The Legend of Gaia's Sennin
Phase 1: The City That Never Sleeps
Arch 3: Trouble Arises
Chapter 10: Two Blonds and a Brunette
Cloud awoke to the sound of voices.
"So... do you think he's alright?" The voice was female, soft and lyrical. It was also familiar, he could have sworn he had heard it before.
"He's breathing," this voice was gruff, much deeper, definitely male. It sounded amused. "And I don't see much in the way of broken bones. Then again, it's kind of hard to tell if someone has broken bones just by looking at them."
"At least he doesn't look as bad as you did."
"Ouch." Cloud could almost hear the wince in the voice. "I'll have you know I was in an epic battle before I crashed through your roof." Roof? "And I was half dead before I fell into your lap."
A giggle was met by the man's statement. Cloud frowned, his mind trying to figure out what had happened, and where he was despite not yet having any visual images to go off of. He tried to move his body, but the moment he did a sharp pain erupted across his entire nervous system. His mouth made an attempt at opening so he could scream, but even that seemed impossible to accomplish. However, where there's a will, there's way, or so the saying goes. And if nothing else, Clouds will was iron clad. It took a lot of effort on his part, shunting aside the pain, but he managed to accomplish his task.
His left leg twitched.
"Oh, it moved!"
Cloud felt a slight annoyance at being called 'it'. But it wasn't like he could actually do anything about that right now, so he just focused on moving his body.
He twitched again.
"Naruto, maybe you should start using that healing spell of yours."
Naruto... why did that name sound so familiar?
"I guess I should, huh? He won't be getting any better if we just stand here."
There was the sound of booted feet hitting wood, footsteps that drew nearer to him with each passing second. They stopped, and there was a rustling as fabric. Though Cloud couldn't see what was happening, he imagined whoever had been walking was now kneeling next to him.
"Shousen No Jutsu."
What an odd name. He wondered what the name signified, but was only able to think on it for a second before he felt it. It was amazing. His entire body felt like it had been enveloped in a warm cocoon made from silk, his very being felt as if it were being held in a warm embrace. To his astonishment, he could feel the wounds on his body beginning to heal, broken bones began to mend, the pain faded from his receptors, leaving nothing other then the feelings of warmth. He sighed.
"That's usually the reaction everyone has when they first experience a healing jutsu."
At the sound of the amused voice, Cloud opened his eyes for the first time since his crash landing...
and promptly found himself staring into the amused, glowing blue eyes of a man who could have been his twin. He stared, wondering if he was looking into mirror. After awhile, he realized that, no, he was not looking at a mirror. There were subtle differences between him and this man, the hair and whisker marks for one. As he continued studying the visage before him, the other blond gave a sardonic grin.
"It's kind of like looking into a mirror, no?"
"It is a little... disconcerting," Cloud admitted. The other man nodded as he stood up, then held out his hand. Cloud frowned before reaching for it, grasping it firmly in his own. The man's muscles flexed slightly, and he easily pulled Cloud up. He let go, and Cloud began dusting himself off. Once finished, he turned his attention to his fellow blond, only to blink when he saw the man standing next to a beautiful girl. He absently recognized her as the one selling flowers.
"Well, I suppose introductions are in order," the man said, scratching under his chin with an expression of thoughtful repose. Shrugging a moment later he smiled and gestured with his left hand towards the girl. "This is Aerith Gainsborough."
"It's nice to meet you again," Aerith said with a dazzling smile. Cloud nodded to her, acknowledging the comment but not actually speaking. There was something odd about this girl, something he couldn't quite put his fingers on...
His attention left the girl when the blond then gestured to himself. "And I'm Naruto Uzumaki."
"Naruto..." Cloud tested the word, rolling it around in his mouth as it bounced back and forth inside of his head. He could have sworn he heard that name before... He looked back at the grinning man and frowned some more. There was something... familiar about this man. Not in the sense that Cloud knew him. Because, honestly, Cloud was positive that if he had ever met someone who looked so much like him before, he would remember them. No, this was more in the sense that he felt familiar, the way he held and carried himself reminded him of someone he had known a long time ago...
A sharp pang rang in his head. Cloud put a hand to his forehead, wincing as he began to try and message the pain away. Aerith and Naruto looked at each other, confusion and a small amount of concern on their faces.
"Are you ok?" asked Aerith.
Cloud nodded as he pressed his finger into his temples. "Fine, just a small headache," he said. Shaking his head several times, Cloud managed to eventually repress the headache, though it still remained somewhat, an ever present annoyance in the back of his mind.
It was only after he managed to suppress the sharp pain in his mind, that Cloud realized he hadn't introduced himself.
"I'm Cloud Strife, by the way."
"Cloud Strife..."
Now it was Naruto's turn to frown. His eyes gazed at Cloud with an intense look of concentration, causing the other blond to stiffen. For the first time in his life, Cloud could understand why some people found his gaze disconcerting. Those eyes, glowing blue beacons that contained unimaginable depths of power and will that had been forged through many battles were disconcerting, to say the least. Was that what his own gaze looked like?
After several seconds of this, Naruto's eyes lit up and he snapped his finger.
"Now I remember!" He shouted, startling Aerith who had been watching the byplay in idle curiosity. A single finger pointed at Cloud, a triumphant grin on his face. "You're Tifa's childhood friend!"
"Um... yes, that's right." Cloud looked at Naruto with a look of general confusion. His brow furrowed for several moments before evening out. "And now I remember you. Tifa mentioned you once when Marlene mistook me for you."
"Ahahaha!" Naruto gave a hearty laugh as he heard Cloud's words. "I'm not surprised, even if I'm kind of hurts to know Marlene can't tell the difference between the two of us." He sighed, then shrugged and perked back up so quickly it startled Cloud. "I guess it can't be helped. It's not like I see them very often."
"Excuse me," Aerith said, finally deciding to interrupt the slightly amusing conversation between the two almost look a likes. When Naruto and Cloud turned to look at her, Aerith placed her fisted hands on her hips and leaned over towards Naruto ever so slightly, fixing him with a glare. "Who exactly is Tifa?"
