A/N: I RETURN! The last chapter was terribly short, so I intend to make up for that with this one! This chapter promises to be full of excitment and laughs and romance and so much more as we finally arrive on Coruscant and get the story jumping into high gear! Now, enough chitcatt! Onto the story! A lot happens in this chapter, and...we finally get to see just what Naruto did to Jabba back on Tatooine! It's hilarious!
And with that being said...
...Onto the next looooong chapter! And of course...ENJOY!
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you...bounty hunter."
~Palpatine.
Calm Before the Storm
Even before an offworld traveler was close enough to understand why, he could tell that Coruscant was different from other planets. Seasoned space veterans were always amazed at how strange the planet looked from space, casting not the softer blue and white shades of planets still verdant and unspoiled, but an odd silverly glow that suggested the reflection of sunlight off metal.
The impression was not misleading. The days in which Coruscant could be viewed in any sort of natural state were dead and gone. The capital city had expanded over the centuries, building by building, until it wrapped the entire planet. Forests, mountains, bodies of natural water, and natural formations had been covered over. The atmosphere was filtered through oxygen regulators and purified by scrubbers, and water was gathered and stored in massive artificial aquifers.
Native animals, birds, plants, and fish could be found in museums or the climate-controlled indoor preserves. As Anakin Skywalker could clearly see from the viewport of the Konoha's slowly descending form, Coruscant had become a planet of skyscrapers, their gleaming metal towers stretching skyward in a forest of spear points, an army of frozen giants blanketing the horizon in every direction.
The boy stared at the city-planet in awe, searching for a break in the endless forest of buildings, finding none. He glanced at his father in the pilot's seat, and Naruto smiled. He'd gone without his helment or 'bucket' as he so eloquently called it, for the duration of their journey, allowing his son to see just how small that smile was. He knew at once that his father wasn't fond of Coruscant, but instead of asking why he patiently listened as his progenitor described the marvel into which they were descending.
"Coruscant, capital of the Republic, an entire planet evolved into one city." he sighed, leaning back in his chair. "A nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live here."
"Its so huge!" the boy breathed softly.
"You should see Mandalore." Naruto replied.
"Mandalore?" Anakin bristled with excitment; his father had only ever mentioned the planet in passing. "What's it like?"
"You'll see," Naruto grinned. "Its our next stop after this."
"Really?!"
"Really."
"Watch where you're driving, dear." Shmi chastised from behind them, but the words held no real rancour. "It'd be a shame if we crashed after making it this far."
"Hai hai," Naruto laughed, pulling back on the thrusters. He knew better than to argue with his wife when she was pregnant!
They dropped into a landfall traffic lane beside that of Queen Admidala's transport and cruised slowly through the maze of buildings, sliding along the magnetic guidance lines that directed airborne vehicles. Naruto was more than happy to explain the vessel's controls to Anakin, who listened with half an ear, his attention still held captive by the vastness of the cityscape. In the background, Obi-Wan Kenobi moved silently. The Learner was not at all pleased to be alone on the hunter's vessel, having been made separate from his master shortly before they'd entered the atmosphere. The Twi'lek twins Vette and Sette, never strayed far from Shmi, they were delighted to have this opportunity to speak with another female; Annie's mother seemed to be enjoying herself as well.
Sparky would occasionally trundle past the trio, the little astromech appeared to be every bit at home on the vessel; the plunky droid had even struck up an easy friendship with Threepio, much to the ire of Kenobi. HK-47 stood silently at attention; occassionaly he would ask for permission to kill the padawan. Naruto's flat refusals did little to curb his enthuisasm.
The Queen's transport slowed now, edging its way out of the traffic lane, onto a large landing dock that floated near a cluster of huge buildings. Naruto edged the Konoha forward and followed. Anakin peered down with a bit of doubt. They were several hundred stories up, hundreds and hundreds of meters in the air. He tore his gaze away, swallowing hard.
"Relax, kid." Naruto soothed. "It's not like we're going to crash or anything."
The ships docked with a soft bump on the landing platform, their antigrav clamps locking in place. Naruto was already rising from the chair even as she spoke, donning his helmet. A glance at HK-47 caused the droid to stand erect and follow him, pursued by Vette and Sette, the latter flanking Shmi in silent formation. Their silent procession proceeded Anakin down the passageway
Obi-Wan was waiting in the main corridor, eager to disembark what he clearly though to be an unfriendly vessel. Naruto wasn't having any of it.
"What's your problem, jedi?"
The padawan grimaced. "I've bad memories of bounty hunters." he admitted.
Naruto scoffed.
"I'm not just a bounty hunter." he replied, seemingly put off by the boy's no-nonsense attitude.
"Nevertheless.
"You really have no idea how powerful I am, do you?" the blonde continued, stretching out a hand. "For example; I don't require the Force to push or pull someone, though it is a handy tool. I'd only need my eyes. You are here in my ship as my guest, under my hospitality, and I expect you to behave as such."
"What do you mean by that?" Obi-Wan challenged.
The hunter coughed a laugh and fell silent, stepping back to allow the padawan passage.
