Hello everyone, and welcome to "Stepping On Butterflies" The sequel to my first fic "Grandma, Tell Me a Story." For those of you who have read the story, welcome back! I'm going to do everything I can try and make this story better than the last one! For those of you who haven't read the first story, this may be a BIT confusing for you, actually, probably pretty confusing. If you don't feel like reading the first story, check out... ehh, the last 3-ish chapters? That should at least pave the way, but I would recommend reading the first story before stepping into her! I'm hoping to avoid any confusion if at all possible. I recommend checking out the first story either way for the simple fact that it will make much more sense!

For those of you who aren't too familiar with Dragon Ball Z or Mass Efect 2, you have nothing to worry about! This story is set IN the Naruto world, few DBZ characters are included, and only one ME2 character. So I'm hoping confusion could be a minimum, but if you still don't really know who these guys are, look them up, YouTube them, something!

Here's just one thing I want to get out of the way. I understand not everyone will like this story, and I'm not expecting everyone to. If this isn't for you, then you shouldn't read it. I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you don't like the story... go read another fic! I won't waste your time, you won't waste mine, and everyone is happy. =)

Anyway, let's get started! This story has a decent chunk of OCs, six of which you should be familiar with if you've read the first story! And like before, and most stories that have Zetsu, Talking like this is White Zetsu, and talking like this is Black Zetsu. Alright, enough talking, story time!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto Shippuden, Mass Effect, or Dragon Ball Z. All fictional series are property to their respective owners and are simply being borrowed for the sake of entertainment purposes, nothing more.

Chapter 1

Zetsu and Madara stood in an open grassy meadow, facing the collection of glowing orange balls, red stars painted about them, with the four star ball in front of the small collection.

"This is so cool! What are we going to wish for? Be quiet, you idiot. Madara, where is that boy you found?"

"He's in a genjutsu. He won't wake until after we have finished." he chuckled. "And even then, it will still be in effect. The boy is incredibly powerful, so we had to take the proper precautions."

(Flashback)

Trunks laid still on a bed in the room at the far back end of the Akatsuki headquarters. Madara and the Illusive Man stood at the foot of the bed, glancing down at him.

"Did he have the Dragon Balls on him?" asked the Illusive Man.

"Yes." Madara replied. "He is still unconscious. What would you have me do with him?"

"You? You don't have to do anything." he replied as he gazed over his body, his eyes glowing a bright steely-blue color as the same color surrounded Trunks in a simple and thin outline.

"Genjutsu."

"Half right." said the Illusive Man as his eyes ceased their high brightness. "I've ensured his coma-like state for the time being. You can undo it when you see fit; it is not a powerful genjutsu. However, I left my influence within him to ensure... a last resort, should he not come to terms with our best interests."

"Kabuto attempted to do the same thing with the late Inuzuka he revived. Are you confident you will be able to control this boy? His chakra... doesn't feel like chakra." said Madara.

"That's because it isn't."

"I see."

"This boy, Trunks Brief, is very powerful. He's much stronger than you are, Madara. You'll need to be careful."

"I doubt that." he confidently replied.

"Then you doubt. It does not change what is, and because of this, it is why I am implementing these necessary precautions to ensure not only his loyalty, but a limitation to his power." the Illusive Man reached for a cigarette from his jacket pocket and lit it, inhaling then exhaling before he continued. "If he attempts to raise his power past a certain point, that energy will cease, and redirect back, thereby lowering his power if he gets too high. He would have to continue raising his power to stop the pain he would endure, but he would eventually run out and pass out from the exhaustion unless the seal is lifted otherwise."

"How do we know he won't break the seal himself? The Fourth Hokage sealed the nine-tails within his son, and even the seal he had was broken on more than one occasion."

"Indeed." the Illusive Man replied. "No doubt that Minato's sealing power was great for his time, but mine works much differently than his." he inhaled from his cigarette, blowing out a cloud as he tapped the stick, ashes dropping to the ground. "His sealing power simply kept the beast locked away. Mine however only reacts when a certain level of power is reached. It is similar, but much different, since Trunks is not a host to anything other than his own power. It is a complete seal on himself."

