((I don't own Naruto, Strike Witches or anything Marvel))
Strike Ninja
Chapter 4: Guilt
It's been a week since Yoshika and Lynette has shot down their first Neuroi and Naruto couldn't be prouder of the two. On top of that, he and Minna were becoming ever closer. Presently he was returning to his dorm from the hangers after working on plans for a new reverse engineered suit when he heard a scream from Trudy's room.
Naruto raised an eye brow and activated his gauntlets before grabbing the door knob, turning he slowly opened the door while aiming his right laser emitter around the room.
Seeing no threat he looked to Trudy who was sitting on her bed shaken.
"Lieutenant Barkhorn? Is everything alright? I heard you scream." Naruto asked worriedly.
"It-it's nothing, just a nightmare." Trudy replied shaken.
"Need to talk about it at all?" Naruto asked calmly.
"No it's... actually yes please." Trudy answered smiling calmly.
Naruto nodded and sat on the edge of her bed.
"I noticed you've been bothered for a while, I presume this nightmare has something to do with it?" Naruto asked.
"It's my sister, a few months back, a Neuroi attacked our home town, we tried defending it, we destroyed the Neuroi, but my sister wasn't in a shelter and the debris..." Trudy tried.
Naruto didn't say anything.
"She survived but she's been in a coma ever since. I... it's all my fault, if I'd been stronger or faster, or I'd" Trudy began to cry as Naruto set a hand on her shoulder.
Trudy looked at him tears in her eyes.
"It wasn't your fault, and I'm sure she'll pull through, she's your sister after all, one doesn't have a sister as tough as you without being strong her self." Naruto said smiling.
"But it is my fault. I promised her I would protect her, and I couldn't even do that." Trudy replied.
"You did all you could, she will understand when she wakes up, besides the Neuroi are at fault. Not you." Naruto said as he got up.
"Think about what I've said Trudy. Guilt is a retched thing, it sticks to you like glue and is damn near impossible to get rid of." Naruto said calmly as he left the room.
Trudy looked at him as he left and closed the door before she laid back down.
"Naruto Namikaze... you are an interesting man... But you are wrong, it is my fault." Trudy thought.
Next Day
Naruto had just entered the dining hall after finishing the last checks for his new armour project when he saw Trudy sitting at the table when Minna and Erica sat by her.
Naruto smiled before looking and Mio and frowned.
His eyes flashed red.
"Kyuubi." Naruto thought.
"I know, you need to get to work on that suit kit." Kyuubi answered.
Naruto's eye turned blue again before he went to Minna.
"Morning himes. I just need to borrow the commander's attention for a few." Naruto said as he addressed Trudy, Erica and Minna.
"Oh? Of course Naruto." Minna replied as she followed him out of the hall.
"What is it you wanted to talk about Naruto." Minna asked smiling.
"It concerns Mio and her magic or rather it's fluctuations." Naruto replied prompting Minna to frown.
"So you picked up on it." Minna answered.
"I can help her, with your help." Naruto replied.
"What can I do?" Minna asked.
"Contrary to believe Minna, you all have chakra, everyone does, male and female. I am in the process of reverse engineering my suit to make one that will have less demand on the pilot's chakra." Naruto explained.
"And you need me to provide the resources and technical team for it." Minna explained.
"Yes, it won't be anywhere near as powerful as what I'm using but it will be superior to Mio's Striker unit and aircraft cannon." Naruto replied.
"What if I can't get this project approved?" Minna asked.
"Then Mio has a problem and may have to face being honorably discharged from the military before her magic really fails her. If it comes to that..." Naruto countered.
"It'll break her spirit. Flying is her whole world." Minna confirmed.
"Exactly, besides, I don't think the project will be rejected, it a weapon system that will be maid from reverse engineering the suit that they want." Naruto said smiling.
"I tried to keep it out of their hands." Minna frowned.
"No you tried to keep a super weapon from their hands, this one doesn't have the same capacity for mass destruction." Naruto explained.
"Neither does the suit you use." Minna said.
"The suit I use could blow pass nation defences and run terrorist strikes on civilians and then be gone before anyone could stop it, the project I'm working on is capable of Mach 1 at most." Naruto clarified.