"Perhaps you'll learn someday, master jedi."
Giving his mother a quick smile, Anakin followed close on the heels of his father as he moved to the hatchway.
The Konoha's hatch slid open, the loading ramp lowered, and Obi-Wan, Naruto, HK-47, Vette and Sette, Shmi, and finally Anakin, exited into the sunlight of Coruscant. The boy spent the first few minutes concentrating on not being overwhelmed, which became even more difficult once he was outside the ship. He kept his eyes on the rampway and Naruto-not allowing himself to look around for fear he might walk off into space. Would he have allowed himself to glance to the east, he would've seen the Queen departing her own transport, flanking by Qui-Gon and her guards.
Obi-Wan split off from Naruto's group almost immediately, rejoining his master as they approached the rendezous. Pretty impressive, really.
Two men clothed in robes of office of the Republic Senate stood at the end of the ramp, flanked by a contingent of Republic Guards. The Jedi approached the and bowed formally in greeting. Anakin almost did the same-then he realized no one his father's group-not even Naruto himself-was bowing, for reasons unbeknownst to him.
Now Queen Admidala appeared, dressed in her black and gold robes with the feathered headpiece lending height and flow to her movements as she descended the ramp. Her handmaidens surrounded her from seeming ever angle, wrapped in their cloaks of crimson, faces barely visible in the shadows of their drawn hoods. Captain Panaka and his complement of Naboo guards escorted them.
Admidala glanced at Naruto a moment before she stopped in front of the two men who waited, eyes shifting to the man with the kindly face and anxious eyes. Senator Palpatine, the Queen's emissary to the Republic of Senate, bowed now in welcome, hands clasped in the folds of his blue-green robes.
"It is a great relief to see you alive and well, Your Majesty," he offered with a smile, straightening once more. "May I present Supreme Chancellor Valorum."
Valorum-Naruto noted-was still a tall silver-haired man of intdeterminate age, neither young nor old in appearance, but something of each; his bearing and voice were indeed strong, but his face and startling blue eyes looked tired and worried.
"Welcome, Your Highness," he said, a faint smile working its way onto his stern features. "It is an honor to finally meet you in person. I must relay to you how distressed everyone is over the current situation on Naboo and I have called for a special session of the Senate so that you may present your request for relief."
One need not be a jedi to feel the tension emanating from Admidala.
The Queen held Valorum's gaze without even moving a fraction of a centimeter, tall and regal in her robs of office, white-painted face as still and cool as ice. "I am grateful for your concern, Chancellor." she said quietly almost to herself.
Out of the corner of his eye, Anakin recognized Padme staring out at his father from beneath her concealing hood. When he turned towards her she gave him a wink, and the young boy felt himself flush. He understood that his father had many admirers...so why did he feel so jealous, whenever he caught someone staring at him? Nevertheless, a small part of him liked to think it had more to do with his reputation than his actual looks in that regard? Then again, he shouldn't be thinking such things! He was only nine!
Still, that touch of resentment lingered as he thought of Padme staring at his father.
Padme had since moved to the Queen's side and was indicating an air shuttle that was waiting for them. When Naruto made no move to grant her request, she leaned forward to whisper something into her Queen's ear something so soft that Anakin had no chance of hearing it. Naruto did. Augmented hearing aside, he could've heard a pin drop thanks to the audio sensors inside his helmet. Therefore he wasn't at all surprised when he heard the disguised Queen-did Padme honestly think she had fooled him like the rest?-quietly whisper to the handmaiden posing as her:
"We need him."
Nodding, 'Admidala' turned to face them.
"Would you care to join us, master bounty hunter?" she asked. "I assure you, there's room enough in the shuttle."
For a moment, Naruto considered refusing her request. He had no real reason to accompany Padme; certainly not after all the trouble she'd put him through! But for all his flaws our hero remained a kind person, and as he could still see the concern so thinly veiled in the handmaiden's eyes, his resolve crumbled.
The Shinobi Menace surprised everyone-Anakin included!-at that moment by acqueiscing to the Queen's request and striding forward, shattering the silence. His son, followed by the rest of their strange little entourage, did the same, elicting a somewhat startled glance from Palpatine. Naruto took a perverse pleasure in discomforting the senator. He didn't know why but for some reason he simply didn't like him. It was almost as if this kind, grandfatherly act was just that; an act. A ruse, meant to hide the true, deceitful persona lurking beneath? But that couldn't possibly be true.
Right?
Nevertheless, Naruto made a silent note to watch this little man...better to be called paranoid with blaster ready than slumbering and unprepared when the enemy came in the night. He release a bit of killer intent into the air, focused it solely upon the sinsiter senator, curious to see what his reaction might be.
"M'lady?" Palpatine sputtered, almost as if he were aware of Naruto's killer intent. "Are you certain that's wise?"
Ha! Naruto inwardly smirked. As I thought, he's a good actor...
"This man and his allies defended us at great personal risk to themselves." The queen's mouth quirked in a slight smile as she indicated Naruto and his fellows, unaware of the blonde's sure satisfaction. "Surely we can make an exception for them?"