"Uh..."
Naruto began to sweat as he realized that he had not told Aerith about Tifa and his infrequent trips to Seventh Heaven. He had meant to but truthfully just forgot, it wasn't like he spent much time there. And every time he had decided to tell her, she would do something, or something would happen and it would cause him to forget again. Of course, all of these thoughts passed by too quick for Naruto to truly contemplate. In the face of the semi-stern green eyes, he found that they really didn't matter. He needed to come up with some kind of excuse before he ended up in the dog house.
Fortunately for Naruto, a distraction made itself known.
Unfortunately, the person causing it wasn't one of Naruto's favorite people.
"Great, and I thought one of you was bad enough. Now there are too of you!"
All those present turned to see Reno standing in the doorway, nearly two dozen armed Shinra troops at attention behind him, rifles gripped firmly into their hands. He walked in, taking in the scene with mild interest and annoyance. His eyes went from Naruto to Cloud, then back to Naruto and his eye twitched.
"This doesn't look like your average clone," he commented, pointing to Cloud with an annoyed expression on his face. "What, did you just start body splitting while I wasn't looking or something? I hope to god you two didn't somehow conceive a child and accelerate it's growth."
"Don't be ridiculous," Naruto said with a smile, though his, and Cloud's, and Aerith's for that matter, eyebrow did twitch at the child comment. "There can only ever be one, Naruto Uzumaki!"
"..."
A long drawn out pause. Reno and Aerith both gave Naruto deadpanned looks while Cloud tried to understand what was going on. Naruto scratched the back of his neck and gave a sheepish chuckle.
"Ok... so maybe there can be two or three of me, depending on my mood."
"Whatever," Reno sighed, running a hand through his unruly red mop. "I don't have time to deal with this. Nor am I paid enough. So let's just get this party started."
"I couldn't have said it better myself!" Naruto replied with a grin. He set himself in a basic taijutsu stance as Reno pulled out his electro-mag rod, flicking it out and turning it on. The soldiers behind the red head all bent down on one knee and aimed there rifles. Naruto counted the number. Twenty-one. His mind began processing the best way to defeat them while protecting Aerith at the same time. He would need to strike fast, take out the weakest ones first. His Seikaton would help him here. Nothing surprised people better then getting swatted into the air by a tree that grew out of the ground beneath you. Then he would take the battle to Reno and –
SMACK!
"Ouch!"
– his thoughts were interrupted as Aerith walked up to him and promptly thwacked him across the head.
"Aerith," Naruto whined piteously as he held his head. He was sure that would leave a bump. "What was that for?"
"Have you forgotten?" asked Aerith, raising an eyebrow at him. He looked at her, his expression turning quizzical, causing Aerith to roll her eyes. "No fighting in the church. You'll ruin the flowers."
"Oh," Naruto replied lamely. "Right." He looked over at the flowers, then at Reno and the troops pointing their guns at him. "Sorry Red, it looks like we can't play today."
"Grr! It's Reno, damn it! RE-NO!"
"Yeah, that."
Reno seemed to growl in irritation at the blond, who turned his attention to Cloud. The other blond was frowning, his eyes staring at Reno and the Shinra troops as his right hand lightly touched the handle of his sword.
"Hey, Cloud!" His voice caught the other blond's attention, making him turn his head to look at him. "Call it a sixth sense, but I get the feeling you're no more friends with these guys then we are. How do you feel about forming a temporary alliance so we can make our escape?"
Cloud blinked, his eyes flickering as he ran the words and their meaning through his head. After a moments thought, he gave his fellow blond a nod. "That would be prudent."
"Great!" Naruto cheered, before turning his head towards Aerith. "The door, if you would." Nodding, Aerith did as asked and quickly ran towards the door in the back, opening it and disappearing inside. When she left, he looked at his comrade of circumstance. "Let's go."
Cloud looked at him, then gave a sharp nod. Together, the two blond warriors ran through the door, leaving Reno to stare after them.
"Great, this is just fan-fucking-tastic," Reno groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose with his free hand. "Now we not only have to deal with that Naruto guy, but we also have to take out this new guy. And I didn't even get back up for this mission!" Not quite true, he had the Shinra troops behind them, but they were nothing more then fodder against someone like Naruto. He sighed, "well, whatever. Come on you guys, we've got work to do."
The room in the back of the church was immersed in dust that rose in small clouds behind them as they entered at full speed. An old and winding stairwell edged around the room, stretching upwards into the attic. Halfway up, the path was broken; a massive rusted metal plate destroyed the stairwell where it lay curled against the side of the wall. It was as if the plate had fallen from above like a javelin to split the stair in half. The plate was long and smooth, stretching all the way up near the top of the ceiling. On the floor nearby, ornate wooden tables and chairs were strewn about, left long alone after years of disuse.
"We need to get onto the rafters," Naruto pointed up, drawing Cloud and Aerith's the massive planks of wood located near the ceiling in intersecting patterns. He looked over at Aerith, she was scared, but hid it well. Offering a smile to her, he said, "are you ready?" Aerith looked a little unsure, but nodded after a second had passed. "Just like we planned then." Bending down he presented his back to Aerith, who hopped on, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs went to either side of her waist. Naruto's hands came up under her thighs, grasping them firmly. In a smooth motion he stood up.
Meanwhile, Cloud was busy studying the interior of the room they were in, gauging the distances between sections of broken stairwell.
"Cloud."
Cloud turned to see Naruto looking at him, Aerith riding on his bock.
"You ready?"
Cloud gave a sharp nod. The two of them began ascending the stairs, Naruto had already memorized all of the structural weaknesses the building had by heart. He moved deftly, hopping over a broken floorboard here, stepping around a rotten plank of wood there. Cloud had it a bit harder, but it didn't take him more than a few seconds to catch on and begin copying Naruto's movements.
Dark forms entered the room below. The Shinra soldiers spread out, elbowing away old mirrors and kicking aside elegantly carved chairs. As one, they raised their rifles and took aim at those fleeing above.
