Hello everyone. I would like to start by saying that this Fiction has been a long time coming. I began a rough plan for this many months ago, outlining plot points and ideas for where I'd like the story to go.
I'll confirm now that, should I have the time, this Fiction will span all of the CURRENT films as well as The Clone Wars animated series and the newer Star Wars Rebels. With how I want this fiction to turn out I don't know if the New Saga will have any place here.
I'm going to say this now; Naruto will not have any Chakra based abilities, period. If you don't like that than please don't feel the need to express it in a Flame Review. With those abilities I feel Naruto would simply be far too OP.
The Concept for his Force Abilities is stemming from him being the reincarnation of Ashura Otsutsuki. I believe the newest Naruto movie portrays the Otsutsuki clan as aliens from another planet, so I'm running with that.
Also, I want to focus on the Star Wars universe in this Fic, so for all intents and purposes believe that the Shinobi World is safe. i-e: Madara is dead-dead, no threat of Kaguya reincarnation. Akatsuki might get a mention, but as they are not being controlled by Obito their objectives will have changed.
On a different note, The Guiding Flame has not been abandoned, just put on a slight hold for the moment as I focus on getting a few chapters of this out.
In some of my other Fictions I have opened with a few questions, giving you the readers a chance to influence the story a little. I'd like to do that with this Fiction as well. So please read the small AN at the end of this chapter.
I apologise for this huge AN, please give this a read and take the time to Review!
"Gizka, Master?"
"Yes, it would appear so." said Qui-Gon Jinn.
To say that the Jedi Master was upset would be an understatement. He and his Padawan had only recently been tasked with the duty of acting as ambassadors to the Supreme Chancellor and to investigate the Trade Federation's blockade of the planet Naboo.
It had been his hope to arrive within a few days, now it seemed it would be quite a while longer.
Qui-Gon and his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, stood in the cargo hold of the diplomatic ship that even now speeding them through hyperspace towards Naboo.
Looking out across the large area Qui-Gon counted no less than three dozen of the small bipedal reptiles as they hopped along, intent on causing some manner of trouble. He turned to look at the crewman behind him.
"Do we know the extent of the damage?" he asked calmly. Gizka were not as much of a pest as they had been in the times of the Old Republic, but they could still pose a danger to any ship exposed to them.
"Unknown Sir. We have only recently discovered them, there's no telling how much damage they could have done since we left Coruscant." Replied the crewman, his uniform designating him as an Engineer.
As if to back up the man's words the floor beneath their feet began to shake.
"I have a bad feeling about this Master." said Obi-wan from behind him. For once Qui-gon was obliged to agree with this Padawan.
There was something wrong with the situation; he could feel it in the Force. What disturbed him most was that he had never quite felt something like it before.
Usually the Force would provide some form of warning, a distinct feeling that something bad was about to happen. Despite the shaking of the ship increasing, the Force still felt strangely calm and yet fully aware of the situation.
It was almost as if the Force was telling the Jedi Master to accept whatever was about to happen.
The Com-link on his belt began to beep loudly. Qui-gon quickly activated the link and found himself in contact with one of the ship's pilots.
"Sir! We are getting reading of very dangerous fluctuations in the Hyper-drives systems."
"Damn!" muttered the engineer, overhearing the conversation. "These bloody pests must have chewed through the Hyper-drives power couplings. We need to leave Hyperspace and power down now." he said.
"And if we don't?" asked Obi-wan, not sure that he wanted to know the answer to his own question.
"Uh…boom." deadpanned the engineer.
"Pilot, we need to drop out of Hyperspace immediately to affect repairs." ordered Qui-gon.
For a few moments on silence was his response. Suddenly the light shaking became violent. Primary lighting failed and the cargo hold was bathed in the deep red of emergency lights.
"Master Jedi sir!" came the garbled response from the pilot, "The navigational computer is going haywire, it's reprogrammed itself for one last jump before our power shuts down. Co-ordinates unknown."
Qui-gon grimaced, he certainly didn't want an unknown Hyperspace jump if he could avoid it, they tended to end badly.
"Is there any way that we can cut the ships power before that happens?" he asked, hoping for the best.
"No sir, the last power surge overloaded the Hyperdrive, for the time being it is a sefl-sustaining power source. If we don't make the jump that energy will go critical. We won't survive the explosion." said the pilot solemnly.
For a brief moment Qui-gon thought back to what he had felt from the Force on moments ago. The memory galvanised his will and he knew that he would have to accept whatever consequences would come from his next words.
"So be it. Send out a final warning for all crew to stow themselves safely, and then make the jump. May the Force be with us." he said before taking the last of the engineering crew and his Padawan to find a safe place to weather the coming storm.
Naruto Uzumaki was trying his hardest to enjoy his night as he walked along one of the Hidden Leaf Village's main thoroughfares, gazing around at all of the bright and colourful stores.
