Nuclear Hell
I do not own Naruto
"Normal Speech"
'Normal Thought'
Chapter 4: Horrors of the Wasteland
May 12, 2277
1200 Hours
Earth Exosphere: Genesis, Administration Level
Naruto walked through the halls of the Genesis, formerly known as the Zeta. It had been one months since the rebellion had ended with the humans taking control of the ship and overthrowing their alien masters.
For a week after the rebellion, Grant and Naruto discussed what type of government would run their new nation, the Imperial Starship Command, or I.S.C for short. They agreed that Naruto would command the military and all ground operations while Grant would command the Genesis and all space operations. Only Naruto and Grant would have executive power, for something to go through, both of them would have to give the okay.
Naruto also convinced Grant to allow some less than Democratic practices go through. From that day, the ISC would be run by Naruto and Grants' descendants. Naruto reasoned that power struggles would result if the General or the Admiral were killed, than others would claw their way to fill the empty seat and destroy everything they worked for. Grant agreed as long as they could write up a constitution that granted the freedoms of Pre-War America stated in the constitution so that the nation had at least some Democratic values. Grant also convinced Naruto that using while the genin, chunin, and jonin rank was appropriate for a village, they needed a better ranking system for a nation. So in the end, they agreed on adopting the former US military ranking.
In the end Naruto and Grant wrote up a final constitution stating:
The Admiral and the General shall always be of direct blood descent from the founding leaders.
The General has absolute control of the Imperial Army and all its subgroups and has absolute control of all military operations on Earth and the Genesis. The Admiral has absolute control of the Imperial Space Force and Air Force and absolute control of the Genesis and all civilian operations on Earth and the Genesis. Neither may interfere with the other without consent or justification.
All laws and actions affecting the ISC must be approved by both the General and the Admiral to be passed.
The citizens of the ISC have the right to free speech, free religion, free press, the freedom to assemble, and the freedom to petition the leadership, unless they are convicted of a crime.
The citizens of the ISC have the right to keep and bear arms for the protection of themselves and their nation.
The citizens of the ISC have the right to refuse the quartering of troops during peacetime and the military is prohibited from search and seizure of a citizens' home without probable cause.
The citizens of the ISC have the right to be tried by a jury of their peers if they are accused of a crime, they cannot knowingly incriminate themselves and are guaranteed due process.
After the constitution was written, the real work began. Naruto began training the veterans of the rebellion to be his Elite soldiers, ANBU. The ANBU wore riot armor and masks that represented the animal assigned to them while carrying modified assault rifles. By the end of his training, he had 60 Elite ANBU ready to fight. He assigned 20 to train new recruits while the other 40 would remain on hold for missions.
There were only about 60 combat experienced soldiers after the rebellion but that number rose to 520 recruits and 60 veterans after Elliot had screened and defrosted the humans in the mass cryogenic storage.
Elliot had explained to him that the mass storage had thousands of slots but only about 2000 held human beings. The rest held aliens, super mutants, ghouls, and other mutated creatures. The screening for the humans took some time since they had to be careful who was defrosted, once they defrosted a group of raiders that immediately turned against them and had to be put down. While not all raiders were immediately hostile, they needed to be interrogated to find out if they could be trusted.
In the end they managed to add 520 humans into their forces but the humans who were abducted before the Great War had to be put through a reeducation class to be told the situation on the Earth.
Naruto was knocked out of his thoughts when he finally reached his office, the door automatically opened and he sat at his desk staring at the mountain of paperwork.
'I know Otou-sama was grooming me to be Overseer but he never warned me a leader had so much paperwork' thought Naruto before grabbing his pen and started signing the military documents. He looked through some documents given to him by his department heads
He and Grant had delegated different departments to people they felt could manage the division.
Dr. Konohamaru Sarutobi, the ISC's head researcher and scientist of the Scientific Dept. He is responsible with designing new weapons and armor from alien technology and human technology, Konohamaru is also reverse-engineered alien technology for future use.
Brigadier Colton Terrence, the ANBU commander and a former US Army Ranger. He oversees the training of the recruits and manages the Elite ANBU corps. He had been stationed in Anchorage when the Great War broke out, a nuclear warhead had destroyed the city and he and his squad had gone into the mountains to survive the blast and residual radiation. They had survived in the mountains for four weeks before they had been abducted.
Dr. Brendan Elroy, the Head of the Biological Research Dept. and in charge finding a cure for FEV mutant effects and ghoulification. He was a Pre-War chemist and biologist that worked for Med-Tek before the War and created the many well-known drugs in the wasteland; such as Mentats, Fixer, Stimpaks, and Buffout. He and his family had been en route to a Vault in Los Angeles, California when he was suddenly caught in a massive pileup and subsequently abducted seconds before the bombs dropped.
