Reconstruction Arc
Chapter 10
Citadel Greetings
~I~
Back in Konoha, it had been his pride to be known as the hyperactive ninja with seemingly limitless energy. It was his staple, the one area along with his thickheaded determination that set him apart from his peers. When they hit their wall, Naruto would just be hitting his stride. Everyone used to joke that the gods have given him stamina to compensate for the lack of a brain, and those that knew his secret believed it to be the fox's influence. And while the latter certainly played an important part, Naruto had a secret so obvious in its simplicity.
Every night, he made sure to get a good night sleep.
Even when he was young, Naruto always appreciated the value of being well rested. He used to overhear the parents talking to their children. When they refused to sleep and were tired all day, they told them they needed to get plenty of sleep if they wanted to grow big and strong. Internally pining for some parental guidance of his own, he took the advice the other kids ignored. The adults always kept their mouths locked up tight around him, and when he heard them tell their kids this, he felt like he was overhearing some valuable secret. And it was good advice, he'd never have been capable of outrunning the military police after pulling off his pranks without his body being in top shape. So he slept, early to bed and early to rise. Years of habit made him keep to his schedule, and he was confident that his sleeping habits played a big role in his boundless energy.
Which is why last night had left him so exhausted today. The finishing touches on the Normandy were a bit rushed following the Commander's unscheduled wake-up call, and it turns out a two person engineering team wasn't an optimal number of staff for the maintenance needs of an over-sized frigate. That sudden strain on the systems to reach Haestrom as soon as possible hadn't done it any favors either. So when Tali came aboard and viewed the state of the ship's engines (still within acceptable standards, but apparently 'an implosion waiting to happen' by quarian ones), she took full command of her new staff and got to work optimizing every capacitor, every conductor, and a bunch of other terms that Naruto still didn't understand. Many keelahs and bosh'tets were said into the night.
Like Garrus, once he'd told Tali about his shadow clone jutsu, Tali quickly rolled with it and made sure he made good on his promise to volunteer. He had a lot of memories of crawling the ducts and looking at pipes with a camera strapped to his forehead from last night. Tali wanted every system personally cleared, every pipe polished to a shine. Why dust was as big a threat to their thermal conductors as the Collectors were, he hadn't the faintest. And once everything was finished to her satisfaction Gabby and Ken were released, but he wasn't. They were partners in crime, and they still had bugs to find. And find them they did.
All. Night. Long.
Turns out there's a lot of places to hide things in a mess of pipes. Who knew? Well, Tali, of course. It'd been a while since he'd gone a night without sleep, and today there was no adrenaline to keep himself awake like he would have on a mission. Normally he could get by if he at least had that. But not today. And so he walked out of the elevator to the chow hall with all the grace of a sloth, his hunger somehow overcoming his drowsiness.
He'd never been up here when Rupert first opened for breakfast. Usually he would sleep in and wait until the rush was gone, but he was he knew if tried to catch thirty winks he'd be out until dinner, and miss his chance to see this Citadel he'd heard so much about. Because of this he found himself sitting down at a nearly empty table. There was only a few other crew members there, and their faces didn't seem familiar. Must be some of the CIC crew. He hardly ever went up there.
He sat down on the table across from the redheaded woman and rested his forehead on the cool metal. He enjoyed the cold fighting a war against his warm forehead, slowly meeting in an equilibrium. He cooed softly and rolled along the table, not realizing how silly he must be looking. He was too tired to care.
"Looks like someone had a rough night." A feminine voice called to him.
It took most of his remaining strength to lift his forehead. It was the redheaded woman sitting across from him. She was smiling. "Wha?" He replied dumbly.
His response just made her smile more as she placed her arms on the table, "I heard about your all-nighter. You must've been busy down there. Ken and Gabby missed their time in the sleeping pods. I found them squeezed into one of the open beds in the crew room. They looked so cute." She giggled a bit.
Her voice was sweet, he thought, "Our new boss is crazy...volunteering was a mistake." he groaned.
"Quarians are some of the best engineers in the galaxy, and Tali has a lot of experience from the first Normandy's engines. She knows what she's doing. And we're all safer because of your help down there, too." She said, looking at him appreciatively.
Not just her voice, her smile was sweet, too. "Thanks, uh..."
She looked a little startled, "Oh! I'm sorry, we haven't really met yet. I'm Kelly Chambers. I'm Shepard's Yeoman, up in the CIC."
Naruto felt his cheeks warming a little, but he wasn't sure why. "Naruto Uzumaki. Ground team."
Kelly put her head on her hands and leaned in, "I remember you going on your missions. You usually come back pretty banged up." she mentioned, her voice sounding a little concerned.
Her concern was sweet, too. Everything about her was just sweet. He felt a little awkward. He fidgeted in his chair trying to get comfortable, "It's nothing I can't handle."
She nodded, listening closely. "I read your dossier. 'The War Hero', it said. I'd pictured you as some emotionally hardened warrior. I was pleasantly surprised to find how kind a war hero can be. Guess that's what I get for assuming."
"Uh, sorry. I missed that last bit," he said, trying to blink the drowsiness away.
Kelly frowned, "You must be exhausted. Have you had any coffee?"
"Coffee?" he asked. Since first arriving aboard the SR-2, seeing the crew with a cup of joe in hand getting ready to man their stations had become a regular event. Evidently this was a morning ritual among the humans going back hundreds of years, since before they reached for the stars. It was like tea was in his village, but neither would help him now. "No, that's not enough. If I had some soldier pills, that'd do the trick."
"Soldier pills?"
Naruto waved his hand, "An energy pill, lets ninjas fight for days. Or so it says on the packaging, but I always thought it was far-fetched."
Kelly tilted her head in thought, looking at the ceiling until her eyes lit up, "How about trying something a little more concentrated?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Like what?"
"An espresso! I'll get one for you. Wait one." She said as she got up and walked over to the kitchen area. Naruto watched her go, resting his head on the side of the table and groaning to himself. Kelly got Rupert's attention and the two talked for a moment as Rupert went to a small chrome machine and got to work. Naruto peaked up when the machine began to whine and gurgle, as if it was drowning. A moment later the Mess Sergeant gave Kelly the small cup. Kelly went to the freezer and grabbed an ice cube and plopped it into the liquid. Once she was done she cheerily walked over and triumphantly placed it in front of the worn out blonde. "Give it a try."
Naruto nodded, picking himself up and grabbing the small ceramic cup to take a sip. The heat didn't bother him, but the taste sure did. "Gack!" He stuck out his tongue in disgust. If Kelly was sweet, this drink was the opposite. It was as bitter, the way Kiba always described most of the girls he used to date. "How's this supposed to help me?"
Kelly gave him an assuring nod, "Give it a chance. Once it's down you'll feel better."
Naruto eyes her suspiciously, but did as she said. He hammered his eyes shut and threw his head back and downed the toxic-tasting drink. He took a breath once he was done and set the cup down, feeling the hot drink warm his insides as it fell to his stomach. It felt oddly pleasant, almost like tea if he ignored the taste. "I just feel warm, not awake. Were you just joking with me?" He asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
She calmly shook her head, taking a sip of her own coffee. "It'll help in a minute. Just give it time." She assured him as Rupert brought over a stack of french toast, a pile of sausages and a plate of scrambled eggs for the crew to eat. Naruto went for the serving fork to pick some for himself, but Kelly grabbed it first. She started by serving him a hearty helping of both before serving the other crew at the table as well. "Thank you, Ms. Chambers." He said gratefully while looking at his own meal.
"My pleasure. And it's just Kelly, if you can be just Naruto." She said as she finally served herself a far lighter portion than she'd given him.
Naruto found the strength to give her a small smile. "Okay then Kelly. Let's eat." He said, grabbing a fork and digging in. He looked up and saw Kelly do the same, though eating at a much slower pace. He paused after his first bite and asked, "What do you do as the Yeoman?"
Kelly paused and set her fork down for a moment, "Oh, mainly admin work. Reports, requisition requests, you name it and I'll get you the paperwork for it."
Naruto swallowed a big mouthful, taking a breath before continuing, "Doesn't sound so complicated."
She grinned, "You'd be surprised." She said and began to explain what a Yeoman's responsibilities were. They spent the next several minutes like that, with him mainly eating and listening while she prattled on about her job and time on the Normandy, and with Cerberus.
