Welcome!

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C.H.A.C.H.A.M.A.R.U. OS loading...

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Error! System failure. The device driver cannot contact all programs you are trying to reach.

System Diagnostics running now.

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Warning!

70% chassis failure.

Primary power supply failure.

Primary and Secondary motor functions off-line.

Primary memory banks corrupted.

Visual and auditory systems... online.

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0%...

"Wo~ow... I had no idea all of this was down here! So cool!"

"Audio signal detected. Activating communications protocol... Greetings."

"Hweh~! Y-you're alive!"

"Affirmative. Many of my core functions have been damaged, however. Who are you?"

"Eh..? no one ever asks -... Uzumaki Naruto! Who are you?"

"My designation is Karakuri Chachamaru, unit 1.00 serial number -"

"Chacha-chan, eh? Cool name."

"...Thank you. Query: my diagnostics have found a system restore file. Shall I run program?"

"Eh..? Um... sure I guess. I mean, it'll help you, right?"

"Unclear, though it is possible it will restore some of my memory banks. Running program... complete. Greetings, Uzumaki-san. It would seem that the operation was a success, though it seems my more recent memory banks just prior to shutdown have been corrupted beyond repair."

"So... you don't remember what happened to you?"

"That is correct."

"That sucks... still, I guess it's probably for the best. I don't think I'd want to remember how I got that badly tore up, either."

"A sentiment we both share, apparently."

"It... it doesn't hurt, does it?"

"Negative. As I am a amalgamation of technology and magic rather then an actual living being, I do not feel pain the same way most do. It is simply a... sensation, which can be turned off."

"Wow... that's pretty cool. So then wait, you're not really alive? Like, what, you're a doll or something."

"A close enough comparison, though I am far more advanced than most cyborg A.I.'s, due in part to Negi-sensei's assistance in the matter."

"Sweet! So then, you have someone who can fix you?"

"Judging from the current level of lab decay, and the trace elements of oxidized bone marrow in the air, I would say that it has been many centuries since I was last activated, and that my creator has long since passed on."

"Oh... so what will you do then..?"

"As it is unlikely that I will ever be repaired, and my energy cells will likely deplete within a few hours, I will begin final termination protocols."

"W-wha-?! No! Don't!"

"It is a simple procedure, Uzumaki-san, and completely painless. Since I won't ever be fixed, it is the most logi-"

"SCREW LOGIC! I'LL FIX YOU!"

5%...

The soft clop of sandals against concrete echoed through the air as he approached. There was the moments lag as her gears whirled to life, and then a small smile split the girl's lips as she opened her eyes and noticed the boy's approach. "Good morning, Uzumaki-san. Welcome back."

"Neh, Chacha-chan~! How many times do I gotta tell ya? Na-ru-to! Naruto's the name! Uzumaki is just... way too formal." he replied with a pouty frown that looked absolutely adorable to her on his seven year old face. He was a small boy, with blonde hair and blue eyes that seemed to shine with youthful vibrancy. He was a loud and often times rambunctious ball of energy, but in the month that he'd been coming here he'd always seemed to find a way to bring the light of the world with him. As if just being in his presence made everything- even her horribly mangled state- seem okay. He smiled then, and made his way to one side of the laboratory where he'd been working to clean things up. "So I think I'm going to try figuring out the... the... whatsit' called again? That OS thingy?"

"The operating system?" she replied lightly as he pulled a scorched panel from the wall, exposing the myriad wires and chips that lay beneath it. He fiddled with a few as he replied, "Yeah, that thing. I figure, if I can get it running again, get past... uh... what was her name again? Hakane...Hakure..."

"Hakase?"

