Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Mass Effect.
Misplaced
Chapter 10: I believe you were saying something?
"Talking"
"Thinking"
"Biju/VI/Geth/Reaper talking"
"Biju/VI/Geth/Reaper thinking"
Reading/ News/Intercom
(Location: Chora's Den)
They ran out of Fist's office and towards the club. As they got close to the door, Naruto started to swear. "Are you kidding me?!" He demanded as he eyed the radar. "Heads up, guys, we've got a lot of people waiting for us!"
"I see it too." Garrus confirmed, checking his own radar. "I'm seeing twenty…no, make that thirty hostiles waiting for us." In his experience, that was never a good sign.
"We're gonna get stuck in there if we try to fight through." Wrex commented. He had been in enough firefights to know that the superior numbers would slow them down, even if they were able to break through.
"That depends on how we fight them." Naruto said as he stopped at the door leading back into the club. "Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu)!" He shouted as the door opened. A huge cloud engulfed them and the club. When it finally dissipated, the club was filled with clones, making the enemy both surprised and nervous. "Kill them." The blonde ordered. The clones immediately jumped at the nearest target and began the killing.
While the carnage went on around them, they kept moving. "No wonder they called you the Kage no Guntai (Shadow Army)." Ashley told the blonde as they ran out of the club. She had never seen someone create that many clones before, whether they were could be touched or not. At best, the highest she had seen before this was seven.
He scowled slightly when he heard what she had said. "Personally, I wish they had come up with a better nickname than that. I don't think it sounds all that intimidating."
"After that little show, it's definitely intimidating." Kaidan assured him. "Not to mention a little scary." Every time, the blonde did something like that, it only reinforced the stories about him. He was glad that most humans who had met him 'til now weren't sure if he was kidding or not. If they knew the truth (and he had a sinking suspicion that they would find out soon), he had no doubt the blonde was going to get real popular, real fast.
"Gaki, I think you're forgetting something." Kurama told his host, getting his attention.
"And what would that be?" He asked, impatient. He wasn't sure how much time he had left and he wasn't going to let that quarian die.
"You have no idea where these markets are?" Kokuō asked drily.
He stopped and began to mentally swear. Ever since he had gotten aboard the Citadel, he had been relying on Ashley and Kaidan to point him in the right direction. He made a mental note to find a map of the place, if he could. "Hey, what's wrong?" Wrex asked him. They had all stopped behind him.
"I just realized that I have no freaking clue where to go." He answered in a growl. "Someone else want to take the lead here?"
"I know where the spot is supposed to be." Garrus told him. He practically knew the Wards like the back of his hand.
"Then take the lead." He ordered. The turian nodded in acknowledgment and made his way to the front of the group. Once he was in front, they started running again.
Tali made her way to the meeting point. She was making her bet with this deal. Who knew that memory core had compromising information about somebody? She didn't! "If my father was here, he would lecture me until next week!" She thought to herself. "And I'm pretty sure my mother would be laughing the entire time!"
When she got to the spot, there was no one there. Nervous, she placed a hand on her Skirmisher pistol, feeling reassured by its feel. Just before she had started on her Pilgrimage, she had built her pistol from the bottom up. It felt like a part of her. If all guns failed her, she could always relay on her Skirmisher. "Hey." A voice off to her side said. Turning to where the voice came from, she saw a turian walking towards her. From out of the shadows, she saw a few salarians and even a human (who looked like he was packing some heavy gear, judging by the armor he wore and weapons he carried) come out. "Did you bring it?" The turian asked her, his white markings standing out even under the red light.
"Where's the Shadow Broker?" She demanded in return. "Where's Fist?" She had thought that she would be meeting with the Shadow Broker and Fist would be the one to introduce her.
"They'll be here." The turian assured her, tracing a talon over her neck. "Where's the evidence?"
Reaching over and slapping the talon away, she reached for her Skirmisher. "No way, the deal's off." She told him. Her parents didn't raise an idiot. She now knew that there was something up and odds were her life was on the line because of that.
The turian gave her one last look before looking over at the salarians. He was about to raise his hand in a gesture that would've probably told them to start firing, had what looked to be some sort of knife fly at him, forcing him to duck. Tali looked over at where the kunai had come from and saw a group of people running towards them. A blonde haired human was leading the charge and if the second knife in his hand was anything to go by, he was the one who threw the first one. "Kaidan, Ash, secure the precious cargo!" He barked out orders as they started attacking. "Garrus, provide them covering fire! Wrex, take out the human!"
"Come this way, please." The second human male (Kaidan, if she heard correctly) told her. Both he and the human woman ushered out of the way of the fight.
"Hey! I can take care of myself!" She protested. She wanted to put a few bullets in the turian herself.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but your safety is our priority." The human female (Ash, apparently) replied, they pulled her behind a crate and made her crouch down. Then they joined the turian called Garrus by giving covering fire. By doing so, they were able to take the salarians who had come with the assassin.
The krogan named Wrex charged straight at the heavily armored human, his fist wreathed in blue flames that told all that he was a biotic. Throwing his fist out in a punching motion, he sent the human flying into the wall. As he slumped down to the ground in a daze, Wrex pulled out his shotgun and fired once at his head. "You should've been faster." The krogan stated bluntly. He had been expecting a bit more of fight, considering the human had been carrying an Uprising-class LMG.
The fight between the blonde human and the turian assassin had been a rather short one, ending in the blonde's favor. He grabbed the arm that held the gun and twisted it, making the turian drop the gun. He then kicked the turian's leg hard, breaking it in the process, causing the assassin to fall. And finally, he grabbed the turian by the head and twisted hard, snapping his neck. All-in-all, it took about ten seconds. "Is that everyone?" He asked, scanning the area to make sure of it.
"That's everyone." Wrex confirmed, walking back over to him. "A little boring, if you ask me."
"We were trying to save someone, Wrex." Garrus drily told the krogan. "Not get into an all-out brawl."
"How's the precious cargo?" The blonde human asked Kaidan and Ash.
"I'm fine." Tali remarked as she stood back up, walked away from the crate and towards him. "And I have a name. It's Tali." She was a little annoyed. She could've handled herself and helped out in the fight. But she couldn't deny the fact that they saved her life, and she was grateful for it.