"Shit!" Naruto swore as he heard the click of rifles being armed and aimed at them. "Cloud!" He shouted, getting the attention of the ex-SOLDIER. "Do you see those barrels up in the rafters!"
Cloud looked up, blue eyes scanning the scanning the rafters. He spotted them easily enough, half a dozen barrels balancing precariously on the wooden beams, each one spaced about a meter or so from the others.
"Yes."
"I want you to go up there and toss those barrels at the Shinra Troops!"
Cloud eye's moved from the rafters back to Naruto. Their gazes met, and he gave a nod of assent. While it was clear he had no clue what the other blond's plan was, it was obvious that he did have one. He ran forward again as Naruto set Aerith down, but was soon forced to stop. Before him was a large, gaping hole created by the rusted metal plate. Unseen from his inspection below, old age and decay had helped to destroy some of the wooden stairs on the other side of the damaged hole. It would require quite the jump to cover that gap. With a sharp intake of breath, Cloud leapt over the gap, landing solidly on the other side. The wood below groaned and creaked alarmingly.
His eyes strayed over to where he had left Naruto and Aerith, crouched down where they were as the Shinra Troops began firing at them. He was about to turn back around and begin doing as asked, when he saw something that shocked him. Naruto had his left hand digging into the flesh of his right forearm, as in, actually digging into the flesh of his arm. The spot where his fingers speared through flesh were rippling like the water in a pond after someone drops a rock in it. A bright light also emitted from that area and it was translucent, as if intangible. When his hand emerged it carried with it a dark green orb of materia, one he didn't recognize. Quicker then his eyes could follow, Naruto's hand blurred, digging into his pouch and coming out again less then a second later, a different materia in his hand. This one was a dull gray, and seemed to have smoke swirling around inside of it, like dark storm clouds that gathered during a monsoon. The blond pressed the materia into his arm, the orb disappearing inside of it.
Naruto's left hand moved to his mouth, which opened to reveal a pair of sharp canines. Pressing his thumb against one of them, he drew blood, which he smeared across the palm of his right hand. For some reason, the blood offering was still necessary for this. He pressed his right hand into the ground and channeled his chakra.
"Kuchiyose No Jutsu."
Unknown Runes spread across the ground, seals used from another world. The glyphs expanded across the ground at a quick pace, hundreds of thousand of lines that only he could read. Naruto watched and waited, but not for more then a second, as the seals vanished to be replaced with a black hole. The hole, which sparked with red electricity, like a portal opening up to hell. Naruto reached in, his hand disappearing. The feeling of cold steal came to his finger tips. He reached further, feeling the leather hilt of his weapon. His fingers curled around the hilt, grasping it with a strength that was belied by his soft skin. Then he pulled.
Everyone, Shinra troops and ex-SOLDIER alike, even Aerith, stopped whatever it was they were doing to stare. As Naruto pulled his hand up, the hilt of a blade came with it. As if rising up from the netherworld, revealing the pommel, the hilt which Naruto firmly grasped, the guard and then the blade. Naruto rose to a standing position so he could pull the sword all the way, and when it was revealed, people gaped.
The sword was an Ōkatana, which was being held in a black scabbard with a golden ribbon tied around it while the blade's handle itself was wrapped in white silk cloth with an intricate design of black silk covering the sides of the handle make a straight line to the guard while sheathed. It had several engravings located around its white handle and on the endpoint of its sheath. As Naruto slid the blade out of it's sheath, it revealed a silver blade, it's polished finish gleaming and reflecting the world around it.
At the sight of the sword being drawn, the Shinra Troops opened fire once again. Naruto stood in front of Aerith, his blade moving in a blur as he began deflecting bullets. Sparks of light and fire ricocheted off the blade, the bullets that weren't outright sliced in half were sent sailing into the walls and floorboard. His teeth were grit, and he could feel sweat begin to break out onto his forehead. This was something Naruto had never done before, deflect kunai and shuriken? Yes. Deflect small metal pellets shot from several full automatic rifles? no. it was harder than he thought it would be, and Naruto found himself gathering more and more chakra into his arms in order to compensate for the speed the bullets were coming at him with.
Just then Reno emerged from the shadows behind them. The man only stood still for a second, before he ran forward, whipping out a thin metal baton and striking a nearby soldier's weapon down to the floor as he shouted at them over the roar of the gunfire. Cloud's eyes widened as he overheard.
"Do not kill the Ancient! No shooting near her!"
"Oi, Cloud!" Naruto shouted, now that the fire had stopped he was able to focus on the ex-SOLDIER. "Don't just stand there! Get up to those rafters and launch those barrels!"
"Right."
Cloud moved once again, heading up to the rafter using the rickety staircase ahead. When he got onto the first beam that made up the rafters, he looked around, searching out the nearest barrel, then moving to it. Down below, a few of the Shinra troops were making it up the stairs, Naruto was keeping them at bay with his swordplay. It was clear to everyone that he was a master swordsmen as he was easily keeping them from moving further. Each stroke of his blade was nothing more then a flash, and each time he lashed out one of the weapons being held by the Shinra troops was sliced into segments. Cloud grabbed onto the first barrel and looked down, spotting Naruto holding off the Shinra Troops.
"Naruto! Look out!"
Turning his head just a bit, Naruto saw Cloud toss the barrel down towards him. Grinning, the blond jumped back, surprising the Shinra guard that had gotten his baton locked against Naruto's Ōkatana. The guard stumbled forward, off balance. He barely managed to keep from falling on his face. When he straightened, the guard looked up, only to see a barrel flying right at him. It smashed into his face with enough force that he was sent to the ground. Being on a sloped surface like the stairs, this meant he began tumbling down the steps with loud wumphs each time he hit the wood. Several wood chips flew off from the broken planks of wood that made up the steps. He continued his downward tumble, knocking over several of his fellow troops in the process before stopping when he slammed into the wall at the other end.
