Me: This is probably the most reflecting chapter I've written. I had to debate with myself who would be the next person to touch the box and why. Not to mention I was debating something about the Shinobi world. Someone commented that usually a Shinobi wouldn't make their first kill until they were sixteen. While this is true in Peace times, War times are another story altogether and prodigies are exceptions to both rules. Just wanted to point that out, as it made me think of Naruto's first C-rank mission.

It's a strange feeling waking up and realizing how old you are. I mean, my body is sixteen and I still have my energy and everything but . . . . Kami, war just makes me feel so old.

What's worse is that no one can can't comprehend the feeling of your entire species; the entire galaxy being targeted by something virtually indestructible. Not even men, not enough firepower, people turning on one another and your home planet being destroyed. It truly was Hell.

I forcibly shook my head. No, I couldn't get stuck on those thoughts. I couldn't go down that path again. In the end, I didn't know how much time had past since the war and I was cautious about sending out a distress signal. For all I knew the Galaxy was filled with pirates and raiders.

I looked down at the scroll in my hand that contained EDI. If I could reconnect her then I would have a way of communication that didn't put me in the line of fire. Not to mention I would be able to get information on the state of things. No doubt all the species continued on. What puzzled me was the Elemental Countries. It was obvious that the Normandy landed here after the destruction of the Reapers but what happened? Why aren't they connected with the rest of the Galaxy? More importantly, why was the Normandy buried? Why are there no records of what happened?

And where the hell were they in the Galaxy?

Probably the Sol System. The Mass Relays wouldn't have been working for a while, but it's strange how none of the distress signals were activated. There was no way everyone died in the crash so . . .what the hell happened? The Normandy looked the same. Or at least it was still recognizable and not torn to pieces like the original Normandy. I looked at the pilot's chair and smiled as an image of Joker came to my mind.

"Why does the Alliance hire pilots with Brittle-Bone Disease?"

"You're shitting me. The Turian Military has one about me?"

"Oh absolutely, I heard it myself from a Private back on Palavan."

"All right, why does the Alliance hire pilots with Brittle-Bone Disease?"

"So their Marines can beat someone in hand-to-hand drills."

"Damn, you need to tell James that one. Hey, what's the hardest part about treating a Turian who took a rocket to one side of his face?"

"Figuring out which side took the rocket."

I snorted. They were joking at the time, but it wasn't just for 'fun'. All they were doing was easing tension. Doing what they could so they didn't go crazy from the thought of the Reapers. I sighed and eased myself into the leather chair. I gripped the scroll like a lifeline and stared at the console that once glowed orange.

I missed them. All of them. Joker, Garrus, Tali, Liara and Kaiden especially. The ones that were there in the beginning and stood by me in the end.

Now, I was all alone . . .again.

"This better be good, Tsunade. I was in the middle of my research." The white-haired man grinned as he strutted across the room to his old teammate. Tsunade's eyebrow twitched in irritation but she did not comment. No matter how many times she had tried in the past she was never able to stop Jiraiya's habit of peaking on women.

"It's Naruto." The man stiffened at the name. Glancing around, he sighed and motioned for her to go on. Tsunade nodded, motioning for the ANBU to leave the room before activating the privacy seals. "He's not getting better." She didn't have time to beat around the bush. As a medical examiner and as a Hokage, Tsunade could tell that the strain of Shepard's memories were only taking a greater toll on Naruto's mind.

Jiraiya was silent for a long moment before nodding to himself. "Do you want me to place a Memory Suppressant Seal on him?"

Tsunade shook her head, "Can you suppress a lifetime of memories? Not to mention the Kyuubi . . . .I think we would just be wasting our time."

The Toad Sannin sighed, reluctant to comply but did so anyway. She had a fair point. This was Naruto they were talking about. "Then what do you want me to do?"

Tsunade pressed her lips together in thought before standing up from the chair to look out the window. "I want this Shepard on our side. I have no doubts about Naruto's loyalty but Shepard . . . ." The blonde Hokage glanced down before looking back up at the Mountain Heads. Specifically, Minato's. "I think that we should give her something familiar. Something that can ensure her loyalty to our village."

Jiraiya's eyes widened as he realized what Tsunade was suggesting. "You mean . . . ?"

The Hokage nodded, "I want to imprint another set of memories."

The white-haired man felt a growing anger in his chest at the thought of subjugating anyone else to the kind of fate Naruto was experiencing. "How could you-?!"

Tsunade cut him off, "NOT without proper precautions of course. I don't plan for anyone else to end up like Naruto. But to do this I need your help with the seals."

Jiraiya's eyebrows furrowed in confusion before realization dawned on him, "You want me to create a separate memory space in their minds." Tsunade nodded, not turning to look at him. "Woman, do you know what that could possibly mean? I haven't done anything of the sort since the Third Shinobi War." Another nod. Although her back was to him, he could sense her radiating confidence. Despite the fact that no real words were exchanged, Jiraiya knew that he lost the argument. "So be it." He relented, feeling a bit disgusted with himself.

Before he turned to leave, Tsunade said one last word. "Another thing, take only volunteers and people who are known to be completely loyal to the village. I don't want to force this onto anyone and nor do I wish for a person skeptical about the village to become even more skeptical."

The white-haired man grinned a little, "And if there are no volunteers."

Tsunade turned and smiled back, "I highly doubt there won't be, but if there aren't then we'll simply drop the project."

The raven-haired girl looked up at the Hokage's tower and swallowed deeply. She, like every other Chuunin and higher, had heard about the incident with Naruto. It scared her to think about how different he might be now compared to before but she still wanted to help. So when the Hokage called for volunteers to touch the box and help Naruto reach a level of familiarity, she volunteered right away.

She didn't simply volunteer for Naruto's sake (although that did play a big part in it) but she also volunteered so that no one else would have to. She had spotted Naruto a few times and after she realized how different he was from his old self, she immediately started avoiding him. Looking at him made her realize that she didn't want that to happen to her friends, any of them.

So, here she was, standing outside of the Hokage's tower, readying herself to be inserted with foreign memories. After taking a few deep breaths, she stepped forward to face her challenge.