"Jōnin Naruto Uzumaki, Systems Alliance." He replied. "I was told that you had information that could prove that the Spectre agent Saren is a traitor."
"Yeah, I've got that information." She answered hesitantly. "But how do I know you aren't here to kill me as well?" Her hand drifted to her Skirmisher. She could probably take out at least two of them before the others realized what she had done.
"Why would we go to the trouble of saving you from assassins just so we could kill you ourselves?" Wrex asked with blatant sarcasm. "Doesn't make sense, especially since Fist had decided to send an Einherjar to make sure you would be dead." He looked back over at the dead human to emphasize his point.
"Keelah, Fist really did want me dead." She thought in surprise. An Einherjar was someone to be feared in a fight. The popular saying was that if the Shinobi were Humanity's answer to the Asari Commando, then the Einherjar were Humanity's answer to the Krogan Battlemaster. If Wrex had been just a little slower, he and the Einherjar would've gotten into a brawl that was very likely to wreck the area they were currently and quite possibly spill out to more public areas. "I see your point." She conceded.
"What the hell is an Einherjar doing with a bunch of assassins?" Kaidan asked, confused by the fact.
"If that emblem on his chest is any sign, I'd say he was a part of the Blood Pack." The krogan answered, gesturing at the emblem in question. "That would've made him one of the rogue ones, huh?"
"In that case, it's a good thing he's dead, fucking traitor." Ash said, spitting at the corpse. Everyone there could hear the contempt in her voice as she scowled at the dead human.
"There's no need to insult the dead, Ash." Naruto told him, his tone a little sharp. "Anyway, let's get back to the embassies and show Udina what Tali has to offer. So let's move." They formed up around her and proceeded to leave the supposed ambush sight.
(Location: Earth Embassy)
When he read the latest reports from his omni-tool, Udina turned to Anderson and gave him the evil eye. "I can't believe you and Hackett convinced me to put his name forth as a Spectre candidate!" He snarled. "Have you seen the damage reports I've been getting? He's supposed to be a shinobi, not an Akimichi on a rampage because you talked about his weight!"
"It could've been worse." Anderson commented simply.
He would've blown up over that comment had the door to the office not open at that point, letting Naruto and his group walk in. "Yo, we're back!" The blonde greeted casually with a wave of his hand. "And I've got what we need to prove Saren is a traitor and is linked to the geth." He added when he saw the angry look on the ambassador's face. He had been on the receiving end of that look before (though he doubt that Udina had the capacity to beat him to a bloody pulp like Tsunade or Sakura could), so he knew that giving the angry person good news would usually be enough to calm them down (and if that didn't work, it was either pleading for mercy or just simply running).
The anger on Udina's face disappeared when he heard that. "Are you sure?" He practically demanded.
"Nice save, kit," Kurama praised his host. He had lost count of the number of times he had told the blonde not to say something, only for him to say it and get beaten up. He was very glad when Naruto had finally figured out how to deflect the anger (usually by giving Tsunade sake and telling Sakura how beautiful she was before making a quick exit).
"Thank you." He replied before looking over at the quarian who had joined the group. "Tell us what you have, Tali." He told her.
She stepped forward, suddenly feeling nervous. "My name is Tali'Zorah nar Rayya." She introduced herself. "When I left the Migrant Fleet on my Pilgrimage, I heard rumors of geth. I was curious about them, since my people created them. So I tracked a patrol of geth to an uncharted world and waited for one of them to become separate from its unit. Then I disabled it and removed its memory core."
"Correct me if I'm wrong, ma'am." Anderson said to her. "But don't the geth fry their memory core when they died. It's a defense mechanism, right?"
"You would be correct, sir." She told him. "But please remember that my people created the geth. If I'm quick, careful, and lucky, small caches of data can be saved sometimes." She lifted her arm, activating her omni-tool. "Most of the core was wiped clean. But I managed to salvage something from the audio banks." She quickly tapped a few buttons on her omni-tool.
"Eden Prime will be a major victory for us!" Saren's voice rang out, filling the room with his voice. "The beacon will bring us one step closer to finding the Conduit."
"That's Saren's voice!" Anderson said with an almost savage glee. "This proves he was involved in the attack!"
"Hang on, that's not all." Tali told him. "Saren wasn't working alone." She tapped some buttons on her omni-tool.
Saren's spoke again. But when he was done, someone else spoke. "And one step closer to the return of the Reapers." A female voice replied to Saren. "But what if the Council finds out?"
"I have no doubt that if they find out, all I would have to do is say I'm innocent and they'll protect their precious "Top Spectre" without hesitation. They are quite predictable when it comes to things like that."
"How true that is." She agreed with a mocking laugh.
"I don't recognize that other voice, the one talking about the Reapers." Udina admitted. He had met many people during his time as an ambassador and he had a knack for remembering how someone spoke. So when he said he didn't recognize the voice, he also meant he didn't know who it was.
"What about the Reapers?" Naruto asked. "Was that an alien species I missed?"
"I don't think so." Isobu answered, looking over the memories of what he had read. "You read about every species that the modern world knows about. And I'm not seeing anything in here about Reapers."
"From what I could get out of the memory core, the Reapers were a hyper-advanced machine race that existed 50,000 years ago." Tali explained to him. "The geth believe that the Protheans were hunted to total extinction by the Reapers. Once they were done, they vanished."
"It sounds a little hard to believe." Udina told her, not convinced.
"Well, apparently, the geth revere the Reapers as the pinnacle of non-organic life, you could say almost like gods. And they believe that Saren knows how to bring them back."
"You know…that might explain what the beacon tried to shove into my head." Naruto said, getting everyone's attention. "Perhaps it was trying to show me how the Reapers were killing the Protheans."
"All I know is that the Council will just love this." The ambassador said heavily, rubbing his forehead like he was trying to get rid of a headache.
"What's important is that those audio files prove that Saren is a traitor." Anderson said. They could all see the satisfaction of being proven right on his face. "The Council can't try to protect him after hearing that."