Dr. Elliott Tercorien, Head of ISC's medical corp. He is in charge of the training and deployment of medical soldiers as well as researching new medicines with organic alien components. He was a civilian doctor before being drafted into the US military and served on the Anchorage frontlines, he was on a routine supply run when his squad was suddenly caught in an avalanche. Upon waking up, Elliot had discovered he had been in cryogenic stasis for 200 years.
Wing Commander Brian Mallore, the Commander of the ISC's Air Force. A Vertibird pilot from the US Air Force, He is obsessed with the alien gunships and transports, and he oversees the training of spacecraft pilots for the Dragon and Phoenix crafts.
Civilian Affairs Coordinator Susan Rosaleen, Head of the Diplomatic Corp. A department responsible with improving and maintaining the public image of the ISC in the wasteland, she was a human rights lawyer before the war and unsurprisingly was on Death Row before the Great War started and she was abducted ironically being saved from both the bombs and the needle only to be experimented on by nonhuman creatures.
Howard Schmidt, codename 'Archangel', the Head of the ISC's Intelligence Department. He was a CIA spy before failing a mission and being labeled a traitor and hunted down across the world, he had no loyalty to the United States and gladly pledged his loyalty to Naruto and ISC. He is responsible with creating an intelligence network and 'solving problems before they become problems' for the ISC.
After a few hours there was a knock at his door, "Come in" spoke Naruto, the automatic door opened and Grant walked into the room.
"Admiral, it's good to see you. We have much to discuss" stated the blond as he put down his pen and looked at his equal. Grant took a seat across from Naruto before speaking, "What can I do for you, General" Naruto leaned back in his chair and gazed out the window into space, "As you know, my former village was destroyed by a technology-obsessed group of fanatics for not handing over the Pre-War schematics on out Vault Supercomputer…" Grant nodded, "…I have reason to believe that some of my childhood friends survived the assault and scattered throughout the northeast. I need a ship to transport me and a squad of ANBU down to the surface to meet with them and convince them to join us not just for me but for the ISC" Grant nodded in understanding, "Of course, Commander. I'll have a ship and a pilot prepared for you and your men…" Naruto nodded in thanks, "…But I am curious why you would want these people to join us?" asked Grant curiously, "The reason I want them to join us is so that certain clans don't go extinct. My former village ran with a system of government that separated people into clans, each clan had its own special skills. Some were extremely intelligent while others were gifted in the art of war, I know that if I were to bring them back I could bolster the science department but also strengthen the military corps" Grant nodded again in understanding and stood up, "Of course, I'll have a ship ready for you in the hour" spoke Grant before exchanging farewells and leaving the room.
Naruto stood up as well and headed to his room to prepare for his mission.
May 12, 2277
1400 Hours
Earth Exosphere: Genesis, Hanger Bay
Naruto stood in the Hanger Bay dressed in his Pre-War riot gear, his fathers' white haori trench coat on his back, and a riot helmet in his arms. He carried two Desert Eagles in his holsters and had a modified M-16 over his shoulder, while he had an equipment pouch around his waist. His ANBU were similarly dressed except two carried modified AK-47s, one carried a P90 in his arms and a modified RPG on his back, and the last ANBU carried a Barrett M82 sniper rifle in his arms and two Beretta M9 pistols in his holster.
His men stood at attention as he began to brief them, "This mission will be one of great importance. Two days ago, out spy drones found the locations of several important people in the northeast section of Pre-War America. Our mission will be to locate these people and convince them to return with us to the Genesis. Should they join us then we will escort them back to the ship, but should they refuse then we will respect their decision and leave. Is that clear?" None of the soldiers spoke, Naruto nodded and led them toward their ship.
The Air Force consisted of two types of ships that were modified from former alien battleships and cargo vessels. The Alpha-Class Phoenix Cargo Craft was modified to serve as a reliable troop transport and cargo ship to re-supply future ISC outposts and large scale military operations. The PCC was hollowed out to receive an increased cargo space at the expense of its offensive capabilities.
The Sigma-Class Dragon Assault Craft was refitted from the original model for air-to-air combat and air-to-ground fire support roles, to aid on the front lines with their variety of armaments. However, the Dragons' original alien weapons were removed, due to their rarity, and replaced with more easily acquired and repaired human technology.
The old alien technology was being examined and reverse-engineered by Konohamaru and his team for future refitting. The ships were painted a combination of dark grey and red bearing the symbol of the ISC on their wings.