"Understood." Madara replied. "But what purpose does it serve to keep him when we already have what we want?"

The Illusive Man shook his head. "The Dragon Balls will not be used for the Eye of the Moon."

"What?" Madara growled. "What are you saying? You said these balls can grant any wish, any two wishes, why can we not use them to instantly secure our plan?"

"A man of your intelligence surprises me." replied the Illusive Man. "You know as well as I do you need all nine of the tailed beasts in order to activate your plan."

"Of course, that is why I was planning on using the Dragon Balls for that very reason. We would not need the jinchuriki any longer, we would have that type of power at our disposal."

"The power, yes. The soul, and the actual creature, no."

Madara knew he was right. He had gotten his hopes too high up at the opportunity to wish for something too good such as that. Seems he would have to continue to follow his instructions, for now. "Then what should we use the wish for?"

"Attempt to bring back all the dead Akatsuki members. If I remember correctly, Shenron may not be able to bring back those who have died within a year's time."

"Then why are we wasting our time speculating something like that?"

"A difference in dimensions, or rather, a sudden jump in the past could alter the wishing power of the dragon. It's a long shot, but it would save us the trouble ourselves."

"I suppose that's true. Very well, I'll make arrangements." replied the annoyed Uchiha.

"Excellent. When you gather the Dragon Balls, you must be very precise when you go about summoning him, follow it like this..."

(End Flashback)

"I see."

Madara then extended his hands over the balls, remembering what the Illusive Man told him to do, following his instructions to call forth the beast.

"Eternal Dragon, by your name, I summon you forth!" he said, and in that moment, the balls began to glow brighter, the sky becoming darker as a distant sound of an oncoming storm quickly approached them.

"Shenron!"

The Uchiha was in awe of what had just happened, as an enormous and powerful beam of light shot to the sky, swirling around, creating several curls into the sky as the image finally came into view. In the sky, miles in length, a giant dragon loomed over them, staring down at the two Akatsuki members, its solid red eyes glowing brightly as he focused on Madara.

"Who... has summoned me?"

Madara stepped ahead of Zetsu to distinguish himself. "I, Madara Uchiha, summoned you here, Shenron."

"Then you may ask one wish, and this, I will grant you."

"One? I thought the Illusive Man said Shenron granted two wishes? It doesn't matter, we only need one."

"My power... is restricted... and unbalanced in my limitations... due to my crossing dimensions... One wish... and I shall grant it. Now... speak."

"Shenron." Madara started. "I am the leader of an organization known as the Akatsuki. The majority of my fellow members are dead. I wish that all of the members of the Akatsuki are brought back to life!" (A/N: I am aware that when used to revive a large amount of people, it must be within a years time after their deaths. That's why I added in the 'restricted and unbalanced in limitations' to Shenron to clear it! Yay!)

Shenron read Madara's mind, understanding that he wished for a large amount of people, yet did not wish for a revival for people by the name of Nagato or Yahiko.

"Very well... It shall be done." Shenron said, his eyes glowing red as he preceded to carry out the wish.

X X X

The cold abandoned Akatsuki hideout that became Sasori's grave was slowly beginning to teem with life again. Gasping in reaction, Sasori stood up, falling to his knees straight away. He hadn't stood in years. The cold dampness of the cave... He was in the exact same spot where he died, the fight felt like it was yesterday, and here he was, alive and well.

"Wh... Where... am I?" he looked at his hands, and around his body. He was wearing the same robe he had died in. His puppet body, however, was gone, revealing a fleshy and very mortal structure as he grimaced at his new appearance.

"I'm... alive..." he said, glancing at his hands. "But... how?"

X X X

Ringing. That's all he could hear as he covered his ears, coughing after his first gasp of air was admitted to the world. The pounding noise slowly made its way down to a more bearable tone as Deidara struggled to pick himself up. He wasn't sure what was going on, or where he was, but he was in a lot of pain.

He laid there, squirming on the floor, slowly opening his eyes, noticing the sky was completely black. "What the... what the hell is going on? Where the hell am I?"