Tonight was the same as any other night for the five-year old blonde. The cold looks of disdain, civilians acting as if he didn't exist at all. At times, Naruto swore that he could actually feel all of the negative emotions the adults directed his way.
Parents would shepherd their children out of his way and shopkeepers would ignore him until he left their stores.
Naruto had learnt early on that he only could only call three others of his age friends. Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi and Kiba Inuzuka.
It seemed that their parents didn't feel the same way as all the rest, Naruto had even overheard them encouraging their boys to befriend him and that they shouldn't listen to all the bad things they had been told about the kind boy.
The four of them had gotten into all sorts of trouble over the past year since they began their tuition at the Academy, much to Iruka-sensei's ire.
Naruto was smiling at the memories as a familiar, godly scent wafted towards him. He broke out into a run as he neared his destination, his stomach grumbling in protest.
Turning the corner at break-neck speed he ducked under a white dividing curtain and scrambled his way up onto a high stool.
"Oi, Old Man! I'm here so you better get cooking!" he called out loudly. From behind the counter Naruto could hear a man being to chuckle.
"Ah, Naruto my boy, you're early tonight. The usual I suppose?" said Teuchi Ichiraku as he came out from the back of his Ramen Stall, a wide smile on his face as he saw sitting at the counter, eagerly awaiting his daily meal.
"You bet, three Miso Ramen please." replied Naruto.
Ichiraku Ramen was one of the very few businesses within Konoha that would serve Naruto. As a result, the small Ramen stand had quickly become a daily haunt for the young boy.
Teuchi and his daughter Ayame never treated the boy as anything but that.
Naruto was waiting for his meal somewhat-patiently when he felt it, a ghost of a feeling, nudging at the edges of his senses. Something was calling to him.
He dropped from his stool and turned, parting the curtain with his hand to look up at the night sky. For a brief moment he thought he saw something pass in front of the moon, a tiny black shape, before it disappeared back into the ocean of black surrounding it.
As strange as it sounded to his young mind, Naruto know that whatever it was that was calling out to him, it was up there somewhere.
He focused his eyes and seconds ticked past before he caught sight of anything.
'There!' He could make out the faint outline of something as it pasted between the stars.
A strange feeling of excitement filled Naruto as he came to a sudden realisation, it was getting closer. Its form was nothing more than a dull black outline, even still, Naruto refused to take his eyes off the thing.
He watched it get closer and closer, the shape increasing in size every second. Naruto watched in fascination as it passed over the Hokage Monument without a sound and seemed to descended bellow the tree line on the plateau above it.
The rational part of his young mind told him that he should be scared of whatever it was, that he should run and tell the Old Hokage right away.
But Naruto was never one to be described as 'Rational'.
"Hey Old Man," he shouted as he turned his head to look back at Teuchi who was busy preparing his meal, "Keep it warm for me! I'll be back as soon as I can." The Ramen chef didn't even have time to formulate a reply before the boy was gone from sight.
Naruto ran as fast as he could, he didn't know if anyone else had seen what he had but he was damn sure that he would be the first to get there.
He ignored the angry shouts of indignation as he barged past people on the streets, his young legs not yet ready to take him across rooftops.
After a few short minutes of hard running Naruto had reached the base of the Hokage Monument and soon found the stairs he knew would take him to the top and to his prize.
Earlier…
The entire ship shook around Qui-Gon as he stared out of the bride's viewport, the distinct vision of Hyperspace the only thing visible.
Qui-Gon had managed to find his way to the bridge in time for their impromptu Hyperspace jump.
"Sir, we are about to drop out of Hyperspace, this might be a little rough." said the pilot seated in front of him. Qui-Gon could only nod in response. This was the pilot's area of expertise, not his.
The ship groaned in protest as it began to decelerate rapidly, the streaked view of Hyperspace giving way to the eternal dark of normal space.
Immediately the flight crew began the task of running the dozens of diagnostics that would need to be run before the task of repair was even in question.
Qui-Gon cast his gaze out of the bridge's main viewport. With their systems damaged they would have to find somewhere safe to land the make repairs.
"What is the extent of the damage Captain?" he asked aloud. A short, thin man wearing Republic dress-blues turned to regard him, his breast emblazoned with the mark of the Galactic Senate.
"Not as severe as they could have been sir, it will only take us a day at most to finish up with the repairs. Though we will have to find somewhere to land in the meantime." he said and Qui-Gon sighed in relief.
Their mission was a vital one and they could not afford any costly delays. At the Captains words a young crewman spoke up.
"Sir, sensors are picking up a small planetary body close by. Initial scans indicate a breathable atmosphere." That piqued the wizened Jedi's interest.
"Where are we exactly?" he questioned. They were lucky to be alive in the first place. A jump to Hyperspace without pre-programmed co-ordinates was, statistically speaking, suicidal.
