Chapter 13: Truth is my treasure.
A lone ship orbiting the Yaru's world came back to life as its instruments detected renewed activity on its interior. Air circulators began to purify the atmosphere and lights began to glow its empty halls. The "Seeker of Truth", an old but elegant ship of Treelian design was getting ready for her master's return.
Lightning bolts struck the copper coated room with the engraved words "Nothing shall stop me in my quest, for the truth is the noblest of all causes" on its roof in a circular pattern.
The lightning bolts struck fiercely for a few moments and finally two bodies were projected against the room's walls with a thunderous explosion. Robots came quickly and went straight to aide their master as the other body remained still as smoke rose from it.
It didn't took long for both figures to stir and try to regain their composure as quickly as they could for the first standing had the best chance of winning this bout.
"Seriously, what's wrong with today's youth!" half screamed the mechanical beast as used one of his robots to stand and get his mechanical limbs back to work.
"You tell me old man! Who the hell are you?" replied Naruto as he rose again igniting his gauntlet despite the spasms crossing his body over the electrical shock sustained before.
Naruto managed to see the beast more carefully and saw a man standing in the middle of that technological nightmare. The face was that of the thief Vany though it looked much older and paler than in the picture shown to him, and he held a quizzical look to himself.
"How did you survive that boy? Those lightning bolts should have roasted you alive" said the man in a much more composed tone as apparently he had no intentions of fighting Naruto.
"First class Justicar Naruto Uzumaki! And you are under arrest for plenty of crimes and pissing me off!" barked Naruto as he charged the man with his fully ignited gauntlet; Only to get caught in some sort of stasis field as he stood on top of a blue circle in the middle of the room.
"What the…?" said Naruto as he stood immobile trapped and incapable of setting foot to move. He grew curious as this kind of technology was still experimental on the Federation, as a matter of fact the teleporting device was not even a considered possibility for the Federation for it was accepted that mass teleportation was impossible and within the realm of the gods.
Knowing he no longer had an advantage Naruto stopped attempting to get out of the stasis field and addressed the man, who was now getting out of his mechanical suit but before he could utter his questions the man spoke.
"Michael Alexander Albert Constantine Vany at your service Justicar, though you must know me more commonly as Vany the legendary thief. Seriously there is no respect for anyone anymore" said the man as he got on a floating chair on of his robot attendances brought.
"You probably have a ton of questions but there is little time, your followers are getting ready to blow that fine Feranian installation and I am afraid I can't allow it, at least not yet that is" said the man as his chair began to float away and the device on which Naruto was trapped followed suit.
"And what exactly do you want with that Feranian thing?" asked Naruto worried that this man may know certain things.
"Just another lead towards something greater boy; Should you have allowed me to retrieve it I would be far away from here by now and you would have done whatever you wanted with that place" continued the man as he travelled ahead of Naruto through the polished halls of the ship.
"And what is that exactly?" asked Naruto again.
"Hah! Are you certain you are a Justicar? For you make as many questions as my students did once. My goal is to find the greatest treasure of them all, but sadly it has eluded me for three centuries now" continued the man as they reached the bridge of the ship which had a view of the planet bellow, where both had been just a few moments before.
Vany began to press several buttons and more lights came to life as Naruto was placed on a corner from which he could only observe.
"I'll try to contact your friends and persuade them of delaying their destructive endeavor though I may have to blow them up if they don't heed me" warned Vany as the telecommunication systems of the vessel began to calibrate.
"I have to commend you though boy, without you entering and activating the installation I would have never been able to enter it for its defenses are rather formidable despite being fifty thousand years old. When that young guard caught sight of me, I had been unable to acquire the key to enter and with all those brutes descending on the planet, I didn't wanted to get the poor Yaru involved" said the man sending an amused look to Naruto making him try to get out and crush the man, but the stasis field negated him any movement.
"So I figured that the Federation would send one of its fabled Justicars to do a more proper job; I knew that a true detective would try to figure out my intentions and eventually be led to my target by those foolish Keepers. Though I have to say I am rather impressed, you entered the installation with great ease and even got the place up and running in a thought! Justicars are truly impressive I have to say!" continued the man as he also began to calibrate his weapons as long range targeting devices began to take aim upon the surrounding area of the installation where they had left the truck and probably were unloading explosives.
Naruto knew he had little time to do something before his friends and those two bounty hunters got blown up with orbital strikes, so he needed to give time to Hinata to finish her job. Knowing he was against the ropes he decided to disclose some information to Vany.
"I didn't manage to get the place up and running because I am a Justicar but because that place belongs to me!" screamed Naruto effectively drawing Vany's attention.
"What did you say boy?" said Vany getting close to Naruto who was still floating.
"I said that the whole installation sort of belongs to me since I am a Feranian! You truly believe anyone would start up such a place so fast?" continued Naruto glad that his strategy was working.
