AN: I don't own Naruto/Star Wars: Legends


4:9:11


The two squared off against each other, staring the other down impassively. Each expanded their presence in the Force, watching and observing the other impassively, a clear impasse between them as each tried to see what the other would do. Between them, Aayla Secura was pinned; a bystander in a battle between two storms of violence.

"So, you present yourself as a Jedi, but think yourself to throw Force lightning upon me." Volfe's smirk pulled back into a cross between that and a snarl. "Only one who has allied with the dark side should be able to call upon such power. Have you crossed that line, pitiful Jedi?"

"Yes." Naruto was resolute, his eyes never wavering from Volfe.

Volfe snorted at Naruto brazen brashness, appraising him slowly. "Foolishness then. You use it, are but a novice in such power. I am a master."

"I've hurt myself with stronger lightning than what you threw at me."

The tension spiked, Volfe's lips curling further into the snarl upon his face, with Naruto's face slowly curling into one of his own. Like two ravenous hounds, ready to strike, but waiting to see who would make the first move, and who would make the first fatal mistake. Like shadows, forms almost seemed to bound off their shadows, biting and snarling before the first blow of the true battle began.

Volfe was first to act, sneering and slamming a hand down against the ground as a number of bracelets slapped together against the back of his hand. As soon as he had, Naruto moved forwards in a rush to intercept, but was forced to reach out through the Force, straining as every item in the room began flying around him. Most spun violently as though to move so quickly they might run him over, or grind through him through momentum alone. With each one, Naruto was forced to keep his position or get bombarded by the many items. It reset the impasse, as was quickly realized when Volfe attempted to step closer, only to nearly lose the items as several were yanked from his grasp and returned towards him, intercepted by the swift strikes of his lightsaber to split them in twain.

Internally, Aayla flinched in recognition and horror as the scene began unfolding before her. Volfe had described each of the bracelets to her in detail, showing her as he'd forged them in a manner not unlike when he'd forged the blood guardian; with words of a tongue unheard of, and motions of his hands she could barely remember. They were items that, according to him, the Sith had once used to inspire the Force to grant them greater powers, to hide it from their enemies, and to multiply their own connection to it. The fact he'd had enough time to do so meant that he was even stronger than he seemed, with other enchantments to ensure that he had as many forms of offensive and defensive Sith magics to face down any foe. Ways to unexpectedly overwhelm someone like herself, or Naruto, in an instant.

"You have strength in the Force." Volfe said after a moment of the items still moving about, trying to force them to bear down on him with all the vicious intent he desired Naruto to feel. "But you are no match for the power of the dark side."

"Clearly you haven't met me."

Naruto breathed out, then leapt into the air, letting the items come crashing together. Volfe moved to force the items to give chase, only to watch as Naruto used their momentum to throw the items into the floor and away from himself. Landing swiftly, his eyes snapped up to Volfe's, before he reached out through the Force.

Volfe prepared for a retort, expecting Naruto to begin hurling back, or striking out in some way as he'd done before. Instead, he watched as Aayla was slid to the side, out of the way and safe from their range. With his eyes moving back to Naruto, a wicked grin curled across his face. "... you are too soft. Already, you reveal your weakness. Truly you are a Jedi, soft, weak, and you will quickly find her death will drag you to the dark side fully."

"And you're arrogant to think I'll let you."

"Ah," Volfe held up his hand, fingers curling slowly until they were interweaving with each other. As he stared at it, he slowly smirked, his mouth forming words in the Sith language, the air warping in his hands, before snapping it towards Aayla.

Surprisingly, Volfe did not see Naruto move to intercept Aayla and his blast. One second, he was standing atop what had been sent to crush him. The next he was in front of Aayla, an entire chunk of the ground ripping up in front of them with a grunt of exertion, catching the blast of disintegrating dark energy.

"Impressive." Volfe stared, then suddenly seemed to fade from existence, no longer in front of them. His voice seemed to come from everywhere, his presence in the Force masked completely. "But not nearly good enough."

