Howdy, chiiiiildren! It's your master of stories, your writer of redundancies, and all around action producer! Nah, just kiddin', it's just time for me to get off my ass and start doin' somethin'! And that means, getting back to our duo. Last we checked? They were at GNR, and our brunette took a fire hydrant to the chest and the behemoth of a mutant took a laser to the face that took out it's whole head! Let's see how our blonde does talking his way out of this situation with the Brotherhood, shall we?

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"Fine, I'll not let Amata suffer from your actions any longer… Now, if you truly care for her… put down your weapons and surrender!"

"I always liked you Gomez, Even if your son was always mean to me."

"No, you didn't need me… Now go, before the guards unlock the door!"

"I am Alpha and Omega… The beginning… and the End."

XxX xx XxX

"You need to stop walking away from me, and start telling me why you are here! And don't give me the excuse that you are here to find someone, we both know that there is no one here that you know that you'd risk your life under a firing squad to see!"

Stirring from the loud noises, TenTen groaned and tried to open her eyes to her environment. Beside her, someone in Power Armor put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't move too much, the swelling is down but you've still got to work out the pain. How you feeling?"

Looking beside her, she saw one of the Lyon's Pride, a lion symbol on his shoulder pad. It sounded sort of like the Paladin that wasn't hostile towards Naruto. Taking a deep breath, the brunette found her chest to sting, but nothing overly harmful. "I'm.. better, I guess… Paladin...Reddin?"

Shaking his head, the man sighed. "Initiate Reddin died to a suit malfunction, due to a propelling explosion caused by that Behemoth. I'm Knight Captain Colvin, and the Paladin you might be referring to is Vargas. He's taking care of the dead with the remaining forces here."

TenTen was having a small issue with the names and ranks here, but as long as she knew who was in front of her, even through her fogged out mind, she could talk. "You know Naruto?"

Scoffing lightly, Colvin smiled a bit. "Do you? Yeah, me and him go way back. He was leader of the Pride before he was cast out, I was his best man on his wedding day, and his greatest soldier in the squad. I know him like a brother. Question is… do YOU know him? I've heard a few broadcasts about him helping out here and there, but never heard of him bringing along a local on his adventures till now."

"THAT'S NOT A REASON! Damn it, tell me right now, who is so important here that you need to stay another few hours for that girl to wake up!?" It was Sarah, yelling at Naruto.

Not exactly understanding what was going on, TenTen had to ask. "What's the yelling about?"

Colvin turned to see the hallway. "Sarah's been at it for about twelve hours. Yelling for the last 2. Look, he says he's here to see someone important and that he isn't leaving till he gets the information he's looking for. And, thing is, he's under house arrest. Even with the 24 Oath, he has to be under watch until he leaves. Maybe you can tell me what he means."

Thinking about it, the brunette was hardly able to remember much about what happened or why they were here. Then it hit her, they were at GNR, where Moriarty's terminal said her father was at. Seeing a chance to answer both his questions, TenTen took a deep breath and spoke. "My name is TenTen. My father is James, a scientist. When he left Vault 101, so did I. Naruto found me, and helped me learn how to survive. After asking for help, he agreed to get me to find my dad, and the last place we know he was, was here at GNR. Is he here?"

The Knight looked behind him a bit before turning back to her. "That, I highly doubt. Most of the people here are either technicians for the building to keep the radio alive, or Brotherhood defending this place to the last. If he is here, he's with Three Dog, and if not then he isn't here at all." Seeing her sullen look at that news, he put a hand on her shoulder. "But, if I know Naruto, and trust me when I say I do, you will find him. He never gives up, success or failure, and will complete his mission regardless of it's outcome. And right now, his mission is to help you find your dad."

A loud bang was heard, forcing TenTen up a bit at the sudden noise. Though a small amount of pain returned, she was too engrossed in the sudden scream. "You will leave the moment your hours are up, and if you don't I will shoot you myself! You have eleven hours, make them count!" With that, heavy footsteps were heard leaving the area.

After a few moments, Naruto came into the room, and found the brunette awake. With a sigh of relief, he smiled. "Glad to see you awake… Think you've got the energy to walk around?"

Though Colvin was the one to answer him. "She still has to heal, I suggest another couple hours so she gets used to the bones setting in. So, how did it go?"

