Tsunade tapped her fingers on her temporary desk, deep in thought, and ignoring the paperwork that was quickly piling up. She'll get Shizune to do it later. She had more important things her mind, after all. Kakashi had just given his report of the mission, before dumping Ungai at the T&I department. According to his report, Ungai had succeeded in capturing the boy who has been said to be able to fix anything. Kakashi took down most of his team, but was nearly defeated, due to a mistake. But, Kakashi was saved because of the blonde boy's intervention regarding a stone fist that knocked Ungai's lights out.
Moving on to the topic of the boy. Currently, he was being treated for a leg injury and some minor cuts and scratches he had sustained from his run in with a A rank criminal. Kid definitely got off easy. Usually, when a civilian or someone with little training has a run in with a criminal of that rank, they'd usually fall to pieces, literally, scorched with third degree burns and so on. But then, that'll bring Tsunade to her next question. Why would someone like Ungai spend so much time looking for one kid? He didn't seem anything special, well, other then his ability to fix things flawlessly.
Being reminded of that particular fact, Tsunade vaguely recalled considering requesting for his expertise to at least give the citizens a roof over their heads. Maybe she would do that, and perhaps, at the same time, try and find out why someone would be trying to capture the kid. [A/N Someone tell me if Tsunade is OOC, please! I've never been able to get her character down properly! Is this how she acts? If I'm wrong, please PM me and tell me how she should act. Actually, if any characters are OOC, please don't hesitate to inform me and I'll try to fix it ASAP.]
Tsunade pushed herself off the seat, and stood up. She had to go and see a certain blonde teen and request for some help.
LINE BREAK
"Oi! Stop touching my automail!" Edward yelled, exasperated at the doctor who was trying to examine his automail.
"But this is fascinating! Think of what this could do for ninjas who are missing limbs!" The doctor exclaimed, prodding at his arm while wearing look Winry always got when she was up at Rush Valley to 'enjoy the wonderfulness that automail is' and mooching off Edward to pay for more materials. His poor, poor wallet.
"Maybe, but you won't be the one getting a wrench to the head if it gets messed up!" Edward twitched, his face turning pale, recalling all the painful moments when he suffered from Winry's wrath after returning to Resembool with a trashed automail arm. He probably was never going to recover from all those times Winry had bashed his skull in with either a wrench or a spanner.
Luckily for Edward, the doctor backed off after that, but Edward didn't miss the confused look at the wrench part.
Oh. Right. From the time Edward had arrived to this world, he realized that there was absolutely no technology that involved mechanics, which meant there was no such things as wrenches, screws, spanners and many more. There weren't even any telephones! Hell, the only thing that ran on electricity were the lights and toilets! These people were definitely primitive compared to his world.
After pulling his shirt back on, which the doctor had previously ordered off him so he could make sure Edward did not have anymore injuries, after making sure Edward's leg was healing fine, the flap of the tent was pushed open, and a lady stepped in.
She had Hawkeye's hair and eye colour, but the similarities stopped there. She was wearing a white coloured shirt that Edward thought showed off too much of her large upper chest, and she wore a green coat over it, with a symbol that was written in this world's language. Took Ed forever to learn how to write those stupid figures, and he still can't write them that well! The woman also wore a pair of black heels and lastly, and a diamond shaped mark on her forehead.
"Who are you, lady?" Was the first thing that came out of Edward's mouth.
"What's your name, kid?" She responded back with a question of her own.
"Tell me who you are first, and I'll tell you my name, Equivalent Exchange." Edward shot back at her.
The lady smirked, and suddenly, Edward felt as if he was in front of Teacher. Oh dear truth... "You've got spunk, kid. Fair enough, I'm the fifth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village. Now, what's your name?"
"Edward Elric. And uh, what's a Hokage?" Edward asked that last part awkwardly. He had heard about the Leaf Village, and some brief mentions of the word, Hokage. But he never actually stuck around long enough to find out what it meant.
The lady seemed surprised. "You've never heard of the Kage of the five main hidden villages?"
"No." Why else would he have asked, if he had known?
LINE BREAK
To say Tsunade was surprised would have been an understatement. Most people, no matter where they came from, would have heard off of at least one of the hidden villages. Well, Edward must have been one of the few people who never heard of what should have been common knowledge.
"The Hokage is someone who leads the village." Tsunade gave a short explanation.
"Ah." Edward acknowledged. "So, why are you here? I don't think you'd come without a reason."
"You're a sharp one, aren't you Edward-"
"Ed." Edward interrupted. "People who use my full name makes it sound like their trying to kill me." Tsunade raised an eyebrow. What kind of trouble did Edward get into?
"Well then, Ed. I need some of your help in rebuilding. Recently, the village was attacked by a criminal organization, and we're in need of rebuilding quickly, to provide shelter for the citizens."
