Disclaimer: I don't own anything belonging to Code: Geass or Naruto.
C.C. closed her eyes as she listened to the reports from Todoh and Ohgi concerning the battle along with Rakshata's report about the GEFUJIN's success. Todoh looked closely at the masked woman and found he could not make out what kind of woman she was and he probably wouldn't have any luck even if she wasn't wearing a mask. With Zero missing command automatically fell to his knight despite a few people having some reservations about it but Todoh knew that their missing leader trusted his knights and that was pretty much the only reason they were listening. The reports so far were good, no casualties reported thanks to Lelouch, Naruto, and Kallen drawing their attention from the retreating Black Knights.
'The Geass Directorate's rarely made moves involving advanced Knightmares like this before. I guess V.V.'s gone behind Charles's back again. The little brat's probably going to crap himself when he sees what I did to one of his toys.' C.C. thought with a smirk.
"So what do we do?" Ohgi asked. "With Zero, Seizan and Kallen missing we're down major man power."
"Zero is alive and we have to locate him." Todoh replied. "The cockpits ejected from their Knightmares meaning they are still alive and if the enemy had captured them we would have known by now."
"That is because their cockpits will not be found on Shikine Island." C.C. answered calmly. "Their cockpits must have been sent off course by that airship's attack."
"So they're out in the ocean?" Ohgi asked, fearing for Kallen's life. "How can we find them?"
"The tracking device planted on Zero and Seizan." C.C. answered, calmly spinning an explanation to calm everyone down. "In the event any of us went missing we had transmitters placed on our bodies that are invisible to the naked eye. So as long as they are still alive the transmitters will work. In the event we do find them somewhere nearby, on the ocean or on land we will have to be careful. A contact of mine reported that Princess Cornelia and Euphemia are missing along with Suzaku Kururugi. The Britannians will be searching quite heavily for the missing princesses so even if we do locate Zero, Seizan, and Kallen it will have to be done stealthy."
"Cornelia and Euphemia? So who's in charge?" Ohgi questioned.
"The man in command of the airship, Prince Schneizel el Britannian." C.C. stated.
"Another one?" Tamaki exclaimed. "What's going on with all the royalties coming here?"
"Prince Schneizel coming here is a big concern, Shinryoku. His strategies have kept the E.U. from launching a counter attack against Britannia and as Prime Minister of Britannia he is above qualified to take over command of Area Eleven." Diethard Ried commented.
"Indeed, which is why for the time being we remain patient and wait. Zero and Seizan will not wait long before attempting to contact us but if we lead Schneizel to them we will endanger Zero and ourselves at the same time." C.C. replied.
"Understood." Todoh nodded.
"In the meantime I have to see if those transmitters still work." C.C. stood up. "Keep a low profile and see to the wounded. We're still in enemy territory. Dismissed."
"I see. You don't know what happened either." Suzaku finished binding Kallen's wrists once she was properly clothed. "When you came to you found yourself on this island. Is that right?"
"So you're stranded here to, huh?" Kallen scoffed. "Serves you right. When my people get here you'll the one who's a prisoner."
"You mean Zero will come to save you?" Suzaku asked.
"Without a doubt." Kallen answered.
"Okay but before he does tell me one thing. Tell me who he really is." Suzaku stated.
Kallen looked away, having absolutely no intention of giving Zero's true identity away. The last thing they needed was the military showing up to Ashford Academy to arrest Lelouch and possibly Nunnally if she was suspected of being an accomplice. She had no doubt that everyone would find out she is a member of the Black Knights when they returned to Japan but she wouldn't sell out her comrades. That was something she learned from her brother and from Naruto. "Why don't you find out for yourself?"
"I see… You do know." Suzaku stated, causing Kallen's eyes to widen. "I knew it."
"You tricked me?" Kallen almost couldn't believe that Suzaku was able to trick her like this. The fact that a nice guy like Suzaku could be so devious was surprising but Kallen mentally slapped herself for foolishly letting her guard down.
"I considered the possibility that Seizan and the pilot of the green Knightmare knew what he looked like under the mask but I didn't think he'd show his face to you." Suzaku commented.
Kallen had to bite her lip as she knew that Lelouch didn't volunteer to reveal himself. Instead C.C. and Naruto told her everything when C.C. gave Kallen the power of Geass. She had considered using her Geass on him but the last thing she wanted was for Suzaku to discover her Geass when he already knew her affiliation with Black Knights. Unlike Lelouch's Geass Kallen's didn't cause any memory damage to anyone she paralyzed with her Absolute Vision and Suzaku would instantly realize that she had a power to paralyze anyone somehow.
'If worst comes to worst I'll have to kill Suzaku like Diethard suggested. I know he's your best friend, Lelouch but I can't let him find out about you or Naruto and C.C.' Kallen thought it over in her head. 'If I could only grab the kunai Naruto gave me. I wonder if he and Lelouch are on the island with us. We were all caught in the blast when that airship attacked so they could have somehow landed on this island with me and Suzaku.'
"I'm curious. Why do you follow Zero?" Suzaku continued.
"Figure it for yourself." Kallen spat as she looked down at the ground.
