A/N - Okey dokey, figured I'd work on chapter 2 of this story. I'd say it turned out pretty well. It took me bloody forever to finish writing the damn thing, and even then I wasn't sure how to end the chapter. Still, I think I ended it in a good place.

Anyways, this chapter centers mainly on Naruto's activities, with a little sneak peek at what's happening with Rikku and the others.

Really not sure what else to say, soooo...enjoy the chapter! lol

Chapter 2 – Summoner Yuna

Naruto's first instinct was to groan as he realized he had woken up face down in the water. Slowly straightening himself, he looked around to try and get a grasp on his surroundings. At least I didn't wake up with a mouth full of sand this time. Gotta find a silver lining somewhere. He thought, letting out that groan he wanted to earlier.

It was at this point that a blitzball nailed him in the side of the head. Turning towards the beach nearby, he scowled and yelled out, "The hell do you think you're doing, nailing a guy in the head with one of those things?!" Grumbling irritably, he decided to get even with the people on the shore. Diving under the water, he swam up and knocked the blitzball into the air. Afterwards, he jumped up out of the water and spun to increase his momentum. Spinning himself around one final time, he nailed the blitzball hard and sent it careening towards the man with the red hair.

With how fast the ball was flying towards his face, the man yelped in shock before quickly moving out of the way. He didn't take into account the team behind him, however, as the fat one was nailed hard in the side of the head, sending him crashing to the ground and falling into blissful unconsciousness.

The red-haired man turned his gaze to Naruto and grinned. "Oh yeah, you've got some skills." He said to himself as he watched Naruto swim around in the water. He was a bit confused when Naruto swam off to the side, though when he heard the sound of a treasure chest opening up, he realized what the newcomer was doing. He saw treasure and went for it, like any sane person would. Nodding his head in understanding, he watched as the blonde man swam off to the side, towards the dock. He really likes his treasure… he thought to himself in amusement.

Finally, Naruto approached the team of blitzball players and smirked at the red-haired man. "Sorry about your friend there. Name's Naruto, nice to meetcha!"

"I'm Wakka. Captain of the Besaid Aurochs. Think you can show me that move again?" the now named Wakka asked, eager to put this man's skills to the test.

The spiky-haired blonde shrugged and picked up the blitzball that he had used to knock out Mr. Tubby. "Sure." he said before knocking the blitzball into the air again and performing the exact same shot as before, sending the blitzball speeding across the water and up high into the air. "See? Nothin' to it."

Wakka grinned and said, "You're no amateur. Who you play for, huh?"

Naruto considered being honest and telling Wakka that he played for the Al Bhed Psyches, but decided against it. Instead, he said, "Nobody. I'm a free agent."

The blitzball captain grinned wider and asked, "How you feel about playing for the Besaid Aurochs, eh? Could be fun, an' we can always use someone with your talents, brudda."

Naruto frowned and shook his head. "I'm not saying no, but can you give me some time to think on it?"

"No problem, brudda. Say, what were you doin' out there anyways? Not everyday ya see someone floatin' out there in da ocean." Wakka questioned.

The blonde groaned and shook his head. "My friends and I were attacked by Sin. I have no idea where I am now. I can barely remember where I was before either." he half-lied. "My girlfriend's pregnant, and now I have no idea where she is, where I am, anything."

The Besaid Aurochs gasped in shock and murmured things amongst themselves. "You got close to Sin and lived!" "It's a miracle you can still think straight!" "Praise be to Yevon!"

As the Aurochs performed the prayer gesture, Naruto's lips twitched into a scowl for a fraction of a second. Turning back to Wakka, he listened as the man spoke. "Sin's toxin got to ya, yeah? You say your girlfriend's pregnant? Do ya know where you were before Sin got to ya?"

"Not really. We were on a boat when Sin attacked and I got thrown overboard. Next thing I know, I'm waking up in the water. Sadly, it's not the first time I've been close to Sin. The damn thing ripped us away from our home and now we're all scattered. It took me forever to find some of my friends, and now I'm separated from them again. I want to get back to my girlfriend so I can be there when she gives birth." Naruto said sadly.

"Well, I've got an idea, yeah? Come with us to Luca. Big city, full of people. If you can find your loved ones anywhere, it'd be there, yeah? An' I just noticed somethin'. Why you dressed like an Al Bhed, brudda? Don't you know what they done?" Wakka questioned, a curious frown on his face.

Sighing irritably, Naruto removed his goggles and showed Wakka his eyes. "When I was attacked the first time, the Al Bhed found me and took me in. They taught me their language and about their people. They were kind to me and treated me like one of their own. I won't question you or your beliefs, and I won't talk about the Al Bhed. If you can't stand the fact that they sheltered me for two years and made me feel at home with them, I can always leave. It's up to you."

Wakka frowned in distaste, but bit his tongue so he wouldn't speak bad about the people that took Naruto in. Sighing heavily after a while, he said, "I won't judge you brudda. If the Al Bhed helped you, then they helped you. Nothin' wrong with that. Just means there's good people amongst them, yeah? Besides, anyone who can toss a blitzball around like you can's gotta be all right in my book. I hope you decide to play for da Besaid Aurochs, brudda. We could use a player like you."

Naruto shrugged, deciding to accept Wakka's words for the time being. He could tell already just what kind of person Wakka was. He was a diehard believer in everything Yevon preached and stood for. Just from the frown on Wakka's face earlier, it was easy to see that he was racist towards the Al Bhed, but he'd bet anything that the man didn't have a good reason for it. Oh sure, something might have happened in the man's past to trigger such hatred, but Naruto could tell right now that he was going to have conflicting beliefs with Wakka. Still, he'd wait to pass judgement on the man.

