Greetings, loyal readers! This is a story I've been working on for awhile, and it's a bit different from some of my other work. Let me know what you think, and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or Naruto
LET THE READING COMMENCE!
Starkiller walked into the cockpit of the Rogue Shadow and saw the love of his life, Juno Eclipse, sitting at the controls.
"Did he give you the answers you were hoping for?" she asked. He shook his head.
"No. I didn't get any answers at all. I'm not even sure if he has them." he replied, sighing. She spun her chair around to face him.
"It doesn't matter. Clone or no, you're still you, and that's enough for me." she said, smiling. He smiled back.
"I guess it is." he replied. Nothing more was spoken, they simply enjoyed each other's company.
Eventually they came upon the hidden base on Dantooine. Starkiller was apprehensive. He didn't think that they would be able to get anything out of Vader, no matter what they tried. The whole thing seemed like a setup to him. As they landed, he walked back into the cargo hold, where Vader was held captive.
"We've arrived at the base. The end for you is near, Vader." Starkiller said as he stared at his former master. Vader said nothing, the only sound coming from him being his breath regulator. "You will answer for your crimes soon." Starkiller finished as he walked away.
"We shall see." Vader replied, making Starkiller stop and look back at him. He stopped for a moment, then continued out. He walked back into the cockpit where Juno was beginning the descent.
"I have a bad feeling about this." he stated, making her look at him. "It feels like he meant for this to happen. It seems too easy…"
"Don't worry about it. With you here, he won't be able to get free. You can stop him, right?" she asked as the Rogue Shadow hit the ground.
"I'm not sure. The past two times, I've beaten him with luck. This last time, it didn't even seem like he was trying." Starkiller replied. He frowned.
"What's wrong?" Juno asked.
"For a moment, I sensed… never mind. Let's get him confined." Starkiller said, waving it off. He had sensed a presence in the Dark Side of the Force that was similar in power to Vader's, but it vanished faster than it appeared. He headed with Juno to the landing platform, where Mon Mothma and other Rebel leaders were waiting. They passed other soldiers who dashed in to cart out Vader. Among the leaders, other than Mon Mothma, were Garm Bel Iblis, Admiral Ackbar, and Bail Organa, all of whom looked shocked that Starkiller was among them.
"So the rumors are true." Bail stated. Starkiller shook his head.
"Not fully. I awoke in a cloning facility on Kamino. According to Vader, I'm a clone, not the original."
"Really?" Bail asked. He looked to Juno for confirmation. The blonde just nodded. "So, are you a clone?"
"I-I don't know. But I'm here now, with Juno, and Vader's captive. That's what's important, right? I can sort all of this out later. And hopefully, we can get him to spill my true identity, whether I'm Galen Marek or just his clone." Starkiller said with a light chuckle. Juno smiled at him, while the leaders nodded.
"We will see. Regardless, it is good that you are here. The Alliance needs Jedi to win." Mon Mothma said as they saw the soldiers carting out Vader and wheeling him to the base. As the leaders and Juno kept walking forward, Starkiller stopped suddenly and looked up. Juno stopped and looked back at him.
"Are you alright?" she asked her love. Starkiller turned around and dashed for the leaders.
"Get back!" he shouted as he tackled Juno to the ground. Seconds later, blaster fire rained down upon where they had been standing moments ago. A ship came closer into view. People recognized it as the Slave I, the ship of Boba Fett, the legendary bounty hunter. The ship landed in the confusion, and Boba stepped out with his blaster rifle aimed at the leaders.
"Release Lord Vader. He's my paycheck." Boba stated. The Rebel soldiers raised their blasters.
"Boba, you're just one man. You can't outgun all of these men." Bail reasoned.
"Maybe. It's a good thing I'm not alone then." Boba said, confusing all present. A figure in Sith robes walked down to the platform, stopping evenly with Boba. Starkiller felt that same presence that he had felt on the Rogue Shadow. The hooded figure pulled out a lightsaber that was identical to the one that Galen Marek had used under Vader's training and ignited it, red blade shining. Starkiller pulled out his two lightsabers and ignited the blue blades.