Shaking his head, the blonde frowned. "She's pissed, knew that the moment we got into that alley. But she's directing my every move. She couldn't accept my answers. I didn't want to tell her why I was here unless it was absolutely necessary. Turns out, it was. Need me to fill you in?"

Shaking his head, the Knight stood up, his gyro's turning as his armor needed some oil. "She gave me the details. I'll give you two some space, but I have to be watching the door. Should I ask for an audience with Three Dog?"

Extending his hand, the blonde smiled. "Nah, Sarah's got it covered. She's getting everyone ready to move out, though, so best be ready."

Shaking his hand, Colvin nodded and slipped his helmet back on. "Well, you'll know where to find me when you need me. Don't take too long here, alright?"

As the Knight left, Naruto sat down in his place. "Colvin's a great guy, though sometimes he's been known to be a sarcastic prick. He's the one who helped heal you by the way."

Smiling at that, TenTen laid down again. "I should thank him then." Turning her head to the blonde, however, she frowned a bit. "He told me a little more about you. You were leader of the Lyons Pride, and married?"

Taking a deep breath at that, Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "He also has a mouth on him…. Yes, I was part of the Lyons Pride, leading it. When I was cast out, my title and rank were taken, and any relationship I was a part of ended. It's effectively divorce on a whole new level. So now, I am just a surviving part of the wastes and single. And before you ask… Sarah was my wife. Which is why she is so pissed off at me. Turns out, she was here for a week longer than she needed to be, and when she got back it was a sudden wake up call."

Though a terrible ordeal, losing your spouse, TenTen noticed he wasn't that devastated. "And you're ok with that..."

Shrugging slightly, the blonde sighed. "It's not that I wasn't devastated. It's been a three years now since I was cast out. I've moved on. Not being allowed to see her or explain, it gets to you. So I decided not to let it. Besides, she's made it clear she hates my guts because of why I was cast out. To her, I'm not the Naruto she loved. It hurts, but I carry that pain like everything else. I move and survive, the only thing I can do."

It made more sense that way, actually, so the brunette let it go. After an hour, she was finally able to get up off the bed, but it was still slightly painful to do so. Naruto was questioning her ability to move, though. "I'm fine. Besides, the sooner we get this done, the sooner we find my father. Let's go."

As they came up to the guard by the door, they opened it and let them through. Down the hallway was another door they opened and entered. After a few stairs to climb they made it to the casting room, where Three Dog was recording for the news. "So when you see one of those lights, know it's our One Man Army, knockin' down behemoths so we are safe at night. And now, some music..." Cutting the feed, the man himself, dressed in a black coat sleeveless coat and jeans with a white t shirt on, sunglasses and a bandanna covering his hair and eyes, came out. "Well, well, speak of the angel himself. How ya been, fish cake?"

Shrugging a little, the blonde sighed. "Maelstrom… Naruto means Maelstrom. I've been doing better, to tell the truth. Since I was cast out I've been surviving. Only thing I can do, you know? Three Dog, this here is TenTen, daughter of James, from Vault 101. TenTen, meet the master of the radio himself. Three Dog."

Putting a hand out to her, the man smiled with his bright white teeth. "Charmed. You are the chick who fixed up that bomb in Megaton, huh? Something like that, not even this guy could fix. Good on ya. You and your dad, leavin' that vault and running into the unknown… Met him, actually, great guy."

TenTen was hopeful at this point. "Is he here? Please, I need to know where he is."

The disk jockey put his hands up. "Whoa there, one thing at a time. We're meeting for the first time, introductions and impressions first. But to answer your question, he ain't here. Not anymore at least. See, when he got out of that Vault he heard ole Three Dog on the radio and figured he'd get a sense where the world was at here in the Capital Wasteland. He was right, of course, so when he got here we talked and I filled him in on everything he missed out on underground. After we were done, though, he split like a banana sundae and went off to see about his way of fighting the Good Fight, which we all have our roles in doing. His was some science thing, and I'm tellin' it how it is out there so the world knows there's still good in this world, waiting to become the primary force in this crazy joint."

Taking that all in, the brunette didn't really know what he was going on about. "The Good Fight? What are you talking about? My dad's not a fighter, and neither am I."