Finally adjusting to the pain in his body, he slowly got himself to stand up. He looked down at himself and noticed he was in the same outfit he had died in. His arms were still sewn back together, and by all means it was as if nothing happened to him. What's going on? This is too weird... yeah.

X X X

Darkness... Cold steel... A morgue. thought a voice.

In the lower levels of the Konoha main hospital, a young female doctor was working her shift alone while a co-worker went and got them lunch. Sitting at her desk, she flipped through the pages of a magazine, enjoying the quietness of her job.

The door is unlocked. Of course. Who would expect a dead man to open it and break free? Hm... my chakra is low. I'll need to take them by surprise.

The female doctor hummed to herself, stopped by instinct when she heard a slight thud on the other side of the room. She placed the magazine down and went to investigate, trailing down the long rows of cabinets containing dead bodies inside them. Reaching the end, she turned around and confirmed it was just her head.

"I shouldn't even be watching scary movies to begin with. Bad enough I have to work around dead bodies." she said to herself.

However, a chill ran up her spine as she noticed something eerie about the room now; one of the cabinets was slightly open.

"What the...? Did I close that all the way? I must have." she thought out loud.

Slowly she made her way to the cabinet and finally faced it, looking down at the registration information.

"Kakuzu... from Takigakure. Akatsuki."

She closed the cabinet, but curiosity piqued. Sure she closed it, but she was new, at the very least, she could get a close up look at what a member of the Akatsuki looked like. Slowly she opened the cabinet, the slab extended all the way, her eyes opening widely at the shocking realization.

He was gone.

"Pardon me." said a deep, chilling voice. Her head shot up, and standing on the other side of the slab, was Kakuzu. He was almost a complete nightmare to her. Stitches all around his body, most noticeably going from his lips to his ears. Had his stitches been non-existent, he would look like a normal person. But his eyes... she was so scared all she could do was stare into them. "I needed to stretch my legs."

Her mouth opened to scream for help, but the years of being dead did not hurt his instincts as he softly raised a hand, three threads extending, one from his index finger, middle, and thumb, the first two piercing through her eyes, the third inserting itself into her mouth, killing her instantly. He pulled the threads out, retracting them into his hand as the lifeless body of the doctor fell to the ground, blood flooding out of her empty eye sockets and mouth as Kakuzu approached her, looming overhead. Quickly, and with just as much precision as before, he worked the threads in his hand into her chest, tearing her heart out of her as he retracted it back to him and held it in his hands.

"Looks like I will need to restart my collection." he said as he loosened the stitches around his mouth, ingesting the heart of the doctor, swallowing it whole as his stitches reattached themselves. (A/N: I have no clue how he does the whole heart eating thing, so I just did that... yeah.)

Using his left index finger, he slowly extended another thread for an attack as he heard something fall. Turning his head, he saw another doctor, male, terrified at the image in front of him, instantly turning to run for the door. Unfortunately for him, Kakuzu's finger work never lost its touch, as he flicked his finger diagonally while turning around, cutting through the head of the doctor, and slicing his head in half like a triangle-cut sandwich.

Glancing up at the marquise of the office, he noticed the village symbol right off the bat, and realized he had to leave. Now.

"Konoha... It won't be long before ANBU shows up. Time for me to go." he said, exiting the door and making his way towards a window, busting through it to find himself at the ground level of the hospital.

The climate is warm, but the sky is black... Interesting.

X X X

The dark sky was a surprise to him, but it did not seem noticeable on the outside. He never showed his emotions, even when no one was around. Standing on the roof of the Uchiha Hideout, Itachi stood with his arms crossed, glancing out into the distance, noticing the enormous dragon looming on the horizon.

"I had a feeling you would show up." said Itachi, as a much older Kisame approached him from behind.

"Itachi..."

The Uchiha turned, a small smile escaped his face. Kisame had definitely aged, but he was aging well to say the least. "Kisame."

"That dragon is not a coincidence, if you were wondering."

Itachi turned back around to face the dragon again, so far, but so large. "I see... Then..."

"You, and everyone else who has died, I'm assuming." Kisame finished for him.

Itachi said nothing, but turned around when he heard Kisame take something out from behind him. It was another Akatsuki robe.

"I figured you might need this."

"Kisame... How is Sasuke?"