"Really now?; Then you wouldn't have much trouble proving it. The Federation is aware of "your" people and has dealings with them, but so far "your" people have been very secretive of their ways, their history and their technology. But as a historian like myself I have found some things that no other eyes in the Federation have seen, and one of those things is a Feranian prayer left behind in a death world on a tomb. Would you be so kind as reciting it for me?" said Vany with an interested but dangerous look.
Naruto knew which prayer he was referring to, and though his mother had forbid him of sharing Feranian culture without her approval he was running out of time.
"Rest easy now brother, proud child of Ferania for your task is done and you go back to her grasslands to hunt and laugh. Your sacrifice brings us joy and tears as we lay your arms by your side and take your armor to shroud us in your courage. The high fathers smile upon you as they set you free, hunt and laugh brother as you wait for us all" recited Naruto with a look o longing to him as if the prayer reminded him of somewhere better.
Vany on his side smiled broadly as if all his prayers have been answered in a single moment, even tears threatened to leave his eyes. Soon enough a very joyous laugh came from his old frame and filled the rather empty vessel with some much needed life.
Naruto just wondered what the hell was wrong with the man; he had expected him to be cowering in fear of having one of the genocidal warriors of old in front of him.
"Boy! I mean, lord Naruto so you truly are a Feranian! I have been wanting to meet your people for so long, I can barely believe I would find one in such a way! I can't express my gratitude to the fates! I knew my quest was worthy!" shouted Vany amidst laughs of joy.
By bow Naruto was beyond freaked out, just what the hell is this guy thinking.
Seeing the confused expression on Naruto's face, Vany coughed while trying to calm down "I am so sorry lord Naruto, it's only that emotion overwhelmed me. I haven't been this excited since when I started my quest! I am so sorry for the rough treatment but my quest have led me through a path in which ruthlessness was quite an effective tool"
Growing confused and somewhat glad that this man found him so interesting he said "And what exactly is this quest of yours? Why spend three centuries of your life on it?"
"Ah! because it's the most worthy cause of them all! The answer! The absolute truth about everything that this galaxy is and why it is! Three centuries ago I was a renowned historian of the Federation at its academy, already in my first hundred years of life I felt myself quite accomplished as I had an extensive knowledge of history of nearly every sentient species in the Federation and was constantly sought out by scholars of other worlds, no man could ask for more!" said the man joyously remembering the past.
"Then the Uchiha began their hateful war of sundering, which was a brief but devastating conflict. A conflict which I predicted since Uchiha history indicated so, though I was taken by an alarmist back at the time. I still remember the looks of regret of those fools who refused to listen; I was elevated to the position of advisor of the first Magisters you know?" continued Vany as apparently it has been long years since he last spoke to another in such confidence.
"But I am getting astray; the thing is that during the reconstruction efforts I volunteered to help preserve historical artifacts and other treasures from planets ravaged by the war. And among the vast collection of articles and the excavations made to clear huge explosion made by orbital strikes I started to notice fundamental similarities that very few would have noticed, and at last Feranian objects were unearthed in one of the most punished worlds" continued Vany while showing Naruto his pendant which was a small luck amulet worn by front line warriors, by Naruto's estimate and handiwork, it was made by a child with Feranian carving tools.
"Many just said that it was part of an ancient local civilization but I knew better and so I began to search for similar items among the destruction of the war, and I found many, buried deep and in very difficult places! But my conclusive evidence came when I found the tomb I mentioned; intact and perfectly preserved, bones and dust was all I found but the scriptures, the materials and the decorations indicated that an alien species had travelled to that world and left behind one of their own" said Vany while moving his chair from one place to another.
"I tried to present my evidence and theories but rival historians had risen to higher positions while I obsessed over my lengthy investigation. In the end I was dismissed as nothing more than a lunatic trying to make a comeback after a delusional period. But I knew I was right so for a time my quest was to prove it beyond any doubt" continued Vany as he searched in his database for a file.
"But my quest changed once I found a second Feranian tomb, a much larger one and highly ornate! But the truly intriguing part was the cloth hanging upon the bones of the departed" said Vany as he showed the picture of a cloth with pictures finely sewn on it.
The pictures depicted winged creatures giving light to humble looking humanoid creatures.
Naruto recognized the picture and involuntarily he said "High Fathers…"
"Exactly! That brought me a new theory, a much crazier one but a very believable! Given the surrounding facts of the galaxy that is" continued Vany as he displayed several new pictures of his own creation.
"The galaxy we inhabit today is a very strange place where most of its sentient species are of humanoid design, and not only that of very similar construct to each other, so similar in fact that through simple genetic manipulation one can have children with another without much problem. Many researchers have attributed this unique event to life being planted by space debris of organic matter coming from a different world" explained Vany changing pictures in front of Naruto at a pace he couldn't comprehend.