"Like I said, I'll think about it. For now, is it safe to assume we're on Besaid Island?" Seeing Wakka nod, Naruto smirked and asked, "Does that mean Yuna's here? I've heard a lot about her from a few friends that care about her. I'd like to meet her and pass on a message from them to her. Would that be okay?"

Wakka frowned in thought for a moment before saying, "I don't see why not, brudda. Are these friends anyone I'd know?"

Naruto shook his head and said, "Doubt it. Just know that they genuinely care for her and want to see her safe and sound on her pilgrimage."

"I see. Well all right brudda, let's get you back to the village. I'm sure Yuna's gonna like meeting ya. You seem like a good person, brudda." Wakka said before turning and motioning for Naruto to follow him. Before he left, however, he looked at the Besaid Aurochs and said, "Keep practicin', yeah? This year, we're gonna win the championship for sure."

The Aurochs cheered before watching as the blitzball star and Naruto walked off, following the path until they hit a fork in the road. There were three paths to take, with one leading back to the beach where they just came from. "Follow me, brudda. I know a shortcut we can take to get back to da village."

Naruto nodded and followed after Wakka, emerging atop a cliff. Peering over the edge, he saw that there was a water source down below. With a shrug, he leaped off before Wakka had the chance to give him a shove off the cliff. Seeing this, the redhead chuckled a bit before he leapt off the edge as well.

Now, the blonde could have simply walked atop the water, but that would raise more questions that he just did not feel comfortable answering right now. So he opted to swim instead. As they swam along, they did battle with some Piranhas that roamed the small lake they had dove down into. Of course, Naruto also made sure to snatch the items from the chests along the way. These included a Phoenix Down, a Hi-Potion, and two Antidotes. Never know when stuff like that's gonna come in handy, after all.

After Naruto collected the last treasure, the redhead smirked at him and said, "You really like your treasure, huh? Some kinda collector or somethin'?"

Naruto shrugged as he floated along on his back. "Something like that. You never know when items like these will come in handy. It's a good idea to collect what you can. It's better to have something and not need it than it is to need something and not have it. Say for instance you're on the pilgrimage and somebody gets hurt. Wouldn't you want to have a potion handy for an event like that?"

Wakka nodded in understanding, smiling at the teen's thought process. "Sounds like a good thing to me, brudda. All right, we wasted enough time here, yeah? C'mon, let's get you to the village." And with that, Wakka and Naruto swam ashore.

Once ashore, Wakka led Naruto to the edge of a cliff and looked down at Besaid Village. "This is where I was born. I started blitz when I was five. Ended up joining the Aurochs at 13. That was ten years ago. Ten years and we never won a game." Sighing, Wakka looked at Naruto and said, "Well, after last year, I quit. Time just seemed right, you know?" At this point, Wakka walked off, heading downhill towards Besaid Village. Naruto kept in pace with him, a frown on his face as he continued to listen to Wakka talk. "I got this new job after I quit, ya? But every time my mind wandered, I'd start thinking about the game."

Naruto chuckled a bit. "Ten years without a single win can do that to a person. You've decided to give it another shot though, right? I'm sure this time you and your team can do it."

Wakka shrugged and decided to continue his tale. "I felt like my first game last year was my big chance. But…" Looking downtrodden at this point, Wakka said, "My mind just wasn't on the game. I couldn't focus."

The blonde frowned and asked, "What happened? If something could distract you during a blitzball game, it's gotta be something big, right?"

Wakka nodded and said, "My brother Chappu…he died fighting Sin. I first heard about it on the day of the tournament. I…" Sighing, the redhead shook his head and smiled sadly at Naruto. "Naruto, I tried to give Chappu a special sword, something he could use to protect himself, ya? But he insisted on using Al Bhed machina instead. And on top of that…he neglected to pray on the day he set off with the Crusaders. If…"

Naruto shook his head and held up a hand to stop Wakka. "Up up up, stop right there. You can't blame the Al Bhed for that. And you can't blame him neglecting to pray for it either. Your brother tried to do what's right and stop Sin. It was a noble thing of him to do, but at the same time, he should have known better than to try and fight something like Sin. I'm not trying to insult him, so don't give me that look. He sounds like he was a good guy, and I respect that. If you want to blame anyone or anything for his death, blame Sin. That thing's taken too many damn lives as it is. I'm honestly kind of amazed I'm still alive after everything that's happened to me. My point is this: the Al Bhed are not at fault, nor are the Crusaders, Yevon, anyone. Chappu tried to do the right thing and lost his life in the process."

"But if the Al Bhed…!" Wakka tried to say, only for Naruto to narrow his eyes at the redhead.

"I don't want to hear it. We've got differing opinions on this whole subject, so let's just agree to disagree and leave it at that. Okay, Wakka?" Naruto said before he turned and started walking towards the village once again, leaving Wakka behind to stew over what Naruto had said to him.

As he approached the village, Naruto ran into a couple of men. Nodding in greeting to them, he was about to pass by them and enter the village, but the shorter of the two men said, "You should be careful. There's a lot of fiends on the road today."

The taller man offered Naruto a smile and said, "After surviving your run-in with Sin, 'twould be a shame if anything were to happen to you now."

Naruto shrugged and said, "I'm not afraid of Sin. I promised someone special to me that I'd find a way to destroy Sin once and for all, and I aim to do it. I just hope my loved ones are safe…"

The taller man nodded in understanding. "A noble goal. And being separated from your loved ones is never easy. Just have faith that they'll be all right. Perhaps even say a prayer to Yevon to be sure?"

The blonde scowled slightly before shaking his head. "No thank you. I have different beliefs that don't involve Yevon. Sorry."

The two Crusaders went wide-eyed at this, but before they could ask about his blasphemous words, he walked past them and up to the village. Stopping outside, he leaned against the wall and waited for Wakka to catch up to him. When he finally did, Naruto asked, "So who were they? They seem like nice enough people."