Naruto for the most part was enjoying the peace and quiet that his time on this island was bringing. Considering everything he and the others had gone through in the last few weeks maybe it'll be like a vacation on this island.
'Cera knows where we are along with Sayoko-san and Rakshata-san but will hold off on rescuing us for a bit. That gives me time to get a better look into things with the Royal Family.'
' You want to see if you can convince Cornelia and Euphemia to join us? ' Kurama asked.
'Or at least turn them against the Emperor.' Naruto replied. 'Hard to believe an asshole like him is the father of a nice girl like Euphemia or Nunnally.'
' But not surprising with Cornelia and Lelouch. ' Kurama pointed out. ' This whole strong standing over the weak is too much like that asshole Madara's belief. At the very least it seems Lelouch has rejected this idea despite his skills and the way he acts. '
'Yeah…' Naruto trailed off.
' What is it, kit? ' Kurama asked, sensing Naruto's emotions.
'It's nothing wrong, I just realized how much Lelouch reminds me of Sasuke.' Naruto replied.
' Hmm…. ' Kurama looked thoughtful at that. ' There are a few similarities. '
Like Sasuke Lelouch is driven to take revenge on the Royal Family for betraying him, his sister, and his mother but unlike Sasuke Lelouch didn't let revenge consume him. Naruto watched Lelouch ever since they had first met and while he admitted Lelouch was like Sasuke to a degree Lelouch genuinely bonded with the people at Ashford Academy and did see his subordinates as allies even if he did speak of them as chess pieces and he loved his little sister like no other. He was cold but he was never scowling all the time, never rude or condescending, and even chuckled or smiled at a random joke that was thrown by Rivalz or someone else.
' Of course Sasuke was more arrogant and wasn't as much as an ass as Lelouch is. ' Kurama chuckled.
'Yeah, there is that.' Naruto snickered.
While similar Lelouch and Sasuke were both motivated by purely opposite reasons. Sasuke was motivated to avenge the death of his clan which had possibly changed the last time he saw Sasuke during Fourth Shinobi World War despite the fact that Sasuke had stated his intention was to become Hokage. On the other hand while Lelouch wished to avenge his mother's death but the core reason of his rebellion was his love for his little sister.
'I wonder if Sasuke would have been any different if he had a little sister when he was growing up. Would he have still left to go to Orochimaru for power or would he have stayed in Konoha to protect his little sister if he did have one? Would she have been like him or more like Nunnally?' Naruto mused before shaking his head. 'Okay, I am starting to over think this.'
As Naruto walked through the forest he could not help but think to the Old Man Sage's words that Madara had failed and wondered how things were back in the world he had come from.
'It's been a whole year since I ended up here and I still think about everyone from time to time.' Naruto pondered.
' Without us the Elemental Nations won't be able to create Jinchuuriki anymore so it's a start. ' Matatabi added thoughtfully.
'Yeah, no one will be hated for containing you guys anymore.' Naruto nodded with a smile before stopping. 'She's near.'
Lloyd Asplund sighed as he looked through the battle reports before looking at the battlefield in front of him. The battlefield was littered with craters, burnt trees that had been ripped out of the ground, and the burnt metallic remnants of broken Knightmare Frames from both sides. Luckily his precious Lancelot hadn't been one of them and Prince Schneizel had been lenient as his main focus was locating his two sisters.
And then there was the bonus.
"My goodness, a floating aircraft carrier!" Lloyd proclaimed as he walked into the hanger where the Lancelot was stored. "I thought you weren't going to make a prototype until we gathered more data."
Cecile thought Lloyd was talking to her until Prince Schneizel came out of the shadows behind Lloyd. "Because I'm extremely interested in whatever you create. I needed to see if it could be made for real."
"And the Hadron cannon?" Lloyd asked with a smile.
"We wanted to know if it worked." Schneizel answered, smiling back at Lloyd before looking at the speechless. "I have been looking forward to meeting you. I am-"
"Prince Schneizel?! Right here?!" Cecile blurted out.
"You impudent little-How dare you look down on the second Prince of the Empire?!" The man behind Schnelzel shouted.
It was none other than General Bartley who had regained his rank and status thanks to the Emperor and Prince Schneizel.
Cecile quickly stood up. "G-General Bartley-GAH!"
The sudden commotion caused Cecile to lose her footing and fall off the Lancelot and onto the floor.
"Nice one." Lloyd said as Cecile groaned and rubbed her behind.
"You're not injured I hope." Cecile looked and saw Prince Schneizel holding out his hand to help her up. "Yes, I am Prince Schneizel el Britannia. Please give me your hand."
Cecile was silent as Schneizel helped her onto her feet. "Bu-Yes."
"Uh… She's unworthy." Bartley whispered.
"General, you're quite a devoted subject aren't you?" Lloyd commented, earning a scowl from Bartley.
"Primarely because the Prince is the one who commuted my sentence and saved me from being chained up beneath temple tower." Bartley replied.
Prince Schneizel turned around. "I wish you'd stop thinking of me so formerly. You've been a great help to me in this current matter as you were to my brother Clovis. It is I who am grateful to you."
"My-My lord!" Bartley sputtered.
