Chapter 6: Fatherhood
Nine years before Emergence Day...
The small, brown haired girl darted between bustling adults as they filled the busy streets. Bright sunlight reflected off of windows as the building towered over her, her wide brown eyes taking in as much as she dared as the little girl continued to search for her father. He wasn't a quiet or common man, but she always seemed to lose him in the crowds. The average eight year old would be intimidated by this fact; young children were told bedtime stories of monsters and bad men snatching them up. But Samantha Byrne was no average eight year old.
Samantha and her father had made several trips to Tyrus and other COG nations, and she had quickly learned to pick up his trail in even the busy streets of Jacinto. That, and she could smell the salty aroma of a noodle stand around the corner. She weaved around the suited bureaucrats that lived in the concrete jungle she navigated with a mixture of youthful energy and growing experience. As she ran, she could see people shooting concerned looks whispering, their attention on a stand near the entrance to the metro. It had stools placed in front, and a warm aroma of salty foods wafted from the open stand. More noticeable, however, was the blonde-haired patron currently devouring his 19th bowl of noodles. His white battle coat and wrapped sandals coupled with his blonde hair made him stick out among the crowd of suits and ties. As Samantha ran up to him, the blonde let out a self-satisfied belch, causing the young girl to wrinkle her nose.
"Daaaaaad!" She cried indignantly, stamping her foot for emphasis. "You got distracted again!"
Naruto turned toward Samantha and patted his stomach with a contented smile.
"Sorry, sweetheart. I just couldn't control myself." He fished out several bills that would pay for the stack of empty bowls in front of him, as well as a sizable tip. It was the least he could do for the poor dishwasher.
"We're here to visit your friend, not stuff your face with noodles!" Her continued indignation got a bark of laughter out of Naruto as he scooped her up in a hug, ignoring her struggles and cries.
"And we will, but first we should see the sights. My old teacher taught me that you should never be so focused on something that you forget to enjoy yourself." He flipped her up onto his shoulders and took off at a gentle trot, the young girl bouncing on his shoulders as he ran.
"Besides, Hoff won't be off duty until about six, if his letter was anything to go by. We should head to the market, see if we can find some of those fancy wooden blinds." Samantha rolled her eyes at that; Naruto was always trying to improve the little house they lived in back in Anvegad. After the siege, efforts to rebuild Anvil Gate after UIR forces, and to some extent Lieutenant Hoffman, destroyed it were progressing in leaps and bounds. The residents of Anvegad enjoyed reconstruction efforts and materials from the COG. They also benefited from an endless workforce of disguised clones, working hard to undo the damage inflicted those few years ago. But even with such extensive resources at their disposal, Naruto was constantly on the lookout for the more personal touch.
The two found their way to a small furniture store just off Allfathers' Way, near Olafson Intermediate School. When they reached their destination, Naruto gently set Samantha down, much to her disappointment. She was growing fast, but the urban jungle still towered over her, causing her to do another slow spin as she took in the statues that stood between grand columns, and the sheer size of the buildings around her. Naruto walked into the store as she gazed around at Jacinto's impressive impressive structures, content to be out of the small shop before she was done being overwhelmed.
It was in this daze that Samantha was so taken by the architecture of the bank to the right of the small shop Naruto had gone into that she accidentally bumped into someone. Or rather, three people. Unfortunately, they were all bigger than her, sending the small Kashkuri girl back onto her rear. The hard concrete hurt somewhat, but she was more startled than anything. When Samantha looked up, she saw three boys that were twelve or thirteen years old. They all had dark hair, and the two darker skinned boys appeared to be brothers. The other boy's skin was lighter, and he held himself in a way that was different from the others, more nobility. It was this boy that offered a hand to help her up.
"Sorry about that." He said, his voice a mixture of choice breeding and the every day familiarity enjoyed by the lower classes. "I didn't realized you were distracted, or I would have been more careful." Samantha took his hand and pulled herself up, her movement quick and fluid. The other two boys grinned good-naturedly.
"It's okay. No matter how many times we travel to the big cities, I can never get enough of these statues and buildings." She suddenly remembered the manners Naruto had instilled in her. "My name's Samantha, but you can call me Sam." The boy that helped her up nodded, though his demeanor never changed from kind politeness. He didn't seem the type to smile often.
"My name's Marcus. This is Carlos, and the squirt is Dominic." He pointed toward the older and younger boys beside him in turn, though the latter bristled at the term 'squirt'. "Are you here with family?" Samantha nodded, suddenly aware that her father had not been present for her literal run in with the boys. Even as she looked around, the door to the small shop opened, revealing Naruto as he walked out carrying a small box over his shoulder.
"Impressive. I can't even pick up an order without you making some friends. You're more social than your mother was." The boys all looked up at the tall blonde man, Dom and Carlos in wonder and Marcus in calm observation. Naruto grinned back at all three of them, though his gaze lingered on Marcus.
"You remind me of someone. Do you have any family in the Army? An uncle or your father, perhaps?" His tone was conversational, but Naruto was genuinely curious. Marcus however, bristled defensively.