Scoffing, the radio man pointed at her. "Armor, guns. Fighting material in the flesh."

Before TenTen could retort, Naruto turned to her. "You've been learning how to survive hostile encounters. Because if you didn't, we'd never get this far. Maybe you'd rather not fight, but if you don't know how to then you'd be dead by now. What he is saying, though, is that the Good Fight is just survival of people who are good at heart."

Shushing the blonde for a moment, Three Dog took over. "Imagine a picture, alright? A picture of the Capital Wastes in all it's glory. Brick and rock and mortar, all in ruins, barely standing together, irradiated to the core. Sounds bad right? Just a whole lot of nothing. But there are still people here, alive, and trying to survive, barely making it day to day out there, fighting to stay alive and make something of what they got, even if it's nothing but the clothes on their backs. Now imagine the dangers you've faces. Super Mutants, Raiders, Feral Ghouls and maybe even Slavers. All kinds of nasty shit, and they all want a slice of the pie too, and aim to take it from you over your cold dead body if need be."

Though her mind was muddied, she understood what he was saying. The Good Fight… It was helping those in need, it was surviving with your dignity and soul intact. "You fight it with your voice, you have the radio to give people hope… Hope that one day, we don't have to worry about mutilation or being slaves."

Blinking in surprise, Three Dog was almost floored. "Well ho-ly shit! A chip off the old block aren'tcha? Seems your dad raised you good. You got that right, and since you got it without even trying, I don't need to give you a full debrief on the subject. Let's get you on the path. What can ole Three Dog do for ya?"

TenTen was a little surprised by his willingness to help her out. "Wait. We've only just met, why are you offering to help me? It's not even been a few days and me and Naruto still have trust issues."

Three Dog smiled. "See, it's not him having trust issues. It's you. He is doing what he feels is right, helping out someone who's not even seen the sun for almost two dozen years. He trusts who you are and what you are about, I am sure of that. Whatever he doesn't trust you with, know it's for a damn good reason. You on the other hand… Well, I can't say for sure, but whatever happened to make you leave the Vault is still affecting you. Me, on the other hand. I trust you because I have eyes. The Brotherhood let you in, so they don't see you as a threat. And your dad? He's a stand up guy, so I figure I'm doing a service by giving you a chance."

Looking to Naruto, he smiled a bit at that. She hoped he would trust her… But she wasn't about to stop using Jet if it meant surviving. She needed it to survive, no matter what he tells her. Though that was another discussion at another time to have. Looking back to Three Dog, the brunette took a deep breath. "Well… If you know anything about my dad, where he is, please tell me. I need to know."

Taking off his glasses, the man on the radio smiled. "I figured you were looking to find him, but I thought you'd have already done so. See, my ears reach around the wastes, so I know almost everything. I know where he went, and I know where you came from. You should have seen him by now. But, if you didn't, then I guess you are in luck. I know where he went after leavin' here alright. But, I need to ask a favor before you get that information. I need you to contribute to the Good Fight."

TenTen was hopeful till he said he wanted something first. "Please, just tell me where he is, I'll help after I find him, I swear, but please tell me first!"

Taking a deep breath, Three Dog put his glasses back on. "Sorry kid. I like the enthusiasm, but this is bigger than just you and your dad. If this doesn't get done, there'll be problems later down the road for the entire Wasteland."

Looking sullen, the Brunette knew it had to be done. Without knowing where her dad was, she was lost to whatever forces brought her to another dangerous place, no leads at all. This was her only chance. "I'll do it… What do you need me to do?"

Three Dog spoke softly. "This won't be easy, but here it is. Galaxy News Radio is my baby. I feed it, I love it, I keep it changed and ready for whatever is thrown it's way. But there is just one issue… No one outside the D.C. central ruins can hear her cry. Maybe Rivet City, but not Megaton. You see, some brainless Super Mutant thought it would be funny to shoot at the shiny round thing on the Washington Monument."

Naruto knew where this was going. The blonde looked to TenTen. "The station doesn't have a way to broadcast out locally. Three Dog is using the old wiring system to transmit short wave to the nearest radio tower. Thing is, there isn't one. So he MADE one. The Washington Monument is the tallest thing in the capital, so he put a communications array and satellite dish on the top of it. Meaning.."