Naruto didn't notice it at first, but he was feeling more alive as the time went on. It wasn't until he was on his second helping that he noticed how his eyelids weren't quite as heavy, and the thought of another 15 hours awake didn't seem quite so daunting. He paused when he realized this, setting down his fork and interrupting Kelly, "That stuff actually worked..."
Kelly chucked at his sudden awe, "You feeling better?"
"Much." He sighed contently.
"Well I'm glad it did."
Naruto abruptly pushed back his chair and stood up, "I'm going to get another," he said and quickly made his way over to the kitchen area. Rupert was finishing off another pan of french toast and didn't even see the young man standing across the table. "Hey, can I get another espresso please?"
Rupert nodded without looking at him, still focused on not burning the toast. "Coming right up!" He said quickly, leaving the toast for a moment to set up the machine before running back to his stove. He flipped the toast onto a plate and had more in the pan by the time the machine was done, and he quickly grabbed it and handed it to Naruto. "Here ya go, freshest you'll get for a few thousand light years. Enjoy!" He said. Naruto took the drink gladly and made his way back to the table.
Kelly looked a little concerned, "You don't want to let it cool?" She asked as he sat down.
Naruto shook his head, "Nah, I'll be fine." He said and took a big swig of the drink. His eyes widened as it entered his mouth, and it burned! He spat it out all over his his arm, coughing and breathing to fight the heat. The other people at their table were laughing at his misery. "Whoa, that's like lava! Should've listened, dammit!" He lectured himself.
Kelly's eyes opened a little. She looked confused. "Ner vor sumnit?" She said.
Naruto blanked. He thought back to what she just said, and no, it still didn't make any sense. Her mouth must be full. "Kelly, what was that?" He asked as he dried off his arm.
"Ka lorn masinder, Kelly." One of the crewmen on his side said.
"Jea, com razit." Kelly sighed.
Naruto looked from one to the other, not knowing what to think anymore. "Guys, I'm all for pranking but this is getting old." He deadpanned.
"Hang on kid, I'll sort this out." Came a male voice from across the room. Naruto turned to see Rupert heading towards them. He turned to Kelly when he arrived. "Skwerl daknor vomkan. Pox Yelmer oit."
Kelly's eyes lit up, as if she understood. "Ha, wozee." She turned to Naruto and gave him a pleasant smile. "Munkop, Naruto. Naje bwa." She said as she stood up and waved goodbye before heading to the elevator.
Naruto waved back and watched her go, still feeling completely lost. "What just happened?"
"She said goodbye. However she sounded, you sounded just as bad to the rest of them." He said and grabbed their empty plates and cups. "Come with me, I'll help you out."
Naruto got up and followed the man to the kitchen, "Help me with what?"
"You short circuited your omni-tool's micro-frame when you spilled your drink. Hard to translate galactic speech without that." He said as he set the dishes in the sink. "It was probably damaged in your last battle, otherwise liquid wouldn't affect it. Jacob will be able to hook you up with a fresh one. I'll help you in a jiffy once I'm done cleaning up here."
Naruto eyes widened, looking at his left arm where his omni-tool was. "So what? I didn't have one when I first met Shepard and we still talked fine."
"Because his was programmed to pull double-duty. Just like I always seem to be doing." He groaned.
Naruto nodded and accepted his explanation, but still had questions, "Then how are you understanding me? Can yours do that?"
Rupert laughed, "Hell no! That software is expensive! Nah, we just speak the same language."
"Huh? How? You're not from my world."
"Kid, how do you think our omni-tools are programmed to understand your language?" Naruto blanked, having no idea how to answer that. "Cerberus sent a bunch of linguist to your planet over a decade ago to learn it, and then put it into the system.* With all the languages in the galaxy, a few supposedly dead ones find their way into the programming as well. And guess who one of those linguists was."
"It was you? You were on my world?"
Rupert nodded proudly, "Yup! Ten years travelling by land and sea, one village to another mastering your dialects and slang. I've been to Stone, Lightning, Sand, Water, spent most of my time in Fire. Best decade of my life."
"How'd you do that? Did you know anything when you arrived?"
"Just a little, but not enough to get by. I pretended to be a refugee from Sound when I arrived in Grass, and it took a lot of time and practice. But you speaking just as seamlessly as the rest of us proves it was worth it." He said as he turned on the water and prepared to wash the dishes.
Naruto nodded, thinking about how he never thought about this before. He knew how instant translation worked, but he'd never wondered how his people's language was put into the galaxy's system. "Thank you, I owe you for that." He said, smiling appreciatively.
Rupert shook his head as he washed his hands, "Nah, you don't owe me a damn thing. I owe you."
Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Why's that? I haven't done anything for you."
"I was in your village when Pain attacked, so don't you say you never did me any favors."
"You were there? Did you..."
"Yeah, took a pipe right through the chest. I thought I was a goner. And I was, until you beat that sonnovabitch and brought me back, brought us all back! I still remember being part of that crowd that welcomed you back, and damn if you didn't deserve it."
Naruto remembered back to that day, arriving bloodied and tired on the back of his master. He remembered the looks on the faces in the crowd, so different from the glares he was used to receiving. In such a crowd of faces he couldn't remember just one. "I'm sorry I wasn't there soon. Maybe you wouldn't have had to endure it."
The Mess Sergeant laughed, scrubbing away at the dishes. "Dammit, don't apologize for that. Shoot me with friendly fire, there's an apology. But not for that load of varrencrap."
"Friendly fire? You gonna join us on the field, Mess Sergeant?" Naruto grinned.
"Hell no. In basic weapons training when I told them I was going to be a linguist, they said 'You'll never see a weapon again'. All well for me, never could earn that damn weapon's proficiency ribbon."
Naruto laughed, walking up to Rupert's side. "Ever wanna try again? I didn't even know what a gun was until a month ago. If I can learn, so can you."
Rupert shrugged, "No way, I'll stick with the mess."
"Suit yourself. I'm going to get ready for when we dock, but I'll be back. You've gotta tell me more about this." Naruto said as he prepared to leave.
"Anytime, Naruto. You know where I'll be."
"Looking forward to it." He said cheerfully before leaving to return to engineering.
~II~
"Logged: the commanding officer is ashore. XO Lawson has the deck." EDI announced as the airlock doors hissed open. Shepard and his team crossed the boarding ramp and stepped into the docking area of the Citadel. Jacob and Miranda had chosen to remain aboard the ship due to their allegiances, along with Grunt, who was still brooding from when he learned he wasn't going to get to shoot something. Garrus was chatting with Tali behind Shepard, followed by Zaeed who was keeping to himself. Finally Mordin was walking beside him in the rear.
Naruto felt like his jaw had detached as he stared at the massive technological wonder all around him. Behind him past the Normandy he could see the arms of the Citadel stretching into the nebula beyond. Ships of all sizes and origins soared through the heavenly skies. A floating jellyfish crossed in front of him and no one but him batted an eyelash! Omega had only been a warm-up, this was the welcoming to the Galaxy he needed.
Mordin took a deep breath, "Ah, can remember last trip to the Citadel. Many years ago, top secret mission for STG. Cannot go into details, still highly classified. Would hate to trouble Dalatrass with leak. But suffice to say...was messy. Would be glad if we could avoid similar encounters during our visit."
"Mordin...you're ruining the moment." Naruto said dreamily.
Shepard led them to through the Citadel Security checkpoint. Before they reached the end a line of light swept over them and the room filled with a loud buzzing. The group paused as the turian C-Sec officer approached them, looking confused. He spoke to the Commander, "Sorry sir, there seems to be a problem with our records. They say you're...dead." He then pointed to Naruto, "He doesn't exist, and he...oh.." he trailed off as he pointed to Zaeed. "I'm sure this must be wrong. Nobody can possibly have that many warrants."*
"Heh, amateurs maybe." Zaeed laughed.
Shepard raised his hand to get the officer's attention, "I'm sure we can work this out. Can I speak to your supervisor?"
The C-Sec officer scoffed, pulling up his omni-tool. "The Captain has plenty to do without every spacer complaining about the problem of the day. I'll send you the proper paperwork and you can work it out with the agent at the entrance."
Shepard shrugged, looking amused. "You sure we can't speed this up? I have a meeting with the Council."
"Of course sir, and I'm the Primarch."
"He's serious, officer. Commander Shepard's already been delayed."
The officer looked up at Garrus as he spoke, finally taking a good look at the turian. His mandibles flared as he realized who he was talking to, "Vakarian? What're you doing back?"
Garrus shrugged, as if he'd been asked to comment about the weather today. "Oh you know, saving the galaxy with the Commander. Again." He finished with a hint of pride.