"Very well, I'll take this to the board. What will this project be called?" Minna replied.
"It's called project War Machina." Naruto replied.
"Alright, I'll bring it to them later on today, but for now breakfast." Minna replied while Naruto nodded and followed her back into the dining hall.
Trudy then left while Yoshika frowned.
"Honestly I don't blame her, I mean you're serving rotten beans, I mean really, are you trying to poison us?" Perrine shot at Yoshika.
Naruto frowned and unsealed a can and knife and slid the knife and can to Perrine.
"If you complain about a good meal that Yoshika worked hard on then shut up and eat nutrient paste Miss has a stick up her ass." Naruto grunted while Perrine huffed.
"And how am I suppose to open it?" Perrine glared.
Naruto picked up the knife and stabbed it into the can's top.
"Cut it open and eat it off the knife like any true soldier would out in the field, call in military discipline training. And it's bad table manners to insult the chef... miss piggy." Naruto lectured and smirked at the end.
Perrine's face went red.
Minna leaned over to Naruto. "Is that really nutrient paste or whatever you called it?"
Naruto smirked. "Nope" He whispered back while Perrine began tried to grab the knife.
Perrine then grabbed the knife and pulled it out of the can before a pink gas sprayed her in the face.
"Eep!" Perrine squeaked as she fell over backwards out of her seat causing Naruto to chuckle.
"Naruto what is that gas?" Minna asked worriedly.
"He he what haha did he ha you do?" Perrine tried to ask between her laughter.
"Laughing gas." Naruto said smirking. "Don't you know? Never trust a fox?" Naruto said as he laughed at Perrine and soon everyone was chuckling at Perrine's expense.
"It'll wear off after a short while, though next time, learn to treat people with a bit more respect." Naruto said as he finished his breakfast.
"The meal was delicious Yoshika." Naruto said smiling while he stood up and left the table.
Aprox. 10:30 PM
Yoshika and Lyn were currently setting up sheets to dry on clothes lines when they saw Erica and Trudy flying overhead doing flight manoeuvres.
Down on the runway, Naruto looked up at Trudy and Erica crisscrossed in the sky and frowned.
"Come on Lieutenant, your sister wouldn't want this." Naruto thought out loud as he turned to go back to the plans for the War Machina and began going over how he was going to present the project.
Naruto turned to look over his shoulder again as he thought back to his own demons.
Flashback
Naruto was working on the senbon launchers in his shoulder armour when Hinata burst through the door.
"Naruto! Come quick, Kasumi's team just got back but Kasumi isn't with them!" Hinata cried as Naruto's eyes widened and activated all his armour before following Hinata out the door.
Flashback end
Naruto clenched his fist as he walked to his plans.
Noon
Everyone was sitting outside at table eating deserts while Naruto looked at a cupcake critically.
"What the heck is this thing?" Naruto asked eyeing it.
Lynette looked at him and chuckled. "It's a cupcake silly, basically it a mini cake, just take the paper tray off the bottom and eat it with your hands, it's a common sweet to most of the world." Lyn explained while everyone else nodded.
"Ah, I must admit, this would probably be the first sweet I've ever had. Military life never did allow such luxuries." Naruto smiled back while some frowned.
"Naruto if I may, i know it must be hard to answer but when did you get your first kill?" Charlotte asked cautiously.
"Believe it or not, my first kill was just before I was imprisoned, it got into many battles in my career but a tried to not kill my foes." Naruto answered.
"Just before... oh..." Minna confirmed.
Flashback
Naruto glared at the Ami and Sai.
"You expect me to follow the Hokage's orders and just leave her?" Naruto growled.
"I don't see why a demon like you would care." Ami growled back.
"We are shinobi and are expected to follow the orders of our Hokage, she said to stay put and let the ANBU handle it." Sai answered.
"I refuse!" Naruto said as she bolted out the gate and into the forest, flying as fast as he could toward the last place Kasumi had been seen.
Flashback end
"Any way, according to the operations room, we will attack the day after tomorrow, please use today to rest as much as you can." Minna instructed.
"Lynette and Yoshika, you two has training after this as well." Mio countered.
"Also last but not least, Naruto I took your request to the board of directors and it has been approved, a team and technicians and engineers will be here in three days time to begin work of the project." Minna announced.