"The captain is right. We need to present this evidence to the Council right away." He agreed.
"What about the quarian?" Ashley asked. She hadn't meant to sound offensive, but Tali took it like that.
"My name is Tali!" She snapped at the human. "And I can help you, sir." She told Naruto, looking at him.
Even though he couldn't see her eyes, he could tell that they were staring straight at him. "Are you any good with that pistol?" He asked, looking down at the gun she carried.
"I'm a decent shot." She admitted. "You would've seen that if you had let me fight back in the alley."
"Uh-huh. And what happens if you lose the pistol?"
"I took the required self-defense class in the Migrant Fleet before leaving on my Pilgrimage, so I know how to take care of myself."
"But have you done anything that involved military training?"
"Um…no, I haven't." She finally admitted.
"I see." He was silent for a few long seconds. "Is there anything else you have to offer? Just because you're a supposed decent shot and you know some self-defense moves, doesn't mean I'm letting you join my team."
"I'm good with tech." She stated proudly.
"And I supposed to know that how?"
"The fact that I could pull the memory core out of a geth should prove that I'm good with tech." She told him, a little insulted that he didn't believe her.
"And how am I supposed to know you actually did that?" He asked, making her stiffen slightly. "If you're good with tech, then prove it."
"Fine, I will." She walked over to the computer the ambassador had been using ever since he had the office. "I take it that this computer has some good security to prevent hacking?" She asked Udina.
"Of course it does." He replied. "What exactly are you—" He never finished his question as the quarian began typing at a rapid pace. It almost looked like her fingers were dancing across the keyboard.
"Actually, it had some good security to prevent hacking." She told him as she began looking through what the computer had. "For the record, you might want to change your password to something a lot more harder than the place you were born."
"Thank you, now get off of that!" He ordered her.
She did so, turning off the computer as she walked back around to the group. "And that's not all." She told Naruto. "I can hack into an enemy's omni-tool and send them a virus that'll shut off their shields. I can get pass any door that has a code and into any computer that has a password. You saw how I could do that last one." She added a bit smugly.
"Oh, I like her." Chōmei said from inside Naruto's head. "She kinda reminds me of Fū."
Ignoring the Biju who had just spoken, the blonde looked at the quarian. "Alright, I'm convinced." He told her. He could someone like her, especially when he was still trying to figure out the modern gadgets. "Congratulations, you're on the team."
"Thank you. You won't regret it." She told him happily.
"I hope not." He replied, albeit with a smile. "So what do we do now?" He asked Udina and Anderson, looking over at them.
"Both Anderson and I will go ahead to get things ready with the Council." Udina answered his question.
"Before you do that, I would like to ask you and the captain a question in private." He looked back at his group. "Could you guys give us a minute?"
"Sure. It's no problem." Kaidan told him. They all turned around and walked out of the room.
"And don't try to listen in!" He shouted at them as the door closed behind him. Even though they didn't see it, Udina rolled his eyes and Anderson smiled slightly.
"What is it you want to know, Naruto?" Anderson asked the blonde.
He turned to face them. "How much did the Systems Alliance lie when they gave the Council that 'detailed explanation'?" He asked using air quotes to emphasize his point.
"What do you mean by that, Commander Uzumaki?" Udina demanded of him, his tone guarded.
"I'm not as a big of an idiot as I once was, Ambassador." He replied, crossing his arms with a scowl. "As I said before, the only one who knew how the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu works better than me was the Nidaime Hokage. Both he and I knew that the memory-passing ability was an important part of the jutsu and yet, the Council doesn't know this. This leads me to believe that the Alliance lied to them and that, in turn, leads me to believe that that wasn't the only jutsu the Alliance lied about."
Both Anderson and Udina shared a look before looking back at him. "You would be correct in thinking the Alliance lied to the Council about some of the details concerning our jutsus. But we felt justified." The ambassador explained to him. "They attacked us for accidently breaking one of their laws and when peace was reached, they ordered us to tell them everything about the jutsus we used. We weren't going to spill all of our secrets to them after what had happened, so we just gave them the basic details of most of the jutsus and left out the more powerful ones."
"Thank Kami for that." The blonde replied with a grin. "For a while there, I had thought you guys had spilled all the beans." He was glad that they hadn't. If the Council and the rest of the galaxy didn't know about the more powerful jutsu (like the Mangekyō Sharingan), it wouldn't give them further incentive to try and figure out how charka works. "In any case, you two should probably get going."
"You're right. Take a few minutes for you to collect yourself and give your team a chance to do the same, and then meet us in the Tower." Both he and Anderson walked out of the room, going past Naruto's team.
"What was that about?" Garrus asked as they walked back into the room.
"Just something I wanted to double check." The blonde answered. "Alright, they want us to wait a couple of minutes before heading up to the Tower."
"Guess that means I'm waiting by the elevators." Wrex commented with a grunt.
"Why would you be doing that?" Ashley asked him, curious.
"My species isn't the only in the galaxy that has both long lives and long memories." He answered shortly.
(Location: Saren)
"The assassins have failed." The Matriarch told him, standing behind the chair of the helm. "Fist is also dead."
"So the humans now have the information." Saren said. It wasn't a question, since they both knew the answer to it.
"Yes."
He fell silent. He had a feeling it would come to this. Anderson was never one to give up on finding dirt on him, especially when it was real. He could always count on the Council to make sure he stayed in the clear. But he had a feeling that was going to end quite soon. "We might as well watch the show." He finally said, standing up from the chair. He walked out of the room and the Matriarch followed him.
(Location: Citadel Tower)
"Many colonial proposals are on hold until backers have some reassurance that human colonies will be adequately protected." The reporter finished as they walked out of the elevator and into the Tower.
"Gah, I beginning to hate those damn things," Ashley said in agitation. The constant reports that droned on and on in her ear were starting to make her want to pull out her gun and shoot the speakers. At least the music was bearable.
"Yep, if there's one thing you come to hate about the Citadel, it's the elevators." Garrus agreed, having been in them many times.
"Really?" asked Naruto. "I find them to be a good place for a nap."
"You can sleep in those things?" Tali said to him, surprise clear in her voice.
