First off, Itami won't exist in this fic, for now. Probably a bummer for some of you, I'm sorry. The anime/manga itself is way too centered around him to have a crossover IMO.

Like always, Naruto and Kushina will be in this fic, though it'll be different than my usual fics (I hope). Eventually, they'll get together in a relationship.

There will be elements from the game series Halo, such as the Spartans, Mjolnir armor, the Elites, Brutes, and Grunts. There won't be any Forerunners, so no crazy advanced technology besides the Mjolnir armor system and Spartan program.

Had this written a while ago now and have another chapter ready to post for it as well. Just figured I'd drop it now.

Next update will be for Rise of the Nephilim.

Smoke filled the air as the sounds of gunfire echoed all around. Kushina Uzumaki, a Ranger in the JGSDF, and her team were on patrol in a recently captured city. How said patrol devolved into a full-blown firefight, she'd likely never know. What she did know was that they were most definitely outnumbered and outgunned.

Taking aim at one of the ambushers, Kushina squeezed the trigger on her Type 89 assault rifle. A hail of bullets was sent towards the masked man, who dropped to the ground. She stared at the husk of a man before taking cover behind the door of her humvee.

Ejecting the empty magazine in her rifle, she quickly chambered another bullet before analyzing her squad's current situation. To say the least, the state they were in was entirely and utterly FUBAR. Both the lead humvee and rear humvee of her squad were rendered immobile.

"CONTACT REAR!" The Private beside her shouted as three members that could still move turned to engage the threat.

Great, now the Insurgents had set up a kill zone.

Turning to the Radioman, she glared at him as he practically cowered in the humvee. "Get Command to send some God damn help, would you?" she asked the man before getting out of the humvee.

"We need to get the fuck off this street! Pop some smoke and head to that building!" She communicated over the radio as members of her squad followed her orders.

Hearing a bullet whizz past her, Kushina spun around and searched all around her. Finding the man who nearly took her life on the rooftops above them. Before the man could attempt to injure any of her subordinates, she lined up the sights of her rifle on the man and squeezed the trigger.

"Command says reinforcements are en-route! They're diverting an asset of theirs nearby, and multiple other squads are on the way, Lieutenant!" The Radioman shouted as he finally exited the humvee.

Nodding at the man, Kushina looked at her squad around her. The medic and two others were assisting the wounded move. "Covering fire!" she shouted as she led the charge towards the building.

Moving around the only working humvee, Kushina ran across the street. With the smoke helping to conceal them, they made it across safely. Lining up on the door, she followed the breacher as they cleared the building.

Once they had cleared the room, she looked at the four soldiers with her. "You two, provide cover fire with me for the rest of the squad. For the other two, watch that other entrance, Kushina said as she pointed at the other door.

Kushina and the other two soldiers provided cover fire for the remainder of their squad. Thankfully, they made it in just as the smoke began clearing. She let out a sigh of relief as she shut the door.

The terrorists must've realized they had retreated off of the street because not a moment later, the roadway was filled with them. Making a hand gesture towards her squadmates to keep their heads low. Kushina hoped that they wouldn't notice them.

She doubted that would be the case. The terrorists must've planned the entire attack. Intelligence on the area had said that most of the insurgency in the area had been quelled. What a joke that was. There had to be at least a hundred of them.

The lone medic of her squad was rendering aid to the wounded members with the help of another soldier. She could see some of them stifling their screams as to not alert the opposing force outside. Oh, how she wished for some fire support right now, but she doubted they'd get any due to the densely populated city around them.

Peeking her head through the blinds, Kushina saw that the insurgents had started to search the buildings on the street. Crouching down out of sight, she hoped she didn't alert them. Though, she wasn't just going to sit and wait for them to burn them out like rats.

Why the city hadn't been evacuated was a mystery to her.

It was well and truly a cluster fuck.

Grabbing the grenade from her vest, the members of her squad followed suit. The insurgents were in front of their building now. Pulling the pin, she threw it through the window at the incoming insurgents.

Crouching behind the wall, Kushina covered her ears as explosions racked the street outside. Once all the grenades had detonated, she and her squad, almost in sync. Unleashed their volley of hellfire onto the insurgents.

Gunfire in the building echoed off of the walls, causing Kushina to wince as she began taking down insurgents left and right. Though, it felt like the insurgent onslaught hadn't taken any losses. If anything, they seemed emboldened as she spotted even more of them getting onto the street.

"Command said some help is almost here!" The Radioman shouted before he took a bullet to the chest.

Rushing over, Kushina looked over the man as she felt under his vest for any wounds. Pulling her hand away, she let out a sigh of relief when she realized that his vest caught the bullet. Helping him back onto his feet, she rejoined the fight.

She could only pray that help got here soon. Because the insurgents were slowly but surely approaching the house. Hails of bullets from light machine guns soon prevent them from even returning fire. Though, all of a sudden, the hellfire of lead from their enemies ceased.