The officer's head slowly turned to Shepard, looking him over, "Then you're really..." He froze and gave a stiff salute. "I'm sorry sir, I had no idea-"
Shepard waved him off. "At ease, it's understandable. Now, can you help sort this out?"
"Thank you sir, and of course. I'll pass you along to the Captain. We'll get you sorted out straight away, Commander." He said. He pushed a few buttons on his omni-tool to open a comm link, "Captain, this is Checkpoint two. I have something that requires your attention."
"I'm already aware. I saw the security flag pop up for the Commander, Send him to me."
"Yes, sir." The turian lowered his arm and said, "You're cleared. The Captain will be on the right once you exit."
"Thank you officer." Shepard gave the officer a nod and led his team through the checkpoint and into the ward. Immediately to their right was a bulky man in a shirt that looked a couple sizes too small, and a haircut that proved the Alliance had never quite left him. He waved the group down, "Commander Shepard, there's a face I never expected to see again. Outside of the VIs at least." He said. He stood up and offered his hand. "Captain Bailey, of C-Sec."
Shepard extended his own and shook the man's large hand. "Nice to meet you, Bailey. I was told you could help me with our files."
"You make it sound so simple. Bringing a man back from the dead, that's easy enough. But your friends, one has a record longer that the Consort's waiting list, and the other has no record at all."
"I know I'm asking a lot, but we're on an important mission that I can't discuss. We won't cause you any trouble, you have my word."
"Heh, unless it comes to us." Zaeed mused.
"Not helping!" Tali whispered back.
"Who asked you."
Bailey sat up and began working on his computer. "Hey, don't worry. After what you did for us two years ago, this is the least I can do. I'm giving you and your crew special access. Just don't make me regret it."
"You won't. Thank you, Captain. We'll head up to the presidium now." Shepard said, showing the officer genuine appreciation. With a nod he turned to his team. "You heard the man, you're on shore leave until 1800, provided there aren't any incidents. Anyone who wants to join me with the council is welcome."
Zaeed grunted to acknowledge. "Suits me just fine. I'll be off then."
"It's not business, I trust."
"I'm still on your leash, Shepard. I'll keep my clips at room temperature." He said as he turned and made his was into the crowd.
Mordin hummed as if coming to some great realization, "Yes, I'll be off as well. Miranda offered funding to supply lab. Good opportunity, no shortage of equipment shops here."
"Will you be long?"
Mordin shook his head, "Not long, short requisitions list. Remember chains where STG would get supplies. Will be back on the Normandy soon." and with that the salarian too disappeared.
Shepard turned to Tali and Garrus, and both gave him a funny look. "You don't think we'd miss meeting our old friends on the council, did you?" Garrus chastised the Commander.
"I'm sure they'll love to see you too." Shepard cracked a smile, turning to Naruto. "What would you prefer?"
Naruto shrugged, "I sent off a clone earlier to run an errand. I've been looking forward to this since I first learned what the Citadel was!" Naruto explained with a big grin. Shepard nodded and the group headed into the wards to the elevators.
The wards seemed nice, Naruto thought to himself, but the presidium held this air of exclusivity about it. And they were going to the tower, the highest position of government in the galaxy where only those who helped shape the course of the galaxy were welcome. He wanted to get up there while he had the chance. It probably beat whatever the wards had to offer.
A voice suddenly called out to the young shinobi as he trailed after his teammates, "Hey kid! You ever try ramen?"
...Hold that thought.
~III~
Shepard stepped out of the elevator into the presidium, immediately reconnecting with the calming ambiance he remembered from two years ago. For a moment he forgot about the Collectors and the colonists and just breathed in the clean air, listened to the ripples in the lake below and the endless skycars above. Whatever destruction the geth and Sovereign had wrought was unnoticeable to a new arrival. With a life this peaceful and surrounded by tranquility, it was easy to forget how close they were to armageddon.
"Alright, Shepard?" He heard Kaidan from a short distance away. He looked to his right and saw the alliance biotic standing by a bench under a tree. He was wearing his dress blues, pressed and immaculate, save for the creases formed from sitting. "Took you long enough."
"Kaidan, I'm glad you're here." Shepard smiled and closed the distance between them with Tali and Garrus close at his heels.
Kaidan looked a little closed and less than welcoming. "What were you thinking? The council wasn't happy when they got your message."
Tali stopped next to Shepard, answering before he could. "It was my fault, the geth had me surrounded. If it wasn't for Shepard I'd be dead right now, with the rest of my team." She bowed her head; the wounds were still fresh.
Shepard nodded at Tali and put a hand on her shoulder, thanking her for her support. "I couldn't leave her, Kaidan. I'd never a member of my crew to die if I can help it."
Kaidan nodded stiffly, crossing his arms. "Don't get me wrong, I'd never have recommended abandoning you Tali. You know that. But they were pretty pissed, Shepard...I just wish you'd found a way to not let anyone down. This may have cost you more than you think."
Shepard looked at him suspiciously, "What do you mean?"
"It took a lot of convincing to get the council to see you, given your reported ties with Cerberus. When you delayed your visit at the last minute, those suspicions skyrocketed. They were prepared to shoot your ship on sight, and it took a lot to convince them not to."
"But not Anderson. He would never have let that order pass." Shepard said stoutly. He would never believe his old mentor would allow such a thing to happen.
Kaidan shook his head, to Shepard's silent relief, "Of course not. He fought harder than anyone to grant you access. But this job has been taking its toll on him. I don't think he's cut out for life as a politician."
"What about you? Did you play a part in this?"
"I told them exactly what you told me on Horizon, about how you were only working with Cerberus out of necessity, and you were still one of us at heart. And I told them I trust you, that you've earned it after all you've done for them."
Shepard felt warm as the lingering tension between the two seem evaporate. He stepped forward and gave his friend a warm hug, which he slowly returned. "Thank you, Kaidan. That means a lot to me."
Kaidan smiled a bit as they separated. "Yeah, well seeing you alive again is enough for me." He paused, turning to Garrus and Tali. "Garrus, I didn't mean to snap at you on Horizon. It was a lot to take in at once. And Tali, I am glad to see you safe. When I heard the news, I feared the worst."
Garrus shrugged it off as he did with all things inconsequential, "No hard feelings. If I'd seen you with Cerberus, I'd have done something far more brash." he finished with a smirk.
Tali nodded in agreement, "Yes, you would. Good thing Kaidan has a level head. And it is good to see you again, Kaidan. I only wish it was under better circumstances, not caused by me."
Shepard disagreed, "This isn't your fault. We're going to sort everything out today." He turned back to Kaidan, looking hopeful, "You were with me when this all began, and I could use your help bringing this to an end."
Kaidan took a step back, looking a little uncertain. "I don't know Shepard, everything's been moving so fast since Horizon. But I'll think it over. Why don't you ask me again after we meet with the council? You shouldn't keep them waiting any longer, and it'll give me time to think."
Shepard nodded, happy that his answer at least wasn't a no. "Good idea. And in case you do come aboard, I'll warn you now, trying to throw your new rank around won't get you far."
Kaidan actually laughed at that, looking at his old friend for a moment as if the last two years had never happened, "Wouldn't dream of it. You're still the Spectre, KIA status non-withstanding." He took a step back, ready to lead the way. "Come on, let's go."
Garrus humphed to get their attention. "I think we're forgetting someone." he pointed out, gesturing to their newest companion over by the railings.
Kaidan shifted to get a better look at the blonde. He'd seen him get off the elevator with the group, but he'd gone straight for the view and he thought they'd just been sharing the lift. "Isn't that the warrior with you on Horizon?"
Shepard nodded, "Yeah, his name is Naruto. He's never been to the citadel before and wanted to see the presidium with us." He said, before calling out, "Naruto, we're heading up!"
Naruto stiffened when he heard his name called. He tore himself away from the view and ran over to the group. "Sorry! Got distracted." He scratched the back of his head as he met them. He turned to Kaidan and said, "Hey, I remember you from Horizon. I'm Naruto." He said, holding out his hand.
Kaidan gave him a look that showed he didn't completely trust the other man, but shook his hand nonetheless and greeted him warmly, "Naruto, good to meet you face to face. I'm Kaidan Alenko, I worked with Shepard to stop Saren."
Shepard noted that he looked a little downhearted, or at least less enthusiastic than he'd expected. "Is something wrong?"