"My father used to be in the Army, until he decided to be a researcher." His tone was clipped, and there was an icy edge when he mentioned his father. Naruto's eyebrows rose slightly at the slight hostility. Problems at home, perhaps?
"Is his name Adam?" Naruto chose to be more direct, much to the growing awkwardness that Dom, Carlos, and Samantha were feeling. They had been getting along great, but like many conversations with the three boys, any time Marcus' dad came up, things got tense fast. And this blonde stranger wasn't getting the hint.
"Yeah, his name's Adam Fenix. Why do you ask?" Marcus head was lowered slightly, like a bull might size up an opponent. "Did you know him when he was in the Army?" Naruto nodded grimly.
"Yes, I did. I met him the week before Samantha's mother died. He helped me save a lot of lives." With that, the tension eased slightly, though Carlos and Dom were looking at Samantha with a mixture of sympathy and pity. It was a look she had seen many times, and one she did not like receiving at all.
"Well, that's great. I think he's home, so if you wanna talk to him, the estate is that way." Marcus said, throwing a finger behind him back toward Founder's Square. Some might have expected Marcus to lead Naruto and Samantha back to the Fenix home. But that clearly wasn't going to happen. Naruto had seen behavior similar to Marcus'. It was clear the boy hadn't bonded well with his father.
"Well, I appreciate the tip. I may drop by and visit your father. I hope you boys stay out of trouble." He walked right through the trio, all three boys moving aside to allow him past.
"Sam, let's go." His curt tone betrayed his disapproval of the situation, and Samantha quickly excused herself with an embarrassed wave and followed along after her father as he made his way down the sidewalk. As the Kashkuri girl caught up to her father, she noted the frown set into his face.
"Why did you just brush them off like that, Dad?" She asked. He glanced down at her and his frown softened, but it still did not go away.
"The last time I spoke to Adam Fenix, he was obsessed with going home to take care of his son." Naruto said as they passed a few other pedestrians. "Considering that he's had eight years to get settled in to civilian life, I would have figured he would spend more time with the boy." Samantha nodded solemnly. She knew Naruto didn't like talking about the day after her birth. It reminded him of the friends he had lost, her parents included. Over the years as she had grown up, Samantha had tried to pry the details of her parents' deaths from Naruto. Today wasn't a day to dig up bad blood, but she was curious about Naruto's connection to Adam Fenix.
"How do you know Mr. Fenix?" She asked, sticking close to the blonde as they crossed the final intersection before entering the residential area of Jacinto, where Tyrus' more privileged blood lived. The mansions were as numerous as they were unique, their only similarity being that every large estate was surrounded by a ten foot privacy wall. To some, it seemed like prudence and distant respect. To Samantha, it looked like a bunch of rich people crouching over their gains. None of the houses felt open or welcoming, which is what a home should feel like.
"After we broke the siege at Anvegad, I escorted some refugees and Gears to Shavad. Adam was a commanding officer over some of Hoffman's regiment, and he helped me relocate everyone. Afterwards, we sat down and discussed the war, and I gave him some prodding about getting out of the military." Naruto glanced around at the immaculate lawns and high walls. "He spoke of weapons and policies to prevent war, not just make it easier. I told him to take the research position he had been offered, and we parted ways. He still writes, but I haven't seen him in four years."
Father and daughter moved up the street past several smaller homes, and took a less traveled side street that wound in between privacy walls. It emptied out past a wrought iron gate into a hillside courtyard, an outdoor recreational area for the financially gifted. There were a few workmen, day laborers that cleaned the local area for decent wage. After a quick word with one of them, the two found themselves at the bottom of a large staircase, with two flights weaving up through an escalating garden. Naruto lingered long enough for Samantha to enjoy the local flora, but the midday sun had slowly succumbed to an afternoon daze. At the top of the staircase, sat the Fenix Mansion. It was impressive, flanked by carefully trimmed hedges and crested at to fronts with a regal lion. More lion statues stood guard at the entrance to the yard, looming ten feet over Naruto's head.
The front door was teak, a rarer wood found in the hills of Gorasnaya. Considering the country it came from had been at war with the COG, and Tyrus specifically, for almost one hundred years, it was more of an achievement to obtain it than the actual quality of the wood. Naruto raised a fist and gave the lacquered wood three sharp knocks. The echoing strikes solidified his perception of the mansion. It may have had beds, kitchens, bathrooms, and foyers. But the Fenix Estate did not feel like a home. Naruto's suspicions about Marcus' distant nature were confirmed.
It took several minutes, but Samantha perked up at the quite footfalls on the other side of the door. An impressive lock released from the door, and it swung inward, giving off an aroma of mothballs and old books. And there stood Adam Fenix. The man had lost some of his Gear weight, to Naruto's note, but he was still the man that had led the Unvanquished 26th Royal Tyran Infantry in the defense of Shavad. His cheeks had a sallow color to them, and his bald head seemed pale instead of bright. But the man's bright blue eyes widened when he saw Naruto.