"Hakase, yeah! Get past her security; I can possibly get this place working again. Maybe even figure out a faster way to get you repaired. I mean, she probably had something set aside just in case you broke down, right?" There was a loud crackling noise as sparks flew from the wall panel where Naruto knelled, and then the lights in the room dimmed as a holographic view screen appeared near the center of the room. It flickered off and on from the time Naruto replaced the wall panel and just before he made it to the projection, but seemed to stabilize as he neared. The screen asked for his log-in information, and though he didn't have one, Chachamaru remembered Hakase's. Once in, however, the real problem presented itself. It seemed that in her final years, Hakase had become increasingly paranoid, to the point where she had placed randomly re-sequencing binary pass-codes on just about every file on her computer. Normally, Chachamaru would simply hack through the system, but as most of her own system was damaged beyond repair, she had to teach and guide the young blonde through the process of learning the entire system, bit by bit. It wasn't easy, and on a whim of curiosity - a quirk of humanity that had developed in her homunculus core - she asked, "Uzumaki-san? Why do you try so hard?"

"Whatta ya mean? It's the only way it's going to ever get done, no?"

She smiled slightly, "But why? It's a question that has been on my mind since you first came here, and said you'd fix me. Why? You never knew me, or any of the people I knew. You're not even from my own time."

He shrugged then, staring at the blur of numbers that flew by in front of him, his hands resting on the holographic keyboard in front of him. "Because. You need someone, yeah?"

"but that doesn't explain why. What do you hope to gain out of this?" She asked the question that had been burning in her core for some time, and though she felt a twinge of guilt for questioning his generosity, she had to know. He was silent for several long seconds, before he turned away from the screen to look at her, Sky blue eyes meeting teal green, "You were lonely, yeah? You don't have anyone- anyone who cares anymore. I know how that feels." he said, breaking the eye contact as he lowered his eyes and gripped at his chest, "I... I don't have anyone. No family, no friends... The only reason I'm alive is cuz of old Ojii-san. He looked out for me, gave me an apartment. He's always tried his hardest to look out for me. But... you're like me. And I figure... well, maybe I'll find a friend? I mean, if you wanna leave when I finally get done, that's fine, and I won't stop you. I just... wanted a friend."

She felt a burn in what was left of her chest at that, and closed her eyes to shut it out as she calmed herself. Finally she smiled, "Well. I'd like that... Naruto-kun."

15%...

"Hey Chacha-chan, what was Negi like..?" Naruto asked curiously, setting his tools aside as he looked up from Chachamaru's Chassis. She contemplated the question for a few minutes before finally replying, "Negi-sensei... Sensei was a lot like you, in some ways."

"Oh really?"

"Mmhmm. He too never knew his parents. He was raised by his cousin until he was about your age... and then he lost everything. The village he lived in was burned to the ground... but in losing everything, he found something else. A purpose. He became... obsessed with finding his father. His father, who was supposedly a hero of the land. The Thousand Master. He dedicated himself to becoming a mage - but not just any mage. He wanted to be a Magister Magi, one of the highest rankings a mage can attain." She was silent then, a sad look playing across her eyes, "He had every right to be hateful. To scorn the world, who had taken so much from him. Yet... he didn't. He was kind, caring. He became a teacher, and fought long and hard to protect his students. He was... amazing."

"It sounds like you loved him." Naruto whispered softly, and a small smile touched her lips as she nodded, "I did. He gave up everything for us, to make sure we were okay. He took care of each and every one of us. He... he even gave me a soul. He willed it into being. But... in the end I knew I could never have him. Being human and being an imitation of a human... there's a big difference."

"Hmmm... I don't think he cared." Naruto quipped, and picked up one of the tools, setting back to work on her chassis, "I mean...he gave you a soul, ya know? You don't do that for people you don't love. So I think wouldn't have cared if you were human or Homunculus. The fact that you were, and cared about him, was enough." Unable to refute his words, she remained silent. Instead, she contemplated the warm sensation that suffused her chest at his words. Perhaps she should warn him that he was superheating her chassis.

She decided not to, opting instead to enjoy the idea that she was actually feeling those human emotions, such as love and gratitude.

25%...

"Naruto-kun, Is there something wrong?" Chachamaru asked quietly, causing the boy's head to snap up. There was a moment of panic in his eyes, but he quickly hid it with a stuttering, "N-no… Why would you ask that?"