Naruto looked at him with wide eyes, eyes like a child caught with his hand in a cookie jar. But he just laughed and gave him a big flashy grin, "Nah, just overwhelmed I guess. This place is huge! And everyone's so fancy I feel like I stand out!" He said cheerfully as he showcased his worn shinobi outfit and jonin vest wrapped in his sage coat.
"You get used to it. Try running around in full battle dress days at a time." Shepard said, remembering his first trip to the presidium. "Lead the way, Kaidan." he directed, and the group followed the Staff Commander up through the presidium streets.
Naruto trailed a few paces behind Shepard. His head was on a swivel, his eyes greedily taking in the wondrous sights around him. And yet as he went he couldn't help but curse the original. 'That guy always gets the best parts!' he complained to himself as he silently trailed behind the group.
~IV~
Said original was still down in the wards, intent on setting the record for most bowls stacked in a tower at the local ramen shop.
Naruto couldn't believe his luck! He'd never thought to ask aboard the Normandy for his favorite noodle dish because he thought he'd never see it out here. But here it was, a cozy little ramen shop in the heart of the wards! The broth, so rich. And the noodles, so soft! It wasn't the same, but it was so, so close! He took another long slurp of the noodles dripping with flavor. He chewed and knew that if he were to die now, he would die happy and full. Well, maybe not full. He drained the misty broth in one long slurp and called our for another bowl, stacking it on top of the others. Six down, many more to go.
"Another!" He called out cheerily. The chef hastily poured broth and noodles into another bowl and rushed to throw on the toppings. "You're really putting these down!" he said breathlessly as he slid him the bowl. He took a moment to breathe, staring in awe as the shinobi practically inhaled the noodles like a vacuum. "You must have been starving to eat this much."
Naruto paused, looking up. He slurped up the noodles and said, "Have you ever had that hunger, the hunger that only one specific food can fill?"
"After looking at you, I don't think so anymore."
Naruto nodded sagely. "Good, now please prepare another bowl," he paused, "And do you serve espresso?"
The chef raised an eyebrow, clearly amused, "Yes we do, for employees only. But I can make an exception for you. How many shots you like?"
Naruto blanked and was overwhelmed by this new realm of possibility. "It comes in shots? How many can you give me?"
"We'll start with a triple, coming right up!" He winked, heading to the corner to whip it up.
"I'll take two, please. Oh, and not too hot!" He called before turning his attention back to his bowl, only to find it gone. "Huh?"
"Mmh! So good!" A voice came from his side. He looked over and saw a slender woman in a black and gray hooded outfit with small magenta markings on her lower lip and chin sitting to his right. Eating his ramen. "You've got great taste. The miso here is superb."
"What do you think you're doing, that's mine!" Naruto flared up, pointing an accusing finger at the woman.
The woman rolled her eyes and slurped up another helping. "Oh don't get your panties in a wad, you have another one coming." She lectured before lifting the bowl and taking a long drink.
That blatant show of disinterest only riled Naruto up more. "What kind of person steals another person's food when it's right in front of them?!"
"A thief, in this case a very good thief. Do I really need to explain this?" She sighed at the young man's ignorance.
"I know what a thief is, I-" he was cut off by the chef delivering his espressos.
"Here you go! Two espressos, just below piping hot!"
"Ah, and one for me. Thank you again, kind sir!" The thief announced as she reached over and took one by the handle, draining it in one long sip. "Ah, refreshing!"
"What the hell was that?!" Naruto screeched, standing up and slamming his hands on the table.
"STEALING! How can I be any clearer?" She sighed and stood up. "Thanks for the meal. Remember to tip your server!" She exclaimed before throwing herself into the crowd.
"Oh no you don't!" Naruto shouted as he gave chase.
"Hey, you forgot to pay for this!" The chef cried, gesturing to the pile of bowls.
A blonde ran back to the chef and offered him his credit chit. The chef sighed in relief and swiped it before offering it back, but he shook his head and held up his hand to refuse it, "Hold it for me, I'll come back for it." Naruto said before bursting into a puff of smoke, much to the shock of the chef.
~V~
"This is it, the councilor's office." Kaidan announced as they approached a large door.
Shepard and company approached the door, feeling an odd sense of déjà vu as they walked up a familiar staircase. "This is the ambassador's office. Why haven't they been given a separate office in the tower?" Garrus asked.
"Anderson insisted that all resources be diverted to repairing damages from the attack. Moving hasn't been high on his to-do list. And he likes keeping Udina close. Having someone with a political mind nearby has been very helpful, or so he tells me." Kaidan answered, before looking to Shepard. "He's waiting for you inside. I'll be down in the reception area when you're done."
Shepard nodded, clapping the man on the shoulder. "I'll look for you when we're done. Wish us luck."
"Right, I just hope you won't need it." Kaidan answered before returning the gesture. He bid them all farewell and made his way back down the ramp as the team opened the door and entered the office.
Anderson sat at his desk hard at work on his computer. If there was anyone he'd met since his rebirth who proved the passage of time, it was him. His brow held a few more wrinkles than he remembered and the rings under his eyes looked fuller than they ever did in his time as a Captain. The man looked tired, beaten down by politics worse than any war. But despite this, the man still broke into a warm smile when he saw who walked through the door. He stood up and walked around his desk, "Shepard, it's really you. When I heard the news I couldn't believe my ears."
Shepard smiled back at his old mentor, feeling relieved at his welcome, "I've been hearing that a lot lately. It's good to see a friendly face, they're few and far between these days."
"On a ship full of Cerberus agents, I can only imagine. But I trust you, Shepard. I know you wouldn't do this without reason."
"Then you're part of a small group. If only the rest of the Council would see it that way."
Anderson darkened a bit, turning away. "You have your chance to explain yourself. The council is waiting." He said, motioning to a terminal and a trio of projectors in the corner.
Shepard looked at the setup, feeling something was off, "We aren't going to the tower?"
Anderson nodded, "Plans changed when you delayed our meeting. The other councilors are more imaginative on why you're working with Cerberus than I am. I barely managed to convince them to talk to you over the network."
Shepard walked up to the projectors, eyeing them in disbelief, "This feels like an insult. After everything I've done, they won't even meet in the same room with me." Shepard said, trying to keep his cool.
"You can mend that bridge today. Prove to them that you're still the man you were two years ago."
Shepard took a deep breath, slowly exhaling and cooling his head. "Won't be hard, that still feels like it was yesterday to me."
Anderson nodded, patting his prodige on the shoulder, "Good, you've made them see reason before, and this time won't be any different. I'll be right here with you." He said. The Councilor stepped up to the council and spoke, "The Commander is here. We're ready to begin the meeting."
They waited a moment before one of the projectors began to hum, and the salarian Councilor came into being before them. The asari and turian councilors followed shortly after. "Commander Shepard, I must say it is a surprise to see you alive again." the salarian said.
"A surprise indeed. Hopefully it will not be an unpleasant one." The turian said gruffly.
"Shepard, there have been disturbing reports regarding your reappearance. We would like to take the chance to put these rumors to rest." The asari Councilor inquired, ever the diplomat.
Shepard presented himself to the alien members of the council, holding himself up straight and firm. "Council, it's an honor to be here today, and I would like to offer my thanks for your understanding of the delay, and I'd be happy to explain my recent activities." Shepard said formally as he began to tell his tale. He left no detail out, from the destruction aboard the first Normandy, where he suffocated in the void above an unknown world, to his revival and recruitment to stop the colonists. He stressed that he was only working with Cerberus out of necessity, and never for them, and that as a Spectre such clandestine activities were authorized. He told them what he saw on Horizon, the colonists frozen in silent screams and the collectors unified by a single overwhelming presence.
To their credit the Council was respectful, only interrupting to ask for further clarification. Even the turian gave him room to breathe, surprising Shepard with his lack of resistance. Shepard was hopeful when he finished his story of Haestrom, thinking there was a good chance for cooperation after all.
After he finished it was the asari who spoke first, "I think we have the picture, thank you Commander. But that doesn't explain why we never received communications from you until now."
"I tried, but all my messages must have been flagged and I feared I'd face hostilities if I came to the Citadel aboard a Cerberus-tagged ship. Meeting Kaidan was my first opportunity." He explained.
The salarian spoke next, "Be that as it may, there's still room to doubt. And after what happened with Saren, we've kept a closer watch on all of our agents. We can't have another Spectre going rogue, the galaxy may not survive it."
"After Sovereign, a rogue Spectre should be the least of your worries. The reapers are still coming, and I have proof that the Collectors are working with them." Shepard said, referring to the husks he recounted in his tale.