"But-
"We owe them our lives, Senator." her tone brooked no arguement.
Naruto thought he saw something dark settle across Palpatine's visage, just for an instant. Then it was gone, as though it'd never been. His scrutiny deepend. Yest, this Palpatine definitely bore watching. Resigning his eyes to the enigmatic senator, he carefully ushered Shmi and Anakin inside. He bid HK-47 and the twins to halt before they too could enter the vehicle, coming up short well out the car's audio range.
"Watch over the ship, will ya?" he asked of the trio, his helmet muffling his voice still further, "And keep the engines warm." He risked a glance back at the air shuttle, unable to completely quell the foreboding that had sezied upon him the moment they disembarked. "I've got a bad feeling about this."
Vette and Sette nodded, wishing him well. And then they startled him. As one the twins stepped to him and laid a kiss upon either side of his helmet.
"Be safe, hunter." they murrmured.
Naruto sputtered for a mere moment before finally regaining control of himself; persistent lot, these two! Almost as an afterthought, he turned to HK-47, accepting his jetpack from the latter. He had the succint feeling he'd be needing it. Speaking of succint...
"And no, Killa, you are not allowed to shoot either of them while I'm gone!"
The hunter killer unit seemed to sulk a bit at that.
"Are there any meatbags I can shoot?" he groused.
Naruto touched a hand to the HK's shoulder. "If this turns out the way I think it will, you'll have plenty of targets to shoot. Anyone comes by without the authorization code, I want you to blast them."
HK-47 visibly brightened at the prospect of impending violence.
"I'll stay with the ship, then."
Moving into the air shuttle with the Queen, Anakin settled quietly in between his mother and father, idly wondering why they were even here at all. Senator Palpatine glanced over his shoulder at them from the front, a look of skepticism crossing his face as his gaze settled upon Naruto.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet of you...Shinobi Menace." Well, at least he was making an attempt to be cordial. "It seems I have you to thank for returning Queen Admidala to us." If he was trying to rile him, he'd have to do much better than that to rile his father, Anakin thought, as he watched his progenitor's T-visored helmet dip a fraction of an inch.
"My reputations precedes me, it seems."
"Indeed." Palpatine frowned thoughtfully before he turned away. There was something about that look...it made Anakin nervous.
"Everything will be fine, Annie." Shmi whispered, stroking the back of his head soothingly.
"Of course it will." Naruto chortled. "Now if you behave, I'll teach you that."
That?!
Anakin nodded and tightened his mouth determinedly. He knew to which his father meant; now he was determined to be on his best behavior!
They flew only a short distance to another cluster of buildings and another loading dock, this one clearly meant for shuttlecraft. There, they disembarked and were escorted by Senator Palpatine to his quarters-a portion of which had been made ready for the Queen and her entourage. Shmi and Anakin were given a room to themselves, a chance to clean up, and were summarily left alone. Apparently Naruto had business to discuss, not just with the Queen but with Palpatine as well. He left a clone with them, but for Annie, it wasn't the same.
After a time, they were collected by one of the handmaidens-not Padme, Anakin noted with dissapointment-and escorted to a waiting room outside what appeared to be Palpatine's office.
"Wait here," the handmaiden instructed, and disappeared back down the hallway.
Shmi contented herself to a nap-having been was all but exhausted from the days events-whilst the clone stood guard within the doors. No one said or did anything.
For a time, Anakin was content to do just that; to wait with his mother and the copy of his father. But then, as all small boys almost always do, he lost his patience. The doors to the senator's room were open and he could see inside clearly. The Queen was present as expected, dressed now in a gown of dark velvet, which was wrapped about her slim form in layers, the sleeves long and full, hanging gracefully from her slender arms. A fan-shaped crown with ornate beadwork and tassels rested upon her head. She was sitting in a chair, listening as Palpatine spoke to her.
Her handmaidens stood to one side, crimson robes and hoodes drawn close about them. Anakin did not think either was Padme. He wondered if he should try to find her...then again, he didn't know where to look. He'd just considered dropping the matter altogether when he saw his father. Not the clone, but the original.
Naruto was standing off to the side, position between Admidala and Palpatine, a silent mediator in what seemed to be a decidedly one-sided conversation. The Senator was gesturing animatedly as he stalked the room, the Queen still as stone. Anakin wished he could hear what was being said. He glanced at Naruto's clone, and he could tell from the clone's restless eyes he was thinking the same thing.
"Go ahead." the doppleganger mouthed silently, giving his progeny permission to eavesdrop.
When Captain Panaka walked past them and entered the room just beyond, screening him from view for just a moment, Anakin rose impulsively. The clone motioned him ahead, putting a finger to his lips in warning, he moved to one side of the doorway, pressing close. Through the crack between the open door and the jamb, he could juuust make out the voices of Palpatine and the Queen, muffled and indistinct. Palpatine had stopped moving before the Queen, shaking his head.
"The Republic is not what it once was," he was saying. "The Senate is full of greedy, squabbling delegates who only look out for themselves and their home systems. There is no interest in the common good- no civlility-only politics." He sighed wearily. "It's disgusting. I must be frank your majesty. There is little chance the Senate will act on this invasion. We need a stronger Supreme Chancellor, one not mired by corruption and these false accusations."