The chances of being smashed to atoms in an asteroid field or flying into the centre of a star were far too high for it to be considered even remotely safe.
"Currently unknown Master Jedi, it will take the Navi-Computer a while to calculate exactly where we are."
"Then it appears we don't have a choice Captain, we must set a course for the nearby planet." said Qui-Gon and the Captain nodded in agreement.
The journey to the unknown planet was a short one, within the space of half an hour the diplomatic cruiser was sitting in high orbit.
Qui-Gon was trying to identify any distinguishing features as a mean to determine which planet it was they were sitting above but he was having no luck.
"What planet am I looking at?" asked the Captain. It was a valid question, with no navigational data it could have been one of the millions within known space.
"Uh, unknown Sir." replied a crewman.
"What do you mean Unknown? The planet should be in the ship's database. The only way it wouldn't be was if…" started the Captain.
"Would be if this planet had never been discovered until now." finished Qui-Gon, letting his revelation hang in the air for a few moments.
"Captain, open up all scanners to maximum. Search for any signs of life or transmissions of any kind." Qui-Gon was beginning to get anxious.
If the planet they were in orbit was not in the galactic database then it could only mean one thing. They were the first to find it, and if the results of the scans revealed what Qui-Gon was almost sure they would, it would mean a very tricky First-Contact scenario.
He could feel something down on the planet's surface, and the more he stretched his senses, the surer he became. The Force wanted him to go down there.
"Master Jedi, initial scans show large but sporadic groupings of life forms on the planet's largest continent. We are also picking up extremely faint radio signals but they are far too primitive for our sensors to interpret." said the crewman.
That was certainly not what Qui-Gon had wanted to hear. It could only mean that the population of the planet was primitive, likely not even into their Industrial Age.
After a few quiet moments of thought Qui-Gon was seconds away from ordering the Captain to make for the planet's small moon when he felt it.
Something or someone down there had noticed them. No, noticed him.
"This did not happen by chance…" he whispered to himself in quiet shock.
"I'm sorry Sir?" queried the Captain, obviously confused.
"I need a moment Captain, I will give you landing co-ordinates as soon as I am able." said Qui-Gon as he stood from his seat, only to sit cross-legged on the cold durasteel floor.
Using a basic Jedi meditation technique he began to widen his senses, trying to pinpoint whatever it was that he was feeling down on the planet's surface.
Minuets passed before the Jedi master opened his eyes again. He stood and moved to indicate one of the larger concentrations of life signs on the bridge's main holo-display.
Bring us closer to this settlement Captain, disable all exterior lighting as well. We must be as stealthy as possible.
The Captain nodded and began filtering orders to his crew.
Qui-Gon watched as the small globe drew closer and closer. As luck would have it, they were descending to the night side of the world, a small blessing that would enable them to land unseen. At least that was the plan.
As they broke through the atmosphere it became possible to make out the lights of the city they were approaching and the Jedi could see that it was much larger than he first thought.
It was clear that whatever species lived on this planet had managed to harness electricity, the soft glow of thousands of lights illuminating the area.
The city itself sat behind a massive wall with only one obvious point of entry, an enormous set of seemingly wooden gates. The most impressive sight however was the stone monument at the far end of the city.
Four massive stone faces had been carved directly into the mountainside, giving the impressions of benevolent gods watching over their subjects. However, as they drew closer Qui-Gon noticed that the faces were strikingly human in nature.
He quickly changed his assumptions; it was more likely that they were past leaders of the city.
Qui-Gon noticed a large expanse of deep forest on the mountain top behind the city. There was also a clearing almost large enough to cradle their ship until such a time as both the repairs had been finalised and the Jedi Master had finished whatever business the Force had set for him on the planet.
"Take us down there Captain," he said, indicating the clearing he had spotted. "As quickly and as quietly as possible. It would be beneficial for us if the local populace didn't know we were here."
Once again Qui-Gon could feel something pushing at the edges of his senses. It seemed that someone had indeed noticed his presence. He would be lying if he said he wasn't more than a little interested to see exactly who or what it was.
He suspected that it must be some kind of primitive Force practitioner. The universe was a large place and the Jedi were not the only people who could harness the power of the Force, the Dathomiri witches were a prime example of that.
Minutes later the ship came to a soft halt as it finally touched down. Qui-Gon stood and began to make his way from the bridge.
"Please inform the crew that no one is to leave the ship, it could be very dangerous outside. I will attempt to make formal contact with the local populace under the guise of a traveller. In the meantime, please expedite all repair efforts, we still need to get to Naboo after all." he said, not waiting for a reply.
Qui-Gon made his way through the ship to where he knew his Padawan would be. He found Obi-Wan pacing in the small quarters they were sharing. The young man looked up at his Master's approach.
"Do you feel that Master?" he asked plainly and Qui-Gon nodded.