"Get Vader inside. I'll take them." Starkiller proclaimed. The soldiers hurried inside, as did the leaders, but Juno hesitated. "I'll be right behind you, now GO!" he shouted. She nodded and ran after the leaders. Boba attempted to take off from his rocket pack, but Starkiller brought him down using the Force. The dark assassin leapt at Starkiller and locked blades with the Jedi. Boba attempted again, but this time Rahm Kota jumped up and kicked him to the ground.
"I'll handle the bounty hunter, boy, you focus on that assassin!" Kota shouted to Starkiller. Starkiller pushed back against the mysterious foe and engaged him in a vicious duel. Despite Starkiller having dual lightsabers, the assassin was able to block every move. He fought similarly to Galen Marek during life, with evidence of Starkiller's training thrown in. Starkiller tried to push the foe back, but the man stood firm. He retaliated with a blast of lightning, which Starkiller blocked with his lightsabers. He deflected the lightning back at the assassin, who merely absorbed the lightning with seemingly no effort. They re-engaged one another in lightsaber combat, once again with no winner. Starkiller attempted another Force push, but once again the man stayed his ground, only this time his hood fell down, revealing… another Starkiller? This Starkiller, though, had the eyes of the Dark Side, as well as being much paler than Starkiller.
"Another clone?" Starkiller said. The Dark Apprentice scoffed.
"So you're the last mistake. I told Lord Vader that he wouldn't need any clones past me." the Dark Apprentice stated. He charged Starkiller with blinding speed and augmented his lightsaber swing with a force push, succeeding in knocking Starkiller through the door that the leaders and Vader had gone through.
"Starkiller!" Juno shouted as he came crashing to the floor. As he stood back up, the Dark Apprentice walked inside and saw Vader, imprisoned. He drew another lightsaber out of his robe, which was similar in appearance to the first one, only black in color. He ignited it as well, and held them in a stance similar to Starkiller's own. They attacked once more. They were even until the Dark Apprentice parried one of Starkiller's blows and kicked him into a wall. As Starkiller stood up, the Dark Apprentice killed the soldiers that were holding Vader and destroyed his restraints. He handed Vader the black lightsaber. Juno began ushering the leaders towards their ships as Starkiller stood up.
"You completed the cloning process?" Starkiller questioned.
"Yes. He is my greatest creation. You were his final test." Vader responded.
"Final test?"
"You were correct in thinking that I misled you. You are not a clone. You are the reborn Starkiller. My scientists managed to use a variant on the cloning process to reanimate your body. I had hoped that perhaps you would overcome your emotions like he did, however, you failed, so I decided to turn this failure into an opportunity. I decided to use you to test my apprentice to see if he was truly ready. I see now that I was right. He is ready." Vader revealed, shocking Starkiller. He was the original? He wasn't a clone? Vader had tricked him again. But this revelation served to cement Starkiller's… no, Galen's resolve. He would not be parted from Juno again. He stood up and ignited his dual blades.
"So a clone is better than the original? Let's test that theory." Galen stated. The Dark Apprentice charged Galen with his single lightsaber. Galen struck with power not shown previously. They locked sabers, and Galen pushed back and kicked the Dark Apprentice in the head with a roundhouse kick. He performed a powerful Push at point blank range, sending him into the wall. Galen then gripped the Dark Apprentice, lifting him off of the ground, and threw him up into the ceiling. He jumped up after him. He grabbed him in mid-fall, and right before they hit the ground, Galen righted them and performed an extremely powerful Force Repulse, disintegrating the clone. He landed and reignited the blades, staring down the Dark Lord himself.
"Looks like you were wrong, Vader. You can't beat the original." he said before attacking the Sith. Vader blocked Galen's strike and pushed back his former apprentice. With a roar, he attacked his apprentice with all of his rage, shocking Galen. He swung upwards and sent Galen against a wall.
"You have disrupted my plans for the last time!" Vader stated angrily as he attacked Galen again.
Main Transport Platform
Juno rushed the leaders into their separate transports and then raced to the Rogue Shadow, which was still on the platform with Boba Fett. She ran as fast as possible and quickly reached the platform. She saw Kota using his green lightsaber to block blaster bolts from an airborne Boba Fett. Kota deflected one of the blots back at Fett, causing him to stop his attack for a moment. Kota used that moment to jump into the air and kick Boba square in the chest, sending him back and knocking him into his ship, causing him to hit the floor, groaning. Kota turned to Juno.