He shrugged his shoulders. "It's not hard. You just have to figure out how to sleep standing up."
"You only figured out how to do that when your teammates found out what you were doing with your nights and staged an intervention." Kurama reminded him. "And please remember where that got you."
"Of course I remember where that got me. I see that constantly." He replied, a bit snidely. "And please remember that what I did during those nights was necessary and it saved all of your lives."
"He's got you there." Matatabi commented.
"And how do you learn how to sleep standing up?" Kaidan asked him, bringing his attention back to the real world.
"You start by learning how to sleep in a chair." He replied with a straight face. He had learned how to sleep standing up when Sakura, Sai, and Sasuke had hidden all the chairs. That had led to an argument he didn't really want to remember.
The group walked up the stairs in silence. When they reached Anderson, the rest held back as Naruto continued walking. "You're just in time." Anderson told him. "It's about to begin." The two of them continued walking up the stairs. They joined Udina, who stood before the Council.
"We have already discussed this, Ambassador Udina." Tevos said, again subtly sounding likea parent chastising a child. "The Council has found no evidence against Saren and the geth."
"That's odd." Naruto said speaking before Udina could. "Because that's not what I saw."
"What are you doing!?" Udina hissed out between clenched teeth.
"Giving you an opening," He replied in a whisper. He looked back at the Council. "Before I came here the first time, I had run into C-Sec officer Garrus Vakarian. He was telling his superior that he needed just a little more time to find proof that Saren was hiding something. However, his superior said that his investigation was over."
"What's your point?" Sparatus asked, both a little impatient and annoyed. The last time this particular human had spoken, they had all but torn his so-called evidence into shred. In response, he insulted and mocked them.
"My point is that the time it took the Normandy to get from Eden Prime to the Citadel was relatively short. The Ambassador here put in the petition that Saren removed from the Spectres probably as soon as he heard from Captain Anderson about what happened on Eden Prime. In response, you handed down the orders to have someone in C-Sec to investigate Saren. But then when Udina asked for a hearing, you agreed and gave the time of the hearing to all who needed to know, within the very same day you had a C-Sec officer try to investigate your top Spectre." He told them, keeping a steady tone and a clam expression on his face.
" Are you implying something, Commander?" Valern asked him.
"What he is implying is that you gave a token gesture to investigating Saren, only to stop it, sweep it under the rug, and say that they couldn't find anything." Udina said with a vicious gleam in his eyes, having caught onto the opening Naruto had given him. "Had you actually tried to give C-Sec time to investigate Saren, you would've set the hearing at a later date. Instead, you told the officer in charge of the investigation that it was over and hoped that he would listen to you."
"Thank Kami that Officer Garrus is a stubborn son of a bitch and stayed on the case like an Inuzuka and his hound on the hunt." Naruto commented. "So tell me, do you play cover-up for all your Spectres, or is Saren just special?" He asked the Council with enough fake innocence to be making fun of them as well as enough seriousness to be accusing them. Nearby, more and more spectators began watching the meeting.
"Are you implying that we stopped the C-Sec investigation just so we could prove Saren's innocence?" Tevos asked him.
"I'm not implying, I'm stating." He bluntly told her. "You see, after our last meeting, my team and I decided to go look for Garrus to see what he had found out about Saren. After tracking him to Dr. Michel's clinic and saving the doctor from a couple of thugs who had come to threaten her, we discovered that she had patched up a quarian named Tali who had information. Information she wanted to sell to the Shadow Broker. Only, it turned out that the agent she had talked to, Fist, was now working for Saren and set her up to walk into an ambush. After my team had stopped the execution, we escorted Ms. Tali back to the embassy, where she revealed that the information that nearly cost her life had been pulled from a geth memory core."
Udina tapped a few buttons on the podium next to him. "Eden Prime will be a major victory for us! The beacon will bring us one step closer to finding the Conduit." Saren's voiced announced to all those who heard it.
"And one step closer to the return of the Reapers." The female voice agreed with him. "But what if the Council finds out?"
"I have no doubt that if they find out, all I would have to do is say I'm innocent and they'll protect their precious "Top Spectre" without hesitation. They are quite predictable when it comes to things like that."
"How true that is."
"You wanted proof." Udina said with a smug and satisfied smirk. "There it is."
Tevos, who had worn a gentle and placating (if not subtly condescending) smile, was shaken by what she had heard, making her lose the smile. She, Valern, and Sparatus had defended Saren because they had honestly thought he was innocent, and he had expected them to do just that. He…he had used them! Looking at her two fellow Councilors, Valern couldn't hide the expression of surprise and anger from her. Sparatus, however, was much more easier to read. The turian quivered in anger and it honestly looked like he wanted to tear either something or someone to pieces. "This evidence is irrefutable, Ambassador." He said, keeping his voice tight and controlled. "Saren will be stripped of his Spectre status, and will be hunted down."
"I recognize the other voice, the one speaking with Saren." Tevos admitted, swinging the attention back to her. "It was Matriarch Benezia."
"That is not good." Valern admitted, realizing what that could mean.
"For those of us who don't know every single important person out there, who is Benezia?" Naruto asked them. He knew what a Matriarch was; he just didn't know who this one was.
"She is a powerful biotic and she has many followers." Tevos explained to him. "She will make a formidable ally for Saren." That might've been putting it mildly, if she had to be honest.
"Oh that's going to be fun." Shukaku said with a snigger.
"No, not really," The blonde replied. While he had fought asari enemies before, they were only Commandos and he was able to catch them off guard. But he had a funny feeling that if he ever ran into this Benezia, it would not be by accident.
"I'm more interested in the Reapers." Valern said. "What do you know about them?" He asked the humans.
"Only what we learned from the geth memory core." Anderson answered. "They were a race of machines which hunted the Protheans to the death before vanishing."
"Also, the geth seem to think that Saren can bring them back. Not to mention the fact that they worship the Reapers like they were gods." Naruto added.
"Saren might have attacked Eden Prime to find the Conduit. We think that might be the key to be bringing the Reapers back." The captain finished.
"Do we even know what this Conduit is?" The salarian Councilor asked them.
