friends. We can sense your desperation; we can be your guides. We know of your wish to be recognized, we can be your voice. Most of all, we know of your inner beast, and we can help you control it."
While the voice spoke, Naruto had subconsciously approached the door and was slowly reaching out for it.
"You have power that the two can only begin to comprehend. They know only of your potential, not the extent to which it reaches. Among the stars you will burn bright, among the powerful you shall be king. Accept our guidance, follow our teachings, walk our path, and you will stand among the gods!"
His mind was clouded and unclear except for the haunting whisper in his mind. His hand was only a few inches from the heavy lock on the door. Somehow, all he had to do was touch it and the chains would shatter, giving him everything he wanted, and more.
"Query: Master? What are you doing?"
Naruto jumped like he was shocked, putting some distance between the door and him. He shook his head to clear the fog that had settled and he looked back at the door understandably disturbed.
"Uh… no-nothing! I just... nothing."
"Suspicious acceptance: Very well. Shall we continue?"
"Yeah," He cast a final glance at the odd door. "Yeah, let's go."
"Excited Statement: Here we are Master! Explanation: This shall be your personal chambers, so feel free to make yourself comfortable."
HK pushed open a rather nondescript door to reveal the single most appealing room Naruto had ever seen. The predominant color was definitely black, and the back wall had a single long window with thick hanging curtains, blocking out the light of the setting sun. The right had a dresser and a stout desk, both empty and carved from a dark, reddish-brown wood that gave off a hint of a rather delightful aroma. The bed was against the left side, pressed against the wall with the head just to the left of the window.
The floor was covered with thick rug that lacked a design, and the walls were the same black stone as the rest of the building. The bed was a moderately large four-poster with hanging curtains of an almost transparent black silk, adding to the overall darkness of the room. The sheets were a different color though… partly. The thick, soft-looking quilt was a shadowy silver with black trim and the pillows were in tune with the design either black or silver. Other than that, the room was bare but comfortable and Naruto could focus on little else but the soft bed.
"Statement: Master, the door on the left leads to your private bathroom which has anything you may need to get clean. Continuation: I shall have a clean set of clothes brought to you while you shower, they will be ready when you get out."
"Thanks HK! This is awesome; I've never had such a nice room before!"
The Droid's eyes brightened happily before dimming again and he left the room, letting Naruto close the door behind him.
Alone in the room, Naruto took the quiet moment provided to clean himself up. He pushed the door to the bathroom, which he hadn't noticed before, and marveled at the sight. The walls were a shining white that contrasted the room brilliantly. The floor was a clean marble with random, chaotic swirls of silver mixed in. A mirrored cabinet hung on the wall above the standing sink. To its side was a pristine shower as well as every other necessary amenity, including a fluffy towel on a rack.
Naruto happily cranked up the hot water and laughed when a rush of it flowed instantly. When he was staying at his apartment, it would take time before the hot water would flow, but apparently that wasn't going to be a problem here. He wasted no time in stripping his torn and bloodied jumpsuit and stepping into the shower eagerly.
Almost an hour had passed when he finally stepped out of the shower. He had meant to find out how long it would take for the hot water to run out, but even after a while it showed no signs of slowing any time soon. Wrapping the towel around his waist, he decided to let his hair drip-dry and made his way back to the bedroom. Just as HK had said, a new set of clothes were draped over the bed. Just looking at the bed itself made his eyes water from exhaustion. He managed to pull on a pair of boxers and a simple undershirt before collapsing on the soft bed without ever bothering to cover himself with the sheets. He was asleep before he hit the pillow.
- The Next Day -
Naruto woke up slowly and in the best mood in years, probably since he was inducted into the academy. He rolled his head to one side to check the clock beside him, and the glowing numbers read a quarter past eleven. The blond sighed happily and stretched, feeling a few of his joints pop satisfyingly. For another couple of minutes, he was content to be still and stare up at the ceiling before finally climbing out of bed. The clothes from the night before had fallen off the bed and landed in a heap on the floor. Apparently the shorter man from the night before, Kyle, had picked them out as it was a casual pair of jeans and a plain black tee, just as his had been. Naruto pulled them on, happy to be wearing anything other than the ragged orange jumpsuit.
