A.N. Welcome back to the Anime Cinematic Universe! Here we see Jack and Naruto begin their adventures through the Elemental Nations. First stop, a quiet town with a major thug problem.
Let'sgetiton!
Disclaimer: OCMixmaster27 does not own any of the franchises represented in this story apart from original characters. This work is made for nonprofit entertainment purposes only.
"Hello there!": Speech.
'This is gonna be fun': Thoughts.
[All systems are go!]: Mechanical Speech
{Welcome to Japan.}: Foreign Speech
"How Dare You!": Monster/Demon Speech, Special Technique
Fanfiction Studios Presents…
An OCMixmaster27 Production…
Sentinel: Odyssey
Chapter 3: Trouble in Kusu Town
Location: Unknown House
Date: June 28th, 2016
As the sun sets over the nearby forest, a young man sweeps the back porch of his family's home. He wipes the sweat off his brow as he finishes his chores for the day.
"Water, dearie?"
The young man turns and sees an elderly woman approaching him with a glass of water.
The young man smiles and accepts the cup. "Thank you, Baa-chan," he says as he takes a sip.
"You sure worked hard today, Itsuki-kun," the elderly woman praises her grandson, who smiles at the praise.
"It's nothing I can't handle, Baa-chan," Itsuki says.
"Must be nice getting praised by your grandma like that," says a middle-aged man with a smirk as he steps onto the porch as well. "When I was your age, all I got from her was some nasty wallops from her sandal."
"That's because I had to force you out of bed to do the bare minimum of chores I asked you to do, you lazy bum!" the elderly lady yells at her son as she holds up a sandal threateningly.
"Not the sandal again, Kaa-chan!" the middle-aged man squeals in fright as he holds his hands up in surrender.
The elderly lady lowers the sandal and shakes her head. "Honestly, Isao. I'm just grateful that Itsuki-kun never picked up any of your bad habits."
Itsuki chuckles at his family's antics. He then looks at the beaten-up broom in his hands.
"I think we're going to need a new broom soon," Itsuki tells his father and grandmother.
Isao rolls his eyes. "And a new carpet, and a new bedroom window, and a new dining room table. And where are we supposed to get the money for all of this?" Isao glares at the ground. "We and our neighbors have been bled dry thanks to that bastard."
Itsuki and his grandmother both sulk at having been reminded of their current financial woes. The grandmother eventually snaps out of it and puts her hands on her son and grandson's shoulders.
"This town and our family have seen all kinds of troubles before, and we've survived every last one of them," the elderly woman tells her boys with a reassuring smile. "We can survive this as well."
These words bring some comfort to Itsuki and Isao, who both return the elder's smile.
All three of them suddenly hear a flock of birds flee from the trees in the forest nearby. They turn and see several trees shift in the canopy, indicating that something is moving through the forest.
And headed right for their house.
Itsuki and Isao both move in front of the elder in a protective manner as the family braces itself for whatever is coming.
Eventually, something leaps out of the sea of trees and lands right in front of their back porch with a grunt.
The family flinches at the sudden arrival of the now snarling beast that's just arrived at their humble home.
After a moment, though, they take a second look and notice three things; the beast is actually a teenage boy, his snarling is actually panting, and he's holding a frightened younger boy in rags.
"*huff* Can one of you hold him *huff* for a minute *huff*?" Jack asks the three of them as he tries to catch his breath.
The elderly woman snaps out of her shock first. "Itsuki! Isao! Don't just stand there!"
At their elder's command, the two quickly rush over and carefully extract Naruto from Jack's arms and set the blonde on his feet, though he still needs some support to stay upright.
"*huff* Thanks a million. *huff* I'm just gonna *huff*…yeah…"
Whump!
Those are Jack's last words before he falls hard on his back and enters Dreamland.
The elderly woman approaches the group and looks down at the snoring redhead. She then turns to the scarred, malnourished blonde.
"What happened to you two?" She asks Naruto with concern.
Naruto doesn't answer, as he himself has fallen asleep in Itsuki and Isao's arms, his own exhaustion finally catching up with him.
Location: Jack's Mindscape
"Is this going to happen every time?" Jack asks Sen as he finds himself back in his mind.
"Negative. This was your first full transformation, during which we fought against several powerful, highly trained enemies. After that, you used muscle enhancement to navigate through approximately five miles of dense forest while caring a person. Exhaustion was inevitable," Sen explains. "The more you use our abilities, the more accustomed your body will be to those abilities, the less energy you will consume."
"And will I turn into that giant cyclops every time, because I'd hate for my head to crash through the ceiling if I'm fighting indoors," Jack asks.
"Negative. The full transformation was an emergency procedure. You will be able to partially transform your body, such as turning certain body parts into metal, as well as use certain skills as needed, such as our optic energy blasts," Sen answers.
"Damn. Looks like I've got some practicing to do," says Jack.
"I suggest we take time now for me to teach you how to use our abilities," Sen offers. "I calculate that we will be asleep for eight hours and thirty minutes, and since time moves faster in the mindscape, we will have plenty of time for you to learn."
Jack grins with determination. "Then what are we waiting for?! Let's get to it!"
Location: Unknown House
Date: June 29th, 2016
The morning sun peeks through the blinds of the bedroom window and shine on Naruto's face, disturbing his sleep. He turns away from the annoying light and snuggles back into his soft, warm bedding.
…Wait…soft and warm?
Naruto quickly wakes up and bolts upright, his good eye frantically looking left-and-right trying to analyze the situation. He's not in his cell anymore! He looks down and sees that he's lying in an actual futon now, and his rags have been replaced with a clean yukata. In fact, his whole body feels cleaner and more refreshed than it has in years!
Suddenly, his mind replays the events from yesterday. He remembers the day starting out like any other, just rotting away in his cell, waiting for the day he would be killed by his captors. Then, all of a sudden, a stranger showed up and killed his captors one by one, though some managed to escape. The stranger, who was named 'Jakku' apparently, then freed him from his bindings and rescued him out of the caves and into the outside world. 'Jakku' then took Naruto and ran through the forest for miles until they found a house.
The last thing Naruto remembers is the homeowners taking Naruto away from his rescuer and watching said rescuer fall to the ground asleep before he himself passed out.
A light snoring to his right catches his attention. Naruto turns and sees Jack asleep in a futon right next to his. The morning sun doesn't appear to bother the redhead at all as he dreams with a small smile on his face.
Naruto blushes at the sight of his savior's happy, sleeping face. He idly wonders what the rest of the foreigner looks like.
Naruto quickly looks around, making sure that they are the only two in the room. Then, with his curiosity taking over, and despite the nagging feeling telling him to stay away, the blonde quietly crawls out of his futon and approaches Jack's.
Naruto stops right next to Jack and grabs the latter's blanket. Slowly, the blonde lifts up the blanket, revealing Jack's toned chest and abs.
Naruto's face heats up more as he slowly reaches down with his free hand and lightly touches Jack's abs with his fingers.
The blonde stops and glances at the redhead, who is still asleep. Breathing a quiet sigh of relief, Naruto allows his hand to rest on Jack's stomach, then slowly rubs along the redhead's body. The blonde's eyes close as his fingers and palm trace over every ab and curve, the sensations on his hand being committed to memory.
The blonde is so busy enjoying his explorations that he doesn't notice Jack's scrunching face.
Suddenly, another hand quickly grabs Naruto's, causing the blonde to open his eyes and freeze in place.
"Mmph, that tickles."
Naruto slowly turns and sees Jack open his eyes and look tiredly at the blonde.
Jack gives a warm smile. "Mornin', boyo."
"…M-Morning," Naruto nervously mutters.
Jack yawns and props himself up into a seated position, his hand still holding Naruto's.
"You sleep well?" Jack asks.
"Y-Yes, I did," Naruto answers. "B-Better than I have in a long time."
"Glad to hear it." Jack then notices Naruto's new clothes, as well as his shinier golden hair and dirt-free face. "Looks like you got cleaned up rather nicely."
"We would have done the same for you, but it honestly took quite a bit of effort just to bring you into the house," says the elderly lady standing at the bedroom door, getting both boys' attentions. "I think my son nearly threw his back out carrying you here."
Jack chuckles nervously. "I do apologize. I kind of put on a bit of weight recently."
The elder laughs at this. "Apparently so."
"Well, I appreciate you and your family helping the two of us out. I'm Jack, and this is Naruto," Jack introduces himself and his new companion.
"Jakku? What an interesting name," the elder says curiously.
"…I feel like I'm going to be hearing that a lot in the near future," Jack notes to himself in a dry tone.
"Call me Hanako. You've already met my son, Isao, and my grandson, Itsuki," Hanako says to the foreigner.
"Pleased to meet you and your family, Hanako-san," Jack says before pausing. '…san?'
"You can have a proper meeting with my boys when you join us for breakfast. But first, I suggest you bathe beforehand," Hanako tells her new guest.
Jack suddenly notices the stickiness in his hair and the rather gross feeling all over his body. Not surprising since he passed out last night after running five miles.
Jack winces. "Yeah, good idea."
"I've already prepared the bath for you. Just head down the hall and take the door on the right," Hanako informs Jack.
Jack waves his free hand. "Thanks a million."
Hanako nods and leaves the room.
"She seems nice, eh, Naruto?" Jack asks the blonde next to him.
"…Uhm…"
Jack turns and sees Naruto looking down nervously with a sizable blush on his face.
"What's wrong?" Jack asks.
"M-My hand…" Naruto mutters.
Jack looks down and sees his hand still holding Naruto's.
"Oh! Uh, my bad," Jack says sheepishly as he quickly lets go of Naruto's hand. "Sorry."
Naruto shakes his head. "N-No! It's alright. I, uh…"
Jack watches as the blonde takes a deep breath to try and compose himself.
Eventually, Naruto looks up at the redhead with a spark of hope in his eyes. "Thank you for saving me."
Jack smiles and places his hand on Naruto's cheek. "You're safe now, boyo. With God as my witness, I'll make sure you're taken care of."
Part of Naruto feels wary of Jack's declaration due to the blonde's past history with his 'hometown'. A much larger part of him, however, wants to have faith in the stranger who rescued him from torture and doom.