"Luzzu and Gatta. They're Crusaders. Seemed real shocked when you left though. What did you say to them, huh?" Wakka questioned suspiciously.

Naruto shrugged and said, "I simply told them that I believe in something different. I have no interest in Yevon this or Yevon that. I have my own beliefs and I'm sticking to them. It's as simple as that."

Wakka narrowed his eyes into a glare and said, "So you're a blasphemer just like those Al Bhed, huh? You're lucky I don't kick you outta here right this second!"

Naruto scowled at Wakka and hit him with such a massive wave of killing intent that the blitzball star found himself collapsing to his knees. Wakka was finding it harder and harder to breathe and the longer he suffered from a direct blast of Naruto's killing intent, the more visions of his death played on repeat in his mind. W-What is this?! I can't breathe! I'm…I'm scared of him! Can't think! Need…need free…

"Not everyone will follow your faith. Just because you believe in one thing doesn't mean you should try and rob other people of their right to believe in what they want to believe in. Why is it never enough for people that we all believe in something? Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom period is to be valued! So if you know what's good for you, Wakka, you won't try to force your religious beliefs onto me anymore. Just be satisfied that I do believe in something at all." Naruto said, slowly letting up on his killing intent.

Looking up at Naruto, Wakka said, "But…!"

Narrowing his eyes at Wakka, Naruto growled out, "Don't even try to feed me that Yevon bullshit. Tch. You're just another mindless buffoon that can't think for himself. I'll make you a deal, Wakka. You play nice with me and I'll help protect your summoner. Sound good? Like I said before, I have friends and loved ones that know and care about Yuna-chan. So whether you like it or not, I'm going to protect her, with or without your permission."

The redhead rose to his feet and glared into Naruto's eyes. "Just don't badmouth Yevon in front of me and I can accept that. With your power, you could be a big help, ya? I'd still like your help to actually win a game this time, but…"

Naruto frowned and said, "So long as you don't try to force your religion upon me, I'll help you and the Aurochs win the tournament if that's what you want. Doesn't mean we have to like each other, though. I just think the Besaid Aurochs deserve to win the tournament this time around. Not winning a single game in 10 whole years can really sting. I think they're entitled to a victory or two this time around."

Wakka sighed and nodded his head in thanks. "I appreciate it. I'll…try not to get all preachy, ya? I still think…"

"I'm a blasphemer, a sinner, yada yada. I get it. I also understand that my views will make me an outcast in the world. I simply do not care. Let people hate me for my beliefs. It doesn't matter to me one bit. Right now, all I want is simple: keep summoner Yuna safe from harm while she undergoes her pilgrimage, and reunite with my loved ones. I still need to find Yugao too…" Naruto said.

Wakka blinked a couple of times and asked, "Did you say Yugao? As in Yugao Uzuki?"

Naruto nodded and said, "Yeah. How'd you know that?"

The redhead grinned and said, "She's decided to become Yuna's new guardian, ya! She washed up ashore, same as you. That was about two years ago. She was talking about some place called Konoha and wanted to know how to get back there. When we determined she had been attacked by Sin, we figured the toxin must be gettin' to her."

Naruto sighed and shook his head. "I'm just glad she's safe. And just so you know, she wasn't making things up. My friends and I were taken from our world and brought here to Spira. We really do come from a village called Konohagakure in the Elemental Nations. Sin appeared there and whisked us away when we tried to fight it."

Wakka's eyes widened and he asked, "You're kidding me, ya?" Seeing Naruto shake his head negatively, the redhead braced himself against the wall and said, "That's some story, ya. We all thought she was suffering from Sin's toxin, but to hear that you really come from another world…"

The blonde quirked a brow and asked, "Didn't you know? One of Lord Braska's guardians came from the Elemental Nations too. I'm sure some people had to have known that."

Wakka thought on it for a time and said, "Well, it couldn't have been Sir Auron. He was best friends with Lord Braska and from Spira. That means…Kushina Uzumaki, ya? She have any relation to you?"

Naruto's eyes widened and he said quietly, barely loud enough for Wakka to hear, "Mom? Mom was here…?"

"You mean to tell me that Lord Braska's guardian was your mother? Wasn't expecting that, ya. You must've missed her, ya?" Wakka questioned, a smile on his face.

The blonde frowned and shook his head. "I never got to know her. Hell, I didn't even know her name until a few years ago. The village I'm from kept the identities of my parents from me. Wouldn't even tell me if I was loved. I thought my mom died…to think she was brought here." Sighing, Naruto massaged the bridge of his nose and said, "Do you know if she was happy here?"

Wakka frowned and shook his head. "She talked about her son a lot. You. How she hoped you grew up to be big and strong, how she missed you every day, stuff like that. I think she and Lord Braska became an item at some point, but nobody knows what happened to her. She and Sir Auron disappeared after Lord Braska defeated Sin."

Naruto blinked and tried to imagine his mother in a new relationship with another man. Unable to picture such a thing, he shook his head to rid himself of the strange imagery. "I see. I'll admit, I may have been unable to get to know her, but I just can't picture her moving on from my father. They were very much in love, after all. I guess I'll just have to get the truth straight from her, once I find her, that is."

The redhead shrugged and said, "Only telling you what people think. One thing's for sure though, she and Lord Braska were quite close."

"That I can believe. Anyways, think we can put aside our differences and get some food? I'm kind of hungry. Haven't eaten anything for who knows how long it's been. I'm not sure how long I was adrift before washing up here." Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

Wakka chuckled and said, "You might want to explore the village and talk to some people first. I'll get some food prepared for you. My home's that one right over there." Pointing towards his hut, Wakka gave Naruto a nod before saying, "Be careful about what you say though, ya? Don't want to go making enemies of everyone you meet."

Naruto shrugged and said, "Wasn't planning on doing that. I'd rather make friends than enemies. You and I may have butted heads a bit, but it's not like I hate you or anything. Just a difference of opinion between us is all."