When he was fully dressed and pulled his sandals on, he turned to the door, unsure of what he was supposed to do. He poked his head out the door to glance down the hall. On either side of the door was one of the Droids he had seen the previous afternoon standing guard.
"Uhhh… Good morning?"
The two metallic guards stood straight and saluted.
"Good morning Master, it is good to see you well rested. Is there anything you require from us?"
"Uh… yeah, where is everyone? The two guys from last night and the red machine?"
"Master Bane and Kyle Katarn are currently in the war room, making plans for your training. I believe they wanted you to join them when you were ready. Kyle seemed quite… giddy. HK-47 is no longer on the premises, he stated only that he had an important mission and left early this morning. Master trusts only him with the most sensitive of issues, so no doubt it is rather important. He will not be back for a few hours."
"Oh cool, thanks." Naruto stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him. He looked left, then right hesitantly before looking at the Droid that had spoken. "Where's the war room?"
"The war room is in quadrant 5B in the far western corner, between the entertainment chambers and cafeteria."
Naruto stared at him blankly.
"Backtrack from how you got here, only instead of the third right, take two lefts, straight until the T-junction, and a right. Second door on your left."
Blank stare.
"I have an idea, why don't I show you?"
Naruto grinned sheepishly as the two walked off, leaving the remaining Droid to shake its head in amusement and sidestep in front of the door, and barring any entrance.
Said men stood over a pile of blueprints, looking at one specifically and discussing plans for the immediate future.
"Bane, are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, what if the kid can't handle it? He's thirteen for crying out loud."
"True, but if HK-47's information is accurate, he has survived far worse than this before. The injuries he sustained yesterday alone are evidence of that. They should have been fatal for anyone his age."
"I'm still not so sure, you aren't usually willing to take such a large… you've seen him haven't you? You've seen his future. Dammit, I wish you would tell me when that happens You know how much I hate being out of the loop."
"I 'see' every night about many things. How am I supposed to know what is important enough to trouble you over?"
"The end of the world for a start. Then the kid, then me." He noticed Bane avert his eyes when he said that. "Bane, what did you see? Did you see me in one of your damn things! Dammit! Don't dream about me!"
Bane gave a hint of a smile and turned away to look at the door a moment before it swung open.
"What d'ya mean I'm 'short'? I oughta kick your shiny metal butt for that, you piece of junk!"
"I mean that if you were a few inches shorter, I would be concerned about trodding on you accidentally. But enough of that, here we are."
The two older men were staring at them silently for a moment, watching the two bicker back and forth before interrupting their 'conversation'.
"Ah, Naruto. It's good to see you awake. Please, come on in. We have much to discuss."
Naruto approached the desk, throwing a reproachful glare back at his escort. When he stood on the opposite side of the large, stone table, Kyle gathered up at the papers and put them in a neat stack. He and Bane sat back in a pair of comfortable chairs and leaned back.
"No doubt you are wondering who we are, yes?"
"Well before we can really answer that, you have to understand some things. We are not from this time. Bane and I were alive around a couple thousand years ago."
Bane ignored the understandably confused look.
"Our people were human, like yourself, but we lived long ago. We were a highly advanced and privileged race, with technologies you could hardly begin to imagine. We had, have, instruments of war capable of leveling your great monument. Weapons that have power that surpasses your greatest 'jutsu', and bombs that could destroy your entire village in a heartbeat."
"With such capabilities, many factions emerged and spread, each more powerful than the last. The greatest of which were two religious factions, the Jedi and the Sith."
Kyle sat up straighter.
"These two factions were once one, in a massive collaboration, a single entity with the same views and goals. At some point, the wiser leaders of this organization learned of a unique connection between all living things that provided them with life. They called this connection, the Force."