She could hear the shouts of insurgents from the street. It sounded like they were moving away from the building. Her eyes widened when she heard the loud boom, almost like thunder followed by the explosion.

The explosion had thrown her from her cover. Kushina's vision was now incredibly hazy, along with her hearing being muffled. Attempting to look around the now dust-filled room. Thankfully most of her squad members by the wall were still in one piece, though they were in the same state as her.

Grabbing her rifle, Kushina turned to the now gaping hole in the wall as she could see the silhouettes of the insurgents making their way inside. At this point, they were mere feet away as she squeezed her trigger. Only to hear that audible click.

Kushina's eyes widened as she reached for the sidearm at her waist. Her life flashing before her eyes as the insurgents' weapons looked as if they were coming up in slow motion. Her cherished memories of her baby boy Naruto came to mind as her hand wrapped around the holster of her sidearm.

She shut her eyes when she realized she wasn't going to be fast enough on the draw.

'Mama's coming, Naruto," Kushina thought as she accepted her fate.

The muffled bangs of a suppressed rifle from behind her echoed through the room. Kushina slowly opened her eyes to find the four insurgents lying dead at the gaping hole of the building. Turning her head, she saw the person responsible.

She presumed it was a man due to his muscular structure. Though, he towered over most men she knew. He must've been at least nearly six foot and nine inches.

He was dressed in a strange black armor that covered a majority of his body. The black and grey plates covered all the vital parts of his body, and the way his suit looked like it didn't hinder his movement whatsoever. She couldn't see his face due to the equally black and grey helmet with a grey visor that hid all of his features.

It felt like the man's eyes lingered on her for a moment. Though that only lasted mere seconds. Because, in the very next moment, he was moving forward towards the mass of hostile soldiers outside.

For the rest of her life, Kushina would never forget what she witnessed. This man didn't tremble in fear nor hesitate to engage the large mass of soldiers by himself. The rhythmic thumps of his rifle firing could be heard as insurgents fell down dead due to his pinpoint accuracy. Even his movements seemed honed to absolute perfection.

She was more than positive that his person was special forces. Everything about him screamed it. And seeing as she was technically special forces herself. She figured she could easily spot out fellow operators.

Though, even this man seemed like he was on an entirely different level. Regardless of training, most people put their well-being first. No sane person would willingly charge into the storm of lead as he did.

The man grabbed some smoke canisters at his side as he threw them down the street. That was when Kushina realized that most of the insurgents were now dead. The soldier clad in black and grey armor jogged back over to them as she got off of her ass.

"Which one of you is the best shot?" The armor-clad giant asked in fluent Japanese as he looked at her.

'Was this what they meant when they said an Asset was being sent to help?' Kushina couldn't help but wonder as she stared up at the man.

Clearing her throat, Kushina raised her hand. "I'm one of the best shots out of everyone here," she said, causing the man to nod at her.

"Then you're with me as we act as the rearguard. Have your best men lead the way," He said as he loaded a fresh magazine into his rifle. "Let's go,"

Kushina just followed behind the man as he once again ran out of the building. The smoke canisters he had thrown before were still blooming, giving them plenty of concealment. She raised an eyebrow as the man began shooting through the smoke. The resounding thumps of bodies hitting the ground echoed after his shots.

She let out a gasp of surprise as the man grabbed her and jumped away. When they landed, the man shielded her body from an explosion that rocked the street. His stalwart body and armor protected both her and him from the blast.

Though, Kushina quickly realized that the soldier wasn't entirely unaffected. As she got to her feet, she could see a piece of metal embedded into the middle area of his back. Seeing soldiers rushing towards them while firing their rifles, she began to return fire.

Thirty bullets felt like nothing as she attempted to reserve her ammo as she picked off the soldiers. Knowing she was now out of ammunition for her Type 89, she switched to her sidearm. The soldiers were now mere feet away from her and the special forces operator. Just as she turned to shoot one of the men, a volley of lead erupted from his AK47.

The first thing she felt was the rush of wind past her face. Her vision was now filled with black, grey, and red as she stared at the wounded back of the operator. The man was back into the fight as he began returning fire with his rifle.

Just from looking at his stance, she could tell he was hurting. Armor or not, taking rounds to the chest from an AK47 hurt. And this man had overcome that pain.

Kushina pondered if he was even human. A piece of cloth was ripped from underneath the man's armor. Leaning down, she grabbed the material with some sort of symbol on it and stuffed it into her pocket.

Pain, that's what was coursing through both his back and his chest. The slight recoil of his rifle made it all that much worse as it racked through his body. Why was he here? His main objective of attacking and killing a terrorist cell's leader was already completed.

Seeing the incoming insurgents, Naruto ignored his thoughts and most of the pain as he focused on the battle along with defending the woman beside him that was most definitely his mother.