Kisame fell to silence for a moment before gaining the courage to break the news to his teammate. Thirteen years of knowing, and thinking, 'What would he say if he were still alive?' And all the grizzled swordsman could do is bluntly state it; he knew Itachi wasn't much for beating around the bush.

"Sasuke's dead."

Itachi said nothing, did not move, did not shake, but his face told differently as two light streams of tears escaped his eyes down his face. He swallowed to regain his composure. "I see... You're... sure, then?"

"Mm. I checked it myself... I'm sorry, Itachi. It was a long time ago."

Itachi turned around, not bothering to wipe away the drying tears as Kisame noticed his hurt face. He took his new robe and dawned it, adjusting it as the way he normally wore it.

"Let's go." he said, walking ahead of him. If Sasuke is dead, then there is still something else I can do. I know that he is still out there.

Kisame watched him walk ahead, following close behind. He figured for now, he should give his friend time to grieve. He didn't know everything about Sasuke, but he knew Itachi didn't hate him. He was one of the very, very few to know anything personal about the Uchiha.

Madara.

X X X

"Your wish... has been granted... My agreement... has been fulfilled."

"Shenron. One question before you go." Madara said.

"What is it?"

"A source told me you could grant two wishes, yet you say you cannot in this dimension. Could we wish again? How long would we have to wait?"

"Yes, you will be able to wish again. Beyond that... I am unfamiliar with this realm of time... and cannot answer anything beyond that. Farewell." said the dragon as a bright yellow light surrounded it, bringing light across the sky and across the nations as the dragon disappeared from the sky, and the darkness returning to a regular day as the clouds slowly separated themselves.

When the light cleared, Madara and Zetsu noticed the balls were still there, as if nothing had happened at all.

"I wonder what happened? I imagine we cannot summon the dragon for some time now. The balls lost the aura around them before he was summoned."

"It doesn't matter. The balls aren't gone, and we got what we came here for." Madara cut in. "Take care of finding Sasori, Deidara, and Kakuzu. Kisame is already searching for Itachi."

"What about Hidan?"

"Of course. Get him after you've gotten ahold of the others." he said, chuckling to himself as he concentrated, remembering how to act now as Tobi around the others. "Don't forget our little secret, Mr. Zetsu!"

Zetsu smirked. It was nice to have Tobi back, even if it was obviously just Madara behind the scenes, it would be interesting to see the upcoming events.

"Be good now, Tobi. We're going to check in on our new friend once we find everyone. I'm sure Deidara will be thrilled to see you again." he sarcastically suggested.

X X X

"How did it go?" Asked the Illusive Man, the backside of his chair to Madara's projected image.

"Shenron only granted one wish."

"I'm aware."

"You knew?" asked a confused Uchiha. "Then why wou-"

The Illusive Man rose from his chair, a half lit cigarette in the position of a held pencil as he tapped the side of it, letting the ash fall to the ground. He turned to face Madara and took a few steps towards him. He took an inhale from his cigarette and let it out before interrupting.

"You're a brilliant man, Madara. But your ignorance to other dimensions and crossings of power could bring your ambitions to a screeching halt. Indeed Shenron can normally grant two wishes, and it is of no surprise he only granted one wish in an entirely new realm."

"I don't understand."

The Illusive Man smoked once more before beginning his explanation. "The checks and balances of nature. The further back you go, the more compressive you get over abilities and powers. Take Trunks for example. Within his own time, his power is familiar with the world, and he can fight at maximum. Here, however, it is compressed and limited, even without my hold on him. Yet despite that, he is still considerably powerful. The same can be said for Shenron. Although his wish granting was cut in half, certain qualities could be familiar with the world, and could even even strengthen him. What one could lose, one could also very well gain."

"I see. This explains why he was able to bring back the Akatsuki despite over a dozen years past their deaths."

The Illusive Man took another hit, letting the smoke go as the cloud stuck together over his face, slowly floating up. "Precisely."

"Everything else will proceed according to plan, then." Madara replied. "What about the Dragon Balls?"

"Put them back in Trunks' possession. There's no need for an alarm if he wakes up and finds the balls missing. I assume they will be inert for some time before being used again. It's nothing to worry about."