"Get the Rogue Shadow started! I'll get the boy. Hurry!" he shouted at the woman. She nodded, though he couldn't see it, and ran inside the ship. Kota Pushed Boba back inside the Slave I and ran inside the base. He arrived as Vader sent Galen to the floor again. Kota charged Vader, only to be knocked aside as well. He provided a distraction, however, and that was enough for Galen. Galen called upon his immense connection to the Force and sent an enormous barrage of lightning at Vader, and managed a direct hit. He called upon all of his mastery and increased the intensity of the lightning. He used the opening to Push Vader against the wall while still electrocuting the Sith. He stopped the barrage of lightning, breathing heavily.
"Come on, boy! We've got to go!" Kota shouted. Galen looked back at Vader, who was standing up, and ran after the blind Jedi. They boarded the Rogue Shadow and immediately took off.
"That was a close one." Juno said as they left the planet. "But we've been separated from the Rebel fleet. What do you think we should do now?"
"There's very little hope for us to find the Rebels. They're hiding now, from Vader and the Empire." Kota said. "What do you think, boy?" he asked Galen, who sat down in his usual chair.
"I don't know. Where would we even begin to look?" Galen replied. Kota shrugged.
"The Rebels are fleeing. If the Empire can't find them, we won't be able to." Juno piped in. Galen closed his eyes as Juno and Kota began debating what to do. As he was meditating, he had a vision of a village surrounded by forest, an image of a beast with red fur and nine tails flowing behind it, and of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy wielding two lightsabers. He opened his eyes in a shock, gathering the attention of the pilot and the old Jedi.
"What is it, Starkiller?" Juno asked. He looked at her.
"I saw… I had a vision." he said.
"What did you see, boy?"
"I saw a village in a forest. Not like the ones on Kashyyyk. This one was different. There were people. I saw an animal with red fur and nine tails, and a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes wielding lightsabers… what do you think it means?" he asked Kota.
"I think it's the Force trying to tell you something. Listen to the Force, Starkiller." Kota replied. Galen shook his head at Kota.
"Not Starkiller. Vader was lying. I'm the original. He reanimated my body using something similar to cloning and used me to test that evil clone you saw on the platform. I managed to beat him. As far as I'm concerned, I'm Galen Marek again." he revealed. Juno quickly headed over to him and kissed him passionately, which he quickly responded to. They broke apart a moment later, and Galen saw that Juno was smiling widely.
"I knew you were to stubborn to die." she said. He smiled at her and chucked. Kota smiled as well and clapped a hand on his shoulder.
"Welcome back, boy." Kota said. PROXY, who had hobbled in shortly before Galen awoke from his trance, was very vocal in expressing his joy at his master's return.
"So you think we should go to this planet you saw your vision?" Juno asked as she sat back down in the pilot seat.
"I think that I was shown that for a reason. But where is it?" he asked aloud. Kota walked up to the Jedi.
"Reach out with the Force, Galen. Trust it, listen to it." Kota coached. Galen nodded and went back into his trance. After a few more moments, he opened his eyes.
"It's a planet far past the Outer Rim, in the Unknown Regions." Galen stated.
"We won't have any navigations past the Outer Rim." Juno replied unsure.
"Trust me, Juno. We'll be alright." he reassured with a smile. After a moment of hesitation, she nodded and began piloting the Rogue Shadow to the Unknown Regions, following Galen's vision.
After a week of nonstop traveling, and expert piloting from Juno, Galen told her to land the ship on a planet that they were approaching.
"Are you sure?" she asked. He just nodded, staring at the planet.
"I can feel it. The Force is strong on that planet." Galen stated. Kota voiced his agreement. Juno brought them to the surface of the planet, where they indeed found the forest that Galen saw. Juno landed the Rogue Shadow in the forest. They all disembarked to explore the new planet.
"It feels like Kashyyyk. It feels so alive." Galen stated. Kota grunted in agreement.
"It's beautiful." Juno commented. Galen looked at her and smiled. She saw him and smiled back. The serene scene was broken by the sounds of battle. They could hear explosions, screams of pain, and the sounds of clashing metal. Galen looked to Kota.