His mind, vision, and body were racing as bullets rushed past him. He remained in front of Kushina Uzumaki and shielded her from any harm. Even though she was the one who had sold him into this damned life. The woman who was supposed to care and nurture for him. Sold him into this program to become a weapon, or so he had been told.

Part of him wanted to hate her, even despise her for what happened to him. Nevertheless, he protected her, and he couldn't understand why. She was the reason for all of the sufferings he had gone through. But he realized that he still probably loved her... missed her even.

Dropping his rifle, Naruto held his sidearm with one hand as he grabbed Kushina and started slowly moving backward. His mother wasn't idle either as she was firing her weapon as they moved. The friendly squads were likely nearby, and he had to be long gone before they even arrived.

Even though Japan's constitution had been changed, mainly in part regarding its military, he still technically wasn't supposed to be under the public spotlight.

Hearing the gunfire from people behind him, Naruto spun and aimed his weapon to take out the incoming threat. Only to stop as he recognized the other members of Kushina's squad coming to assist. He could feel another round impact his chest as he twisted his body and faced the immediate threats.

One of Kushina's squadmates must've seen him take another round to the chest as he rushed over.

Grabbing one of the smoke canisters on his belt, Naruto chucked it towards the enemy as he turned to the soldiers. "Take her and get out of here," he said before rushing back towards the hellfire.

Naruto just ignored the cries of his mother. He could hear Kushina arguing with the soldier as her shouts faded away. His orders were simple, ensure the survival of her entire squad. And that's what he would do.

Not a single soldier of hers nor Kushina herself would die under his watch.

Grabbing a rifle and some of the ammo on the dead insurgents' vest, Naruto just returned fire. He wasn't a hero, just a soldier with simple orders.

The monorail was full of people as a red-haired woman tapped her foot impatiently. "God damn it. I'm going to be late," she murmured to herself as she looked at the watch on her wrist.

Switching to the camera on her phone, Kushina took in her image. Despite being well into her mid-thirties, a beautiful woman stared back at her. Her hair remained the same shade of red as it had when she was a teenager. Not a speck of makeup could be seen on her face. Her skin was still a creamy pale color with not a wrinkle in sight.

Looking at her outfit one more time, she let out a sigh. Being in the military along with recently coming back from her deployment in Afghanistan. She absolutely has zero sense of modern fashion. So, here she was wearing a dark green polo shirt, a pair of white shoes, and some blue jeans.

Pulling out a black hair clip from her backpack. She put it into place as she pushed the remaining strands of hair from her face. Satisfied with how she looked, she clicked back to the home screen of her phone.

A sudden feeling of both longing and sadness washed over her as she stared at her wallpaper. There she was all those years ago, she still looked the same, though there was an extra person in the photo at her side. A little boy... her little boy with his crimson hair with blond tips, smiling brightly into the selfie.

Running a finger over his cheek, Kushina bit down on the inside of her mouth. Even now, after all these years, she still missed him. She usually broke down and cried just at the sight of him. It had been eleven years since her Naruto had been abducted from their home.

After coming home from a long day of work, she had been thrown into a fit of hysteria as she found the nanny she hired knocked out cold. After making sure the woman was alive, she immediately called the police as she searched her home. Though, this time her baby boy wasn't anywhere to be found.

When the police had arrived, they began a search of the entire area for Naruto. Though they couldn't find him anywhere. They promised to keep searching, but one of them had told her that the police around the country were dealing with something similar. Kids all around the same age as Naruto had been abducted.

Seeing as the police and their detectives were swamped. She turned to the next best thing and hired multiple private investigators. All they managed to tell her was that a group of professionals were behind her childs' kidnapping. She sent the useless batch of "investigators" away. Any imbecile could realize that the people who took Naruto were professionals.

So she went to the next best person to ask for both help and guidance. Hiruzen, the Colonel for the Rangers' brigade that she was in, had promised her he'd do everything he could to help her. Though, that didn't mean that much, seeing as he got court-martialed and thrown into prison for life.

Now she had no one to turn to. She was all alone and at her darkest point in life. Both her husband, Minato, and her little sunshine were now gone. She contemplated drinking her brains out and just ending her life.

The more she reflected on her actions in the past as she drank some, the more she hated herself. By no means did she abuse or neglect her baby boy. She'd never do something like that. She just made terrible choices.

After the death of her husband, she was filled with bouts of depression. Who could blame her? She lost the man she loved, and now she was left all alone to raise their child.

Her baby boy had been so confused as to what was happening at the time. But he apparently knew that she was feeling down. Her little sunshine could tell she was sad and had done everything to brighten her mood.

His smile alone did more than brighten her day. Just his little jokes and constant childish affections, and mischievous attitude made her smile. She loved him with every fiber of her being.