Aayla shifted, trying to stand up as she felt a chill run up her spin, her body and mind feeling entirely too exposed. She was a hazard, a danger that should not be here, causing so much trouble; yet, if she tried to flee, she would surely be cut down. Naruto could not focus on fighting Volfe and protecting her at the same time with arsenal Volfe could utilize, and Volfe had full confidence in that advantage. He had no compunction about killing her to get to Naruto, and making an example to drag him down. The realization hitting her like a brutal blow to the face. She meant nothing to Volfe, a man who has made her believe that he was everything and would make her what she had thought she wanted to be.

Naruto however, had not moved, and she sensed within him resolve. Despite the danger, and the combat they'd had just moments before, he saw her as worth protecting. Now he stood over her, resolute, defending her from an unseen enemy who she couldn't even sense through the Force. Surely neither of them could, and one of them would die, struck down before the other for his amusement.

As she stood, she shivered as a sudden chill ran up her spine, a feeling of sudden dread as she almost buckled back onto her knees. Such a presence, even though unseen, suddenly made her wish to vomit, for death, for something to remove herself from it. Had she her hands on her lightsaber, part of her worried that she might have turned it upon herself. It was madness, maddening, and part of her wished to sob out to whatever deity existed to push it away.

Naruto through it all was calm, his eyes seeming to be unfocused, flickering different colors in brief instants - perhaps just a trick of the light, looking for Volfe. Volfe, invisible, even so far as both eyes and his presence in the Force was concerned. However, something in Naruto's stance was resolute, calm, and slowly, he turned his head and stared off to a corner, moving slowly as though following something that Aayla couldn't begin to see, no matter how she tried to follow his gaze.

"... no? Waiting for me to look away? Don't worry, I'm not nearly as hesitant as you are."

Whipping out the blaster from its holster, Naruto opened fire, blasting into the shadows. There was an instant where he fired at seemingly nothing, then the red blade of Volfe's lightsaber whirled into existence before their eyes, blocking and reflecting them away as he moved around to try and reflect them back at Aayla. Each shot that was reflected in such a way was shot out of the air by Naruto, preventing any from reaching either of them just as instantly as they had been fired.

"... so, you have some small skill, I can give you that much." Volfe slowly nodded his head, once Naruto had finished firing upon him, staring at him with a growing curiosity. He had hidden himself completely, so fully that even Jedi Masters - many decades older than this child - could not sense him. And then he had turned, stared, then fired near directly upon him. "And yet you choose to remain with the Jedi, despite your obvious talents. I know now that you have some capability, some potential. Perhaps, if you were wise, you'd instead fall under my ranks. Join with us, rather than face us like this."

Reaching out through the Force, Volfe attempted to slip into Naruto's mind. His defenses should be near exactly like all Jedi had built against Anzati before him; a simple thing to bypass, once you'd learnt and understood how they were made. As he began to navigate them, his words dripping with honey and an honesty that was more venomous than the Jedi had experienced before, he slowly felt his hand press against something in his mind. Hard, like bone, with piercing red eyes that flickered behind Naruto's own, and a wicked grin behind a skull mask that gripped his presence in the Force and violently repelled it. So, he had more tricks up his sleeve...

"I have no reason to do so." Naruto answered him, bringing Volfe back to the moment. There were other ways to convince this child to concede, though he now doubted it. He was simply too stubborn to bend knee.

"The safety of your friend's life, and true growth in the Force."

"Don't need you for that."

"On the contrary, I think you'll find that you will need it more than ever."

Volfe opened his hand, faint black marks across it from the blast before where it had singed off some of his skin in the blast visible for just a second before he unleashed another blast their way. Spinning on his heels, Naruto grabbed Aayla and vanished from in front of the blast, simply disappearing from sight before reappearing off to the side while his blast blew apart a section the wall near where they'd been just a moment before. Flicking his wrist, his smirk grew as he caught Naruto and Aayla off balanced, slamming them both into the wall violently with a more simple Force push.