Admidala was silent a moment. "Chancellor Valorum seems to think there is hope."
"And there is." Naruto stepped up abruptly, his helmet jerking in Palpatine's direction even as the Senator opened his mouth to speak. "If I may offer my own counsel?" Cowed by killer intent, Paplatine reluctantly gave way and allowed the Shinobi Menace the floor.
"By all means." Admidala seemed almost relieved by the interruption, though wary she remained. "Speak."
"Send me." Naruto offered simply. "If its droids we're talking about here, I can end this little invasion of yours in less than a day."
There was a silence.
"With all due respect Menace, you are but a single man." Palpatine guffawed. "You're hardly capable of decimating an entire army by yourself."
"I am."
Anakin was astounded by his father's conviction! He'd seen firsthand some of the shinobi's terrible techniques, but to figh an entire army alone?! That was too much! Even for Naruto! Awed by his father's surpreme and otherwordly confidence Anakin continued to listen-marveling at unfaltering figure whom he called dad.
"We're talking about a full scale war here, mind you." Even behind the helmet, the shinobi's deadpann was scarcely concealed. "Its not going to be cheap. But it can be done. And I'm the man to do it."
"You make it sound as if you're charging us." this from Admidala. "On Tatooine you made no such demand."
Naruto snorted. "That was a freebie. Besides, I've got a family to feed. Can either of your say the same? No? Didn't think so."
"Permit me my doubt," Palpatine continued to argue, "but I still do not see how you can possibly-
"You doubt my skills." Naruto shot back with a curt glance at Palpatine. "Understandable. Perhaps a demonstration is in order?" Without waiting for an answer, he tugged off his helmet. Anakin froze. It was the eyes. He knew what Naruto's eyes looked like, and these were not them. Rippling irises of rimmed violet surveyed the room, taking everything at a glance. For a moment, just a moment, Anakin thought they settled upon him, a heartbeat later and they were gone, returning to Palpatine.
"Have you ever heard of the Rinnegan, my dear senator?" Naruto asked softly, his words dripping with sweet satisfaction. "No-of course you haven't. Allow me to demonstrate. Bansho Tenn'in!" Everything happened so swiftly then raised a hand and suddenly, the door behind which Anakin had taken refuse flew off its hinges with a squeal of protesting durasteel. Deprived of his cover Anakin was left standing agape, baffled by what he perceived to be a sudden trick, unable to do anything but smile sheepishly as Admidala and Palpatine turned towards him with startled gasps.
Naruto was staring right at him, his lips quirked in the slightest of smiles. They faced each other in the silence that followed, father and son, eyes locked, and Anakin Skywalker, charigned, no longer hiding behind their door without, wondered suddenly...
...what had become of Qui-Gon Jinn?
(Meanwhile)
Unlike other buildings in the vast sprawl of Coruscant, the Jedi Temple stood alone. A colossal pyramid with mutiple spires rising skyward from its flat top, it sat apart from everything at the end of a broad promenade linking it with bulkier, sharper-edged towers in which solitude and meditation were less likely to be found. Within the temple were housed the Jedi Knights and their students, the whole order engaged in contemplation and study of the Force, in codification of its dictates and mastery of its disciplines, and in training to serve the greater good it embodied.
The Jedi Council room dominated a central portion of the complex. The Council itself was in session, its doors closed, its proceedings hidden from the eyes and ears of all but fourteen people. Twelve of them-some non human, others human-comprised the Council, a diverse and seasoned group who had gravitated to the Order from the ends of the galaxy. The final two jedi who were guests of the Council this afternoon-were Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, the latter having accompanied him to make their report before their fellow jedi.
The seats of the twelve Council members formed a circle, facing inward to where Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan stood, the former relating the events of the past few weeks-including their encounter with Naruto-the latter little more than step behind his Master, listening attentively. The room was circular and domed, supported by graceful pillars spaced between broad windows open to the city and the light. The shape of the room and that of the Council seating reflected the Jedi belief in the equality and interconnection between all things.
In the world of the Jedi, the balance of life within the Force was pathway to understanding and peace.
And yet Qui-Gon Jinn was not at peace as he stood within the mosaic circle that formed a speakers platform for those who addressed the council. The vision of his own death still haunted him and although he would never admit it aloud, he secretly feared his end. It was this same fear that he fought to keep his fellows from sussing out whilst he spoke. His tall, broad form, and deep voice may have commanded the attention of those gathered here, his blue eyes may have fixed each in turn, constantly searching for a reaction to his words...and yet he felt as though he were the one being read.
Naruto would've laughed at his fear. After all, the man knew nothing of cowardice; his heart was that of a lion's; strong and proud, fiercely protective of his pride. And yet at the drop of a hat he could also be a trickster-a deadly hunter willing to manipulate or deceive his adversaries to accomplish his goals. Time and time again he found himself wondering whether the blonde walked the path of darkness or light. At times, he seemed to both, as evidenced by his brutal slaughter of Watto.