A Phoenix Cargo Ship sat in the hanger with two Dragon Assault Craft next to it that would act as escorts.
A man in his late twenties with blond hair walked up to Naruto, "It's a pleasure to meet you, General. My name is Allen Randel, I be your pilot for this mission…" He pointed behind himself at a brunette woman examining the Dragon and a red-haired man smoking a cigarette, "These will be our Dragon pilot escorts…" informed the Phoenix pilot, "…Jennifer Terri…" He pointed at the brunette, "…and Gabriel Dominik" He said pointing at the red-head.
The both pilots turned to their commander and saluted, Naruto returned the gesture and they returned to their previous actions.
Naruto and his squad entered the Phoenix and buckled into their seats, the ramp of the ship closed and hissed as the pressure in the room was stabilized. The ship shook as the engines came to life and began moving, the Phoenix engines roared as the thrust moved it out of the Genesis and toward the Earth atmosphere. The Dragon's followed close behind the Phoenix as they entered the Earth's atmosphere.
The ship shook violently as they began descending toward the Earth, "Reaching 150000 feet above sea level, preparing to reach cruising altitude…" Naruto heard the pilot; the blond couldn't help but feel excited of finally stepping foot on soil again, feel the wind in his face and the feeling of actual gravity.
The Phoenix and its escorts reached cruising level at 40000 feet above sea level and traveled at Mach 3 through the skies of Earth.
A few minutes later, the pilots reached the northeast coast, "General, ETA 2 minutes" informed the pilot, "Alright men, lock and load" ordered the blond commander, the ANBU pulled back on the hammers of their guns and prepared their weapons for action.
The Phoenix landed somewhere outside the Pre-War city of New York, the Dragon's stayed in the air and activated their cloaking devices, making them impossible to see or hear, as they patrolled the air space around the Phoenix.
May 12, 2277
1430 Hours
Eastern Commonwealth: New York City, New York Wasteland
Touching the ground, the ramp of the Phoenix opened and Naruto and his squad exited the spacecraft with their weapons ready.
They were met with silence as they surveyed their surroundings, the ruins of homes and streets were silent. After securing the perimeter they lowered their weapons.
"Commander, your orders?" asked Hawk, Naruto looked at his squad who all looked ready for action, "We will look for information at the nearest settlement for the whereabouts of the raiders that call themselves the Shinigami" explained the blond before putting on his helmet.
"Yes sir!" chorused his troops as they headed west toward the wasteland settlement of Grayland.
They stalked through the streets of Pre-War New York State, passing countless deserted farms and towns. After a few minutes they reached the town of Grayland. It was a modest settlement, the town was protected by a wall and had its own security force. It thrived as a place where merchants could sell their wares, and wastelanders could live in peace.
May 12, 2277
1445 Hours
Eastern Commonwealth: Grayland, New York Wasteland
They approached the wall and were stopped by the gate guard, "Halt! State your business in Grayland?" demanded the male guard, "We're here to gather some information on the local group of raiders called the Shinigami" replied Naruto calmly, the security force had their hands on the trigger as their superior spoke to the men armed to the teeth, they knew not even raiders could be so heavily armed so they were weary of the strangers.
"You'll have to speak with the mayor about that, if you wish to enter Grayland you will have to surrender your weapons" spoke the gate guard, Naruto nodded as he took off his M-16 and both his Desert Eagle before handing them to Tiger, "I will be the only one to enter" Naruto informed the guard, the guard nodded and signaled his men to open the door. The blond turned back to his men as they opened the gates, "Wait here, I'll be out soon. For the time being secure the perimeter" ordered the blond, his men nodded and set up a perimeter around the entrance.
The gate guard led Naruto inside and through the streets of Grayland, merchants haggled their goods while children ran through the streets squealing in joy. There were stores, restaurants, a doctor's office, a bar, and even a hotel. The peace brought a nostalgic smile behind his mask, but that smile turned into a snarl as he remembered who destroyed his village.
'I haven't forgotten you, Brotherhood. It's only a matter of time before Archangel finds your headquarters and I can finally take my revenge' swore the blond.
Naruto was brought from his thoughts when the guard informed him that they had arrived, "The mayor has been informed of you arrival" Naruto nodded and walked into the town hall, he was greeted by a secretary who led him to the mayor's office.
He entered the room and was greeted by a man in his sixties with gray hair and wearing a faded black suit, "Welcome to Grayland, my name is Clark Jackson the mayor of this town" Naruto shook the man's offered hand, "It's nice to meet you Mr. Mayor, I am Naruto Namikaze" greeted the blonde, "Naruto Namikaze? That is quite a strange name" Jackson pointed out. Naruto nodded, "I am a descendent from people that were not native to Pre-War America" explained blond, the mayor nodded in understanding and beckoned him to take a seat.