"You have only moments to waste, and you chose to spend them fighting. Brave, but foolish." Volfe slowly approached them, sensing the boy was no longer awake, his smirk never fading as his proboscis-tendrils began to slowly slip from their hiding place on his face, the scent of "soup" that was fresh, and strong tantalizing him as he licked his lips in anticipation.

Aayla grimaced at the strike, feeling herself slowly roll over and trying to refocus after the blow. Holding her head, she idly noted that Naruto still wasn't moving. Had he been knocked cold? That was a bad sign. Moving to reach him, she froze when she noted that Volfe was standing over them.

"You were my queen, little Jedi." He sighed softly, reaching down to grab her face in his hands, the tendrils snaking towards her face. "Now, you will become part of me in the Force."

She couldn't move, her mind completely blank as she tried to think but nothing happened. He'd slipped past her barriers, immobilized her, made her completely immobile, and willing to submit. Part of her screamed, sobbed, begged for someone to help her. The end was before her, in the eyes of a man who had called her his own.

As the tendrils caressed her face, as though to memorize it one last time, Volfe suddenly paused. A brief instant, a window of warning that made him pause. He dropped her face, lurching back as quickly as he could, though not fast enough. A howl echoed through the area as the short orange blade of Naruto's lightsaber seared through one of his tendrils, sending it flying away while Volfe leapt back to prevent further counterattack.

"You used her as bait. Commendable! But not good enough."

"I didn't use her as bait..." Naruto groaned, gasping softly as he tried to steady himself, eyes unfocused as he slowly picked himself back up. Gritting his teeth, he slowly refocused eyes that seemed to flicker between multiple colors before returning to their natural blue. "I blacked out, then came back when I realized I wasn't conscious."

"Lies will only humor me for so long, and honesty will win you no favors boy."

Naruto gripped his head, slowly shifting some of the Force around him to stave off the pain that he'd suffered from the strike. "I don't care about your favor. All I care about right now is stopping you from hurting people. Besides, you're blowing so much smoke, I can hardly tell if you're boasting or being petty."

"Then you council members did a poor job of remembering me. Instead, they feared me, my fall, and what it took to take me down." He placed a hand against his stub, exhaling slowly as he glanced to Naruto. "If you think yourself so grand, know that it took the Jedi Council of my time, and that most died just to hold me back. What do you think you can do against me?"

Silence filled the the room, and for a moment Volfe thought he'd won the boy over. After all, hearing something like that, even in boast, should give someone a pause. Instead, he watched as Naruto raised his hand and called over Aayla's lightsaber, letting it's blue glow and his own short orange glow illuminate his face as he held both of them in a standard Form VI starting stance.

"Guess I'll only have one way to find out."

[=-x-=]

Outside, the hallway was peppered with the sound of automatic blaster fire, and the sounds of Anzati who either stumbled into others from glancing blows, or fell completely, blocking the way for others. It was hardly a fight in many ways, with the way that they held their ground, watching many of the Anzati beginning to quickly learn that the attempt to move into the hallway was a death threat.

"Brutal, if effective." Master Saa slowly mulled over what she was watching, quickly noting how well it was working to keep them from being overwhelmed.

"Better effective than dead. We don't have time to let them get that close." Aurra retorted, taking the short lull in the assault to check her weapon before reloading it to be sure she didn't run out too soon.

The blaster fire had not been the Jedi's first idea, seeing how neither had one. However, Aurra was all to happy to remind them that despite their many years, she held an advantage over them in her versatility, and equipment. She knew a few could possibly absorb blaster bolts, but those were from people who were trying to fire one at a time. Automatic blaster fire was a whole different level for those unprepared, and those that tried it to get close wouldn't last long against the two Jedi masters without being cut down for attempting to do so with such small numbers.

It was mildly humbling to remember that, while not the elegance of the Jedi, the galaxy still had ways around situations that were effective, and efficient, despite their brutality. Even then, there was likely a mild necessity for this brutality against such foes who would hold nothing back should they fall upon them.