"Over time, the greatest leaders learned to manipulate this connection, using their own bodies as conduits, and were rewarded bountifully. By training themselves in body, spirit, and mind, they could use the Force in ways we could never have imagined. They found ways to lift things many times their own weight with only their will. They could amplify their bodies to be faster, stronger, smarter, or even to aide their wounds in healing faster than was natural. And then there were those who learned to use the Force to attack their enemies, slowing them, manipulate them, and even to kill them with only their mind."
"There were some who would use this power for good, and others evil. As a result, this single great faction became divided, branching off into two separate ideals. Eventually, those who utilized the more aggressive aspects of the Force separated entirely, creating their own faction known as the Sith. The Sith took their name from a powerful race of creatures who were naturally in tune with the Dark side, and these humans became powerful in the Dark side, eventually growing to be greatly feared across the world."
Here, Bane spoke.
"Contrary to popular belief however, the original teachings of the Sith weren't evil in their intent, only dark in their application. There is no good or evil to the Force, it simply IS. A tool, nothing more, nothing less. Is a kunai evil? If one kills a man for his money, and uses a kunai to accomplish the deed, does that make the blade evil? Of course not, it was simply the means to an end. Suck is the Force. The strength of the Sith came both from humanity's greatest weapon, and our greatest weakness, emotion. By letting our heart dictate our actions, we gained magnificent power. To strike out at someone in righteous vengeance, to protect someone you love from injustice, is there any greater feeling? Any stronger motivation? By using this, we became powerful. That is what the Sith taught, to fight not with cunning, but with your heart."
Bane sighed, and his gaze grew sad.
"Unfortunately, after time these ideals degraded. It is easier, for some, to feel hatred than love. Greed and anger over the need to protect. Most of our students began to believe themselves superior to those who were unable to feel the Force as they could. They saw themselves as stronger, as rulers to use their might to take what they wanted from the weak, simply because they could. Over time there were few who remembered the true teachings of the old Sith, instead the others released themselves to the darkest tendencies of human nature which finally ended in disaster. The Sith were evil, with very few exceptions. The eldest council, my apprentice, and myself were all that remained of the legacy. Now it is only me."
Kyle smiled cheerfully and slugged the Dark Lord in the shoulder.
"Aw cheer up buddy! You still have me!"
Bane closed his eyes and shook his head and Kyle grinned sheepishly before turning to Naruto.
"Okay, now everything must have an opposite right? Good and bad,light and dark, it's the way of the universe, all about balance. This balance came in the form of the Jedi; my own people. While the Sith focused on few but themselves, being greedy bastards that they were. No offense of course."
Bane shook his head again.
"None taken. Git…"
Kyle shot the cloaked man a glare before chuckling.
"Anyway, while the Sith were off being emo, the Jedi cared more about everyone else. We were the 'Champions of Light', sort of like white knights, only our costumes weren't as cool."
Bane rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. Naruto laughed as the cloaked man face-palmed, and looked on interested.
"Basically we were your generic good guys. Protect the innocent, beat up the bad guys, rescue kittens from trees, never be selfish. You know, that sort of crap. However, this light had a price. We saw how the Sith fought, letting their emotions control them, and we assumed that their willingness to use them were what made them evil, and I guess in a way we were right. To prevent our Jedi from falling to the Dark Side, we taught them to act logically; to remain calm and think with your mind, not your heart. We also taught that a Jedi was expected not to have any intimate relationships or contact, as they would only bring distractions and weakness in the form of the Dark Side. We were fools. Because of our 'merciful' ideals we could never bring ourselves to outright destroy the Sith, and we were too strong to be wiped out."
"This resulted in a long and bloody conflict, spanning thousands of years and resulting in the genocide of all life on the planet, except for us. Kyle and I are all that remains of our once great legacies.
"What does that mean? Genocide?"
Kyle's eyes widened and he shot Bane a 'are you serious?' look, while Bane just rubbed his brow, his headache getting worse.
"It means when all of one thing is destroyed and there aren't any left."
"Oh, right… I knew that."