It was making sense to her too. TenTen looked to the radio wizard. "They knocked out the dish, meaning it's unable to cast at all to the outside..."

Nodding, Three Dog explained the situation. "The dish is swiss cheese, making any broadcast range we got limited as all hell. And it gets worse. The factory that made the relay dishes is long gone, leveled. As in, not getting that part ever again."

This confused TenTen though. "If we can't get another one, then why are we talking about it?"

Three Dog had an idea. "Now, this is gonna sound risky, but I know you can do it. You have the same look in your eyes about getting things done that your dad did. Listen up… One of the Brotherhood guys that passed through a few weeks ago mentioned seeing another satellite dish somewhere in one of the old museums in the Mall. Not like our old one, but it might even be more powerful. It's the one off the old Virgo II Lunar Lander in the Museum of Technology. What I want you to do is get it, bring it to the Washington Monument and let the Brotherhood guys replace the bad one with it. They've already made sure nothing short of a mini-nuke is gonna take it down this time around. Armored the top of the monument a month after our mishap. Get that done, and I'll tell you where your dad is."

Naruto decided to jump in. "Three Dog… You're asking us to go to the Mall to replace the radio dish. If we're going to go back the way we came, then you have to tell me… Is James north or south of here? Give me a general direction here."

Seeing the blue eyes staring at him, the disk jockey hummed out loud. Sighing, he decided to speak up. "He's south, why you askin'?"

Hearing this, Naruto sighed, rolling his eyes. Looking at the man, he gave him a glare. "You're asking us to go south to the Mall, when he's either in the Mall somewhere or at Rivet City. Listen to yourself. TenTen just wants to know where her dad is, and she'll be on her way to find him. We already detoured to save the Rangers in Vernon, so if we have to go back the way we came through the Mall to find James, then at least tell us exactly where James is. We'll swing by the museum, grab the dish, give it to the outpost, and be on our way. Instead of having to either wait for you to tell us on the radio, or coming back here just to go back through the Mall again later. If we have to go through the Mall to find James, then we'll help. Right TenTen?"

Hearing the blonde defend her, and fight to help her, she smiled, nodding as she spoke up. "It was my idea to save the Rangers too, even though we were supposed to come here without any distractions. If we go past the Mall, then we'll help. Please, tell me where my dad is and I'll help, I promise."

Stunned in silence for a few moments, Three Dog was just standing there with eyes wide. After a moment, he started laughing. "HAH! I sure know how to pick 'em! Alright. Well, you do this for me and you'll be the best thing that has ever happened to GNR in a long time. Alright, here it is. Your dad left to see a Doctor Li at Rivet City. Some Scientific Mumbo Jumbo about a Project he was workin' on… didn't make sense to me, this 'Project Purity', but he thought it was worth fighting for. So when he left, it was in a hurry."

Naruto slapped his forehead. "Of course… She was part of the project too, how could I have been so stupid as to not ask her if she stayed in contact?"

Turning to the blonde, TenTen was confused. "He was there when we were? We were a floor away from him or something?"

Shaking his head, Naruto sighed. "If he's working on Project Purity, he isn't at Rivet City. Not anymore. He's got to be at the Jefferson Memorial… But just to be safe, let's follow the current lead and head to Rivet City. If Li is still there, we'll find out where he went no problem. But first… Museum of Technology."

Nodding, TenTen turned and smiled at Three Dog. "Thank you. We'll be out of here in a few hours, and on our way to the Mall. We'll get you that dish before getting to find my dad again. Thank you, Three Dog, thank you."

Seeing the happiness on her face, Three Dog put a hand on her shoulder. "No problem. Glad I can give you some hope… As you said, that's my way of contributing to the Good Fight. Now it's your turn. But before you go… Naruto, mind if I speak to this chick alone? I'm sure you need to work out a route for when you leave. Unless it's a complete backtrack."

Thinking on it, the Blonde shrugged. "I might as well… I'm unsure how safe the complete reverse of our route is at the moment. Everything from the Mall and here is Super Mutant chance hell. Come see me in the recovery room when you're done, TenTen."

Turning, he waved it off as he left. Three Dog walked over to a nearby table and sat down, offering TenTen a seat. As she sat down, he spoke up. "I noticed you're eyes are red, and baggy. You seem sluggish, slow even. Slower than normal humans are anyway. I know those effects… Jet withdraw. How long since your last hit?"