"This is not a fight that we normally would be forced to take part of." Zao said, still holding his staff nearby, the hum of his blue lightsaber pulsing from the tip filling the hall as he kept it ready. "We are meant to be peacekeepers, but times of combat do find us. Those who see blasters see them as tools for a singular purpose. A lightsaber is a symbol of possibilities, and for many that in turn means hope."

Aurra slowly groaned, trying not to rub her temples. Naruto had left her with two Jedi Masters who were all to eager to try and lecture her on her life choices and what she was doing right or wrong, and it was frustrating. She'd have preferred going to face another of these Dark Jedi who could potentially kick her ass than listen to this the entire time.

Thinking back on that, Aurra found herself internally scowling. The mention of it all had brought her mind slowly back towards Komari Vosa. That had been a fight she had not been winning, and had needed Naruto to help save her from. Save, assist, she didn't care. He'd come for her, and kept Komari from overwhelming and destroying her entirely, in the instant that her senses had said she had failed otherwise.

Reaching out through the Force, she paused when she felt a brief moment where Naruto's presence seemed to flicker out. Chewing on her lip, she pushed her presence out, sensing him down, and gave him her strongest mental shake. "Come on Naruto... get your ass up."

"You worry about him." Master Saa said, shifting next to her to view her with that same curious look she'd given time and again.

It wasn't any of the Jedi's business, but then, these two had come this far with them, and hadn't said anything she didn't agree with yet. "... yes."

T'ra Saa shifted, fingers gently brushing against her chin thoughtfully. "... I think I understand."

That got Aurra's attention, eyes blinking rapidly as she processed that. "I'm, sorry? You understand what?"

"The one who watched over this sector before I offered to allow him to work with his padawan. We were close friends. Very close." T'ra smiled fondly, leaning against the wall with a gentle sigh. "I feel he will one day return, and we will speak more then, but that will be for that time, not now."

"... you do get it."

Aurra slowly sat down, seeing no more Anzati were coming yet, and stared up at her. Idly, she wondered how old the Jedi truly was. Her appearance was that of a young woman, with perhaps just the briefest appearances of someone wiser than they let on. The Neti were said to be a race that lived a long time, but how long was a thing of debate, question, and curiosity. Her youthful appearance said 'young', but that meant nothing by the years. Was she decades older than Aurra? Centuries?

"It is not a thing the Jedi put down lightly, the feeling of love." She brushed her hand gently through the air, as though viewing someone before her that brought a smile to her face; her friend most likely. "It is the fact that, with love, there is a lure of the dark side that comes with it. Jealousy towards others who desire that same love, hatred of those who would do them harm, and many other such feelings that come from such a close and powerful bond. The dark side feeds off such feelings, wishing for those like us to feed into them, to use them and to harm those around us. Even the ones we love are not exempt from that at times."

"Isn't that, the point of a relationship?" Aurra shifted, waving her hand as she went on, trying to give a mild visual demonstration of what she was saying. It didn't much make sense, but then this was not something she was used to doing either. "Sometimes you get hurt, but that's because you aren't meant to be with them, or one of you isn't willing to work things out. A good relationship is communication, and whatever comes with that. Like your whole, peacekeeping thing. If you can't learn to love someone close and communicate with them, how can you be galactic councilors? Seriously. You all talk about how you bring peace to the galaxy at large, but most of you don't act like you understand what a simple home discourse can be like. Well, maybe not all of you, but enough of you act like it to make people believe it."

"We have our issues with each other. We're a large family, a people in and of ourselves."

"One that says you shouldn't have connections like that."

Zao barked a laugh at that, shaking lightly as Master Saa glanced to him. "That is an outside perspective, but one I've not heard so brazenly spoken. I enjoy hearing people who speak from their heart. You are, more balanced than most. Perhaps you have a thought on what the Jedi should do then? Hm?"