"Mr. Namikaze? What on Sera are you doing here?" Adam's voice was rough, as if he had been under the weather for the past few days. Whether it was from a cold, or some other ailment Naruto did not know. He did, however, offer a hand.
"Adam. It's good to see you." Adam looked at the outstretched hand for a moment, then hesitantly grasped it. His grip was firm, but lacked the strength of a whole man. Something was wrong.
"We ran into Marcus and his friends while we were about the town. I figured there was time to stop in and visit an old friend." Adam nodded and stepped aside, allowing Naruto and Samantha into his home before closing it. They barely heard the lock click before the large house swallowed up the noise.
The foyer was open, with two staircases curling upwards to meet in the center, allowing access to the second floor. A couch sat at the base of the staircase in between the flights. Several columns rose up from floor to ceiling, connected by banisters on the floor above them. Above the staircase was a large, circular skylight that bathed the large room in the golden light of the waning sun. Two doorways on the right and left sides led deeper into the estate, though no waitstaff or servants wandered the halls. It seems that despite his cushioned lifestyle and gilded upbringing, Adam Fenix still liked to do things himself. Unfortunately, judging by the stacks of research notes and dirty teacups littering every table with a chair beside it, Adam had been preoccupied with things besides keeping his house.
"I must apologize for the mess." Adam seemed to notice Naruto taking in the dishes and papers. "The grounds haven't known a woman's touch for some time." It was blurted out information as well as an apology. Naruto noticed this, and looked down at Samantha. The girl was clinging closely to her father in this foreign home. Ne nudged her gently with his leg, drawing her attention.
"Sam, why don't you go exploring for a little bit? I seem to recall a gallery down that left side." He pointed towards the lower left door. Samantha frowned up at him. She was eight years old, but had matured quite a bit ahead of her peers. She knew Naruto was going to discuss things that would upset her, and that he was trying to get rid of her. Nevertheless, she grudgingly took off down the hallway, curious to see what she could find while the adults talked.
Naruto and Adam watched her scamper off, the thick, aged carpets absorbing the sound of her steps as she soon disappeared behind a green paneled door. The two found their seats on the couch underneath the stairs, and uncomfortable silence coming over them. They sat quietly for some time. Finally, Naruto broke the calm.
"What happened to Elaine?" It was the question Adam had brought about, but it visibly pained him nevertheless. His face fell, and took on age that he didn't deserve.
"Three months ago, she was studying some genetic anomalies in the Hollow, a series of caves beneath the city. It's accessible near Founder's Park. She was going back and forth there for weeks, and then one day..." Adam trailed off. This explained a lot of things; the somewhat unkempt house, Marcus' distance from his father, and Adam's degenerative state.
"When did Marcus find out?" Naruto's voice was somber, but he suspected the answer before it came, in the form of Adam's guilty sigh.
"I notified the police before I told Marcus, hoping that they would find Elaine before he caught on. I never told him where she was going when she disappeared. He started to see through it from the very beginning, and one day he just stopped asking." Adam's smile was sad. "He's such a perceptive boy. But I feel that I've destroyed his trust. I'm glad the Santiago family takes such good care of him, because I rarely see him anymore." There was genuine sorrow in Adam's voice, and Naruto pitied the man. Clearly the loss of his wife had hurt him, but he had attempted to protect his son and failed. Deception was not a healthy part of a relationship between son and father, but Naruto could understand that Adam had been trying to protect Marcus.
"He may come around later," Naruto said sadly. "It will take some time to earn his trust. This is clearly something that has hurt him." Adam nodded, still looking despondent and numb. He was regretful that he had hurt his son so much. Naruto could only hope that the two could repair what happened between them, that Marcus could forgive his father. But that was their affair. He had a daughter of his own to raise. And speaking of which...
The musty old house had lost a lot of its mystery by the time Samantha had explored the first floor. She had found a room that likely belonged to Marcus, though the only sign of life was the recently made bed and a few pages of homework. It was nothing like her room back home. Marcus hardly had any pictures, except for one with himself and his parents, and one of Marcus, Dom, and Carlos. The family picture was very formal, something that belonged in a large frame on a wall, not on a young boy's bedside table. The photo of Marcus and the Santiago brothers, however, was very different. He was actually smiling.
Samantha didn't really know Marcus, but he seemed too...reserved for a twelve year old boy. Like he didn't think he was allowed to laugh or cry or joke or get angry. It wasn't robotic, so much as depressed. Naruto had taught her that emotions had to be kept in check, but you still had to be human. He had told her stories of men who had been conditioned to be tools, emotionless living weapons for their betters. It was a lesson that was easy, but still necessary for her to learn.
She wandered around more, and found herself in a study. Tall wooden bookshelves reached the ceiling, each one stuffed with biology texts and studies. A few had jars of organic samples, one of which being a strange rat, floating in formaldehyde. It was the kind of thing she expected to find in a mad scientist's laboratory. But judging by the slightly dusty photograph of Marcus, Adam, and a beautiful brunette woman, Samantha guessed that this was his mother's study. Elaine clearly hadn't been in the house for a while. In fact, it looked like she wasn't coming back. I guess that's what is wrong with Marcus and Mr. Fenix. Samantha thought.