"If we did, would we be having this part of the conversation?" Naruto asked back. Even though no one could really see it, he had rolled his eyes behind his shades. "Saren's going after it, that's incentive enough to know it's bad.
"Do you realize what you're saying?!" Sparatus demanded. "Saren is trying to bring back a race of machines that wipe us all out? That's crazy! Where did the Reapers go? Why did they vanish? How come we've found no trace of their existence? If they were real, we would've found something!"
"Has he considered the idea that they haven't looked hard enough?" Gyūki asked.
"I think it's more along the lines of they didn't know what to look for." Saiken disagreed.
"Or they just ignored those who had found something and called them crazy." Kurama commented.
"Can you lot have this debate later?" Naruto asked them. "I'm trying to focus here."
"I think we can all agree that Saren has betrayed us." Tevos said. "We can also agree that he's using the geth to look for the Conduit, but we don't know why he's doing it."
"It's obvious that the Reapers are a myth." Valern decided. "Saren's convenient lie to bind the geth to his will."
"Okay, so it's option number 3." Son declared.
"Saren is a rogue agent on the run for his life." Sparatus announced. "He no longer has the rights or resources of a Spectre. The Council has stripped him of his position."
"That is not good enough!" Udina shouted. "We both know that if he found out he's lost the right to be a Spectre, he would head straight for the Traverse. Send one of your fleets after him!"
"A fleet cannot track down one man." Valern told him sharply. It was a rebuff and they both knew it.
"A Citadel fleet could secure the entire region." He said, trying a different tactic. "Keep the geth from attacking any more of our colonies."
"Or it could trigger a war with the Terminus Systems!" Sparatus countered. "We won't be dragged into a galactic confrontation over a few dozen colonies!"
When he heard that, the ambassador gave a grim smile. "Thank you, Councilor Sparatus, you've just given me enough reason to go to the Alliance and asked that we separate ourselves from the authority of the Citadel Council. And before you ask why, it is mostly because I am sick of you three and your anti-human BULLSHIT!" He roared, his voice filling the entire room. "You cannot find a single person or protect our colonies because you 'might' start a war. You don't let the investigation run its course because we 'might' be right. And when someone who was there, on the ground, gave you solid evidence, you call him a liar!"
"Udina's right." Naruto said, taking over for the ambassador. "I've heard of sticking your head in the sand, but this is fucking ridiculous! Have you ever considered the fact that you probably won't have your war with the Terminus System if you just state your intentions and don't fire first!?" He asked (more like demanded) of them. "You know, after two thousand years, you would've thought things would be different. Instead, it's the exact same thing, only with more people, and the leaders are even more stupid."
"Lay it on them, gaki!" Kurama cheered from inside his mind along with the rest of the Biju.
"Who do you think you're—?" Sparatus began to demand.
"Shut up! I'm talking here!" The blonde cut him off. "Didn't your parents teach to be respectful of your betters and elders? I may not be the former, but I am definitely the latter! For the love of Kami, you're the Council! You may be the three most powerful people for a good portion of the galaxy, but you've also got a responsibility to those who ask you for guidance and help. And from what I've read and see, you have done an incredibly bad job of doing that! And if you want a good example, how about us?" He gestured to the two other humans besides him. "You've been telling us that humans should heed your advice and look to you for justice, that your way is better than ours. And when we try to do as you suggested, to try and do it your way, you blow us off! You think of how you can protect one person when you should've brought him to justice for what he did. And, because you chose not to believe us until it was too late, he could be only Kami knows where!" Even more spectators watched as the blonde chewed the Council out. Later, someone would upload a video of the meeting onto the extranet with the title "Owned Council."
"So what would you have us do?" Valern asked him, keeping his expression neutral. Even though he or his colleagues had not been expecting the outburst, the human had gotten them dead to rights about what they had done about Saren. The humans had them and they all knew it.
"I think that would be obvious." Anderson said quietly, but loudly enough for them to hear. "A fleet can't track down one man, but another man can." He looked pointedly over at Naruto.
"No!" Sparatus objected vehemently. "It's too soon. Humanity is not ready for the responsibilities that come with joining the Spectres!"
"You say that Humanity isn't ready. But how can you say that if you don't let us try?" Naruto retorted.
"What if we told you that we allowed Humanity to try once and their representative failed?" Tevos asked him. Out of the corner of his eye, Naruto saw Anderson wince slightly at those words.
"I wonder if that has to do with his history with Saren." He thought to himself before looking at the asari Councilor. "Have you ever heard of the proverb 'if at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again'?" He asked back. That proverb was one of the major factors of why he never gave up on being a better shinobi.
All three Councilors shared a look for one long quiet moment. Finally, they all nodded in agreement. "Your petition to have a human join the Spectres is granted, Ambassador Udina." Tevos announced. "We will allow Commander Naruto Uzu—"
"Whoa, hold on, I never said that I was going to join the Spectres." The blonde interrupted her, making the entire area go quiet. No one was expecting him to say that. "However, I will gladly join, if you three offer me something."
"And what would that be?" Sparatus asked, already annoyed by the fact that the human wanted something from them.
"An apology," He answered simply.
The Council was perplexed by what he said. "I don't believe we know what you mean, Commander." Valern told him. "Have we done something to offend you?"
"You haven't offended me, you've insulted me. And I want an apology for that insult." He clarified.
"How exactly have we insulted you?" Tevos asked him, trying to think back to through all he had said to them and vice-versa.
"Back during the hearing with Saren, you told me that I did not know how the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu worked, to my face. Considering the fact that's one of the jutsus I use frequently, I'm pretty sure I know how it works."
"We've already discussed this." Sparatus told him. "There is no mention of a memory-passing ability tied to the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu."
He scowled at the turian. "Number 1: between the two of us, who is the chakra wielder, me or you?" He rhetorically asked. "Number 2: you attacked us for breaking a law that we had no knowledge of and once peace was brokered, you ordered us to tell you about every single jutsu that has been created. Did you really think that we would tell you everything after all that?" He could see that they were trying to come up with a good answer, but couldn't. So he pressed on. "Let me ask you this question: when Nihlus put my name forward and you tried to look me up, did all you get was references to history books?"