But did that make Naruto ally or enemy? Personally, Qui-Gon considered him the former. But that was neither here nor now.
Again, the aging master willed himself to be calm as he took in his fellow masters. They watched him carefully - stately Ki-Adi-Mundi, young and beautiful Adi Gallia, slender Depa Billaba, crested and marble-faced Even Piell, and all the others, each different and unique in appearance, each with something vital to offer as a representative of the Council.
Qui-Gon brought his eyes back to Mace Windu and Yoda, the ones he must convince, the ones most respected and powerful of those who sat in judgement. Silently, he steeled himself. He would be using Naruto's words here, trusting in the advice of a known bounty hunter equally known for his unscrupulous methods. Would they believe him? Doubtful. But he had to try.
"My conclusion," he finished quietly, his story completed, "is that the one who attacked us on Tatooine is a Sith Lord." Another paused. "The very same Sith who Darsha Assant barely escaped a few weeks ago."
The silence that followed was palpable. Then there was a stirring of brown robes, a shifting of bodies and limbs. Glances were exchanged and murmurrs of disbelief quickly voiced. Qui-Gon felt the seal upon his shoulder begin to pulse, a sure sign that Naruto-or at the very least one of his clones-was about to make an entrance. Of all the timing! For the life of him, he still didn't know when or why the hunter had put this Hiraishin mark on him, only that the blonde had been adamant; insisting it would save his life someday. As for right now...he had the succint feeling it was about to foul up the Council.
"A Sith Lord?" Mace Windu repeated with a growl, leaning forward. He was a strong, dark-skinned man with a shaved head and penetrating eyes, smooth-faced despite his years.
"Impossible!" Ki-Adi-Mundi snapped irritably, not bothering to hide his dismay at the suggestion. "The Sith have been gone for a millenium!"
Yoda shifted only slightly in his chair, a small and wizened prescence in the company of much larger beings, eyes gone to slits like a contented sand panther's, his whiskery wrinkled face turned towad Qui-Gon's in deep thought.
"Threatened the Republic is, if involved, the Sith are." he observed in his soft, gravelly voice.
The others began to mutter anew among themselves. Qui-Gon said nothing, waiting them out. Obi-Wan shifted uncertainly beside him. Qui-Gon ignored him. The jedi master had other matters on his mind.
He could sense Naruto now, like a starfighter drawing rapidly closer, moving at such speeds to boggle the mind. No! Now was not time time! He silently urged the blonde to hold off, to refrain from his abrupt entry lest all their careful plans be knocked astrew. Incredibl...the blonde listened. Qui-Gon felt the seal on his shoulder weaken, as the shinobi turned his attention elsewhere, averting certain catastrophe. He had listened to him out of respect for their frienship. It almost made the jedi feel more than a little guilty knowing what he was about to say.
Mace Windu leaned back heavily, his strong brow furrowing. "This is difficult to accept, Qui-Gon. I do not understand how the Sith could have returned without us knowing."
"Hard to see, the dark side is." Yoda said with a small snort. "Discover who this assassin is, we must."
"Perhaps he will reveal himself again," Ki-Adi-Mundi suggested with a nod to Qui-Gon.
"Yes," Mace Windu agreed. "This attack was with purpose, that much is clear. Since he failed once, he may try again."
Yoda lifted one skinny arm, pointing at Qui-Gon. "With this Naboo Queen, you must stay. Protect her, you must."
The others murmurred their approval, evidencing the confidence they felt in the Jedi Master's abilities. Still Qui-Gon said nothing.
"We shall use all our resources to unravel this mystery and discover the identity of your attacker." Windu advised. One hand lifted in dismissal. "May the Force be with you, my old friend."
"May the Force be with you." Yoda echoed.
Obi-Wan turned to leave. He stopped when Qui-Gon did not follow, but instead remained standing before the Council. Obi-Wan held his breath, knowing what was coming.
Yoda cocked his head questioningly. "Master Qui-Gon, more to say, have you?"
"Maul."
"Hrrmm?"
"Naruto said the assasin's name was Maul." Qui-Gon was cursing himself, even as the words left his lips. He hadn't meant to say them aloud in such a manner! But alas, his frustration had once more gotten the better of him; his irritation that they'd refused to connect the dots between this attack and Darhsa's. Now, he regretted his words. As one the Council turned towards him. Their renewed scrutiny seemed to press down upon his shoulders like an unseen weight, burdening him with responsibility.
"Naruto?" Mace arched an eyebrow, baffled. He remembered that name...vaguely. "An...acquaintance of yours?"
"Yes." He paused. "A bounty hunter. I believe you are familiar with his title."
"And what might that be?" A stoic Even Piell inquired.
"The Shinobi Menace."
A ripple of disapproval ran through the Council, rocking it to its core. Qui-Gon knew they didn't trust hunters; and he didn't blame them. But Naruto was worse. Indeed, the Council knew of him, in more ways than they ought to; many of their knights and masters had encountered the infamous hunter more than once. He'd even saved Darsha Assant from this Maul character once before, by his account as well as hers. Eventually their muttering subsided, leaving a deafening pall hanging over Qui-Gon's head.