She understood why Dom and Carlos were so important to Marcus. When he lost his connections at home, he strengthened the ones he found in his friends. It reminded her that her friends were few and seldom played with, due to her frequent trips with her father. There was auntie Taylor, and her daughter Sherry, but the two had moved to Char several months prior with Sherry's father. The other kids in the village treated her oddly, because of her parents that had died and because of her peculiar guardian. That being said, she didn't mind being the lonely child. Life certainly wasn't boring with Naruto around. He had already taught her basic martial arts, and had imparted the life lessons he had learned in his troubled childhood upon her as well. He had taught her that friendship and the bonds forged between people are more precious than any 'greater good'.
"There may be a time when you have to choose between a friend and something you want to accomplish. Take it from me – the ones you love are more important than any petty objective. In my childhood, they taught my classmates to value the mission above all else. My team's instructor was a walking monument to completed missions and dead friends. Until he started teaching us, he was a very miserable man. Lonely and successful isn't worth it."
He had told her this after a question regarding the army. Samantha had asked about enlistment, and had been curious about the many friends Naruto had in the army. He had not told her the army was bad, per se, but he was adamant that she explore other options first.
"Samantha!" Her father's voice broke the girl from her thoughts, and she gave the dusty study one more look around and then ran back down the hallway toward the foyer. Naruto and Adam were finishing their conversation with hand shaking and other adult niceties. Adam seemed saddened, somehow, but they had other things to do. The thought of visiting the Hoffman family quickly pushed thoughts of the Fenix family out of her head. Hey, she's eight.
"Hopefully, we'll check in during brighter times, Adam. Until then, you two be safe." Naruto offered as Adam walked them both to the door. The bald man nodded apologetically.
"I didn't mean to burden you with my problems. I hope I'll have better news the next time we meet." Adam waved to Samantha as she skipped out the door into the courtyard. "And I hope to see you again as well Samantha. You take care of your father." Samantha beamed and waved back, and then took off down the stairs. Naruto waved as well, and the started down the stairs as well. It hadn't felt like it, but the day had crept by. The evening sun had barely dropped behind the Fenix estate, bathing the grounds in a soft golden light. To Naruto, it was a moment of peace in a world torn by war. To Samantha, it just looked really cool.
They arrived at the Hoffmans' apartment shortly before six, and they only had to knock once before the door was opened by a short brunette woman with a warm smile. Margaret Hoffman was a lawyer, and a woman that had seen the appeal to Hoffman's brutal honesty. It took a woman accustomed to lies and half-truths to see the value of a man who hated lies. Their flat was large for its proximity to Allfather's Way. It boasted two bedrooms and two baths, and was nearly 1,500 square feet. Victor had hung a few of the late Captain Sander's paintings here and there, but it was clear from the tasteful furniture and photographs that Margaret dictated how the house was decorated. Samantha gave Margaret a hug, and then bolted into the house in search of Victor. Naruto nodded with a mix of greeting and apology.
"Sorry we were almost late. I ran into Adam Fenix, and nearly lost track of time." Margaret waved off his apology with a smile.
"Don't worry about it. If I hadn't learned to have a flexible schedule, I'd never have survived as long as I have with Victor. The army likes to make plans, and then ignore them completely." Naruto nodded in agreement, and then set his purchased box of blinds from earlier that day down underneath the coat rack that hung near then door. Further inside, in the living room, the two heard a gasping 'oof!' and Samantha giggling. Naruto and Margaret walked down the hallway into a spacious living room, where Samantha had tackled Victor on his way off the couch. The promotion to major and several more years of service in the army had added wrinkles to the man's eyes, but he was still the energetic bulldog Naruto had met in Anvegad eight years prior. He was currently laughing at Samantha, who was doing her best to body slam the much larger Gear in a way that Naruto had taught her. It clearly wasn't working.
"I know I didn't teach you to start fights, Sam." Naruto chided good-naturedly. Samantha simply stuck her tongue out at him. Victor laughed again.
"Good to see you haven't learned to listen since I last saw you." Samantha tried again, but Hoffman was just a little to quick and heavy for her to hip toss. The girl grunted in frustration and and stopped struggling, allowing Hoffman to set her down. The bald man then stood and grasped Naruto's hand firmly, pulling him into a rough embrace and patting the older man on the back. Naruto returned the gesture as Margaret walked past, heading toward the kitchen.
"Victor, I thought I told you to stir the noodles. They'll be soggy at this point!" Victor winced and released Naruto's arm.
"I was about to, until I caught an intruder in our home." Victor said, and winked at Samantha. The Kashkuri girl giggled again.
"Well, it's almost ready anyway. If you boys set the table, I'll have the food out there shortly." Margaret didn't strike Naruto as the type of woman to compromise. Victor wouldn't tolerate a mate that accepted defeat. So he knew that there was no real slight, and went to assist Victor in setting the table.
