This Chapter is Filler, next will cover Chuunin Exam, Invasion and FINALLY Kurama will join as Auron's Aeon, meaning a Summon that joins the battle and fight alongside him/for him like in Final Fantasy X.
I'll try to stay in character, but the "Silent Hero" Type is kind of hard for me, so PLEASE excuse me if sometimes I will derail into OOC territory. I am not doing it on purpose this time.
" You bastard" - demon talking / jutsu
"Let's finish this" - dialogue
" Can it get any worse? " - during flashback/ Thoughts
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything else I will use nor I make a profit out of this, I am writing just for the pleasure of doing it.
(Naruto/Final Fantasy X crossover) Pairing Naruto/Anko (Because I think she is the one "Closer" to being Like Rikku was in the game).
Chapter 2: Standing on the other side of a Team.
Konoha – Memorial Stone -
Kakashi was silently walking towards the memorial stone listing the names of the fallen heroes of the Village to pay homage to the ones that had given their lives for the well-being of Konoha, four of which the closest thing to a family the man had left after his father's death.
"Obito...Minato-sensei...Rin...and even little Naruto..." the masked man muttered sighing before stopping abruptly.
He was surprised to see the enigmatic Auron stand in front of the stone with an unreadable expression on his face and unblinking eyes before taking the jug strapped to his side to take a big gulp before filling a small dish and handing it over to the stone.
"An offering for the fallen, Minato. One for you, your Team, your Son and wife and your fellow shinobi. Cheers." the swordsman muttered before versing the dish' content on the top of the stone with closed eyes.
"You talk as if you knew him." Kakashi said as he walked to stand close to the man.
"..."
"He was a great man, meanwhile I had been so foolish to cause the death of my two Teammates, one sacrificing himself to save me and the other...I prefer not to dwell in that particular memory too much."
"...There is no need to tell me, I won't ask." Auron answered nonplussed.
"How is Spira? Some of us are curious about your homeland, what made you abandon it?"
The swordsman didn't actually answer, leaving the silence prolong for several seconds before adjusting his sunglasses and offering the bottle to the masked shinobi near him.
"Thanks." he answered taking a swing before returning the bottle.
"Spira was a great land, corrupted to the bone on its cleric side and filled with innocent fools on the other. I had my believes shattered and saw my friends die and for a while I was dead myself. I am here in the Elemental Countries because I have to. And to start a new life." the former Guardian finally answered.
"I see." Kakashi said uncertain.
"Then why you 'have to' stay here?" he then asked.
"I was asked to help Konoha, Kakashi. I am going to help you as I helped Braska and Yuna before coming here and put my life on the line for Peace, this will be my new and last Pilgrimage." the other answered walking away.
"Who asked you?" Kakashi asked with narrowed eyes.
"Your Team is waiting, wasting time drowning yourself in memories won't make them stronger." the swordsman answered without turning back.
"Answer me!"
"Would it change anything?" the man said looking intently at the Memorial Stone making the masked shinobi too turn to look at it.
"I don't underst..." Kakashi said before turning away from the Stone to see that Auron had already disappeared.
"Please tell me you people sent him." the man whispered to the names on the Memorial before he too walked away.
"The guy is just strange, Kakashi, that's all. Inoichi and Ibiki questioned him and then told me, the information were not pretty." Hiruzen said as he walked out from behind a near tree.
"Hokage-sama!" the man answered shocked.
"The actual content of his interview is known only to me, Ibiki and Inoichi, what we saw we deemed not good enough to be shared." the old man said sighing.
"That bad?"
"Spira was a cursed land, there is no other way to put it. It has left scars even in an heart as strong as his, whatever it's true that the dead gave him a mission about protecting Konoha or it's just the projection of his mind's sorrow about watching his friends die during his first Pilgrimage we can't tell. We can only say that he is loyal to us, but everything before his reaching the Elemental Nations is just a jumble of fractured memories and dreams; Inoichi himself could not properly read his mind." the Hokage answered sadly.
"Are you sure, Hokage-sama?"
"That usually happens when a strong trauma strikes too deep, but from the fragments we could gather he had a group of close friends while he accompanied that Yuna woman in her mission, but now he seems to be the only one left alive." the old man replied.
"I will be going then, Hokage-sama." the masked man replied with a bow.
"Keep what I said to yourself and do not tell a soul, that man has every right to forget what happened and start anew." the Hokage said while walking towards the Memorial Stone himself.
"I have intention to gossip about his past, sir."
"Good." the old man answered pleased.