The redhead smiled and nodded his head in understanding. "True enough I suppose. Anyways, when you're done exploring the village, come by my place and I'll get you fed, ya. I think you gonna like it here."

Naruto nodded and watched as the blitzball player walked off towards his hut. With a shrug of his shoulders, he decided to walk around and converse with the locals to see what he could learn. He was also hoping he might run into Yugao, though he kind of doubted it. If she's sworn to be Yuna-chan's guardian, then chances are she's with her in the Chamber of the Fayth. Odds are I won't see her for a little while. I wonder what she'll do when she sees me. He thought with a chuckle.

Turning around, he thought about heading back on the road to think about things for a little while, but the Crusader at the entrance of the village stopped him. "Fiends are around even during the day. Do take care not to travel alone, ya?"

Shrugging his shoulders, the spiky-haired blonde turned and decided to begin his exploration of the village. He sincerely hoped that the people would be nice and not judge him simply for being different. Then again, if they had taken in Yugao and given her a new home all this time, he supposed they might actually be pretty decent people.

Walking up to an old woman walking around hunched over, he smiled at her in greeting and said, "Hello there."

The old woman squinted as she looked into his eyes. Mumbling slightly, she said, "Me favorite's Lord Ohalland. Spitting image of me old hubby."

Naruto blinked and started wracking his brain for information on Lord Ohalland. Alrighty, let's see what I can remember about Ohalland. Star blitzball player for the Kilika Beasts. He was also the third High Summoner to defeat Sin and bring the Calm. I believe his prized weapon was known as the World Champion, a pretty wicked blitzball weapon. And these days, blitzball players the world over pray at statues of Lord Ohalland for victory in blitzball games. I wouldn't be at all surprised if we end up running into some of the other blitzball stars on our journey.

Bidding the old woman a good day, Naruto proceeded to enter the first hut on the right. There were a few people inside. The woman greeted him kindly and informed him that she remembered every person that's ever visited the village. She had asked him about his clothes and where he was from, but he simply evaded her questions. Turning to the bare-chested man sitting down on the other side of the room, he saw the man narrowing his eyes at him. "You're the guy from the sea, right? Sir Luzzu told me about you. If you know what's good for you, you'll keep your mouth shut from now on. Don't go spouting your heretical nonsense."

Naruto sighed and looked apathetically into the man's eyes. "Another bigot. Wonderful. It's called freedom of religion. You and the others need to learn a little something called acceptance. Just because someone's different from you doesn't make them a bad person. Heck, if you and everyone else would simply give me a chance, you might come to realize that I'm a pretty nice guy."

"I doubt it blasphemer. As far as I'm concerned, you aren't welcome in Besaid Village."

Scowling, Naruto simply flipped him the bird and left the tent, not wanting to deal with the man and his bullshit. As frustrated as he was, Naruto still took a deep breath to calm himself before entering the first hut on the left side of the village, which turned out to be an item shop. There were a few people inside the shop, so he walked up to a nearby woman wearing a pale red and green outfit. "Hey there. Nice day, isn't it?"

The woman frowned sadly and shook her head. "It might seem that way, yes. But…I traveled Spira looking for a land where nobody had heard of Sin. I…I gave up looking. As frustrating and heartbreaking as it is, I think it's for the best. Sin is everywhere…"

"I'm sorry. I wish I had some kind of good news for you. I wish I knew of a place without Sin, but…" Sighing, Naruto placed a gentle hand upon the woman's shoulder before he turned and approached the priestess trying to bless the place, so to speak.

"Besaid's devotion to the teachings of Yevon is commendable. Still, there is much that a priestess such as I can teach them." the priestess said with a kind smile on her face.

Naruto sighed and chose to simply ignore her. It seemed that Yevon's influence was everywhere, just as he feared. He had already determined that the religion of Yevon was quite the effective brainwashing mechanic. Sadly, he wasn't sure how to go about breaking Yevon's control over the people of the world. The people weren't likely to listen to him if he flat out told them that Yevon was corrupt and they should stop worshipping a false god like that. If he challenged their beliefs, it would only end badly for him.

Walking up to the girl with the dog, Naruto listened as she said to him, "I hope the Aurochs don't lose their first match again. I'd like to at least see them tie a game one of these years."

The blonde grinned at her and said, "I'm planning to help them out this year. With a little luck and plenty of skill, I'm sure we can pull off a victory. Heck, we'll take the whole tournament."

The girl giggled and said, "That would be nice. Good luck mister."

"Naruto. Nice to meet you." He said kindly before he turned and approached the saleswoman. Browsing her wares, he frowned at the small selection of items available to him. Potions, Phoenix Downs, and Antidotes. Shaking his head, he decided to hold on to all the gil he currently had on hand. It would be better spent later on, he was sure of it.

Leaving the item shop, he turned and walked down a nearby path that led to three treasure chests. Grinning to himself, he prepared to open them, but decided to talk to the man standing nearby. Walking up to him, Naruto listened as the man started talking. "Sin's struck Besaid Village so many times I lost count. After this house got hit, I guess the owner just let it be. Still, I'm going to try and rebuild the thing." Sighing, the man looked up in the sky and said, "Sin will just come back and destroy it again. Sometimes I just can't help but wonder why I even bother."

"You do it because you're not ready to give in yet. You're choosing to stand strong in the face of calamity. You're a good man with a strong will. Don't give up on it yet, okay?" Naruto said, a smile on his face. Afterwards, he opened the three chests for a Hi-Potion, 400 gil, and two Potions. "Nice haul." He mumbled to himself before he walked back into the village proper.

Walking up to a man wearing a purple shirt, he greeted the man kindly and listened as he started to talk. "The Besaid fabrics they make here are famous all over Spira! If I buy cheap and sell high, I'll be rolling in gil in no time!"