"Has he aided you?" Adi Gallia asked with interest. Everyone knew the Shinobi Menace had been of great help to her on Malastare; it was only natural for her to wonder about his intentions.
"He has, master." the jedi replied, his gaze steady, resisting the urge to smile. "Also...
Qui-Gon hesitated for yet a second time. He knew Naruto wouldn't take kindly to having himself exposed before the council or having his son tested, but now there was nothing he could do. He felt that it was the Will of the Force that he'd encountered the boy when he had even if Naruto was his father. The Jedi Master took a deep breath readying-steadying-both body and mind for what he was about to say. He wasn't accustomed to switching gears like this, but it was all he could do.
"I have encountered a vergence in the Force."
Yoda's eyes widened slightly. "A vergence, you say?"
"Located around this 'Naruto' person?" Mace Windu asked quickly, his tone sharp.
"Perhaps." Qui-Gon nodded. "And...his son." He knew he couldn't stop, not now. "His cells have only the second highest concentration of midi-chlorians I have ever seen in a lifetime." He paused, knowing that if Naruto EVER heard him speak these words aloud, if they ever got back to him, his head would land on a pike. "It is possible he was conceived by midi-chlorians, and not his parents." His words weren't truly a lie in and of itself he thought; merely his belief. Either Naruto or Annie were the One, and while he strongly suspected the latter, he wasn't willing to rule out the former either.
There was a shocked silence this time.
Qui-Gon Jinn was suggesting the impossible, that the boy was conceived not by human contact, but by the essence of all life, by the connectors of the Force itself, the midi-chlorians. But there was more that troubled the Jedi Council. There was a prophecy, so old its origins had long since been lost, that a chosen one would appear, imbued with an abundance of midi-chlorians, a being strong with the Force and destined to alter the very fabric of life forever.
It was Mace Windu who gave voice to the Council's thoughts. "You speak of the prophecy," he said quietly. "Of the one whol will bring balance to the Force. You believe it is this boy. Or," he added with just a touch of something bordering on disdain, "this bounty hunter." Mace didn't have to speak of his disdain for Naruto, he was a known traditionalist and Naruto, by his very being, defied tradition on an almost daily basis. Perhaps that was why he and Naruto got along so well, Qui-Gon thought wryly. They were always breaking with the accepted norm...
But now, faced with their intrigue, Qui-Gon paused. "I don't presume-
"But you do!" Yoda snapped challengingly. "Revealed, your opinion is, Qui-Gon!"
The Jedi Master willed himself to be still and calm; placid, the surface of a pool.
"I request the boy be tested."
Again, there was silence as the members of the Council exchanged glances, communicating without words.
Eyes shiftef back to Qui-Gon.
"To be trained as a Jedi, you request for him?" Yoda asked softly. "For the boy?" It was with a pang that the jedi master realized they were not speaking of Naruto. But...no. The man could never be a jedi. He would see the jedi as staunch conservatives, unwilling to do what was neccessary. No. Naruto could never be a Jedi. But perhaps his son...
"Finding him was the will of the Force." Qui-Gon pressed ahead recklessly. "I have no doubt of it. There is too much happening here for it to be anything else."
Mace Windu held up one hand, bringing the debate to a close. "Bring him before us, then."
Yoda nodded somberly, eyes closing.
"Tested, he will be."
(Elsewhere...)
"What did I tell you about eavesdropping?"
Naruto was chastising his son for but the words held no rancour. Inwardly he was proud of the boy; he'd just displayed the first true quality of a shinobi! Curiosity! He'd never been so proud! Palpatine and Admidala had despite Naruto's offer to handle the problem, departed for their so-called special session of the Senate, leaving mother, father and son alone in their temporary apartment. Shmi had since woken from her nap; now, she was dutifully combing her son's hair as her husband paced restlessly to and fro before them.
"Sorry," Anakin sulked.
"No no!" Naruto shook his head. "I told you do it without being detected, remember?"
The boy's smile promptly flipped itself upside down.
"So I did good, then?"
"Well you would've, but I could hear you a mile away." Naruto glanced at his clone, dispelling the doppleganger with his glance. "Still, you did pretty damned good, considering you haven't had any formal training. We'll have to fix that once we get to Mandalore-
Anakin visibly brightened at the mention of the planet.
"So we're really going there?!"
Naruto glanced over at Shmi, as though awaiting her permission. Anakin looked up at his mother from where he sat in her lap, eagerly anticipating her answer. His mother sighed.
"Of course we are." she soothed. "You know we only want the best for you."
"But what about being a jedi?"
Naruto bristled. Shmi's reaction wasn't as severe, but she did frown slightly.
"Do you want to be a Jedi, Annie?"
Anakin frowned. That was a good question. What did he want? Part of him wanted to be a shinobi/hunter like his father. But on the other hand, he also wanted to be Jedi-to protect the innocent and hunt down evildoers so that he might bring them to justice. Aargh! It was so hard to decide! Couldn't he just do both?! He looked up at Naruto, prepared to ask that very question, when he remembered something.
"Dad, what's wrong with your eyes?"