With the latter part winning, Naruto closes his eyes and leans into Jack's touch. The blonde smiles as he enjoys Jack's calloused hand stroking his face, especially the thumb brushing over his whisker marks.
Puurrrr!
Both teenagers suddenly freeze as a strange sound comes from Naruto.
"…Did you just…?" Jack asks his fellow teen in surprise.
Naruto's response to having one of his most secret quirks discovered is to let his entire body go bright red in an embarrassed blush.
Jack coughs awkwardly. "I'll just go and take that bath now."
With that, Jack quickly exits the room, leaving Naruto to hide his face behind his hands in shame.
'Naruto, you baka!'
Location: Dining Room
One bath later, Jack enters the dining room with a clean shirt on his body. He sees Naruto, Hanako, and Isao sitting at the table while Itsuki works over the stove.
"Well, if it isn't the mysterious stranger who nearly made me a cripple – OW!" Isao quips, only to get smacked by his mother's sandal.
"Thank you for your glorious sacrifice," Jack says sarcastically as he takes a seat right next to Naruto.
Both teenagers glance at each other before Naruto shyly looks away from Jack, who rubs his own head with embarrassment.
Thankfully, the awkwardness ends with Itsuki serving breakfast, which consists of grilled fish, miso soup, and rice on the side.
Once Itsuki serves his own food and he takes a seat, the four natives clap their hands together.
"Itadakimasu!"x4
Jack, who's just learning Japanese customs, quickly follows suit. "Itadakimasu."
With that, Jack, Naruto, and their impromptu host family dig in. Jack notes that despite the simplicity of the meal, the food is quite delicious.
'Or maybe it's just because I'm starvin',' Jack thinks.
'You have a higher metabolism now. You'll be needing more calories in your meals from now on,' Sen mentally explains. 'You also have immunity to toxins and poisons.'
'Good to know.'
"So, your name's Jakku, huh? Weird name," Isao comments.
"It's 'Jack', actually," the redhead corrects.
Isao shrugs. "Still weird." Whack! "OW!"
Itsuki shakes his head at his family's antics, then turns to the guests. "So, Naruto-san and…Jack-san?" he says, getting an affirmative nod from the redhead. "Are you two brothers?"
"Actually, we just met yesterday," Jack answers. "Some bastard cultists captured the two of us, but we managed to beat them and escape."
"He beat them," Naruto mutters. This draws attention to the blonde, who looks away shyly.
Hanako gives her guests a compassionate look, especially Naruto. "You two have gone through hell, haven't you?"
Naruto gains a haunted look on his face, but it leaves when Jack places a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Ai, we have, but we're free now. Both of us are," Jack says as he gives the blonde a reassuring smile.
Naruto blushes and smiles in return from the reassurance.
"Well, that's all well and good, but just because you're 'free' doesn't mean you get to do any 'freeloading' around here," Isao says gruffly. He then gives the two guests a glance. "Unless, of course, you two are willing to do some chores around–" Whack! "OW! Kaa-chan!"
"Knock it off, you!" Hanako demands.
This gets a laugh out of Jack, causing Isao to glare at him.
"Something funny?" Isao demands.
"Nothin'. You two just remind me of me and my Ma," Jack answers.
All four natives look confused.
"Your what?" Itsuki asks.
Jack blinks. "My Ma. You know, my mother."
"Ooooh." x4
"You're one strange guy, you know that?" Isao comments.
"Yeah, well, I'm not from around here, so…" Jack says as he takes another bite of his fish.
"Where are you from, then?" Itsuki asks the redhead.
Jack picks at his rice. "You'd probably think it's strange."
"And a shirtless teenager leaping out of the forest with another teenager in his arms isn't?" Isao quips.
"Touché," Jack responds, confusing his audience even more. "Well, alright then. I live in–"
Knock Knock!
A knocking at the front door gets everyone's attention.
Itsuki stands up. "I'll get it," he says as he heads for the door.
After a moment, Hanako turns back to Jack. "You were saying, dearie?"
"I think I should wait until Itsuki-san gets back. That way I don't have to repeat myself," Jack replies, before pausing once again. '…san again? What's up with that?'
'Your brain is getting used to the Japanese language. Honorifics and such will soon be second nature to you,' Sen explains.
"What?! What do you mean another payment?!" Itsuki yells from the front door, startling everybody in the kitchen.
Jack narrows his eyes as he senses trouble brewing. He stands up and heads for the front door.
"Jack-san, wait!" Hanako warns, only for the warning to fall on deaf ears as Jack leaves the dining room.
Location: Front Door
"We already paid you people for this month, and now you're saying we need to pay again?!" Itsuki yells at the two men in front of him.
The closest man, who looks eerily similar to a typical mobster thug, grins cockily as he says, "I guess you didn't get the news. The protection fee's been doubled from now on. We're just here to get what's owed to us."
The other mobster of a man next to him nods in agreement.
"You thugs don't protect anything, and we owe you nothing!" Itsuki argues. "We barely have any money for ourselves!"
Itsuki suddenly finds a knife being pointed at his face.
"That is the least of your concerns. What you should be concerned for is the fate of you and your family if we don't get what we want right now," The first thug threatens, getting a sinister chuckle from his fellow gangster.
All of a sudden, another hand grabs the thug's wrist and squeezes tightly.
"Gaah!" the thug cries out as he feels his wrist snap, causing him to drop the knife in his hand.
The knife lands in Jack's open palm.
"What's all this, then?" Jack demands as he places himself between Itsuki and the thug.
The thug glares as he tries to free his wrist from Jack's grasp. "Stay out of this!"
Jack gives his own piercing glare, causing the thug to flinch.
"This young man and his nice innocent family were kind enough to help me in a crisis, and your weasel-ass is pointing a knife right at his face? What kind of a pisshead are you?!" Jack cries out as he tosses the thug away from the front door.
The other thug catches his buddy, who cradles his now broken wrist.
The first thug glares at Jack, who casually flips around the knife in his hand.
Said thug smirks dangerously. "You must be new around here, brat, because you obviously don't know who we are and who we work for."
"It's even more obvious that I don't give a tiny rat's ass," Jack says nonchalantly as he now spins the knife around in his hand.
The injured thug grits his teeth in anger. "Well, you should! You're gonna be in big trouble if you keep this up!"
Jack raises an eyebrow. "Is that so?" he asks as he approaches the two thugs, who brace themselves as Jack tosses the knife between his hands. "So, me calling you out on your pathetic bullshit and pinching your dainty fragile wrist is putting me on the naughty list, is that it?"
"It is, and believe me when I say that you don't want to be on that list," the injured thug threatens as he and his buddy track the knife moving faster back and forth between Jack's hands.
Itsuki watches the scene with trepidation.
Jack nods in 'understanding' as the knife blurs between his hands. "Ah, I see. So, what would happen if…I don't know…I, uh, do this?"
Suddenly, Jack throws the knife up into the air, causing the two thugs and Itsuki to look up to track the weapon.
And take their sights off of Jack.
POW!
At the sound of the bone-crunching impact, the second thug quickly looks to see his buddy fly away and crash onto the ground nearby.
The first thug is now unconscious with a fist-sized dent in his face and several teeth missing from his bloody mouth.
The second thug looks at his downed buddy in shock as Jack catches the knife.
The still standing turns around and glares at Jack. "What the–"
Shunk!
A blinding piercing pain courses through the thug's leg. He slowly looks down with a pained expression and sees the knife now deeply embedded in his right kneecap.
"GYAAAH!" the second thug cries out in agony as he falls to the ground clutching his injured leg.
"This is what happens when you act like assholes," Jack tells the crying thug apathetically. "Now, fuck off."
With that Jack turns around and heads back into the house, taking a shocked Itsuki with him and leaving the two gangsters lying in the middle of the dirt road.
Location: Dining Room
An annoyed Jack and a stunned Itsuki enter the dining room and retake their seats at the table. The others give them looks of concern and confusion.
"Did something happen?" Hanako asks the two young men.
Jack answers, "Door-to-door salesmen. Annoying pricks." He picks up his chopsticks and resumes eating. "So, where were we?"
"…You were saying where you're from," Isao answers, taken back by Jack's dismissal of whatever happened earlier.
"Oh, right, right. So, I'm from the City of New York, which is in a country called America," Jack explains.
Question marks form over all four natives' heads.
"Nyūyōku? Amerika?" Itsuki asks in confusion, trying to pronounce the foreign names.
"I've never heard of any of those places from anywhere in the Elemental Nations," says Hanako.
"That's because I'm not from anywhere in the Elemental Nations," Jack states as he takes another bite of his fish.
This answer surprises everyone else, who have lived their entire lives in these lands.
"W-What are you talking about? What do you mean you're not from the Elemental Nations?! This is the entire world we're talking about here!" Isao declares incredulously.
"The world's a hell of a lot bigger than you think it is," Jack says cryptically as he continues eating.
Naruto, who has been silent for the entire conversation, has a sudden thought enter his mind.
"Wait a minute! Are you from beyond The Veil?"
All eyes turn to blonde, who quickly looks down and blushes from all of the attention.
"The Veil?" Jack asks.
Naruto takes a moment to compose himself, then explains, "S-Someone I looked up to as a grandfather once told me about a mysterious fog that surrounds the Elemental Nations. It's called 'The Veil', and it somehow keeps people from leaving these lands. According to him, it's been around since the Sage of Six Paths, and nobody's been able to get through it. I always wondered what was beyond it; whether there were other lands, or different types of shinobi, or mystical creatures, or–" Naruto suddenly realizes he's been rambling and looks away shyly. "S-Sorry."
Jack smiles in amusement and hugs the blonde with one of his arms. "No worries, boyo. It was cute, really," the redhead says, causing Naruto's face to go beet red. "Anyways, I am from beyond The Veil, and I need to get back home as soon as possible."
"Hold on!" Isao exclaims. "You honestly expect us to believe that you're from this faraway land that nobody's ever heard of?! Next, you're gonna tell us you have superpowers!"
Jack chuckles at this and lifts up both of his arms. "Well, uh…," he mutters as his fleshy arms turn into metal instantaneously.
The jaws of Hanako, Isao, and Itsuki all drop to the table at this.
Jack lets his arms become flesh again. "Any other questions?"
Isao composes himself and asks, "If you're not that much in a hurry to get home, I can use some help patching up the roof–" Whack! "OW! Knock it off, Kaa-chan!"