Frowning slightly, Naruto shook his head and mumbled, "Sometimes businessmen confound me. A lot can be greedy as hell, while the occasional few are actually pretty decent and sell for reasonable prices."

Bidding the man farewell, Naruto proceeded to enter the northeastern tent this time. Inside he saw two men working on weaving fabric together. It seemed they were truly hard at work as they didn't seem to notice his entry into the tent. Talking with the woman that was currently watching the two men, he listened as she said, "The village where I was born is no longer there, thanks to Sin."

Frowning again, Naruto said, "I'm sorry to hear that. I'm trying to find a way to put an end to Sin myself, so he can't cause anymore damage like that. I'm not having much luck though."

The woman simply smiled sadly at him and said, "It's a nice thought. But Sin's just going to keep coming back. I don't think there is a way to get rid of it permanently."

"Never know until you try." Naruto said, a confident grin on his face. "For now though, at least you've got Besaid. You've built a home here, and I think you should be happy that you're still alive, at the very least."

The woman smiled at him and nodded her head in thanks. Entering the Crusader's Lodge next, Naruto sighed as he immediately noticed Luzzu and Gatta. They seemed to notice him as well, as Gatta snapped at him. "What are you doing here sinner? Don't you know what this place is?"

Luzzu frowned at his younger companion before looking into Naruto's eyes. "This is the Crusader's Lodge. I'm not sure if you know this, but we Crusaders have been excommunicated from Yevon for our sins. You said that you had a run-in with Sin recently, correct?"

Naruto frowned at this information. Excommunicated from Yevon for their sins? Then they're outcasts as well. I wonder why the little one's so damn passionate about the teachings of Yevon then. Ah well. No use dwelling on it.

Nodding at Luzzu's question, he said, "Yeah. I was attacked by Sin, but I don't know how near or far away that was. I was on a boat with my loved ones when Sin attacked and I was thrown overboard. Next thing I know, I've washed up here. Now that I think on it, if Sin is nearby, why hasn't it attacked yet?"

The redhead frowned and shook his head. "I don't know. It is rather strange. Regardless, we've got a big operation coming up. We're going to try and defeat Sin for good, but it's dangerous. We need to prepare ourselves. If that is all, I'd like to officially welcome you to Besaid. It's a small, quiet place, but there's good people living here. And even if you aren't a believer in the teachings of Yevon, it might still do you some good to pay a visit to the temple."

"Thanks." Naruto said before he turned and left the Crusader's Lodge. He didn't want to intrude anymore than he already had. Turning towards the temple, he looked it over and shook his head. I have no intention of praying to the gods or the High Summoners of this world. Still, I've never been inside one of these temples before. Might be interesting to check it out. So with a shrug, he entered the temple and began to look around at all the statues, including those of the High Summoners.

As he looked around, he couldn't help but listen to the strange song that echoed throughout the temple. At first, he was confused. Then he came to a realization: This must be the Fayth's singing! It's beautiful, yet also haunting in a way. I wonder why it's echoing out here rather than strictly in the Chamber of the Fayth? I honestly hadn't expected this.

Slowly, he approached the statue of High Summoner Braska. As he looked up into the eyes of the statue, the nearby priest walked up to him with a smile. "It's been 10 years since Lord Braska became High Summoner and defeated Sin. 10 years, and we finally received a statue for our temple."

Naruto nodded in appreciation as he smiled at the priest. "From what I heard, it seems my mom traveled with him on his pilgrimage. I'm sure she did great things while with him."

The priest's eyes widened and he quickly performed the prayer gesture, bowing slightly as he did. "I did not know that Lady Kushina had a son. Praise be to Yevon that you are alive and well, especially after your encounter with Sin."

Naruto frowned slightly at the whole prayer thing, but didn't comment on it. Instead, he smiled at the man and said, "I couldn't be prouder of my mom. I miss her. I really do."

The priest simply nodded in understanding before motioning towards the statues. "The high summoners in order from right to left are: Lord Braska, Lady Yocun, Lord Ohalland, and Lord Gandof. I don't know how much you remember after coming into contact with Sin, as you did."

"Thanks." Naruto said before he looked up into Braska's eyes again. "Thank you…for taking care of my mom."

Deciding he had seen and done enough, Naruto took a look up at the path leading into the Cloister of Trials. Sighing softly, he muttered, "Yugao…" before turning and leaving the temple. From there, he proceeded to Wakka's hut and entered, looking forward to enjoying a nice, hot meal.

As he approached Wakka, the redhead looked up at him and said, "Sorry brudda, no time for lunch yet. Why don't you take a nap for now? You look kinda bushed."

Naruto frowned momentarily before he released a sigh. "Thanks. I think I will." he said before he laid down on the nearby blanket and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep in no time.

Home

"What the hell do you mean you've lost him?! What happened to Naruto-kun?!" Shizune shouted, worried dearly about her hubby-to-be.

Rikku cowered slightly and said, "It's all my fault. If I hadn't tried to help him, he'd still be here with us. I never expected Sin to attack like that. Naruto-kun…he saved me. And then he sank beneath the water and, no matter how hard we searched for him, he was just…gone. He told me that he'd be fine, so I believe him. I know he's out there somewhere!"

Kurenai was currently sitting down in a chair within the room, her hand resting on her belly. She was trying to stay calm, but at the same time, she was worried sick about her fiancé. "That definitely sounds like Naruto-kun. I wonder where he is now?"

Hana looked around at the five other occupants of the room, minus her ninken. "Can somebody please tell me what the hell is going on?! First we get attacked by this Sin thing, we get dragged to this new world, I get stuck in that Baaj Temple place for two freaking years, now I'm here after we were attacked by Sin AGAIN! I have no idea what the hell is going on!"