"Sure you did…" Kyle shot back sarcastically.
"Now that we have awakened from our hibernation, it is time for us to revive our clans. We have been awake for the last year or so, making preparations. You are not to tell anyone of this, Kyle and I have only been awake for the last two months. Do you understand?"
"Why? Why should I trust you? Why did you bring me here?"
Kyle smiled and put a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"We can't just build an empire overnight. It will take many years, and it is quite possible that Bane and I will kick it before we are done. We're like, five thousand years old after all. You wish you looked this good when you're our age."
"If we are to die, someone must remain to continue our great, undying, unifying walk."
"That person, Naruto, is you."
Naruto's eyes widened and he took a step back. Deep within him he felt something stir, and he could have sworn he heard something chuckle.
"You're wrong! You have the wrong person. I'm not ready for this!"
Kyle saw the panic in his eyes, and reached out with the Force to calm him. His voice was calm and soothing.
"Naruto, you are the right one. You have survived hardships that should have killed you. You have managed to survive on your own for years, learning and teaching yourself everything you know. But most importantly, you care for people. Even those who hate and would strike out against you, you still desire to protect them. Who else but a great leader would do such a thing? You are the only one capable of rising to what we require."
"But… but I don't know anything about leading! People hate me anyway, how am I supposed to make them follow me? How could I ever bring them to me?"
"You can't," Bane said almost casually. "These people are blinded by their hatred and have hardened their hearts. They will never follow you, this I have seen. There are a few you can change, but it will not be easy and you don't have much time before they are beyond your influence. Even now, more than one heart is succumbing to a darkness within."
"However, there is good news. Across the Elemental Nations, there are people that are ready to join our Empire. We have found a country specifically that will serve our purpose perfectly. We still have work to do before they are truly ready, but when they are, you will have a new home."
Naruto's eyes lit up with excitement, and he leaned forward happily.
"You mean I don't have to stay in Konoha?"
Kyle chuckled at the boys enthusiasm.
"No, no you don't. However, this is only ensured if you follow us and accept the training we offer. Bane here has a habit of seeing into the future, and most of his 'visions' have been about you lately. Generally if he tells you something, he has a damn good reason."
"My visions aren't infallible. The future isn't set in stone. Every decision we make alters the path the future is set on. I can guide you on the path best, but I cannot make every decision for you. You worry about not knowing how to lead? Of course you don't. You have never had need for the knowledge, nor anyone to instruct you in the ways. Now you do, and it is only natural for us to train our heir, isn't it?"
Bane gave one of his rare smirks, and Naruto felt the fear and uncertainty start to melt away.
"You won't leave me?"
"What makes you ask that? Of course we won't."
"Whenever something good seems to happen, it is almost always too good to be true."
"Naruto, we will stay with you and train you until the day we feel you are truly ready and we must leave. Okay?"
"Okay. What do you want me to do?"
Kyle laughed and grinned happily.
"Excellent! Now its not going to be easy, but I'm damn sure you'll be fine. Now first of all, we need to fix the years of neglect you've received, as well as the problem of that damn fox of yours."
Naruto's eyes widened and his mouth went dry. Kyle saw the reaction and rushed to explain.
"When HK first saw you and started following you around, he noticed something rather strange. He used his scanners to search your body and found a rather strange abnormality. It was unlike anything he had ever seen, so he sneaked into a couple of government buildings gathering data on your condition-..."
"HK sneaked into a government building! Without being caught?"
Bane nodded proudly, and Naruto mouthed a silent 'wow' in surprise and new found respect.
"Anyway, the night the fox attacked, Konoha's soldiers tried everything they could to either kill it, or drive it away, all to no avail. When nothing had any effect, the leader at the time, the Yondaime Hokage designed some seal or whatever. This seal locked it away in your body or something like that. Its purpose was to lock your souls together so the day you died, you would drag it with you, destroying it once and for all."
"So you mean I'm stuck with it for my entire life?" His heart sank.