"Understood." said Madara as he stepped out of the projection and out of the room completely.

The Illusive Man crossed his arms, tapping the side of his cigarette. The ashes that fell revealed it was down to a mere bud. He turned back to face the ever-glowing star. His eyes quickly lit up in a bright steely-blue color as he took his hand and gave a gentle wave from one side to the next.

X X X

Release

Everything felt heavy around him. He was awake now, and could move, but his neck, his hair, covered in cold sweat. His head was killing him as he rested his hand on it. The room was lit, but only by a candle; enough for him to see in front of him but nothing beyond that.

"Where am I?" he asked himself, noticing his sword was sheathed and set to the side of the bed he was sleeping on. He picked it up and clasped it back around as he glanced around the room. He regretted wearing his black tank top as he covered his arms, regretting again tearing the sleeves off of his jacket. Why's it so cold?

"I need to... wait! The Dragon Balls!" he panicked, looking around the room. Finally catching his eyes on the brown sack he had placed the balls in, he looked inside and was relieved the balls were still all together.

His senses reacted as he quickly took his sword out as he heard a door creak open. What... the hell is that? he thought as the figure came into view. It stood rather high, with two mandibles resembling a venus fly-trap ascending vertically from its shoulders. Its left half was black, and its right, white. Trunks was definitely nervous, if not freaked out by this point. It was almost like looking at two people, as the black half had a solid golden eye, the white half seeming more human with a correct looking eye, thought it did not make him any less nervous.

"Who the... What are you?"

"Why does everyone always say that when they first meet us? Be quiet."

It's two people? What? Trunks thought as the plant-man argued with itself.

"You seem to be feeling better. We were the ones who recovered you from your accident. How are you feeling?"

"Accident... ?" But then he remembered, he was leaving Earth... in the past...

(Flashback)

"So... you're sure this will work in my time?" Trunks asked, glancing down at the Dragon Balls on top of Kami's lookout. He had come back just for a visit to see how his past friends were doing, and how his past self was coming along, when Dende informed him he could borrow the new Dragon Balls he had made to bring back his friends, slowly, but surely, since he would have to wish them back one at a time. Skeptical, but hopeful, Trunks took the offer.

Dende nodded. "Yes. They may be skipping ahead in time, but the dragon will still work because its original creator will still be alive, regardless of where it is. The first wish you may want to do is bring back Piccolo, so you can start using your time's Dragon Balls again, but that's just my suggestion."

He figured it might be a good idea to do that. As much as he wanted to wish back Gohan and his father, he knew he was only borrowing them, and they still needed them.

Taking the Dragon Balls into a brown sack, Trunks wrapped it around his shoulders as he turned to face his time machine. He wished he could stay longer, but he remembered last time he came back and interfered with the times, hoping this time it wouldn't happen again since the threats are no more.

"Thanks, Dende. I'll bring these back as soon as I'm done."

Dende smiled as he wished him well. Trunks opened up the latch to his time machine, punched in the coordinates and headed back.

(End Flashback)

"I brought you back here to our hideout after finding you. Your injuries were minor. You should be fine now."

"I... see." Trunks replied, looking around. Zetsu still blocked the doorway, and Trunks could feel something was wrong with his energy... it was different. Besides, this person helped him, he couldn't be all that bad, right?

"What's your name?"

"Trunks..." he then stopped, hoping maybe they knew where he lived and could take him back. "Do you know where West City is? That's where I live and-"

"West City? You are a long way from home, boy."

Trunks' eyes flashed wide open. What? What's going on?...Where am I?

"Pardon me. Where are my manners? I'm Zetsu. I'm the leader of the Akatsuki."

Sure he was weird, was painted right in the middle, had mandibles that could swallow a human whole, has a split personality, but he still saved him, right? The least he could do is be thankful.

"Thanks... for helping me out... But where am I?"

"You're in the main headquarters of the Akatsuki. Come on, we'll give you a tour!"

X X X

Following Zetsu closely, Trunks was shown around the Akatsuki hideout, though he felt slightly uncomfortable and a bit unwelcome as two members that sat in the living quarters were staring at him.