"I..." Aurra squinted, glaring down Zao. He seemed so genuine, so honest. There was nothing he'd done to make her think he was anything otherwise, yet she still felt like he was trying to coax out some Jedi in her; like this was some form of test that was placed before her invisibly to any save him. "... I would say that you should start by not making it so that it's so tight and stuffy. You deal with kids like that, and you'll just end up with a bunch of liars and people better at hiding their intentions from you than you are at knowing what's going on. And don't say I'm wrong. You keep having this damn problem of Dark Jedi, and where do you think it comes from? You have such strict rules, and then punish them and don't teach them how to deal with their feelings, so they have to learn for themselves, or from any number of people in the wide galaxy who will give them a moment to slip up. And not everyone they learn from is going to have their best interests in mind."

The two nodded slowly, and Aurra felt a moment of catharsis. She had gotten that off her chest from years of thinking about it, discussing it with herself, again and again... and they were listening. Slowly, Aurra found herself slowly lifting herself up, chin lifting as she took a deep breath. They were listening.

"And how would you go about such then?" Saa asked, curling her fingers around her chin curiously.

Aurra paused. She'd thought that far before, right? Of course, she had to have. Racking her brain, she slowly dredged up old conversations she'd had with herself. "... teach them how to deal with jealousy. Tell them that fear isn't real, but that it's their immediate reaction to danger. Let them feel. Let them be. They're just... they're..." She slowly locked eyes with Master Saa again, exhaling slowly. "The Jedi are so high and mighty to the galaxy. They need to be seen as people. They're people... who feel, and hurt... let them be that."

"That is dangerous." Zao intoned softly, running his thumb across his lightsaber slowly. "There are no emotions, there is peace... that is part of the Jedi code, a way of life that we use to be better than we could be."

"Yeah, that too." Aurra jabbed a finger at Zao, her face curling into a frown rapidly. "That code. What in the burning rings of Fornax is that supposed to even mean? Have you lived? Then you know that there are more emotions than peace. There's happiness, sadness, hunger, anger, conflict... peace is just one of the spectrum of emotions we all feel. The galaxy isn't a void, and the Force may not be a member of the Galactic Republic, but it's sure a living part of it. You think it doesn't feel?"

"It is an impartial part of the galaxy. It lives, but... hm..." Zao seemed to consider that for a moment, tapping the bottom of his staff against the stone. "I, suppose that when it sends us to where we must be, that could be concern. Perhaps even worry? Ah, the philosophy of the Force is always something that goes so deep. This will be something to enjoy more while we travel back."

"I..." Aurra blinked, realizing that she had been given the equivalent of a Jedi 'well done', and smiled. Then, noting that he had shifted back to the entrance, groaned and stood up. "There's more coming?"

"Yes."

"Alright." Aiming down the choke point, she slowly steadied herself. "Let's let 'em have it."

[=-x-=]

Naruto stopped focusing on Volfe's presence in the Force the moment he realized that the man was a powerhouse in the Force that he couldn't sense. Moving between lightsaber blows, he instead shifted his attention, focusing on something he'd long since begun utilizing back on Abajji; the ability to sense intent. It was far from perfect, and far from the best option that he had, but it had gotten him out of more than a few scraps then, and had kept him from having someone sneak up behind him and end his life through simple subterfuge.

Now, locked in combat with the Dark Jedi, Naruto found himself locked in an impasse. This man was a skilled duelist, and despite what had been said about him being imprisoned for a thousand or so years, the stasis field had clearly suspended him in such a way that he was still more than strong enough to fight Naruto as though still in his prime. While he might have had some time to regain his strength, what he had was strong enough to keep up and in some ways force Naruto to push himself harder than he'd felt in a long time; he was dangerous, and Naruto had to treat him as the threat he was.

Unlike Maul, Volfe was trained by the Jedi for many years, perhaps decades, and knew the ins and outs of the Jedi's fighting styles. Worse in some ways, was that he was keeping Naruto from pressing any advantage by the way he rapidly moved between his lightsaber forms to keep Naruto as much on his toes as Naruto did his best to do the same. It was more of an even match than Naruto would've considered, or liked to think.

Growling, Naruto summoned clones, having them rapidly form pulsing weapons of Force Lighting to begin bombarding him. Once more, Volfe simply smirked, and kept up, each blow that might've been otherwise in his favor was deflected, keeping them from connecting.