The barrel, after hitting the Shinra trooper bounced backwards off the man's face, then hit the floor. Surprisingly enough the wood shattered, either due to the wood being weak and rotten or by design. Cloud was not sure which, though he suspected the latter. This was mainly due to the fact that when the barrel shattered, some kind of viscous liquid exploded out of it as well, drenching the Shinra Troopers from head to toe. The liquid, which was clear and looked almost like water, began to hiss the moment it touched the blue clothing of the Shinra troops. Seconds after that, their clothes began falling apart, hissing and steaming and melting off their bodies, leaving them in nothing more but the metal shoulder pads and their helmets. As cries of outrage, shock and embarrassment coursed through the troops who stopped and tried to cover their modesty on instinct, Naruto laughed.
"Cloud! The barrel three meters from your left! Throw it in the middle of them!"
Having already figured out that these barrels had been created by Naruto in case of something like this, he did as told, heaving the barrel requested over his shoulder and throwing it into the center of the Shinra troops. Like the first barrel, this one exploded as well. However, rather then the acidic clothing eating liquid, this one contained rubber cement. The white gooey liquid covered the Shinra troops, coating their bodies and hardening near instantly. It left them frozen in the positions they had been standing in, covering their man bits in an attempt to keep modest. Only now it looked like they had been jacking off and covered each other in jizz.
Naruto howled with laughter as he looked at the mortified and frozen Shinra soldiers. "How do you like that!?" Grinning widely, he looked at Aerith. "Shall we go?"
Aerith shook her head, sighing a bit as she looked at the coated in glue Shinra troops. There were times when she wondered if her blond friend wasn't perhaps taking his pranks too far. Who knew how long it would take Shinra to clear those soldiers out of there so she could use the Church again. Still, she had to admit it was funny, and he hadn't killed anyone this time, which she knew he never enjoyed doing and tried not to whenever possible. That was always a plus in her book.
Giggling a little, she looked back at Naruto and flashed him a dazzling and amused smile.
"Very well."
Acting with speed and grace, Naruto scooped Aerith into his arms, one under her knees and the other around her shoulder. She placed her arms around his neck, holding him tightly. This was quite clearly something she was used to. The blond took off running, reaching the large gap and jumping over it with ease. He ran up to meet Cloud who, after looking at his fellow spiky headed glowing eyed ally of circumstance, shook his head. Naruto ignored the blatant 'what the fuck' look he was receiving from his fellow blond. Choosing instead to set Aerith back onto her feet and begin giving orders.
"Alright, there's an opening passage up ahead that will lead to our exit. Let's go!"
Naruto, Cloud and Aerith moved across the beams to a large gaping hole in the roof. There was another beam that was leaning against it, acting as a ramp for them to get on. Cloud went first, moving swiftly across the top. Aerith went next, with Naruto right behind her, ready to act in case she lost balance. As the last one, Naruto spun around and quickly sliced the wooden beam into several pieces to keep Shinra from trying to follow them.
"Such a flashy exit." Reno turned his attention from where the trio made their escape, to the Shinra troops that were stuck in rubber cement, crying out in embarrassment and shame. "At least he didn't get me with that prank." From the folds of his suit he withdrew a cell phone, which he begun punching numbers into. Without another word, he left the church.
LGNS
The trio, having escaped from Shinra's clutches were sitting on the roof of the church. Cloud was inspecting some of the new scuff marks he had received on his pauldron, while Aerith and Naruto peeked down the hole to watch as the Shinra troops began to leave. Well, those that hadn't gotten coated in his special quick drying rubber cement anyways. After a moment, they leaned back, Naruto placing his hands behind his hands slightly behind him and using them to support his upper body. Aerith, after a few seconds, copied his movements, her left hand placed atop his right.
"Damn those people are persistent," Naruto commented as he looked up at the plate. "They haven't tried capturing you in so long I thought they had given up."
Cloud looked up at hearing that comment.
"You mean this isn't the first time they've gone after her?"
Aerith shook her head.
"No."
"They're the Turks," Cloud said.
Aerith and Naruto shared an amused glance. They knew very well who was after her.
"Hmmm..."
Not knowing this, Cloud took their silence as a sign to continue, and spoke again. Down below the distant figures, the Shinra soldiers – embarrassed and naked – ran out of the building with all due haste and disappeared into the distant. Reno emerged from the church at a much more sedate pace, walking along the dirt road and soon traveling out of sight behind a stack of old metal oddities in the distance.
"The Turks are an organization in Shinra. They scout for possible candidates for SOLDIER."
"This violently?" asked Aerith, doing her best to sound surprised. She was quite the actor. Naruto suppressed a snicker. "I thought they were trying to kidnap me."
Cloud shrugged.
"They're also involved in a lot of dirty dealing on the side. Spying, murder... you know."
Aerith looked at Naruto out of the corner of her eyes, a light of amusement in them. She gently squeezed his hand, silently communicating with the blond who smiled back. Getting back into her serious face, she looked at Cloud.
"They look like it."
Cloud turned to look at her. Maybe it was because of the presence of Naruto, but Aerith looked completely unaffected by what had happened. Granted, it could have also because the Shinra troops had been so thoroughly humiliated that it was very difficult to actually be frightened of them. Still, he would have expected her to be at least a little more worried.
"Why are they after you?"
Another look was shared between Naruto and Aerith, even Cloud could see they had some kind of connection to each other. Very few people could communicate their thoughts and feelings with a simple look. Aerith turned back to him, a bright smile on her face. Naruto's eyes held a glint of amusement.
"They must believe I have what it takes to be in SOLDIER."
Naruto snickered silently behind Aerith, earning the blond a light glare and pout. Despite himself, Cloud smiled.
Maybe you do," he admitted. He raised an eyebrow. "You interested in joining?"
She laughed. "I don't know, but I sure don't want to be caught by those people."
"Then we'd better get going," Naruto quipped.
He slid his hand out from under Aerith's, and pushed himself into a standing position. A second later, his hand came out in a practiced maneuver, grasping onto Aerith's when she reached out to him, it was like he had known it would be there. Or she had known he would offer assistance. Either way it was kind of eerie for Cloud, who couldn't help but wonder at just how well the two knew each other. As the whiskered blond helped Aerith up, the ex-SOLDIER with the giant sword attached to his back looked for a way off the Church.