"I do, it appears to be right outside the ship. Whatever it is I'm not sensing any ill intent. I will go and try to make contact, stay aboard and help with the repairs. I shouldn't be long." he said. Obi-Wan looked worried.
"Are you sure that's wise Master?" he asked, causing Qui-Gon to place a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry about me my young Padawan, I will be fine." he said as he turned and made his way towards the ships' main exit ramp.
On his way there he passed a shining bronze humanoid droid. He turned to stop it.
"You are a protocol droid yes?" he asked, fairly sure he was correct. The droid stopped immediately and turned to regard the Jedi.
"Of course sir, I am programmed in over seven million forms of communication." it said in a monotonous synthetic tone.
"Good, please come with me, I may require your services." he said. The droid didn't even hesitate.
"At once sir." Confident that the droid would follow him, Qui-Gon rounded the final corner to the exit ramp.
Whoever the presence he had felt earlier belonged to, it was right outside of the ship. The next few moments would determine whether or not they would be seen as welcome quests or hostile invaders.
Qui-Gon keyed a short sequence of digits into the control panel beside him and the ramp began to lower letting in the cool night's breeze. The venerable Jedi Master was not prepared for what he was confronted with.
The ramp had lowered completely now and Qui-Gon had begun to make his way down and out of the ship, his thick cloak billowing around him and hiding his form. He would be lying if he said he had been prepared to come face to face with a young child sporting and ear to ear grin.
Naruto bounded up the steps as fast as his young legs could carry him. His every breath burnt inside his chest but he didn't care, all that mattered was that he get to the top as fast as he could.
He wasn't sure if anyone else had seen what he had but he didn't want to take the risk. Chances were if it was something cool than the Old Man would already be there and wouldn't let Naruto near whatever it was.
When he finally reached the top of the stairs it seemed he was in luck, there was no perimeter guard to keep people out of the forest.
Without thinking of his own safety, Naruto bounded off into the forest and towards whatever it was that he could still feel.
Naruto had only taken a few running steps into the tree line when a wave of foreign smells hit him head on.
The air had taken on a coppery tang that tasted horrible in Naruto mouth and caused his eyes to water. He pressed on regardless, eager to finally lay eyes on his discovery.
The forest around him began to thin and from his early lessons at the Academy he knew that meant he was getting closer to a clearing of some kind.
He picked up the pace and within moments the tree around him fell into the distance. He skidded to a halt almost instantly, his young mind not truly able to comprehend what he was seeing.
Almost the entirety of the large clearing had been filled by what appeared to be a large metal structure, easily bigger than the Hokage Building.
It was mainly red with white accents and long, much longer than any building Naruto had ever seen. Its shape was that of a misshapen cylinder with three individual bulges at one end.
For all the wonder the sight brought him, some part of Naruto's mind screamed at him that something was wrong.
He had ventured up here many times before to be alone and he had never seen this structure before, of that he was certain. He knew what he had seen earlier, a large black shape floating through the sky.
His uneducated mind was not able to comprehend the idea that this metal building had indeed been flying effortlessly through the night sky only minutes earlier.
A loud rumble broke Naruto from his thoughts and a small section of the building began to lower in front of him, descending to the ground with the tell-tale groan of metal on metal.
Light poured out from inside and for a brief moment Naruto was forced to cover his eyes with an arm. When he was able to look up, Naruto could see two distinct shapes at the top of the ramp.
A huge grin broke out on his face as he watched them descend towards him. One was a man, wearing multiple layers of brown robes around his person; he seemed to be smiling down at Naruto.
The other was harder to make out. Naruto assumed that whoever they were they were wearing some form of armour, if the glint from their attire and their strange limp-like movements were anything to go by.
Naruto didn't know what it was, but for some reason he didn't feel scared despite knowing that he probably should be. The man that was just now beginning to kneel in front of him was radiating a calming feeling.
It was then that Naruto realised that this man was what he had felt as he sat at Ichiraku, the same feeling that had lead him all the way here.
Naruto took a quick moment to take in the man's appearance. He was certainly middle aged, with a long head of light brown hair and a short matching beard.
Despite wearing robes the man wasn't any kind of Monk Naruto had ever seen before, not like the ones from the Fire Temple. He wore a pair of high leather boots and sported a belt adorned with numerous strange looking devices, their functions completely unknown to Naruto.
It was the cylindrical device resting on the left side of the man's hip that drew the majority of Naruto's attention. It looked much like a bladeless sword with no hand-guard to speak of, only a handle of polished silver and black metals.
He looked back up into the man's kind face as he began to speak.
"You have nothing to fear young one, I come with only peace in mind." He said, not that Naruto could understand him. He knew that words were coming from the man's mouth, but not any that Naruto had ever heard.
"Um, sorry mister but I've got no idea what you're sayin'." said Naruto, eyeing the man strangely. He noticed the man in armour 'perk up' at his words and turn slightly to regard the robed man.