"Please Bartley." Schneizel turned back to Cecile. "Now, my lady Cecile if you'll excuse me."
Cecile blushed as Schneizel kissed her hand. "You-your highness."
"Farewell." Prince Schneizel stated as he turned away, leaving a blushing Cecile that earned a smirk from Lloyd.
"You can wait for me at the base, Cecile." Lloyd said.
"Huh? Where are you going?" Cecile asked.
"Just a little errand. In the meantime you can use the Avalon to look for Suzaku. It's hard to find a young man like that, especially after yesterday's exploits." Lloyd waved as Cecile as he left.
Cecile gasped. "Wait! Where those order yesterday given by the Prince?"
"Silence!" Bartley shouted as he looked over his shoulder. "You don't want to be found in contempt of royalty do you?"
Prince Schneizel turned around. "Those orders were mine, Miss Cecile. I also fired the Hadron. Even in a situation like that priorities mustn't be forgotten. Besides if something anomalous had happened we still wouldn't have been able to rescue him. This is what I gambled on. He is after all Suzaku Kururugi, ace pilot of the special corp and Euphie's knight."
"Yes my lord. I understand now." Cecile looked down at the ground to hide her disappointment. "And I sorely regret my rudeness. I accept any punishment you decree."
"Nonsense." Schneizel seemed to look sad. "It's my fault for not protecting my subordinates." He turned around but they could hear him whisper. "Can you ever forgive me?"
Cecile watched as they walked off, leaving her alone in the hanger.
Princess Cornelia was on high alert as she searched the island for a suitable source of water as well as taking note of the wild life that inhabited this island that could be used for food.
Of course all of that was behind her number one objective: locating her little sister.
Euphie was no doubt on the island and she'd be helpless without Cornelia with her to keep her safe. There's no telling what kind of animal life is on this island and if there were any predators Euphie wouldn't stand a chance.
She needed to-
"Hi!"
Cornelia stopped and spun around, pointing her pistol at the person who spoke. "You!"
Naruto smirked under his mask at the glare Cornelia was giving him. 'Wow. Almost as fierce as Granny Tsunade.'
"This is your doing isn't it?! You're the reason I'm on this island!" Cornelia growled.
"What makes you so sure? As I recall it was the big ass ship firing down on us that caused us to be here. So really, you and the assholes on that ship are the ones who screwed up, psycho lady." Naruto retorted.
"How dare you?!" Cornelia's eyes blazed with violet fire. "How dare you talk to a Princess of Britannia like that you scum?!"
"Don't worry you'll get used to it. You're not the first lady I pissed off that was considered royalty." Naruto stepped to the side as Cornelia pulled the trigger, dodging the bullet that sailed past his head. "Wow. You remind me of someone I knew who had hair similar to yours and had a major temper. Of course she and someone else I knew both beat me down with their fists instead of using a gun."
"Perhaps I should try that method!" Cornelia shot at him again but Naruto dodged the bullet like the first one.
"It would make me remiss about the old days but then I would feel like an old man." Naruto sighed as he dodged another bullet. "How many bullets does that thing have?"
Cornelia growled as she pulled the trigger again but all that came out of the gun was a clicking sound.
"Okay that answered my question." Naruto said sheepishly.
" You've been hanging around that Cera woman for too long. You're starting to pick up her habits. " Kurama snickered.
Cornelia growled as she tossed the gun aside and pulled out her sword. "As of now you are my prisoner. Surrender… or die."
"You don't waste time." Naruto didn't move an inch despite the sword pointed at his head. "You want me alive so I can talk about your siblings."
Cornelia narrowed her eyes. "So you do have them."
"I never said that so don't put words in my mouth. I never once said we had them. You don't listen well do you?" Naruto retorted.
"Where are they? What have you Elevens done with them?" Cornelia snarled. "Answer me!"
"For starters, referring to an oppressed people as a number instead of a name is not the best way to make friends and you'd really think we'd harm a kid and his little sister? I seem to recall that your bastard father, the Emperor, sent them here to die in the first place." Naruto retorted.
"Liar! He wouldn't have done that!" Cornelia shouted but her voice wavered slightly.
"Would he? Why send a little boy with his blind and crippled litter sister to a country that he invaded a few months later for the Sakuradite and then say they were dead without confirming it? Their bodies were never found, were they?" Naruto asked.
"They were probably burned!" Cornelia retorted.
"How can you deny your siblings being alive? I can tell just from looking at you that you love them, perhaps enough that you'd risk everything, even your status to protect them like a real older sister would." Naruto grunted.
"Don't you dare accuse me of not loving my little brother and sister!" Cornelia yelled. "I loved them as much as I love my full blooded sister! Their mother was more of a mother to me than my own mother!"
"You're talking about Marianne aren't you?" Naruto cut her off. "The woman who earned the title 'The Flash' because of her skills and how she was nothing but a commoner and yet she rose to the rank of Empress. You got to respect someone who came from no noble clans or royal bloodlines and earned her titles. The fact that she was murdered in what should have been the most secured places on Earth seems strange, almost as strange as sending a boy who just lost his mother along with his crippled and blinded sister to a foreign land. Even for a guy like me that just screams conspiracy and I don't usually pay attention to this kind of stuff."