A massive metal plate jutted up out of the large pile of trash next to the church, allowing them a platform to walk on. Cloud looked at it before turning to Aerith and Naruto, the other blond looked over at him, raising an eyebrow. Shaking his head, Cloud decided to take the lead. With an agility bred from his time in SOLDER, he jumped from one piece of junk to another as if stepping from stone to stone over a river. In the distance, the main pillar of Midgar dominated their vision, a towering cylindrical wall of hard grey metal. He was not at all surprised when Naruto caught up to him, easily keeping pace. They both stopped eventually, turning around to watch as Aerith tried to keep up with them.
Aeris huffed and puffed as she carefully chose a path then made a cautious leap to a metal gear nearby. Her pink dress clung to her as she sweated from the efforts. Cloud's eyes flickered from her to Naruto, who was looking at the girl with a certain air of amusement.
Breathing hard, she finally caught up to him.
"Slow... down... Don't... leave... me..."
Naruto's snicker caught their attention. He leaned forward slightly, a teasing smile on his face as he looked into Aerith's eyes.
"I thought you were cut out to be in SOLDIER."
Despite her exhaustion, she gave him a tight smile and punched him lightly in the shoulder.
"Oh... You're terrible!"
Cloud watched as the two stifled their laughter. They were an interesting pair. There was just something about watching the two that struck a chord with him, though he was not sure why.
"Hey Cloud."
Cloud found himself looking over at Aerith. She was looking at him with a small hint of... something Cloud couldn't quite identify, though for some reason he found it familiar.
"Were you ever in SOLDIER?"
"I used to be..." Cloud looked up at the plate, the dull surface was gleaming with several blinking lights. His eyes turned their attention to Naruto, who looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised you knew I was in SOLDIER, considering your friend."
Naruto gave an amused smile at Cloud's pointed look.
"Hate to break it to you, but I was never a member of SOLDIER."
"You... you weren't?" Cloud's face reflected his shock. His eyes were wide, much wider then they had ever been before. And his mouth was gaping as he stared at the blond. "But I thought... your eyes, only members of SOLDIER have those eyes."
"Because of the Mako their infused with, right?" said Naruto, gaining a surprised nod from Cloud. "Well, I've never been infused with Mako energy before. These eyes of mine, they're all natural." They actually weren't, at least, Naruto didn't think so. While his eyes had always been his most startling feature – next to his whiskers – they never had the glow they did now back in the Elemental Nations. Naruto suspected that since Mako was in fact, life energy, his ability to gather natural energy and enter Sennin-mode had likely caused his eyes to change like this. Much like how he now needed materia to use his jutsu, his eyes were a reflection of his abilities back in his homeworld.
At least, that was his theory. It wasn't like he had tried entering Sennin-mode since coming here.
"I... see..."
It was clear that Cloud wasn't quite sure what to make of this declaration. Not that he could be blamed. The glowing eyes of someone infused with Mako energy had always been a SOLDIER trademark. You could always tell if someone was in SOLDIER by whether or not their eyes glowed. That Naruto's eyes were a natural phenomena was likely something neither he, nor anyone else for that matter, would expect. It was also how Naruto had been able to stay below the radar with Shinra for so long, even after he had begun his pranking war against them. They had, for the longest time, suspected that he was a member of SOLDIER. That Naruto had gone into Shinra headquarters and destroyed all relevant data on members of SOLDIER meant they had no way to find out the truth. If they had, he was sure that Hojo would have demanded he be captured for experimentation once they found out the truth.
"We should... probably get going," Cloud said, his voice still sounding somewhat shell shocked.
Naruto nodded. "Right, let's head out."
After an hour or so of foraging through large piles of junk and debris, Naruto, Cloud and Aerith were relieved when a dirt road opened up in front of them.
"Well, that was an adventure," Naruto said as he imaginary dirt off his pants. He smiled for a moment, clearly thinking of something amusing. As his head turned to look at Aerith, he commented on his discovery. "You know, I think this is the first time in several months that they've actually managed to corner us."
"It's also the first time since you've started living with me that they've come to the church," Aerith added idly. She kicked a small can out of the dirt path so someone wouldn't trip on it. Looking over at Naruto, she tilted her head before adding, "I wonder why they've started up again now?"
Beside them, Cloud frowned.
"How many times have they come after Aerith?"
Naruto and Aerith shared a look. She raised an eyebrow and Naruto shrugged.
"I don't know," he said honestly. "I've only known Aerith for a little over a year, and from what she's told me they've been coming after her long before I showed up. I can tell you that I've stopped over twenty-five of their attempts at capturing her since I started living with her. But other then that..." he shrugged, leaving Cloud to finish the thoughts.
"I see," Cloud said. He turned his gaze back to where they were walking as the three of them entered the slums. These slums were unique, distinctly different from the slums of Sector Seven. Instead of ramshackle iron huts, the norm here seemed to be dusty trailer homes. They traveled deeper within. Dozens of people wearing simple, nondescript grey and brown clothing walked throughout the dusty paths. They strode throughout the trailer park, visiting neighbors and exchanging goods. Up above, sky blue light fixtures had been placed on the top of trailers and on the side of many of the mounds, bathing the area in an azure glow.
As Cloud watched, he noticed that Naruto and Aerith seemed to be very well liked by the townspeople. Everyone they ran across would smile and greet the pair, which they would return, making some small talk before moving on. Aerith would laugh and speak with several of the women they ran into. He couldn't here what they were talking about, but after a few moments of conversation, Aerith would gain a light tint to her cheeks, while the other woman would look at Naruto and giggle. Naruto on the other hand, would receive a lot of good-natured ribbing from several of the shop owners. The blond would put up with it, giving a smile, occasionally flushing. Cloud thought he heard Aerith's name mentioned but the voices were drowned out by the cacophony of people.