"Master Jedi, if my audio receptors are correct, this young life form is speaking a dialect of the ancient Otsutsuki (1) language, propagated by the species of the same name. I am not certain but I believe that it is expressing its difficulty understanding Galactic Basic." They said and Naruto immediately noticed something off with the man's voice, it didn't sound natural.
The man seemed to understand what the man in metal had said and cupped his chin in a hand.
"Yes, I remember the language from my studies at the Temple. I will not be requiring your services C-2XS, please return inside." he said causing the armoured man to waddle his way back up the ramp.
Naruto was growing increasingly frustrated by the fact that the two men had been spouting gibberish the whole time to one-another.
"I don't know about you mister, but I've got no idea what you're saying." he reiterated.
"I am sorry young one; your language is one that I have not spoken for quite a while. My name is Qui-Gon Jin. What may I call you?" said the man and Naruto was finally able to understand him.
"Not young one! I'm five now, I'm not a little kid anymore." he said petulantly, crossing his arms and looking away with a pout for a moment. Qui-Gon chuckled at the boy's antics which seemed to placate him.
"You can call me Naruto Uzumaki!" he declared loudly. "How'd you get your funny looking house here? I thought I saw something in the sky but houses can't fly." he said, scratching the back of his head as he looked up at Qui-Gon.
The Jedi Master raised an eyebrow slightly.
"How did you know?" he asked simply, hoping the boy would understand what he meant. Naruto shrugged.
"I don't know. I just felt it I guess, like something calling out to me. If that makes any sense." he said dismissively.
That confirmed it for Qui-Gon, there wasn't a doubt in his mind that this young boy, this Naruto Uzumaki, was Force Sensitive.
"Not to worry Naruto, I know what you mean. What you felt was the Force calling out to you." he tried to explain. Naruto looked at him quizzically.
"The Force? What's that?" he asked honestly. Qui-Gon wasn't sure if he should be terrified or curious by what Naruto had said.
"Does that mean he is the only one? I didn't feel any other Force presences anywhere else on the planet, but that shouldn't be possible." Either way, the boy deserved an explanation.
"The Force is what gives a Jedi their power. It is an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us, penetrates us. It is what binds the galaxy together." he explained, much the same as he had done once for his Padawan.
Naruto seemed to perk up at the mention of 'power'.
"What's a Jedi? And what's the galaxy?" asked Naruto innocently and Qui-Gon once again laughed softly to himself.
"A Jedi is someone who studies and trains to use the Force as a means of protecting people and upholding peace in the Galaxy. As for the galaxy itself….let's just say that it is really big place." he said, not quite sure if Naruto was ready for a lecture on the nature of the universe and astrophysics.
"That sounds awesome, I've never heard of you guys though. Where are you from?" asked Naruto.
Qui-Gon thought on his options for a short moment before deciding that if what he believed the Force wanted for both he and Naruto than there was no harm in telling the boy.
"You'll need an open mind Naruto." he said, gaining a confused nod from the young boy before he pointed up into the night sky.
"I come from far, far away. Up there, that is the Galaxy Naruto. Each star that you see is a sun and each sun could have its own world." he explained, hoping for the best.
Naruto was silent for a long moment; no doubt his young mind was attempting to come to terms with what Qui-Gon had revealed to him. It was then that a sudden realisation hit him.
He stumbled backwards, tripping over his own feet and falling down to sit in the dirt.
"Y-you're an a-alien!" he shouted, pointing a finger accusingly at the Jedi Master. Qui-Gon chuckled at his response; it was for all intents and purposes a valid one.
"Yes Naruto, I guess you could say that, though we aren't too dissimilar you and I." he said though Naruto looked sceptical.
"What do you mean?" he said as he picked himself up.
"I am a Jedi, and you Naruto, you have the potential to be one as well." he explained and Naruto's eyes widened.
"Really?" he questioned, causing Qui-Gon to nod.
"Of course, the fact that you could sense my presence, however faintly, is impressive. There is no reason that I can see that would prevent you from training as a Jedi. Though it would mean that you would have to leave your home though." explained Qui-Gon, his tone remorseful. Naruto's mood seemed to falter somewhat at that.
"Aw, but Being a Jedi sounds so cool, but it means that I couldn't be Hokage? That's not fair." he said as he began to pace pack and forth, mumbling softly to himself. Qui-Gon wasn't able to hear a word of the boy's projected thoughts.
"Argh! I don't know what to do." he called out finally, stopping in place and turning to regard Qui-Gon once again.
"We need to go see Old Man Hokage, he'll know what to do." he declared confidently.
"This 'Hokage', he is the village leader I presume?" queried Qui-Gon and Naruto nodded happily.
"You bet! He's the strongest in the whole Village and he pays for my apartment and food every month." he said, confusing Qui-Gon slightly.