"Yes, we did." Tevos answered; surprised that he figured that out.
"Did it ever occur to you to look through the history books and read the section on me? Trust me, I've read some of those books. They're very accurate, down to the fact about how I was a master of the jutsu and knew everything about it! In fact, the only person who knew the jutsu better than me was its creator, Tobirama Senju, the Nidaime Hokage! So it's going to be a point of pride for me when you say that I don't know how to use it!"
The Councilors again shared a look between the three of them. Finally, Tevos looked at him. "Then I, speaking for the whole Council, apologize to you, Commander Naruto Uzumaki, for unintendedly insulting you about your knowledge about your own jutsu." She said, her voice sincere and honest.
"I accept your apology." He replied. "Now, how are you going to deal with Saren's betrayal?"
"Publically," Valern answered.
A half hour later, the Council floor was completely packed as they all either stood around the glass ceiling covering the garden beneath it or watching from screens. Those who couldn't get into the tower watched what was happening from nearby screens or from their omni-tool. But the fact remained that everyone in Citadel space, as well as quite a few others, were watching with bated breaths.
The three Councilors stood on one end of the garden while Anderson and Udina stood on the other end. In the middle of the garden, and in the middle of both groups, stood Naruto. If he had looked up, would've seen that his team was watching from front row seats. As he waited, Sparatus took a small step forward. "It has come to the attention of the Council that the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance agent Saren Arterius has betrayed us by consorting with the geth to attack the human colony of Eden Prime of his own free will. We strip him of his rank and charge him with murder, attempted murder, sabotage, and treason. We also charge Matriarch Benezia T'Soni with these same charges, as well as the charge of conspiracy. Is there anyone who is willing to find these traitors and bring them to justice?"
No one answered for a long minute. Then Udina spoke. "As a member of the galactic community, Humanity is willing and ready to hunt these traitors down."
"Is there one among you who would do this task?" Tevos asked him.
"I would do it." Naruto spoke.
"And who are you?" Valern asked him.
He took a deep breath. "Well, here we go. The moment of truth," He thought to himself. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki, son of Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime Hokage, and Kushina Uzumaki. I am a member of the Uzumaki clan and also claim blood ties to the Senju clan. I am the Toad Sage of Mt. Myōboku. I have served under the leadership of the Sandaime Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the Godaime Hokage, Tsunade Senju. I was the first shinobi to have bested the Godaime Kazekage, Sabaku no Gaara, when I was only thirteen. I fought in the Fourth Shinobi World War against Obito Uchiha, and ended it by defeating him and sealing myself away. I have been found again, and I am ready to serve again." He wasn't really one to boast, but Udina told him that it would prove the fact that it was actually him (which he agreed with).
While everyone who in the Council floor didn't know what to say, the Councilors didn't stop. "Jōnin Naruto Uzumaki, we, the Council, have decided to grant you all the powers and privileges of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel." Tevos announced, using the rank he preferred to be known by. As she spoke, a salarian, asari, and turian walked forward towards him. While they didn't wear the same kind of armor, it wasn't that what marked them as Spectres. All three of them wore long trench coats that were the color of black that could only be found when looking out at space. Only people who were Spectres could wear these coats, though most only did so in ceremonial practices (which were few for them).
"Spectres are not trained, but chosen." Valern told him. "Individuals forged in the fire of service and battle, those whose actions elevate them above the rank and file." As he spoke, the salarian Spectre opened the box that he had been carrying. Inside was a bundle of cloth the same color of his coat.
"Spectres are an ideal, a symbol. The embodiment of courage, determination, and self-reliance," Tevos said. "They are the right hand of the Council, instruments of our will." As she spoke, the asari Spectre took the bundle from the box and unfolded it, revealing it to be a cloak like hers.
"Spectres bear a great burden. They are protectors of galactic peace, both our first and last line of defense. The safety of the galaxy is theirs to uphold." Sparatus intoned. As he spoke, the turian Spectre took the coat from the asari and held it out to Naruto.
"That coat is your uniform." The salarian Spectre told the blonde. "Wear it with pride befitting it. But always remember these words."
"We work in secret." The asari Spectre said.
"We exist in shadow." The turian Spectre said.
Naruto took the coat from the hands of the turian Spectre. For a long moment, he simply held it in his hands. Then, he swung it around his back, putting his arms into the sleeves as it hit his back. After making sure it was properly on, he looked back at the three Spectres. "And we dress in black." He told them with a grin. They couldn't help but grin back at him.
"You are the first human Spectre, Commander." Tevos told him. "This is a great accomplishment for you and your entire species." That was when everyone who was watching began to clap, applauding him for what he had done.
He stood there, letting the sounds fill his ears. Then he turned to face the Councilors. "What is my mission?" He asked, being all business.
"We are sending you into the Traverse after Saren." Valern answered. "He is a fugitive from justice, so you're authorized to use any means necessary to apprehend or eliminate him."
"Any relevant files we have will be sent to Ambassador Udina." Sparatus told him.
"This meeting of the Council is adjourned." Tevos announced. She and her colleagues walked away with the three Spectres behind them. The crowds who had been watching the ceremony began to disperse.
Both Anderson and Udina waited in silence as the new Spectre walked back to them. "Congratulation, Naruto." Anderson told him, shaking his hand.
"We've got a lot of work to do, Uzumaki." Udina told him as they walked out of the garden. "You'll need a ship, crew, supplies…" He began to list off the things necessary.
"Not to mention getting the hell out of here before any other humans start mobbing me." The blonde remarked. Now that the secret was out, he had no doubt that might actually happen. His one hope was that he didn't get Fangirls.
"Not to mention the Church of the Nine." Anderson agreed. He sincerely hoped that Naruto wouldn't run into any of those lunatics while he out in the galaxy.
"In any case, report back to the Normandy in one hour, we should have everything done by then." Udina said as they came out of the passageway. "Anderson, come with me. I'll need your help to set this all up." He told the captain. The two of them walked away just as Naruto's team came up to him.
"That looked cheerful." Ashley sarcastically remarked. "I can just tell the captain's going to enjoy that."