"General, let's check that out. Juno, keep the engine warm. If we landed on a war zone, we'll need a quick escape." Juno nodded and raced inside the ship while Galen and Kota ran towards the sounds of battle. They came upon an amazing sight. There were humans, like themselves, who were manipulating the elements around them and using them to attack! Others were able to make clones of themselves! "What the hell?" Galen stated.
"Must be a native ability." Kota said. They were noticed at that moment by a man wearing an odd pouched vest with a headband that had a symbol bearing a resemblance to a rock on it.
"HEY! Who are you?" the man shouted in a strange dialect. They sensed his fear through the Force, however.
"They must be spies, kill them!" the one next to him shouted in that same dialect. They all pulled out oddly shaped knives and charged. Kota and Galen ignited their blades and cut down their attackers. No sooner had they dispatched them had another oddly dressed man come to them. He wore a black bodysuit and wore a helmet that reminded Galen of Vader's helmet, only this helmet didn't cover the man's aged features. It had an odd pattern on the metal plate on the forehead that looked like a cross between a spiral and an arrow. The man himself had grey hair, and a grey goatee on his chin. He looked quite serious.
"Who are you? You don't look like shinobi…" the old man stated in that dialect. Galen and Kota reached out with the Force and memorized the language from the man's mind.
"Shinobi?" Kota asked. Galen looked at him.
"Is now really the time to ask questions?" he said, gesturing towards the battle. Kota nodded.
"I'll tell you what: you help us win this battle, I will help you any way I can, as you seem to be a tad lost." the old man offered.
"Alright. Who's the enemy?" Galen accepted.
"Anyone not wearing a headband with the same symbol as mine." he stated. Galen and Kota nodded and charged. Galen jumped into the fray, quickly slicing apart enemies. His movement was but a blur as he hacked apart the enemy. He saw one shinobi, as they were called, send a giant boulder at him. He stopped it with the Force and sent it back to it's launcher, killing the man and his team. He continued his rampage, cutting down all those who possessed that strange rock symbol on their headbands. He quickly dispatched them, using either lightning, throwing heavy objects at them, Pushing them into large surfaces, or simply cutting them down. He ran over to the old man, who was currently spewing fire out of his mouth and setting the enemy ablaze. "What is it?" he asked as Galen ran over to him.
"I take it you're the leader of your forces, right?" seeing the old man nod, he continued, "Call back your troops. I have an idea." he said. The man looked confused. "Trust me. If this works, it'll wipe them all out." the old man nodded after hesitation and ordered his troops to fall back. Kota looked at Galen and nodded, already knowing what he was up to. Galen called upon his full connection to the Force, his body being filled with it, a blue aura surrounding him, and charged the enemy. He jumped into the thick of the enemy and performed a Force Repulse at full power, incinerating most of the soldiers and sending the rest flying. The ones that survived fled. Calming himself, the aura faded. Kota and the old man approached the panting Galen.
"There's no doubt now, boy, you're definitely him." Kota stated, making Galen laugh breathlessly. The old man, however, looked completely shocked.
"What Jutsu was that?" he questioned.
"Jutsu?" Kota and Galen asked. The old man looked perplexed.
"You aren't shinobi?"
"We're not exactly from here, old man." Galen stated. The old man drew one of those odd knives.
"Where are you from then! Kiri? Kumo?" the man listed, further confusing Galen and Kota.
"We mean we're not from this planet, old man. We're off-worlders." Galen explained. The man looked even more confused. Kota sighed.
"Look, obviously we both have misconceptions about our situations. Let's get somewhere more private and talk." Kota intervened. The man nodded, as did Galen.
"I'll get Juno." Galen said. Kota nodded and began walking with the old man. Galen rushed back into the forest and found the Rogue Shadow. He boarded it and found Juno in the cockpit.
"Do we need to make an emergency escape?" she asked.
"No. We've met the locals, and, after helping some of them in a battle, we're going to learn more about them. I figured you should be there too." he explained. Juno nodded and followed after him. When they exited the ship she stopped. "What's wrong?"
"What about the ship? And PROXY?" she questioned.