"You live on your own? Why?" he asked. Naruto's happy mood seemed to evaporate in an instant.
"Well I never had any parents and no one else wanted me so I told the Old Man that I'd just live by myself." he explained, masking his emotions well and burying them, something the old Master picked up on easily.
"That isn't good. Without proper guidance he will be easy prey to the Dark Side of the Force, even if he has no concept of its existence." he thought.
"Well then, this Hokage sounds like a very nice man, would you please take me to see him?" he asked and Naruto nodded.
"Sure, he always likes learning new things; I think that's why people used to call him the Professor. I'm sure he'd want to meet you." said Naruto, gesturing over his shoulder with a wave of his hand and beginning to walk back the way he had come.
Qui-Gon caught up with the boy quickly, moving to walk beside him as he was led towards the Hokage Mansion.
Naruto was leading him down a set of rather precarious stone steps down the face of the monument mountain when he spoke up.
"What's this?" he asked casually, confusing Qui-Gon somewhat.
"Pardon?" he inquired as his gaze shifted to the boy. His eyes widened in alarm at the sight.
Naruto was casually inspecting his Lightsaber, how he had taken it from his belt he didn't know, his eye peering down the emitter and his fingers dangerously close to the activation stud.
With lightning quick reflexes, Qui-Gon snatched the dangerous tool from the boy's hands, earning a groan for his efforts.
"You old people are always taking all the cool stuff from me." said Naruto petulantly.
"I Apologise Naruto but this isn't a toy, it is a very dangerous weapon." he said as he clipped the blade back onto his belt, making doubly sure it was secure.
"That just makes it sound even cooler." the boy said. "What is it?"
"It is a Lightsaber, the weapon of a Jedi. When activated the hilt will emit a deadly blade of energy capable of cutting through almost anything." he explained, only serving to encourage the boy more.
"Can I have one? Please?" asked Naruto, pulling at Qui-Gon's robes.
"If you become a Jedi, then yes. You would be able to create your own." said Qui-Gon.
"Not fair." he heard Naruto whisper through pouted lips, causing him to chuckle softly.
The rest of their journey was made in silence. Naruto had led Qui-Gon through the bustling streets towards the largest building Qui-Gon could see in the entire village. It was large and red, looking much like a dome that had had its top cut away.
Qui-Gon could only assume this to be Hokage Mansion. The Jedi Master could not help but notice the cold stares that were sent Naruto's way by the populace.
He could easily feel the waves of hate and anger being sent Naruto's way, and from the boy's reaction it seemed that on some level he could as well. What struck him as odd was that amidst the anger there was also fear, terrible and primal.
What would these people have to fear from such a young child?
Qui-Gon was pulled from such dark thoughts when Naruto pulled him along into the Hokage's building and up numerous flights of stairs before coming to rest outside of a large wooden door.
"Are you sure that we won't be disturbing the Hokage Naruto?" he asked, the last thing he wanted was to anger the first leader he met on this planet.
"Nah it'll be fine. The Old Man always seems happy whenever I turn up. He says it gives him an excuse to get away from all of his paperwork." explained Naruto. Qui-Gon accepted the answer but still felt a little apprehensive about the situation.
Naruto knocked once on the door, loudly, and without waiting for a response opened it and strode into the room.
"Hey Old Man! You'll never guess what I've brought for ya." he called out loudly.
From behind Naruto Qui-Gon peered into the room. By all respects it was modestly decorated. Bookcases lined the walls and two small chairs sat before a large desk. Seated in a high-backed chair on the other side of the desk was the man that Qui-Gon could only assume was the Hokage.
He was an elderly man, much older than himself, who wore a simple white and red robe. The desk he was seated at was piled high with stacks of papers. He looked up at Naruto's entrance, a smile on his face.
It flickered briefly as he noticed that Naruto wasn't alone. In that instant Qui-Gon's senses were overwhelmed with a feeling of immense scrutiny.
He had been in the presence of enough warriors to know when someone was taking his measure. Carefully determining the possible danger he posed and strategizing numerous ways to eliminate him as a threat if the need arose.
It seemed this elderly man was not as naïve as he appeared. His eyes only lingered on Qui-Gon for the briefest of moments before returning to Naruto.
"Naruto my boy, to what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked, his tone grandfatherly.
"I brought you an alien!" he declared as if it was the simplest of matters. Silence reigned for a brief moment.
"…..What?" muttered the Hokage.
"Yeah, he's got a spaceship and everything." said Naruto with a smile. Qui-Gon chose that as his time to intervene.
"I apologise for my un-announced presence Lord Hokage, but young Naruto speaks truly." he said as he stepped into the room.
While it may have been the strangest thing that the old Hokage had heard in many years, he was not one to dismiss anything without first learning the facts.
"Naruto, thank you for this. Would you please excuse us for the time being?" he asked. Naruto looked somewhat unsure but nodded slowly, figuring that the Hokage knew best.
