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Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters here that belong to Naruto that I put into this story except for my own OCs. Neither do I own any of the character in any of the crossovers I do. I'm just using them in this fanfiction and I have no money so don't bother suing me. You'll just lose money instead of gaining any. And remember to leave a review!

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The Price –

In a small town of Kells a small building stood in the market place. It was brought from the old owner by a young man who wanted to start his own trade post. The trader went to far off villages or outposts away from the usually trade routes, where he was able to yield easy profits. He traded with the poorer settlements, which had like cheap spices and food that sells for premier prices in the richer villages. Over the years he was able to make himself a pretty well known trader. Running a business by himself was okay when he first started but over time he needed to hire some help. His workers were a rag tag bunch but they all work together well and he came to think of them as his family.

Molly the book keeper for the trade post making sure they had everything that they needed before going off to another trade post, along with making sure they're shipping something as well. Driving an empty wagon meant they're losing money on the trip. She had white hair and red eyes. She always dress in a baggy set of clothes. Gray shorts, white shirts and a long dark blue overcoat that look way too big for her that almost reach the ground. She had a large pocket watch around her neck. She was always hopping around looking at stuff and writing down in her note book she kept in her overcoat. Molly is the one who looks after the shop when Naruto is away from

She is helped by a boy about eleven years old with short purple hair and brown eye. Nellow is born and raised in Kells, he went and got a job helping with taking care of the shop. He along with the twins Myan and Dyan who are a year older then Nellow. It's hard to tell them apart as they like to dress the same but Myan likes to wear blue while Dyan likes to wear red. They stock the selves and keep the back room in order, making sure that everything is easy to find.

The one who sells the trade goods to customers or other traders is Mack. A middle aged, overweight man who always wears a hat to hide the fact that he has a nest egg bald spot. He use to be a owner of his own store before he lost everything thanks to a fire. He wondered around a broken man till he came to Kells where Naruto hired him to sell the exports and buy the things that are brought in by the towns people or travelers. Naruto knows that there's always a buyer for just about anything, which is why his trade post will buy, sell, or trade just about anything.

He also has a group of former soldiers from a country that lost their pointless war, which their side started. They managed to escape from the chaos of their destroyed country, then wondering around till they came to Kells. Naruto hired them because of their former line of work could look after themselves on long trips with valuable cargo. Naruto having never really learned how to fight used them to guard him and his goods for large shipments. They kept bandits from stealing the wagon when they ride through less safe roads.

Oreldo a handsome young ex-soldier who fancies himself a ladies' man. He is very clever, resourceful and an expert at picking locks. Then there's Machs who graduated as one of the top students of the academy, the slight, bespectacled Machs provides the voice of reason and caution when out in the field. Then Randel Oland despite his impressive stature (well over seven feet tall), and a body riddled with scars, Randel's nature most of the time is kindhearted and ingenuous. Finally Lili Stecchin who acts as a aide and is also responsible for taking care of Mercury the dog member of the unit.

The former commander, Alice L. Malvin a inexperienced soldier of noble origin but showed much promise in her training. Alice is hot-tempered and reckless demeanor tends to sometimes put her and her subordinates in danger. She has a strong sense of duty and justice and tries to live up to her family's military traditions, contrary to her father and sisters' belief that she must assume a more feminine behavior. Alice's weapon of choice is a short-sword with her family crest engraved on it, but in some occasions she shows her true skills in battle when brandishing her special weapon, a long double-bladed cavalry sword called Mahne. Another curious trait of hers is that sometimes she feels chills on her neck when something very good or very bad is about to happen.

They all lost their families to the war and once their side lost, there was nothing for them. Alice pulled her unit together after their country fell leading them to safety. The enemy forces in a act of revenge rounded up the ex-soldiers still in the country and their families, putting all of them to the sword. Naruto found them in one of the big cities looking for work, he hired them to protect his cargo. From there he hire them to work full time for him after seeing how well they could take care of things.

Naruto sat at his work desk in his office reading through the reports of the latest trade deals and what's selling in what place or what's not. Knowing the different rates of which trade post are selling or buying is what any good trader needs to know if they would survive in the trade world. The news coming from the Eastern lands of a overlord suddenly appearing and taking over the land of Red Beans which is sights on the rest of the Element Countries. It's causing a market fluctuation as traders are wary of traveling through the Element Countries with an overlord trying to take over.