"Stop trying to push your chores onto others, you bum!" Hanako yells at her son. She then gives Jack a much warmer look. "As for you, how do you plan on returning home?"
"Well–"
Whump! Whump!
A loud banging at the front door gets everyone's attention.
Jack, sensing the killing intent from outside, rolls his eyes. "Give me a break."
Jack stands up and heads back for the front door, ignoring the looks of protest from Hanako, Isao, and Itsuki. Isao decides to follow Jack and make sure he doesn't get them into any trouble.
Location: Front Door
Jack just barely opens the door before his instincts cause him to quickly catch the bolt that otherwise would have impaled his forehead.
This surprises the thug holding the crossbow, along with the other four gangsters who are holding a katana, a hatchet, a club, and a pipe, respectively.
Jack glares at the crossbow wielder. "Didn't your mother teach you not to play around with that, unless you want your eye taken out?"
Before the thug can respond, Jack quickly throws the bolt into the thug's eye.
"GYAAAH!" The crossbow wielder yells as he drops his weapon and clutches the bolt in his eye socket.
"Then again, you look like the type of asshole who'd sell his mother for some pocket change," Jack mutters as he walks away from the door and into the group of weapon-wielding gangsters.
The four remaining thugs shuffle nervously as they try to figure out how to deal with the teenager who just took out one of their own in an instant.
Jack is annoyed by this. "What?! You lot never been in a fight before?!" he yells, startling the thugs. "It's simple! Each of you attack me one-by-one, and I beat the shit out of you with a few punches!" He then points at the hatchet-wielder. "You! You start!"
The hatchet-wielder's face twitches from both the fear of his opponent and the anger at being told what to do by said opponent.
"HAAAGH!" The thug cries out as he rushes at Jack and swings for the head.
(Insert Music: Fool's Gold – The Stone Roses)
Unfortunately for him, Jack easily catches the hatchet in his hand.
The thug only has a moment to process this before Jack wails into his stomach with a chakra-enhanced fist.
Seeing this, the pipe-wielder rushes in and swings with his weapon. Jack sees this coming, though, and ducks out of the way, causing the pipe to hit the hatchet-wielder's jaw and send him to the ground.
The pipe-wielder watches his colleague go down in shock, leaving the thug open for a right cross that knocks him out cold.
The club-wielder sees Jack facing away from him and takes his chance. He swings at the teen's exposed back with his club, which breaks upon impact.
Unknown to the thug, however, Jack's back turns metal right beforehand. That, and the teenager's newly reinforced body, allows him to shrug off the hit.
All the thug knows is that the unfazed teen that was completely unharmed by a club hitting his back is now glaring at him and cocking his fist back.
The thug gulps and accepts his fate.
POW!
Now, only the katana-wielder is left.
The final thug swings his sword wildly at Jack, who calmly maneuvers himself away from the sword. Out of frustration, the thug goes for an overhead strike, but Jack surprises the thug by catching the blade in his left hand, his palm shifting to metal in order to protect his hand from the sharp edge. Using the katana-wielder's surprise to his advantage, Jack knocks the thug out with a single punch, ending the fight.
Jack looks around and sees the first gangster still groaning in pain and clutching the bolt in his eye while the others lie in various stages of unconsciousness.
"Next time, I won't be so civil. Now FUCK OFF!" Jack orders.
With that, Jack once again heads back inside the house – walking past a gob-smacked Isao – and slams the door shut.
(End Music)
Location: Dining Room
An irate Jack and a speechless Isao enter the dining room and retake their seats at the table.
"More salesmen?" Hanako asks suspiciously.
"Fuckers are swarmin' out of the ground, I tell you," Jack groans as he rubs his eyes. "Now then, where were we?"
"How you're going home," Itsuki says as he looks at his stunned father with concern.
Jack nods. "Right, right. So, what do the Elemental Nations have for transport?"
"Well, most people get around either on foot or in horse-drawn carts, though the shinobi can travel fast through trees," Itsuki explains. "There's also ships that can move through the sea fairly easily, unless there's a storm, of course."
"What about air travel? You know, vehicles flying in the sky?" Jack asks. "We Americans use them all the time."
Hanako and her boys look surprised by this concept. Naruto, meanwhile, stares in amazement at his savior, who's becoming more incredible to the blonde by the minute.
"Your people can travel through the sky?!" Hanako asks in disbelief. "Such a thing is practically unheard of here!"
"The only place I can think of that has that kind of technology is the Land of Spring, but I don't believe that their airships can travel from country to country, let alone get you past The Veil," Itsuki adds.
At the mention of the Land of Spring, Naruto flinches slightly, which only Jack notices.
Jack sighs. "I was afraid of that. Well, sounds like getting a ship is my best bet. Do you know where a good port city is around here?"
"The best port city around here is in the Land of Waves," Isao answers, getting another flinch from Naruto. "It's a popular trading hub, especially in recent years."
Jack claps his hands together and smiles. "Great! Now I have a plan! Get some supplies, head for the Land of Waves, drop Naruto here off at his home, hire a ship to get me past The Veil, arrive home before Christmas, and Bob's your uncle!" He then gives Naruto a curious look. "By the way, you never mentioned where you lived."
Naruto suddenly looks downtrodden. "…I don't live anywhere. Not anymore."
Jack is surprised by this. "Do you have any family, distant relatives, friends, anything like that?"
Naruto glares at the table and shakes his head.
Jack gives Naruto a worrying look. "…Nobody?"
Naruto's silence is a strong answer, one that makes the others look at him sadly.
Jack's fists clench as determination fills him. 'That tears it!'
"In that case, yo–"
WHUMP! WHUMP! WHUMP!
"…Jesus sufferin' FUCK!" Jack exclaims in annoyance. He jumps out of his seat and stomps towards the front door, the others following right behind him.
Location: Front Door
Jack roughly opens the door and…
"I SAID FUCK OFF!" he yells at the townsfolk holding torches and pitchforks.
…Wait, what?
Jack blinks dumbly as he registers the now terrified civilians.
"Who the fuck are you people?" Jack demands.
The other house residents poke their heads over Jack's shoulders and see the crowd. Isao panics and quickly places himself between Jack and the mob.
"Uh, Jack, these are our neighbors," Isao says before nervously turning towards the crowd. "Everyone, this is Jack. He is our guest."
"Your guest beat up Goro's men!" one villager cries out, getting shouts of anger from the crowd.
Hanako gives Jack a look. "Salesmen, eh?"
Jack shrugs. "What's the big deal? Who's this Goro guy?"
"He's the leader of the gang of criminals that's been terrorizing our town for the past year!" the leader of the mob, who appears to be the town mayor, exclaims. "He uses his goons to extort us of all of our hard-earned money, and the ones who don't pay end up getting killed or kidnapped and used as slave labor!"
"And now you've pissed him off!" another civilian cries out. "We just got word that he's bringing his entire force over here tomorrow to raze our town to the ground, and it's all your fault!"
The entire mob rabbles in anger at the situation.
"QUIET!" Jack shouts, silencing everyone. "I had no fuckin' idea about any of this, alright?! I just got here last night!"
"It doesn't matter! Our entire town's going to be destroyed because of you!" the mayor yells.
"Well then, do something about it!" Jack counters. "For fuck's sake, you're the ones that assembled an angry mob armed with torches and pitchforks in only fifteen minutes! Fight these thugs! Fight for your home! Fight for your families!"
"It's not just thugs we have to deal with. Goro has a nuke-nin, a rogue shinobi, in his employ. He's a monster! He once ripped a man's arms off!" the mayor explains.
"We can't hire any shinobi for ourselves because we can't afford what the Hidden Villages would charge for this kind of job," another civilian adds.
Naruto, meanwhile, is stunned by the situation unfolding before his eyes.
A small town being terrorized by a greedy man with an army of thugs and a nuke-nin. He's been here before.
The only thing missing is a hero willing to step up and save the day.
Jack sighs. "Look, how about this; I deal with the nuke-nin, you lot deal with the thugs, and then we all kick Goro's ass together. Sound like a deal?"
"You're willing to fight a shinobi?! That's suicide!" a civilian exclaims.
Itsuki steps up and defends Jack. "This young man is an exceptionally tough fighter! I've seen it with my own eyes!"
"And he's got superpowers!" Isao adds with a smile.
The mob murmurs to itself, the people deciding amongst themselves whether they're willing to accept Jack's offer.
Jack rolls his eyes at this. "It's either that or you all die," he bluntly points out.
That stops all conversation.
The mayor clears his throat. "Well, in that case, we accept your offer…Jakku?"
Jack groans, no longer bothering to correct anyone. "Fine! Brilliant!"
Jack starts heading back inside.
"Wait!" the mayor calls out, stopping the redhead. "Could you help us prepare for their arrival tomorrow?"
Jack narrows his eyes. "…After I've finished my breakfast."
Seeing the mayor's nod, Jack, Naruto, and Hanako's family head inside the house.
As soon as the door closes, shouts of joy erupt from outside.
Jack rests the back of his head against the door. "I haven't even looked at a cup of coffee this morning."
Isao looks confused. "What's kōhī? Is that from your world?"
Jack looks pained. "Oh, for fuck's sake."
Location: Town Square
Timeskip: Afternoon
Jack's only knowledge of defending any sort of property from invaders mostly comes from Hollywood and several history classes, and though he has a supercomputer brain now, he wouldn't call himself an expert by any stretch of the imagination.
Despite this, though, he believes that he's done a good job so far preparing this small town, which is apparently called Kusu and is located in the Land of Rivers.
Immediately after breakfast, Jack joined up with the townsfolk, and together, they spent the morning constructing large log barricades at the town's entrances. One was built at each end of the major roadway through the town, while another was assembled at the edge of the adjacent river. Thanks to Jack cutting down and carrying the logs with his super-strength, the sturdy barricades were completed in record time.
After that, Jack had himself and the townsfolk booby-trap the nearby forest to make sure that they wouldn't be flanked by any of Goro's men. Jack reminded himself to thank Mitch for having him sit through all of those Rambo movies.
Now that the town itself is prepared, all that remains is to prepare the people.
Currently, Jack is watching several civilians practice punching some improvised mannequins. Nearby, several other groups are practicing with bows, wooden spears, and pitchforks.