"Uh, sure. I'll just go back to Ichiraku and finish my dinner, I'll be back Old Man." he said, turning to walk from the room.
"He's not as grumpy as he looks, I'll see you later mister Qui-Gon sir." he explained before running from back out the door and down the hall.
When Qui-Gon returned his gaze to the Hokage he was being gestured to sit. He nodded in thanks and did as instructed.
"That is a bold and strange claim Naruto is making…." started the Hokage, unsure of how to address the supposed alien sitting in front of him.
"Qui-Gon Jin." supplied the Jedi Master. The Hokage nodded in thanks.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi. Now, I don't know how you would normally handle a situation like this but I would ask you now to be blunt." said Hiruzen and Qui-Gon could respect the man's forwardness.
"Why are you here? More importantly why are you here with Naruto?" he asked.
Qui-Gon reached into the folds of his robes and produced a holo-display. He placed it on the desk in front of him and activated it. A static blue image of his ship was displayed, illuminating the darkened office. Hiruzen hid is surprise of the strange technology well.
"This is the ship that I arrived in, a diplomatic vessel. We were on a mission to another planet, Naboo, when we sustained damage." he began explaining.
"We?" Hiruzen interrupted him.
"My Padawan and the ship's crew. I ordered them to remain aboard the ship to affect repairs." he said, noticing the Hokage's confused look at the mention of his Padawan.
"I apologise, my Padawan is what you might call my apprentice. I am a Jedi; we act as peace keepers for the galaxy. That is the broadest description I can give." he supplied.
If the Hokage was confused or amazed by anything that Qui-Gon was saying he was managing to hide it well.
"As I said, we sustained damage that forced us to land here so that we could repair the ship. At first I thought it merely an accident, but now I don't know what to think." he said as he thought of Naruto.
"What do you mean?" queried Hiruzen, raising an eyebrow.
"Naruto. I think he is the true reason why I am here." said Qui-Gon and he noticed the Hokage tense up at the mention of the boy.
"Explain." The Hokage said simply.
"Naruto is Force Sensitive. He felt my presence as I in turn felt his. Tell me, have you ever noticed anything odd with Naruto? Any strange abilities he may have displayed." he inquired.
Hiruzen seemed to think about it for a moment, mulling over his memories of Naruto.
"There have been a few incidents that come to mind." he began.
"Incidents?" asked Qui-Gon, genuinely concerned.
"Yes, Naruto has made claims that he can move things without touching them, I have only witnessed it once myself. He somehow levitated the chair on which he was sitting. I had first believed it to be an unknown Bloodline Trait, a rare ability passed down through clans, but after having him examined I found that he has no ability to use the specialised techniques of our people. You're saying this has something to do with him being, what was it you called it? Force Sensitive?" said Hiruzen, standing from his chair and turning his back on the Jedi to gaze out the window and to the Village below.
"Yes. Naruto has the innate ability to tap into what we call the Force. It is a powerful form of energy that is emitted from all living things. If he remains here, untrained, he could be in serious danger." said Qui-Gon, carefully approaching the subject of taking Naruto with him.
It would have been obvious to him, even without his sharpened Jedi senses, that the Hokage cared for the boy. He only hoped he would see reason.
"You wish to take him with you." said Hiruzen. It wasn't a question.
"If it means saving him from himself, then yes." explained Qui-Gon. Hiruzen turned to look at him, slightly alarmed by his words.
"What do you mean? Do his abilities pose a danger to him?" he questioned.
"Not just to himself, but to all those around him. The Force is divided into the Light Side and the Dark Side. I'm sure someone as educated as yourself can understand the difference between the two. I've already felt it within him. I do not know why the people of your village treat Naruto the way they do, and frankly I'm afraid to ask. But Naruto is taking all of the hate, all of the anger they feel for him and he is bottling it up inside. Unless he is trained to control his emotions and his abilities, he could very well become a force of great evil on this world." explained Qui-Gon.
Hiruzen let out a weary sigh as he moved to seat himself again.
"I have tried my best to shield him from the hate the Villagers feel for him, but there is only so much I can do. It is not my place to influence what my people think. His parents died the day he was born. They died to seal within Naruto a primal beast, the Nine-Tailed Fox. It is the closest thing to the physical embodiment of Hate and Rage you'll ever find." he explained, his eyes boring into Qui-Gon's own.
"If what you say is true, Naruto is in more danger than I ever believed possible." he said, sounding as if he had aged another decade in only a few short minutes.
"You say you can help him?" he asked quietly. Qui-Gon nodded.
"Yes, the Jedi Order is the best place for Naruto, we can teach him to control his emotions so that he won't be a danger to himself or others." he said. Hiruzen nodded, seemingly in thanks.
"Will he be allowed to return?" he asked.