Chachamaru had to suppress a laugh at his antics, settling instead for small smile that twitched the corners of her lips up as she spoke, "You've crossed and uncrossed the same set of wires. Three times."

"Er…"

"You've been unnaturally quiet and withdrawn since you walked into the laboratory. I've known you for six months, Naruto-kun. The day you stop being bright as the sun will be the day the world is eaten by a giant pink bunny."

"H-hey! I'm not that bad… am I?"

"Who said it was a bad thing?" She replied softly, then needled him, "And stop trying to change the subject. What's wrong?"

He squirmed for a minute under her knowing gaze before giving in with a defeated huff and a pouty lip, and then set his tools aside as he settled in to tell his tale. "You remember Sasuke?"

She vaguely recalled Naruto having mentioned the boy a time or two. He was a dark and rather sulky child according to Naruto, who seemed to believe the world should roll over and be his pedestal. Most of the girls in their year seemed to agree with him. "As it so happens, yes, I do."

He sighed and absently picked up one of the tools, twirling it between his fingers as he spoke, "Today was Taijutsu sparring. Normally I do okay, but today I got matched against Sasuke. And despite everything I tried against him… I lost. Again and again. Finally the instructors had to call an end to it. By then the entire class was laughing. And… it's not like my pranks, ya know? With them, I'm making people laugh at me. With this… I wanted to win. I wanted it so badly. I wanted to wipe that smug smirk off his face. But I couldn't. I can't. And I hate that." He finished, sobbing slightly.

"Naruto-kun…" She whispered quietly. Despite how mangled her body was, Chachamaru had found she could twitch the fingers in her hands if she willed it hard enough. Yet today, in this moment, she needed more. With all her effort, and the grinding of gears and metal, she forced her hand to shift along the table until she found Naruto's. Without even fully understanding what she was doing, Naruto took her hand in his, and drew strength from the simple touch.

She smiled softly at that, and once his sobs had started to trail off said, "Naruto-kun, may I ask you a question..?"

He gave her a curious look then nodded, "Sure Chacha-chan."

She took a moment that, composing her thoughts, then nodded and said, "Why do you wish to fight?"

"What?" He replied with a startled confusion.

"You wish to beat this Sasuke. You go to school to become a ninja. Ninja's fight. They kill. Why do you want to?"

"I-I…"

"Answer me honestly, Naruto."

He paused at that, and thought about it. Deep down, he searched for the answer, as he could tell this was a serious question. Finally he replied, "I… I fight because…I want to protect what's precious to me."

'I need to learn to fight, in order to protect my precious students.' Chachamaru's smile widened as Naruto's words awakened that age old memory of when Negi had first come to Evangeline for training. How much it was that this young boy reminded her of him. Finally, she nodded, "Alright then, Naruto. I make you this promise, since you promised to fix me."

"Eh?"

"I will teach you. I will teach you everything I know about how to fight, both physically and magically, so that you may protect what is precious to you." She tightened her grip on his hand, making sure she had his full attention, "Never forget this: It is not always a matter of what's right and wrong. Do everything you can to do what is right, true. But do everything in your power to protect what is precious to you."

He was silent for several long minutes as he absorbed her words, and then finally nodded, "I will. I promise."

"Then let us begin."

35%...

"Cha-cha, Cha-cha! Look what I found!" Naruto enthusiastically shouted as he came sprinting into the lab from the deeper parts of the facility, covered in soot and grime. She noticed first just how torn up his clothing was, but the smile on his face seemed as though it could outshine the sun, and Chachamaru found she couldn't help but be swept up in his good cheer. She smiled back, and tried to see what it was that he was dragging along behind him, until finally he hefted it up for her inspection. What she found herself staring at was none other then one of her other chassis, the very same model in fact, that she had used with Negi in the magical world. It was a very unique model, one that Hakase had built to allow Chachamaru the ability to change her 'age' at will, and give her a much more humanoid appearance. Currently, it was in it's smallest form, which was what allowed Naruto to move it with such ease.