The blond sat in the offered seat before speaking, "Mr. Jackson, the reason I am here is to inquire some information about a new group of raiders that have risen up…" explained Naruto, "They call themselves the Shinigami and I was hoping you had some information about them or where they are."
The mayor sat at his desk in thought, "The Shinigami? Those raiders have been especially troublesome for myself and my town, they've been raiding our supply routes and merchant trails for the last three weeks…" frowned Jackson, "While they are raiders, I reckon they are more decent than other groups" informed the mayor causing Naruto to narrow his eyes, "How so?" questioned the blond, "They leave the merchants and the guards I send with them alive and with enough food and water to return to Grayland…" spoke the mayor, "…I'm afraid I don't know where their base is but I do know that tomorrow night they will be raiding the supply caravan traveling on Route 17" spoke the mayor, "Why is it that you want to know, Mr. Namikaze?" questioned the mayor, "I have reason to believe that someone in that group murdered someone close to me" lied the blond, he couldn't just tell the mayor he knew someone from that group of raiders or else the mayor might try and arrest the blonde for being affiliated with a raider group. His father had done the same many times, so Naruto knew that lying was best.
Jackson nodded in understanding, "Of course, I can tell you are very trust worthy Mr. Uzumaki. Please allow me to offer you and your men rooms to stay tonight free of charge…" said the mayor with a too sweet to be true smile causing Naruto to narrow his eyes. Naruto wasn't a fool, in the wasteland you didn't find people who were nice unless they had ulterior motives but he wanted to give his men some time to rest before they confronted the raider group tomorrow.
The blond seemed hesitant but eventually agreed, "I accept your offer, Mr. Jackson."
The mayor clapped his hands together, "Excellent, I'll have Bethany send a message to the Inn to let them know they have guests" smiled the mayor causing Naruto to feel slightly uneasy.
The mayor and Naruto shook hands once more before Naruto left town hall and was escorted back to the gate. What the mayor didn't know was that Naruto had planted a bug in his office as he was leaving, allowing the blonde to hear any conversation from his Pip-Boy.
He saw Hawk, his sniper, flat on his stomach with an eye looking through the scope. Tiger and Dog kneeled against the rocks near the entrance with their AK-47's in hand while Bear leaned against the wall with his RPG off his back.
The ANBU immediately noticed their leader and snapped at attention, "Your orders, General?"
"I received information that the Shinigami will be attacking a trade caravan on Route 17 tomorrow night, the mayor has offered us places to stay for the night and I have accepted…" informed the blond commander, his men nodded and they all entered the village.
They walked through the village as a guard escorted them toward Brahmin Inn, they noticed the villagers were giving the strangers a wide birth and looks of fear. As they reached the Inn, a woman in her twenties stood at the entrance.
"Welcome to the Brahmin Inn, Y'all must be tuckered out after such a day" spoke the brunette hostess as she handed them their room keys, "If y'all need something don't hesitate to holler" offered the brunette with a smile causing all the members of the group to narrow their eyes before walking away.
"All of you are off-duty from now on until 0900…" stated Naruto, "…Get some rest, we have an important mission tomorrow" advised the blond commander, his ANBU nodded and went to their individual rooms.
Naruto entered his room to see it was modest. It had a bed, a dresser, a lamp, and a bathroom. The blonde put his weapons on the table and stripped off his armor, he sat on his bed and looked at his Pip-Boy for any messages from Grant or Konohamaru only to see he had none except Grant promising to kill him for assigning all his military paperwork causing a smirk to appear on the blondes' face.
After Naruto finished checking his messages, the blond then connected to the bug he had left in the mayor's office.
There was some static but Naruto strengthened the signal until he could hear voices clearly, "Have they left their room?" asked a voice that sounded like the mayor, "No, my men report that they are still in their rooms and I don't think they plan on leaving."
"Good, I'd rather not let those outsiders see something they shouldn't" spoke the mayor, "Then why did you offer them rooms for the night, sir?" questioned someone who sounded like the gate captain from before, "Did you see those weapons? They look like they're state of the art. If we could get our hands on them, we could guard the slave caravans better" mentioned the mayor.
'Slave caravans!' thought Naruto in shock causing him to listen more intently, "Those damn raiders, the Shinigami! What the hell does that word even mean!?" demanded the mayor in anger, "They're set back out slave delivery for another two days, if we can't get those slaves north then we lose more caps" explained the mayor, "So are we going to let this group handle the raiders?" asked the gate guard, "Yes, that blonde, Naruzo or some shit told me that those raiders killed someone important to him. I bet my money that they want to kill those raiders as much as we do…" insisted the mayor, "…I want you to have your men follow them closely and watch them and the raiders fight, after the fight kill off whoever survives and take their supplies. Killing two birds with one stone, we get rid of a pesky group of raiders and we get some advanced weaponry" spoke the mayor with a dark chuckle.