Cid sighed and shook his head. "Missy, there's a lot you don't know yet about Spira. Where you come from is VASTLY different from this world. Naruto appeared in the Sanubia Desert a couple years back. We took him in, taught him the Al Bhed language, and gave him a home here with us. We taught him everything we could about our world. We'll help fill you in as much as possible. I suggest you have a look through our library and browse through the books, studying everything you can about Spira. You're also going to need to learn Al Bhed, and quickly, if you want to communicate with our people."

Kurenai smiled at Hana and said, "Shizune-chan and I will help teach you everything we can. I'm sure Rikku-chan here will too."

Rikku nodded and smiled brightly at the female Inuzuka. "Yep yep! We're gonna get you all caught up in no time! I just…I'm worried about Naruto-kun. Do you really think he'll be okay, Pops?"

Cid nodded and said, "Naruto's a tough kid. I'm sure he'll be just fine out there. Heck, for all we know, he could've found that missing companion of yours. Yugao, wasn't it? If they've been reunited, then all the better! Have to admit, I'll miss the guy while he's gone, though. Still, we stick to our current plan. Sin's not gonna know what hit 'im."

Kurenai frowned and shook her head. "I still don't think it's a good idea, but you're the boss."

"Your concern has been noted. Naruto had the same concerns and tried to warn us against it. But we can't just back out of it now. We have to do something to at least try and save our world. We're tired of being plagued by Sin." Cid argued.

Shizune frowned and shook her head. "If only we knew where Naruto-kun ended up, we could get his help. Though…" Looking into Kurenai's eyes, the black-haired woman said, "From now on, you're staying here, Kurenai-chan. I refuse to let you risk your baby anymore than you already have. If need be, I'll go with Rikku to search for our fiancé. But for now, we should focus on bringing Hana up to speed. If we're going to do anything to help the people of this world, she needs to get caught up on the big stuff."

Kurenai wanted to protest, but one look from the medic ninja made her shiver and go quiet. Naruto-kun, wherever you are, please be careful. I want you to come home to us…

Naruto

As Naruto slept, he slipped off into the world of dreams. He dreamed about Rikku and the others he cared for. Rikku had openly confessed her love for him and they shared their first real kiss, rather than that small peck on the lips that he had given her before they were separated. He dreamt of Kurenai and the child they were having together. Or rather, the twins they were having. That image alone shocked him and, if this wasn't just a dream, he wondered if Kurenai even knew she was pregnant with more than one child. Then there was Shizune, his sweet, innocent Shizune. He dreamt of their marriage and wondered what Tsunade would think, seeing her two dearest people getting married like that.

Eventually, his dream shifted to Sin and, oddly enough, his mother. She was smiling at him as she was absorbed into Sin. As she slowly disappeared, he could see her mouthing, "I love you." to him. It brought a smile to his face, but he was also shedding tears. He missed her dearly and couldn't help but wonder just what had happened to her.

Suddenly his eyes flew open and he sat up in the hut. Looking around, he noticed Wakka was gone. "Wakka?" he asked aloud before he left the hut. There was hardly any people around, and that in itself was worrying to him. Deciding to check out the Crusader's Lodge, he noticed that it, too, seemed to be mostly vacant. Approaching the beds in the back, he saw two men, one large and portly, the other wearing a blue bandana on his head with diamond markings on it.

Approaching the man sitting upon one of the beds, he listened as he told Naruto about the apprentice summoner and three of her guardians entering the temple yesterday. She had yet to come out, it would seem.

Looking at the chubby man, he asked him, "Any idea where Wakka went?"

"Looking for Wakka, huh? The priest called him to the temple a while back." the man supplied helpfully.

"Thanks. Guess I'd better head on over and see what's up." Naruto said before leaving the lodge and proceeding into the temple.

Approaching Wakka and the priest from yesterday, Naruto frowned and asked, "So what's going on? Did something happen?"

The priest walked off to tend to something, so Wakka turned to Naruto and decided to answer his question. "The summoner hasn't returned from the trial. Well, apprentice summoner, anyways."

Naruto frowned deeper and asked, "So you're telling me Yuna-chan's been in there for an entire day and hasn't come out yet? If you're one of her guardians, shouldn't you go in there and try to help?"

Wakka shook his head and said, "There's three guardians already in there with her, ya. Besides, it's forbidden for anyone but the summoner to enter the Chamber of the Fayth and pray to the Fayth for guidance and the ability to summon an Aeon. The precepts must be obeyed."

The blonde tch'd and proceeded up the steps. "I don't know about you, but I'm going in there and making sure Yuna-chan's okay. I refuse to just let her die!" Naruto exclaimed as he rushed on ahead, entering the Cloister of Trials, much to the protest of the people and Wakka.

Once inside, he took a few steps forward and frowned. "Oh goodie, it's puzzle time. Let's see if I can figure this out. Besides, if I get through here, I can see Yugao again. On top of that, I'll finally get to meet Yuna-chan. Should be interesting. Now, let's begin…"

Approaching the glyph at the far end of the room, Naruto reached out and touched it. Catching movement out of the corner of his eye, he watched as the script on the wall next to him changed into a glyph. Walking up to it, he pressed his hand to it and watched as the wall slid up into the ceiling, opening a new path for him. "Huh, this stuff's pretty neat." he said as he made his way down the stairs.

Approaching the small overhang in the wall, Naruto examined it and picked up the Glyph Sphere that was resting on it. With the Glyph Sphere in hand, he made his way downstairs and to the door. "Alrighty, Glyph Sphere goes in here, like so." he said, placing the sphere into the indentation in the door. Afterwards, the door swung open and let him into the next room.

Stepping through the now open doorway, Naruto grabbed the Glyph Sphere he just used and carried it with him. As he turned the corner, he saw an indent in the wall in the shape of a sphere. So, approaching it, he inserted the Glyph Sphere and watched as the wall slid up into the ceiling. Inside the room was a Destruction Sphere, but he decided to hold off on grabbing it just yet. Instead, he proceeded to round the next corner and continue on.