"These people don't seem to be overly advanced in terms of technology. The one we talked to seemed confused when I said we were off-worlders." Galen explained. "So PROXY should stay on the ship. The ship should be fine so long as we cloak it." Galen said. Juno nodded and activated the cloaking device, hiding the ship from prying eyes. Galen led Juno to where he sensed Kota was. He came upon a tent. They entered to see Kota speaking calmly with the old man. Galen and Juno sat down next to Kota. Kota filled them in on what the old man, who's name was Hiruzen Sarutobi, according to Kota, had told him. Apparently, they were near the village of Konoha, a hidden village surrounded by the forest. On this world, there are five major villages that have Shinobi, or Ninja, as guardians. Apparently, the people that Galen and Kota fought were Shinobi as well. Sarutobi was apparently the leader of this Ninja village, called the Hokage. He was the 3rd Hokage. They were currently in a war with the other villages, the villages of Kirigakure, Kumogakure, and Iwagakure. Their allies were a village surrounded by desert, known as Sunagakure. Shinobi were able to use special techniques known as Jutsu that enabled them to do amazing things, such as manipulate the elements. There were many other types of techniques, though they all required something called chakra to perform.
"Tell me, Sarutobi, do you know anything about a beast with nine tails?" Galen asked him after he finished his explanation and Galen explained it to Juno, as she couldn't speak the language. Sarutobi's eyes widened.
"What do you know about the Kyuubi?" he asked warily. Galen looked confused.
"Kyuubi? I don't know anything about it. I was hoping you did. I had a vision that led us here, and a beast with nine tails was in it." Galen explained. Sarutobi nodded and told them the legend of the Kyuubi. Apparently it was called the Kyuubi no Youko. It was a legendary monster, capable of flattening mountains with a swipe of one of it's tails. According to legend, it appeared whenever a village was overcome by negative emotions, such as greed and hatred.
"You said you had a vision. What exactly are you three?" Sarutobi asked. Kota reluctantly explained that they weren't from their planet. He told Sarutobi that Galen received a vision telling him to come here from the Force, and that they were Jedi. He explained the concept of the Force to Sarutobi, as well as asking him to keep it a secret. Sarutobi agreed, thinking of what others who would use that sort of power for destruction.
"So, why are you here?" Sarutobi asked.
"I'm not sure. All I saw in my vision was your village, the Kyuubi, and a blond-haired, blue-eyed boy wielding lightsabers. You know anyone by that description?" Galen asked, only for Sarutobi to shake his head.
"There's only one blonde in Konoha, and she doesn't have blue eyes." Sarutobi replied. Galen frowned in thought. 'Then why am I here?'
"What about the Kyuubi?" Kota asked.
"The Kyuubi hasn't been seen in years. No one knows where it is at the moment."
"Maybe it's going to attack Konoha?" Kota suggested. Sarutobi nodded.
"Possibly. We are at war right now. That brings a great deal of negative emotions. It's entirely possible that it could bring the Kyuubi to Konoha." Sarutobi conceded. "I've got an idea. If you help us in this war, I can make you Shinobi of Konoha. You can stay in Konoha and try to find out why you are here in the meantime. Deal?" Sarutobi offered the trio. Galen looked at Kota, who nodded, and Juno, who smiled, and then back at Sarutobi.
"Deal." Galen said, shaking the man's hand.
One Week Later
Galen sighed as he entered his home. He had spent the first few days after their arrival searching for people who resembled his vision, but had stopped after Kota told him that if the Force willed it, he'd find the boy. Kota had decided to become the general of the Ninja forces, which Sarutobi gladly allowed. The two had somehow bonded rather quickly. Galen chalked it up to them both being old men. Juno had piloted the Rogue Shadow into Konoha and parked it in their backyard. Sarutobi had let them move in to an abandoned mansion, since he saw the Rogue Shadow, and knew they'd need a great deal of space. She had been learning to speak the native language while fixing up the house, with help from Galen, Kota, and, of course, PROXY. She was quite content with how things were so far, as was Galen. Galen had spent most of his time in Konoha, as Sarutobi wanted him to serve as a 'last resort' so to speak.
He headed into the kitchen, where Juno was making dinner.
"Welcome home!" she said, hugging the Jedi. He hugged her back with a smile.
"Thanks, Juno." he said, kissing her lightly. She smiled. Galen and Juno were quite open about their feelings for each other now, much to Kota's chagrin.