"But this theory is rather weak since the number of worlds with humanoid life is beyond the possibility of a single world of organic matter. Not to mention that many cultures evolved at similar rates, as if their history began at the same time or close to each other. Distances and locations make this impossible to sustain not to mention that most worlds can sustain different life forms not caring about the origin!" continued Vany at an increasing pace.
"Religion is more accurate on this matter than science will ever be! The worlds are all so conveniently placed in perfect locations where humanoid life can evolve and thrive rather easily and each world can sustain foreign populations of other humanoids! Coincidence? Not a chance I say! Statistics prove me right at every turn of my quest!" vehemently continued Vany.
"What are you talking about? What's the big deal with the galaxy being full of humanoids, isn't that cool or something?" asked Naruto getting annoyed as he couldn't keep up with the demented historian.
"Cool? It's fantastic! For my quest proves me right again when I consider the alien species of the Yordan veil…Ancient and highly advanced species of creatures that for some reason despise humanoid life forms beyond the few conflicts the Federation has waged against them. With their level of advancement they should have conquered us a long time ago, besides there is documented evidence that some worlds used to belong to them. It's almost as if they were pushed into the Yordan veil by force" said Vany earning Naruto's attention with that last piece of information.
"Then one of the final pieces of the puzzle, the Feranians; a myth during my long centuries of searching and just a few decades ago proven not only real but alive! Feranians are in my opinion the first elevated humanoid species of them all! Humanity was barely starting to master its lands when the Feranians first took to space! But for what purpose? You may claim simply that it was war but it was much more than that boy, your species was chosen and perfected beyond the measure of anything possible today! Armed and sent to wage war against the horrors of the galaxy" said Vany proud of himself as the pictures enthralled Naruto.
"The war of the High Fathers…"whispered Naruto.
"Yes, their war… But against who? A horror so great and numerous that not even a race capable of seeding life could defeat. And this is as long as I go Naruto, who are the High Fathers? What was that horror? And why did your species suddenly collapsed into decay? As you can see my quest is far from being over and many questions remain unanswered" finished saying Vany to an exhaust looking Naruto.
"Is this why you steal?" asked Naruto trying to keep Vany's attention to himself.
"My quest goes to the very heart of our purpose in life, goes to answer why do we exist? The ultimate truth that leaves everyone else in second place! What I have been stealing with so much effort are the secrets many great men and women across the Galaxy have kept hidden fearing their power and the sundering impact it would have on lesser ones! That's why I keep them to myself, to guide me down the ultimate path and perhaps someday share what I learn with everyone, I am certain these great men and women I have taken from will forgive me if I succeed" concluded Vany.
"To be honest I don't get much of what you said, my people are warriors foremost! But my mother once told me that the High Father's left for a reason no mortal is supposed to learn. You are a wanted criminal and my job is to get you" said Naruto focusing trying to get his psionic aura to ignite.
"But young Feranian, didn't the High Fathers abandon your kind in the first place? Don't you want to know why? Isn't your species suffering a long agony as their hearts rage with fire and unable to find peace? The High Father's may hold the answer to save them…" said Vany making Naruto's eyes grow wide.
"How?..." asked a dumbstruck Naruto.
"I am a seeker of secrets; I managed to acquire a large number of them from many sources within the Federation. The federation desperately wants a way to get your technology because they know that your species is doomed, they seek weaknesses with which to bring you to your knees and make you yield your power. Others seek the perfection you have been granted so they can escape death a bit longer. Justicar you claim to serve the Federation but every medical checkup they do, every test, every mission is just another test to see just how far they have to go in order to get what they want…" continued Vany clearly being cleverer than Naruto.
"Lies!" screamed Naruto not wanting to believe Vany's words.
"Don't ever accuse me of lying Justicar! My whole life is about the search of truth no matter how painful it is! In your prayers you wish the High Fathers return to restore your people but they don't listen! I am searching for them beyond my soul, in a way I want to save your species!" screamed Vany.
Naruto casted his head down not wanting to believe but he knew how hard it was for his people to contain the rage and move forward, his people lifted prayers to the High Fathers in hope of being restored or forgiven of their sins.
"Are you close?" asked Naruto
"Sadly no Naruto, their whereabouts still elude me as all the evidence I have on them comes from your species and no one else. Your species was the last to see them in flesh and bone, I believe that installation your friends are trying to destroy was still from when the High Fathers still guided you in your wars. I needed to extract information from that hub in order to get to the next lead" said Vany giving a reassuring smile to the crestfallen Feranian.