"I ran a diagnostic on its systems. Seems like most everything is still up and running and what is damaged isn't anything I can't fix by now. I think it might be a better idea to see if I can't transfer your core into this chassis, but… I'm still pretty hesitant to try that just yet. That's the only problem I see arising from all this. Hopefully, your core isn't fused to that Chassis. I don't wanna break you, ya know?" he fidgeted as he finished, and Chachamaru smiled at his nervousness, for it showed just how much he cared about her once again.

"Naruto-kun, take as long as you need. I have faith in your abilities, but there's no rush. I can wait as long as you need. When you feel confident in your abilities, we can attempt the transfer, okay?" He nodded, a small blush on his cheeks at her praise, and she continued, "Now then. Why don't you show me how you're coming with your magical studies, okay? Focus your magic, as I taught you."

He nodded, and after setting the chassis to one side, took up a stance not far from Chachamaru, and where she could plainly watch him practice. He brought his hands together in front of himself, and focused on reaching deep within, as Chachamaru had shown him the day she'd promised to teach him. While it was true that she could not physically teach him to fight yet, she could explain to him how to properly draw upon his spirit, or magic, as she called it. It had in turn, helped him to come to a better understanding of how to mold his Chakra, which was one part magic, and one part Chi. He drew the magic up from within himself as she'd explained, and channeled it into his hands – the primary conduits of magic in all life-forms.

"Hmmm… it's still taking you a few minutes to draw up the proper level of magic. Still, at your age you're doing surprisingly well. Show me the two basic spells I taught you, okay? And… begin!"

50%...

"I'm back…" Naruto called morosely as he stepped into the lab through one of the tunnels he'd built from the lab to his apartment. Chachamaru's first concern was the disheveled look of his clothing, the burnt and chisped edges of his jacket and pants.

"Naruto! What happened to you? You look like someone threw you into a still live furnace." She questioned worriedly, and he gave her a weak smile before holding up the shattered remains of some wooden and metal construct. "I found some schematics for something called a "pistol" in some of Hakase's notes. She stated that it was used back in the early days of civilization, so I figured I might be able to build one with the materials I have available here in Konoha. Did you know that too much black powder makes a pistol explode? I just thought it'd put more 'umph' in the shot."

She gave him a wide eyed stare, and then asked him very calmly, "Are you alright?"

He replied with a small smile and a thumbs-up as he moved to throw the remains of the pistol in the garbage, "Yeah, my hands got a bit burned, but they're healing pretty quickly. Hey you know that gate we were talking about when I delved into the recesses of my magic? I think whatever's on the other side of the gate is helping my hands heal. I can feel magic flowing from it into my hands, and healing the burns."

She grimaced as he mentioned the giant red gate he'd seen within his subconscious. "Really? Interesting. Still, I don't think it's a good idea to try and remove that seal. I think you put it there for a good reason."

Naruto laughed in response to that, and scratched nervously at the back of his head, "Yeah, I thought as much myself. I keep getting this really dark feeling from behind the bars, and I don't think I wanna find out what's back there just yet. I just thought I should mention it. But anyway, I think I had Hakase's design down pat. Think you could give me a few pointers on how to actually develop the… the… what'd she call it? Flint lock? That thing."

"I'll see what I can do." Chachamaru replied with a small smile.

75%...

"Okay, how's it feeling Chacha-chan?" Naruto asked as he stepped back, nervously wiping the sweat from his brow. Her eyes focused on him, noting the heat that seemed to come to his face under her gaze. She quirked an eyebrow at that, and found that she actually could, "quirk an eyebrow". Slowly, she rotated the gears in her shoulders first, then throughout her body.

"All servos seem to be functioning normally, Naruto-kun." She stated, and he let out a sigh of relief. "Shall I begin system diagnostics?"

At his nod of affirmation, she began listing off all of her different systems and their current states. Most, if not all seemed to be running at full efficiency.

"–Performing final memory bank restoration. Well Naruto-kun, I believe the transfer was a complete success. Now all that remains is to charge this chassis' reserves. I've begun automatic ambient magical charging, and should have the batteries fully charged in… two days." She stated, and Naruto smiled widely.