"Unfortunately, yes. However we are going to see what we can do about making sure it has nothing to do with you. The seal was rather crude, though still effective considering the rush the Yondaime was under. The one thing he didn't see happening however, was the sheer power the fox has under its control, and the seal simply isn't strong enough to hold it for ever. We're going to fix that."
"Seriously! You know how to do that? That's awesome!"
Bane and Kyle shook their heads.
Now listen up, it isn't going to be easy and if you were conscious, it would probably hurt like hell. We're going to knock you out for a day or two until the worst of it is over. Meanwhile, we have some other stuff planned for you while you're under. We don't have long until you need to return to Konoha though. We promised the Hokage we'd have you back so you could be placed on a team after all."
Naruto calmed down and turned to them excitedly.
"Cool. So what do we do first?"
"Normally we would go get some food, but this is going to require some pretty invasive surgery, so it's better for you to have an empty stomach. So why don't you come with me while Bane finishes getting everything prepared for the operation."
"Sure, where are we going?"
"I'm going to teach you about fashion sense."
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean!"
- Storage Zone: Clothing –
Naruto and Kyle walked down a long aisle from rows of many slowly. The boy was looking around with eyes wide.
"I've never seen this many different types of clothes in one place before. Hell, I've never seen most of these types in general!"
"Yup, these are all the clothes that were common back in my time, every design in every color. You want it, I got it and it's all free. So go ahead and pick out some stuff."
Naruto looked up at him with adoration.
"You're serious? Whatever I want!"
Kyle laughed and nodded.
"Yup, I'm serious little Dude. So, got anything in mind?"
"Uhhh, I guess we should start with the pants."
"Sounds good, follow me. I have something you might like."
- Ten Minutes Later -
Kyle leant against the wall of the changing rooms, waiting impatiently for Naruto to change into the new pants he had been given.
"Come on! Hurry it up, they're jeans not a tuxedo for cryin' out loud."
There was a muffled thump, followed by a juicy curse.
"I'm going! Don't rush me. The zipper goes in the back, right?"
"…Are you serious?"
"Uhh… No?"
More mumbling was heard before another shuffling of clothes and Kyle was starting to get bored staring at the ceiling, waiting for the boy to come out.
"Hey Naruto?"
"Ugh, stupid.. huh? What do you need?"
"Why are you so loud?"
There were sounds of a minor struggle, followed by a few the Jedi didn't even want to think about.
"What do you mean? I'm not loud!"
"See? Right there. You shout like, every other sentence you say."
"Hmm, I don't know. I never really thought about it. I guess I have to, since people never listen to what I have to say. Like I said, I don't really know."
After an eternity, the changing room door swung wide to reveal a shirtless Naruto in a pair of mildly tight jeans.
Kyle remained propped up against the wall for a moment before straightening back up and nodding happily.
"Yup, that'll do nicely. Especially once we pack some meat on your bones. Right now you look half-dead. Me and Bane'll fix that soon enough. By the time you get back to the village, you're gonna have to beat off the chicks with a stun rod."
Naruto frowned at the crack at his build, and then just looked confused.
"How do you plan to build me up? Am I going to have to eat all the time?"
Kyle's eyes gleamed.
"Not quite. Now let's get you finished setting up your new look. You and Bane might have the fashion sense of a color-blind retard, but that doesn't mean I do. Let's see, you've got jeans, which we need to grab more of by the way, so now we need… shoes."
Naruto looked down at his ragged sandals and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Heh heh, I guess I do. But don't you mean sandals?"
"Nope, I said shoes and I meant shoes. Sandals are for going to the beach. If you're going into battle you don't want this open toe crap you ninjas likes so much, you want something that will break bones when you kick someone with them. Besides, what I've got in mind is a whole lot more comfortable than what you're wearing, trust me."
Naruto shrugged and followed after Kyle as he moved through the massive warehouse.
- Seventeen Minutes Later –
"See? I told you I knew how to get here. Oh yea of little faith."
"What? We've been last ever since you turned left at those parkas with the birds on them!"