"In any case, congratulations on becoming a Spectre, Commander," Garrus said to the blonde human. He was just glad to have seen a part of history.
"Thanks, Garrus." Naruto replied with a smile.
"So, what's next?" Tali asked him.
"You've all got one hour to get your affairs on the Citadel in order. Once you're done, head to dock 422. Are there any questions?" He asked them. No one answered. "Good, dismissed." He walked away from the group.
"Where do you think he's going?" Kaidan wondered aloud.
"It's none of our business." Wrex told him curtly. "We've got an hour and I know what I'm doing."
"And what would that be?" Garrus asked him.
"Finding a damn human history book," He answered before walking away.
"Hold up, I'm coming too!" The turian called after the krogan, going after him.
"Wait for me!" Tali ran after them.
(Location: Huerta Memorial Hospital)
"Has there been any change?" Naruto asked the nurse as he stood outside the door. He was almost afraid to go in, but he had to.
"I'm afraid not. He's the same as he came in." The nurse told him.
"I see." He had been hoping for some good news, but knew it was a long shot. "I'll go in then."
"If you need anything, just press the orange button. Someone will be there momentarily."
"Thank you." He pressed the lock, turning the glow green, opening the door, and walked in. There, he saw Nihlus lying there, in the bed made specifically for turians. He had a blanket drawn up to his chest and his eyes were still closed. Nearby, a machine beeped steadily, showing his heart rate.
The blonde sat quietly close to the bed. "Hey, Nihlus," He greeted the comatose Spectre. "I've got good news. They made me a Spectre. But the bad news is that they've made my first assignment to track down and kill him." He fell silent for a moment. "I'm sorry about that, Nihlus. I should've stopped Saren from shooting you. If you were awake, we wouldn't have this problem. Saren would've been founded out quicker. The Council would've listened to you. Instead they had to deal with me." He chuckled a little when he thought about that. "I may have to admit, I was not gentle with them. Kami, I called them out on a few things."
"That would be putting it mildly." Kokuō told him. "You all but chewed them out."
"It was still fun to watch, though." Shukaku defended his actions. "You have to admit that we enjoyed what he did to them."
"We never said we didn't." Isobu replied.
Naruto ignored the rambling of the Biju in his head. "I'll admit that the coat is pretty cool." He told Nihlus, holding up an end of the coat he now wore to emphasize his point. "Did you feel the same way when you got your coat?" He was met with silence and released the coat end. "You probably did. If I had gotten this thing when I was younger, I probably would've been bouncing off the walls with joy. Then again, I also would've rubbed it in Sasuke's face, if he hadn't gotten one himself already." He smiled nostalgically. "That bastard seemed to beat me whenever we competed against one another. He even became a Chūnin before I did."
"That's only because you said, and I quote, 'we don't have time to try and compete for whether we become Chūnin or not. We've got a war going on.'" Kurama reminded him pointedly.
"Yeah, I remember that too." Gyūki agreed. "When they got back and had that big celebratory dinner, Bee had to literally drag you out of the house so you would join them!"
Again, he ignored what they were sayingand focused on the turian in the bed. "But still, the coat is still cool. I just have to wonder if there was any way to make it even more cooler." Hestopped and had a thought. Dipping his hand into one of the pockets on his pants, he pulled out the white swirl that had been in there. He held in his hand, a little amazed that it hadn't been completely destroyed with everything that had been going on. Leaning forward, he pressed the orange button next to the machine before getting up and walking over to the door.
Within a few minutes, the door opened and one of the nurses walked through. "Yes?" She asked.
"Sorry to bother you." He told her. "And this might be a bit of a weird question, but you do have a sewing kit nearby?"
(Location: Saren)
The two watched in silence as the ceremony finished. As the screen went back to the reporter, Saren turned it off. "It took them long enough to figure out and they needed help from humans to do it." He noted with slight scorn. "What is the Council coming to?"
"They're going to be sending the new Spectre after us." The Matriarch reminded him. She had read up on Naruto Uzumaki and she did not think he would give the hunt easily.
"I know that, Benezia. I saw what they ordered him to do." He smiled slightly. "I must say, I look forward to the challenge." He had read up on the blonde as well. He knew that it would be an interesting fight if they got close to one another. "In any event, we have more important things to be worrying about, and we must make sure that they are not hindered in any way."
"Should I have assassins go after Uzumaki?"
He shook his head. "No, it would just be a waste of resources. We'll just let him wander the galaxy for."
"Very well, I'll return to my duties." She turned around and walked towards the door. She stopped and turned her head to look back. "Also, I have been informed that they have arrived safely." She told him. He said nothing. She expected him not to.
(Location: Naruto)
As the elevator opened, Naruto instantly woke up and walked into the docking bay that held the Normandy. He saw that both Udina and Anderson were standing by the entrance to the hatch and quickly made his way over to them. "Hey guys." He greeted them.
When Udina turned to look at him, his eyes went to the white swirl that was now sewn to the left shoulder of his Spectre coat. "What is that?" He asked.
The blonde followed his eyes. "A piece of my old life," He answered simply. "Anyway, is my team aboard?"
"They are. And I have big news for you. Captain Anderson is stepping down as commanding officer of the Normandy. The ship is yours now."
That was probably one of the most surprising and horrifying things Naruto could've ever heard. "What?" He asked, completely stunned.
"It's the perfect ship for a Spectre." Anderson told him. "She's quick and quiet."
"Are the two of you nuts!?" He demanded. "This is a horrible idea!"
"What are you talking about?" Udina asked, surprised by his outburst. "I would've thought you'd be happy to have your own ship."
"Udina, I'm still trying to figure how my omni-tool works without crashing it or setting off a nearby alarm." He replied. "I really don't know the first thing about the Normandy. For all we know, I could go looking for the bathroom and inadvertently caused the ship to self-destruct!" He waved his arms to emphasize his point.
"I have a solution." Anderson spoke, getting their attention. "I'll stay on as an advisor of sorts. I'll help Naruto figure out how to the ship works properly, as well as the computer and his omni-tool, while also making sure he doesn't fry himself or the Normandy in the process. Once he's got it under control, I'll leave."