It's why it was so painful to not have him at her side anymore. Her home had become far too lonely now that he was gone. She wasn't going to whore herself out or find another man to fill the hole in her heart. So she volunteered for the next deployment to whatever shithole they sent her to.

Those couple of years in her life had been spent rendering aid and fighting all sorts of people. All she wanted to do was die. She didn't care all that much about the people she was helping.

In her most recent deployment, she thought that her wish was going to come true. Though, that hulking man had both defended her and prevented her wish. To this day, she still had no clue who that man was. The commanding officers at the base had told her they had no idea who he was either.

All she had of him was that piece of grey cloth. Pulling the material out of her back, she looked at the emblem once more. A white eagle on a field of green, with a star above it. Three arrows and a lightning bolt were clutched in its talons. No matter where she looked, she couldn't find any military unit associated with the emblem.

That much confirmed her suspicions of the man back then. He was most definitely in a black ops unit. It all made sense, the experimental armor he wore and used along with his extensive training. She doubted she'd ever see the man again to at least say thank you.

Feeling the monorail come to a halt, she stuffed the cloth back into her backpack and zipped the bag close. Sliding her phone back into her pocket and picking up her back, she slid it onto her shoulders before exiting. Dwelling on the past only brought her pain, hence why she constantly worked herself to the bone.

For now, she'd go check out the anime and manga exhibits. She felt excitement rush through her about going to the "Do you love your mom and her two hit multi attacks" and "Kaguya-sama: Love is War?" exhibits. She really enjoyed the first one because it was about a mother wanting to get along with her son.

Personally, she didn't have a single issue with Mamakos' son complex. If anything, she figured that she'd likely be quite similar with the woman, albeit a little angrier due to her temper. Kaguya-sama was just fucking hilarious to her though, after a rough day, she really enjoyed just sitting down and watching an episode of that anime.

Pulling out a folded-up map, she quickly unfolded it and looked at the time schedule and locations of the event. "At least I can still make it in time," Kushian said with a relieved sigh. She'd hate to miss out on the one thing she took breaks for.

An ominous feeling crept up her spine as she stopped walking. Turning around, she looked out through the panels of glass onto the street below. The hairs on her neck stood up on edge as a rush of adrenaline began pumping through her veins. It felt similar to how she felt just before the ambush happened on that street.

Her violet eyes widened in both surprise and fear when she saw dragons flying in the sky. People on the streets below were fleeing in terror as the mighty beasts swooped down and attacked them. She could see the roman like soldiers on the back of the dragons controlling the beasts with reigns. She didn't even hesitate a movement as she spun around and began running down the hall.

The JGSDF in her was screaming to go down there and protect them.

When she made it outside, it was absolute pandemonium. Crowds of people were running for their lives. The cries and screams of people echoed off the buildings around her as she pushed against the coming masses.

Spotting a woman on the ground, Kushina ran up to her. "Get up and run!" she yelled at the frightened woman as she pulled her off the ground. People really had no survival tendencies.

The crack of gunfire caught her attention as she spotted a policeman. A look of fear and shock displayed on his face. He started at the body of a man who she presumed he had just shot.

She could only narrow her eyes as she watched the man clad in medieval esque armor jump up from the ground as he unsheathed his dagger. Letting out a battle cry. The man rushed towards the police officer, who was frozen in fear.

Just before the strange man could plunge his dagger into the officer. She jumped out and grabbed him. Using all of her body weight, she spun the man around and slammed him into the ground. The man struggled against her as she crouched onto the pavement and held him in a chokehold.

The soldier continued his fight against her, and she knew he was stronger. A glint of metal caught her attention as she spotted the man's dagger on the ground nearby. Grabbing hold of it with one of her hands, she wrapped her hands around the hilt of the blade before plunging it into the mans' neck without hesitation.

As a soldier, it was killed or be killed.

Looking at the shocked policeman and a pair of two dumb broads, she sighed. "Get those two out of here!" she shouted at the officer, who continued staring at her with a frightened expression.

A primal-like roar, followed by an ear-piercing scream, echoed throughout the street. There was an audible crunch as the screaming person went silent. The silhouette of something continued walking towards them through the smoke.

Kushinas' eyes widened when the smoke began to clear. What could only be described as a hulking ape-like creature walked through the fading smog. Its' face was bloodied as its disgusting yellow teeth had a piece of clothing stuck between them. A massive, primitive hammer was slung on its back as it slowly walked around.

The moment it locked eyes with her, a primal smile came onto its face as it began rushing towards her. "Get them out of here, NOW!" Kushina shouted once again, snapping the officer into action as the ape-like creature rushed towards them.

Returning her focus onto the hulking creature, she felt the adrenaline begin surging through her even more. It had to be at least seven feet tall, probably a little taller. Tattered armor was scattered all over its hairy body.