"Well we're here now, so it doesn't matter, does it?"
Naruto just grumbled as he looked along the vast wall of shoes. His amazement had faded over the half hour trekking expedition, though he was still really enjoying himself. He had never been able to shop with this little restriction before, let alone without having to pay. At some point Kyle had found an abandoned shopping cart, which was what he had called it, and started piling clothes into it, inviting him to do the same.
So far they had collected fourteen pairs of black socks, seven pairs of dark blue jeans, plus the pair he was wearing, about a dozen sleeveless undershirts, either black or gray, and a ton of shirts, some plain tee's, some printed, and others button-down.
All in all, Naruto was really pleased with his new clothing selection. It was going to be interesting to walk down the street without the neon orange. For a while he had liked it, but the novelty had worn off pretty quickly. He was really looking forward to how he would look in everything, though a single thing was bugging him. Whenever he picked something out, Kyle would examine it, glance him over, shake his head, and grab the exact same thing in a larger size. All he would say when asked was 'trust me', followed by a craft wink.
"Found them!"
Naruto turned to the voice to see Kyle holding a black, closed shoe box.
"My apprentice, I have taught you much in the manner of looking badass, now there are but three lessons for you to learn in the chapter of clothing in the book of badass. Two, you will learn soon. The other, I hold in my hands!"
Naruto groaned. The man had been going on nonstop for the last twenty minutes about some book he had read when he was growing up, the 'Book of Badass'. He must have to the word 'badosity' at least thirty times and it was driving him crazy. Though he had to admit, some of the stuff he had learned was… badass.
"Well? What is it?"
Kyle took another step forward, holding the box in one hand and removed the cardboard lid with the other. Naruto fought back the grin threatening to escape as he saw them. Size ten and a half with a thick rubber sole, black leather with an exterior metal toe-piece, extended top that would probably reach to his lower shin, with various buckles adorning the front and sides. They were beautiful.
"What are these?"
"These, my young friend, are highly decorated Doc Martins. A style of combat boot that passed away with, you know, the rest of the world. Commonly preferred by various militaries around the old world, they were adopted by punks, bikers, and skin heads who took it upon themselves to make them a bit flashier. Most Jedi disliked them, but I've always had a soft spot for them personally.
"I can definitely see how they would be better in combat than a pair of sandals. Actually, now that I think about it, why do ninjas even wear those anyway?"
"Because they're 'tarded?" Kyle offered with a shrug, causing Naruto to laugh.
"Yeah, maybe. Anyway, these boots are awesome but they're too big. I'm only a size eight."
"Trust me little Dude, these will be perfect. Now come on, we still have two more things to get before we're done."
The man took off running down an aisle, pushing the cart before him as Naruto hurried to not be left behind.
- Storage Zone: Accessories -
"Woah woah woah Wooahhh!"
Kyle slammed a foot on the ground, trying to slow down the speeding cart before it crashed into a wall of purses. As he stopped barely a foot short, he laughed in relief.
"That was close. Well here we are. Feast your eyes, on the greatest selection of random crap you have ever seen!"
Naruto looked up at the wall, once again in surprise. It had everything! Wallets, belts, chains, necklaces, earrings, everything anyone might ever need.
"Second to last rule," Kyle continued. "Is accessories. Clothes are important because not everyone on the street wants to see you striding about bare and proud, but these show who you actually are. So go ahead and grab whatever need, 'kay?"
Naruto nodded, eyes wide, and stepped forward. The majority of this he had never seen before. His mind raced as he started picking out various things. First, he grabbed a black leather wallet with a long chain hanging from one corner. He loved his Gama-chan, but it had torn during a training spar in the academy class last week. He clipped the end of the chain to a belt loop on his jeans and slid the wallet in to his back pocket, feeling the comfortable weight as the chain dangled by his leg.
Quickly after, he moved to the belts where he found some trouble deciding between two designs. Finally he chose a black one with metal studs that split in the middle for most of its length. He turned away when something shiny caught his eye. A pair of plain metal dog tags hung from a thin chain, and he grabbed them, fastening them around his throat.
