Naru: We are back, well mostly me. Yami is on the run once again for blowing up other people stuff in the town next over. So…Enjoy the chapter as I, Kyūbi, Balthier and our new lackey Sunstreaker go look for him.

Sunstreaker: Hey! How am I a lackey?

Naru: You are a lackey because you are the first one to leave while Kyūbi was the last. Thus you have demoted from senior officer to lackey when thou has returned.

Sunstreaker: Fine! But I won't make it easy!

Naru: I don't expect you to. It will just make what Kyūbi and I have planned for you a whole lot easier.

Sunstreaker: -gulps-


Disclaimer: We do not own any brand of the Naruto franchise, the Final Fantasy franchise, that of the Elder Scrolls franchise or any other franchise that we might include in the story.

WARNINGS: Yaoi, Yuri, Neglect, death, Sex, Possible torture, mention of possible rape, Abuse, Mpreg, lack of morality, gore, beast, language, mild Jiraiya bashing, mild Sakura bashing, strong Sasuke bashing, strong Kakashi bashing, and anything else that I can possibly come up with along the way.


Key:

"Looks whose talking"

'Looks whose thinking'

"Demonic talking of the bijuu"

'Demonic thinking of the bijuu/Mental Conversation with certain summons'

'Name of a Technique'

Chapter 6: Symbology

To say Balthier was surprised on how well Naruto took to the lessons on the culture of Espers would be an understatement. He had taken it all in like a fish to water. Odin was currently teaching the boy that when an Esper grows older and even more powerful than they have a better chance of surviving in Pulse Grandeur. Also it would increase the possibility an Esper of getting a secondary form if they live long enough. It wasn't always true for everyone because some have chosen to fuse forms or could never have one. Odin jumped up in the air to demonstrate this by transforming into his Equine form while his blades fell next to the boy. Making him cry out in fear on how close the weapons came to him. Naruto was soon comforted by the very Esper by letting the boy touch his now long, slender, metal head. That seem to cheer Naruto up before Odin grabbed the boy shirt to yank him onto his back.

Balthier could only sigh in misery from his patch of ground as joy filled laughter permeate the training area. He had yet to do the ritual because something would always happen in the last few days when he tried to go over the ritual with the Esperian. The only saving grace from this was the fact Balthier got more time to go over what he wanted to say to Naruto about his situation. At least get it to the point where Naruto won't run from the apartment screaming bloody murder. Balthier did not need the two jonin that were willing to live in the complex to come running with the intent to kill.

Balthier sees Odin come over with the child to only let him slide off of him. The esper press his head on the child forehead before pressing it against mine. It was time for Odin to go home to deal with clan business he had been ignoring. Naruto looked at him with those innocent sky blue eyes as he ready himself for the next lesson. This made the old warrior sigh again for it will not be a true lesson but an explanation of many that is to come and how things tended to be in the world. Balthier motioned for him to come here before patting the ground next to him as he says, "Naruto, there is something I need to tell you."

"Is something wrong?" Naruto asked him as he sat down next to his sensei as the young one sees the man take out a specialized rune that was created a few days ago. Balthier placed the rune to the left of his body after pushing chakra into the paper to activate it. The rune glowed a lavender color before it seem to expand off the paper to the ground around and underneath them. All Naruto could do was look on in awe from beginning to end of the structure creation. A dome of translucent lavender now surrounded both the student and teacher. As quickly as it formed it vanished like it never existed there in the first place. Naruto gave his sensei a confused look of what the purpose of making such a barrier. Balthier just smiled at him before saying, "I created this dome for the purpose of silence. We can hear each other inside of the dome because I placed enough chakra into the rune to make one big enough to fit two people. It does not take make chakra to create a barrier such as this because the Lull rune is part of the first tier of the Void class of symbology."

"What is first tier and void class?" Naruto questioned because he never heard of those terms being used before by anyone. The warrior made a noise of amusement over the fact his ward did not know but was glad he was asking about it.