"Of course, sir. I'll inform my men" replied the gate captain before a door opening and closing sounded.
Naruto turned off the listening device and frowned at the intentions of the mayor, it seemed wherever he went human greed and corruption was manifesting. The town he had thought was perfect was actually rotten at the core.
He grabbed the radio on his armor and pressed the PTT (Push to talk) button and spoke, "Captain Terri, come in, over…" There was static until a voice come in on the other end, "This is Terri, over."
"My squad and I will be meeting with the VIP's on Route 17. I want your ship set up to ambush any hostiles tomorrow night on Route 17, over" ordered the blond, "Copy, orders received. Over and out."
Naruto breathed out a heavy sigh as he reattached the radio to his armor and laid in bed, he could feel the sleep creep on him but the excitement of finding someone from his past was keeping him awake.
He just stared at the ceiling until the sleep took him.
May 13, 2277
2100 Hours
Eastern Commonwealth: Route 17, New York Wasteland
Naruto and his men stood on the hill overlooking a stretch of Route 17. The sun was beginning to set and his men were alert for anything to happen, Naruto scanned the stretch of Route 17 over a wall with the magnification optics in his helmet. Hawk, his sniper, had set up a snipers nest on a nearby billboard tower. Bear leaned against a wall with his P90 in hand while Tiger and Dog hid under a nearby overpass.
Suddenly there was static on their radio, "Commander, I've spotted the target a mile out…" informed Hawk, "Report what you see, Hawk" requested the blond, "A caravan, at least six guards armed with assault rifles and three Brahmin carrying supplies…" reported Hawk, "Alright do not fire unless I give the order, understood?" commanded Naruto, "Roger that."
The sun dipped under the horizon leaving the moonlight to bath the wasteland, "Activate infrared vision" advised the blond, he pressed a switch on his Pip-Boy and the world was lit up with blue, the wasteland, and a moving red mass, the caravan.
They watched as the caravan moved closer and closer until finally a large amount of heat signatures appeared on the other side of Route 17. The large group charged the caravan and took the guards by surprise that couldn't see too well in the dark, the raiders quickly disarmed the guards and tied them up before they started unloading the supplied from the Brahmin.
"Let's go, I want to get these supplies back to base before midnight!" shouted a dark figure with a bandana covering his lower face, Naruto couldn't help but remember the tone of voice. He had a flashback of Sasuke in the academy, looking out the window or eyeing his hunting rifle.
He pushed the PTT on his helmet, "Move in, do not fire. I repeat do not fire" commanded the blond, his men all ran down the hill with their weapons pointed. Naruto himself sprinted down the hill with his M-16 pointed ahead of him and his finger on the trigger, he wanted to make sure the raider leader was who he thought he was.
"Hostiles spotted!" warned one of the raiders causing all the rebels to drop what they were doing and point their guns at Naruto and his squad.
"Drop your weapons!" demanded their leader, "You drop yours!" shouted Naruto back, he was now fairly sure it was Sasuke. If he could get the stranger in the light of the lamp on the Brahmin, he would be able to confirm by seeing his face.
"Who sent you!? Was it that corrupt bastard of a mayor in Grayland?" demanded the leader, "No one sent me, I came here to track down a group of raiders calling themselves the Shinigami…" explained Naruto calmly, "…It was surprising to find a group of raiders that named themselves after the word 'Death God' in Japanese" continued Naruto, "How do you know that?" questioned the leader in surprise. Naruto slowly lowered his weapon and stepping into the light, "I learned how to speak Japanese in my home village of Ihaigakure before it was destroyed by the Brotherhood of Steel…" answered the blond before taking off his mask and exposing his face, the leader of the raiders also stepped forward and pulled off his bandana revealing exactly who Naruto had suspected.
"Sasuke Uchiha, it's been a long time my friend" smiled Naruto. Sasuke mirrored the smile, "Yes it has, Naruto."
"Lower your weapons, they aren't a threat" ordered the blond, "Do the same" Sasuke commanded his men. Both sides hesitantly lowered their weapons before the raiders resumed packing up the supplies.
"How long has it been, Naruto?" asked Sasuke, "Over seven long years, Sasuke…" replied the blond, "Where were you, we all thought you died in the village…" questioned the raven-haired Uchiha. Naruto held up his hand and looked behind his back, "I'll explain everything later, right now we have company" snarled the blond.