After enjoying a delicious dinner of pasta, potatoes, and freshly baked rolls, Samantha helped Victor with the dishes while Margaret and Naruto packed up a take home package for the two travelers. Once that was done, they all retreated to the living room, where Chairman Dalyell was delivering a speech on mute. Victor had been made aware of everything pertinent before he left the office that day, so the television was little more than a placeholder for a fireplace. Margaret joined him on the couch after the four had finished cleaning up after themselves. Naruto and Samantha sat across from them on the love seat, Samantha sitting on the edge while Naruto was leaning back with his legs crossed ankle to knee. His battle coat splayed out underneath him, showing off the red lining that also hid the seals he used to store his various tools and materials.
"So," Victor slid an arm around Margaret's shoulders and leaned back as well. "How have things been back in Kashkur? I understand that things have settled down since Vasgar decided to join our side." Naruto nodded grimly. He had assisted in rebuilding the power plant the COG had 'strategically' disabled just before the siege of Anvegad. Vasgar had been neutral during the siege, but that didn't stop the UIR from steamrolling across the border with an armored division and shelling Anvil Gate for several months. After the siege, Vasgar had decided that the people that had turned the lights out were better than the ones bringing tanks in through their back yards. Vasgar's president had declared open support for the COG, and the lines moved far from the peaceful backwoods of Kashkur.
"Things have been peaceful enough to travel, and now I don't have to worry about commandos sneaking into my house while Sam and I are away." Naruto noticed Victor wince a little at the mention of commandos.
"Yeah. Despite how effective they are, I wouldn't wish them onto anyone I'm fond of. Terrible table manners, too." Naruto frowned slightly at that.
"You speaking from experience? I understood you'd taken a job with Special Operations, but I didn't think you'd be doing the same thing Zagala was doing?" It wasn't meant to be a low blow, but Hoffman took it in stride.
"I'm not doing all that; I'm mostly training and siege breaking. They figured that since I repelled special forces, I'd know the techniques that our spooks would need to beat. That, and the 26th RTI is recuperating from a rough skirmish near Ostri. We're training new blood." Victor kept his voice level, but his eyes showed slight irritation at being compared to the murderous Indie that had killed Hollis and detonated the market square in Anvegad. Still, he respected Naruto's neutral position on open warfare.
"I'm not denouncing it," Naruto said calculatingly. "The Coalition is still in open warfare. I've been through enough fighting to know that sneaking and subterfuge can win or lose a battle. But I also recognize that every throat slashed is one more casualty." Samantha sat back on the couch and leaned up against Naruto, who looped his arm around her protectively from instinct alone. The younger girl wiggled a bit, then sat still as the adults talked about things she didn't fully understand yet.
"A casualty for the other side is a step closer to victory. I'm not under the delusion that every enemy combatant is a heartless bastard, but I do know that he's still going to shoot me on sight." It was a conversation they'd hashed and rehashed multiple times. Margaret chose that time to cut in.
"That's not to say that no attempts at diplomacy have been made. No matter how many compromises the Chairman comes up with, the UIR won't agree to them. They want all the Imulsion, or nothing." Being a prosecutor, she was used to deals and compromises going through. It happened every day in the court room.
"That may be true, but I don't see Dalyell taking any offer the Union gives him. There's too much there, too much bloody history for him to accept anything less than total victory. And they will not offer that." It made the Chairman of the COG out to be unreasonable, but who could blame him? Whatever territory lost in some peace treaty had been won previously in this eighty year war by dead Gears.
"I suppose that is true enough. It's going to take a real game changer to end this war. Because I don't see diplomacy or conventional warfare putting it to rest." Hoffman motioned toward Samantha, who had dozed off.
"Enough doom and gloom politics, how has it been with Samantha?" Naruto grinned, looking down at his eight year old charge with the fatherly affection he'd never been able to spend on children of his own.
"I have the house just about where I want it. She's mostly outgrown her toys, but I bring her on my trips. We've had a lot of fun these past few years." Victor and Margaret smiled as well. Margaret shared a look with Victor, then looked at Naruto.
"I'm sure Sam and Sheraya would be proud of you. I know I would be." The mention of his late friends did nothing to dampen Naruto's spirits; he knew that they most likely were proud, wherever they were.
"She's a wonderful little girl. Smart, insightful. And she's always willing to learn. I'm lucky she's so wonderful." He ruffled the sleeping girl's hair slightly, not disturbing her. "She makes me proud."
Victor and Margaret smiled at the two. Naruto had raised the girl on his own (not a difficult task for a man that can make copies of himself), but he clearly had the patience of a saint. It came with age, Victor supposed.
They sat there and spoke for another hour, but as the clock crept closer to eleven, Naruto insisted that they leave. Like with all their visits, Victor insisted that the two stay the night, but Naruto waved him off. He didn't have a hotel room, and they hadn't made camp or anything. He just simply walked out the door and headed home. This time it was no different. Naruto hefted the small Kashkuri girl on one hip, and the blinds he had bought earlier that day under the other arm.
"You know, one day I'll have to convince you to stay." Victor said. "How do you travel so far without waking her?" Naruto smiled and winked.