"Get me a communicator…" said Naruto.
xoxoxoxo xoxoxoxo xoxoxoxo xoxoxoxo xoxoxoxo xoxoxoxo xoxoxoxo xoxoxoxo xoxoxoxo
Hinata and the rest of the group had already exited the installation and were unloading the explosives they carried on the Truck and setting them to move them into the platform. Tayuya was still unconscious as the shock of Naruto's sudden disappearance was probably too much to bear for the troubled pilot.
Hinata couldn't allow herself to pity Tayuya as she had to battle her own despair to carry on his last command. She hoped that somehow he had survived but after all those lightning bolts struck him and then he disappeared with the damaged mechanical beast, such a possibility was slim.
Still he had given one last order and she would carry it before allowing herself to join Tayuya in despair.
Kiba and Shino were obeying Hinata's commands without complain, they had never been the best friends with Naruto but he was a former classmate and a fun one to be with. They had come hoping to steal Vany's target from him since they knew that capturing the man would prove to be close to impossible so the next best thing would give them a lot of money altogether.
But Naruto's display of courage and selfless sacrifice stirred their hearts and reminded them the duty they foresworn and Naruto followed despite his shortcomings. This last act of loyalty would help them be at peace with themselves before continuing their unfruitful lives as fortune hunters.
Just as Hinata prepared the detonator the comm system in her earplug came to life.
"Hin…ta, nata, Hinata this is Naruto, are you picking up?" said Naruto through the comm link.
Hinata yelped really hard as she dropped to her knees drawing Kiba and Shino's attention as they thought that the loss finally caught up to her.
But when she stood up and jumped on top of the truck they realized that she was communicating with someone.
"Naruto? Where are you? Are you alright? What happened with the mechanical creature!" asked a relieved Hinata as tears of joy dropped from her face.
"I got teleported to a faraway hill some miles from your position and was out of range, I should be there by day break. Cancel the destruction of the installation and standby" said Naruto sounding not entirely certain.
"Understood, what of Vany?" asked Hinata.
"We thrashed around for a while but the bastard teleported away, we will shut down the installation and alert the locals. Vany is gone…" replied Naruto.
"But someone like him and that technology could very well allow him to try his hand again!" said Hinata trying not to alert the other two.
"I'll explain when I get there" finished saying Naruto as he cut the communications link.
In orbit…
"Thank you Naruto, I promise to you that I'll rely whatever I find to you" said a grateful Naruto as he calibrated the teleporter on the ship.
"How can I trust a thief?" asked a still hesitant Naruto about the deal he just made.
"I am not a thief but a truly dedicated Historian; no wall will stop me in my endeavor. Besides if my theory is right then helping your people will get me closer to the High Fathers. Go in peace Justicar and know that my work has a purpose, I feel it in this old augmented bones of mine" replied an smiling Vany making Naruto feel somewhat more relieved.
Looking more relaxed Naruto talked again "So all I need to do is plug this thing and it will send all the data back to your ship?"
"Yes, once it's done it will self-destruct and disappear so have no worries of me erasing something or damaging the machine. As a historian I would never forgive myself for destroying such a marvelous thing" replied Vany making the final adjustments.
"One last question though. Where did you got this stuff? it's only available on Feranian warships" asked Naruto as the lightning bolts began to strike the room.
"Vestiges of an ancient fight got the machine and took me a hundred years getting it back to work along with the back pack! Good fortune Justicar and may our paths cross again as friends under the High Father's gaze!" screamed back Vany as Naruto disappeared from his sight.
Vany rested back from all the excitement as his body could barely keep him going anymore "Guess I am running out of time…"
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It didn't took long for Naruto to reach his companions and be tackled by Tayuya who punched him several times and made him promise to never disappear like that again.
Kiba and Shino patted him and confessed their intentions feeling ashamed and promised to somehow make it up to him and his retinue.
Finally Hinata came close to him and smiling caressed his face and sweetly told him to have a more level headed approach to dangerous criminals.
All of this affection almost made Naruto spill the beans about his deal with Vany but the fate of his people was far more important and so he fulfilled the end of his bargain and proceeded to shut down the installation.
Naruto explained that as long as the place remained shut down, the ancient defenses would stop any attempts to teleport into it and with a significant force guarding the area he wouldn't dare to come back.
Later on every bounty hunter on the planet wailed in frustration when the Federation announced that a small Treelian vessel managed to break the blockade with unique maneuvers and escape the sector into an unknown location.
Their adventure was over and the hunt would have to wait
Going back to their ship Hinata couldn't help but notice that Naruto's steps seemed heavier than before.
AN: Done again!
I was on a roll with this small arc!
Figured you would like to see a small glimpse of the story's grand back story and a lot of lore about this world.
Feel free to make questions or suggestions about it.
The next arc will be introducing the Uchiha pact to the mix so be ready, for the time being I will focus on the Wandering Sage for a while so don't expect another update in a while.
Read, Enjoy and Review.