The turian Councilor's mandibles twitched and he looked like cat cornering a mouse; he had been waiting for Shepard to bring them up. "Ah yes, the Reapers. They are not the threat you believe them to be."
Shepard couldn't believe his ears when he heard that, "Not a threat? One was nearly enough to wipe out the Alliance fleets!"
"And if they were here, we may agree. But they're trapped beyond the galactic rim, deep in dark space. They may not even be aware that their relay has failed. And even if they were, our scientists have concluded that they couldn't possibly reach the galaxy without the relay. Even if they somehow had the energy, which itself s an improbability, they have nowhere to discharge their built up static energy. They would fry themselves long before they were close enough to be of any concern."
Shepard turned to Anderson, who managed to keep himself stoic. "You believe this?"
Anderson paused for a long moment before answering, "I believe there may be credibility, and we must consider all possibilities." he said, and Shepard felt like he'd been stabbed in the back.
"Enough, there's no point debating a matter that's already been closed." The asari spoke in a tone as fluid as running water. "Regardless of the suspicion against you, the Council has agreed that, in light of your service record, your Spectre status is to be maintained, under the condition that you restrict your activities to the Terminus Systems."
"The Terminus Systems?" Shepard felt his voice rise, "Spectres have no authority there. I came here because human colonists are being abducted and I can't stop this without help, and they deserve more than a token gesture from you."
"This is an olive branch, a symbol of our continued support."
"Screw the symbol, and give me the support!" Shepard nearly shouted.
Anderson put a hand on his shoulder, looking concerned, "Shepard, don't-"
Shepard shook him off and turned, taking a step back from the man, "You were a part of this?" he accused.
"I was. I'm a part of this Council." he admitted.
"It sounds like you had your minds made up from the start."
"We were determined to give you a chance! Take it!"
"It's not enough! I need fleets, soldiers, everything you never gave me to stop Saren. This won't help me stop the Collectors. This won't help me rescue those we've lost!"
"Dammit, Shepard!" Anderson exclaimed, stepping up and pulling the Commander close so the other Councilors couldn't overhear, "We're doing what we can. We've only just finished repairing the Citadel, and our fleets are still recovering. We can't spread ourselves too thin."
"That's your excuse? What happened to you?" Shepard whispered bitterly.
"Reality, Shepard. There are only so many that we can save."
"That you can save." Shepard let those words hang in the air for a long time. He looked away, and so did Anderson. Neither could stand to look the other in they eye. "Fine. Save who you can. And I'll save the rest." Shepard concluded. He turned away from his former mentor and back to the three Councilors, "Council, I am honored by your offer, but I must decline."
"Are you certain, Commander?" the asari Councilor asked.
"I am." He said, hovering his hand over the power switch to kill the connection. Before he did though, he looked up and glared at the Council with daggers in his eyes. "I saved this Council. I saved you, this Citadel and this galaxy from annihilation. Even if you refuse to remember, I will never forget." He finished, cutting the power.
Shepard removed his hand from the console and balled it into a fist at his side, breathing to vent his frustration. He turned around, staring at the last member of the Council, the one he used to trust more than anyone else. "You've changed, Councilor." he said coldly.
"Everything changes, Shepard. You're the only one who's stayed the same." he returned just as coolly.
"I'm glad I haven't, if this is what I'd become." Shepard laughed softly to himself, closing the distance and looking Anderson dead in the eye. "Remember when we met all those years ago? It was after the Skyllian Blitz, at the funeral service for the lost. My sister had died there, and I asked for her spot in the N7 program. Do you remember what you told me?"
Anderson softened a bit at the somber memory, thinking back to when he met the young private still green behind the ears coming to him with such a bold request. "Yes, I remember how insulted I was with the thought of you trying to take her place. I told you what a good soldier was. Honorable, courageous, committed."
"And I learned those lessons well in time. But I think you've forgotten them."
"A soldier never forgets."
"As you say, Councilor." He let that hang in the air as he returned to his silent squad mates.
"Shepard." Anderson called as the group prepared to leave. He closed his eyes and took a breath to calm himself before saying, "Whatever you're doing, I know you're doing it for the right reasons. I only wish we could've worked together."
Shepard paused. He felt his anger soften slightly at how genuine Anderson sounded. He turned to the man, standing alone in one of the most powerful offices of the galaxy, and wondered what the view was like from the top. He wondered how it could change a man he once thought he knew. "So do I, Anderson." He stepped out the door with his team, leaving the Councilor to his solitude.
"You okay?" Tali asked beside him.
Shepard shook his head, "Just a little off-balance. I'll be alright."
"Better get your bearings quick. Here comes trouble." Naruto pointed forward. Kaidan was making his way up the stairs.
"Oh, he looks pissed..." Garrus trailed off.
Kaidan stopped a few steps below him. He was exacerbated, his ears beat red. He looked like he was looking for something to tear apart. "What the hell were you thinking?!" Kaidan said, failing to keep his voice low.
"You heard already?" Shepard asked.
"I saw the whole damn thing. Anderson offered me a live feed. I had to see it with my own eyes, or I'd have never believed it."
"Then you know their offer was worthless. It would do nothing to help me stop the Collectors."
"It was a chance! A chance to mend old bonds, and after all the rumors and the delay, Anderson had to practically BEG for them to give you that! And you threw it right back in his face..."
"I won't apologize for what I did, Kaidan. They want to live in ignorance and act like the Reapers aren't a threat. You've seen them, you can't possibly support that."
Kaidan's rage lessened at that, "You're right, I don't. But I know that any chance of stopping them rests here, not on your ship, and now, not with you." Shepard felt a cool chill run down his spine as Kaidan walked past him, "You may have moved beyond it, but I still know where my loyalties lie. I'm an Alliance marine. That part of me hasn't changed. And right now Anderson needs me more than you"
Shepard opened his mouth searching for something to stop him, but he couldn't find them. There weren't any words to change Kaidan's mind. "I'm sorry it had to end this way."
"Me too, Shepard."
The two went their separate ways, Kaidan ascending and Shepard descending. Shepard silently hoped that Kaidan would look back, something to know that their bond wasn't completely broken. But if he did he never found out. Shepard never looked back to see.
~VI~
Naruto came to a stop at an intersection as the last of his shadow clones was destroyed. The memories rushed back to him, running down to the lower level of the wards just in sight of the mysterious woman before being hit by a large rock in the side of the head. He turned right and went down the stairs to the lower levels, sprinting onto the streets where his clone had met its end. But he could find no trace of the thief. The trail had gone cold.
"Damn, where'd she go?" Naruto whispered to himself, looking for any sign of the woman. He scanned the stalls, looking through store windows for any sign of her hooded figure. But there was nothing, as if she'd disappeared like a leaf caught in the wind.
He gave up his search and sat down on a bench in the center of the plaza, feeling numb after such a long chase. He must have covered half the ward searching for her, but to no avail. It felt like such a failure. He leaned his head back over the edge of the bench and closed his eyes, losing himself in the chaotic sounds of the lower markets.
Thinking about it he had to laugh at himself, putting so much effort into finding someone who's only crime (that he knew of) was stealing a bit of his food. He probably burned off his entire meal just trying to catch her. It was silly, and he knew it.
"I told you, I never took his credit chit!"
"Liar! I remember you bumping into me, you must have taken it then."
Naruto cracked open an eye, tilting his head in the direction of the noise.
"Are you sure this is the one?" A human C-Sec officer, judging by the uniform.
"Positive, I had it when I went into the shop, and after I left, when I bumped into her! This clanless must be responsible!" A volus, if the inhaling noise prefacing his speech was what he thought it was.
"It was an accident! I almost fell too!" A quarian, he could recognize the accent, like Tali's.
"Ma'am, calm down, this isn't helping your case."
"You've already searched me without my consent. What else do I have to prove?" She asked angrily.
Naruto stood up and decided to investigate. He walked up behind the volus, "What's going on?"
The officer held up a hand, "Stand back, citizen. I have this under control." he said, tapping a few buttons on his omni-tool. "Okay, I've collected your information. You'll have to come back with me to headquarters, answer a few more questions."
The quarian looked shocked, as if she'd already been sentenced. "Are you kidding? You have no proof that I did anything wrong!"
"Lying won't help you, I will have justice!" The volus declared.
"I have to ask you to calm down, sir. And you, I've seen the way quarians behave. If what you say is true, then you have nothing to worry about." The officer replied.