" I'll say. " The Biju inside Naruto's mind all said at once.
'Quiet you!'
"What are you saying?" Cornelia took a step forward as she prepared to attack.
"You consider yourself a smart woman don't you?" Naruto asked, making Cornelia stop. "Then put aside your bias towards me and all that numbers bullshit that was shoved into that pretty little head and actually analyze the situation!"
' I can't believe he just said that. ' Kurama muttered.
'Will you knock it off?!' Naruto shouted, getting annoyed at all the jokes to his intelligence.
Sure he wasn't the sharpest kunai-
' I'd say you're even duller than a thousand year old kitchen rusted knife. ' Shukaku laughed.
'I SAID KNOCK IT OFF!'
Cornelia narrowed her eyes but lowered her sword.
"The first thing you should know that is Prince Lelouch and Princess Nunnally, upon arriving to Japan, stated they were no longer apart of the Britannian Royal Family. They had no idea that their country planned to invade Japan until the sound of bombs being dropped by an aircraft flying over the shrine they were staying at and a loud boom that they heard in the direction of that shrine while they were on a hill, watching everything. So tell me, Princess Cornelia, if you and your family claim to love them so much why is that the very government you serve attempted to kill them if they are still royalty? Did they have any information that Britannia couldn't afford to lose? Is it because Lelouch abdicated his claim to the throne? Or was it because someone wanted him and Nunnally dead and arranged it in a way that would make everything think that the Japanese were responsible like how you thought terrorists were responsible for death of Empress Marianne vi Britannia?" Naruto continued on, watching Cornelia's eyes widen in shock and disbelief.
"You… you're saying… that whoever killed Lady Marianne… tried to kill Lelouch and Nunnally?" Cornelia stuttered.
"I'm just following what I learned. What happened to the Vi Britannia family suggests that someone wanted them dead and it started with Empress Marianne and tried to finish her children off here in this country. Fortunately as long his little sister needed him Lelouch vi Britannia would move Heaven and Earth itself to keep her safe." Naruto stated, knowing how much Lelouch loved his little sister.
Cornelia had no trouble believing that as she had grown up with her favourite half siblings and knew how close they were. So as long as Nunnally needed him Lelouch would have fought Death itself. "They really are… alive aren't they?" She knew it was a stupid question but she kept on trying to look for ways to disprove it as it went against everything she was to believe the word of a terrorist.
"Yes, they live and the one thing they want more than anything is this: a gentle world where they can live happily without all the violence their homeland preaches." Naruto stepped back. "As their sister, I'd have thought you'd want to grant that wish to them more than anyone."
Before Cornelia could respond Naruto vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving her alone as she fell onto her knees from whatever it was that made her feet weak.
'Lelouch… Nunnally…' Cornelia closed her eyes as tears threatened to stream down her cheeks like a waterfall. 'I'm so sorry.'
"Are you sure that this will work?" Euphemia asked as Lelouch dug a hole. Her dress had finally dried up but she still kept Lelouch's cape as she watched.
"From the paw prints and droppings I can tell wild animals use this path." Lelouch grunted, using a log as a shovel. "I plan to set up a trap… Gah… That dates back to medieval times."
"Oh." Euphemia said as she watched on.
"Gotcha!" Suzaku laughed as he caught a big fish.
"Oh wow. You're not bad at that." Kallen commented as Suzaku tossed the fish up to her.
"Do you want to try it too?" Suzaku asked, glancing at her from the water. "I'll tell you what; I'll cut you loose if you promise to help me find food. Is that a deal?"
Kallen looked away. "You're not going to win me over so why try? What do you take me for?"
"You're stubborn." Suzaku stated. "You're not anything like the way you are at school."
Cornelia's makeshift spear had a dead rabbit at the end over a fire while Cornelia herself stared at the flame. The talk with Zero's knight left her silent but her mind was in overdrive from what she had learned.
'Did father really intend to kill Lelouch and Nunnally? I knew he was cruel, he sent them here to this blasted country in the first place and called off the investigation of Lady Marianne's death but would he really try to kill his own children?' The Second Princess contemplated.
Cornelia had been raised to show nothing but complete loyalty to Britannia and the Empire but the one thing she loved and would discard her loyalty for it was her family. Her sweet younger sister Euphie and the children of her idol, the boy who beat her at chess despite him being a little boy and his younger sister who was just as sweet and loving as Euphie, the siblings she would give her life to protect without a second thought.
' The one thing they want more than anything is this: a gentle world where they can live happily without all the violence their homeland preaches. As their sister, I'd have thought you'd want to grant that wish to them more than anyone.'
'A gentle world.' Cornelia thought with a small smile. 'That was always Euphie's wish but… I couldn't help her because father is too dangerous to cross. He'd have sent Euphemia away or married her off some noble in an instant if she stood up to his ideals.'
That didn't mean Cornelia didn't wish she could try and make that dream a reality but she was a soldier, she didn't know how she could even try.
"Wow. This is a sight to see." Naruto laughed as he saw Lelouch kneeling down, gasping for breath. "Are you actually doing physical work?"