"Thank you commander, I recently began scoping out weapons from various sources though I think I found one that might work, it's a rotating 8 barrelled heavy machine gun." Naruto replied.
"A mini gun? You're going to put a mini gun on the armour? How?" Minna asked shocked.
"I'm thinking... a Mini gun mounted to the back, maybe a missile pod on one of the shoulders, a rocket launcher in the other, machine guns or shot guns on the arms. In the even of ammo depletion there will also be pulse laser technology, though I don't know how powerful it'll be due to the armour using less chakra." Naruto explained.
Everyone just went buggy eyes at him.
"I guess I know how you came up with the name War Machina." Minna replied thoughtful.
"War Machina sounds like a girl's... no way! It's for one of us!" Eila yelled in realization.
Naruto closed his eyes. "Major Sakamoto's magic is failing, she has 3 options, Option 1, Dawn the War Machina. Option 2, resign from the military. Option 3." Naruto explained.
"What's option 3?" Yoshika asked worriedly.
"Death. Her magic would fail her as a time when she needs it most, no magic and no way to save her self." Minna said solemnly.
"Resignation for do more harm and good, flying means everything to Mio so the suit is the best option." Naruto explained.
"How soon can it be completed?" Mio asked.
"As soon as possible, this project is high priority." Naruto explained as he left the tables.
"I won't fail Mio, I can save her at least." Naruto thought as he went to the hangers.
Flashback
Naruto flew through the forest as fast as he could, the screeching wail of his jet scream warning all to stay out of his way.
Soon Naruto came upon the last know location of Kasumi and began scanning the area with thermal optics and found a trail of human foot prints.
Quickly reacting Naruto drop to the ground and ran in the direction of the foot prints before he came upon a clearing. In the centre, he found her. Kasumi's beaten and battered body was left out in the sun to rot, her clothes gone, her arms and legs bound by ninja wire to four kunai around her.
Naruto slowly approached her, shaking violently and dropped to his knees beside her.
Looking around Naruto quickly extended a blade from his gauntlet, cut the wires and scooped her up into his arms.
"Come on, Kasumi... you're safe now... I'm here." Naruto said, his voice cracking as she stared up at him with lifeless eyes.
"Kasumi please, say something, anything. You can't be..." Naruto cried.
"Kit... she's gone..." Kyuubi whispered in his mind.
"No! She's alive, I know she is! She... oh Kasumi. Please come back to me. Kasumi!" Naruto cried as he tried desperately to get some reaction out of her.
In his mind he could feel the demon fox close her eyes "Naruto..."
Naruto closed his eyes and laid Kasumi down and encased her in youkai crystal.
Naruto raised his hand and stood up, he opened his eyes and his optic lenses glowed bright red and he clenched his fists.
He scanned the crystal for all substances, multiple blips appeared on his H.U.D.
"Gerr Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Naruto let loose a roar and he shot off into the forest, rage consuming him.
Flashback end
aprox 5:00 PM
Naruto finished the final preparations for the War Machina briefing and was now heading to the dining hall when he stopped and frown.
Looking down the hallway to the dining hall, he saw Trudy.
"We both have something to feel guilty about don't we." Trudy asked.
"More than you know. She'll wake up when she's ready. Be thankful. You still have her." Naruto said sadly as they entered the dining hall and each took a seat.
After eating Naruto stood up only for Mio to place a hand on his shoulder.
"Member of the squad, come on." Mio said dragging Naruto.
"Ah wait, where are you taking me?" Naruto stammered.
5 Minutes later
Naruto saw nervously in the bath water, as he tried desperately to avoid gazing at Mio's Yoshika and Lynette assetts.
"Why am I here?" Naruto asked nerviously.
"You need to bath." Mio said washing her self.
"I have been bathing." Naruto said facing away from the girls.
"None of us have seen you." Mio countered.
"Boys don't bath with girls." Naruto replied.
"Squad mates bath with each other in the military." Mio countered.
"... Dammit... Alright I'll face this way then." Naruto said turning away from the girls.
"Fine by us, though I think Minna might be let down if you turn away while bathing with her." Mio said smirking.
Naruto's face went beet red.