"Did you not hear me boy?" Volfe taunted, spinning the blade to a reverse grip, grinning wickedly. "I fought multiple Jedi Council members. You think this little trick will save you? Then you are underestimating me, and overestimating yourself!'

With a whirl, he threw the clones off of him, the Force pulsing from his feet, throwing them all into a ring around him. His other hand snapped out, Force lightning catching one in the chest and throwing them back and dispersing them back into the Force. Moving rapidly, he was a blur in their vision as he raced up to another, slamming his blade through them, watching as they too vanished away.

"Foolish illusions. You still know so little." Turning, Volfe began splitting, now a number of himself standing beside him. "You try to hold a numbers advantage, but don't even begin to comprehend how little you yet can handle. Now I will force you to see your weakness!"

Naruto blinked, staring at the illusions. Part of him said that the illusions were just as real as his own clones, but he wasn't looking at Volfe himself through the Force. His eyes deceived him, but the Force still gave him a peak behind this illusionary curtain.

Only one of them had the vile intent to do him and Aayla harm.

Shifting and gritting his teeth, he waited to see where Volfe turned his attentions to. He'd spoken of doing harm to Aayla to get to him, but once Naruto had begun to face him, he'd focused entirely on Naruto. That was good. Keeping his attentions on Naruto meant he wouldn't take advantage of Naruto's weakness. Naruto himself didn't see it as such, but he wasn't so foolish as to think that Volfe didn't have a point. With Aayla there, he was only able to fight Volfe with one arm behind his back, making sure that Volfe didn't suddenly move to cut down Aayla while he was distracted.

It was like playing dejarik, and finding himself doing everything he could to avoid getting into a fork; a position where Volfe could threaten two thing, and make it so if Naruto made one choice, he'd still lose something. Naruto hadn't been the best player of the game, but he'd learnt to utilize that dislike of getting into such a position during the war that he had gotten rather good at that much.

Aayla was Volfe's attempt at a fork. If Naruto failed to strike him down, then Aayla's life was continually in danger. If he slipped up, he would take her life. Closing his eyes, Naruto shifted his stance, recalling the words from Mace those many months before.

Focus.

"You think yourself so high and mighty." Volfe's voice cut through, forcing Naruto to open his eyes to stare at him. "And for what? One young Jedi? The galaxy will not care. They will cut you down like they did with me the moment they think you are a threat. So go on. Try. Tell me why what you are doing will be any better than what I have done."

Naruto paused, staring at him. Had he asked this a month before, Naruto wasn't sure he'd have known the answer. He'd have floundered, been flat-footed, and likely he'd be dead. The reason wasn't so simple, but it was more so than he'd thought once he put his mind to it. Now, hearing Volfe say that, Naruto slowly grit his teeth.

"... hey."

"... oh?"

Naruto could feel the darkness within himself, still floating, waiting for him, just within reach. Watching. Waiting. Wondering. It was a mirror of himself, a danger to himself, and now he thought he could see what he hadn't seen all the times he'd fought and struggled against him before. It was him. And that made him potentially the most dangerous enemy to himself, as well as to any who faced him.

"I need your help."

There was silence. It was him, and part of him wondered if he resented accepting help. He might, but he also had learnt some wisdom to release that feeling, and to accept it. Now, he asked himself for help... and what would happen? Thinking about it, Naruto slowly glanced to Aayla, thought about the two Masters who were fighting to keep them from being overwhelmed up top, and Aurra...

"I can't do this alone."

"... no. You can't."

A spark crossed Naruto's face, the smile deepening, his eyes seeming to pulse with a faint glow. In his mind, Naruto reached out to himself, waiting patiently. Then, feeling his own impatience, he snapped into an offensive Vaapad stance, and felt his hands internally clasped together. They merged, and were he to reflect his feelings, the mask of the Red Lord would be in place, staring down this fool who thought to stand against a man who had fought in a war that had rip him, and itself apart. Had Volfe experienced the same? It no longer mattered; he had made his choice to stand against him, unrepentant of the darkness he'd caused, and now Naruto was the only one who could make him pay. The Red Lord would make him pay.