The large group was suddenly blinded by floodlights, they were forced to cover their eyes to avoid the extremely bright lights.
"Here I thought both of your groups would kill each other off, letting me quickly finished off any survivors and complete my mission" spoke the gate captain with a annoyed tone, "Show yourself, coward!" shouted Sasuke as he walked forward only to be forced back when a bullet exploded in the pavement under his foot, "I have no reason to listen to you, trash. You've been causing enough trouble for our town and we're going to make sure you stop being a problem… permanently" threatened the gate captain menacingly. Sasuke was about to step forward but Naruto stopped him, "Calm down, Sasuke" Naruto urged his friend, "Let me handle this…" advised the blond, "I came prepared" Finished Naruto with a smirk.
He pressed the PTT on his mask, "Captain Terri, you are clear to fire."
"Roger that, Commander. Weapons free" There was a shimmer in air before the Dragon appeared in view, it's twin belt-fed Auto-Cannons sped up before firing a barrage of 20mm rounds at a rate of 2500 rpm into the enemy.
The town security forces were mowed down by 20mm rounds, the bullets ripped their bodies to shreds and killed others before they even knew what happened. The Auto-Cannons slowed down as they released smoke from the barrel, there was nothing left of the town's security forces and were reduced to nothing but puddles of blood and the occasional lump of flesh.
The Dragon once again shimmered before disappearing without a trace, "All hostiles were neutralized, Commander. I will await further instruction, over and out" spoke the Dragon pilot.
Naruto turned back to Sasuke, whose jaw was unhinged at the sight he had just seen, "W-What was t-that?" stuttered Sasuke as he tried to comprehend what just happened, "That my friend was a Sigma-Class Dragon Assault Craft, one of the many ships in my nation's Air Force…" explained the blonde with a smug smile, "…A-Air Force…" sputtered Sasuke, "…Just what the hell have you been doing these past seven years!" exclaimed the Uchiha, pointed a finger at the blond.
Naruto chuckled as he rubbed his head sheepishly, "I think its best I explain it to you somewhere private" advised the blond, Sasuke nodded in agreement and ordered his men back to base while leading Naruto and his squad to their home.
May 13, 2277
2130 Hours
Eastern Commonwealth: Andover, New York Wasteland
It didn't take long for them to arrive in the raider groups' home. From what his Pip-Boy had told him, it was the Pre-War town, more like village, of Andover. It was fairly small and desolate, not too many wastelanders passed through the small town preferring to go through the bigger towns in search of supplies and junk to sell.
But the town did have its perks like having a good bit of farmland to grow food and a reservoir that collected rain for drinking water, and the town had a majority of its homes in decent shape since all the nuclear warheads detonated too far away to cause any damage to the village. But Naruto couldn't help but noticed the destroyed parts of wall that seemed to have surrounded the village or parts of the village seeming have been destroyed recently.
They walked down Main Street past the market and the village office and turned left on Elm Street until they reached Andover Central School District, a large school building that use to hold the first graders up to the high school seniors in one big building. Now it held a large group of raiders that had created a name for themselves across the Wasteland Empire State.
They walked past the armed raiders guarding the entrance and walked into the gym where all Sasuke's people were. Naruto noticed there weren't only armed raiders but also women and children, "First time I've seen a raider group take care of women and children" muttered the blond. Sasuke shook his head, "We had no choice, we rescued a majority of them from being sold up in Buffalo as slaves by the town of Grayland…" explained the Uchiha, "…They had nowhere else to go, escaped slaves have bounties put on their heads from both the slavers in Buffalo and the security force in Grayland. If we left them then we might as well have put those slave collars on them ourselves" Sasuke informed the blond.
Naruto nodded in understanding, "I don't think I would have done any different" approved the blonde, Naruto and Sasuke walked in silence until they reached a table with familiar faces; Kiba, Ino, Hinata, and Choji, all of them drinking and laughing.
"Well if it isn't the Teme, you're late. The whisky is already gone, Hahaha" boasted Kiba intoxicated, "Whose that with you?" asked Ino curiously, "Yeah, he looks oddly familiar" commented Choji.
"The mission went well, we got plenty of supplies to last us for a few weeks. Although I did run into someone we all use to know" spoke Sasuke, "You guys all remember, Naruto Namikaze." Everyone's eyes widened as they stared at Naruto, finally remembering the blonde from their academy classroom.
"N-Naruto is that really you?" questioned Ino. Naruto raised a hand and waved, "Yo, everyone. It's good to see all of you again" greeted the blond.