"Even then, what would people think if me and Inoichi reveal to them that he comes from a land riddled with monsters? I just thank God we never had that Sin thing pass by here..." Hiruzen thought grimacing, and just like him he knew Inoichi too was regretting looking inside Auron's head.
Even if it was all a jumble of fragmented memories, it was more than enough material to give horror movies a run for their money after all.
Meanwhile – With Auron – Training Ground -
"You are late!" Kurenai hissed as soon as the swordsman reached her and their Team.
"I was paying respect to the dead and got intercepted by Kakashi." he answered.
"What will we do today, sensei?" Kiba asked eager.
"Starting today we will take some simple missions and alternate them with our training, like that you will gather experience 'on the field' while training both individually and as a Team." Kurenai answered.
"As you wish," Shino replied nodding.
"I can do this." Hinata added muttering.
Later that day both senseis stood silently to the side as the three kids dutifully followed the trails left behind by the run-away cat they were tasked to recover.
"You hate me." Auron said simply as soon as the three Genin were out of hearing distance.
"...No." Kurenai answered after a long pause.
"Lying doesn't help, is because I am your helper?"
"Yes." the woman said bitterly.
"I see..." the man muttered walking away.
"Where are you going?" the woman asked.
"I am not needed here, so I'll go fix something else."
"Fixing what, exactly?"
"You don't want me and your attitude will bring troubles once in serious missions, I'll see if I can talk the Hokage into giving you an Helper you will be able to work with...or even to give you the benefit of the doubt and leave you alone as their Sensei." Auron answered calmly.
"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" Kurenai roared in blind fury while forcing him to turn around by grabbing the collar of his clothes.
"..."
"ANSWER ME, DAMMIT!"
In answer the swordsman simply grabbed her wrist and gently applied enough pressure to have her release him, ignoring her gasp he turned around to walk away.
"This my chance..." the woman muttered clenching her hands into tight fists.
"Hn?"
"I finally have a Team, I can show everyone that I can lead them to success, that I have what it takes to make them great, that a Genjutsu specialist is as good as anybody else and can be important like the others! I DON'T NEED HELPERS!" she added.
"...Come with me." Auron said walking past her.
"T-To where?" she asked taken aback.
"This is Auron." the man said to the radio around his neck.
"Yes, Sensei?" Shino's voice resounded as a reply.
"I am helping Kurenai to deal with a personal issue; complete the mission and wait for us at the Mission Center, send me a beep once you have the cat." the man answered.
"Is Shino-kun taking charge?" Hinata asked curious.
"Only if you trust him enough to do it."
"It's worth a try." Kiba said unsure.
"Good. We'll be hopefully done in a short time, do not make me regret this." the swordsman said nodding.
"Yes, Sensei!" the three Genin answered as one.
"Good. Now come, we are resolving your issues now."
"I-Issues? What issu-WHOA!" Kurenai barely had the time to say before he grabbed her elbow to drag her.
"You have issues, and those are weighting on your shoulders; you won't become what you wish if you can't defeat those. We didn't defeat Sin, Yunaleska and Seymour by doubting ourselves."
"I don't underst...W-w-where are you taking me?!" Kurenai asked before blanching at recognizing where the man was dragging her.
"Our first stop." he answered knocking on the door of a half-abandoned house.
"Who's there?" a meek voice asked making Kurenai pale even more.
"It's me, Yakumo."
"Auron-san!" the female voice said ecstatic as a girl with long brown hair and pale complexion literally tore the door open, her smile though dropped instantly as soon as she saw the Genjutsu Mistress accompanying him.
"It's time." Auron said simply, not even struggling to stop the frantic Kurenai from leaving.
"...Do we have to?" the girl asked glaring at the woman.
"It will be good for both."
"Just...Just stay close to me, okay?" Yakumo pleaded.
"I am not going anywhere."
"Why you took me here?" Kurenai whispered.
"I happened to stop some remaining members of her clan from killing her to 'fix' the shame of her killing her parents and several others. She just latched onto me ever since." the swordsman answered calmly.
"He promised to make me into a proper kunoichi and is training me as such...at least he believes in me." Yakumo added bitterly.
"Your body..."
"It's weak, not broken." the girl replied guiding the group in a small studio littered with paintings.
"Is that me?" the man asked curious.
"The new painting I am making...it's almost done." the girl answered with a shy blush.
"Why we are here?" the Genjutsu mistress asked tiredly as she was forced to sit on a near chair.
"You two will talk." the swordsman answered sitting down himself.
"You can't pretend us to resolve everything in a morning," Yakumo said sighing while she sat close to him.
"How is your Inner Side holding up?"
"Ido has calmed down a lot ever since we started talking, thank you." she answered smiling.