Naruto stepped past the volus, "Hey, tha-"
The officer glared at him, "Sir, step back or I'm taking you in too."
Naruto glared at the man but did as he said, silently cursing under his breath. He watched helplessly as the officer prepared to arrest her, knowing that he wouldn't be able to do anything to stop it.
...wait...he wouldn't be able to help her, but he knew who could! Seizing his idea he ran into a nearby alley and cast his jutsu. Where Naruto Uzumaki had run in, Commander Shepard walked out.
Under his disguise Naruto walked up behind the busy officer, tapping him on the shoulder. "That's it, sir. I'll have your-" He froze as he turned around, now face to face with who he believed to be the savior of the Citadel. "Commander Shepard?"
Naruto did his best to imitate the Commander's stern expression, "I heard there was a commotion. Something about a stolen credit chit."
The volus nodded, pointing a gloved finger confidently at the homeless quarian, "This clanless stole my-"
"I already heard. I also caught the bit about there being no proof."
The officer shifted, suddenly very uncomfortable, "None yet, but I was going to investi-"
"No, you're not." He said firmly. "You've already searched her without her consent and found nothing. It could've been lost, dropped, or forgotten by him, but both of you have already decided it's her. I refuse to allow this to continue."
The volus was less than pleased by this decision, "Now wait right there! My chit-"
"Isn't my concern. Your attitude is. You want to blame the world for your clumsiness, go right ahead. But I won't let you try and ruin someone else's life over it." He paused, turning to the officer, "And you! If you have a problem with another species, I suggest you get over it. If I ever hear you abusing your authority again, I'll take you to Captain Bailey myself. Understood?"
The Officer was stiff as a board when he replied, "Yes sir, sorry for the misunderstanding."
"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."
"Right, of course." he turned to the quarian, who was still trying to understand what was going on. "Sorry, ma'am."
"Uh, no problem..." She said, still stunned.
Naruto nodded, satisfied with how things turned out. "Good, now you two get out of here." At his command the volus and the officer left, and turned to the quarian.
She looked at him with uncertainty, not knowing what to do. "Thank you, sir. I-I wish I could give you something more than words."
Naruto shook it off, "It's nothing, I know when someone is telling the truth. I hope the rest of the Citadel has been more welcoming to you."
The quarian sighed, "Truth be told, you're one of the few. I thought I could finish my pilgrimage quickly here, but my people aren't very welcome here."
"I think I understand." Naruto said sympathetically, remembering his early years in Konoha. The years when the adults looked at him with malice, ill will and sometimes just with hate. Hate for something he couldn't understand, something that he couldn't control. It seemed like he and these quarians had a lot in common. "Are you okay?"
She shrugged, "I'm surviving. Most nights I survive off nutrient paste at the turian shelter, but I'm surviving."
"Maybe this will help. Do you have an omni-tool?"
"Yes, why?"
Naruto brought up his own and sent her coordinates to the upper wards. "There's a ramen restaurant at this location. The owner is holding a credit chit for one of my squad mates. I'll have Naruto meet you there and he'll give you the credit chit."
She stiffened, looking at him like she thought it was a trick. "Sir, I can't-"
"It isn't much, but I hope it will help. And you will take it. Consider it a second chance."
She shifted slightly, holding her arm, "I don't know what to say, thank you sir."
"Don't say anything, just prove those two wrong. And make sure you pass it on to the next person who needs a hand." he finished with an assuring smile.
She nodded energetically, "I will sir. I won't forget this." she finished and turned to leave. She turned back, as if she thought he was toying with her, but he ushered her on and she headed off to the upper levels.
Naruto watched her go, breaking character and grinning to himself. He hoped that what was left on his chit would be enough to help her back onto her feet. This was the offer he never received as a child, one that would've made all the difference to him in those early years. He just had to remember to send a clone to meet her at the restaurant.
"Hey, that was really nice. Almost brought a tear to my eye."
He turned on a dime; he recognized that voice! Behind him stood the thief, arms laced behind her back, and her eyes shining through the shadow of her hood at him curiously, "Nice disguise, sure would be handy to change my face in a puff of smoke."
"That's some nerve, coming to me after stealing my food." he said, crossing his arms.
"Good thing I caught you in a charitable mood." She grinned.
Naruto chuckled at the woman's boldness, "Good point. I can get over a little ramen." He offered her his hand, "Naruto Uzumaki, not normally this scruffy." He grinned.
The woman laughed, "Don't do that with that face, it's too much!" She calmed down and shook his hand, "Kasumi Goto, normally not this visible."
"I saw that. You gave me one of the best chases of my life."
"I know, you actually made me try."
"Really? If there weren't so many witnesses, I may have tried myself."
"Oh you're good." She commented wickedly. "Well it seems your charity has left you a bit short on cash."
Naruto shrugged. "My XO didn't give me much to begin with, so it's no big deal."
"Well lucky for you I just came into a large sum of money, and I feel like paying you back for the food." She said, raising a credit chit.
"Is that yours?" Naruto looked at her skeptically.
"It is now. Swiped it from that volus." She said cheerfully.
"It was you!"
"Oh you're so dramatic. Don't act like he didn't deserve it." She moaned.
"I'm not taking dirty credits." Naruto said, taking the moral high ground.
Kasumi rolled her eyes, "Fine, how about I keep the credits, and you just happen to mention what you want...and I just happen to supply it as a thank you."
"That...still seems sketchy."
"Oh, why do you have to make this so complicated. I'm going to spend them one way or another, and I'm hardly making a dent in this fat cat's account. Think of me as your personal Robin Hood, stealing from the rich to give to the poor."
"Robin Hood?"
"You're kidding, right? Forget it, let's just put these credits to a good cause."
Naruto thought it over for a moment, bringing his hand to his chin. It was true, there were a few things he could use but couldn't afford. And if those things helped him save lives, perhaps a little questionable activity was justified..."Well...if you're going to spend them either way..."
"That's the spirit! Let's go! 30,000 credits can get us a lot down in the wards." she laughed to herself.
Naruto followed, still holding his illusion. "Fine, but if we're using that volus's credits then we're going to stretch them as far as we can."
"You're not making any sense."
Naruto pulled her closer, afraid someone might overhear, "People respond well to the Commander. Just follow my lead, I have an idea." he finished, and together they walked into the nearest shop.
~VII~
Eight. Eight Battles. Eight battles since Shepard woke from death. Eight times he could have returned to it. But in each of those eight times, he never felt as worn as he felt now. It felt a black hole in his chest, like something was missing and the emptiness was trying to suck him in. But he put on a strong face like he always did. He wouldn't let this be the setback that ended his journey. It was a roadblock, nothing more. He'd find a way forward, just like everyone expected he would. He had to.
Garrus groaned, fiddling with his omni-tool as they walked through the ward streets. "Looks like they've rescinded our access to the Presidium. What a nice parting gift." He sniffed.
Shepard took the news without flinching. "I expected they would. I doubt anyone up there wants to see my face for a while."
"We'll have the last laugh once we blow the Collector homeworld to hell and ride the shockwave into the sunset." Garrus assured him.
"You think that's how this will end?" Shepard asked.
Garrus shrugged, not missing a step. "I like to dream big. After we win this thing, we throw a big party that goes down in legend across the Galaxy. Empty the bar, get a little loud, as Jacob would say."
Tali snorted, trying to contain her laughter, "Keelah, we have a bar? How is the Normandy still in one piece?"
"The ever watchful eye of our lovely shipboard AI." Garrus smirked.
Tali blanked, clearly unamused. "Oh. That."
"She's been very helpful, you'll learn to appreciate her."
"The Krogan would sooner take up pacifism." Tali deadpanned.
Shepard feigned a laugh, trying to look like he was cheering up, "Well at least someone's being positive."
"Odd that it isn't our usual light bulb of joy." Garrus said, turning to Naruto who was trailing behind, "You've been awfully quiet all day."
The clone snapped out of his thoughts, "Just taking in the sights and giving you time to catch up." he finished with a grin.
"How polite of you...now where's the real Naruto?" Garrus asked mockingly.
Naruto paused, thinking he'd been caught before realizing his friend had only been joking, "Pre-spaceflight species here! Still getting my bearings."
Shepard smiled a bit at that, remembering the first time he saw the Citadel aboard the first Normandy. He wondered how much stronger the feeling was to a complete outsider to galactic society. "Hold on, I'm going to stop in here." He said, pointing to a medicine store before walking to the entrance.