Kiba was the first to greet Naruto in his intoxicated state, "Naruto!" shouted Kiba as he threw himself on the blond and pulled him into a crushing hug, "W-Where have y-you been y-you B-Baka! W-We all t-thought you w-were dead!" bawled Kiba as tears slid down his cheeks, Naruto didn't know what to say and only patted Kiba on the back.
Eventually, Sasuke dragged the intoxicated Kiba off of Naruto and let everyone else greet their long lost friend. Ino and Hinata gave him a hug while Choji shook his hand, "Before I say anything, who are they?" questioned the blond, pointing at three people he had never met before.
"That's Tenten, Neji, and Lee. They were all survivors from the same village, they were genin during the attack but escaped before the explosion" explained Sasuke, Naruto nodded in understanding before waving at the group, "It's nice to meet you." Tenten waved back while Neji gave him a nod and Lee gave him a smile so bright, he could have sworn he saw his teeth shine.
"So mind telling us what you've been up to the last seven years, Naruto?" questioned the Uchiha. The blond took a seat before letting out a heavy sigh, "Where to begin…"
Naruto then began telling them how his father had sent him away with Kakashi to survive the assault when his father realized the village was doomed. He told them about the jonin base and the his surrogate older brother dying in front of his eyes, he then told them about the Brotherhood of Steel and their involvement in the destruction of their former village. He recalled rescuing Konohamaru and told them about the raider attack on Allentown, NJ before telling them about his abduction.
"You don't honestly expect us to believe you were abducted by aliens, do you?" snorted the blonde, "If you don't believe me, then how about some proof…" Everyone leaned forward and beckoned him to continue.
Naruto drew his combat knife and laid it on the table before laying his hand flat out on the same table, "The aliens replaced my blood with some sort of metal substance. Unless you have a high powered rifle, you won't get past my skin…" explained the blond, "…Go ahead and try to stab my hand" dared Naruto, everybody seemed hesitant at first but eventually Sasuke grabbed the knife and raised it over his head. He swung down with all his might and was shocked when the knife didn't even break skin, instead the metal of the knife bent sideways.
"Believe me now?" taunted the blond causing everyone to shake their heads, after Naruto finished his story everyone couldn't help but be impressed with what the blond had accomplished in a couple months. The powers he now held seemed out of this world, "So, what have you guys been doing?" questioned the blond expectantly.
Sasuke let out a tired sigh as he began to tell their tale, "After the village was attacked, our parents came to take us away. We managed to escape in the chaos of the battle, my father stayed behind to defend the village while my mother took me and a small group of Uchiha out of the village. We got a few miles downriver before we saw the explosion, at that time we knew the village was gone and our home was destroyed. We spent a few months scavenging through the neighboring towns and cities before we headed north in hopes of finding somewhere to settle down. We met up with a group Akimichi, Nara, and Yamanaka while we were scavenging in New York and decided to join groups for safety. A couple months later we found this little town and decided to make it home, we tried to make a decent village… you know attracting merchants to trade and travelers to go through the village and start an economy."
"Unfortunately…" continued the Uchiha, "…Grayland held all the trading power in this region, they attacked the village for trying to take their business and stole anything that we had of value. We were forced to become a raider group in order to survive but we never stole from innocent wastelanders and instead stole any caravans we could get going to Grayland…" explained Sasuke, "…We began calling ourselves the Shinigami and eventually a group of Aburame, Hyuuga, and Inuzuka that escaped Ihaigakure heard about us and came to join us. For a couple years we've been taking supplies from Grayland, but we haven't been pillaging all their supplies…we refused to be put in a category as all those other uncivilized savages of raiders. It wasn't until recently that a new mayor was elected in Grayland 2 years ago…" spoke Sasuke venomously, "…That corrupt bastard turned the town into a cesspool, he began kidnapping wastelanders that set foot in Grayland and selling them to slavers up in Buffalo, he also began to whore out the women of his village to lure wastelanders to their village. His caravans began arming up guards to start transporting slaves up to Buffalo, it made it harder for us to take caravans when that bastard knew we wouldn't attack them head on if there was a chance of someone innocent being killed. We were forced to attack caravans more carefully and less frequently causing a shortage of supplies."