"It was supposed to be sealed." Kurenai muttered.
"Ido managed to break free during my uncle Unkai's attack, Auron-san talked it into giving him a chance, ever since then he had slowly started training my body, he says I can do it if I try hard enough." Yakumo answered.
"Her Illusions are powerful enough to harm people for real and even kill them, I am just trying to have her build stamina." Auron added.
"I too tried that..."
"But you renounced! You lacked the conviction! You tried to take away my dream!" Yakumo yelled with tears in her eyes.
"And you think she can?" Kurenai asked getting a short nod in answer from the swordsman.
"Now you two talk, and then we'll do this again next week; and the one after that, and the one after that until you resolve this."
"And then?" Yakumo asked curious.
"Then she'll give you pointers in how to study Illusory Arts and you'll become the Kunoichi you wish to become." Auron said as he got up.
"Where are you going?" Kurenai asked.
"Outside in the near room, you two need to do this alone."
"What if Ido tries something?" the girl asked worried.
"I'll be right outside and intervene should the worst happen." the man answered before leaving the two alone.
A tense silence fell in the room as the two women simply looked at each other until Kurenai took in an huge breath to steel her nerves.
"You...you look...okay." she said weakly.
"Thank you." the other replied lamely.
"Do you...did you do something to your hair?" Yakumo muttered looking down.
"Yes, I have cut them a little...do you like?"
"...They are nice."
"Better than nothing." Auron thought exhaling tiredly.
Later that day – Training Ground 6 -
"Asuma." the former Guardian called-out as he neared the smoking man.
"Hey, Auron! You need something?" the man asked back.
"Me no, Kurenai does." he answered moving the struggling woman in front of himself.
"Ehm...I am training my Team at the moment..." the Jonin replied unsure.
"You lack one Genin for that."
"I lack...Where is Ino?!" Asuma yelled in disbelief.
"She ran away as soon as you turned around, sensei." Chouji answered sheepishly.
"Wonderful! Just wonderful! She went Uchiha-watching! AGAIN!" the smoking Jounin growled in dismay.
"Go retrieve her with Kurenai, like that you two will talk. What were you teaching them?" Auron asked.
Sigh! "Tree-walking, sparring practice and some Teamwork-based techniques since they are the next Ino-Shika-Cho trio." Asuma answered tiredly.
"I'll take care of sparring practice and Tree-walking while you two are away." the swordsman answered while motioning to the hidden trio of his students to come forward.
"Yo, chubby!" Kiba said smirking.
"I AM NOT CHUBBY! I AM BIG-BONED!" Chouji howled in answer.
"What are we supposed to talk about?" Kurenai asked with an hissing whisper.
"You ramble about him when drunk, figure something." he answered pushing her stuttering form towards the other Jounin.
"Why you are doing this?" she asked with a defeated expression.
"It took death for Jecht to make peace with himself and his son, it took stopping him once he got manipulated by Yevon for Tidus to fix his issues with his father and Wakka had to see for himself the rotten side of the teachings of Yevon before starting to think for himself...You have more issues than what you wish to admit that are holding you back and we are going to fix them once and for all."
"Oh." the woman muttered in surprise, that was actually the longest answer about his past he had ever given to someone ever since he came to Konoha.
"And what about you?" Asuma asked in complete confusion.
"Not now, go catch your missing student." he answered before walking towards the assembled Genin.
"I swear I'll have him talk one of these days." Kurenai said grumbling as she and Asuma walked away.
"Good Luck with that! So...You like me?"
"S-S-S-SHUT UP!"
Meanwhile -
"Shino?" Auron asked.
"Mission accomplished and cat safely delivered; Hokage-sama was curious about you two not being present so we told him about your helping Kurenai-sensei. He was strangely pleased about it." the Aburame boy answered.
"Good."
"Are they cousins? Uncle and nephew?" Chouji asked bewildered.
"Like hell I know! They keep denying it, but I am not fooled." Kiba answered with a conspiratorial whisper.
"If you two have the strength to gossip, then we will be able to train hard today." the swordsman said nonplussed making Hinata whimper loudly.
"That bad?" Shikamaru asked.
"You have no idea." Kiba answered while consoling the whining Akamaru in his jacket.
And so, Kurenai's months passed between training her Genin, talking with Yakumo and Asuma and helping her Team taking small D-Rank missions around Konoha until it was finally time for the first C-Rank Mission outside Konoha for Kiba, Hinata and Shino.
WOOF!
And Akamaru.
Konoha – 'Shameless Drunkard' Pub – Morning -
"AHA! Auron-san! Here, here! Everything's ready!" the owner of the Pub said happily while patting the counter where dozens of bottles of sake similar to the Guardian's old one could be seen.