For the first time, he felt whole in the Force, and his eyes pulsed with a golden energy like a halo around his irises.

"You want to know why? Because sometimes, no one else will do the right thing, and someone has to. And I'm done with waiting for someone else to do it. I'll do it myself!"

The room pulsed with the Force, pieces of stone lifted near his feet a heartbeat before he raced forwards. His clones raced alongside him, and he engaged Volfe in combat again; clones colliding with each other, Jedi Knight to Dark Jedi.

Immediately there was a sense and feeling that had shifted in the fight. Using the mindset of Vaapad, and shifting his stance, Naruto felt Volfe's darkness, his anger, his amusement, his frustration, and drew it in. Accepting it wasn't easy, but it wasn't his darkness. He didn't have to hold onto it. But what he could do was turn it, grind it against his own darkness, press them together until there was nothing left but a sliver, so thin and wicked sharp that he could then use to cut down and cut through his enemy before him.

Volfe seemed to notice the shift, and began to utilize something else. Vaapad? No, Mace had formed and created it from fragments. That would imply that he was likely using the original form of Vaapad; Juyo. Or at least, mimicking the same mindset Naruto was. So, they were both taking the darkness of the other, and weaponizing it against the other. A constant loop of power, seeing which would be the first to make a mistake, or to falter. While it did not return them to an impasse, it gave Volfe just enough of an edge to think he was ahead of Naruto, too quick, and to strong for Naruto to overcome.

An error he would not live down.

Each could sense the other's power, the fluctuation of darkness between them seeming to push the other to force their dance to new heights. They were striking and moving so quickly, that to the outside eye, one might surely think that the other must have died a dozen times from the brief instances they could see, only to see the retaliation coming just as quickly from the other. It was a stalemate, but one of increasing blows between two; the most dangerous entities on the planet.

As power arced off the both of them, another shift began occurring. It was subtle, but grew with each time their blades crossed paths. Around them their clones moved in an equal stalemate, much like their own, and in almost a mirror to the other's. Each of them had lightning that arced off the other, their shadows seeming to elongate, and then pull back into themselves. With each blow, Volfe pressed the advantage of time, experience, and power, while Naruto pressed back with unpredictability and determination. Not much in comparison, but there was something that neither of them realized yet.

Naruto was forming an advantage he didn't even realize he had.

With each blow, the electric energy began to fade from around him, till it vanished near completely. At first, part of Naruto started in surprise at the loss, redoubling his attempts to shift the power balance between them. He couldn't allow Volfe any advantage, and seeing the lightning arcing from Volfe, he grit his teeth and redoubled his efforts as Volfe did the same, a flash of victory in the Dark Jedi's eyes. Yet, as he did so, he almost felt himself laughing as well.

"Just watch. This is going to be great."

The words calmed Naruto, if only slightly. His mind was still in the midst of combat, shifting and striking against Volfe's lightsaber with the fury of a rancor. Volfe in turn struck back, laughing off his attempts, and redoubling his efforts to throw Naruto around through the Force. He was stronger than Maul in both respects, and Naruto held out through sheer willpower, and the skills he'd fought to master. In the moment, it was a stalemate.

Then, Naruto felt it. Thin, but not at all invisible, a wisp of something in the Force that he now held. He didn't know what to do with it, but he had it. A thin, sliver of the Force, held in his grip. Throwing himself back, Naruto pushed the wisp and began wrapping it around his shoto, staring down Volfe.

"... you lose now."

Volfe stared back, his eyes widening before he snorted. "No. I think not."

Holding out his hand, Volfe began to blast at Naruto. Only the recognition of his hand sign, and quick reflexes kept Naruto from vaporization, flashing between points and straining to hold himself together as he charged forwards. One chance, one last trick he himself didn't realize he had.