"While there was a shortage, Shikamaru was able to get a purifier from a nearby vault and install it into the reservoir giving us an independent supply of drinking water while Shino was able to breed a bug species that fertilized the land and let us grow some vegetables…" A frown adorned Sasuke's face as he continued, "…What we didn't know was that we were attracting too much attention, a wasteland settlement with some growing food and people will be curious but a settlement with purified drinking water and people will do anything they can to get their hands on it…"
"…A couple months ago, this group calling themselves the Enclave came up and demanded to see the person in charge. At the time, Shino's father, Shibi, was in charge of the group, he talked to the Enclave group and found out they were remnants of the Pre-War Government of the United States…" A snarl adorned Sasuke's face as Naruto emotionlessly listened on, the room was empty as everyone else had gone to sleep and only Naruto and Sasuke remained, "…They were demanding we submit all our supplies and go with them to Kami knows where. When we asked why, they told us that we were citizens of the United States and were required to obey their orders. Naturally, we wanted nothing to do with them so we killed off the Enclave group and sent one back to pass on the message to their superiors…" A look of regret was etched on his face, "…That was our first mistake, apparently the first group they sent were some lowly officers and grunts. We had no idea they were so technologically advanced or organized, and the following week we were taken by surprise…" A look of fear was on Sasuke's face, "…It was like the day Ihaigakure fell all over again, the sound of Verti-Bird engines sounded over the horizon at dawn forcing everyone from their sleep. Flashbacks of that horrific day came crashing down on me as I grabbed my rifle and hoped to Kami I was still dreaming, but I was wrong…" shuttered the Uchiha, "…ten Enclave Verti-Birds landed outside the village and soldiers dressed in power armor and holding weapons more advanced than the Brotherhood stood at the village gates. Their commander gave us a choice, surrender unconditionally or be destroyed. We refused and a bloody battle was fought…"
"We fought on the streets for three days, the Enclave pushed us back slowly and were killing us off in large numbers. We had learned our lesson with the Brotherhood and were able to hold them back and even kill a good number of them. But by the end, we were down to only 30 from out original number of 100…" Sasuke face had a look of sadness, "…All our parents and senior clan members died during the battle leaving us and any younger members left to run the village. Shikamaru managed to cut a deal with the Enclave commander, in exchange for him and Shino joining the Enclave, their commander swore to leave the village alone and never come back…"
Sasuke slumped back in his chair, "…Shikamaru and Shino sacrificed themselves to make sure we survived, after everything happened. We all decided I become the leader of the group, there's so much I want to do but I don't have the time, resources, or men to get them done…" Naruto raised an eyebrow, "What is it you want to do, Sasuke?"
"…I want to get rid of those slavers in Buffalo. With them gone, the slaving trade in this region will crumble and we will be able to prevent any more people from being kidnapped and sold as slaves. I want to stop being a group of raiders and not have to scrounge and steal to feed ourselves, and I want those Enclave bastards to die a painful death by my hands!" demanded the Uchiha as he slammed his hands into the table.
Naruto nodded, "Sasuke, the reason I searched for you is because I want you to join me, join me in creating a new nation and bringing peace to the wasteland. I can give you the supplies and the soldiers to reach your goals, the only thing I ask for return is you loyalty to me and my nation…" Sasuke looked at Naruto, the man who had gone through just as much as him. Both had lost their family, their dreams, and their homes, by the same people. Sasuke wanted revenge and the blond was the same, he knew the blond had the resources and the power to achieve that revenge.
But Sasuke wasn't naïve, he hadn't seen his friend in seven years. He knew people could change and, while he didn't want to believe it, he knew his friend had changed, whether for better or worse. He wanted to take the blond on his offer, but he still had to look out for his group and do what was best for them.
After some mental debating, the Uchiha reached a decision, "Fine, I accept…" Sasuke shook Naruto's hand while the blond smiled sincerely, "You won't regret this, Sasuke."
The Uchiha nodded and returned with his own smile, "I hope not…"
Naruto stood from the table as members of the group began to enter the kitchen for their morning meal, Sasuke watched as Naruto walked out of the building and hoped he had made the right decision.
Naruto walked out of the large school building and placed his helmet on his head, "Come in, Terri. Over…"
"This is Terri, over…" responded the Dragon pilot, "I need you to return to the Genesis and tell the General I am requesting four squads of ANBU and a company of infantry to my location" commanded the blond.
There was static until the Dragon pilot answered, "Roger that, General. I have received the message and will deliver to the General on the Genesis. Over and out…" There was a boom in the air as the Dragon patrolling the sky rocketed through the sky and left earth's atmosphere to return to the Genesis.
Naruto stood in the street and watched the Dragon leave into the horizon. When it was gone he watched a new day begin in the wasteland.
"This is it…" thought the blond as the sun rose over the Earth, "This is the beginning of a new dawn…"
END:
Another chapter over with, I hope you like the name. I kinda wish I thought of something better but I tried for a day straight and this was all I could think of… Oh well, the show continues.
Remember to favorite and review, give some suggestions or ideas I could add to the story.
Chapter 4: The First Battle of a New Dawn