"Even using a lever…" Lelouch gasped.
"Why don't you let me help?" Euphemia asked.
"Manual labor… isn't… for a princess." Lelouch answered, sweat pouring down his face.
"Wow, you're stubborn. Was he always like this when he was little?" Naruto asked Euphie as he took his mask off.
Euphiemia chuckled. "Well I suppose we could go and search for some fruit."
"No need." Naruto spread out his cloak, revealing a handful of apples. "Who wants to eat?"
Euphemia smiled as she accepted an apple. "Thank you, Mr. Uzumaki."
"Just call me Naruto." Naruto replied as he sat down. "And I got good news. Cornelia's fine, a little cranky but otherwise fine. I didn't say anything about the two of you but I know she'll find us sooner or later."
"Thank you… Naruto." Euphemia said again. It would be awkward if Cornelia showed up and found out Lelouch was Zero.
"What about Kallen?" Lelouch asked.
"Oh knowing her she's entertaining Suzaku." Naruto answered with a chuckle.
Lelouch had to smirk at that, wondering how Suzaku was reacting to Kallen Kozuki.
"Enemy battleship has passed."
"You've got to be kidding. A battleship that can hover in mid-air. That's great." Ohgi sighed.
"We can't remain in this area any longer. This risk is too great. We should pull out of here." Todoh stated.
"Hm-hm." Ohgi nodded.
"Ohgi, I disagree. We ought to stay and at least look for Zero." Diethard stated.
"He had a point." Ohgi admitted, despite Diethard's status as a Britannian.
"We can't send out a rescue party in this situation." Todoh replied. "Even though we're able to hide thanks to Rakshata there's no guarantee Zero, Kallen, or Seizan are still alive. One wrong step and we threaten the very existence of our organization."
"What do you mean it's entirely the other way around. This entire organization is built around Zero." Diethard argued.
"It's not a group without members." Todoh glared at the reporter. "The way you speak you sound like a typical Britannian to me."
"All right well answer me this: we have almost every ideology under the sun gathered here so how is it that they can work together and cooperate towards the same goal? Because of the results we get? Tell me who is it that gets us these results?" Diethard retorted.
Todoh banged his fist on the table. "I'll be the first to admit that he does but is he worth the lives of everyone?"
"At times the life of a single man are worth more than the lives of a million. I thought that would be common sense to a soldier." Diethard stood his ground.
"You dare say that here?" Todoh's eyes narrowed.
"Easy guys." Ohgi tried to calm them down.
"It seems I can't leave you all alone without starting a fight." Everyone stopped as they noticed C.C. in the room.
"Shinryoku-san." Ohgi whispered.
"I'll tell you that they are alive and they will not need our help to come back. But since we're on a time limit we'll give them until tomorrow before we head back to Japan. Zero wouldn't want us getting into trouble for his sake." C.C. announced before leaving the room.
"Sounds reasonable." Ohgi commented once she was gone.
Todoh nodded.
"It seems we have no choice." Even Diethard relented.
"Honestly, Lelouch and Naruto have some never leaving me to deal with the children." C.C. mumbled. "Marianne's a special kind of observer to put me through this grief. And to top it all off she even sent Kallen to that island. Honestly, she is the most annoying woman I have ever met in my life and that's quite an accomplishment."
"I can't eat another bite." Kallen smiled as she leaned back with her eyes closed. "Boy am I stuffed."
"So is this a glimpse of what you're really like?" Suzaku asked, finishing his fish.
"Yeah why? You want to make something of it?" Kallen cast an irritated eye at Suzaku.
"No, I think it's charming to see you so much livelier than you are at school."
Kallen gasped and looked away so Suzaku wouldn't see her blush.
Suzaku took on somber look as he put his fish down. "Kallen, leave the Black Knights." Kallen's eyes widened when she heard what Suzaku said. "It's not too late. A captured terrorist never winds up with a happy ending."
"I thought you weren't so bad and then you showed your true colors." Kallen straightened up. "Well that won't work. I happen to be the captain of Zero's elite guard and in fact I fought you in my Knightmare back at Narita."
"Are you that red one?" Suzaku asked surprised.
"Yeah and even if I lose my life doing it I'll beat that Knightmares of yours someday just like Seizan." Kallen continued.
Suzaku closed his eyes. "Using Zero's methods offers no future."
"And what about your future then? To just live the life of a conqueror subjugated lap dog? Honorary Britannian? Or to be the Knight of the Third Princess? Ha!" Kallen spat. "The name of Genbu Kururugi, the last Samurai weeps! I am not you, the world is wrong and I'm trying to change it! If I don't… If I don't my brother's death will have been for nothing. That's my reason for fighting and I'll do whatever it takes to win!"
Suzaku looked down at the fire. "Kallen… the truth is I killed my father."
Kallen stopped, rendered speechless by what she had heard.
"My father didn't commit suicide. I took his life." Suzaku held up his right hand. "With this hand."
"The stars haven't changed have they?" Euphemia lied back on a makeshift bed that was Lelouch's cape. "They look the same as back then. Long ago we all used to gaze up at the stars together. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could live like that again? I'd be so happy." Lelouch gazed sadly down at Euphemia. "Can't we go back to that time?"