"Sure, but I don't do anything without a fair trade. I've already repaid my debt for getting me out of that situation by helping that other guy. So, what do you want to give in exchange for my skills?" Edward asked.
"We can give you protection against whoever is coming after you." Tsunade answered.
Edward thought about it. Sure, he really hated it with someone constantly protecting him against other people, so Edward's first reaction was to decline. But, thinking it through properly, something which he learnt to do in the past six months, he decided that it would probably be for the best. An alchemist, he could handle. Ninjas? Uh, not really, considering how badly he lost in the fight against the last one.
"I accept. But, I need some books on this whole ninja business. Maybe that way, I'll be able to handle whatever idiots that come after me."
"Very well. I'll have somebody being what's left of the books for you."
"...'What's left of the books'?" Edward repeated, looking confused at Tsunade's statement.
LINE BREAK
"...I thought you said 'damaged'. There's absolutely nothing left, except for some buildings that look absolutely new!" Edward exclaimed as he surveyed the land where the village was supposed to be, but in reality, was actually what looked like a crater with a bunch of debris at the sides. "What, did someone decide it would be a good idea to try making dynamite by setting fire to a volcano worth of nitroglycerin?" Before he slipped slightly and shifted the crutches he was using to support himself.
"You think you can handle this, shrimp?"
"SHRIMP?! WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL HE CAN ONLY BE SEEN WITH A MAGNIFYING GLASS, YOU OLD LADY?!" Tsunade's eye twitched at the 'old' part before she cocked her fist back and sent Edward flying. "What was that, you little brat?!"
From Edward's spot on the ground, Edward immediately decided that Tsunade was just as scary as his teacher.
As Edward sat up and clutched his head in pain, Tsunade heard her apprentice. "Master Tsunade! Shizune said you wanted to see me?" Sakura asked.
"Ah, yes. This," Tsunade gestured at Edward, who was sitting on the ground while trying to ease the throbbing in his head, "Is Edward Elric. I hired him to help repair the village. However, someone is after him, so he's in need of protection. You're the most efficient person I know of to carry this out."
"Yes ma'am, I'll do it."
"Good, I'll be going now." With a clack of her heels, Tsunade headed to the direction of her temporary office, while her actual one was being rebuilt.
Sakura turned to Edward, who had recovered sometime during the brief exchange between Tsunade and herself.
"Shall we go?" Sakura asked politely.
"Yeah." Edward replied before looking at the direction where Tsunade had gone off to. "Damn, that lady was scary! Almost as bad as teacher..." He trailed off, looking slightly nostalgic.
"Really?" Sakura asked as they were walking to the construction sight, well, more like hobbling in Edward's case, attempting to strike up conversation. "What was she like?"
Edward paled drastically and began to sweat. "She left me and my brother on a deserted island when we were nine and eight respectively, without any training beforehand. I nearly died that first week. For other times, she read off a book and literally drilled the information into our heads, while kicking our asses. That wasn't even the worst of it. The rest?" Edward shuddered. "I rather not think about it."
Sakura laughed nervously. His teacher really did seem like her master. A total, utter demon with spartan methods of training.
LINE BREAK
Upon reaching the construction sight, some of the workers greeted Sakura and one of them made one extremely fatal mistake.
"Miss Sakura, who's the shrimp?"
Edward then proved how it was physically possible to kick someone's ass while hobbling around on a pair of crutches. "I'M NOT A SUBATOMIC MIDGET WHO CAN'T EVEN BE SEEN WITH A POWERFUL MICROSCOPE!"
After Edward had calmed down, he went to do what he was hired for, all the while acting as if he had not just kicked someone's ass, while everyone just gaped at him.
"So, how was the building like before this mess?" Edward asked Sakura, who produced a picture, with the said building on it.
"That's easy." Edward clapped his hands, and the constructors looked at him, confused. "What can you do by just clapping-?"
The person who spoke was cut off as Edward slammed his hands into the incomplete building, and immediately, the Alchemical lights crackled and when it died down, the finished building was there, complete and looking just like it had before the whole mess. Well, besides for a few extra gothic looking designs. "How's that?"
The thud of jaws dropping could be heard from throughout the village.
"Ed?" Sakura began.
"Yeah?"
"Please get rid of the skulls."
"What? Why? They look cool as hell!"
"Just change it to how it's supposed to look."
"You got a problem with my sense of style?!" Edward shouted, annoyed that everyone thought his design was bad. His designs were cool!
"You don't have any." Sakura deadpanned.
LINE BREAK
After Ed fixed the first house, word quickly spread that the rumoured repairman who could fix anything was in the village, which quickly led to Edward being harassed while he tried to do his work. Notice the word tried.