Seeing a lecture coming, TenTen frowned. "Does it matter?"

Sighing, the radio host put down his glasses. "It does. Because, if it's been only about a day, you're still addicted. You're still craving a hit, in fact it's probably on your mind right now, buried deep in your mind subconsciously. Functioning normally enough to care about finding your dad, but still effected by the drug. If you don't get a hit after a week, you start recovering back to your normal self. So, which is it?"

Turning away from the man, the brunette just sat there silent. Three Dog continued, seeing his answer. "So a day or two… Alright. Let me fill you in on something. That is why Naruto doesn't trust you. You're how long out of the Vault, and already addicted to a Chem? He's going to care about your health, and try and get you back on the straight and narrow. If you're fighting him, no wonder there is a trust issue between you two."

With a bit of a raised voice, TenTen spoke up. "What does it matter if I am addicted or not? I can't fight Super Mutants on my own! I can barely survive against 3 with his help, I need a way to fight them if I am going to continue following my dad's footsteps! Jet was my way of doing it! I was able to see everything and react quickly without faltering! Ever since I lost my Jet I've been doing horribly! I need to fight to survive the path I am on, and the only way I can survive during these fights is Jet!"

Three Dog took it in stride as she stood up. "And he tells me I don't need it, and he'll help me get experience, and learn, but it's not fast enough! I can't just shoot straight facing a Super Mutant without getting hit, I can't fight off Ghouls even with Jet, and they scare the hell out of me! I need to get better, and Jet makes me better!"

As she finished, Three Dog stood up. "I was like you… I was a Junkie. Jet, Psycho, even this new drug Fury. I was on crazy shit. Hell, when I was high on Jet, I could have sworn I saw green trees growing as if the nuclear wasteland hadn't even happened. But, thanks to Naruto, I cleaned up my act, and now I bring hope back into the wasteland, full of people good and bad. I'm not going to tell you what to do, and I am not going to help you keep your habit up, or tell you he is wrong. What I am going to say is simple. Jet may make you feel better, but when it's gone… You're nothing. When I went through withdraws, I thought I just needed more, and it didn't help me one bit. All it did was make things slower, including me. My perception was ruined, and my ability to combat those effects stopped. I quit cold turkey, and can fight off a Mutant if I absolutely need to. Because I got better without Jet. So can you, but only if you try. Don't listen to me if that's what you'd rather do, I don't have the right to force anything on you. But don't force anything on Naruto, making him a babysitter whilst you experiment. That's all I ask. Use Jet, or don't, it's up to you. Now if you mind, I have a recording to do before I get the new tapes to the technicians."

As he passed her, he noticed her thinking. He knew it would take her awhile to digest everything he said, as Jet also slows the mind's ability to comprehend things. So he just left her to think.

About an hour later, TenTen went back down to see Naruto with Colvin and Sarah. "No, that won't work… We were hammered five hours ago, the few here suggest an attack every five hours. The next one in two or three hours, by the time you get to the Mall, it'll be packed."

"Then what about Dupont? Has it cleared?" Naruto was wondering where to go from here, and it seemed they were not going to get there easily.

Sarah huffed. "We fought our way through Dupont and the Junction to get here, it's packed. They are halting all progress to and from here on the north end. There's nowhere else to go..."

TenTen came in. "Has there been any updates on the plans?"

Naruto turned to her and sighed. "Not really. Metro Junction goes to Vernon, and Vernon through Central to get to the Mall. We snuck past last time, but it won't happen again. Dupont and it's station are packed, as Sarah tells us, so we're stuck going northwest and east. South isn't an option either as they blocked the path the Behemoth entered the area. Protection against a full scale invasion I assume."

It took a little bit, but they narrowed it down to two ways they could go. "Alright… So either go back through Vernon, or attempt Dupont. Either way we risk an army."

TenTen noticed something, though. A crossed out line going from behind the building to the Dupont Station. "You say Dupont Station wouldn't be filled, right? What if we go through this tunnel? Is it collapsed or something?"