Around the corner, he saw both a pedestal and runes on the wall across from it. Curious, he stepped up to the runes and watched as another glyph appeared in their place. Touching it, he watched as the wall slid up into the ceiling, just like the previous walls had done. Inside the room, he could see a bunch of glowing lines connecting to an indent in the far wall. A Besaid Sphere rested there, so he walked forward and grabbed it. Walking back to the pedestal, he inserted the Besaid Sphere and watched as the wall disappeared. Deciding to leave the pedestal and the Besaid Sphere alone for now, Naruto returned to the Destruction Sphere and grabbed it.

Walking back to the room where he got the Besaid Sphere, he inserted the Destruction Sphere into the now empty slot. Naruto watched as one of the lines on the wall glowed a deep purple color that shot out of the room. A moment later, he heard an explosion at the end of the hallway. Shrugging his shoulders, he proceeded to the end of the hall and entered the room with a treasure chest that had been revealed. Opening it, he grabbed the Rod of Wisdom that was inside and grinned. "Yay treasure!" he said with a chuckle.

After this, he proceeded back to the pedestal and pushed it forward until it slid it into place. As the pedestal descended into the floor, Naruto heard Wakka calling out to him. "Hey! What did I tell you about makin' enemies, eh brudda? The other guardians aren't exactly as nice as I am. One of them gets mad real easy, ya. The second one, there's no telling what he's thinking. Then you've got Yugao, who you're already familiar with, ya? Who knows how she'll react when she sees us?"

Naruto sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, well I was worried about Yuna-chan. Some of my loved ones are really worried about her, and I just can't let anything happen to her."

Slowly, the elevator began descending, taking the duo down to the Chamber of the Fayth. Wakka simply patted Naruto on the back and said, "Hey, cheer up, ya? I'm sure everything will be all right. Yeah, Lu might get mad and Kimahri might disapprove of your actions, but I'm sure everything'll work out all right."

"Thanks Wakka." Naruto said sincerely.

Upon reaching the bottom, they proceeded into the room where the others were waiting. Seeing them, the one Wakka had referred to as 'Lu' looked furious. However, before she could say or do anything, the purple-haired woman with the sword strapped to her back smiled brightly upon seeing Naruto. Without warning, she rushed forth and hugged Naruto tight. "Naruto-kun! I thought I'd never see you again! Where have you been? You have to tell me everything. It's been two years! I honestly thought I was the only one."

Naruto couldn't help but blush a bit. He also couldn't help but notice the disapproving stare Kimahri gave him. With a shrug, he wrapped his arms around Yugao and hugged her tight. "I'm glad you're okay, Yugao. I missed you."

"I missed you too. I'm so glad you're all right. Where are the others?" Yugao questioned, sounding hopeful.

Before Naruto could respond, the other woman in the chamber stood up and approached them. "Did you think we were incapable of seeing this through, Wakka? And who is this? Is this one of those people you told us about?"

Yugao smiled at Lu and nodded. "Yes, Lulu. Meet Naruto Uzumaki. Naruto-kun, this is Lulu, and over there is Kimahri. Kimahri's pretty quiet, but he's nice. And Lulu…"

"Can introduce herself." Lulu said sternly. Looking into Naruto's eyes, she said, "You shouldn't be in here. You are not a guardian. The precepts should be followed."

"Wow, some introduction." Naruto said, rolling his eyes. "Hello Grumpy Lady, my name is Naruto. Now, why don't you try your introduction over again and we can go from there?"

Lulu scowled and went to say something in response, but the door at the top of the stairs opened and a beautiful young woman, 17 years of age, stumbled out. She looked absolutely exhausted and looked as if she could collapse at any second. Seeing what was about to happen, Naruto moved from his position and caught Yuna as she started to fall down the stairs. Holding her gently in his arms, he reached up and brushed a few bangs out of her face. "Hey there, are you okay? You almost took a nasty tumble down these stairs."

Yuna slowly opened her eyes and, upon seeing the position she was in, blushed prettily and tried to stammer out a response. Naruto, seeing this, chuckled a bit and helped her stand on her own two feet again. "T-Thank you." she said before turning to the others. "I did it. I have become a summoner."

Yuna's guardians smiled at her while Naruto patted her gently on the back. "Congratulations, Yuna-chan."

The girl blinked before she turned to look into his eyes. "We have never met. How do you know my name?"

Leaning in close, he whispered his response. "Uncle Cid and Cousin Rikku send their regards. I'll be coming along with you on this pilgrimage of yours. From now on, consider me one of your guardians, Summoner Yuna-chan."

Yuna's eyes widened and she looked deep into his eyes again. Whispering back, she asked, "You know Uncle Cid and Rikku-chan? Just who are you?"

Bowing to the lovely lady, Naruto said, "Milady, I am Naruto Uzumaki. I'm a friend of Yugao's."

Yuna looked between Yugao and Naruto for a moment before she smiled happily and took Naruto's hands in hers. "You are from the Elemental Nations too, then? I remember Lady Kushina used to tell me so much about her home. She talked about her son a lot too…" Eyes widening again, she looked searchingly into Naruto's eyes and said, "You're her son."

Naruto nodded and said, "That is correct, Milady Yuna-chan. Kushina Uzumaki was my mother."

"Then we must celebrate! Not only have the Fayth blessed me with the power of a summoner, but the son of Lady Kushina herself has come to grace us with his presence! You have to tell me all about your home and what it's like. I want to know everything!" she said excitedly, a bright smile on her face.

Naruto chuckled a bit and gently took her hand in his. "Of course Yuna-chan. Let's get going."