"I imagine she'd prefer it if the man she has feelings for would admire her shapely body, he round perfect brea BOOM" Mio was interrupted by Naruto flying back with blood spraying from his nose.
Later that night
Naruto was tossing and turning in his sleep as Minna came to check on him after hearing about the bath incident only to find him having a nightmare.
Flashback
Flames, screams and death was everywhere as Naruto flew above a burning camp.
"RUN YOUR MURDERING CURS! YOU ALL DIE BY MY HAND! I'LL SLAUGHTER EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!" Naruto yelled in rage as he fired pulse lasers at a number of missing nin before spinning around and firing several rockets and killing dozens more.
Naruto then landed and dashed forward an high speed delivering crushing punches and kicks to a nearby missing nin before grabbing his head and crushing it in his hand.
Looking forward, he saw several more missing nin fleeing. Snarling, Naruto charged his chakra into his Unibeam and fired, killing the fleeing bandits and then jumping through the air and dropping down hard in the centre of the last of the bandits. "Graaaaah!" Naruto yelled as he charged his Unibeam again while hearing something.
"Naruto! Naruto wake up! It's me Minna!" The voice said.
Naruto saw a bright flash from his Unibeam and all went white.
Naruto jolted awake and he felt a pair of arms around him, looking to his right, he saw Minna, her eyes worried.
"Naruto, it's okay you're safe now. It's okay." Minna said as she hugged him.
"A nightmare... no... a memory." Naruto whispered as he wrapped his arms around Minna.
"I'm sorry for worrying Minna." Naruto whispered.
Minna merely smile reassuringly and sat on his bed and hugged him. "As long as you're okay, that's all that matters." Minna said as she rest her forehead against his and stared into his eyes before they began to drift together and kissed.
Naruto wrapped his arms around her waste, and she, his neck as they laid down.
Next day
Naruto and Minna both looked up as they watched Yoshika, Mio, Lyn and Trudy to manoeuvre training when the horn went off.
Minna nodded to Naruto before kissing him.
"Let's go." Minna said smiling.
"Time to dance Hime." Naruto replied and activated his armour and took after the other witches.
"Enemy sighted, permission to spearhead?" Naruto confirmed.
"Granted, we'll coming up behind you." Minna said.
"See you soon." Naruto said and the punched his thrusters and took off.
"Damn that's loud!" Mio said wincing.
Naruto opened fire with pulse lasers and the red areas of the Neuroi which it shot back.
Naruto pulled back while fired anti beam flares and stop the Neuroi beams before shooting forward again and did a strafing run of senbon, explosive kunai, rockets, and pulse lasers just as the witches arrived.
Looking toward the squad, Naruto saw Trudy was flying ahead of her squad and trying to do all the work her self.
"What is she doing?" Naruto asked, his eyes narrowing.
"Trudy! Back off! You're too close!" Naruto yelled as he shot toward her.
The Neuroi fired at Perrine whom was knocked into Trudy, knocking her closer to the Neuroi.
The Neuroi fired at Trudy as she tried to block only for something to fly in front of her.
The only thing she heard was an explosion, he eyes wide as Naruto fell to the ground, smoking billowing from his centre piece before an explosion blasted out from his armour, Trudy's eyes wide as she saw Naruto's battered armour fall into the forest.
"Naruto!" Minna screamed.
"Dammit, everyone open fire, keep that thing off Naruto! Minna check on him!" Mio yelled and Minna flew to the forest.
All the while Trudy hovered, frozen as her mind replayed what has happened. The explosion of Naruto's armour in front of her, his smoking body falling to the forest.
"No..." Trudy whispered shaking violently.
Down on the forest, Minna found Naruto and immediately began pulling off the armour and found his chest bleeding.
"Naruto!" Minna screamed as Naruto eyes opened.
"Minna... the seal... my hand... blood." Minna quickly pulled off Naruto's gauntlet and saw a seal on his palm, and then placed her hand on some of his place and grasped his palm.
With a poof of smoke a glowing device appear in front of her on the ground.
"Chakra... core, chest..." Naruto tried, the wound in his chest weakening him as the Kyuubi tried to heal him.