"It took a while but I managed to re-create the liquor my grand-father used to always talk about." the man said presenting a glass to the swordsman.
"Hn...It's good." he answered pleased after tasting it.
"Is it? It's very strong, but it has a nice flavour."
"I take all of them,"
"You do?!"
"Having a Team is a greater stress than what I thought," Auron answered shrugging.
"But the results make everything worth it, right?" Kurenai said as she entered the local.
"Do you need something in particular?" he asked while sealing every bottle in a single scroll.
"We are about to take a C-rank Mission, and we need to be all together for that; Sensei...and Helper." she answered smirking.
"The offer is still valid, by now you have showed enough talent to not need an Helper any longer."
"You are helping me personally, not only my Team, you are their Sensei just as much as I am. You are staying." she answered crossing her arms.
"As you wish."
A short walk later to meet the Gennin and inform them and the whole Team found himself standing in front of Iruka's desk for their Mission.
"Anything on the C-rank side, Iruka?" Kurenai asked curious.
"First 'C'? It's an important step, congratulations!" Iruka answered with a wide smile.
"Thank you, so?" the woman answered with a proud expression.
"Yep! Here is one! Tanzaku Gai needs someone to help rebuild one of their casinos," Iruka answered.
"What happened?" Auron asked.
"The details are not certain..."
"Tsunade demolished the place to not pay her debts." the swordsman said in an almost-amused tone.
"Off the records, probably. Officially, details not certain." the scarred man muttered blushing.
"We'll take it." the former Guardian said accepting the sealed scroll from the man.
"Here we go, Team! First C-Rank, we will pack for a couple of days and depart tomorrow at dawn." Kurenai instructed.
"Bring some extra, in case of emergencies." Auron added.
"So Auron-san will really remain in your Team, Kurenai? Shall I make it official then?" Hiruzen asked smirking.
"Is is a problem, Hokage-sama?" the woman asked back worried.
"Not really, I was merely curious...But won't Asuma be jealous?" the old man asked laughing.
"W-WHAT?!"
"Everyone in Konoha knows about your crush on him, Kurenai. Exception made for Asuma." Auron supplied simply.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" the subsequent scream of shame shook the Village and surrounding area violently.
The next day – Road to Tanzaku Gai -
"Rebuild a Casino..." Kiba said sighing.
"Were you expecting saving a Princess or defeat a tyranny?" Auron asked curious.
"Nothing so extreme, but I would have liked something with more...'action'." the Inuzuka boy answered shrugging.
"Like saving a small Village from a power-hungry businessman?" Shino asked.
"That is a bit more difficult, at least B to A-Rank." Kurenai answered.
In answer the former Guardian actually stopped in his tree-jumping to look in a far-away point over the horizon.
"Wave is in that direction, right?" he asked.
"Yes? Why?"
"Just asking. Move, it's getting dark."
Clearing outside Tanzaku Gai – night -
Later that night the Genin trio and Kurenai were silently preparing their sleeping gear while remain hidden between the branches of one of the trees while Auron scouted the surrounding area from the ground in silence.
"He still gives me the creeps," Kiba muttered.
"But he is helping us in getting stronger, I-I think we can trust him." Hinata answered.
"My bugs are following him." Shino added.
"Why?"
"I case he needs help, they will alert me immediately."
"Ssssh! Someone's approaching!" Kurenai hissed making the trio falling silent as subtle steps drew closer to the tree they were standing on.
"I told you it was a bad idea!" one of the two men hissed as he and his partner stopped right under Kurenai and her Team.
"Sssh! Do you want them to find us?!" the other answered between clenched teeth.
"Okay, okay!...You still got it?" the first asked while looking around in apprehension.
"Yeah, the identification papers are all here...our Guest?"
"Will be here soon, the others were finishing securing her when I went ahead to check the base."
"As long we are not discovered...You DID tie her up tighter this time, right? She already escaped once."
"She won't run this time! I was the one tying the ropes! If daddy dearest wants her, he'll have to spend some money."
"You better, that girl knows how to bite when her hands are tied..."
"Get ready to intervene, we need to save that girl!" Kurenai whispered with narrowed eyes.
"Roger!" the Genin trio answered nodding.
"STOP HIM!" a new voice yelled.
"KYAAAAH!" a girl with short hair shrieked as she ran towards the group followed by Auron and the latter followed by other two men.
"What happened?!"
"That bastard intercepted Toshiro taking the girl away and decided to free her." one of the men following Auron answered.
"GRAB HIM!" the Leader of the group yelled making his companion follow him in jumping the Guardian.