Jack shakes his head as one mannequin is barely moved by Isao's fist.
"You're stopping your punch way too short," Jack explains as he approaches his student. He puts his own fist next to the mannequin's head. "You're not punching at the face. You're punching through the face. Otherwise, he won't feel the full force of your punch." Jack steps back. "Go again."
Isao takes a deep breath, pulls his fist back, and punches the mannequin. This time, the mannequin is jostled considerably.
Jack nods. "Good. Do that again nine more times, then ten with the other hand."
Isao groans. "What a pain."
"HIYAAH!"
Jack blinks as another mannequin roughly falls to the ground. He and Isao look over and see a rugged-looking old woman in a fighter's stance with her fist extended.
The old woman grins at her handiwork. "YOSH!"
"…What do you do for a living, again?" Jack asks the elderly woman.
The woman turns to Jack and puts her hands on her hips proudly. "I'm Tamako, the best damn baker in Kusu Town!"
"…Right," Jack mutters. "Well then, maybe you can help whip those fellas at the end into shape?"
"Sure thing!" Tamako answers with a wide grin. She heads on over to the far end of the "training field", leaving Jack and Isao to stare in wonder.
Jack turns to Isao. "You have a lot of catching up to do."
Isao grumbles and returns to his own mannequin.
Jack looks back at Tamako and watches her put some other civilians through the ringer.
Jack smiles at this. 'Maybe they can pull this off.'
Hearing a groan of discomfort, Jack turns and sees Isao nursing his sore hand.
Jack sweatdrops. '…and maybe I'm the pitcher for the damned Red Sox.'
The redhead then spots a flash of yellow in his peripherals. Jack looks over and sees Naruto helping another group gather medical supplies a distance away, a job that wouldn't strain the still-recovering blonde. While Jack wanted Naruto to rest and recover more, Naruto insisted on helping out in some way.
Jack smiles as he watches Naruto work. 'He's got a good heart, that boy.'
Naruto suddenly stops as he feels someone watching him. He turns and notices Jack looking at him with a smile. Jack grins and waves at the blonde, who waves back with a blush and a small smile of his own.
A pained cry suddenly gets Jack's attention. He turns and sees another civilian nursing an injured thumb.
Jack groans. "That's why the thumb goes outside the hand, not inside!"
Jack marches over to help the civilian, not noticing Naruto gazing at him with a now somber expression.
Both teens are unaware of a crow with red eyes watching them.
Location: Dining Room, Hanako's House
Timeskip: Evening
Jack eagerly digs into his evening meal, having worked up quite an appetite from all the hard work done today. All around him, Hanako and her boys eat a more sedate pace, nervous about the storm arriving tomorrow. Naruto, meanwhile, has barely touched his own food.
"Mm! My compliments to the chef," Jack praises.
Hanako smiles at the redhead. "Thank you for that, dearie. I'm glad you enjoy it."
Jack stops eating and notices the underlying tension around him. "You're all nervous about tomorrow?"
"You mean 'are we nervous about fighting Goro and his small army for our lives, homes, and family?' Yes, we are," Isao bluntly states.
Jack puts down his chopsticks and gives the family a serious look.
"I know that you're afraid of what lies ahead, but I promise you that everything will work out," Jack says with determination. "I will beat that shinobi bastard, we will defeat Goro's army, we will break every bone in Goro's body, and you will get your lives back. This is my promise to you, and I keep my promises."
Naruto clenches his hand around his chopsticks at the last part.
Itsuki gives Jack a considering look. "Aren't you worried?"
"About what?" Jack asks.
"Goro's shinobi is no joke. He's said to be one of the toughest and most merciless warriors from Iwagakure, the Hidden Rock Village, yet you don't seem afraid at all," Itsuki explains. "Forgive me, but it seems like you're acting a bit prideful."
Jack smiles. "It's not pride. It's faith."
"Faith?" Isao asks.
Jack nods. "Faith in my abilities, faith in the lessons my teachers taught me, and faith in the Lord Almighty, who's watching over all of us."
"The Lord Almighty? Is he a kami?" Isao asks in confusion.
"He's the kami," Jack answers. "He governs the entire world, He brings light into the darkness, and He helps those who help themselves."
Hanako, Isao, and Itsuki look bewildered by this.
Jack chuckles at this. "I'm not asking you to believe in Him. I'm asking you to believe in me, who believes in the Lord as much as the Lord believes in me. I'm asking you to hope."
Hanako and her family are stunned by the fervor in Jack's voice. By some power, a feeling of hope enters their bodies.
A jostling from a corner of the table gets everyone's attention. Jack, Hanako, Isao, and Itsuki see Naruto standing from the table, his hair overshadowing his eyes.
"I'm not hungry," Naruto says in a small voice. Before anyone can speak, the blonde walks away from the table and hurries out of the room.
Jack narrows his eyes in concern. He felt the anguish radiating from Naruto, and he simply can't ignore it.
Jack stands up and follows after the blonde. Itsuki moves to join them, but Hanako stops her grandson, knowing that Jack and Naruto have to handle it themselves.
Location: Bedroom
Naruto just barely makes it into the room before he doubles over, his hand grasping the area of his chest over his heart. His teeth clench as he struggles with the feelings inside of him.
'Damn it! I can't handle much more!' Naruto exclaims internally. 'Jack…he's so confident, so cheerful, so kind, so…so hot! He's like the sun! There's so much warmth and brightness inside him! I can even feel it from across the room! I want more! I just want to wrap my arms around that warmth and never let go! But…but…'
"Coin for your thoughts?"
Naruto quickly turns and sees Jack, the source of his internal turmoil, standing at the bedroom door.
Naruto looks away. "Please…I-I just want to be alone."
"I don't believe that for a second," Jack says as he approaches the blonde. "I think the last thing you want is to be alone."
Naruto's frustration grows. "Get out."
"No."
Naruto whips around and glares at Jack. "I SAID GET OUT!"
"And I. Said. No," Jack says firmly.
Naruto growls at the redhead. Naruto throws a right, but Jack easily catches the fist. Naruto throws a punch with his left hand, but Jack catches that punch too. Jack knows immediately what's coming next and lifts his leg, bending it so the knee is over the other leg. Sure enough, Jack's leg blocks a crotch kick from Naruto.
Jack then uses Naruto's arms to spin the blonde around and pull him in, with Naruto's back against Jack's chest. Jack quickly tucks his head to the side to avoid Naruto's desperate headbutt.
"GET OFF! GET OFF OF ME!" Naruto demands as he struggles in Jack's arms.
"Shhhh shhhh shhhh. It's alright. You're okay. You're safe. You're okay," Jack murmurs as he slowly drops down to a seated position, taking Naruto down with him.
Eventually, Naruto stops struggling. He whimpers in defeat as Jack embraces him, the warmth and light flooding the blonde's entire being.
'Oh, kami! It does feel amazing!' Naruto yells in his head.
"Naruto, please, tell me what's going on. Tell me how I can help you," Jack pleads.
"Why? Why do you care? You have everything you want," Naruto grinds out.
"What are you talking about?" Jack asks.
"You're practically invincible, you have the perfect home, the perfect family, the perfect kami…everything about your life is just so perfect," Naruto sadly laments. "Why do you bother with someone like me? I'm…"
As Naruto trails off, Jack closes his eyes with a pained expression. "My life isn't perfect. Not even close."
One of Jack's arms turns into a metal tendril. Still holding onto Naruto, the tendril snakes its way into Jack's pocket and pulls something out.
Naruto looks up as the tendril turns back into a hand and reveals a small copper shield, with foreign writing that Naruto can't make heads or tails of.
"A shield?" Naruto asks.
"It belonged to my father," Jack explains. "He was a detective in the New York Police Department, and a damn good one, too."
Naruto turns and gives Jack his full attention.
"When I was 8 years old, my father was killed in the line of duty," Jack continues. "It broke my mother. She stayed strong, she raised me right, she hid her pain from me, but I knew. For the past ten years, I've done everything I could to help her, to ease her burdens, and I've done well so far. But now, I'm stuck in some hidden land on the other side of the planet, the farthest away possible from my home, and I'm afraid. I'm afraid that before I can make it out of here, she'll…"
Naruto's eyes widen in surprise as he sees something on Jack's face that he hasn't seen since the redhead first encountered Pain.
Fear.
"But, if that's true, shouldn't you have left immediately? Why are you taking time to save Kusu Town? Why are you wasting time helping me?" Naruto asks.
"Because it's who I am," Jack answers. "I can't ignore innocent people in need of help, and I won't allow a kind-hearted and righteous soul to suffer. Not if I can comfort and support him."
Naruto's heart flutters at these words, before he hardens himself and looks away.
"It doesn't matter," Naruto says bitterly. "After you're done here, you'll be heading back to your homeland, and I'll be left alone again."
"Actually, I was rather hoping you'd come with me."
…
Everything in Naruto's mind, every thought, suddenly stops. His heart skips a beat, and his whole body is unresponsive for a moment.
Naruto slowly turns towards Jack, shock clearly visible on his face. "W-What?"
Jack smiles and loosens his grip on Naruto a bit. "I want you to come with me back to New York City. I want you to live with me." Jack's smile turns sheepish. "Actually, I was going to ask you this morning, but I got sidetracked helping the town."
Naruto barely registers the words. "You…you want me to live with you…," he mutters in astonishment.
"Sure, it'll be a bit of a culture shock once you get there, but after that you'll love it!" Jack continues. "I know Ma will love having you around. She'll spoil you rotten, that's for sure."
"W-Wait a minute!" Naruto exclaims as he turns his body to face Jack. "Why do you want me to live with you?! I'm cursed!"
Jack raises an eyebrow. "Cursed? What are you talking about?"
Naruto looks down, hesitant to say what he needs to say. Eventually, he musters up his last bit of courage.
"…I have a demon inside me."
Jack blinks. "…Pull the other one."
"I'm serious!" Naruto insists. "I have a real genuine demon sealed inside my body. It's why the Akatsuki imprisoned me in the first place. They wanted to extract the demon from inside me."
"Wait a minute. Is that like how I bonded with Sen?" Jack asks.
Naruto looks confused. "Sen?"