Minna then grabbed the core and placed it on his chest over the wound, the effect was instant as the core shot out chakra strings and sank into his chest over his hear, the core then turned red and lines of energy covered his body, a glow enveloped his body and his wounds healed.
"How...?" Minna asked thankful.
"The core amplifies chakra potency, it was designed for the War Machina to compensate for lower chakra output." Naruto explained as he saw up and winced only for Minna to kneel behind him and pull him back down, laying his head on her lap.
"Rest for now, you may be mostly healed but you're still wounded." Minna said as they watched the battle above.
"Minna... Her guilt needs to be dealt with now. Please bring her down." Naruto asked.
Minna looked down at him and nodded before gently setting his head down and got back into her Striker Unit and flew up to Trudy.
Soon after Minna brought Trudy back down as the others continued to fight.
"We'll protect you for now Naruto, and have that chat afterwards." Minna said as she and Trudy readied their shields.
"No... The core is more than just power." Naruto said as his chakra core began to glow bright red.
"Naruto?" Minna asked.
Suddenly the bright crimson Unibeam fired from the core, blowing through the Neuroi, destroying it.
The other witches came down as Naruto slowly stood up, Youkai coursing through him, replenishing his strength.
"Sergeant." Naruto grabbed Trudy by her uniform and left her into the air, eyes blazing red.
"What were you thinking? Trudy. Okay I can understand, your homeland was lost, you sister hurt. But get this through your thick skull, it was not your fault. Your sister is still alive. She WILL wake up. But there is not point to her doing so if the first thing she hears and that you, the only person she has left, went and got her self killed! What the hell do you think would happen to her then, her big sister, dead, she would blame her self. She'd have no one left. You need to get over this guilt before it kills you and and leaves your sister alone. I will not pity you this time Trudy." Naruto threw her to the ground.
"Pick your self up before I have to kick your ass." Naruto growled at her, his eyes returning to their original blue.
Trudy looked at the ground and nodded. "I'm sorry, I... guess I hadn't thought on it. And maybe I did need some one to kick my ass Naruto... thanks." Trudy said standing and smiled.
"Good then go see your sister. They say a familiar presence will guide the lost to safety." Naruto said smiling.
Later on
Naruto stood in front of a large case that he had unsealed from one of this containment seals.
Looking down at the note in his hand, he smiled.
The note:
Naruto inside this suit are the blue prints for a more advanced and more power version of your suit, we were going to build it but we figured you'd want to modify it to your specs after using the first armour, we call this suit, Extremis Armour.
Naruto smiled and put his hand on a seal on the case and opened it to reveal a sleeker and more advanced version of his Iron Man armour.
"Good thing I built this back in Konoha. Thank you Yuki." Naruto said out loud as he heard a whistle behind him.
Look behind him, he saw the witches.
"So... another armour to replace the one you lose. Damn it looks like a bag of chips alright." Trudy said smiling as they looked at it.
"Hm." Naruto nodded he he touched the triangle centre piece and opened the armour up before turn and backing into it, stepping into the boots and closed the armour.
A red HUD appeared inside the helmet.
"Shall I?" Naruto asked.
The witches stepped aside and Naruto shot outside even faster than his last suit.
"Mach 8! Here I come!" Naruto yelled!
"No fair you jerk stop showing off!" Charlotte yelled as everyone else chuckled.
Okay, I wanted to bring out some small bit of idea of Naruto loss while also implementing him in the guilt issue that he and Trudy are each facing. As you can see Minna isn't the only one with demons to face, No Naruto will not be with Trudy. Just Minna. Also Minna and Naruto did not do the bow chika bow wow in that one scene, they only kissed. Naruto's Extremis armour is Iron Man Extremis, in this story, he built it in Konoha, but never used it. Likely to keep attention off it and to keep it as a counter armour weapon in case Konoha got his first suit from him.
Okay here's the current armour match up.
Naruto – Extremis
Mio – Live action War Machine (War Machina)
Minna – Ultimate War Machina (Battle Maiden) (Ultimate War Machine is more powerful than Iron Woman hence why Sanya has Iron Woman.)
Sanya – Iron Woman (Iron Girl)
By the end of the season 1 Arc, I aim to have all girls have an armour of their own which will lead up to the third story taking place after season 2.