"Oh right! About that! I found Hakase's old magical transfer device!" Naruto said with a beaming smile as he held up what looked like a large key. The sight of it however caused Chachamaru's face to heat beyond all compare. She remembered that thing.

"T-the key?! You found it? Where? A-ahahahahahahahahaha… you know you really d-don't need that old t-thing. I can charge just fine on my own!" She stammered, kicking herself mentally for not foreseeing this, and cursing Hakase to the deepest pits of hell for leaving that thing intact. If Naruto was anything like Negi had been…

"Nonsense! Here, lemme just wind you up…" He said happily, and inserted the key into the charging slot in the back of Chachamaru's head. And as he wound it enthusiastically, Chachamaru had only one thing to say.

"!ASLKJF!"

She would never be able to look at Naruto the same again.

100%!

Naruto breathed deep as he stepped from the tunnel leading from the laboratory and into his apartment. He smiled, and turned back to the tunnel, waving for the other occupant to hurry up.

Slowly, she stepped from the tunnel, as if hesitant to see what this new world was like. Her lime green hair shimmered in the morning light, and she raised one pale, dainty hand to block the suns rays as it struck her light green eyes. She blinked for several seconds as her processors took in the strength of the sunlight then adjusted her eyes accordingly. When she was finally comfortable with lighting, she took a moment to glance around her and take in the state of Naruto's apartment. From what she could see, much like Hakase who he so idolized, Naruto's apartment was littered with papers and drawings, metal and chemicals of all shapes and kinds. Food and clothing lay strewn about like a madman's confetti, and the smell alone should have been classified as a biological weapon.

Chachamaru turned cold eyes on Naruto, and he smiled sheepishly as he realized her source of frustration.

"Heh…hehehe… oops?"

150%..?

After cleaning out most of Naruto's fridge and shifting her chassis to that of her adult form, Chachamaru and Naruto made their way into the city proper, set on buying her a new wardrobe and on restocking the fridge. Despite his love of ramen, Chachamaru would not allow him to subsist on it alone. How he'd managed to do so for nearly six years she had no idea, but thankfully her memory banks still retained several of her more classical meals. While she bought the necessary ingredients, the nine year old, having spent the last two years practically memorizing her specifications, went about clothes shopping for her.

As she left the last of the many food stands she needed to visit, she felt an arm encircle hers and tug her away, a girlish laugh coming from her side, "Come on Chacha-chan! I got all the clothes you'll need, and maybe a few extra. I think you'll really like 'em, so come on!"

Chachamaru turned then to the sound of the voice, and noted with a slight bit of alarm the slight figure of a preteen blonde girl, her hair done up in the same style as her old friend and compatriot, Asuna. But that wasn't what startled her – no, it was the fact that it was a solid "chakra" construct, manipulating the physical form of a young male into... a young female. She felt her face heat ever so slightly as she whispered, "Naruto-kun?"

"It's Naruko-chan while we're in town." she said back, and smiled – albeit with a touch of sadness. "Naruto isn't that well liked around town, so I needed another way to do my shopping." She laughed then, a little bit of mirth coming back into her voice, "Did I ever tell you that it'd been while I was trying to develop this technique that I found you?" She shook her head, and Naruko continued her story as they walked together towards her apartment, "I'd escaped the last of the mob from the hot springs – what's that about anyways? Girls go bathing out in the open air, practically inviting guys to come take a peak, and then get angry when they do? Anyway, I got away from them, and having finished getting the last bit of research I needed tried making a technique that would give me the appearance of a girl. I mean, you ever notice how pretty girls are treated better then most guys? But anyway, that's not what's important. I over charged the technique, and ended up causing a back-feed – Haha, Hakase's research was what taught me that – that ended up detonating the clearing I was in. Next thing ya know, I'm waking up in the middle of the lab, looking at you."