Eventually, Naruto saddled over to Cloud, waiting until the ex-SOLDIER's attention focused on him before speaking.
"What do you plan on doing now?"
Cloud frowned.
"I need to get back to Sector Seven and let my... comrades know that I'm alive."
He had almost been about to mention AVALANCHE to the blond. Though he was sure Naruto already had his suspicions, the man was surprisingly perceptive and knowing, from what Cloud had seen so far. He didn't want to speak about the group openly. Something Naruto seemed to understand.
"Sector Seven isn't too far from here, actually. Though getting there can be a pain."
He looked Cloud up and down, noting the tears, cuts, scrapes and bruises that still littered the ex-SOLDIER. While his healing jutsu had mended the major issues, it was clear to him that Cloud was still suffering some injuries, and likely fatigue.
"I would suggest you wait until tomorrow. Aerith will probably invite you to her house anyways, you can rest up there before continuing onto Sector Seven."
It was a sound plan, and Cloud couldn't find any reason to disagree. He nodded his head and a few moments later, Aerith came over to them. Like Naruto had suspected, she had invited the ex-SOLDIER over to her house. He accepted, and the three of them began walking again.
Soon they passed to the other side of the slums, a golden glow shining from a tunnel nearby. Aerith grinned at Naruto as she grabbed his hand and began pulling him along behind her. Cloud's fellow blond stumbled for a moment, grumbling about pushy girls which earned him a light-hearted glare from said girl. He, however, ignored the look and caught Cloud's eye, giving an exaggerated wink that Cloud managed to figure out and returned with an eye roll. Before too long they walked out of the tunnel. Cloud was unprepared for the sight that awaited them.
The tunnel opened up into an area stunning in its unexpected beauty. Flowers, stone, and water overwhelmed his senses, a sight of natural beauty he had never expected to see in the slums, or Midgar in general for that matter. A small cottage stood to one side, the roof's tiles painted red with loving care. Beyond it was an extensive garden, a multifaceted canvas of dappled color, and beyond that on a bluff overlooking the area, where a large, beautiful tree stood, some of it's roots coming out of the cliff wall in a tangled web.
Cloud stood in place, astonished. It had been so long since he had seen such a display of pure serenity, a scene that he had never expected to see in Midgar. A poignant fragrance arose from the area, its smell kindling a remembrance of spring and the fresh blooming of new flowers.
Naruto and Aerith looked back when they noticed their companion had stopped following them. When they saw his face, the pair traded amused looks. Cloud began walking forward again. Impossibly, he could see a small and delicate waterfall behind the house, gently churning away as it recycled water from a small reservoir above. As he walked closer to it, he could see that it created a tiny river that trailed around flower beds. He knelt down to run his hand through the water. The cool blue liquid flowed across his fingertips, lapping quietly across his fingers.
"It is a beautiful place, isn't it?"
Cloud gazed behind him. Aerith and Naruto were standing there, the blond was behind Aerith, hugging her as she leaned against him, his head resting on her shoulder. They looked so comfortable with each other, like a loving couple. Cloud found himself envying Naruto a little, and felt a small flash of jealousy. He shook the thought off, however, as he was not even sure why he should be jealous in the first place. After a moment, he refocused his attention, nodding his head at Aerith's question.
"How is this possible? Most of Midgar is an urban wasteland. And yet... here this is."
He tasted the water on his fingertips. It was astonishingly clean. Aerith smiled as she took her gaze away from Cloud and looked at the man behind her with a warm smile.
"Well, while this place has never had any trouble retaining it's natural beauty, much of what you see here you can thank Naruto for."
Cloud stopped his inspection of the area of resplendent beauty to look at Naruto. The whiskered blond looked mildly embarrassed, scratching his head with a large grin on his face. It was so wide that his whisker marks stretched across his face, his eyes were forced closed. He looked like a fox.
"This place actually didn't need much work," Naruto tried to downplay his actions. "All I did was add a few more flowers to the garden and grow the tree."
Cloud looked over at the tree, nearly forty feet tall with hundreds of branches. The leafs were large and multicolored, as if to simulate the fall. The bark was a healthy, dark brown color. There was no moss on it, clear evidence that it was being well cared for. Who knew how many decades it took to grow a tree like that. He looked back at Naruto and raised an eyebrow.
"But you've only been here for a year."
The mysterious smile Naruto gave Cloud was slightly annoying.
"I have something of a green thumb."
There had to be more to it then that, Cloud was certain. He didn't question the other blond, however, everyone had secrets they wanted to keep. Gaia knew Cloud did. So he decided not to pry.
Hand in hand, Naruto and Aerith led Cloud to the stately doorway of the cortege. Its mahogany surface was stylized with vibrantly carved swirls and arcs. It gave off an earthy smell of freshly cut wood. Naruto opened the door without even bothering to knock, holding it open for Aerith who walked right in. Naruto then followed, but held the door open until Cloud could walk in as well before closing it.
"Mom, I'm home!"
The interior of the cottage had the comforting appearance of careful rustic care. Worn red cobblestones adorned the floor with a large, circular oak table dominating the center of the main room. The room itself was a large circle, mirroring the cottage's exterior curvature. Atop the table was a jade crystalline vase, filled with luminous white flowers and sparkling blue water. It sat upon a decorated opal tablecloth, swirling designs weaved upon it by a skilled hand. All around the room, wooden shelves were spread throughout, covered with old books and hand-blown glassware. In the back, a small staircase wound around the side of the wall to the upper floor.
Elmyra walked out from the kitchen, a smile lighting her face. She stopped mid-step, however, when she noticed their state of dress. "Oh my! Aerith, Naruto, you two are so... dirty." She looked at them with concern, hurrying over she began to fuss over them like a mother hen. "What happened? Why are two so covered in grime and sweat?"
"Exercise?" said Naruto, making it sound more like a question then a statement. He shrunk back when Elmyra fixed him with that motherly 'don't try and play off that excuse' look. "We ran into a bit of... trouble."
"I should have known," Elmyra looked concerned as she gazed at Aerith. "They were after you again, weren't they?"