Jack's free arm turns metal. "The Sentinel, but I call him Sen. I met him yesterday as a metal ball in a museum. Apparently, he's a chakra-powered superweapon that bonded with me on a cellular level. He's the reason I ended up in the Elemental Nations."
Naruto is stunned by this. He's heard of many supernatural beings, but he's never heard of The Sentinel before.
"Well, I've had the demon in me since the day I was born," Naruto explains. "My…former home, the Hidden Leaf Village, was attacked by a nine-tailed fox demon. It destroyed a good chunk of the village and killed many people before the leader, the Fourth Hokage, sealed it inside my newborn body. Ever since that day, the people of Konoha thought that I was the demon incarnate. They hated me. They shunned me. They taught their kids to stay away from me. They even sent an angry mob after me a few times."
Jack clenches his fists in rage. "Those ungrateful Godless bastards."
Naruto nods. "I tried desperately to have them accept me. I pulled pranks to get them to stop ignoring me, but they only hated me more. I went to the Shinobi Academy to get them to acknowledge my strength and respect me, but they sabotaged my education. After I finally graduated, I got stuck on a team full of people that didn't want anything to do with me. I risked my life so many times to protect my home and those I cared about, but nothing changed! And then, those same people finally banished me from the village, and I ended up captured by the Akatsuki just five minutes later! Honestly, it feels like every moment of my life has been filled with nothing but suffering, and betrayal, and–"
Naruto suddenly notices he's been rambling again. He looks away.
"I'm sorry," the blonde mutters.
A warm hand lightly touches Naruto's face, startling the blonde. He allows Jack to turn his head towards the redhead. He's confused as Jack's eyes appear to scan every inch of his face.
After a few moments, Jack smiles. "I don't see a demon. I see Naruto."
Once again, Naruto's heart skips a beat.
"You're not a demon, and you're not cursed. You're a strong, caring, and kind boy living in a cruel world that doesn't deserve you," Jack continues. "I want to give you a new life, in a new home, with a family that will take care of you, support you, and love you until the end of time. You don't have to suffer anymore. You don't have to be alone."
Jack takes Naruto's hands into his own and looks deep into the blonde's eyes.
"Come with me, Naruto," Jack asks. "Let me give you the happiness you deserve."
The sincerity in Jack's words is what finally convinces Naruto. The blonde smiles as his eyes fill with tears.
"Yes! Yes! I'll go with you, Jack!" Naruto happily exclaims.
Jack's smile widens. He pulls Naruto in and gives the blonde a big hug.
"Welcome to the family, Naruto," Jack whispers in Naruto's ear.
At these words, the dam finally breaks. Naruto clutches Jack's back tightly as the tears fall freely from his face. He loudly sobs into Jack's shoulder, releasing years of pent-up sorrow, anguish, and frustration. Naruto allows himself to embrace the warmth and light coming from Jack's being.
Finally, he's found someone who will love him and take care of him. He's found someone to belong to.
Jack calmly rubs Naruto's back and mutters sweet words into Naruto's ear, causing the blonde to cry even more. At this moment, Jack makes a sacred vow to God above that he will care for and cherish Naruto with every fiber of his being.
This is a promise that he will especially keep.
Just outside the front door, Hanako, Isao, and Itsuki watch the scene unfold with equal amounts sadness and happiness. Hanako turns to her boys and silently puts a finger to her lips. Getting the message, the boys quietly follow her away from the door, leaving their two teenage guests alone to hold each other for the rest of the night.
Location: Bedroom
Date: June 30th, 2016
Once again, Naruto awakens in warmth. This time, he finds himself being held in Jack's arms, with the redhead still sound asleep. Apparently, the two of them had fallen asleep like this while Jack was comforting Naruto.
Remembering last night brings a smile to Naruto's face. Sure, there's still a nagging feeling that this could be an insidious trap, but it's easily drowned out by the newfound hope inside him. For the first time in a long time, he has an optimistic feeling about his future.
A groan next to Naruto gets his attention. He sees Jack slowly open his eyes and awaken from a good night's sleep.
Seeing Naruto's face in the light of the morning sun makes Jack smile.
"Good mornin', Naruto," Jack greets his companion.
"Good morning, Jack-kun," Naruto replies.
Jack chuckles. "I sure wouldn't mind waking up to this every mornin'."
Naruto shyly looks away. "N-Neither would I."
The turning of Naruto's head gives Jack a clear view of the whisker marks on his cheek.
Jack lifts one of his hands. "May I?"
Naruto quickly understands what Jack is asking. "G-Go ahead."
Jack's hand cups Naruto's cheek and gently rubs his whiskers. Naruto closes his eyes as Jack's rough palm moves in circles on the blonde's birthmarks.
Sure enough, after a moment…
Puurrrr!
Naruto's blush is more subtle, though he still feels a bit of embarrassment.
Jack chuckles. "Does it really feel that good?"
"It's hard to explain. It's like…it's like a tickling feeling that spreads through my body," Naruto describes as he shifts around in Jack's grasp.
"Am I making you uncomfortable?" Jack asks as he watches Naruto squirm.
"Not at all!" Naruto answers. "I-In fact, I kinda enjoy it. Y-You can do it more often if you want."
"Is that so? Well, I'll certainly take you up on that offer," Jack says with a smile as he continues petting Naruto's cheek.
After a few moments, Jack ceases his petting, allowing Naruto to settle down.
Naruto opens his eyes and looks at Jack. "Jack, I want you to know that I appreciate you inviting me into your family, and I'll do whatever it takes to repay you. I'm not very good at cleaning, and the only cooking I can do is ramen, but I'm a fast learner, and I can garden–"
"I'm gonna stop you right there," Jack interrupts. "There's no need to repay me. When I asked you to join the family, it wasn't so that you can be a servant or anything like that."
"Then, what do you want me to be?" Naruto asks.
"Well…" Jack trails off as he stares into Naruto's eyes.
The birds chirping outside are the only sounds in the room as emerald-green gazes into sapphire-blue and vice-versa. Jack's arms wrap around the smaller frame in front of him and pull Naruto into a comfortable embrace. Naruto face grows redder from the closeness. His hands clutch Jack's shirt and pull the redhead in even closer.
Both teens' faces move closer together, their lips just centimeters from touching.
Knock Knock!
A sudden rapping on the bedroom door startles the two teens. Realizing just how close they are to each other, Naruto turns away in embarrassment with a beet-red face.
Jack awkwardly coughs. He lets go of Naruto and sits up. "Come in!"
The door opens slightly, and Isao pokes his head into the room with a knowing grin.
"Hey, uh, sorry for intruding. I would have left you two alone to enjoy the morning together," Isao says as his smirk turns into a frown, "but we have a bit of a problem."
Naruto quickly bolts upright as he and Jack look at Isao seriously.
"Are they here?" Jack asks.
"Almost. Our lookouts say they're two miles out and closing in," Isao tells Jack.
Jack sighs. "So much for breakfast." He quickly jumps to his feet. "Well then, let's go greet the neighbors."
Location: North Barricade
Timeskip: 30 minutes later
Jack stands on the large wooden barrier and looks out into the vast expanse of rolling hills and rivers, keeping a watchful eye for Goro's army. Naruto sits next to him holding a pitchfork, while the rest of the townsfolk stand behind and around the barricade with their own various assortment of weapons. Some civilians, like Isao, are fearful of the coming battle, while others, such as Tamako, are eager to finally take a stand against the criminal scum.
A man sitting on a nearby rooftop is looking over the landscape with a spyglass when he spots something in the distance.
"To the northwest! 11 o'clock!" the man shouts, getting everyone's attention.
Jack looks where the man is indicating and sees movement. His eyes glow orange as Sen's power enhances his eyesight.
Sure enough, about a hundred thugs armed to the teeth are marching on the main road heading straight for Kusu Town. Poking up amidst the small army is a portly man sitting on a horse.
'Must be Goro,' Jack thinks to himself.
Somewhere in the back of the group, Jack sees a large figure covered in a cloak.
'And there's the shinobi.'
Jack turns to the townsfolk behind him. "Send some other people over to the other entrances and the forest. We don't want any of Goro's men flanking us."
Several townsfolk head off to cover the town's weak spots, leaving Jack, Naruto, and the rest of the civilians waiting for the incoming army.
Eventually, the army of thugs stops several yards away from the wooden barrier. Both groups stare each other down as the wind blows between.
After a few moments, Jack gracefully jumps off of the barrier while Goro dismounts from his horse rather awkwardly. In fact, the portly man needs a couple of men just to make it to the ground unharmed.
Jack and Goro approach each other, allowing Jack to get a better look at his shorter adversary.
A smug smirk with several gold teeth. A mustache-goatee combo. Clean white suit. Fat fingers with huge gold rings.
'Lord above, this is the most punchable guy I've ever seen in my life!' Jack's face hides his excitement.
"So, you are the one who injured my employees. That wasn't very nice of you," Goro admonishes.
"I'm sure they have some kind of health insurance in you totally-legitimate business," Jack replies indifferently.
"Well, you may have done well against seven of my men, but now I have an army of a hundred and one killers at my back," Goro boasts as he shows off his army behind him.
"And I'll personally beat fifty-one of them before your army even reaches this gate, after which these fine citizens of Kusu Town will take care of the rest," Jack vows to the crime lord as he gestures to the armed civilians behind him.
"Now now, let's not be too hasty," Goro says to the teenager. "I'm sure that we can come to an arrangement. After all, I believe we'd both rather not let innocent people get slaughtered like animals."
Jack yawns.
Goro looks annoyed by this, but continues, "Why don't we make a deal? I will graciously spare these people's lives and leave them mostly unharmed. In exchange, you become the new mayor of Kusu Town and one of my chief enforcers. I am very generous to my subordinates, and I can pay you in money, jewels, drugs, women–"
"Yawn!" Jack interjects, catching the crime lord by surprise. "I say 'yawn' because when I actually do yawn, you just don't get it."
'Impudent brat!' Goro yells internally. "Now, you listen here; you had better show me some respect right now, or else I'll–"
Whump!
Jack punches his palm, making a small shockwave that causes Goro to stumble slightly.
Jack leans down and glares at the scared crime lord. "You'll do what, exactly?"
Goro gulps and chuckles nervously. "Now now, let's not do anything rash." Goro then composes himself. "You certainly seem like quite the fighter. Let's settle this the old-fashioned way; you against my strongest man."