Naruto felt a cringe of fear as a memory of a recently released clone sprung up in his mind. If Shepard went in... "Shepard, wait!" The clone called too late.
"I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite store on the Citadel!"
Shepard paused at the entrance when the advert began to play. Garrus and Tali looked at each other, and Naruto sat in the rear cursing his luck. Why didn't he just stay quiet? Slowly the three turned to him, and he knew he was in for some unpleasant questioning. "Naruto, what do you know about this?"
Naruto laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head, "Ahaha...funny story, actually."
As if the poor clone's situation wasn't bad enough, the original had to make it that much worse when he stepped out of a weapons shop behind him with Kasumi, still disguised as the Commander. He was eyeing a lovely new short sword with stars in his eyes. It was a look that did not mix well with Shepard's usual stern expression. "I was beginning to think no one would have a quality blade." He said as he rotated the sword on its side.
Kasumi chucked, finding herself amused by his awe. The two looked like a couple of friends having perfectly ordinary day in the markets. Only their purchases were less fashionable and far more battlefield practical. "Oh put it away, people are staring."
"Let's go buy some bamboo rods next, I wanna test this ba-" he froze when he put away the sword and looked ahead, locking eyes with the man who's form he was imitating. "oooooooh shit." he disappeared in a puff of smoke, which dispersed to reveal his true form a moment later looking very uncertain of what his future held. "Hi, everyone..."
Tali turned to the clone they'd been spending the day with, and casually punched it out of existence. The clone yelped as it disappeared, and Naruto rubbed his cheek as the memories came rushing back to him, "Why do you keep hitting me?" he wined.
"That one you deserved." She said firmly.
"I know this looks weird, but I can explain."
Shepard said, "This I need to hear."
"Commander Shepard!" A new voice caught the group's attention. They turned to see a lone female quarian running up to them. She sprinted up to the Commander, either missing or ignoring the lack of recognition she received, "Sorry, I just wanted to thank you again for your help. I thought everything was against me until you appeared."
"Uh, of course." He replied, trying to remember what he'd done to warrant thanks.
She nodded, and then turned to Naruto, "And thank you for your credit chit. I already have an idea of what I'm going to do with it. I figure I can buy some scrap and repair it, then sell it for a profit. It won't be much, but it'll make the difference I need to finish my pilgrimage."
Naruto nodded at the woman, recalling the memories of the clone he sent to meet her at the ramen place. "Don't worry about it, I'd never leave someone down like that." he said, giving her one of his charming childish grins.
She nodded, turning back to the Commander. "Well that's all I wanted to say. Thank you again for your kindness. And ma'am," she said, turning to Tali, "You're lucky to have people like this. I'm envious."
Tali acknowledged her kin, "Thank you, and good luck on your pilgrimage. Keelah se'lai."
"Keelah se'lai." She replied before leaving them, intent on making the best of her new start.
"Is that what you were up to?" Shepard asked. Naruto nodded, and told Shepard about his run-in with the C-Sec officer and how he'd transformed into him to diffuse it. "I see...and what about that advent?"
"They offered me a great discount for it, I had to make what credits I had last. It wasn't just for me, I got some bulk packages of thermal clips, ingredients for Rupert, some new FBA couplings..."
"Did you now..." Tali peaked up, suddenly very interested.
"I see. Well, compared to all the things I imagined could go wrong, identity theft isn't so bad. But next time, let me know."
"Got it, Shepard. I will." Naruto said appreciatively.
Kasumi sighed happily, "Ah, what a touching moment. Is it over? Can we move on please?"
Shepard looked the woman over, "Naruto, who's your friend?"
Naruto opened his mouth to answer, but she cut him off, "I can introduce myself, thank you. Kasumi Goto, at your service. I knew if I stuck with this master of disguise I'd run into you sooner or later."
Naruto glared at her out of the corner of his eye, "So that's why you tagged along?"
She shrugged, "That, and it looked like fun."
"You're too sly." He grinned at her, hinting wickedness.
The name peaked Garrus's interest, "The Kasumi Goto? You actually exist?"
"You've heard of her?" Shepard asked.
Garrus nodded, never taking his eyes off her, as if she could disappear if he let her out of his sight, "More of a rumor. Supposedly she's a master thief, but when I was in C-Sec there was no official record on her."
"There still isn't, they'd need to know I'm real first." She grinned, practically glowing with pride. "Speaking of rumors, there's quite a few floating around about you, Shepard. Something about working with Cerberus, impossible missions, fate of the galaxy...any of this ringing a bell?"
"If it did?"
"Well anyone crazy enough to fit these rumors may be crazy enough to help me with a little errand I have. If you do, I'm prepared to return the favor and help you with yours."
"What kind of errand?"
"Don't spoil the surprise, Shepard. I assure you, nothing you can't handle. And if we're lucky, we may not even have to fire a single shot."
"If you've heard the rumors, you know this is a suicide mission. That can't be very profitable for a thief."
Kasumi gave her perspective boss a skeptical glare, "You're looking a gift horse in the mouth, I can't sweeten the deal much more than this."
"I'm not asking you to. I'm not certain I can trust you on my team."
"I agree, I've never met a thief I'd trust with my back." Garrus said to back up the Commander. Tali said nothing, but her posture showed she wasn't receptive to the idea either.
Kasumi looked crossed, but didn't speak to him again. Instead she turned to Naruto and whispered, "Hey, help me out here!"
"Why me?"
"Please, they're already against me." She begged.
Naruto looked at her, trying to decide if who he should support. He knew Shepard had a good point, the Normandy was already a ticking time bomb with all the extreme personalities aboard. And someone who made their profession violating trust and privacy hardly seemed like the catalyst for cooperation. But Kasumi was more than just that. If she wasn't, she would never have offered to pay him back for the food she took. She could have kept all those credits and he'd have been none the wiser. She'd trusted him with that much, let him in just a little bit. And now he wanted to do the same for her.
"We should accept her offer, Commander." He finally said.
"You trust her?"
"Not yet, not completely. But I think I can learn to. I have a good gut feeling about her."
"A gut feeling isn't enough."
"Give her a chance, Shepard. You gave the rest of us one, and none of us are going to let you down. Besides, even if she wanted to, there's no way EDI wouldn't notice if she tried anything."
Kasumi raised an eyebrow, "EDI?"
"Shipboard AI. She sees everything. Except in the bathrooms," he explained.
Instead of being discouraged, Kasumi lit up like a christmas tree, "Perfect, I love a challenge!" She said happily, but her joke didn't go over so well with the Commander. "Kidding..."
"You still think we should give her a chance?"
"I do. I don't think you'll regret it."
Shepard sighed, bowing his head in thought for a moment before speaking again, "You heard him Kasumi, I'm going to choose to trust you. And when it comes time for this errand of yours, he'll be the one helping you."
"Huh?" Naruto said, dumbstruck.
"Deal!" Kasumi said eagerly.
Shepard offered her his hand and the two shook. She wasn't the tried and true soldier he'd hoped to recruit and she was a complete unknown, but he hoped she'd benefit the team just as well, "Welcome to the team, Kasumi. We're heading out immediately. Is that a problem?"
"Not at all, I'll have myself moved in before you know it, and soon you'll wonder what you'd ever do without me."
Naruto looked at her suspiciously, "What was I just roped into?"
"Nothing more dangerous than what you've already volunteered for. It might even be fun." She winked at him before turning to leave. "See you later, teammates."
"You sure about her, Commander?" Garris asked as Kasumi cloaked and vanished from sight.
"No, but she's bringing something new to the Normandy, something we might need. We'll see how things turn out."
"If you say so." Garrus didn't sound confident.
"We're heading back to the ship. You coming, Naruto? Or are you going to dupe a few more stores?" Shepard asked.
He nodded, "I'm good, I have what I need, and she took all the credits anyways." He said, falling in behind the others as they headed back to the docks.
Naruto peaked up when Tali slowed her pace to walk beside him. "That C-Sec officer, I wish I could've seen his face when you chewed him out."
"I bet he'll think twice before doing it again." He smiled a bit.
"Maybe, one person at a time. Anyways, thank you."
"No problem Tali." He said as they passed through security.
~VIII~
Naruto rushed back to engineering as soon as he was back on board. He found it empty, Ken and Gabby probably snuck out for a little shore leave themselves. Or they were still curled up in that bunk. He really hoped Kelly took pictures, he must never let them live this down.
He found the clone he sent on an errand earlier that day at the end of the walkway, leaning against the console idly with a bored expression. He lit up like a puppy when he saw his original approach, "Took you long enough, boss!"