Aerith and Naruto glanced at each other, Naruto smiling while Aerith rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, they were. But it's not like it hasn't happened before."
That didn't seem to ease the woman's worries. If anything, she looked more concerned. "How many times have they come after you?"
"Within the last year... twenty-five," answered Naruto.
Elmyra placed her hands on her hips and fixed the sheepish looking pair with a motherly glare.
"And why wasn't I informed of this?"
"I didn't think it would be a good idea to worry you," Naruto was the one who answered, taking the blame onto his shoulders. When she turned to him he gulped slightly. Damn, woman were scary, and mother's were worse. "It's not like they usually got close enough to even see Aerith. Normally, I would deal with them long before they get within several meters of her."
Elmyra's response was to raise a single eyebrow.
"They came to the church this time, something they haven't done before," Naruto replied in answer to her unspoken question. "Add onto the fact that we were sort of distracted by Cloud over here falling through the ceiling and well..." Naruto shrugged helplessly. It was at the mention of Cloud that Elmyra turned her attention to him. With this woman's gaze now on him, Cloud stiffened to attention as if he were back in SOLDIER. Elmyra gazed at him, then at Naruto, before her eyes moved back to Cloud.
"Is this your long lost brother, Naruto?"
Aerith barely managed to stifle a giggle with her mouth as Naruto began pouting. Cloud just rolled his eyes. It was already obvious that this kind of question was going to become commonplace.
"Mou, just because he has blond hair and blue eyes doesn't mean were related, you know?" Sure they looked a lot alike. Hell, the only real differences between them were the slight variation in spiky hair patterns, a small difference in skin tone – Cloud's was a shade lighter than the shinobi's tanned skin – and Naruto's whiskers. But still, was everyone going to assume they were related?
It was with these thoughts in mind that Naruto crossed his arms in front of him and gave Elmyra a mild pout. She just raised an eyebrow before shrugging. She was obviously used to his slightly childish and petulant nature.
"Yes, but he has spiky blond hair like yours, and glowing blue eyes... like yours."
"I'll have you know that my eyes are unique," Naruto said, turning his head away from the woman. Elmyra shook her head, exasperated. Standing next to Naruto, Aerith didn't bother holding in her giggle, which earned her a mock glare from Naruto. Cloud just took the scene in with a small shake of his head. How could someone possessing such talent in combat be such a goof off?
Deciding to let Naruto have his moment, Elmyra turned her attention back to Cloud.
"In any event, I suspect my daughter offered you a place to stay here. Unfortunately, we don't have any spare rooms..."
"He can sleep in my room," Naruto said. Everyone turned to him, even Aerith looked a tad surprised. "I'll just sleep on the couch down here."
Elmyra frowned.
"Are you sure?"
"Don't worry about me," Naruto said with a small chuckle. "I've slept in much worse conditions. And the couch is surprisingly comfortable."
Cloud shifted, slightly uncomfortable.
"I don't want to be a bother."
Naruto rolled his eyes. Turning his head he fixed Cloud with a bored gaze.
"That has to be the corniest line I've ever heard. Seriously, why is it that all people say that when being offered a place to stay for the night?" It was like good guy mantra number three in a manga. The hero never accepts the offer of bed and rest right off the bat. It takes time and arguing to convince the hero that it would be a good idea to stay.
Or the stern glare of a beautiful woman. That never failed to convince the hero that it would be better for them to stay. Safer too.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Or something like that.
"Erm..."
Naruto snickered a little at Cloud's loss of words. He seemed he wasn't quite sure what to say to the whiskered blond's statement.
"If your worried about the sheets being used, don't be. I washed them this morning."
"That wasn't it..." Cloud looked distinctly uncomfortable. Everyone was looking at him with varying expressions. Naruto was staring at him in amusement, clearly the not SOLDIER found something funny in his plight. Aerith on the other hand was looking exasperated, though whether that was due to Naruto's antics of Cloud's reluctance was anyone's guess. It was probably a mixture of both. And Elmyra was just waiting where she stood patiently, that motherly air hanging about her like a veil. After a few moments of this, Cloud sighed. "It's nothing..."
"In that case I should make sure Naruto didn't forget to replace the bedsheets this morning."
Once again, Naruto gave the woman a pout.
"That was one time, and I'll have you know that I had planned on changing the bedsheets right after I finished my training."
Elmyra just smiled as she took her apron off. She tucked it snugly between her arms and began walking upstairs. When she couldn't hear her mother's footsteps anymore, Aerith turned to Cloud and gave him a curious look.
"So. What are you going to do now?"
Cloud shrugged, running a hand through his spiky golden hair. Aerith moved to sit down in a chair, while Naruto went into the kitchen. He grabbed three beautifully enameled glasses, filled them with water from the tap and walked over to the table. He set a cup down in front of Aerith, getting a beautiful smile from the girl, then walked over to Cloud and held out the second cup. The ex-SOLDIER took it gratefully, taking a long sip of the surprisingly refreshing and cool water. As Naruto sat down next to Aerith, Cloud sighed, before turning his attention to the pair in front of them.
"Is Sector 7 far from here? I need to go to Tifa's bar."
At hearing the name Tifa, Aerith once again turned her attention to Naruto. Setting her glass down on the table she crossed her arms under her chest and sent the whiskered blond the look. It was a look that all men know, that 'if you don't tell me what I want to know right now you're getting the frying pan treatment'. Naruto had to wonder just when the brunette found the time to master it.
"That's right. In the confusion I totally forgot about that. Who is Tifa?"
"Urk..."
Naruto had been hoping she had forgotten about that in the confusion of recent events. He really should have known better. When Aerith wanted something, whether it was a task she wanted to accomplish or get information out of him, she never forgot and never gave up. Thankfully, during their walk back home, Naruto had been given ample opportunity to think about how he should answer her question.
"Tifa's a girl who works at a bar in the Sector Seven Slums called Seventh Heaven." Seeing Aerith's look Naruto continued. "I've been there occasionally, whenever I needed a new supply of kunai and shuriken I would go to the blacksmith there, he's from Wutai and the only ones who knows how to make them. I simply found the bar when I was on my way back home, stopped in for a drink and just sort of took a liking to the place."