"Stand by that tree, I'll take care of them." Auron said calmly as he uncovered his arm and shouldering his blade.
"O-O-Okay!" the scared girl answered hiding behind the same tree Kurenai and her Team were on.
"Sensei?" Hinata asked whispering.
"I...I say we wait." the woman answered.
"Why?" Kiba asked shocked.
"We still don't know a thing about him and his past, he always takes solo missions and only Hokage-sama and Inoichi-san know who he really is...We other Jounin are always left to wonder and I want to go to the bottom of this." Kurenai answered uneasy and shocking her students into silence.
With Auron -
"You alone against the four of us! Aren't we full of ourselves?" the leader of the group said sneering.
Uninterested in thugs taunting Auron reached inside his coat and applied the same summoning spell Guardians all around Spira were asked to learn to create a 'Pocket' storing the supplies necessary to help their Summoner (Up to 99 of each object) andsummoned a small fiery-red gem in his hand.
"My inventory is all here, good. The Fayths didn't forget a thing." He thought with a satisfied grunt.
"Is that...A ruby?" one of the criminals asked eagerly.
"You want it? Fetch." the Guardian answered tossing him the little thing.
"WAIT!" the leader yelled to late as his companion greedily grabbed the little thing with both hands, barely an instant later and a powerful explosion of fire blew away the man's arms and covered him in flames.
What shocked the others was other two explosions of fire happening in sequence after the first tearing the man apart in a fierce inferno of flames.
"That was a Fire Gem. Now is three against one." Auron said as he charged forward sword held at his side unmoving.
"YOU BASTARD!" one of the three screamed as he as well charged forward with his sword drawn.
CLANG!
In a shower of sparks both blades met half-way, though it was apparent the former Guardian was pushing hard as the the other was skidding helplessly on the ground trying to answer in kind, although Auron wasn't showing signs of fatigue in pushing his enemy back as his stoic expression remained unchanged.
"Enough." the former Guardian muttered pushing the man back making him stumble while rising his sword high above his head.
"D-DIE!" the bandit growled as he prepared to give an horizontal slash himself, to his short-lived horror Masamune descended with enough power to break his sword in two an cut his whole body vertically in half.
"Two." Auron said simply as he resumed his initial stance.
"H-H-HOY! What's with that weapon!?"
"Get it together! We are still two against one!" the leader yelled furious.
"Screw it! I am out of here!" the other answered dropping his weapon and running away in the opposite direction.
"Then it's just you and me, bastard!"
"Come." Auron answered nodding.
As the man tried to attack him he stopped abruptly and his eyes gradually dimmed out until he stood completely still frozen in place.
"Need an hand?" Kurenai asked as she walked to stand next to Auron.
"Thanks, how's the girl?" he asked while knocking down the trapped man to tie him up in wire.
"Our Team is with her. Quite the gadget you used on that poor man,"
"A Fire Gem, coming from my personal reserves as a Guardian."
"Looked like a portable jutsu, how are they made?" Kurenai asked as the duo rejoined the Genin and the escaped girl.
"Not made, extracted by fiends; sometimes their condensed spirit, otherwise part of their body, unless you can focus Mana on them they won't activate though." Auron answered.
"Mana? You mean Chakra?"
"Not the same thing, those two are different...It was the last one I had." the man answered, adding the last part just in case the wrong sort of people started asking for them.
"Good thing you still had one then..." Sigh! "I just wanted a simple Mission, instead it has become a rescue one." Kurenai admitted sighing.
"Could have been worse."
"Saying that with a warmer tone would have helped a bit more, you know?" the Genjutsu Mistress answered defeated as she watched the swordsman adjust his clothes back to sit near the girl.
"Thank you for saving me," the girl said with a grateful smile gaining a simple nod in return.
"Did those people hurt you?" Shino asked.
"No, your father was fast enough to stop them from...From touching anywhere." she answered uneasy.
"He is not my father." the Aburame Heir said almost bitterly.
"Oh!...Is he your Uncle then?" she asked making Hinata giggle and Kiba snort in amusement.
"We are not related by blood." Auron answered.
"And yet I could swear-"
"Where is your father?" Kurenai asked rapidly as the angry growling of both Guardian and Genin were starting to worry her.
"In town, those people wanted to force him to leave the control of his casino to them now that it needs to be rebuilt." she answered.
"What were the chances?" Kiba asked snorting.
"Very scarce." Shino answered adjusting his glasses.
"I was being rhetoric,"
"And I gave you a clear answer instead."
"Please don't argue," Hinata asked gently.
"What?" the girl asked confused.