"New guy?" Kisame asked out loud.

"Who knows? He sure looks strong though!" Tobi said, leaning over to Kisame and poking him. "He may be stronger than you, Kisame-senpai!"

Kisame just shook his head. As if.

Trunks just kept his focus away from their conversation and straight ahead, unaware that he was just inches away from bumping into another member. Unable to get out of the way in time, their shoulders contacted, the member staring right into Trunks' face as the Saiyan panicked for a second.

"Uh, sorry." Trunks said to him.

"Please... watch where you're going next time." he said back.

"Hey, Itachi! Good to see ya again! You like our new member? Shut up. Pardon us, Itachi."

Itachi said nothing as he walked past the two into the sleeping quarters section. He may have been dead for thirteen years, but that didn't mean he was able to rest.

New member? Trunks thought. They don't mean me, do they? I don't even know what's going on!

"That's Itachi Uchiha. He's one of the strongest members in the Akatsuki. We can handle introductions later, fool. Oh yeah, you're right! We gotta take you to see the boss, Trunks!"

"The boss?" he asked as they ventured upstairs and stepped inside an empty room with a circular panel in the middle. "I thought you said you guys were the leaders?"

"We are. But we still have people to report to. Step into the circle."

Trunks was hesitant. He didn't know these people, was called a new member, probably already made an enemy already, couldn't figure out where he was, and now he was being ordered to step into... well, whatever that is.

Finally stepping into the circe, Trunks noticed layers of the circle rising above him and descending, creating a projection screen, taking him to a new place all together. When he looked around, he saw a dark room, almost like a mirror room built completely by glass as everyone glanced at seemed more like he was staring out into space itself. In front of him, at a distance of a few yards, sat a man in a chair, with an up close and real time star in the background, split down the middle as the left held a red glow, and the right held a blue one. The man sat there with a cigarette in his hand, smoking it as he finally began to speak.

"Trunks Briefs."

He knows my name?

"Y-Yeah... Yeah, that's me. Who are you?"

"I'm a friend. Someone who can help." he replied. He had a soothing, intelligent, and mindful voice. The way he carried himself when he talked told him he was a man of experience, and a man who was on a mission. "I understand you were in an accident before being brought here. How are you feeling?"

Trunks was too busy staring into his eyes. They were... something was wrong about them. The energy this man was projecting was a different kind of power, and he didn't really feel like finding out anything bad until he figured out what was going on with him and where he was.

"Oh, sorry. Um... I feel okay, I guess." he paused for a minute. "What's going on? Where am I?"

The man took an inhale before releasing the tobacco from his mouth. "Your time machine had a mechanical malfunction. You're in the past, several thousands of years in the past as a matter of fact." he stopped for a moment before continuing. "While you were recovering, I found an interesting amount of information about you. Who you are, your abilities... and your powers."

Trunks' eyes opened. "You know I'm a?-"

"A Saiyan, half, anyway. An old and extinct race of partial-humans who were once one of the most feared races in the universe. However, the race naturally was lost due to generation upon generation washing away its genetics, and the majority of the race being destroyed by Frieza. Pure Saiyans have long since been dead, since Goku and Vegeta passed away thousands and thousands of years ago from my time."

"Vegeta... he's my father."

"Indeed." he stood up, still holding onto his cigarette as he tapped it on the chair, ashes falling off. "Trunks. I'm a man in a difficult situation, trying to bring humanity to its prime by saving it while it is at its fullest power. Like you, I am not from this time. I live in a world where all of this was revered to be nothing more than a fairy tale. I came here to try and save the future... my future, just like you did when you stopped Androids 17 and 18... and Cell."

How does he know that? How does he know any of this? How... Who is this guy? "Well, what's wrong? What do I have to do with any of this?"

"As I stated, we are several thousands of years in the past from our respective time lines. In the known world that we exist in today, there are only five great nations. At one point, there was a cold war, due to each nation having a heavy arsenal of power. These weapons of mass destruction in this era are known as Tailed Beasts. Each one more powerful and terrifying than the last."