Lelouch looked out to the ocean. "Yes you're right. It'd be so good to go back to how things were."
"Zero is a lot like my father, he firmly believes that the entire world revolves around him. That's why he's able to justify spilling the blood of so many people." Suzaku stated.
"That's why you're set the way things are now? You call that peace? Some things are more important than your life you know?!" Kallen exclaimed.
"It isn't that I want you to give up. I just want you to ask if you gain the results the wrong way what are you left with in the end?" Suzaku asked. "The dark regret and emptiness with nowhere to go."
Kallen fell down onto the pillow made for her. "Then explain something, what higher purpose did the death of my brother serve?"
Suzaku's eyes widened.
"What about the people in Shinjuku? In Saitama? I was there and everything Seizan said was true. Britannia doesn't hold the people they conquer to the same standard as human lives. Who gets to sit in judgement? Who decides whether it's right or wrong?"
Suzaku didn't have an answer to those questions.
"You two may have lost each other once but you found each other again and maybe that's a sign." Naruto spoke up, earning Euphie and Lelouch's attention. "Maybe the road to a better world starts with two siblings finding each other in aftermath of war and maybe they can make the decision no one else has to make. Isn't that what it means to be Zero, a Princess, or someone who simply wants to try end the cycle of hate?"
"Naruto…" Lelouch whispered.
The blond sighed and lied down. "Good night, Lelouch. We have a big day tomorrow."
Lelouch stared at Naruto for a moment. 'Naruto, the only person who knows you best is C.C. even though you're both different. Did you lose someone close to you too? Even for me to survive…'
'Even struggling with my shame I still search for a reason to go on living. I'm a disgrace.' Suzaku had spotted the lights in the distance and knew someone was on the island. He should have gone to find it but he didn't move from his spot. Kallen was asleep and he was staring at the fire, not moving to find the source of the lights or wake up Kallen so he could take her with him.
Contrary to popular belief Naruto didn't fall asleep that night as he was on high alert when he sensed life signatures nearby and spotted the same ship that had attacked them on Shikine Island landing deeper in the forest of the island they were on.
'Already? They don't waste time.' Naruto sighed as he made a hand sign. ' Mind Connection Jutsu! ' He closed his eyes. 'Cera, can you hear me?'
'It's about time you talked to me, blondie. I've been stuck managing these kids here as they argue what to do next.' C.C.'s voice replied.
'Yeah well it's no picnic here either.' Naruto retorted.
'The dinner you had with Lelouch and Euphemia says otherwise. So are you only contacting me because of that airship?' C.C. asked.
'That and I want to confirm that the Thought Elevator that the Geass Directorate is on this island.' Naruto answered.
'So you remembered. Yes, a Thought Elevator is indeed on that island.' C.C. said, sounding impressed. 'So what's your plan?'
'Nothing for now. Right now we're working on getting off this island without showing Euphie any of our powers. That and I can't stand to separate her from Lelouch so soon.' Naruto glanced at the sleeping Euphemia.
'You big softie.' C.C. remarked with amusement.
"And you love me for it." Naruto smirked. 'Now listen up, I got a plan.'
'I'm all ears. I was getting bored anyways.'
Cornelia had almost fallen asleep when a sudden flash made her look up, spotting lights in the distance. 'Those lights… It must be a search party!'
Shaking her head and standing up slowly Cornelia took off in the direction of the lights, realizing it must be Schneizel's airship that was nearby. It was the only ship that could make out here to this island without her knowing. She would have seen a boat coming miles away and with it being night the lights would have been seen off in the distance.
'With Schneizel's help I can find Euphie before anything bad happens to her.' Cornelia thought as she took off running. 'Hang on Euphie, I'll find you.'
"We couldn't find Major Kururugi washed ashore on the other island so it's obvious we should look here." Prince Schneizel stated, gazing at the view screen of his airship calmly with Lloyd and Bartley flanking him on either side of his chair.
"I'll send a search party out in the morning." General Bartley stated.
"And this must be what you mentioned?" Schneizel looked at the screen.
"Yes, we uncovered it when the Shinjuku Incident occurred." Bartley answered.
"Yes I can see why this would have attracted Clovis's interest." Schneizel said, looking at the cave that looked like it was made by something tearing into the mountain.
If the circumstances were any different Kallen wouldn't be following Suzaku towards the location of the lights that Suzaku had seen last night but she knew in her current state that she wouldn't be any match for Suzaku and she too stubborn to use her Geass.
"Are you sure you really saw a light?" Kallen asked, fumbling with her bonds.
"Yeah, I'm positive." Suzaku answered.
Either Suzaku was too trusting or Kallen was letting her guard down again but she had no plans to become a prisoner of Britannia.
"Must be a search party." Lelouch mused as he, Euphemia and Naruto walked through the other end of the forest.
"Yeah and it's no doubt Britannian." Naruto answered. "If it was a ship or a sub we would have seen them in the direction of the beach. Oh, Kallen, Suzaku, and Cornelia are up ahead."
"Are you sure?" Lelouch stopped and looked at Naruto.