"Oh, I have my ways. You two have a good night. I'll give you a call tomorrow." Victor nodded and wrapped one arm around Naruto's shoulder, the side with the blinds. He held the embrace for a second, then released the blonde man. When he stepped back, Naruto's hand was free; the box of blinds nowhere to be found. Victor merely raised his eyebrows in mild surprise. He'd known Naruto for several years, and very little would shock him in regards to the blondes' abilities. Victor took the outstretched hand and shook it once. Naruto grinned cheekily.
"One of these days you'll have to show me a few of those tricks." Victor joked. Naruto shook his head.
"I thought about teaching Samantha when she got older, but there's very little chakra in the people here. With training, I could probably teach her a few low level techniques. But no one here could do what I can. There just isn't enough energy in your bodies." Naruto shrugged as he said it. It was no disappointment to Victor. He spent his days training the boogeymen that kept the Indies up at night. So what if he couldn't do a few magic tricks?
"Well, I'd love to see what happens when she sets her mind to something. Reminds me of her father." Naruto grinned.
"Well, it's been fun Vic. I'll drop by again soon. I may even have something for you." His grin turned serious. "And if any of your guys want to try sneaking up on me, I'll tattoo their mistakes to their a-, I mean, butts." His eyes flicked to the sleeping girl on his hip. Hoffman grinned.
"I'll keep that in mind." With that, Naruto turned and started walking down the sidewalk. Hoffman watched the blonde man walk down the deserted path, and suddenly, vanish in a muted flash of yellow light. There was no sign that he or Samantha had ever been there. And it was the same thing he had used at Anvil Gate.
"Son of a bitch..."
Naruto appeared just outside of Anvegad, the sun still going down due to the timezone change. The change of light did nothing to stir the young girl he held, as she slept soundly in his grasp. Confident he was far enough out on the path that no one had seen him magically appear into existence, he set off at a comfortable trot toward the town.
In eight years, Naruto and his clones had repaired all the damage inflicted by the shelling the fort had suffered eight years ago. The walls were pristine and white, rebuilt with stone and painted thanks to his limitless workforce, the construction had taken months and had cost the citizens a quarter of what paying for labor would have cost. The market district had been completely rebuild, with a small monument built in the center.
The monument had been simple; it was simply a hand reaching out from below, and another grasping it from above. Below this statue was a black plaque that listed the names of the citizens and the Gears that had died in Zagala's bombing. Below the list of names was a single phrase, prominent and powerful in its simplicity. "We will never forget."
The monument had been commissioned by Mayor Casani. After most of the Aldermen had died in the attack, the remaining Anvegad citizens had elected Casani as mayor, a move that stepped away from the governing Council of Aldermen that had held the small town together since the Silver Age. By leading the Aldermen, Casani had been the mayor already in action. But the legal choice to separate from tradition was a change, and hopefully progress. It also meant that Naruto and Samantha had friends in high places.
Naruto reached the gates shortly before the sun sank below the mountains behind Anvegad. He was up the hill to the top of the fort very quickly, offering sparse greetings to the few citizens still out and about. Soon, he reached an area above the fort that had originally been a part of the fortifications. After the mortars from the UIR's commando teams had flattened the rampart, Naruto had cleared and flattened the area with a few Earth techniques. After the battle, he had used the Byrne residence until he had built a small single floor house on the cleared ground. After that, he had sold the residence at low price to Warrant Officer Rosa, now simply Dr. Rosa. After the siege, she had destroyed her records on Naruto's physiology and at the end of her contract, she had opted to stay in Anvegad.
The fact that she visited Naruto and Samantha almost daily caused a few rumors among the other townspeople. It wasn't anything Naruto felt like validating, but the company was nice. She had brought a few candidates that sought her company to his attention. None of them had withstood his scrutiny. The idea of two single people seeing each other as often as they did had a few of the hens in the marketplace clucking while they purchased their goods. Today, Rosa had elected to eat at home and study up on a few viral infections that had cropped up in the town's children.
Naruto's house was built onto the same type of stone that the fort was made of. He'd used thick woods in constructing the frame, and the house had eight rooms. He opened the glass door into the living room, which was furnished with a brown leather couch, a small television, a few small paintings, and a picture hanging over the couch of Samuel and Sheraya Byrne.
He had brought it from the Byrne residence, along with a great many of their furniture and personal effects. He planned on giving it all to Sheraya when she was old enough, but for now Samuel and Sheraya's personal belongings were kept in a sealing scroll he put in her room. Considering the incredibly weak chakra systems he sensed in the people of Sera, he figured that sealing and unsealing things with scrolls would be a good graduation present of sorts. It was likely the only thing she would be able to do with chakra manipulation. That was fair, he supposed. No sense in giving her something that made her stand out in a world defined by war. He had learned with the Bloodline Wars in the Village Hidden in the Mist that the more special she was, the more likely some power hungry colonel would conscript her for her abilities.