'Perfect,' Jack thinks. "And if I win?"
"Then we leave Kusu Town alone for good."
"And the people's stolen family and hard-earned money?"
"As good as theirs."
Jack makes a show of considering the offer. "Deal."
As Jack turns and walks back to the barricade, Goro grins evilly, thinking his victory against the brat is assured.
Goro quickly turns back to his army. "MANZO!"
Jack just reaches the barricade when he hears the yell, followed by a chorus of shouting from the army of thugs.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Jack sees the townsfolk become fearful at the sound of the heavy footsteps. The redhead turns around as the large figure in the cloak approach the front of the army.
Once they're past the army, the figure throws off the cloak, revealing an absolute monster of a man. The seven-foot-tall ex-shinobi's entire upper body below his head is just packed with thick muscle, which he has no issue showing off, judging by his shirtless form. His clothed legs, though also muscled, are significantly less so, indicating a bodybuilder who focuses on using his arms for fighting. His bald head has a headband on it, with a metal plate that has a deep scratch going through an etching of two rocky hills.
Manzo throws up his arms and roars, invigorating the thugs and causing the townsfolk to tremble.
Jack merely shrugs. He pulls off his shirt and tosses up it to Naruto. "Keep an eye on this for me, boyo."
Not waiting for a response, Jack turns around and walks straight towards the hulking ex-shinobi with no signs of fear, which astonishes the townsfolk.
"Amazing," one civilian mutters.
"He's not afraid at all," another murmurs.
"Go on, Jack! Kick that bastard's ass!" Tamako yells confidently as she waves her large wooden paddle above her head.
Isao, inspired by his neighbor's yell, also shouts, "Yeah! Beat his ass, Jack!"
This rallies the other townsfolk to chant, "JACK! JACK! JACK!"
Though he doesn't shout, Naruto also offers his support. "You can do this, Jack."
Jack smiles at the praise behind him. 'Just like in the ring.'
'Are you sure you don't want to use any powers or enhancements for this fight?' Sen asks his host.
'Not yet. I want to enjoy this fight. I'll let you know if I need anything other than the enhancements I already have,' Jack answers.
Jack stops right in front of Manzo, who grins menacingly at the smaller fighter.
"Heh. You're a little small for a fight like this, brat," Manzo taunts.
"You're talking to me about small? There's only one term to describe you; overcompensating," Jack fires back as he gives a pitying look at Manzo's crotch, causing the giant nuke-nin to growl.
Manzo leans down close to Jack's face. "Since I don't want this to end too soon, I'll let you–"
POW!
Time slows down as Jack's right fist buries itself into Manzo's cheek, causing spit and blood to fly out of the nuke-nin's mouth. Manzo falls to the ground in a heap with a loud thump.
Time resumes as silence falls over the area. Isao and Itsuki look stunned. Tamako has a proud smirk. Naruto is amazed. Goro's eyes bug out in disbelief.
After a moment, the townsfolk cheer while the army of thugs mutter to themselves in concern.
"Oh, my bad. I thought he was saying that he'd let me have the first punch," Jack quips. "To be fair, I didn't want to end the fight too soon, either.
Then, everyone hears a groan from Manzo, silencing everyone. With a grunt, Manzo stands back up to his feet. The nuke-nin spits out a bloody tooth and grins.
"Not bad, brat. Now it's my turn," Manzo growls, before his hands flash through several handsigns. "Earth Release: Stone Armor!"
Grey stone quickly covers Manzo's entire body, encasing him completely in rock, save for openings for his eyes, ears, nostrils, and mouth. Manzo roars as he shows off his new rock body, causing the thugs and Goro to cheer once again.
Jack just stares at his opponent. '…So, I guess I'll be using some enhancements after all.'
'Affirmative.'
"Hahaha! Behold! The power that makes me indestructible! This why they call me 'Manzo the Titan!'" Manzo boasts. He leans in close to Jack's face. "What now, brat?! Are you going to beg for–"
POW! CRUNCH!
Time slows down again as Jack's chakra-enhanced metal right fist shatters stone and buries itself into Manzo's cheek, causing spit, blood, and several to fly out of the nuke-nin's mouth. Manzo falls to the ground in a heap with a massive thump.
Time resumes as silence once again falls over the area. Isao and Itsuki smile brightly. Tamako has a shit-eating grin. Naruto is starstruck. Goro's eyes bug out farther, and his jaw drops in panicked horror.
After a moment, the townsfolk cheer louder while Goro's men begin to panic.
(Insert Music: Fuckin' in the Bushes – Oasis)
"Beg for what? You gettin' a breath mint?" Jack quips as Manzo struggles to stand up.
"Haha! I told you he had superpowers!" Isao shouts in glee as he shakes the poor civilian next to him.
Manzo finally stumbles back onto his feet. He feels around his mouth with his tongue and is horrified to find half of the teeth on his left side missing. He growls at Jack, who's set in a boxing stance and shuffling his feet around.
"YOU BASTARD!" Manzo yells as he rushes at the teen.
Manzo throws a right haymaker, but Jack ducks out of the way. Jack throws a right hook that cracks stone and bruises Manzo's right-side ribs, followed by a left jab that cracks the rock on the right side of Manzo's face. Both hits send Manzo back to the ground.
Manzo once again gets back on his feet and tries to recover. Jack notices that Manzo is using his chakra to regenerate his rock armor.
'I don't think so!' Jack yells internally as he goes in for the attack.
Manzo stumbles as he halts regenerating his armor in order to block Jack's flurry of fists.
Manzo grits his teeth as he tries desperately to block the incoming fists, which feel like high-speed cannonballs as they impact his arms and stomach, chipping away his armor.
'Dammit! I need to focus my chakra in order to fix my armor, and I can't focus if I have to block the brat's punches! But the more he punches me, the more armor I lose! Damn this brat to hell!'
Manzo roars and pushes Jack away from him. Manzo catches his breath and notices that his arms and gut area have lost a significant amount of armor. The nuke-nin decides to go on the offensive to keep Jack from attacking.
Manzo throws a right punch, but Jack blocks it with his forearm and moves into Manzo's guard. Jack then wraps his left arm around Manzo's right, controlling the limb and leaving Manzo's chest and gut wide open. Jack aims his right arm into Manzo's gut and starts punching away like a high-speed engine piston. The first four punches destroy the stone protection, leaving Manzo's gut defenseless against Jack's assault.
"Give him hell!" Tamako yells in excitement. The other townsfolk cheer around her, encouraging their hero.
On the other side, Goro is less enthusiastic. "What the hell are you doing, Manzo?! Kill him already!"
Manzo barely hears his boss's words as he coughs up blood from having his organs tenderized by Jack's punches. Having more than enough of being a punching bag, Manzo tries to punch Jack away with his free fist.
Jack sees this coming, though. He stops his assault and blocks the incoming punch with his right forearm. He then grabs Manzo's head, his own forehead turning into metal.
CLANG!
Jack slams his metal forehead into Manzo's rock-covered one, shattering the nuke-nin's protection. While Jack recovers swiftly, Manzo's brain shuts down as a blinding pain engulfs the shinobi's head, causing him to lower his guard for several seconds.
Plenty of time for Jack to continue his work.
Jack sends fist after fist straight at Manzo's head, breaking rock and bone alike and leaving Manzo's face a bloody mess. Manzo tries to punch Jack away, but Jack dodges the punch and sends his right elbow into Manzo's jaw, making Manzo's head snap to the side.
Jack stops his assault and takes a moment to admire his work. Manzo's rock armor is exposed all over his face and gut, along with some parts on his arms. A massive ugly bruise covers Manzo's stomach area. His dazed face looks the worst, bloody, bruised, and missing several teeth.
As Manzo stumbles towards Jack with his right fist raised, Jack cocks his own right fist back, supercharging it with chakra.
Manzo throws his last desperate punch, but Jack catches the punch in his left hand and throws his own punch, aiming right at Manzo's face.
(End Music)
Time stops just before the punch connects.
The audience is frozen in the moment, one half celebrating, the other half panicking. The townsfolk are clamoring on top of the barricade and hollering in joy. Naruto smiles brightly at his hero. Goro's eyes and mouth are wide open with shock and terror. A red-eyed crow watches impassively a distance away.
Time resumes.
POW!
Jack's fist caves in the left side of Manzo's face and dislocates the brute's jaw. Manzo flies back from the hit, twists in the air, and falls flat on his front in a heap, his face bloody, broken, and misshapen. The blankness in Manzo's eyes show that he's mercifully entered unconsciousness.
Jack takes a moment to catch his breath and let the adrenaline of the fight wear off. He then raises his metal arms in the air in victory, causing the townsfolk behind him to erupt in cheers and applause.
Goro looks at his downed muscle in disbelief. "This…this can't be happening," the crime lord mutters in denial. He then sees Jack approaching him.
"Alright. A deal's a deal. You owe these people their money, their families, and their lives back," Jack declares.
"WAIT A DAMN MINUTE!" Goro shouts, stopping Jack in his tracks. "I HAD NO IDEA YOU HAD THESE POWERS! YOU HUSTLED ME!"
Jack shrugs. "Not my fault you didn't know. Still, you offered the deal, and I accepted it. Now, you have to pay what you owe."
Goro glares at the teen. "If you think that I'm going to give you anything of mine after you swindled me, then you've got another thing coming!" He then turns to the army behind him. "Men! Kill this bastard and burn this town to the ground! Do it, and I'll triple your pay!"
The thugs mutter to themselves, considering whether the offer is worth the risk.
And then, an orange glow gets their attention.
FSHWOOOOM!
Two beams of orange energy shoot out of Jack's eyes and dig a trench into the road, with Jack and Kusu Town on one side of the line and Goro and his men on the other. Jack powers down his optic beams and glares at his opponents with glowing orange eyes.
Everyone else falls into a stunned silence, the only sound being made coming from nearby crickets.
"Here's what's going to happen;" Jack states calmly, "if any of you cross this line, there's no going back. I will take you, and I will break you in ways you shouldn't try to imagine. Now, we all saw what I just did to Manzo. You lot are not nearly as durable as he was, so the pain that I bring will be considerably worse for you." Jack slams his metal fists together, making a loud clang. "That being said, who wants to try first?"