"That works for me." Naruto agreed with him, glad for the helping hand.
"Fine, I'll work it out later." Udina said with a slight scowl. "In the meantime, there have been reports of geth sightings at Feros and Noveria. It's possible that Saren has them looking around there for the Conduit."
"What about the Reapers?" He asked.
"I'm with the Council on that one, Commander. I'm not even sure they exist."
"The Fire Daimyo said the same thing about Obito when we told him how dangerous of a threat he was. The next thing we know, the man we had warned him about had set the capital of the Land of Fire ablaze. The irony was not lost on us." He told the Ambassador.
"If the Reapers are real, the Conduit must be the key to bringing them back. If we find it before Saren does, or stop him, they don't come back." Anderson said to the both of them, cutting in before they could start fighting.
Udina scowled slightly, but continued. "We also have one more lead. Apparently, Matriarch Benezia has a daughter, a scientist who specializes in the Protheans. It's unclear on whether or not she's involved but it's a good idea to find her and see what she knows. Her name is Liara. Dr. Liara T'Soni. Last we heard, she was exploring an archeological dig on one of the uncharted worlds in the Artemis Tau Cluster, possibly Therum in the Knossos System."
"While I guess I know what I'm doing first." Naruto said.
"Still trying to be the hero and rushing in to save the girl?" Kurama asked his host teasingly.
"Shut up." He replied.
"You're a Spectre, Commander. You don't answer to us." Udina told him. "But make no mistake; you represent Humanity as a whole. You make a mess and I'll be the one who has to clean it up."
"Then I'll try to keep the messes to a minimum." The new Spectre replied.
"Good. Now there's just one more thing." When he said that, a person stepped out from behind some crates and walked towards them. "This is Agent Cuanmiztli, formerly of the 666th 'Número del Diablo' Hunter Unit." Udina introduced her. "She'll be joining your team."
Naruto looked her over. She was probably only a few years older than he was (at least biologically). What skin she showed had a dark tan to it, showing that she spent a lot of time under the sun. Her hair was held in a short ponytail that seem almost business like to him. The color of her hair was obviously dyed (the only person he knew who could get close to silver hair was Kakashi-sensei and his hair was naturally grey). Her amber eyes were hard and completely serious. If he had to judge her by her weapons and armor alone, he'd say she knew her job and handled it like a professional. "Is there anything about you that I should know about you that I can't see for myself, Cuanmiztli?" He asked her, almost stumbling over the word.
"I'm good with demolitions, poisons, and interrogation." She answered simply and shortly.
"Good enough. Welcome aboard." She saluted him and walked to the hatch. If he had to guess, her stuff was already on board.
"I have a meeting to get to." Udina told Anderson and Naruto. "I trust you'll be able to handle yourself?"
"We'll be fine, Ambassador." Anderson assured him. He gave a small snort of disbelief and walked back to the elevator. "I'll go make sure your new teammate gets in comfortably and introduce her to the others." The former captain of the Normandy told the new captain.
"Thanks." He replied. He watched as Anderson walked towards the hatch and then into it. Then he took a step back to look at the ship in its entirety. When he first walked onto it, he thought it was just going to be a place he was staying for a few days. Now, he was in charge of it and that scared him. As he finally began walking towards the hatch, the only thing he could think of was "I really hope I don't blow this ship up."
"Are you kidding?" Kurama asked. "With your luck, that ship and your team will become just as famous as the Konoha Twelve was."
Codex Entry (Technology): LOST JUTSUS
The Lost Jutsus are a group of jutsus that have been lost to time. This is mostly due to either the user of the jutsu dying before being able to pass it on to a student, the student refusing to share what he had learned of the jutsu, or the user was just one-of-a-kind.
One of the more famous groups of Lost Jutsus are those used by the Shodaime Hokage, Hashirama Senju (See: Mokuton). The reason that these jutsus are regarded as lost was that only the Shodaime Hokage had the ability to use Mokuton. To this day, there's has been no reports of any shinobi being able to use it (with the exception of one ANBU agent during the Godaime Hokage's reign).
Another famous group (equal or more so then Hashirama) are the jutsus that were used by Naruto Uzumaki. His innovation with basic jutsus such as the Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Jutsu) led to creating jutsus like the Oiroke no Jutsu (Sexy Jutsu) which, according to sources, allowed him to distract men and used it to his advantage. Sources also stated that he used the jutsu frequently on his mentor, who was a self-proclaimed Super Pervert (See: Jiraiya). However, he created and mastered more and more powerful jutsus as he grew older, while also creating several variations of one.
There has been some research into rediscover and recover the Lost Jutsus. While mostly because the Systems Alliance refuses to let the Council know the secrets of chakra, another important reason is because the research group has to choose what group to recover. Some groups, like the Shodaime Hokage, cannot be recovered as he was unique and they would not be able to get results that would match his, which had been proven long before the modern day (See: Orochimaru's experiments). Another groups, like Naruto (and also Hashirama), are considered to be sacred and it would be blasphemous to even attempt to recreate them.
End
Author's note: Thank you for all the reviews you've sent me.
Now, I don't know about the rest of you, but I always felt that the Spectre ceremony in the actualgame was a bit weak. I mean, come on, you would expect a little pomp and circumstance when it came to something like that. So, I would like to the Author LogicalPromise and his story "Of Sheep and Battle chicken" for the inspiration to make the ceremony better, as well as Naruto's outburst against the Council.
As for the bit with the Spectre agents and the coat, I just couldn't resist. If anyone can tell me where the line Naruto said came from, I'll give you a cyber-cookie.
A lot of you were telling me that I can't give the Normandy to Naruto because he wouldn't know how to work it. And you would be right, so I just made Anderson stay onboard for a little while longer to show Naruto what to do.
Again, I would like to thank Kurogane7 for the Skirmisher pistol and Cuanmiztli, as well as the Hunters. People were telling me that I shouldn't follow the plot of Mass Effect so closely. So I'm adding in a few OCs to shake it up a little. It should be fun. But don't worry, I've already got a few lined up for the story and again, I would like to thank Kurogane7 for his help with them.
I'll see you all next chapter!