"Could you help me fix this vase?"
"Ok."
"Could you fix my house?"
"I'll get to that."
"Could you fix my-?" "Repair this-?" "Fix-?"
"I'M TRYING TO DO SOMETHING HERE, SO COULD YOU POSSIBLY WAIT UNTIL I'M DONE?!" Edward was pretty sure he never actually got that agitated when he fixed things for people back in Amestris, of course, there were less people with broken things but still, this was getting ridiculous.
After repairing what seemed like his fiftieth house, a spikey, blond haired teen who was wearing a orange and back jumpsuit came up to Sakura.
"Hey, Sakura!"
"Hi Naruto." Sakura greeted him as Edward fixed yet another item a civilian requested for him to fix.
"Who's this, Sakura?" Naruto asked as he pointed at Edward.
"Oh, that's Edward. Master Tsunade hired him to fix up the village." Sakura explained.
"Really? But why'd granny Tsunade hire a small kid?"
Edward, who had been resting, heard the last part of Naruto's sentence, and snapped. "I'M NOT A SMALL KID! I'M FIFTEEN, DAMN IT!"
Both Sakura's and Naruto's jaw fell open. If there was one thing Sakura had not expected, this would be it.
"You're fifteen."
"YES! IS THAT SO HARD TO BELIEVE?!"
"We're sixteen."
And in height, both of them beat Edward by more then fifteen centimeters. In Naruto's case, he was at least twenty-five centimeters taller.
As Edward sulked in the corner, growing mushrooms and muttering about freakishly tall people, Naruto and Sakura conversed.
"Why did you come here anyway, Naruto? I thought you would be helping Ichiraku rebuild."
"Yeah, I was. But then I heard about some guy who could fix anything almost instantly! Do you know where I can find him?"
"That's him." Sakura said simply, looking over at where Edward was still sulking.
"Woah, you mean that the small guy is the guy who can fix anything?!"
"FOR THE LAST TIME, I AM NOT A ULTRA TINY PIPSQUEAK WHO CAN'T GROW ANY TALLER!" Edward screamed, fuming mad.
LINE BREAK
After Edward had finished his tirade, Naruto dragged him off to go fix some food stand that the blonde ninja apparently liked.
"Ok, here we are!" Naruto said cheerfully as he stopped in front a half built food stand.
"Oh, Naruto, you're back." A old man, who obviously owned the shop, greeted.
"Yup!" Naruto said cheerfully. "And old man Tenuchi! I got some help in fixing your shop!"
The old man, Tenuchi, if Edward wasn't mistaken, looked pleased. "Well, I'm glad to get any help I can have."
"They say he can fix anything instantly!" Naruto chattered excitedly about Edward's skills in the background as said person examined the materials, to see what elements they were made of so he would be able to transmute them.
When he was done, Edward positioned himself and clapped his hands together, earning himself some curious looks which soon turned to surprised as he slammed his hands down on the materials, evoking the blue Alchemical light Edward was so familiar with.
After the lights died down, Edward stepped back to survey his work. "Alright, I'm finished " He said, ignoring the amazed looks thrown at his direction, with the exception of Sakura, who had already shown her fair share of surprise earlier.
Then his stomach growled. Loudly enough for everyone to look at him. Edward flushed with embarrassment. Oh dear truth... His stomach just had to go and embarrass him right at that moment, didn't it?
"Well, since you fixed my shop, why don't you have some ramen, on the house?"
"Yeah, Ed! You gotta try some of old man Tenuchi's ramen! It's the best!" Naruto grinned.
LINE BREAK
True to Naruto's word, Edward was sure that was some of the best foods he ever tasted.
As he walked with Sakura to his temporary housings, a sad look crossed his face. Al really would like to try that ramen, after getting his body back.
Being reminded of the Alphonse he saw back at the gate, he clenched his automail fist. He had to return back to Amestris and return Al's body back to normal. Just being reminded of the cold metal shell that was Alphonse's body, and his real one, looking pale and skinny, just heightened his resolve.
LINE BREAK
"A deal?" The masked man asked the figure in front of him coldly.
"Yes. We'll help you in your war, if you help us find someone important for my own plan." The last few humans he had hired failed in their task, so, why not take a few more steps to retrieve the Human Sacrifice? He had been carrying out his work for more then three hundred years, and Human Sacrifice candidates were rare throughout the years.
"And how will that benefit me?" The masked man's eyes narrowed.
The figure chuckled. "We can't die. Isn't that better than having a weak being who all die so easily like insects?"
The man lifted an eyebrow from underneath his mask. Maybe this deal would prove beneficial after all.
"Very well then. I accept your deal."
The Dwarf in the Flask smiled. Soon, he would be able to carry out his plans, once Edward Elric was back in Amestris.