"What's wrong? You seem upset." she said as he sat down at the table.
"Just frustrated. It's been a week and still no sign of the boy in my vision."
"Well, maybe it was a vision of the future. Maybe the boy will come along later. Didn't Kota say that if the Force willed, it would happen?" she reminded. He nodded. "Then just be patient. I'm sure he'll come along eventually. Focus on what's happening around you, Galen, not what has yet to happen." she said, sitting next to him.
"Thanks, Juno." they heard someone knocking on the door. Galen answered it and saw that it was an ANBU agent. "What is it?" he asked.
"General Kota needs you on the battlefront. His company is overrun .He wants you to leave immediately." the ANBU reported. Galen nodded.
"I'll be there soon. Carry on." he said. The ANBU left to continue his duties. Galen walked quickly back into the kitchen.
"What is it?" Juno asked, seeing the serious look on his face.
"Kota needs me. He wants me on the battlefront. I think he's in Iwa right now."
"I'll prep the Rogue Shadow. You'll get there faster if you take it." She said, putting on her flight jacket. He smiled and headed into his room. He opened his closet and looked among all of the combat outfits he had worn in the past. One in particular caught his eye: the robe that he wore when he saved the rebel leaders from the emperor. He smiled and donned it. He grabbed his lightsabers and headed to the Rogue Shadow, where Juno was awaiting him on the ramp. She gaped at his choice of garment.
"Isn't that…" she asked. Galen nodded.
"Yeah. Let's go." he said as they boarded the ship. Juno flew the ship to the Iwa battlefront, shocking the Iwa Shinobi. Galen walked out on the ramp with Juno right behind him.
"Good luck." she said as she kissed him. He smirked as he pulled up his hood.
"This time you will have to live it down." he said before he jumped off of the ramp. Juno smiled and headed back into the cockpit to land the ship. Galen landed in the trench right next to Kota.
"Finally. We're pinned down. They're using some really powerful Jutsu. Our men can't get through." Kota informed. Galen nodded and drew his lightsabers. He turned to the shinobi behind him.
"Follow me, guys." he jumped out of the trench and ignited his blades. He quickly hacked apart two shinobi who had the bright idea to charge and redirected a boulder that was launched back at the launcher. He bolted towards the enemy with inhuman speed, cutting down any foe that stood in his way, quickly dodging incoming projectiles. He dove into the enemy trench and began slicing. His blades a blur, he quickly decimated the enemy. He weaved through the trench, cutting down any he saw. Seeing the Konoha shinobi getting a foothold, he jumped out of the trench and began countering the Jutsu, either redirecting it or destroying it. He looked back and saw that the Konoha forces were charging, as was Kota. Kota ran up to him.
"Great job, boy! We're almost to the village! Think you can get us through?" he asked. Galen nodded. Kota jumped into the trench, while Galen jumped over it and bolted towards the village gate of Iwagakure. The shinobi guarding the gate stood little chance against Galen, sadly. He fried them quickly with lightning. He ran past their smoldering corpses and jumped headfirst towards the gate, surrounding himself with the Force. He broke right through the gate and turned around. Compressing his power for a moment, he sent a powerful Force Push at the remains of the gate, completely destroying it and allowing the Konoha forces through. Galen began defending the troops by once more deflecting and redirecting Jutsu until he was once more approached by Kota.
"We've almost won! The city will be ours soon, but the Tsuchikage is elusive. If we could capture him, we might be able to quicken the end of this war!" Kota shouted over the sounds of battle.
"Where would we start looking?" Galen shouted back. The duo looked to the tower in the center of the village and nodded to one another. They headed to the tower together, moving quickly by jumping over the rooftops. They quickly reached the tower and Force jumped to the window in the office of the Tsuchikage. Galen quickly Pushed the glass, breaking it and startling the occupant. Sitting in the chair behind the Tsuchikage's desk was a short old man.
"Are you the Tsuchikage?" Galen asked. The old man stood up and revealed how small he really was. He was not even half the height of Galen!
"And what if I am?" the old man asked defiantly. Galen simply ignited his lightsaber, the tip stopping an inch before hitting the old man's nose.
"We'll be taking you hostage now." Kota stated, igniting his saber as well. The old man glared at them.