Moving up to Volfe, he was quickly in range with Aayla's lightsaber. Arrogantly, Volfe was quick to block the blade when it swung for his arm, and to shift when he saw Naruto thrusting his shoto forwards. Nothing in Naruto's stance said he was lunging, so Volfe stood there, expecting Naruto to say something, to declare some victory that was untrue.

Instead, Volfe's eyes widened, a gasp as he stared at his chest, and the blood that began spreading from a wound through his heart. Eyes staring down at the shoto, he only now saw the thin, razor blade sharp wisp of the Force that had elongated the shoto.

"... heh... clever..."

Naruto stared at Volfe, a moment's pause of respect for the man's skills. But he had no such respect for the man. So, with his lips curled, and memory of what Volfe had attempted to do to Aayla, Naruto withdrew his shoto, spun on his heels with both lightsabers stowed and put away on his belt. Throwing his hands into the air, he pulled the Force in the air around him, showing Volfe exactly how out-scaled he was.

Aayla and Volfe watched as the Force consolidated, pulsed, and spun between his hands. Faster, more, bigger; it grew until it was almost the size of his head between his hands, pulsing with an energy that was barely contained in the vessel that he'd forced it into. A ball of destruction, power, and by extension the full destructive power of the Force he wielded and had held back from simply throwing around for fear it might harm those around him. Now, with Volfe completely incapacitated, and liable to die regardless from the injury, Naruto showed him that no kill would be quite like overkill.

"Great Ball Rasengan!"

Slamming it down upon Volfe, the energy was released, and raced across the ground ripping apart stone and scattering it as dust. Volfe's body was broken near immediately by the sheer power of it, crushed to the ground as the energy spiked, firing up and destroying the ceiling above and the wall behind Volfe. Leaving nothing but carnage, and the broken dead, the clones stood somberly, staring before they were released.

And, with the release of the shadows, the darkness fading, Naruto blinked slowly. It was over, and once more, he was the victor. He conquered the darkness on Kiffex, and came out on top. Alive.

Staring down, he slowly knelt down, and sighed, feeling the weight of days without proper sleep, multiple conflicts with the Anzati, the strange dark side poison of the blood guardian that was slowly fading, just from what had lead to this moment. Then, with the addition of yet another wrestle with the dark side, he had it all come down on him all at once. Turning back to Aayla, he slowly gave her a weak wave of his hand. "... hey."

"... hey."

"Let's get you out of here."

"Okay."

Pushing himself back to his feet, he drew himself up mentally and emotionally as tall as he could make himself. He could have time to be weak later, to falter. Now was not that time. Later, maybe, but he could wait. He could wait on that.

In his head, he heard himself laugh. Maybe he could. Maybe...


AN: A bit more of the arrogance of Naruto, but not without the danger of complete annihilation. Force Blast is nothing to scoff at, and nothing to shake a fist at either. Still, Naruto's mobility is a boon that one should not overlook, or disrespect; as is his versatility.

Additionally, while this was a conflict between one who could overpower most, Naruto is certainly stronger than Quinlan, and he is not one who's struggling with memory and identity. However, the biggest advantage was one that Volfe couldn't see coming: surprise. Without it, Naruto would've either needed to get the help of the Jedi Masters, or ask for Kurama's help. Which, had he not killed Volfe in this moment, he would've had to. But Naruto is not just himself, he's the Red Lord, and there are many he can face down without requiring outside help to win. So, rather than go the Manga/Anime "he uses Kurama chakra to get out", I let Naruto show what he can do himself... which means when he does use it... well, that'll be even more fun.

One more thing! One of the reviews I got gave a pretty smart idea, that I felt could be rather interesting; a discord server. So, I made one specifically for this, and if anyone wants a link to it, say so in either a PM or review (whichever is more convenient for you). It'll have a section where as each chapter goes up I'll post that it has, so those who don't want to always check their email will know when the next chapter is up.

Thank you all for your reviews, they are always great to read. If you haven't seen, there's a poll to go over the pairing options for Naruto for everyone, as well as those new to the story on my Profile. I look forward to seeing who you choose, and how I'll be able to consider and use it through the building story.

May this chapter find you well, and may the Force be with you.