"Oh, these?" Naruto, eager to change the topic, blinked once and those black-violet swirls faded to his true blue sapphire once more. "Just something I picked up a few years ago while I was training with Jango. They're called the Rinnegan. Pretty cool, huh? I still haven't mastered them as of quite yet though; they always a major drain on my stamina and I can't use any of my other abilities for five seconds afterwards...so I prefer not to use it unless I absolutely have to."
"Can you show me?"
"Oh, I suppose." Naruto turned toward the battered door, eyes flaring into violent violet. Anakin marveled at them; his father's very being seemed to change when he used them; his goofy persona falling away-replaced by a stern faced warrior whose expression harkened back to his shinobi days.
"Darling," Shmi cautioned...
"Relax, babe." her husband grinned. "I got this." Bracing himself, he faced away from them, raised a hand, and uttered two words.
"Shinra Tensei!"
The sheet of metal flew like a frisbee from the floor, carroming off the wall to shatter a nearby viewport-plummeting to the ground below. But now there were pieces of glass hurtling towards them! Naruto raised a hand again, and the shards found themselves harmlessly deflected by the intense power of his eyes, sending them clattering softly across the carpeted floor. Anakin thought he saw a bead of sweat drip down his father's face as he lowered his hand slightly. He did look slightly out of breath, as if the effort had drained him somehow. But Annie's enthusiasm remained very much the same.
"Can I do it, too?" he asked, awed by the display.
Naruto facepalmed and Kurama barked a laugh.
"Kids these days/Kids these days!"
Anakin's face fell. "So I can't, then?"
"Hmm." Naruto seemed to appraise him for a long moment. "Well, you might be able to." he decided at last. "Yer half Uzumaki after all! Anything's possible! Hell, you could even-" His mouth hung open, as if he wanted say more when his wrist-mounted comlink beeped. Without thinking, he activated it.
"Moshi moshi?"
"Kid." Jango Fett's voice growled from the other end, startling him. "We need to talk. Now."
Naruto gave Shmi a swift kiss upon the lips, elicting a soft flush from his wife before she returned it, her tongue tangling in his. The shinobi bit back a growl of desire as she gave a cute moan of her own, hands tangling in his hair for the briefest of instants. Suddenly, he found didn't want to take Jango's call. But he had to. She knew he had to take the call; if anything she was used to this. Anakin wasn't! Certainly not the kissing!
"Ew!" Anakin groaned as they continued their liplock. "Gross!"
"I said we need to talk!" A miniature holgram of Jango snapped into existence above the small holoprojector on Naruto's arm. Persistent!
Sighing, the blond broke away.
"Do we now?" Naruto's grin looked like it belonged on the devil himself, not a bounty hunter. Ahaha! So that little stunt back on Tatooine, had finally paid off at last. It was all he could do not to laugh! Tittering softly at the thought he excused himself from Annie and Shmi, stepping out the door and into the parlor to speak with his old teacher and friend. He continued walking, knowing Shim and Annie were perfectly safe here in these apartments and yet at the same time not wanting them to know what he had done on Tatooine.
"Explain yourself." Jango wasted no time in cutting to the meat of the matter. "Or I'll put a bounty on your head so high you won't be abe to come within three parsecs of a civilized system!"
"Oho!" Kurama's grin mirrored his own. "Looks like he found out."
"Did you like the gift I sent you?" Naruto asked conversationally.
"Don't play dumb, whelp! Why for the love of Mandalore did you impersonate me and purchase all those slaves in my name?!" his mentor demanded to know. "My account is depleted by half! AND THEN YOU SENT THEM TO KAMINO!" As he spoke Naruto could hear a sursurus of voices in the background; evidently that transport had made it to the storm-tossed world after all. He could just imagine the look on Jango-sensei's face...
"Mah, sensei, you know how I feel about slavery...besides, I know you'll be good to them. Anyway, its not like I did anything wrong-
"You blew Jabba to bits!" Jango exclaimed! "How does that srike you as not wrong?!"
"Ara, so that bomb went off after all?" Naruto whistled innocently.
"Slimy hutt deserved it."
'Hell yes he did!'
"Boy!" Jango was furious! He would not be distracted any longer! "If you don't pay me back-
"Relax, relax." Naruto soothed. "I've got a major job lined up right now; I'll pay you back...with interest. Tell you what, I'll even buy Bobi'ka a gift when Taun We lets him out of that tank." They both knew to whom he was referring; Jango's one wish was to leave behind a legacy as his own mentor had, and this clone of him would be just that. An unaltered clone, no accelerated growth. He hadn't even been born yet, and wouldn't be for several months yet. But at the mention of his son to be, the tension in Jango's voice visibly dissipated.
"What's the job?"
"Its nothing." Naruto replied. "I'm just going to tear the Trade Federation a new asshole. Hush hush stuff and all that. Admidala isn't one for violence, but I'm sure I can convince her. I don't need three hundred million creds, so I'll gladly give you half, eh?" Both men knew who would win if it came to a fight now. Naruto. He'd long since mastered the tools of his trade, and with his shinobi abilities, there was simply no contest. He had a debt toward Jango however, and it was one he would gladly repay for all those years of training.