Seeing it, Naruto sighed. "It's a collapsed tunnel, but there's a way through. Last time I checked we COULD go through it to get past everything, but we'd need to go through Dupont totally. Meaning going back the way we came, through the junction, up into Dupont, and possibly facing off a horde to get to the door to the tunnel. Would be better off just going straight to Dupont station when we get in there. At least I think so, unless Junction comes out by the tunnel entrance, which, either way, we're trying to do too much doing that."

The blonde commander of the Pride shook her head. "Whichever way you go, it'll be through Mutants. If you go through Dupont Circle, and it's Station, you will probably see a force coming in from the north. If you go through Junction, you'll find those coming to and from the Mall. Your choices are limited to backtracking and hoping none are coming through, or move forward through Dupont."

Before they could contemplate, Three Dog showed up. "Or, you could take the back door." Seeing everyone turn to him, he smiled. "Sorry, but I did my little skit, figured I would see how your planning was going… Heard something about a tunnel behind the building?"

The brunette Wanderer was hopeful. "Is there a way to get to it?"

Smiling, the Disk Jockey pointed behind him. "Upstairs, there's a door in my studio. It heads down a level or two, and out behind the building. I keep the door locked in case anyone's acrobatic enough to attempt entering. It sneaks right to the outer edges of Dupont Circle and to Metro Junction, and this Tunnel. Say I let you use it, what are your options?"

Seeing their options now, Naruto looked at the map. "Alright… So, if we head into the Junction, we should find ourselves… Same as if going through Dupont, as it heads between Vernon and here. Or, we take the tunnel… If I remember, it attracts Ferals but not many. Not an army like we had back in Museum. Bypassing them, we could… Take a direct route through Central. We went through it briefly getting to Vernon. It connects every station in the general area, so… Heading right through the center? That's a big if… If we have hostile contact, we'll be facing someone, but not many venture there… We could get lucky with about two Ferals and nothing else, or six Ferals and a firing squad of Mutants. It's our best bet heading through there. It's been fourteen hours since we came through from Vernon, who knows how many Mutants are coming through now."

Deciding to make the call, TenTen spoke up. "I say we chance the tunnel… If Three Dog's back door is available."

Smirking, the man himself gave a big nod to everyone. "I'll get the key. Suit up and get ready to go. Oh, and I should mention that the door opens to a drop. You'll have to jump down two floors, one at a time mind you, but you should be able to get down there without much trouble. It's the getting back up that won't happen. One way trip, sweethearts."

Just as they finished planning, they heard a gunfight start outside. Sarah grabbed her helmet and put it on. "Alright, you guys sneak out the back, we'll take care of this and get back to the Citadel… Good luck."

Naruto felt the tension. That wasn't for him, it was for TenTen. Putting his on, he turned to Colvin. "Kick some ass… See you on the other side, Brother."

Shaking the blonde's hand, Colvin nodded. "Same to you. Don't worry, I'll keep my promise." With that he grabbed his rifle and ran out.

After collecting their gear, the duo got up to the studio, where Three Dog said the door was. Going through and down the stairs to another door, Three Dog unlocked the metal security door and opened it. "Get your asses goin', and don't forget to turn on the radio, you hear? Ole Three Dog wants you to know what he thinks of your progress."

Heading out to the ledge, Three Dog locked them back out. Looking around, it was only first light. The dawn was only just breaking. Hopping down, carefully, Naruto lead TenTen down the side of the building and to the street. They passed the bridge and went into the street. Heading through the darkness of night, they noticed some fires in the Circle Plaza, but got to the door against the wall without being spotted. Naruto pointed at the symbol by it. It was a Brotherhood Symbol. "This way to Mall Outpost. They don't use this way anymore, the Circle is too damn dangerous to be moving in."

Heading in, TenTen and Naruto slowly crept through the crawl ways into the tunnel, with many broken and rusted cars, rubble covering their right and the door they need to go through straight ahead. But they were stopped still, as they noticed a large amount of bodies, Feral Ghouls and Mutants alike dead right exactly past the bus…

TenTen had a very bad feeling about this. "Why are they all facing the same way?… They don't look riddles with bullets or melted by lasers..."

Though she didn't know what this signaled, the blonde knew well. "They were taken out by two different rifles. A 308 and a 50… There's only one man I know of capable of this… Hold right here, even if you hear gunshots, don't move from behind this bus..."