Naruto continued through the living room and turned left at the hallway. He followed a wall with dark wood panels and thick, soft carpet to Samantha's room. It had no door, mostly because in her younger days she had opened and closed so often running in and out that Naruto had simply removed it. He figured it might cause some friction in her teenage years, but for now the girl was content to have one less barrier between herself and the world. Her bed was a queen size, large but designed to last quite a while. Her sheets and bedroom suite were white, as was the iron headboard and foot board. A white vanity desk sat over near a window that gave her a decent view of the valley and the town. A brown dresser sat on the opposite wall, the same color as walls. An open closet was across from her bed, showing several long sleeve shirts and other outfits. Her favorite was a black tank top with a long sleeve shirt unbuttoned. She also wore either cargo shorts or pants the same material as COG fatigues. It was a style she had chosen entirely by herself, and Naruto had let her wear it. He figured there wasn't anything wrong with it, and it let her make her own decisions.
Naruto pulled the covers away and gently set Samantha down on the bed. Once she was settled, he pulled her sneakers off and pulled the covers up to the girl's shoulders. He sat on the bed for a few moments and watched her sleep, then slowly stood back up. He had barely stepped into the hallway when he heard her.
"Dad." He rolled his eyes and turned around, a gentle smile on his face.
"I carry you across the Coalition and up a hill and you sleep on, I set you down into bed and you wake right up." His response made her giggle. He walked back over to the bed and sat down, while Samantha looked up at him with big brown eyes.
"I heard you talking to Mr. Hoffman. About... the war." He winced when she said that. Naruto had taught her his principles on treating her fellow man (or woman). One issue he had avoided was discussing global politics with an eight year old.
"Yeah, it's a sore spot between me and Vic. But he has to stand by his friends and his superiors. I only have to support my friends." He scratched the back of his head, a nervous tick he'd developed in his youth. "It's caused two different views, with me and Vic. I think that there's a better reason to hurt people besides revenge and someone else telling me to, and Vic believes that he has a big family, the 26th, that he has to protect no matter what."
"But what if that makes him have to hurt you?" Sam was not a naive girl. Inexperienced, certainly, but she had grown up in a recovering war zone. Broken families and rebuilt homes was not exactly a pretty picture, especially for a girl with no permanent mother figure. Rosa had been present for most of her life, but there were gaps where she had no female authority figure.
"I know Vic. He'd find some way around it." Naruto tried to play it off ambiguously, but Samantha wasn't letting up. And she had to pay attention to him, didn't she?
"But you said sometimes there isn't away around it." Samantha was a sharp girl, and she was just asking questions. But they were questions Naruto wasn't ready to answer.
"Sometimes there isn't. If it came to that... I know he would try to make it painless. And I know he would not succeed." That answer seemed to trouble her, but she accepted it with a nod.
"I hope that doesn't happen. Mr. Hoffman seems like a nice man." Naruto smiled.
"He is, sweetheart. But sometimes good people have to do bad things to protect the ones we love." He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead, subduing any further questioning for the night. Samantha took it with a smile and snuggled deeper into the covers.
"Good night, Dad." She said, already falling back asleep. Naruto rolled the covers over her shoulders and stepped back, not bothering to leave the night light on. She hardly needed it any more.
"Good night, princess." She was already out, but he felt good saying it anyway. Naruto walked back down the hallway into the kitchen, intent on finishing the dishes and assessing the installation of his new purchase. The kitchen was tiled, as opposed to the front part of the house. A granite counter top ran across the wall, with dark wood cabinets and drawers below it. A sink with several dirty dishes from the previous night's dinner was set into the counter. Running water was a new thing after the repairs. Having a guy that literally rebuilt most of village from the ground up helping you fix up a damaged fort usually meant something good. In Anvegad's case, it meant an upgrade to the aqueducts. It did not mean that he had lucked out on those fancy new automated dishwashers. Still, clones had their uses.
A shadow clone popped into existence and went to work on the dishes while the original began appraising the window where he would install the new blinds. With a puff of smoke, he unsealed a measuring tape and rechecked his measurements. As he suspected, his blinds would fit perfectly. He unsealed the box and set it on his kitchen table, a light teak that was different from most of the wood used in the furnishings and construction. It was a project for the morning, but he had to make sure he hadn't wasted the trip. Plus, the carpenter in Jacinto would have hated him for having to make another set of custom wooden blinds.
"She's growing up. Those weren't the questions of an eight year old." The clone said as it continued to clean the dishes. Naruto rolled his eyes. Did this count as talking to himself?
"I've taught her well. She knows the difference between right and wrong. But it doesn't mean that she's ready for global politics." The clone raised his eyebrows at that.
"She was interested when you and Vic were going back and forth."
"Interest doesn't mean comprehension."
"I didn't say it did. But she is curious. And you know curiosity means she's going to get to this subject whether she understands it or not. If it doesn't come from you, it will come from somewhere."
Naruto was starting to tire of the back and forth. That, and using the Hirashin to cross half a continent took a little bit out of him.
"I know. I'll talk to her about it. But right now she needs to hold on to that adventure. She still needs the happiness in her life." The clone finished the dishes and turned to face its creator.