"Are you questioning me after all this time?" Naruto rhetorically asked.
"Fair enough." Lelouch relented as he pulled out his mask.
Naruto noticed Euphemia looking down at the ground with a sad look on her face. 'Oh boy. This is won't end well.'
"Lelouch, if it is a search party then will our time here be over?" Euphemia asked.
Lelouch looked over his shoulder with sadness in his eyes but he steeled himself. "Yes it will."
"For now." Naruto added.
"We're such undependable knights; we couldn't capture you any further." They both said at the same time and looked at each other with surprised looks on their faces.
"Did you read my mind?" Naruto asked.
"No. Did you read my mind?" Lelouch replied, remembering that one of Naruto's powers was reading minds.
"No."
Euphemia couldn't help but giggle.
"And besides, that's a job reserved for a real knight: your knight, Suzaku Kururugi." Lelouch stated, surprising Euphemia. "Mind if I ask you, why choose an Honorary Britannian as your knight?"
"Well I…" Euphemia trailed off.
' I think she has a crush on Suzaku. Yikes, pretty pink hair girl crushing on the knuckle head? This truly is a different world. ' Kurama snickered.
Luckily for Euphemia a sound in the bushes caught their attention.
"They're here." Naruto quickly slipped on his mask.
Lelouch quickly pushed Euphemia into some bushes as he wrapped his cape around him and slipped his mask on. They spotted Suzaku coming out of the woods, followed by Kallen who had her arms tied behind her back.
'So they are together.' Lelouch thought.
"Suzaku!" Euphemia stood up and called out.
Kallen and Suzaku looked over to see Euphemia coming out of the woods.
"Princess Euphemia!" Suzaku gasped.
Lelouch leapt out of the woods and pulled out his handgun. "Don't move!" He grabbed Euphemia and pressed the gun against her head. "This girl is my prisoner!"
"Zero!" Kallen whispered.
"Just follow my cue." Lelouch whispered to the scared Euphemia who glanced at him. "I'll take back my subordinate you have there. We'll exchange prisoners."
Suzaku glared darkly. "Zero. Once again you-"
"Keep back!" Lelouch barked, not in the mood for Suzaku's antics. "Ha! You find my actions cowardly?"
Suzaku didn't answer but narrowed his eyes.
Lelouch chuckled. "Eliminate terrorists, no matter what the sacrifice. Would you really follow that rule and let your mistress die?"
As Lelouch and Suzaku stared each other down Kallen's slipped her bound hands down her feet so they were in front of her. She would have moved to attack Suzaku but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She spun around to see Naruto wearing his fox mask standing behind her. "Nar-Seizan!"
Suzaku looked over his shoulder and saw the masked man free Kallen's hands. "Seizan!"
"You're looking well, Kururugi, despite the fact that I kicked your ass again." Naruto remarked as Kallen ran forward and grabbed Suzaku.
"Leave him alone!" Euphemia shouted.
"Shut up you royal puppet! You're useless! You can't do anything on your own!" Kallen shouted.
"What?!" Euphemia's took on a dark and angry look.
'Wow, déjà vu again. Pink haired girl getting all angry with a scary look.' Naruto had to fight the urge to chuckle, now seeing a resemblance between Euphemia and Sakura.
"I'm not afraid of you and I don't care what happens to me. Suzaku, I command you to fight!" Euphemia shouted.
"With pleasure!" Suzaku broke free of Kallen's grip and lunged at Lelouch.
Lelouch released Kallen and jumped out of the way, standing next to Kallen and Naruto. "You hard headed fool!"
"I could say the same for you!" A voice shouted behind them.
Naruto swung out his sword and blocked another sword aimed at the back of Lelouch's head. "Hello, Cornelia!"
Cornelia glared darkly at the fox shaped mask as she grappled with him. "Using my sister as a hostage will you?!"
"Sister!" Euphemia called out.
What happened next surprised everyone as a flash of red light taking on the form of the Geass crest appeared underneath everyone. Lelouch and Kallen's Geass activated on their own while the Henge around Naruto's eyes faded, allowing the purple Geass crest in his Rinnegan to glow. The ground exploded and started sinking, pulling them down.
'This light, is it the work of the Thought Elevator?' Naruto looked at Lelouch and Kallen. 'It's affecting Lelouch and Kallen's Geass!'
They were brought down into a chamber in front of a large door and with strange symbols written on it.
"Major Kururugi! Princess Euphemia and Cornelia! And is that…" A voice trailed off. "Zero?!"
'Out of the frying pan and into the fire!' Naruto thought as the guards pointed their guns at him, Lelouch, and Kallen.
"Don't shoot you fools!" Bartley shouted. "Princess Euphemia and Cornelia are with them! Capture them! Capture them!"
"Want to bet?" Naruto asked as he threw several kunai that took out the guns aimed at them.
"Zero look!" Kallen pointed behind Lelouch. "That's a Knightmare over there!"
Lelouch looked over and spotted a gold and black Knightmare that was obviously a new model. "Perfect, we'll use that! Let's go!"
"Right!" Kallen zipped up her suit but spotted soldiers coming onto the platform.