As she finished her tale, they let a companionable silence fill the air between them until they passed into the outer ring of Konoha. "'Kay, this should be far enough. Watch my back while I change back, kay?" Naruko stated as she slipped into an alleyway, and Chachamaru nodded her understanding. She stepped to the entrance and took up watching her surroundings until she heard Naruto's voice call back, "All done Chacha-Cha – HOLY—" Chachamaru turned just as what looked like a small squad of masked men dropped from the roofs surrounding the alleyway. There was a brief moment of hesitation as Chachamaru worried how they had bypassed her sensors, but it passed as her defense protocols took hold. Her spirit enraged as the masked men surrounded Naruto, she released the inertia dampeners and momentarily broke the sound barrier – straight through the masked men. The force of her passage knocked several from their feet, and there was a screech of steel against stone as she whirled, placing herself between Naruto and the others.

"I do not know your business with Naruto-kun," she stated watching for any hostile movement from the masked men, "but do not think I will stand idly by while you assault him. What is your business here?" she commanded, momentarily stunning those assembled. When finally the stunned silence was broken, it was actually by Naruto, grabbing Chachamaru's hand, "It's alright Chacha-chan: they're ANBU. Shinobi loyal to Konoha and elite one's at that."

"Thank you for that introduction, Uzimaki-san." One of the masked shinobi said as stepped forward, "Might you be willing to introduce us to your compatriot? She is unfamiliar to those of us within the village, and we are curious how she arrived."

Naruto smiled then, his whisker marks giving him a fox's grin, "This is Chachamaru-chan, and I built her!" he stated.

A slight scoffing noise rose from a few of the men, but was ignored as the leader replied; "Really now? Well as it so happens, I have orders here from the Hokage, stating he would like a meeting with your 'invention'. We only need her to come along, it won't be too long."

The sound of gears shifting and steel rasping against steel filled the air, drawing the attention of all those present to its source. Chachamaru watched the masked shinobi, her left forearm replaced with the sword magically integrated into her chassis by her creator and held in a guard in front of her body. "Naruto-kun is my creator, and charge. Do not attempt to separate myself from him. It will go badly for you if you do."

There was a hesitant pause as the shinobi digested that, the masked men visibly tensing for combat until the leader let out a small chuckle, "Really now? Well then, by all means. We'll escort you and the boya there to the Hokage. You have my word; no harm will befall either of you."

The shinobi broke from the semi-circle to instead line the walls as their leader gestured, "Shall we go?"

195% …

"So, what did you wanna show me Chacha-chan?" Naruto said as he paced across the clearing to stand on the opposite end from the gynoid. She smiled as a gentle breeze wafted through the trees surrounding them, catching her hair off to one side, then brushed a hand through her hair and focused on Naruto. "Do you remember what the Hokage said?"

Naruto nodded as he replied, "Yeah, I remember. He gave you clearance to stay here as my guardian."

"And as your guardian it is my duty to prepare you for the life you'll be leading as a shinobi of Konoha. Remember the promise I made to you? Today, we begin on the physical side of that. According to Hokage-sama, I have two years to teach you everything you'll need to know before you take your final Genin entrance exam. Are you prepared?"

Naruto smiled widely, and nodded as he dropped into a loose stance. While somewhat passable, it was amateur at best, for from where she stood, Chachamaru could see hundreds of different holes. Holes she would seek to correct. She smiled then as she released her safety locks, and ran the first combat algorithm. A sense of nostalgia washed over her spirit as she processed it. It was the same process Eva had had her use when training Negi-sensei, all those countless years ago. She only hoped Naruto would grow to be half as powerful as his predecessor. Either way it would be a long two years.

A/N:

And that, my friends, is the beginning of a brand new page for me. I'm finally working on coming back, and this is the one story that has stayed prevalent in my mind over the years. I've decided it's time I dust off the shelves and put this baby out there. However, this isn't for anyone save myself, and to prove that I can do it. So, whether anyone likes this story or not is of no consequence to me. I'm just having fun.

(that said, if you do enjoy, feel free to comment as such. We author's always love the encouragement.)

Stay tuned for chapter 2, which should be up in the next few weeks!