"Alright, Sarutobi. You know that knowledge doesn't lead to depression. It may be a difficult truth, but she will accept it and learn from it." Another shrug. "You can't protect her from the world. And this is an ugly world." The clone burst out of existence with a cloud of smoke, leaving Naruto alone to his thoughts.
Padrick Salton had been brought in on consultation for quite a few reasons before. Since Anvil Gate, he'd been all over the war, taking out Indies with his spotter Baz. They'd taught classes on UIR commando tactics, tank commander baiting, even the good ol' wound and wait trick. But he'd never been brought in to talk about a specific target. And he'd certainly never been picked up for it in the middle of a mission.
The King Raven he was riding in kept the bay doors closed, and the two Onyx Guard got itchy when he tried to look out the portholes. Their solid black armor and emotionless eye slits reinforced their reputation as the Chairman's personal death squad. Officially, their existence was denied through all channels. But there were several Gears Pad had met that had 'gone black'. And now they had their Lancers in a 'pointed at you but not pointed at you' stance. It all made Pad feel very odd.
The vibration from the Raven picked up as it slowed, and a loud rattle came moments later as it landed. The port door was opened by another Onyx Guard, and this one was a lot more certain about aiming his weapon at Pad.
"You know, I could have sworn the bad guys didn't have ink on their mugs." Pad said sarcastically.
The Guard's voice was mechanical as it came through the filter in his helmet, a prototype sought to be used by all Gears soon.
"Move to the bunker entrance. Keep your hands visible and do not make any sudden movements." Clearly becoming an Onyx Guard meant sacrificing one's sense of humor. Either that, or he genuinely didn't like Pad. It was a 50/50 shot, really.
The darkness didn't completely hide the concrete bunker that was conspicuous enough to have a helipad next to it, but judging by the fences and the obscene amount of Onyx Guards standing... guard.
The door opened on its own, revealing a metal staircase that descended deeper into the ground. A pair of lights followed the stairs down at an angle. A pair of Onyx Guards followed Padrick down the stairs. Two dimly lit corridors and a big metal door later, and Pad was standing in a very bad place, next to a very important person. The room was clearly a board room, with a nice big mahogany table and fancy maps and view screens everywhere. Standing in front of a large map displayed on an electronic view screen was Chairman Dalyell. Tomas Dalyell was not a tall man, standing at roughly 5'4. Neither was he particularly wide. The uniform he wore still bore a few medals he had earned in the dawn of the Pendulum Wars. If there was a physical attribute that set the blonde, nearly bald man out from others, it would be his voice.
"Corporal Padrick Salton. I hope the Guard treated you well on your way here." Considering the man's size, it was like the bark of a Mastiff coming out of a Chihuahua. His deep baritone slowed down the other activity in the room, but unlike most COG citizens, it did not stop them from carrying out their jobs. It still hit Pad pretty hard. He'd had his suspicions when a guy in black armor had whisked him away to an equally black chopper. But to see the man himself in the flesh was a little bit to take in. Enough for Pad to be a little slow on the uptake.
"Uh... yes, I suppose so. They were a little insistent, but no bones were broken." If the Chairman thought he was funny, the stony face didn't show it. The man turned away from the map to face Pad, keeping his hands clasped behind his back.
"I understand you are quite the eagle eye, so to speak. A lot of my generals speak highly of your ability to strike down targets from extreme range." Dalyell circled the board table slowly. "Is this correct?"
"Yes sir." Pad's response was lightning quick. "Eight deployments, fourteen escorts, and six kill missions. The last bits were secret, but I don't think secrets and Chairmen mix." Pad had been getting around in the past eight years. This time, the Chairman's mouth did twitch. But it was a showing of teeth, not a smile.
"You spilled that secret for me. I was hoping you could help clear up a few more questions." Instead of clarifying verbally, the Chairman instead pushed a manila folder across the table. Taking it as an invitation, Padrick hesitantly grabbed the folder and opened it, dumping the contents onto the table. There were a few typed reports, an intercepted handwritten letter, and a couple of grainy photos. Since the letter was short, Pad read it first.
"Lieutenant,
Their records on him are sparse. They've got a standing kill order, but the file was closed. It seems he scared them off last year. I'll send more if possible.
M.
The letter confused Pad, but everything became clear when he looked at the photographs. They were both time stamped from six years ago, and featured a slightly blurred but recognizable blonde man in a long white coat with red flames. In the first picture, he was burying one of his unique knives into the shoulder of a UIR soldier. In the other, he was gunning down more Indies from afar, showing proficiency with rifles and blades. The typed reports were in Gorasnayan, but he could assume the contents.
"You want to know about...him?" Pad felt his stomach sink when the Chairman looked at him with that same mirthless smile. They knew. Pad suddenly found himself looking for the exits, but there weren't any. Dalyell walked closer.
"I understand you and Sgt. Byrne knew this individual quite well. Seeing as how Sgt. Byrne is not here to share..." The Chairman let the threat hang. When Pad had left, he'd been assigned to a two week observation mission. That meant it be two weeks before he was even considered KIA.
Sorry Naruto...