"But of course, I can make money by supplying them with weapons and armor. With supplies in short supply, I'll be able to sell my wares at a much higher price," Naruto said to himself.

"Hey Naruto there's a man here to see you. He says he's your godfather," Lili said poking her head into his office.

"Send him in," Naruto said knowing that this day would come after his parents and his sisters failed to bring him home a year ago.

"It's nice to see you again," Jiraiya said as he sat himself down in front of Naruto's desk. "You really brought yourself up in the world."

"No thanks to any of you since you and Tsuande cared more for my sister then me. I had to grow up when she still acted as a child," Naruto said coldly to Jiraiya. "I'm busy so get to the point why you came here."

"It's your sister, she's dying," Jiraiya said.

"You have my interest," Naruto said.

"After Skeletor took over the Land of Red Beans the Toad's gave us the weapon that could beat him. A sword that has untold power sealed inside of it, that turns anyone who can wield it into a all but unstoppable warrior. Nanato has been using it to beat back Skeletor's forces but at a high price. The sword can only be used safely by the one who has the soul of a tail beast. Nanato using the fox's power can use it but the damage that it does to her body is always high. Tsuande is doing what she can to heal her but with Skeletor always attacking… sooner or later her body will give out. You're the only one who can use the sword without it harming you," Jiraiya explained. (1)

"What's your point?" Naruto ask. "You're expecting me to head off and take the sword from my sister. Using it to defeat Skeletor and his minions like a hero from one of those stories?"

"Naruto don't you care about your home? Anything you want will be yours to have," Jiraiya said as Minato told him he'll be willing to give anything to get his son back.

"It was never my home. This place is the first place that, I felt is my home. The people, I work with are closer to me then any of you. I won't just leave just to fight for a place, that I have no love for or the people in it. And don't give me that I'll be just like them. This isn't some children's book. I will be just like you and the rest of the village. I won't care what has happen to you till it's too late to do anything about it. I will hear the news of the Leaf Village being burnt to the ground and the only thing, I will feel is sadness that, I never knew what it was like having a family that loves me," Naruto stated.

"Is that what you want?" Jiraiya ask as he remembers that, Naruto always stared with a look of want in his eyes whenever he was left alone as he and the others fuss over his sister.

"That's all, I ever wanted. A family that loved me," Naruto said before his face harden. "But that's in the past, I'm just too old now to have what, I wanted when, I was younger."

"Naruto please we can be the family that you always wanted," Jiraiya said.

"No it be only because you have to not because you wanted to. I do not want false love or something that is a lie," Naruto said.

"We'll pay you to have your services," Jiraiya said.

"It be a steep price," Naruto said as like any trader knows, if you have something that someone else needs badly you can ask just about anything.

"I'll get in touch with the village and tell them your price," Jiraiya said.

"Here's my price," Naruto said slipping a piece of paper to Jiraiya.

Taking one look at the paper made Jiraiya gasp. "You can't ask for this, there's no way we'll be able to pay it."

"I'm going to be putting my life on the line for a village that, I have no love for. Not to mention that, I don't know how to fight. I will need to be train first that will take me away from my business making me lose money. While, I know Molly and the others can take care of things while, I'm away. I'll still lose money because I'm not here to make deals with people who are use to dealing with me. Time is money and, I'll lose a lot of time traveling to the Leaf Village not to mention the training that, I will need to go through before, I can even fight. I'm only going to do this, only if there's a big payday for me at the end," Naruto explains.

"Naruto what happen to you?" Jiraiya ask looking at the man he didn't even know.

"Simple you and the others never love me or care enough to ever get to know me," Naruto said. "I am, what, I am. And you and the other are the reason why, I am this way."

"I'll get in touch with the village and tell them what you're asking for," Jiraiya said leaving the room and the man that he never even cared enough to care about till it was too late to do anything about it.

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Author's Notes

1 – There's always a price to be paid for anything that makes you super. Unless cursed with awesomeness.

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