"Don't worry about them! I got this!" Naruto said as he ran at the guards, slicing through their guns and taking them out with a few quick punches and kicks.
"You scum!" Cornelia slashed at Naruto with her rapier.
"You sure know how to sweet talk a guy, don't you?" Naruto joked as he pushed Cornelia back.
"Suzaku? Suzaku?" Euphemia couldn't tell what was wrong with her knight. He was just standing there with a shocked look on his face. "What is it? What's wrong?"
Lelouch landed in the cockpit of the gold and black Knightmare and looked at the controls. "This is good. Not only unmanned but activated too."
Kallen stole a gun from one of the downed soldiers and was holding back the enemy while Naruto and Cornelia slashed at each other.
"This is my lucky day." Lelouch chuckled as the Knightmare powered up but stopped when he saw Schneizel on the monitor. "Schneizel!"
Before he killed Clovis he used his Geass to interrogate Clovis on what he knew about the death of his mother and Clovis stated that Cornelia and Schneizel knew what happened.
"So that's him. That's Zero." Schneizel stated at the black and gold Knightmare started moving.
"Ah! The Gawain!" Lloyd exclaimed, not happy to be losing an advanced Knightmare.
Kallen and Naruto jumped onto the Gawain's shoulders, knowing it was time to leave.
"Stop them now! We have to get that machine back! We cannot allow it to fall into Zero's hands!" Bartley shouted.
Lelouch grunted."Schneizel, next time!" He grabbed the throttles for the wheelspinners and propelled the Gawain forward.
At the end of the tunnel they could see Sutherlands gathering, forming a blockade.
"Sutherlands are blocking are exit!" Kallen called.
"Hang on tight! I'm going through them!" Lelouch replied.
"Huh?!" Kallen and Naruto wondered what he meant.
The shoulder panels on the Gawain opened up and gathered bright red energy.
"Those look like the same weapons that were fired on us back at Shikine Island!" Naruto realized but his Rinnegan spotted energy fluctuations in the weapon. "Lelouch wait a second!"
"Disappear." Lelouch said as he pressed the firing button.
Naruto quickly grabbed Kallen as the weapons fired; firing red energy bolts that hit the ceiling, the walls, and the Sutherlands.
"Damn!" Lelouch pulled off his mask. "The weapons are incomplete!"
"You think?!" Lelouch heard Naruto shout.
The Gawain rolled out of the cave but they were not out of the woods as Kallen pointed out. "Zero, reinforcements!"
Naruto was ready to spring into action as the Sutherlands up ahead fired on them but stopped when he heard Lelouch. "Don't be worried yet. Another system is operational."
"Whoa!" Naruto could have sworn he saw energy wings like the ones on his and C.C.'s Knightmares but realized it wasn't the same even though the Gawain was now flying.
"We're flying?" Kallen gasped as the Gawain flew over the enemy army and into the sky. "This Knightmare can fly!"
Lelouch laughed loudly which unnerved Naruto a bit. 'Oh boy. Let's hope that's just an adrenaline rush.'
"The Gawain." Bartley groaned as they watched the Knightmare vanish into the blue sky.
"Damn it. We had him!" Cornelia growled but sighed as she turned to Euphemia. "Euphie, are you all right?"
"I am fine, sister." Euphemia smiled at her and turned to Schneizel. "Schneizel, I missed you."
"Hello, Euphie, Cornelia, it's good to see you're both still with us." Schneizel said with a relieved smile. "I was worried you had both been captured or killed."
"Fortunately it seems fate had other ideas." Cornelia remarked. "Though, Zero now has a dangerous weapon in his hands."
"Well it was only a prototype and fortunately the weapon is not yet operational." Schneizel pointed out. "So we can be thankful for small favors."
"I've contacted Ohgi; we'll rendezvous with them out at sea." Lelouch said through the speakers.
"Right and one other thing… The Guren Mk-II?" Kallen asked worriedly.
"It's back in the Ashford Weapon's factory thanks to some quick thinking from Naruto and Sayoko." Lelouch answered.
"That's good to hear." Kallen sighed.
"Lelouch, Kallen, when we get back we need to have C.C. look at your Geass." Naruto spoke up, earning their attention. "When that red light appeared before we ended up in those ruins both your Geass activated and I don't believe you did that on purpose."
"What?" Kallen instinctively put a hand over her left eye.
"You think it affected our Geass?" Lelouch asked with a frown.
"Those ruins have a special connection with the source of where Geass comes from. If it's done something to your Geass we need to check them over." Naruto looked at Kallen with his mask off, showing his Rinnegan. "I don't know what effect it might have had but I don't think it's a good idea for either of you to use your Geass until C.C. has a look at them."
"A special connection with the source of Geass?" Kallen questioned. "Those ruins, they have something to do with Geass."
"There are ruins like them all over the world but almost impossible to find. The fact that Britannia's found one makes me nervous. If the Emperor knows about them he's possibly looking for more like them and I'll bet my hard won Britannian money that it's not good." Naruto explained.
"Very well. We'll speak with C.C. about it when we get back." Lelouch replied after a second of silence. "The last thing we need at this point is the Emperor gaining a powerful weapon that has a connection with Geass."