"If it is as we suspect, we should have been the group of ninja from Konoha your father asked to help guarding his casino while it gets rebuilt." Kurenai answered shaking her head amused.
"Missing-nins?" Auron asked out of the blue.
"N-No...Not that I know of...Why?" the girl asked unnerved.
"Just asking. Just in case it was a curse," the Guardian answered walking away towards the town.
"What's with him?"
"Don't ask me, I have no idea how his mind works." Kurenai answered sighing in defeat.
Three days later – Tanzaku Gai – Building zone of the Casino -
The three Genin and Kurenai were alternating between guarding the area and helping with both cleaning and reconstruction of the damages of the simple-furnished place; the whole damage amounting to just a couple of walls destroyed along smashed tables and (Curiously) human-shaped dents in the still standing walls testifying that maybe a certain gambling Sannin DID had an hand in the almost-demolition of the place.
"Kurenai-sensei...Where is Auron-sensei?" Hinata asked again as the Guardian had that day too failed to show-up.
"Yeah! Where is he?" Kiba chorused momentarily stopping taking out debris and pieces of broken poker tables.
"He said he had an old issue to resolve, but it's been three days since he left," Shino added.
"Whatever it was, I hope for him he was something of the 'Life or Death' kind...Or we will have a nice long talk." Kurenai answered hissing furiously.
"Yo!" a lively voice said amused.
"Good morning!" a second one added more politely.
"Good morning, Zabuza-san and strange boy." the Genjutsu Mistress replied automatically.
"I may accept him as helper but this doesn't mean...GUH?!" she then continued saying before she realized and SLOWLY turned around to see the infamous Missing-nin plus stranger duo she had just welcomed.
"Is she always that slow?" Zabuza Momochi, former Swordsman of the Mist and all-around feared butcherer, asked amused.
"Only when ranting." Auron answered as he too joined the scene.
"BE CAREFUL, AURON! He is a dangerous killer!" Kurenai yelled as she and the kids took their fighting stance while the workers and bystanders simply scampered away to make room.
"I know." he answered calmly without changing his relaxed posture.
"Then why are you not helping us attack him!?" Kiba asked worried.
"If Auron-sama attacks Zabuza-sama he will break Mission protocol," the boy with very delicate features standing between the two answered amused.
"Mission Protocol?...Auron-sama?" Hinata repeated confused.
"Bwahahaha! I am switching side and joining Konoha! So you can't attack me if I don't attack first!" Zabuza answered laughing.
"WHAT?!"
"Auron-sama said we can join Konoha."
"NO! They can't instead!" Kurenai said scandalized while glaring at her 'Helper' in disbelief.
"Why?" Auron asked confused.
"They are wanted criminals!" she answered growling.
"I was one in the eyes of the followers of Yevon, but you didn't know me when I joined, nor my past." the Guardian said.
"They killed lots of people!"
"I did too, along fiends and everything else that attacked Yuna to kill her, just like every Guardian has done in Spira's history."
"Ehm...AH! He betrayed his Village!" Kurenai tried saying.
"I betrayed my whole land, my religion, my government and for a while my whole race when we discovered the faith of Yevon being built on lies and machinations while we were fighting Sin and Seymour."
"To be fair, I did fail to kill the past Mizukage, but I had a pretty damn good reason for that as at the time I was helping the current Mizukage while she tried to kill the psycho that was running our Village into a bloodbath for his campaign against Bloodline Limits." Zabuza added with a grunt.
"And as for me, I am Haku, and I am just Zabuza-sama's disciple...So in theory my background is slightly cleaner than those two." Haku added rising his hand.
"H-He...He is a mass-murderer!" Kurenai tried saying as she started coming short in reasons to refuse the idea.
"Every shinobi is, he just takes too much enjoyment in doing his job." Auron answered nonplussed.
"DAMMIT!" the woman roared in anger.
"He might betray Konoha too if he joins us." Shino said.
"AH-HA! Answer to that!" Kurenai yelled with a victorious smile while pointing at the group.
"Is your Hokage a psychopathic maniac that thinks everyone with a Bloodline Limit should be dragged by the hair in the street and guttered in front of everybody?" Zabuza asked crossing his arms.
"Well...No."
"Does your Hokage condone the torture AND rape of Bloodline Users (both genders)? On kids as well?"
"Oh, God, NO!"
"Has your Hokage ever skipped in paying Taxes? Or his Ninjas' salaries?"
"Not that I ever heard of it..." the Jonin of Konoha admitted unsure.
"Do you have dental plan? A good one, not a bullshit one like Iwa." Haku asked.