The brunette grabbed his hand before he could stalk out. "You expect me to just sit here and wait for someone to blow your head off?"

Naruto held her hand a bit. "I expect you… to trust me. If this is who I think it is, then he won't kill me. He'll fire, but he won't kill me. He's a Ranger, after all." After a moment, he let go, and saw the brunette nod shortly.

Taking a step out into the open, a gunshot was heard, and Naruto stopped dead in his tracks. Turning towards the one who fired, he set his rifle's stock on the ground and put his hand on the end of the barrel. TenTen noticed him signal the marksman by putting two fingers to his face, then a single one to the man. Soon after, a bird whistle sounded, and Naruto turned to TenTen. "It's still early in the morning.. Let's move out after a short rest. Besides, I think it's time for you to meet someone I respect almost as highly as Elder Lyons."

Leading her down the tunnel a bit, TenTen noticed a couple chairs laid out by a fire, but no one nearby. As they got closer to the barrel fire, the man who shot at Naruto stepped out from behind his cover, holding a giant rifle. Coming up to the blonde, he tapped the end of the rifle against the power armor helmet. "Grown up nicely… Didn't expect you to be wearing salvage, not when you're with the Brotherhood…. Or were, is that a cross out?"

Naruto took off his helmet. "Three years cast out, recently my main armor lost a power unit, meaning I have to use this until I can scavenge another unit, repair my current one, or have to trade with the Outcasts."

Sitting in a chair, opening a cooler by it, the man tossed them each a plastic bottle of water. "I brought plenty. And who is this? Reilly's girl?"

TenTen knew Naruto said he was a Ranger, but this was not one of Reilly's… He wore a black trench coat with red blotches on it everywhere, almost like clouds. He wore some kind of body armor that was sectioned by muscle, with jeans that were padded and a helmet with a gas mask, red lenses for eyes. But when she noticed the insignia on his helmet, and the letters, she knew where he hailed. "You're with the NCR?"

The man took stock of her. "Ah, informed… Yes, and no. See, your Ranger buddies are mercenaries, good people don't get me wrong, but they aren't us. NCR Rangers are lone wolves, we stand alone against hordes and armies with a rifle and a mile between us. I'm the only NCR unit in the area, but technically I am not with them anymore. I've been declared KIA. And if I recall… It was blondie here who reported it."

Turning to TenTen, Naruto smiled. "Remember I told you about that NCR guy I knew who went to fight off a horde, and went missing? This is him..." Turning back to his NCR buddy, Naruto scoffed. "And if I recall, you did die… Where did you go again?"

Sitting up, the man took off his helmet. "I went to the Legion Camp sighted nearby. They killed me… But apparently that Mr. house is a fickle bastard. He's pulling strings..." With helmet off, TenTen gasped as the man in front of her, with long black hair, had a giant scar going across his neck more around his eye, which was covered by an eye-patch. The other, however, was bright red with markings on it. "We've not been introduced, have we? My name is Itachi, Itachi Uchiha. And you are?"

Gulping a bit, TenTen gave a small bow. "TenTen… My dad said he doesn't remember his last name, so I was never given one."

Smiling at her, Itachi nodded. "I understand. Come, sit, drink. We have about three hours till the Mutants try to come through here again. What brings you both out here?"

As they sat down, TenTen and Naruto told him exactly their mission, and how dangerous it was. Itachi, for his credit, was calm, collected, and stoic the entire time as he listened intently. The brunette in green could see the stern look on his face, she could tell he was a serious kind of guy. "Who IS this man? And why is his eye so crazy?" She would soon find out…

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Well, there we have it. Not much action or shooting this time around, no sir, but more story and dialogue to go with the situation. As no combat scenario has been played out, TenTen received no experience and thus the level list is not being updated. She is, however, close to another level. So watch for her level list next chapter, because it will be a doozy…

Also, I should say that next chapter another mod from the nexus will be presented, and explained lore-wise how I see fit. And in MUCH later chapters, concerning Power Armor, I will explain the current form of Power Armor where you put it on piece by piece, and the Fallout 4 version of it, where it's a vehicle cockpit style. So hopefully you will enjoy that. I hope you all have a wonderful day, because I know I will. 'Tis my birthday after all!