"First tier is a level of techniques that based on the amount of chakra used, it usefulness, and its power level. This tier is actually the second of eight levels. First tier is the second to the last while the seventh one is the highest. The real first level is call Tier Zero. The tiers go from the weakest to the strongest by starting from zero and going to seven. While the Void class is one of many elements that represent certain, if not all, subjects in our world. A good example of this is runes. In order for it to be part of the void class it has to take away something. Such as, one or all of the senses like sound, have the ability to attack with void, or be able to store something into one of the numerous pocket dimensions," Balthier paused for a brief moment to let the information to soak into the blond thick head then continued on explaining, "Void is really an element that make up our world. It is one of eleven elements, but sadly everyone tend to have forgotten four of them in favor of five. The elements are fire, wind, water, earth, nature, metal, void, energy a.k.a. lighting, light, dark and chaos. All of these elements can be fused together to create or represent many things."

"I think that helped me understand what you had said a little bit better. Was that all you wanted?" inquired the eleven year old who was ready to get back to his training for the day. Balthier formed a serious frown on face and said, "No, I did not create this dome to teach you of classes, tiers or elements but to discuss something else entirely."

"What is it sensei," stated Naruto as he grew impatient of sitting here on the grass wasting time. Gathering his courage to speak about something most cannot handle today, "Naruto what do you know of the living dead?"

"All I know is that they are evil beings because the dead cannot live or should have the ability to walk again. That is what Jiji and some of the older ninjas said when they were talking about some undead creatures that use to walk area when they were younger. Jiji told me that many ninja's use to run into a lot of them during the last three shinobi wars when asked I about it. Said they were guarding a treasure at the time but at the time none of the Hokage's had the manpower or resources to go after none of the Hokage's could go look for it due to the lack of resources and manpower during that time," Naruto answered him as he try to think more of the subject. While it caused Balthier was elated that his kin had more a presence here than he thought but those words that were spoken from Naruto had hurt him to know that the boy had such bias judgement against the dead that protected artifacts of old. The old warrior did feel a sense of pride that it took three wars to clear out the surface of the area of the undead creatures.

"Then you must think I am evil as well child," Balthier looking up into the many branches and leaves of the trees that engulfed them.

"You are not evil! You helped me more than anybody had ever done in this village. Out of everyone in the village, you're my saint and angel!" Naruto yelled at him, surprising the man that his ward thought he wasn't evil in anyway or form. Balthier smiled at that as he continued to look up into the trees as light of the evening sun glowed through them. Several minutes of silence passed before the illusioned man said anything, "Naruto, what I was trying to say to you is that I not alive at all. I am one of those warriors your Jiji told you about."

"You are but," Naruto trailed off as unease settle into his stomach. How was it possible that someone who look so young and vibrant in front be part of the world of the dead? Suddenly that image started to fade away in front of him as Balthier let the mirage of himself slip away to show the boy it was true. Before the blond now was a mass of grey, dry skin in modern cloths and a headband. A scarf was wrapped around his head to cover the dead hair that took the place of once living one. Seeing this, the boy wanted to scream but his voice would not come out. The knowledge someone dead was acting as his sensei freaked the boy out to the point he could only manage out one word, "How…?"

Looking at his ward to show the dead sockets of where the eyes should be to say, "I will regal you with stories of my past later for you deserve a straight answer. Long ago, there use to exist a different kind of world before your era was even thought of. This was a world where the gods were prevalent, magick's was everywhere, beast roamed the plains, numerous races co-existed with one another, and it was a place where I felt like I belong. During that time those gods gave me a task to do. I was able to complete it after a very perilous journey that took a great amount so I could protect my family, your ancestry, so I could spend the rest of my days with them. That was until I actually died and meet Arkay, the god presiding over death. In the end, I was tossed back to help guard the very item the Yui clan had separated to protect the world even if it meant doing so in death. Eons later, here I am in front of you, my descendent with the strongest of bloodline over others. You and an older woman are the keys to help me keep our family artifact out of the hands of evil. There are people willing to bring back a creature that is worse than any vile person or thing in the world today."

"Why choose me then? Why tell me everything now or at all?" Naruto asked as his back pressed up against the barrier, making the purple color glow expanded behind him. Scared of what the undead man might do to him despite the fact he had helped him for the last three months. It was sort of the main reason that the blond was not running and screaming towards any ANBU or the Hokage right now.

"Your chakra and the bloodline guided me to you above all others. My reasoning as to why I am telling you this now is because tomorrow night I will be doing a ritual with the help of Odin. I needed to tell you now so you will not be so fearful like you are now of what you might see," Balthier answered as he carved a new symbology rune onto the ground in between them. Pushing charka into the rune made the sound barrier glow briefly a dim burnt orange color before it faded. Having thought to camouflage the way he looked without re-placing an illusion onto his body.