Aerith frowned as she scrutinized his face.
"Because of Tifa?"
"No," Naruto answered truthfully. "Tifa's a nice girl but we don't have any kind of relationship. But it's the only place that serves good drinks and isn't a complete dump." Sector Five didn't have a bar of any kind, and the nearest one was at the Wall Market, and it was a complete dive. Naruto wouldn't go there unless he absolutely needed to in order to gather information or some such. It simply wasn't a place you walked into willingly.
Aerith stared at him for a few more seconds, searching. Naruto looked right at her, trying to hide how much he was sweating under her gaze. After a while she seemed to find whatever it was she was looking for, because she smiled at him, which subsequently got him to smile as well – and stop sweating like a pig – and then turned to Cloud.
"So this... Tifa. Is she your girlfriend?"
Cloud nearly choked on his water.
"W-What?"
Naruto laughed silently as the ex-SOLDIERs face turned slightly red. He was clearly out of his element. Aerith gave him an innocent smile, as if she didn't know how embarrassed he was by her question.
"You know, your girlfriend?"
Cloud took a moment to recompose himself. No one had ever asked him something like that, and he hadn't actually dated anyone before. He managed to get his blush under control, then looked over his shoulder for a moment, considering the question before turning back and shaking his head.
"No," he decided after a moment. "She's just a friend."
"A childhood friend," Naruto added with a smile. When both Aerith and Cloud turned to him the whiskered blond shrugged. "She mistook me for Cloud the first time I came in." The words brought the expected response, Aerith giggled while Cloud rolled his eyes. With a smile on his face and a glint in his eyes, Naruto said, "anyways, we talked whenever I came in. She told me quite a bit about her childhood friend, Cloud, who left Nibelheim to become a member of SOLDIER."
His piercing gaze looked at Cloud as he spoke.
"She really missed you, you know? When she realized I wasn't you she got really depressed."
Cloud winced. Looking away with a shamed face. An awkward silence filled the air. Aerith gave Naruto a minor look of reproach, making him sigh as he realized he probably shouldn't have said that. It had definitely been out of line. But Cloud did have the right to know, as far as he was concerned, that way he could make amends.
An uncomfortable silence filled the air for a moment, the two blond's each entering their own thoughts. Aerith would be the one to eventually break the silence.
"So, Sector 7? I know the way. I can show you tomorrow."
That brought Cloud's mind to a halt. His head snapped up so quickly it looked like it would break. Naruto was surprised he hadn't heard it at least crack. The ex-SOLDIER stared at the brunette for several seconds in shocked silence before speaking. "Are you serious?" he asked incredulously. "Why would you put yourself in more danger like that?"
Aerith shrugged.
"I'm used to it."
"You can't be serious."
Aerith ignored him when she saw her mother come downstairs.
"Mom, tomorrow Naruto and I are going to take Clod to Sector 7." It was said in a statement, not a question. As far as Aerith was concerned it was going to happen no matter what anyone else said about it. The girl was stubborn like that.
Elmyra came to stand in front of the girl, looking at Aeris as she waited defiantly for her mother to try and challenge her decision. Naruto crossed his arms and sighed. While he admired the girl for her determination and unwillingness to give in when she wanted something, there were so many better ways she could have told her mother that.
"I suppose I should have seen this coming. At the very least your not heading out so soon after your..." She trailed off, not wanting to mention her daughters run in with the Turks. Shaking her head, she continued. "Why don't you go and get washed up. I'll have dinner ready soon and I don't want you or Naruto sitting at the table when your all covered in dirt and grime."
"Yes mother," Aerith said, barely managing to not roll her eyes.
Elmyra turned to look at Naruto.
"You too, Naruto. You know how I feel about dirt in the house."
"Right."
Naruto knew that all too well. He still had a lump on his head from the one time he had come in after expanding the garden. He had made to sit down on the couch, but when Elmyra caught him she had smacked him across the back of the head and demanded he take a shower before sitting on any of the furniture. He shook his head, dispelling the memories. A hand took his and he looked up to see Aerith smiling at him.
"Come on, you can put your clothes in the washer while I take my shower."
As Aerith pulled Naruto up the stairs, Cloud watched them go, and Elmyra watched Cloud.
"That glow in your eyes... You are from SOLDIER, aren't you?"
Cloud brought his gaze back down as the two disappeared up the stares. Looking at Elmyra for a moment, he contemplated her words, before nodding. "Seems like that is common knowledge these days."
She nodded slightly and turned away. She took Aeris' glass from the table and put it away. She spoke with her back to him.
"I... don't know how to say this, but... could you please leave here tonight, without telling Aeris? I think we both want her to stay safe."
She stood over in the kitchen by the sink, standing very still as she looked at the wall. Cloud thought about it and then nodded, agreeing. Elmyra turned, her face flooded with relief.
"Thank you."
She walked over to him and patted him gently on the cheek with understanding. Cloud stared into her eyes, seeing strength within them. Elmyra was not a weak woman. She continued, her voice confident and thankful.
"What about Naruto?"
Elmyra tilted her head at the question, then shook it. "Naruto can take care of himself. I know little about the man save for the few things he's told me, but I do know that he is at least half the reason the Turks have been unsuccessful in kidnapping my daughter."
So even though Naruto had lived with them for a year, the two still knew very little about him. Or was it just Elmyra who knew very little about him? Cloud had seen the way Aerith and Naruto acted around each other. He doubted the whiskered warrior would keep any secrets from that girl, the man probably couldn't even if he tried. Still, this was a very intriguing bit of information, one that Cloud would keep in mind when dealing with the other blond.
It seemed that there was more of a mystery behind Naruto than he had thought.
Another chapter. This is where the two stories now converge. Naruto will soon be meeting up with Tifa and the rest of AVALANCHE at some point in the near future. You want to see what happens, just read my next chapter when it comes out.
Pokemaster12, laters.