The thugs quickly rethink their options.
One thug is quicker than the rest. "Well, it ain't gonna be me!" He drops his sword and runs for the hills.
The rest quickly follow suit.
"Screw this!"
"No amount of money's worth this!"
"I never liked Goro anyway!"
Weapons drop to the ground as Goro's men quickly turn tail and flee, heading for everywhere except Kusu Town.
"NO! WAIT! YOU CAN'T LEAVE! FIGHT!" Goro tries desperately to rally his men to no avail. "I'LL PAY YOU FIVE TIMES AS MUCH! NO! TEN TIMES!"
Goro's words fall on deaf ears as he soon finds himself alone, his army of paid followers having abandoned him.
The sound of footsteps behind Goro cause him to freeze in fear. He slowly turns and sees Jack glaring down at him, the orange glowing eyes making the teen look ominous. The crime lord then finds himself hoisted up by Jack's metal arms, bringing him to Jack's eye level.
Goro gulps. "P-Please don't hurt me," the criminal scum begs. "I-I wasn't really going to betray you. I-I'll pay you whatever you want. I promise! Please!"
Jack shakes his head and chuckles humorlessly. "I'm not the one you should be talking to."
Jack then quickly turns and throws Goro, who screams as he flies high in the air straight at Kusu Town. Fortunately, he avoids the wooden wall with big sharp spikes.
Unfortunately, he lands right in the middle of the group of townsfolk he's terrorized for a year.
After recovering somewhat from his rough landing, Goro weakly lifts himself up to his hands and knees. He then looks up and blanches as he sees the townsfolk all glaring down at him.
"W-Wait…please…" Goro pitifully begs.
The townsfolk are having none of it.
Especially not Tamako, who raises her paddle with a grin. "This is gonna be fun."
"GYAAAH!"
WHAM! POW! SMACK! CRUNCH!
The fine, upstanding citizens of Kusu Town enjoy their one well-deserved moment of sheer savagery.
On top of the barricade, Jack Maguire looks on with a proud smile on his face.
"Right then! Who wants to go rob this fucker's house?!" Jack yells.
A chorus of 'aye's is the people's response.
Location: Town Square
Date: July 4th, 2016
Four days have passed since Jack defeated Manzo and captured Goro, while most of Goro's thugs had fled the area. A few of them had approached the other entrances to the town, as well as the forest, but the extra townsfolk guarding the entrances and the booby traps in the forest quickly dealt with them.
After the battle, everyone and their mother were given the opportunity to get their pound of flesh off of Goro. Some of the people wanted to take it a step further and execute Goro for his crimes, but Jack persuaded them to hand Goro over to the authorities, along with the motherload of incriminating evidence found in Goro's safe. Needless to say, the crime lord will be locked away for a long time.
It has also been four days since he and the people rescued the townsfolk Goro kidnapped and robbed the crime lord's manor of everything of value. There were tearful reunions all around, along with some salivating over the riches the former crime lord had. Thankfully, Jack was able to keep track of all of the goods, to make sure that they would be used for the town, and not to over-stuff anyone's pockets.
Somewhat worringly, Manzo's unconscious body had mysteriously disappeared while they were ransacking the manor, but, given his injuries, most people doubted that he would be any kind of threat.
Since then, Jack and the people of Kusu Town have been hard at work rebuilding the town to its former glory, which has gone smoothly due to everyone's hard work and the vast amounts of resources they've recently acquired.
Jack was especially helpful with his superpowers. He surprised everybody – except for Naruto, Hanako, Isao, and Itsuki – when he decided to stick around for several more days and help the town instead of heading straight home. The townsfolk revered the teen for his selflessness and goodwill.
Of course, not all of his time was spent rebuilding the town. Jack had plenty of time to hang out with the people of Kusu Town. He especially became friends with Tamako, though he's forever banned from her kitchen after failing to make simple biscuits in a fiery manner.
But by far, the person Jack interacted with the most was Naruto. Jack spent a lot of time with the blonde, helping the younger teen regain his strength and come out of his shell. The latter is going to take much longer to accomplish, but Jack has confidence in Naruto.
For now, they're both joining the townsfolk as they enjoy a massive feast under a star-filled night. Music is playing, people are dancing in joy, and tables piled high with food are strewn around the town square.
Naruto watches it all unfold as he sits at a table nursing his cup of sake. He smiles as he watches the happy scene around him. He allows himself to relax into the peaceful atmosphere.
"Enjoyin' the party, boyo?"
Naruto turns and sees Jack standing next to him with a bright smile and a giant mug in hand. Naruto notices that Jack's mug is nearly empty.
"How much sake have you had to drink, Jack?" Naruto asks in mild concern.
"Hah! Two pints!" Jack answers proudly. "And look!" Jack takes his free hand and touches his nose while he extends his other arm out to his side and stands on one leg. "Nothing! The perks of being a superhuman, I suppose. What about you?"
Naruto shyly looks at his own cup, his face already flushed slightly. "I'm trying to take it easy. I haven't had any alcohol for a long while."
"Take it as easy as you want. There's plenty of party left to enjoy," Jack assures his companion as he takes a seat. "Besides, we've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow."
Naruto's face lights up. "That's right. We're heading for New York tomorrow."
Jack smiles at Naruto getting the name right. "Aye. We're goin' home."
"…Home." Naruto mutters in happy anticipation, before getting a worried look on his face.
Jack notices the look. "Why the long face?"
"I'm just…I'm just a bit worried," Naruto admits. "I mean, I know you beat the Akatsuki and Manzo, but there's hundreds of shinobi out there in the Elemental Nations, and there's also monsters and spirits and demons around, and I know you're powerful, but…"
Jack smiles and places his hand on Naruto's shoulder, this time not getting a flinch from the blonde.
"Listen, Naruto. Whatever happens, whatever this bat-shit insane world throws at us, we'll get through it. Together," Jack assures the younger teen. "Just take a leap of faith. You won't be disappointed."
"I'm honestly more worried about disappointing you," Naruto confesses.
Jack waves it off. "Bah, you don't have to worry about that. You're an absolute joy to have around."
Naruto looks nervously at Jack. "So, you won't get tired of me?"
Jack continues to smile. "Never."
Naruto smiles back with a blush on his face.
"Attention!"
Everyone turns and sees the mayor standing on top of a makeshift stage.
"I hope everyone is getting their fill of food, drink, and merriment! At this time, I would like to invite our hero, Jack, to give a speech for the good people of Kusu Town!" the mayor announces.
Jack's smile grows as the townsfolk applaud. "That's my cue." He stands up and turns to Naruto. "You're gonna love this, boyo."
Naruto looks confused as Jack is ushered towards the stage.
The mayor stands to the side and allows Jack to take center stage.
"Thank you, everyone," Jack says to the crowd. "I'd like to start off by giving my thanks to the people who took care of the decorations, the stage, the food, every last bit of this wonderful party. Especially you, Tamako. That dango you made is to die for."
Everyone cheers at this, and Tamako has a proud smile.
"Also, real sorry about destroying your oven."
Everyone gets a chuckle at this, and Tamako continues to smile, though there's a tick mark on her forehead.
"It's not just them that worked hard, though," Jack continues. "Every last one of the fine citizens of Kusu Town has given it their all these last six days. All of their strength, all of their courage, all of their commitment, they've given all of that and more in defense of their home and their family, and I am absolutely proud to have worked alongside you all."
Everyone applauds at Jack's words.
"Now, believe it or not, today is the perfect day for our celebration, because today is an important holiday for my people," Jacks says, getting the crowd's curiosity. "Today, 240 years ago, my people freed themselves from the rule of a tyrannical dictatorship and established themselves as an independent nation. As such, to this very day, the people of America celebrate the Fourth of July as the Day of Independence. Now, I wish to share that celebration with the people of Kusu Town, who have just earned their own independence, and, for my people, there's one surefire way to mark the occasion."
Jack turns around, takes a deep breath, and cups his mouth.
"LIGHT IT UP!"
Nearby, a man sitting on a roof hears the bellowing shout. He lights up a torch and waves it high above him, sending a signal towards the distant hills outside the town.
After a moment, the people in the town square mutter to themselves, wondering just what Jack has planned.
Their questions are answered as a screeching sound is heard in the distance. They turn and see a ball of light quickly shoot up into the black sky–
BOOM!
And burst into a shower of colored sparks.
The people marvel at the fiery display, several "ooohs" and "aaahs" coming out from the crowd.
Then another burst of light erupts in the sky. Then another. And another.
The townsfolk revel at the light show.
"Fireworks! Courtesy of our dear pal, Goro! Thanks for the show, you lousy bastard!" Jack yells off into the distance.
Everyone else cheers at the former crime lord's expense.
Jack turns back to the crowd as more fireworks light off in the background behind him. "HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!"
The townsfolk shout for joy as the festivities continue under a sky filled with stars and colorful explosions.
Location: Hanako's House
Timeskip: Four hours later
Itsuki helps his passed-out father enter the house. The party had ended just a little while ago, and Isao had gotten more than his fill of drinking.
Behind them, Hanako shakes her head. "Honestly, Isao, you went completely overboard."
"He wasn't the only one."
Hanako turns and sees a completely sober Jack supporting Naruto, who has a dopey smile on his beet-red face.
Hanako chuckles at the scene. "Looks like he had a bit too much fun tonight."
"No kidding," Jack mutters. "I'll go ahead and take him to bed."
"You two have a good night's sleep," Hanako says to the two teens.
Jack nods while Naruto chuckles drunkenly as they head for their bedroom.
Location: Bedroom
Jack struggles to bring Naruto into the room as the blonde clings onto his body.
"~Ehehehe. *hic* Those lights were pretty, huh Jack?~" Naruto slurs.
'How is it that I drank ten times the amount of sake he did, yet I'm not even buzzed?' Jack asks himself.
Sen answers, 'Don't forget; you are immune to toxins now. That includes alcohol poisoning.'
'You mean I can't get drunk ever again? I don't know whether to be happy or depressed.'
Jack snaps out of his thoughts as he sees Naruto swaying to and fro.
Jack secures his companion in his arms. "Alright, take it easy, boyo. You're drunk."