Naruto was now curious as he wondered about the ritual. Sitting up to place his arms onto his knees, Balthier could feel the unsaid question from the boy before he spoke, "All I can I say about the ritual for now is that it will bring my body back to the state I was in before I died. Any illness or defect that I might have had while I was alive won't be making a return today."

"So, that's what the voice in that jewel spoke about with the others," Naruto stated, making the warrior think about how stupidly easy it is to keep the information from Naruto at the time. To finally become useless as he told the now scared boy about what he truly was since it could not be helped.

"Yes, that is what Lady Mara spoke of when we meet with the Esperian's. The thing is Naruto, all I am asking from you is to give me a chance to be part of the living once more," he stated as got off the ground to stand up. Balthier looked down at the boy as he stretched out his dry, grey hand to the boy. Believing Naruto would follow him even though he only knew the ancient warrior for a short amount of time. Naruto sat there for several minutes contemplating over the prospects of continuing if once again accepted the help from the one person willing to give it. Naruto smaller hand went towards that of the warrior to hover in front of the dead one in hesitation before untimely grabbing the old hand. Having coming to the conclusion that it would not be fair to judge the man like the village over something he had no control over. How would he get the people to view him in a good way if he did not give other people the same curtesy?

"I will give you a chance like you gave me when you helped me start training properly. Plus, with how this village is," the Uzumaki trailed off as he was pulled up by the Balthier. Balthier understood what he was trying to say but kept quiet about it. That was going to be the next hurtle he was going to go over with the blond. Sometime after the ritual was done and his ward got use to the idea that his sensei is thousands of years old.

"I need you to promise me that you will never tell of what you have seen and what I told you today. Promise me on the family line as a Yui," Balthier pleaded to his young charge. Even though he could not truly show ability to plead doesn't mean his voice could not sound like it. Naruto somewhat got the idea as to why his sensei did not want the people to know. From the way he had reacted, the villagers would act the same way but in a much grander way where their fear would overcome the people.

"I understand sensei. I promise I will not tell anyone without your permission," Balthier formed a crooked smile as the blond said the promise with such conviction. With the knowledge that Naruto will continue to stand by the warrior side even though he was part of the undead world made him feel a great amount of peace and bliss. Placing the illusion back before canceling both of the runes he placed on the ground earlier. Balthier burned the paper rune after picking it up then rubbed away the one that was carved into the ground. Training resumed as if nothing ever happened mere moments ago.

-Next Day, Academy, School Letting Out-

"Come on Naruto! Come play with us!" yelled a female blonde with a hand waving in the air a good distance away. Next to the girl was her friends via their parents being teammates since they were children. Those friends consisted of Shikamaru Nara and Chōji Akimichi. Naruto smiled and ran up to them. That smile slowly turned into a frown as Balthier needed his help today with the ritual. He did not know if sensei would let him play with them because of it. The group noticed the change in demeanor and did not know what to make of it. Suddenly a voice from a nearby tree got their attention, "Go on and play with your friends Naruto. Just remember to come home at six to make up the time you have missed."

With a wave, Balthier jumped away to the apartment complex to get the ritual ready in an empty apartment he got ready to rent out. With that the smile return on Naruto face as the group went off to play in the afternoon sun.

-Afternoon, Nara household-

Currently the younger version of the Shika-Ino-Cho trio were in the living room of the Nara household. The topic on top of the minds of the young ones was that of the new sensei teachings them who happened to be helping out Naruto more than the others. All of this done once said child had left the Nara home around five this afternoon.

"I don't know, he is alright guy in my books. He comes to the shop to help with deliveries in exchange for flowers and herbs. Even for money when needed," Ino stated as she thought over the question Shikamaru asked them moments ago. Chōji seem to nod in agreement before saying, "Came to one of our restaurants to do deliveries and cleaning, in exchange for cooked meals, even cooking lessons. Saying, being a warrior in the town he was in before didn't give him the chance to learn on how to cook properly."