"You whippersnapper… You think you can face me, Ryotenbin no Onoki?" the man exclaimed dramatically before making a sign with his hands. A sphere surrounded by a cube formed in between the man's hands. Galen reflexively Pushed the man back, sending him into the wall. The technique Onoki was charging was sent careening into the wall on Onoki's right side, completely destroying it. Kota held up his blade to Onoki's throat.
"I think you should be surrendering, Tsuchikage." Kota ordered. Onoki glared at the blind man. Galen levitated the man into the air. He held his blade up.
"Don't make us kill you, old man. We just want to end this war. I think it's time we negotiate." Galen stated, glaring at Onoki. The old man was still defiant. Galen sighed and Kota hit the man in the back of the neck with his lightsaber hilt, knocking him out. Kota tied him up with a rope that he had brought with him.
"Why do you have that, anyway?"
"Best be prepared, boy." Kota replied as he finished tying up the unconscious captive. He picked him up and slung him over his shoulder with a grunt. As they headed towards the window, the door was busted down by Iwa ANBU. Galen ignited his dual blades, holding them in reverse grip.
"Get the geezer back to camp! I can handle these guys!" Galen ordered. Kota nodded and jumped out the window, leaving Galen against the three ANBU agents. One of the ANBU agents began making hand signs at an amazing speed, but a Push from Galen ended his conscious thought when his head made contact with a broken piece of wall. Another ANBU charged Galen with two ninjato in hand. Galen cut through the blades and eviscerated the agent. The last ANBU also began making hand signs, but Galen lifted him into the air via Grip. He threw the agent into the unconscious body of the other agent. As the man struggled to stand up from the force at which he was thrown, Galen looked down at him.
"Stay down." he ordered before jumping out the window, following Kota. Following the same path that they used to get to the tower, Galen ran towards the gate. Not seeing Kota, he stopped a passing Konoha shinobi.
"Where's Kota?" he asked the ninja.
"General Kota headed back to camp with an old man over his shoulder. He said to hold our positions." the shinobi reported. Galen nodded.
"Thanks." Galen ran towards the camp and quickly came upon it. He entered it to see Kota and Sarutobi having a discussion with their prisoner.
"How are negotiations coming?" Galen asked as he walked in. Sarutobi looked towards him and smiled.
"Not so far. But we have Iwa's leader, and that carries a certain amount of influence." Kota said.
"I must thank you, Galen. This wouldn't have been possible without you." Sarutobi thanked. Galen waved off the man's thanks.
"Just fulfilling my end of the deal. Do you think that this victory will end the war?"
"It might. Showing how a single shinobi, you, turned the tide of the entire battle carries an enormous amount of weight. They will at least be wary of us, which also works in our favor." Sarutobi replied, moving back over to Onoki.
"Tsuchikage-dono, even you must concede that we have won. You are captive, your gate is destroyed, and your shinobi are dying. Surrender, and we can be one step closer to ending this war." Sarutobi pleaded. Onoki glared at Sarutobi.
"it's either that or we continue attacking the village until it's destroyed. I don't want to cause any needless deaths because you were being stubborn. Can you really do that to your people?" Galen asked. Onoki looked down then looked up at Sarutobi with a sour look on his face.
"Fine, we surrender." Onoki conceded. Galen smiled, as did Kota, while Sarutobi sighed in relief.
"Good. Now, we talk terms…" Sarutobi began. Galen smiled as the negotiations succeeded.
One Month Later
'How the hell did that old man trick me into this!' Galen thought as he continued to sign the paperwork. Not two weeks ago, the hidden villages had all agreed to a neutral treaty. The war had ceased, none willing to combat Konoha with Galen leading the shinobi army. Speaking of Galen, soon after the end of the war, Sarutobi had somehow conned Galen into taking his job. Now Galen was the Hokage! Kota had found Galen's plight to be hilarious, while Juno simply said, "Good luck!". The Force must be messing with him. Galen was broken from his thoughts as someone knocked on his door.
"Come in." he tiredly answered. The door opened to reveal Juno. She had taken to wearing clothes more befitting this world. She was wearing a light blue kimono with flowers decorating it. "Hey Juno." he greeted as she shut the door. As soon as she did, he leaned back into the chair with a sigh.