"We have the best one!" Kiba answered proudly while showing his and Akamaru's teeth with Hinata and Shino doing the same.
"Door-to-door Religious Preachers that rings your bell at six in the morning on Saturday and Sunday?" Zabuza asked hopeful.
"If it happens and they don't get the meaning of the first 'I am not interested' then you are legally permitted to inflict every atrocities you can think of on them without repercussions as long as you don't kill them." Shino answered.
"Then no, we WON'T rebel, leave or betray Konoha in any way, shape or form if we get to join you." Zabuza answered smirking.
"And what about Mist?" Kurenai asked with narrowed eyes.
"Me and Mei used to be Fuck Buddies...Working together would feel...Weird." he answered uneasy.
"Spare me the details." Auron asked.
"See? That's another reason I accepted; we make a cool duo!" the man added amused.
"Zabuza..." the Guardian grumbled in annoyance.
"He did it again! See? He would be the Stoic, silent bad-ass and I the rambunctious, noisy and prone to collateral damages bad-ass, like Cable and Deadpool!" the almost-former Missing-Nin said smirking.
"Nah! I prefer Batman." Kiba answered.
"Spiderman." Shino added.
"Super-girl." Hinata added shyly.
"Wonder woman." Kurenai admitted blushing.
"...Ant-man..." Haku admitted looking down.
"NNNNNEEEEEERD!" the others replied in chorus.
"I still think it will work wonderfully." Zabuza said huffing in annoyance.
"Ugh!" Auron simply left out a small, imperceptible groan as he massaged his temples.
Fairplane, how he missed it and at the same time regretted intercepting Zabuza and Haku to save both!
Some time later – Konoha – Hokage Tower -
"What do you mean they are my responsibility, Hokage-sama?" Auron asked with a tone that was precariously near an actually angry one.
"Inoichi gave them a clean pass in Psychological Health and Ibiki too seems pretty convinced they won't betray us, but Zabuza seemed adamant in sticking with you for this 'Kick-ass Duo' plan he is determined in not breaking-up, and wherever Zabuza go Haku follows so..." Hiruzen, flashing a very smug look, answered shrugging.
"You seem to find my misery entertaining, Hokage-sama."
"Why? Would you prefer battling Sin, Dark Eons and fiends again instead?"
"Yes." the other said immediately.
"You could at least pretend to be thinking about it..." the old man answered amazed.
"..."
"Too much Jecht in Zabuza?" the Hokage asked sighing.
"...Probably." the other admitted after a long pause.
"Auron-san, me and Inoichi looked deeply in your life on Spira and saw most of what happened in both your Pilgrimages and never managed to go before that as your mind kept those memories close to your soul, but whatever pain both sets of memories bring, they should bring you good too; I am not asking you to forget the tragedies you lived through as those as well helped you becoming who you are. But I ask you to also recognize that there were good moments as well, good memories to balance the bad ones."
"I don't think I have those," Auron admitted sounding almost ashamed.
"Yes you have, I would bet on it my life if I could. No-one will know what we discovered so try to see your staying here as a third chance at a good life, we have not a giant monster looming above us nor a world-ending crisis approaching. Your life here can and WILL be normal, you just have to move on and accept this new life and its new chances." Hiruzen asked with a gentle smile.
"...I'll see what I can do. Good day, Hokage-sama." Auron answered with a nod before leaving the room.
"Remember that there is a difference between 'Cold, Stoic and Cool' and 'Emo', you are in the first group, that's why people love you, never forget or fall in the second." the old man added before the door could close completely making the man on the other side stop for a moment before finally closing it.
"...With who I was talking with, I wonder...Naruto...or Auron? For someone like me that never believed in reincarnation, this is a big slap to the face...Now I see why Inoichi preferred to erase that bit of info from his head and do not add it to the records...It gives a painful itch to my chest just to look at his face and recall how he died before going to Spira and return here...I curse my clutching to the idea of knowing him being somehow alive that made me to this..." Hiruzen muttered grimacing.
Sigh! "Too late to cry on the spilled milk, I decided to keep this a secret and do not tell a soul and I will...In the end it's just another secret to take to the grave, Hiruzen...Just another secret to add to the pile, but this at least I know NO-ONE will ever know about...I hope." he then said sighing.
For some reason the notion of him being the only one knowing the truth was not making him feel better, certain times ignorance was truly a bliss.
Omake – Who is the best duo?
It had started as a simple 'Cleaning Mission', meaning that Auron had accepted to visit a nearby small town a violently remember to a small criminal organization that had recently formed there that the Fire Daymio didn't like power-hungry idiots dirtying his "Lawn" and that Konoha was more than eager to please their Warlord through gratuitous murdering of nameless criminals.