Just before he returned to Kyle, he found a simple metal ring lying in a drawer among many. He tried to put it on his finger, but it was just a little too big and slid off. He went to throw it back before reconsidering and pocketing it for later.
"Okay, I'm ready to go. What's the next step?"
Kyle shook his head in mock disappointment. His eyes went skyward in distress and he sank to his knees dramatically.
"Where! Where did I go so wrong in his training? Please forgive me!"
"Uhh… who are you talking to?" Naruto asked, staring at him incredulously.
"You forgot something," He stood up and took something out of a pocket. "A good pair of shades."
Kyle smiled and tossed them to the boy, relieved when he was able to catch them. Naruto smiled back as he slid them into place, surprised at how the world seemed to get both darker and more vibrant at the same time.
"Okay, now we're ready to go. The next and final step? One word, leather."
- Medical Area: ER/Major Surgery -
Bane had just finished giving the Droids the last of their orders when Kyle and the boy walked through the sliding double door. He turned to them and was mildly surprised at the boy's choice of clothing. While his Jedi counterpart had no doubt twisted the boy's mind with his ridiculous 'Book of Badass', it was still a bit of a surprise that the boy had taken to it so readily. Judging from the boy's earlier attire, he would have assumed that he would have picked something a bit more... eccentric.
"Excellent timing. The Droids are ready for the procedure. Naruto, if you would please remove your clothes and lie on the table, we can begin.
"A-all of them?"
Bane saw the boy start to panic, and rolled his eyes.
"No, you can leave your boxers on. Everything else must go however. We need to be able to reach as much of your body as we can so nothing remains under-developed."
Naruto sighed in relief and quickly shucked most of his clothing, leaving his skin bare to the cold of the sterile room. The room was a basic hospital scene like he had seen many times before in Konoha General. Various machines sat, doing whatever it was they did while a couple of multi-limbed Droids went about their own business; vastly different from the HKs he saw everywhere. Through the doors came in another Droid, though this one was floating like a few he had seen in the storage warehouse.
The hovering metal medic came forward, a tray of acupuncture needles clasped in one of its hands. From each of the needles protruded a small strand of metal wire.
Naruto sighed and sat down of the table, jerking as the cold seared his skin. He lowered himself onto his back, hissing sharply.
"Okay, you ready for this man?" Kyle asked, a hint of concern detectable in his voice.
"Yeah, I guess. Are you guys going to drug me or what?"
"Nope. Drugs don't always work, so we're going to use the Force. You'll fall asleep and when you wake up it will all be over. Trust us, you'll thank us later."
"You've been saying that a lot lately, is there something I should know?" Naruto asked with a smirk.
"Yeah well, it's the truth. Now," Kyle waved his hand across the boy's face. "Sleep…"
The two men waited until the boy's movements had ceased before speaking softly.
"Is he out?"
Kyle turned to the Sith Lord and nodded the worry in his eyes now glaringly obvious. He had done a good job hiding it from the boy.
"You're sure he'll be alright?"
"It would seem you're becoming attached to the boy rather quickly."
Kyle chuckled and eyed the Sith Lord.
"And you aren't?"
Bane seemed to consider it before turning away, a single corner of his mouth raised in a smile.
"Sg-13, you may begin the procedure. And do take care of the boy, it would be most troublesome to replace you."
The floating Droid beeped in conformation then moved to the boy, needles bared. Kyle watched it wearily, then sighed.
"May the Force be with us…"
A/N : Well that's it. Personally, I've been pretty unsatisfied with the number of Naruto x Star Wars crossovers, so I thought I'd try my hand at it. If anyone out there is willing to be a beta for me, I would really appreciate it. I think I got most of the errors, but no doubt a lot slipped by me. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to leave a review telling me what you think, I would be happy to answer any questions about this. I have plans for this one, oh yes. -Evil Laughter-
Stay Frosty
- Nikolai