"Don't both you find it strange he's willing to do this even with his teaching job? Let alone have the additional burden of training Naruto," Shikamaru asked them as he continued to play shogi against himself. Chōji thought over it a bit as Ino loudly said, "No, it's not a strange thing at all. You easily forget that Balthier-sensei village was pillaged and was forced to come here with little to no money at all. That made him look for anyway to support himself until he found work. It just happened that my mother was the one to give him the idea when he was looking for herbs for potion making and cooking. Balthier-sensei merely used that idea when Tou-san introduced him to both yours and Chōji Tou-sans when he was one duty. As for Naruto, he could have easily seen how poorly Naruto was doing in school and decided to help him. It is a known fact that Naruto is orphan, and unlike us, he does not have a clan to help him train."

"You have a very valid deduction about your sensei situation, Ino. The training you are receiving from that man and Naruto has truly help you," a new person voiced in. The voice made the inquisitive group of children jump up from their position from sudden intrusion by the person. It was that of Shikaku Nara and behind him in the door way was his teammates having come to get their children once twilight started to roll in on the sky above.

"Tou-san, is it not strange that the first thing the new comer does is go for Naruto?" Shikamaru asked the elder Nara. Worried that something might happened to the blond boy. Shikaku sat down on one of the couches in the room in preparation on anything his son might say. After all, the boy was too much like him if he knew anything about himself.

"Shikamaru, why bring this up now? Three months ago, you, Ino, and Chōji did not care to be friends with Naruto. Let alone help him be a ninja he dreamed to be. It was not until Yui-san came along did you, Ino, and Chōji decide to become his friend while at the same time he done what most of us failed to do. So why care about him now when someone comes along to help him?" the elder Nara questioned him, seeing that his son, Ino and Chōji look down in shame for not trying to help their friend. They knew they didn't remotely try to become friends in the academy with Naruto when it was clear that he was desperate for them.

"Now that all of you seem to understand then it's time to leave this matter alone. It's something that does not concern children as yourselves," Inoichi stated as he spoke up on the matter. The children nodded as two of them got off the floor. The only reason two of them agree with their Nara was because they knew that this man was on the watch of the new shinobi to actually see the Yui was really helping the boy out with his dream. Thus the reason all three of them were helping out the man with food and herbs when he came to see about deliveries. They understood the salaries of the teachers were little to none which was made worst by being new to the village with only a small amount of money that he was able gather from the now destroyed village. Shikaku thought it over and couldn't be happier that the Uzumaki had finally found someone to care for him. He just hoped that nothing would tear them apart in the future to the point they would hate each other.

-Yui Apartment Complex, Empty Rental, 7:00 P.M.-

Balthier placed the last of the Lull runes onto the apartment walls and the ceiling so the people on the second floor would not hear what was going to happen below them. Odin was sitting on the floor having finished doing his part of the ritual a few minutes ago. All the Esper had to do now was to paint the other part of the equation onto Balthier back once he lays down on the overly large rune of the floor. Naruto came back to the complex about an hour ago and was watching the whole thing in weird fascination. Thinking it was safe to stay out of their way as they go about the entire event. They needed all their concentration to be focused on the task at hand. It was the reason as to why Naruto was their eyes and ears, along with two minor summons from the horse clan that Odin ruled over, were going to keep a look out for any ninja's.

These minor Espers have humanoid forms that were still more along beast than human. Showing they were more along the powerful ones but did not hold the power as their leader Odin, who looks human in his humanoid state. Except the metal look, the colors he held and the two round shining eyes in each socket. Other than that, Naruto loves how the summon looks like, it was just other people would have a problem with it.

"Okay, everything else is ready. Naruto, I need you to go to the apartment for this part and please stay in there," the ancient warrior commanded. He sees the boy about to object but gave him a stern glare to silence him.

"Strata, take the boy to the apartment," Odin ordered to a humanoid horse covered in grey fur. Strata nodded as he picked up the child and whisked him away. Knowing full in well to stay inside and hidden in case someone comes looking for the man in his apartment. If it comes to it, disguise himself to look like the undead human if someone was persistent to talk to the man. Once the two left the room, Balthier went to the door to activate the locking rune he had place earlier then went back over to the symbology rune on the floor.