She knew that it had to be much stronger than her, but if it got past her. Who knew just how many people this thing would kill. No, she had to stop it here to at least buy them some time.

When the beast finally made it close to her. It lunged towards her with abandon, both of its hairy arms wide open as it attempted to grab her. Thankfully she was much faster and intelligent hopefully.

Her initial enthusiasm about her speed faded when the beast whipped around, much faster than she expected as she tried to get around it. She barely managed to dodge its massive left hand as she rolled behind it. Bringing up the dagger in her hand, she managed to cut its hand before it could grab her.

The brute of a creature let out a pained roar before it swatted her away with its uninjured hand.

"Gah!" Kushina shouted in pain as she was sent hurtling into a nearby wall. It felt like ice shot through her shoulder as she tried to get up. One look at it, and she knew it was dislocated. At least that's all that happened.

Another roar caught her attention as the beast looked down at her with rage-filled eyes. Its heavy footsteps echoed through the empty street as it approached her. A bloodthirsty grin was on its face as it fished the piece of cloth out of its mouth.

Fear coursed through her veins as she urged her body to get up. She barely managed to get to her feet due to the pain just from moving. As the beast neared, a single thought echoed through her mind.

'Is this where I'm going to die?' Shutting her eyes, Kushina raised the dagger at the beast as she turned her face away. She'd faced death before, but she always hoped that it would come quickly to her.

One last thought came to her, bringing Kushina some sort of comfort.

At least she might be able to meet Naruto again and apologize for everything she's done.

Someone snatching the dagger out of her grasp made her violet eyes snap wide open.

The man in front of her was a hulking mass of muscle. Easily taller than any man she'd seen or met in her life. Her mind immediately recognized him from his stance and his physique alone. Though, the one thing that caught her eye the most was his hair.

It was that familiar shade of crimson and had blond tips.

"Stay back," her rescuer said with a monotonous voice as he rushed towards the beast.

Kushina felt her mind racing when she saw the speed of the man. The pavement below him cracked from his initial burst of movement, and in mere seconds he was well within attacking range of the beast. Is this the same man from Afghanistan?

The man was evading its powerful punches with ease as he stabbed at the beasts' vulnerable areas. Despite their hulking bodies, this almost inhuman man and the brute of a creature were moving extremely fast. Pained screams erupted from the beast as the man twisted the knife in the creatures' belly.

"Watch out!" Kushina shouted with wide eyes as the massive hand of the creature curled into a fist and brought it down onto the man.

Her savior somehow managed to block the attack as he skidded back towards her. She could already see the swelling, purple bruise forming on his forearm. Though, he didn't even seem fazed or affected by it.

At this point, she was positive it was the man from Afghanistan.

Now that she could get a clear look at his face. Her mind quickly phased all of the danger out. Her violet eyes took in every detail of the mans' face. Those cerulean eyes, the structure of his jaw, his lips, everything. With his unique hair color alone, she was sure that he looked like an older version of her Naruto.

"Can you move?" He asked as he put himself between the very pissed-off creature and her.

Trying to take a step forward, Kushina grit her teeth in agony as another jolt of pain shot through her arm. "N-no, my arm is killing me," she said with a pained voice.

The hulking man didn't say anything in return. Looking past him, Kushina felt a chill go down her spine. The beast had pulled its massive hammer from its back as it wielded it with both hands. Though, once again, as he did in Afghanistan, he rushed forwards into danger, despite not having a weapon.

At this point, she felt her eyes hurting due to her surprise. The massive ape swung its mighty hammer at the man. No human could've possibly moved out of the way fast enough to dodge that strike. Though this bulk man did. Hell, he jumped over the attack entirely.

Parts of the roar went flying when the massive hammer collided with the ground. That wasn't the last strike from the beast either. It quickly picked its hammer back up and swung horizontally at the man who just landed on the ground.

Kushina watched in awe as the man ducked under the swing and closed the distance between himself and the ape. The beasts' center of gravity was off due to swinging the massive lunk of metal, and he took full advantage of that. With the knife that had been embedded in the giant monkeys' stomach back in his hands, he didn't hesitate to go for the creatures' throat as he stabbed it multiple times.

Gurgling sounds could be heard as red blood pooled from the mouth and the throat of the creature. The man jumped away from the animal, bloodied knife still in hand. Just in time, the massive body of the creature collapsed onto the ground.

Now that it was somewhat safe, Kushina couldn't push off her curiosity and longing anymore. "Naruto?" she said with a quiver in her voice as the man turned around to face her.

The man in question's body tensed up somewhat as he turned to look at her. When those cerulean eyes landed on her, a shiver went down her spine. Those blue orbs were icy cold for a moment, and it had her frozen.

Though, his icy wrath quickly faded as he took in a deep breath. He looked calmer. Now he just looked at Kushina with a neutral look.