It also helped the former Guardian earn some extra money other than being an Helper/Jonin Sensei, a pity that Zabuza and Haku usually followed him because part of his personal Team and even worse yet, of all people Auron had to stumble on Sasuke's brother Itachi and his Akatsuki Partner Kisame on the way back once completed said mission.
"Long time no see, Zabuza..." Kisame said with narrowed eyes finally breaking the tense silence that had fell in the small street as soon as the two group met.
"It has been a while...So you have a silent Partner too..." Zabuza answered, he too regaling the other with a cold stare.
"Yes." the blue-skinned swordsman answered nodding.
"Zabuza-sama? What is Auron-sama doing?" Haku asked confused.
"..."
"..."
"They are trying to out-'Cool silent stare-down' each other." the young man's mentor replied tersely.
"EH! Itachi-kun has a traumatic past where his whole family died and good looks, beat that!" Kisame said smugly.
"Auron too has a traumatic past where he saw his best friend and the people representing his only family die and has good looks of a mature-but-not-old man...But he also has the gruff look of an hardened warrior whose heart is just waiting for the right girl to finally breach the loneliness he had cast on himself to keep his sorrow away." Zabuza answered.
"Itachi has that as well, but he also shoulders the burden of a martyr that he has drawn on himself along the hate of a whole country to protect the name of his family so that at his death the Uchiha name will be cleansed of its past mistakes!" the Akatsuki member growled.
"Auron has defeated death to remain as a spirit in the Living World so to pay his debt towards his dead friends to protect their children, guide them through a path of self-discovery and self-sacrifice, save the world and finally saving his best friend/rival/annoyance from a fate WORSE than death after having avenged HIS OWNDeath!" Zabuza replied stomping down with his feet petulantly.
"Oh, God...I am straight, but I am starting to feel the heat..." Haku muttered fanning himself and blushing while watching the two silent warriors.
"Well, I am a better Loud Partner all the same!" Kisame whined crossing his arms.
"NO! I AM!" the other yelled back.
"I killed a bunch of people as a collateral damage while chasing our Target!"
" I killed a bunch of people as a collateral damage while chasing our Target...While telling bad jokes totally bad in taste for the situation we were in!" Zabuza answered making the other stumble back as if slapped.
"Argh!"
Meanwhile – Itachi VS Auron -
"...Your expressionless face is good, but sadly not enough." Itachi said.
"You talk too much, kid." Auron answered making the Uchiha's eyes widen.
"You dare..."
"..." all the answer the Akatsuki member got was a slightly lifting of an eyebrow still conveying enough condescension to make both Missing-nin flinch and recoil.
"Okay, your partner IS good." Kisame admitted impressed.
"Kisame, be quiet." Itachi hissed angrily.
"Zabuza, Haku." Auron said turning around and walking away with the wind blowing just the right way to make his jacket slightly billow in an awesomely-dramatic way.
"...I think I had a cool-gasm." Haku admitted looking down.
"See you around, Kisame-kun! Bwahahahahaha!" Zabuza said as he walked alongside his partner with a superior look on his face.
"That's one badass silent motherfucker..." Kisame admitted sighing.
"We are going back to the base...And you'll sleep on the couch tonight." Itachi answered as he rapidly turned to walk in the opposite direction.
"COME ON! I was just saying!" the sharkman said whining.
"..."
"Itachi! It means nothing! I didn't mean to put you two in comparison. YOU are my silent Partner, not him!"
"Shut up." the other answered disappearing in a tick cloud of black feathers as his body seemingly broke-down into a flock of crows.
"COME ON, BUDDY! There is no need to be jealous!" Kisame tried saying.
"I AM NOT JEALOUS!" the Uchiha disembodied voice echoed back.
"Sure you are not..." the swordsman muttered chuckling.
"I bet your brother too would prefer HIM being the one he has to kill for his Revenge."
"AAAAARGH!"
"Yep! He is jealous." the blue-skinned man said amused as he started walking back to the Akatsuki HQ whistling merrily all the way while listening Itachi's angry mumbling coming from ahead on the road.
End of the Omake.
I don't know why I am continuing this story, but for now I'll keep going.
By the way, my Internet is working at random so I don't know when I will have a "Window" of time in which I can upload my updates, until the Company I pay with my money decides to pull their head out of their ass and fix the problem I gently ask you to have patience.
In the meantime I'll keep writing so to have the chapters done for when FINALLY my computer will be able to go online.
Thank you for your patience, it means a lot for me. ^ ^
Tr230. (This time not at fault if the updates take too long).