"Fine." Jango didn't do subdued; he sound only slightly less dangerous than usual. "Just don't send me anymore women!"
"Yessir!" Naruto snapped off a mock salute as the hologram growled and winked out of existence.
"Jango out."
"He'll thank you later." Kurama chided. "Kami knows that man could use a woman in his life."
'Amen to that!' Naruto chuckled, mentally high-fiving his tenant.
He was still chuckling when he returned to the apartment a few minutes later. Shmi was still there. Anakin wasn't. He took one look at his wife's dour expression, and a pit of dread opened inside his stomach. He almost didn't want to ask what had happened in the few five minutes that he'd been gone, but he asked anyway.
"Where's Annie?"
"Master Qui-Gon came by while you were gone," Shmi replied by way of greeting. "He wanted to bring the two of you to the temple and Annie wanted to go so-
Naruto's eyes blazed red.
"He went where?" he hissed; this time, he didn't even bother to ignite his jetpack...
..he simply made a handsign.
(Seconds later)
Aayla Secura cried out in surprise, looking up from her datapad in disbelieving shock as a blur of black and gold slammed into the floor mere yards away in the halls of the Jedi Temple, their impact all but shattering the marble floor to pieces beneath their feet. Even as they rose they lashed out, an invisible force spreading out from all angle. Several padawan learners were thrown back from the concuissive wave, but the intruder made no move to follow up on their attack. Instead they marched forward; grim and resolute, eyes blazing like azure fire in their head, mouth twisted in a rictus of fury. Were it not for those sweet sapphire eyes and beautiful blonde hair, she'd never have recognized them at all.
But Aayla did recognize them-him!-and it was her cry that brought the intruder up short before the other padawans could advance upon him. She shot them a scathing glare, demanding that they stand down. Then and only then did she truly call out to the intruder.
"Naruto?!"
The blond blinked and half-cocked his head, struggling to place the voice; it sounded so familiar! He whipped around and it was then that Aayla recognized him, this armored mandolorian who burned in the force like an invisible flame, causing the floor, walls and the very ceiling overhead to buckle in his prescence.
"Aayla." It was more a statement than an actual greeting, his head inclined the merest of millimeters in her direction. "You're looking well." Something about that gaze of his set her skin to burning, blazed her very soul aflame. The longer she looked at him, the more something stirred in her; a feeling she'd work so hard to suppress since meeting him. In the end, it was all the twi'lek could do to jerk her gaze away, barely breaking eye contact before she lost herself. Breathing deeply, she shook off her emotions and spoke clearly, calmly. Cooly.
"What brings you here to the temple?"
However cordial his expression might've once been it was no longer; as her words Naruto's visage solidified into a stern scowl.
"Oh nothing," he murmurred, "Just here to get my boy back." Without another word he marched on, leaving the Twi'lek woman to wonder just what he'd meant by that. Now that she thought about it, Qui-Gon Jinn had passed by here a few minutes ago...with a boy. Aayla had watched him go then, and now the gears in her mind were begin to turn. Wait! Her lekku twitched in realization. Naruto...had a child? Yes! That must be it! The anger in his eyes, the ire in his words...nothing else could explain it! But still, it was strange...
..why did her heart suddenly hurt so much? She hadn't been wounded everywhere, and yet it felt as though a lightsaber had been thrust through her chest. What the devil...was wrong with her? Darsha Assant-her new padawan-had warned her the blonde was of the volatile sort, that he set emotions off in people, but at his passing she'd felt a strange energy emanating from him...
...and he was headed for the Council Chambers!
"Naruto!" she cried, running after him. "Wait!"
BA-KRAM!
Qui-Gon bristled as a sudden commotion coming from beyond the council chambers. Anakin must've heard it as well; because the boy cocked his head, blue eyes widening in recognition. "Dad?" he murmurred, almost to himself. The other masters looked up at the sound, confusion, then concern marring their features. The doors shuddered violently from an unseen strike.
"Wait!" A woman's voice-Aayla's?- cried from outside the temple doors. "You need a key!"
"I don't need no godamn KEY!" came the answer. "SHINRA TENSEI!"
With an invisible blow, the doors blew themselves outward. Naruto stormed inside, eyes ablaze. Aayla trailing after him in disbeleif. Anakin paid no attention to her. Rather, he couldn't. Rather, he had just enough time to notice his eyes were swirling with the Rinnegan-snarling rippling violet as he bellowed out three words. Anakin tried, tentatively, to raise his hand; but to avail, he was frozen on the spot as Naruto snarled out:
"WHERE'S! MY! BOY?!"
A/N: LO AND BEHOLD! Now that we're getting into the thick of things, what will happen next?! Stay tuned...to find out, next time, on The Shinobi Menace! Do not mess with Naruto! As I'm sure ya have noticed, he has the Rinnegan, and he's OBVIOUSLY more than capable of wrecking an entire army by himself! Buh-bye Trade Federation!
So...in the immortal words of Darth Vader...
...Review...IT IS YOUR DESTINY!
R&R! =D