He walked towards her and began looking over her shoulder. He surprised Kushina with how gentle he was when he was examining her arm.

"Don't bite your tongue off," He said just as she went to ask him what he was doing.

A scream erupted from Kushinas' mouth as her shoulder snapped back into place. "Give me some fair warning next time, asshole," she muttered automatically. She didn't even get to protest any further as he swooped her up from the ground and carried her bridal style. "W-what?"

All she could do was shut her eyes and move closer into his chest because of the speed he was running at.

Naruto could feel his lingering anger wash over him when he saw his mother. Though, he couldn't deny that he was somewhat happy. Despite his emotions, he wanted to get answers first.

Why did she send him off to that hell hole?

He was happy that his mother was still living her life. She was also just as pretty as he remembered her being. Her style of dressing had remained practically the same too. She wore a modest green polo shirt, a pair of blue jeans that hugged her curves, and some tennis shoes.

From reading what was available about Kushina, Naruto had found out that after he was sent away. She had volunteered for multiple deployments in the military. And that was after she sent him away. Just yesterday, he found out that she hired multiple private investigators mere days after he found himself in the military training facility.

His quick investigation left him with more questions than answers about Kushina. Naruto just focused back on his mother, who was walking through the terminal. He was still debating on how he should approach her. He had never been the best at socializing with people, even more so after his augmentations.

Though all of that took a back seat when the area around them devolved into chaos. Naruto chased after Kushina when she bolted. He watched as his mother began assisting whoever she could. He had lost her in the crowd after he had to dispatch some medieval-like soldiers.

When he had found her again, he was somewhat taken aback. There was a massive creature that towered over even someone like himself. Judging by the state she was in, Kushina had definitely fought it, despite just how much smaller she was.

Something in him had snapped then. He rushed forwards to defend his mother once again as he did in Afghanistan. So that's what he did.

There wasn't a doubt in his mind that she would've died without his intervention. The creature that he had fought was the most challenging foe he'd encountered throughout his career. Partly because he didn't have a weapon other than a dagger. Though he didn't back down at all.

Thankfully he had managed to kill it. Now all he needed to do was get his mother to safety. It still felt strange referring to her like that, but for now, it'd work.

They now stood outside of the royal palace along with an ever-growing crowd.

Feeling Kushina tap his chest, Naruto looked down at her. "Let me down... please," she meekly demanded as he gingerly lowered her to the ground. "We need to find out what's going on," she added as she straightened out her outfit.

Naruto nodded at her as he followed after her. Technically she was his superior due to being a Second Lieutenant, and they were in a time of crisis. He was only a Master Sergeant, so she could order him around.

"Also," Kushina began as she turned around and raised a finger at him, stopping him from moving. "Don't even think of trying to run off after this. We need to have a conversation," she finished as she looked him in the eyes.

"On that much, we can agree on," Naruto retorted, causing Kushina to frown some as she turned around and began running.

They made their way past the massive crowds of people, and soon they arrived at the guardhouse. Two police officers were inside, both arguing with one another on what to do. Kushina cleared her throat quite loudly, garnering the attention of the two imbeciles.

"Who're you," The overweight officer out of the two said.

The other one seemed to recognize her, judging by how wide his eyes were. "You're still alive?" he asked.

"No thanks to you," Kushina snapped, causing the man to shrivel up in fear. She turned her gaze back to the overweight man before standing up straight and saluting. "Second Lieutenant, Kushina Uzumaki of the JGSDF," she continued with quite a harsh tone.

"Let me confirm that," The fat man replied as he turned to the phone.

Kushina took a step forward, causing the man to halt whatever he was doing. "If you wait any longer, it'll be a slaughter. You need to let the civilians in otherwise. Who knows just how many can die, and it'll all be on you," she snapped at the man who flinched.

Deciding it was time to speak up, Naruto looked at the other officer. "Are there any here?" he spoke up as Kushina looked at him.

"Why, who're you?" The fat man asked once more.

Casting a wary glance at Kushina, who was staring at him quite intently. He internally sighed. This was going to cause all sorts of trouble. Though he was already going to tell her who he was, to begin with.

"Master Sergeant, Naruto Uzumaki, Special Forces," Naruto answered as he ignored Kushina's teary stare and tugging at his arm.

"Just give me a moment to get this cleared," The chubby man said once more as he yanked the phone to his ear and began speaking to the person on the other side.

Kushina had practically yanked him by the arm as she attempted to drag him towards the entryway of the guardroom. It was when he relented that she managed to do so.

"N-naruto?" Kushina asked. She sounded like she was on the verge of crying tears of joy.

"We'll talk later," Naruto muttered somewhat coldly, causing Kushina to stiffen up. While part of him was happy to be with her once again. He couldn't deny that he was angry. Hopefully, things would soon come to light as to what happened.