He sat back down, crossing a leg over one of his. "My associates have been able to seal away seven of these beasts, out of the nine total. However, the eight, and nine-tailed beasts are still out there. They are also the most dangerous and most powerful."

"You... need my help with getting them?"

"Essentially. But I will not force my cause onto you. I want you to do this because you feel it is for the greater good of humanity. Saiyan or not, you are still part human, and your fellow man needs you." he inhaled before letting out a puff of smoke before continuing. "Years before you showed up, the tailed beasts ravaged the land, destroying nations, and causing chaos around the world as we know it. They were sealed, however, inside the bodies of humans. Unfortunately you cannot leave such power in the hands of flawed individuals, as they cannot control an incredible magnitude of power such as that. The beasts have broken free of their hosts before, and they will do so again until they are either sealed, or the host dies, thereby killing the beast as well."

It sounded like a noble cause. Powerful beasts sealed inside humans that were threatening the lands and people around them? Sure... he could sympathize, but just how strong were they?

"Trunks. This is a very delicate situation. I would not entrust it to someone unless I believed they could make a difference and help reshape the future. The Eight-Tailed Giant Ox, and the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, have the ability, and if the host loses control, will destroy the world as we know it. I ask you this because I know of your abilities, I know who your father was, and I know his legacy he left for you made you into a very gifted individual."

The Illusive Man took a puff from his cigarette while rubbing his forehead. Exhaling, he gave Trunks his full attention.

"The Akatsuki is moving for the sole purpose of removing the threat of the tailed beasts, to protect the world from greater problems than the simple sins of man. Trunks... will you help us? Will you help humanity, like you've done so once already one more time?"

He had a feeling that question was coming. One thing that kept him wondering was why him? But then it made sense, why not him? He knew what it was like, uncontrollable power destroying everything you've ever come to know and love, family, friends... Gohan. He'd never forget that night he found his master dead in the streets at the hands of the androids. The stormy night and empty streets filled with totaled cars, busted street lights, and unidentifiable bodies littered the roads, including his best friend's.

He'd never forget having to hide underground in fear, hoping that the problems would go away, only to be met with disappointment every single day, and every single try he made to stop them himself, since they had slaughtered every other defender on the planet.

The images of his mother flashes through his head. She was all he had left in his life. His father, his grandparents, everyone he had ever loved... they were gone. Was this really that much different here than it was back home before he destroyed them?

No, it had to be. Yes they had saved him, but did that mean they were telling the truth? What if it was reverse, and these guys, the Akatsuki, were really trying to do harm by sealing the beasts away?

But then something hit him. Something he had never felt before. His fears and worries, paranoia period had just left him. It was like he entered a sort of high and relaxed himself, finding his mind at ease with the Illusive Man's proposition.

Why am I feeling like this? the half Saiyan thought. But he quickly forgot about it. He was more at ease with this new feeling he had. He was still in control of his body, but it still felt like a hand came into his mind and pushed him away from his doubts.

Looking up at the Illusive Man, staring him straight in the eyes from where he stood, a small smile came across the Saiyan's face. "Yeah... sure. I figured I already saved the world once, maybe I can do it again." but then he realized something, he had no way to get home. "On one condition, though. When I help you, I'm going to need the time machine I came in fixed. I have a home to go to myself."

"Excellent." he replied. "Zetsu will handle the rest then. I will be in touch if you need any more information. Good luck, Trunks." he finished, touching a dial on his chair and ending the transmission.

Good, it's working. And I didn't even have to push much on him at all. Still, I will keep an eye on him. Despite the steps I have taken, if he figures out, things could become difficult. the Illusive Man thought as he turned to face the two-sided star, gazing out into it as the low humming from the projector slowly subsided.

END!

And there's the first chapter. Simple reminder, even though I'm sure you guys already know and want me to shut up about it, but give this a chance to settle in... it'll pick up! Promise!

Oh yeah, and for those who are wondering... if I haven't explained it in the story already, I'm gonna try and do what I can to keep Trunks at a level where's he's obviously very strong, but he won't be completely overwhelming everyone like nothing. And for those who are wondering... yes, there WILL be Super Saiyan-ness. But who's gonna be the lucky duck who fights Trunks in that state? You'll see later on!