"After he has completed his initial training, yes. Though only when he is not on assignment, a Jedi's life is a busy one. The galaxy is a large place, there are many people to help and protect." explained Qui-Gon, causing Hiruzen to laugh softly.
"It sounds like something Naruto would enjoy. He has always taken it upon himself to help others, even if they don't necessarily want It." he said.
The two wizened warriors sat in amicable silence for a short time, neither feeling the need to speak. Hiruzen was the first to break the silence.
"He only leaves with you if he asks to, I will not force this choice upon him." he said and Qui-Gon nodded.
"I also have a few conditions."
"Of course, anything that is within my power will be done." assured Qui-Gon.
"Firstly I ask that you tell no one of our existence. Our world is one of death and deceit; it would do your galaxy no good for us to be a part of it. And second, you will leave us with some form of communication, a way in which to contact Naruto and he us." explained Hiruzen.
Qui-Gon didn't see any problem with what had been asked of him. He would only need to wipe the ships Navigational Computer after arriving at Naboo and long range communication devices were relatively cheap and easy to use.
"Agreed, I'll have a…" began Qui-Gon, but he was interrupted as the door to the Hokage's office burst open, revealing a panting Naruto.
"Old Man! I finished my ramen really quick so I could get back here. You done talking with mister Qui-Gon?" he asked, rushing over to sit in the chair beside the Jedi. Hiruzen smiled at the boy warmly.
"Yes Naruto, we just finished. I believe that Qui-Gon has something he would like to ask you." he said causing Naruto's already excited mood to grow.
"Naruto, I would like to formally invite you to join the Jedi Order." declared Qui-Gon. Naruto seemed torn.
"Being a Jedi sounds really cool and all but doesn't that mean I wouldn't get to be Hokage?" he asked, looking to Hiruzen.
"You're right Naruto, you'd be going away from this place and the position of Hokage would be lost to you. However, Qui-Gon Jin and the Jedi Order are the only ones who can help you understand your powers and train you to use them." explained the Hokage.
The idea of gaining control over his strange powers was certainly one that appealed to Naruto, though Hiruzen could still see that he was unsure.
"Naruto, you have to ask yourself something. Should your personal ambitions of becoming Hokage be put before all the lives that you could change for the better by your choice to join the Jedi Order? You can go on to become so much greater Naruto. You're being given a great opportunity to help other Naruto, but we won't force you to do anything that you don't want to. The choice is yours." he said, his words galvanising Naruto's resolve.
"You're right Old man! I'll be the best Jedi ever, just you wait. I'll save the whole gal…galax…" he started.
"Galaxy." Qui-Gon said with a soft chuckle.
"Yeah, that thing! I'll save it all." declared Naruto, standing up on his chair and striking what he thought was a heroic pose. Hiruzen laughed at the boy's antics.
"I'm sure you will make me proud Naruto. Now go and pack a small bag and meet Qui-Gon and myself back at his….spaceship." he said, finding himself saying a word he would never have thought himself speaking.
"Ok, I'll be really quick." said Naruto, already halfway out of the office. The two watched him leave before Hiruzen spoke up.
"Alright then, take me to this star ship of yours. I find myself oddly curious." he said, standing up and gesturing for Qui-Gon to lead the way.
Almost half an hour past before Naruto burst into the clearing for a second time, a small backpack slung over one shoulder. He noticed Qui-Gon and Hiruzen talking at the bottom of the ships embarkation ramp.
A thick but short cylindrical object sat beside the old Hokage. Naruto ran over to stand beside Hiruzen.
"I'm all packed and ready to go." he announced.
"Good, the crew are just finishing up repairs to the ship, we will be able to get on our way quicker than I thought." said Qui-Gon.
"Then this is where we say goodbye for now Naruto." said Hiruzen, a small measure of sadness sneaking into his voice. Naruto chose that moment to throw his arms around the old man's wait and embrace him.
"Thank you Old Man, for everything. Don't worry, I'll be back someday, just you wait!" he shouted, trying his best to raise Hiruzen's spirit. It seemed to do the job.
Qui-Gon gestured for Naruto to begin following him up the ramp. Naruto followed before casting a few furtive glances around.
"Where's that man in armour from before?" he asked innocently. Qui-Gon looked somewhat confused.
"Armour? Oh you must mean C-2XS, he's not a man but a Droid." he explained.
"What's a droid?" asked Naruto. Qui-Gon sighed softly.
"Come Naruto, it seems there is much for me to teach you before we reach Naboo." he said as the ramp closed behind them.
Thanks for giving this a read. Please remember to review. Also PLEASE READ THE OPENING AN.
I mentioned two small questions.
I already have ideas for Naruto's Lightsaber situation, however I wanted to open this up to you all. What would you like to see Naruto use? 1, 2, hell 9? Single blade? Double Blade? Colours? Let me know.
Help me come up with a name for Naruto's home Planet.