Naruto looks offended as he pouts rather cutely. "Hey…you listen here…*hic*…I…am not drunk, alright. Now, my grandmother…she was drunk!"
"Really now?" Jack asks.
"You betcha!" Naruto answers cheerfully. "She was the drunkiest of all drunks! She was known…as the Legendary Drinker!"
Jack chuckles as he guides Naruto to the bed. "Sounds like quite the legacy."
Naruto gives Jack an impish grin. "I bet she could drink you under the table."
"Well, I'm a superhuman with Irish blood in me, so I highly doubt it," Jack says as he sets Naruto down into his bed.
Jack then notices Naruto's expression become depressed. "What's wrong?"
"…Tsunade-baa-chan…she's the one that kicked me out of the village," Naruto answers sadly.
This information surprises Jack. "What?! But she was your family, wasn't she?"
"We weren't…*hic*…we weren't blood, but she was family to me…and I thought I was family to her…" Naruto sniffles. "B-But she abandoned me. I-I loved her, and she just threw me away!"
Naruto starts crying into his pillow while Jack sits next to him and provides comfort.
"You know what? I say 'screw Tsunade'," Jack says firmly.
Naruto peeks out from his pillow. "…I thought you were gay?"
Jack laughs at this. "I meant 'forget Tsunade'. If she doesn't want anything to do with you, then you won't have anything to do with her. You live your life however you want to, and if she doesn't like it, then she can go fuck herself."
Naruto lifts himself up and looks at his pillow in thought. 'He's right. She never truly cared about me, so why should I care about her?'
Naruto clenches his pillow. "…Screw her…"
Jack barely hears Naruto's muttering. "Say that again?"
Naruto suddenly rises to his knees, startling Jack. "Screw Tsunade! *hic* I want nothing to do with her! And not just her! Ero-Sennin, Kakashi-sensei, Sakura-chan, Sasuke-teme…they can go to hell! I'm gonna live my life, a-and they're just gonna have to deal with it, dattebayo!"
Jack, who was listening to Naruto's declaration with rapt attention, blinks at the last part. "Dattebayo?"
Naruto's face turns redder in embarrassment. "S-Shut up!" he yells as he weakly raps on Jack's chest with his fists.
Jack chuckles and brings Naruto in for a hug. "You're freakin' adorable, you know that?"
"…Shut up…" Naruto mutters as he returns the hug, burying his face into Jack's shoulder.
After a few moments of hugging, Jack notices Naruto's hands roaming over his sides.
"Gettin' a bit handsy, are you, boyo?" Jack asks the drunk blonde.
"Mmph…I can't help it. You feel so nice," Naruto mumbles into Jack's shoulder. "I just want to touch you all night long *hic*."
Jack then notices a certain grinding feeling on his leg. He immediately knows where this is going.
"Alright, that's enough. Time for bed," Jack insists as he eases Naruto back onto his bed.
Naruto grins and pulls Jack on top of him, his hands still rubbing the redhead's body.
"C'mon, Jack. We don't have to sleep. Why don't we just…get to know each other?" Naruto suggests as he brings his lips closer to Jack's. "I'm all yours…"
Jack puts his finger on Naruto's lips, stopping the blonde's advance. "Naruto, you naughty minx, I'd love nothing more than to enjoy every last bit of your sexy body right here and now."
Naruto pouts. "Then, why…"
"Because you're drunk," Jack states. "It would be wrong of me to take advantage of you when you're drunk."
Naruto still looks upset, though he's touched by Jack's care for him.
"Tell you what; once you sober up, then we can do whatever we want with each other," Jack offers.
"…You promise?" Naruto asks.
Jack smiles and presses his forehead against Naruto's. "Promise."
Naruto smiles back, then looks away nervously. "Can…can you stay with me tonight?"
Jack nods. "Of course."
After a moment of shuffling, Jack finds himself laying down on the bed with Naruto snuggling his side. Both teens get comfortable as they tuck in for the night.
"…Hey, Jack? What's New York like?" Naruto asks as he closes his eyes.
Jack takes a few seconds to think to himself the right words. This is the first time he's had to describe his home city.
"She's…big," Jack explains. "I suppose that's the first thing that comes to mind. An absolutely massive city, with towers that touch the heavens. She's loud, too, and tough as nails. I'm not gonna lie, she's got a mean streak to her. If you're not prepared, or you're disrespectful, or you're just plain stupid, she'll chew you up and spit you out without a care in the world. But if you give her the respect she deserves, then she'll give you all of the love and care she has to offer."
Jack smiles as he remembers the city that he's called home for all of his life.
"Yeah, she's no paradise, I admit, but honestly, I can't think of any other place to call home. I'm sure it'll be the same for you, Naruto."
…
"Naruto?"
Jack turns and sees Naruto fast asleep, still holding on to his body. Naruto's face looks so peaceful under the moonlight.
Jack chuckles quietly at the scene next to him and closes his own eyes, getting some much-needed rest for the big day tomorrow.
Location: Kusu Town, East Gate
Date: July 5th, 2016
The morning sun shines on Kusu Town as the townsfolk are gathered at the eastern entrance, standing on both sides of the road, and waiting to give their honored guests a proper send-off.
Eventually, Jack and Naruto arrive, the former carrying a large backpack full of supplies. They smile as they approach the gate while the people around them say their farewells.
"Goodbye!"
"Good luck out there!"
"We'll never forget you!"
Tamako is especially vocal. "Give them hell, boys!"
Jack and Naruto chuckle at the exclamation. They reach the gate, where the mayor, Hanako, Isao, and Itsuki are waiting for them.
The mayor bows to Jack. "Jack from Amerika, we of Kusu Town cannot thank you enough for your help. We hope these supplies will serve you well on your long journey."
Jack bows in return. "Happy to help, sir."
Naruto bows as well, before both teens approach Hanako and her boys.
"Thank you for taking care of us, Hanako-san, Isao-san, Itsuki-san," Jack tells his impromptu host family as he bows to them.
"Thank you very much," Naruto says as he also bows.
"You saved our home. It's the least we could have done," Itsuki replies.
"Not to mention you took care of most of my chores as well–" Whack! "Ow! Kaa-san!" Isao says before getting whacked by his mother.
Hanako glares at her lazy son for a moment, then gives a warm smile to Jack and Naruto. "I wish you the best of luck on your trip home, boys."
"Thanks, Hanako-san," Jack replies as Naruto nods.
Hanako then surprises the two teens by grabbing their hands and bringing them together. "And well wishes for your adventures together," she says in a knowing tone.
Jack chuckles while Naruto shyly looks away.
Soon, Jack and Naruto leave Kusu Town, waving goodbye to the townsfolk as they head out to the next stage of their adventures.
Location: Road 17
Timeskip: One hour later
The two teens continue to hike on the road as Jack consults their map of the Elemental Nations.
"Okay, so accordin' to the map, once we leave the Land of Rivers and enter the Land of Fire, we'll be passin' by a place called the Fire Temple, then going through the Forest of Fire before reaching Fire City, the capital of the Land of Fire – Jesus fuck, they need a better naming system." Jack states, muttering the last part in annoyance. "By Sen's calculations, if we keep moving at this pace for 12 hours a day, take 2 days at most to resupply in the capital, and maybe take a day at the temple to play tourist, then we should make it to the Land of Waves in 42 days, give or take. After that, it'll just be a matter of getting a ship to take us through The Veil."
Naruto glances at the map in concern. "Are you sure we should be passing that close to Konoha?"
"It's the shortest path to Wave. The less time we spend in this God-forsaken land, the better," Jack explains. "Besides, Konoha will eventually figure out that you're roamin' about again, and that you want nothin' to do with them whatsoever. Therefore, if they do start searchin' for you, they'll be lookin' everywhere except near Konoha since they'll figure that you wouldn't try to be anywhere near the village." Jack grins. "The closer we are to danger, the farther we are from harm. It's the last thing they'll expect."
A question mark forms over Naruto's head. "…That doesn't make much sense, Jack."
Jack smiles and ruffles Naruto's hair. "Trust me, Naruto. There's a method to my madness."
Naruto blushes at the affectionate touch. The blush grows as he recalls his rather…risqué actions the night before.
"…Hey, Jack? About last night,…"
Jack quirks an eyebrow. "Yeah?"
Naruto pokes his fingers together nervously. "…I'm going to need some time before I'm ready for anything…intimate."
Jack nods in understanding. "It's alright, boyo. Take as much time as you need."
Naruto smiles at Jack's understanding. "Thank you."
A fluttering of wings gets Jack's attention. Jack glances over and sees a crow watching them in the trees. Jack's eyes narrow in suspicion.
Naruto notices Jack's look. "What's wrong?"
"Is it just me, or has that crow been followin' us since we left Kusu Town?" Jack asks.
Naruto looks confused. He follows Jack's gaze and sees the crow with red eyes staring at them.
…Wait. Red eyes?!
Naruto panics and shuts his eyes in fear as he buries his face into Jack's shoulder. "NO!"
Jack quickly turns to Naruto, who's squeezing him for dear life. "What's wrong?!"
"DON'T LOOK INTO THE EYES!" Naruto warns loudly.
"What? Why–" Jack asks as he turns back to the crow, only to find it has disappeared. "Hey! Where did it–"
Movement behind them causes Jack to turn around–
–and stare into the red eyes of a familiar black-haired man. The same man that brought Jack to the Akatsuki.
'OH SHIT!'
Those are Jack's last thoughts before a crimson glow fills his vision, followed by darkness.
A.N.: And cut! Holy cliffhangers, Batman! Here's hoping that Jack can get himself out of this latest mess.
Anyways, let's talk about what went down.
First, Jack's fight against Manzo was heavily influenced by the movie Snatch, which I do not own, which is a shame considering that it's cinematic gold.
Speaking of the fight, Manzo was a shinobi with little technique that relied solely on his Rock Armor during his fights, which is why Jack had an easy time fighting him. Future enemies won't be so easy.
Also, we see Jack and Naruto bonding further, with both of them sharing their pasts and Jack offering his home and a spot in his family to Naruto, who eagerly accepts. There'll be a couple of more things for the two of them to smooth out before they're "official", but it won't be long before they seal the deal.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this story so far, along with the other stories being written in Phase 1. Stay tuned for my next update!
Dropareviewifyoucanflamerswillbeignored.