"Alright," Kushina agreed. She looked torn on being happy and upset at the same time.

"Lieutenant, Sergeant. They've confirmed your identity. The civilians are to have top priority upon entering," The man said, his voice was much more respectful.

"Do you have any spare firearms?" Naruto asked as he looked at Kushina. "If there's any more of those creatures, they'll tear down that gate in minutes," he continued with a neutral face.

"And what do you plan on doing? Fighting them off by yourself?" She asked with an insightful look.

"If someone doesn't hold them off, there'll be a slaughter, even if you get all the men into the palace." Naruto began as he ignored Kushina's furious look. "You organize the men here to defend the civilians if anything makes it past me,"

Turning to look at the two police officers, Naruto looked at the chubby one in charge. "I need whatever weapons you have, now," he said with an authoritative tone.

Moments later, one of the officers came running into the room. The man was carrying an M4A1. He handed Naruto the rifle along with three magazines of ammunition.

"Get the rest of the officers and set up a firing line on the gate," Kushina said as she looked at the two officers who would relay her orders. "If they make it through the Gate and don't look like they're from our world. Don't hesitate to shoot them," she commanded.

Naruto continued inspecting his weapon as he racked a bullet into the chamber.

"I'm coming with you," Kushina stated as she walked up to him. There was a look of fiery determination on her face. While he respected her courage, now was not the time.

"I work better alone," Naruto replied with a neutral tone. It was nicer than telling her that she'd just get in the way. "Though, I promise that I'll come back. You taught me to always keep the promises you made," he said with a much softer tone.

Kushina just smiled at him as he turned to run off. Though before he did, he turned to look at the two officers. "You heard the Lieutenant, get the men out there!" he shouted before he ran out of the guardhouse.

Before he managed to get ten feet away from the guardhouse, a police officer informed him of the incoming JGSDF regiment and attack helicopter on the way.

Now, he only needed to buy them a little bit of time.

Stepping into a tent, Naruto put his phone in his pocket before grabbing a bottle of water. Twisting off the cap, he took a gulp of it before pouring the remainder of it on his face. The cool refreshment helped wash off some of the grime and sweat on his face.

Thankfully those three magazines of ammunition did some work. Most of the creatures. Other than the apes went down with a single shot to the head. It also helped that whoever they were fighting against had rather primitive technology.

Fighting against people with firearms compared to fighting against people with bows and swords was nothing.

Nevertheless, he wished he at least had his standard kit for deployment. Though, he was taught to adapt and overcome. So, he did, and he liked to think he at least saved some lives today.

Things had settled down some now, with the JGSDF rolling in and asserting their control over the Ginza district. In but an hour, they had retaken control along with killing off most of the invaders. How these people and creatures got into Japan was still unknown. Intelligence would likely find out soon enough.

Hearing someone come in behind him, he grabbed an extra water bottle before turning around. A mixture of feelings coursed through Naruto as he looked at his mother. He must've been staring at her for a while because she started squirming under his gaze.

Looking away, he pulled out a chair and sat down. Kushina was just as beautiful as she was back then. A lone feeling of nostalgia washed over him as he found himself wondering how his life could've been. He quickly put an end to that as his lingering anger came back.

There was no point thinking of what could've been, especially after what had been done to him.

"Why did you give me to them?" Naruto asked before Kushina could utter a word. Before she came into the tent, his handler, the Japanese Minister of Defense, Tarou Kanou. Had called him and informed him that he was minutes away.

Now was likely the only time he could get answers straight from the woman who was supposed to care and raise him as a child.

Kushina looked taken aback for a moment as she gathered herself. "What do you mean? Give you to them?" she shouted, a look of genuine confusion and fury on her face.

"But, you did," Naruto said, his cold facade returned as he stared down at his mother.

"I would've never, never, given you to anyone, Naruto," Kushina said, unwavering under his cold wrath.

Naruto just passively stared at his mother as his anger faltered. He couldn't find a hint of deceit on her face or in her voice. Her body language indicated she was telling the truth as well.

"I'm surprised you were able to recognize me," Naruto said, changing the subject. He recalled a conversation he had with one of his friends who survived the augmentations.

It was right after those hellish surgeries, where more than seventy-five percent of his friends died. Kelly asked him if he thought that their parents would recognize them now. Not only because of the fact that they grew up but because of what had been done to them. All those years of training and indoctrination had changed them.

"You're my son. Of course, I'd recognize you," Kushina stated as she sat down in a chair next to him.

Naruto could feel her violet eyes roaming over his face and body. It was like she was taking in every feature. Turning his gaze away from her, he just remained silent as he tried to think of what to ask her.

"Were you the one who saved my squad in Afghanistan?" Kushina asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"I was," Naruto simply answered before taking another sip of water.

"Where else in the world have you been? And what was that armor you were wearing? I've never seen anything like it," Kushina asked as he turned to look back at her.