"There were some complications."
"Yeah, I get the memories too dummy. No wonder Garrus hates them." He reached behind him and pulled out a pack, opening it to reveal Zaeed's sketchpad, the one he'd nearly ripped in half after Horizon. "It wasn't cheap, but they fixed it."
"Does he know we took it?"
"I'm still in one piece, aren't I? He got back an hour ago, go now before he finds out."
The real Naruto hung his new sword on a hook on the railing and took the sketchpad from his clone. He opened it up and began flipping through the artwork. It wasn't a perfect fix, he didn't have the credits for that kind of work. The part of the sketch around the tear was faded from the process of mending the paper. Some of the drawings were in better shape than the others, but hopefully it'd be enough for Zaeed. "Good work. I'll head there now."
"Glad it's not me! Good luck, boss!" The clone grinned, giving him a mock salute before disappearing.
Naruto took a breath and made his way out of engineering to Zaeed's cargo hold. He didn't know how the Mercenary would react. Since the incident his attitude to the ninja had gone from indifferent to as frigid as the icy winds of Noveria. He couldn't know that Naruto wasn't completely in his right mind when he destroyed it, and even if he knew he probably wouldn't have cared. Zaeed didn't look to be a man who accepted excuses. But he hoped this gesture would help set things right between them.
He pressed the switch on the door and walked into the hold once the doorway was open. Zaeed was standing in the corner sitting on a crate, polishing a silver chain lined with dog tags. He hardened when he saw who his guest was. "What're you doin' here?" He grunted. His good eye looked him over, spotting the notepad tucked under his arm. He got to his feet and Naruto could feel his killing intent, "What the hell are you doing with that?"
'This is going well,' he thought to himself as he took out the sketchpad and opened it up for Zaeed to see. "I got the best repair job I could for the money. Here." He said and closed it, holding it up for Zaeed to take.
Zaeed grabbed it and gave it his full attention. He handled each page with a delicacy Naruto never expected to see in the grizzled warrior. His good eye took in every detail of every page, every piece of work he'd toiled for hours to create was examined. "I can fix the details." He said, putting the sketchpad on his table for later. He didn't thank Naruto. Zaeed wasn't the kind of man to thank often, especially someone who was making up for their mistake. But at least he didn't look like he wanted to use him as target practice anymore.
"We good?"
"Sure, whatever."
It was a start.
Naruto felt safer stepping further into the cargo hold. Zaeed went back to where he'd found him and picked up the necklace. The dog tags pooled at the bottom and clinked together. "What's that."
Zaeed absentmindedly tossed him the souvenir. Naruto caught it with one hand and took a closer look at it. There were over twenty tags, from various organizations and species. He looked through the tags and came across one belonging to Zaeed. "What is this?"
"Some assassin's trophy, liked to collect the tags from his targets. Corvis, I think it was, one hell of a shot. Used to be Turain Spec-Ops before going rogue and marketing his skills in the private sector. He was an odd one by turian standards, didn't gel well with the Hierarchy. Money over loyalty, I suppose. I met 'em back when I was with the Suns. Back then I was still building my reputation, but this one job I did put me right on his radar. Put three rounds right through my chest, put me down hard. I wasn't breathing when he came to confirm it, took my Blue Suns tags. But I ripped my life back from the reaper and woke up, just as he was adding my tags to his chain. I pulled out my knife and cut his tendon, then jumped on him as he fell and cut his throat and the necklace right off him."
"I think you're embellishing that one."
"Should I care what you think?"
"We both know the answer to that." Naruto leaned his head back against the wall and sighed, feeling oddly content with this weight off his chest. "There was once this team, I wouldn't call them mercenaries, who were after a small list of people, and I was at the top of their list. They were called the Akatsuki, a group of the most powerful rogue ninjas in the world. There was a prodigy from a famed bloodline, an explosives expert, a puppeteer, an immortal cultist, even a man who called himself a god. Most of us thought he was. They hunted us, killed us and took what we kept from them. I was lucky I had a good teacher to help me prepare. Jiraiya, the Toad Sage."
"Hah! One hell of a title." Zaeed snorted.
"Technically it's mine now." He smiled with pride.
"Alright then Toad Brat, what happened to Akatsuki? Ever fight then yourself?"
"Two, in fact. The first was a bounty hunter, one of the best on my world. Might have given you a run for your money. The second was the god. I saw him summon beasts the size of mountains, level city blocks with his will. He was so cold, terrifying, somehow superior to man. But when I faced him I couldn't turn away. He controlled six bodies, each acting as an outlet for a different power. I fought him for hours, tapped into a strength...a strength that nearly destroyed me. But finally it was just me and his God Path. We were tired, beaten, but I pushed through and slammed a rasengan right into his chest. I finally won."
"Now who's embellishing."
"It's true, every word."
"If you say so." Zaeed leaned against the wall to get comfortable. "Let's have another then. What else you got?"
Naruto grinned at the opportunity, "Let me tell you about my first combat mission, to the Land of Waves when I was twelve."
"Twelve? Your people sure start 'em young. Go on, then."
Naruto began to recount his adventures with his team, the bridge builder and his family and their struggle to save the impoverished nation. He told Zaeed about the business tycoon and his iron grip over a people who's wills faded long ago. And he told him about the unwanted boy and the man who saved him, and sharpened him into the perfect tool, and how it all came to its bittersweet end in the fog on that unfinished bridge.
He felt like he was free of his responsibilities for a moment, just reminiscing with another man about his past. Zaeed must have felt the same, maybe this was therapeutic in some way to him as well. For just a short time he let go of his worries about the next mission, the fear that the fox would dominate his mind, and his concern for the war that may never end on his homeworld. Just two warriors losing themselves in the past.
Codex Entries:
-Linguists
Following their introduction to the galactic community and the near universal adaption to instant translation software in omni-tools, the need for linguists drastically diminished. However, upon his discovery of a second homeworld, the Illusive Man knew his first task must be to break down the language barrier. To do so he hired former linguists from the Alliance who helped adapt alien languages to human. They were secretly inserted into various villages, and feigning amnesia the majority managed to find shelter in these communities and overtime integrate with the native populations. It is thanks to the efforts of these elite few of a dying profession that the Shinobi may now communicate as seamlessly as any other member of the Galaxy.
-Zaeed's Criminal Record in Citadel Space, Abridged
While Zaeed Massani is infamous in the Terminus Systems, his contracts have occasionally taken him into Citadel Space. His record includes:
3 counts assassination on contract,
1 count attempted targeted killing on contract,
2 counts kidnapping a public official on contract,
1 count assaulting and takeover of a military vessel,
230+ counts second degree murder relating to takeover of military vessel,
5 counts assault,
3 counts resisting arrest,
4 counts assaulting an officer,
1 count prison escape,
19 counts unpaid parking fines
Warning: data limit reached. Please access full record at C-Sec HQ.
And now...
CURRENTLY ABOARD THE QWIB QWIB!
Ni'Rala: Doo de doo de doo, another one bites the...Jack?
Jack: YOU! *biotically pins him to the wall*
Ni'Rala: Gah! Wha-whatdido?!
Jack: How DARE you skip my chapter?
Ni'Rala: P-p-p plot integrity, creative vision-
Jack: Your excuses don't interest me. If you're not going to feature me, might as well see how my biotics work on a quarian.
Ni'Rala: Next time! Next time, with a badass fight scene and everything!
Jack: That's better. *throws towel* Clean yourself up.
Ni'Rala: whimper
A/N
Wow, this one was long! Over four times longer than the first chapter. This was always one of the chapters I was looking forward to writing. Not just because of introducing Kasumi, though I'd had that sort of introduction in mind since early on before my long hiatus, but also because this is a major point in Shepard's own arc. The part where it really becomes a small team against a danger that threatens the entire galaxy.
I bet a lot of people aren't going to like Anderson's change, but a schism between him and Shepard seemed inevitable and necessary. I always imagined being a Councilor changed Anderson, not necessarily making him a bad man, but by showing him just how large the galaxy really is, and how he can never hope to save everyone. Politicians get a bad rep in the Mass Effect universe, but I think they're still good people at heart doing the best they can. Anderson exemplifies this, a good man struggling with his position and responsibilities.
Thank you all for your reviews, it's always a joy to read them, and I look forward to reading the next set you leave me, and as always constructive criticism is appreciated. Now I'll be getting to work on the next chapter featuring our favorite crazed convict. Until next time!