"Let get this over with," Balthier said as he broke the illusion to show he wore nothing but a loin cloth. The general laid flat onto his stomach on top of the rune. He was in a position that covered a majority of the designs and equations that were written. Odin picked up several jars of ink, a brush and knelt down next to the old summoner. Balthier didn't move as cold ink started to make contact with his wrinkled, dry, grey back when it was painted into designs, old mathematics, and in a language long forgotten.

This was a time consuming event as everything needed to be painting different required color of specialized ink that had to be created by the warrior own hands. All of this in propose of what was required when the instructions was read from the book. Clanging of empty ink bottles signaled that Odin was done writing everything onto back. The next part was going to be the most alarming part since he will be taking a lot of chakra into his body while at the same time the military force within the village will be looking for the source of the power. Balthier sighed as he dully feels the hand of Odin and some of his magick pushing its way into the seals. As the hand of the Esper leaves his body the warrior did his part by pushing his magick in it to start the suction. Odin and the other unknown Esperian went to the other side of the room in order not to be depleted and sent back to their realm or killed. They could feel different lines of magick's stream into the room to go directly into the runes. The different lines of the seal glowed the colors they were given to signify that it was working correctly. Several objects representing the elements were connected to the seal on the floor.

Soon the chakra stopped streaming in to the room before it started to pulse a bit. Following the plan of the symbology the pulsing gave way to release above the body. The chakra started to swirl around until it formed a vortex. Taking in the elements into the vortex of magick's that whirled around in apparent chaos. A pile of fertile earth was the first thing pulled into the vortex to be broken apart and absorbed into the chakra. Changing it from a light blue color to that a light brown one. The next thing that followed was a clear liquid that was very hard to come by to represent air. It was pulled out of the open bottle it was in to fuse with the vortex. A crystal Balthier had imbued with fire was the next thing to be picked up and go. Making the swirling mass to become darker. A bowl of water was next in line to go followed by two eels he was able to get from a pet shop. The ability to naturally make electricity made them great representation for energy until they were suck out of the large fish tank and their power was pulled out of them. The vortex released their now dead bodies to let them hit the ground with a loud smack.

One of the herbs he had grown that was placed around the body was shredded apart and was consumed as acceptable avatar for nature. Two souls were offered for the elements of light and darkness. They were the souls that haunted this complex and refused to leave this world. He had trapped them inside gemstones. The pure soul was put into an angelite and the wicked soul into a goethite. The mass took the offering. Forcing the souls to go to the resting place they kept denying themselves due to the fact they did not accept the fact they were dead. A kunai to honor metal was next thing to be picked up while purple flower from the plant known as nightshade went for the void element. With everything fused into the chakra to become the very representation of the chaos before it streamed into the seal on Balthier body to fulfill the last leg of the transformation.

Balthier grunted as he started to feel body start the reconstruction. Those grunts turned into screams of pain as nerves, cells and flesh came back in full force. Balthier was silently happy to have set forth the Lull runes on the walls so no one could hear his screams of pains. It would be a terrifying sight to see somebody being basically broken apart to only be completely put back together again in order to be back in a state it was formally in when that draugar statues seemed to be a permanent effect. Hours of breaking and pain seem to have passed before those screams finally lowered to whimpers. The seals on the body and the floor glowed white then melded into Balthier freshly rejuvenated skin. Vanishing from the room without leaving evidence it was there. Balthier looked like the illusion he has been wearing for the last three months except with the vibrancy only a living person could only have.

All of the runes were converted into chakra to amplify the already new chakra pools the man now has. Odin and the other summon helped Balthier off the floor and place the now truly living warrior onto a nearby chair to allow him to rest better. Rest is what he did not do for long as he got up went to the walls. Since the work was now done the ageless warrior proceeded to take down all the seals. Odin sighed but knew the stubborn fool would not listen to him so he proceed to help take them down. Balthier was pleased that both of the summons was not putting up a fuss to get him to rest as he slowly felt his chakra return. He could not rest anyway since the people of the village most likely felt the chakra streaming all over the village. Balthier placed his clothes on and winced once he felt his pools expand from the enhancements when he was done with the runes.

"Arigato, Odin, for everything," Balthier sincerely said to the Esper who just smiled back for the appreciation that was given. But what happen next was something the Esper did not expect for the old warrior hugged Odin before letting go and dispelling all three summons from this realm. It would seem that it was in time to as a knock on the door alerted him that someone was here. He went to open the door to find something he was expecting.

To Be Continues…