Naruto just hummed to himself in thought. The last thing he expected was having a conversation like this with her. He had expected their talk to be more like a heated confrontation. Instead, they were sitting here... catching up like a pair of old friends.

"Think of every single place a terrorist organization operates," Naruto said as he looked at Kushina. At her nod, he continued speaking. "Those are all the places I've been. And that armor was from Senju Corp,"

"And all of that is classified," Tarou Kanou said as he stepped into the tent. A folder was in his hand as both Naruto and Kushina stood up at the man's entry. "Sit back down. We have a lot to talk about," he said as he raised his free hand.

Naruto just looked on warily as Tarou sat down in front of them. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that Tarou came prepared. He was likely being watched over ever since he made landfall in Japan. And after his encounter with Kushina in Afghanistan, they'd likely watched him even closer.

If that folder carried what he thought it did, they'd likely be dealing with one angry person.

"I'm Kanou Tarou, Minister of Defense. And you must be Naruto's mother," Tarou started with a smile as he set the folder down on the table.

"How do you know my son," Kushina asked as she harshly stared at Tarou. The Minister of Defense was second only to the Prime Minister. And if Naruto was Special Forces, he was likely under the command of Tarou himself.

Tarou just looked at Kushina and sighed before he looked at Naruto. "Before I answer that, you'll have to sign this," The Minister of Defense said as he pulled out a paper and handed it to Kushina.

Kushina snatched up the paper as she quickly read over it. Putting it back down on the table, she looked up at the man. It was a Non-disclosure agreement. She felt her anxiety start to bubble up inside her stomach. Nevertheless, she signed the document.

Tarou thanked Kushina as he put the paper into his folder. The older man interlaced his fingers as he kept his poker face no. He opened his mouth a couple times but stopped just shy of talking.

Naruto watched their discussion with a neutral face as Tarou began informing his mother of what was done to him, of what was done to thirty-nine other children. She was told everything, from their kidnapping, training, augmentations, and eventual military service. Tarou didn't leave a single detail out.

He just continued to clench his fists throughout the conversation as he was taken down memory lane. He and the other two survivors of the program hadn't really talked much of the past. They had all grown close during the program itself since they had no one else other than each other. Naruto and the rest of them had spent years training, talking, and just being around each other. Eventually, they all became a pseudo-family.

Naruto could still remember the day of the augmentations. At the mere age of fifteen, he and the others were subjected to those excruciating procedures. When they had emerged from the surgeries, more than ninety percent of them were dead. His brothers and sisters were gone forever.

He wasn't even given time to grieve as the entire program was soon taken over. The individuals responsible were arrested and persecuted. Meanwhile, he and his two remaining friends were taken into another facility entirely. Where they asked multiple questions along with performing different procedures.

It was at that facility where they were all given a choice. They could either join the military and perform what they were trained to do. Or, they could all return to their families in the civilian sector. All three of them had chosen the military.

Feeling something hit his face snapped Naruto out of his daze as he looked around.

Kushina looked absolutely livid as she paced around the tent. Her cheeks were red with fury as she took in multiple deep breaths. Tarou, on the other hand, looked disappointed himself. The old man had clenched both of his fists as he leaned his head against his hands.

The ringing of a phone had Kushina stop in her tracks as Tarou answered it. A sigh escaped the older man as he soon hung up the phone and looked at him.

"Come with me, Naruto," Tarou said as they both stood from their chairs. Before he left, he handed Kushina another folder. "Be sure not to lose this Lieutenant," he continued as he handed Kushina the folder.

"And you're just going to leave like that?" Kushina furiously said through gritted teeth. "I just got to talk to my son for the first time in eleven years, and you're just going to leave like that?" she said as tears threatened to slip from her eyes.

Tarou just smiled as he looked at her. "Don't worry with how things are looking. The two of you will be seeing more of each other in the future," he said before he left the two of them alone.

Kushina just walked up to Naruto before wrapped her arms around him and hugging him. Tears began streaming down her face as she recalled everything that she had just learned. Her baby boy had all those things happen to him because of Hiruzen and his friend, Danzo.

"This is goodbye for now," Kushina said through her sniffles as she managed to put a smile on her face despite how she felt currently.

"Knowing Tarou, I'm sure it won't be long before we see each other again," Naruto carefully said. Tarou was a crafty old man. Kushina just slipped him her phone number before he left.

As he followed after Tarou, his shoulders felt somewhat lighter. It was nice to know his mother hadn't really given him away as his handlers had told him. Instead, she was heartbroken and actually searched for him.

That much made him feel better. He hoped Kelly and Linda were doing alright wherever they were. It had been far too long since they had spoken to one another. Hopefully, that would change.

A strange feeling welled in his chest as Naruto thought of the future, he didn't know what it held for him, but it wasn't looking so bleak now.

End