"You look exhausted." she stated. Galen looked at her wearily.
"I am exhausted. This job is evil!" he stated, exhausted. She giggled and sat down in his lap.
"You're just overworked. You need to relax." she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist in response. They had grown quite close to one another in the past month. They were now openly a couple, and everyone was happy about it. They had made friends since the end of the war, and thus more time to socialize. Juno found friends amongst the clan head wives, such as Mikoto Uchiha, Tsume Inuzuka, and Yoshino Nara. Kota often spoke with Sarutobi. The two had quickly become friends. Galen himself found friends in Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka, and Choza Akimichi. He had also found him frequently speaking with a new Jonin named Kakashi Hatake. The boy had an immense talent, but he was lacking in the cooperation department. Galen had been speaking to him at Sarutobi's urging, hoping Galen could break the kid of his cold persona. He had been having some success, with assistance from Kakashi's teammates.
"Yeah, but how can I relax with this damn job?" Galen asked. Juno giggled.
"Ask Sarutobi. He had the job for a long time, he must've figured out a way to relax." Juno answered. She then stood up and grabbed his hand, pulling him up with her. "But for now, you're taking a personal day. You owe me a date." she said. He chuckled and followed the blonde out the door.
Sarutobi Residence
"It's good to see those two finally getting some alone time. From the fighting in the galaxy to the war here, they haven't really had time to simply be together." Kota commented to Sarutobi, who was using a crystal ball to spy on Galen and Juno.
"Yes. The Hokage frequently has a great deal of work, but he's going through it faster than I ever did. He might just overcome that mountain of paperwork." Sarutobi stated. Kota laughed.
Outside the Hokage Tower
"Hokage-sama." the guards formally stated as Galen was dragged out of the tower by his eager girlfriend.
"Juno, slow down! Where are you dragging me!" he shouted as Juno continued to drag him through the street. The citizens all looked at the spectacle. The women giggled at the display, while the men chuckled at Galen's plight.
"I'm dragging you to a new ramen shop I found. You need to relax, and try something simple for a change." Juno stated. Galen sighed.
"Fine. But can you at least let me walk there?" he said. Juno stopped dragging him, and the two walked to the shop together, hand in hand. Juno led him to a small stand that said 'Ichiraku Ramen' on the sign. She led him inside and they were greeted by a middle aged man.
"Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen! How may I help you?" the man greeted cheerfully. Juno smiled and sat down. Galen sat next to her.
"One Miso Ramen, please." Juno ordered.
"Same." Galen said. The man nodded and left to make the order. Juno turned to face her boyfriend.
"You seem frustrated. Still thinking about that blonde boy?"
"Occasionally. It's just weird that I get this vision of him and yet no sign of him since we landed." he confessed, using his right hand to rub his eyes. Juno pecked him on the cheek.
"Trust in the Force. It hasn't steered you wrong yet. Besides, this gives us a chance to act like a normal couple." she reminded. Galen smiled faintly and kissed her on the cheek. She smiled back. The old man came back to the counter with their orders and laid them down in front of them. They began to eat, but stopped as soon as they slurped the first noodle.
"This is amazing!" Galen said as he began eating faster, with Juno doing the same. The old man smiled proudly as they devoured the ramen.
"Glad you like it. Family recipe."
"What's your name, old man?" Galen asked as he put down the empty bowl.
"Teuchi Ichiraku, Hokage-sama." Teuchi replied. Galen waved off the title dismissively.
"No need to be so formal. Just call me Galen."
"Alright, Galen." Teuchi replied with a grin. Juno put down her bowl.
"That was delicious." she complimented. Teuchi's grin widened at her compliment.
"Thank you. You two are welcome anytime!" Teuchi announced. Galen and Juno smiled at the energetic man. Galen reached into his pocket to pay the man. "Oh, no! first one's on the house! Just tell everyone you know about this place!" Galen and Juno nodded and walked out of the shop, once again holding hands.
And DONE! Now, before anyone asks, there is no Minato OR Kushina. They don't exist in this story. Don't like it, don't read it. I actually DO have a full plot lined out in this, but it will take a bit of time to get to the amazing parts, so just bear with me for awhile, alright? Anyway, read and review!
Forever in the Sky,
The Red Star