Outside – Besaid Village

Once outside, Naruto walked with Wakka and the others to the center of the village. Smiling back at him, Yuna soon turned and focused on her new powers. After a moment, she completed her summoning and, sensing something coming, the blonde turned and watched as a magnificent creature swooped low overhead before landing in front of Yuna. He watched as she reached up and began to pet the Aeon. "Wow. So that's an Aeon. She's beautiful. What's her name?" he asked.

Yuna smiled back at Naruto and said, "Her name is Valefor. How did you know Valefor was a female?"

Naruto shrugged and said, "Call it a hunch. Anyways, she's a remarkable creature." Walking up to Valefor, he reached up and began to gently pet her. "Think you can make me a promise, Valefor? Please keep Yuna-chan safe. That's all I'll ask of you."

Valefor, as if she had understood his words, nodded at him before she took off, flying away and disappearing once again. Afterwards, Naruto turned to Yuna and smiled kindly at her. "I'm looking forward to hearing what you have to say about my mother. I never really got to know her, unfortunately. I thought she died on the night of my birth."

Yuna frowned sadly at that and said, "Then we have much to talk about, it would seem."

"Indeed we do." Naruto said before he turned his attention to Lulu and Kimahri. "I get the feeling they don't like me much."

Yuna giggled and said, "Well, you did ignore the precepts when you entered the Cloister of Trials. I wouldn't worry too much about it though. They'll warm up to you in no time, I'm sure."

Naruto chuckled a bit as he rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I hope so. Wakka and I were already butting heads earlier, so I'd hate to end up butting heads with them too."

The brunette looked up into his eyes and said, "We should talk later tonight. For now, let's enjoy the celebration, shall we?"

Naruto nodded in agreement before walking over to Yugao. "Yugao, we've got a LOT to talk about. Think we could speak in private for a while?"

The purple-haired swordswoman nodded and led him away to the side of the temple. Once there, she turned and asked, "Have you found the others?"

The spiky-haired 18 year-old nodded and said, "Yeah. They're safe, I promise. You might want to sit down for this. I've got a LOT to tell you." And with that, he sat down beside Yugao and began to tell her everything that had happened from the moment he woke up until now.

Later that night

Wakka grinned as he introduced Naruto to the team. "Hey bruddas, look who decided to join the team. Naruto, meet the Besaid Aurochs."

Naruto smiled and nodded at them in greeting. "All right guys, Wakka told me before that you all were happy so long as you tried your best. Right? Well, I've got a new goal for you. We're going to win the tournament and bring the Crystal Cup back to Besaid! Are you with me?!"

The Aurochs took a moment to think it over before they each nodded and began to chant, "Victory! Victory! Victory!"

Ignoring that for the moment, Naruto glanced over at Yuna to see her smiling at him. Nodding at her in greeting, he looked at Wakka and said, "I'm going to go have a chat with Yuna-chan real quick. I'll be back in a bit, okay?"

The redhead simply shrugged and said, "If the villagers will let you close to her, yeah, sure. Just try not to say anything that might upset her, ya?"

Punching Wakka in the chest lightly, Naruto smirked at him before approaching Yuna. As he got close, the villagers that were currently with her glared fiercely at him and shouted at him to go away. One of the kids even told him that he was a bad man. Sighing, he looked at them and said, "I don't care what you think of me. So I don't follow the teachings of Yevon? Big whoop. Not everybody has to. As I've said before, it's a little something called freedom of religion. Yeah, I broke your precious rules earlier, but I was worried about Yuna-chan. Now, I'm here to talk with Yuna-chan for a bit. Go ahead and complain all you want, but I'm not leaving."

Before anyone could complain further, Yuna smiled kindly at them and assured them that she would be okay. Rising up, she stepped up to Naruto and looked up into his eyes, being quite a few inches shorter than he was. "I'm sorry."

Naruto blinked and asked, "Huh? What're you apologizing for? You didn't do anything wrong."

Yuna shook her head and said, "If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be in trouble with the villagers right now. I was…overconfident. You were only worried for my safety. Thank you."

The blonde shook his head and said, "It's fine, it's fine. I'm used to people hating me for stupid reasons. You see, back home I was ostracized because of what I am. I'm a jinchuriki, or Power of Human Sacrifice. Like my mom, I had the Kyuubi no Yoko sealed inside of me on the night of my birth. It's the same night my mom was thought to have died. So you see, I never got to know my mom or my dad. Well…"

"So it's as your mother feared, then. You were hurt by the people of Konohagakure, weren't you?" the brunette questioned sadly.

Naruto sighed and nodded his head in the affirmative. "Yes. I did not have a good childhood. I had very few people I could call friends. Then there was the girl I liked. She was a fangirl for this guy called Sasuke Uchiha. She was absolutely OBSESSED with the guy. But…he was a real jerk. He wouldn't even talk to her. He brushed her off. Sasuke was incredibly rude and…he even tried to kill me a few times. All in the name of power, so he could kill his brother. But that's a story for another time."

"Anyways, I'd try and talk to her, simply to cheer her up, you know? But whenever I did, she'd yell at me, belittle me, and hurt me physically as well. Looking back on it now, I don't understand why I liked her. Perhaps I was so starved for any kind of attention that her paying me attention, even in a negative way, was enough for me? I don't know. But…I did everything I could for her to try and ensure she was happy. I saved her life more than a few times. But it was always about Sasuke."

"Erm, sorry for going off topic. I was trying to say that yeah, my childhood was rough. But I'd like to think I turned out to be a pretty good person, despite all of that. And…I'm happy to be in Spira, away from all the hate back home. I've got so many stories to tell you, I doubt you'll ever get bored of me." he joked. "As for Rikku-chan and Uncle Cid, I'll tell you more about them when we get the chance to be alone, okay? For now, you should get back to your friends. They don't look too happy seeing you this close to me."

Yuna pouted for a moment before nodding reluctantly. "Oh, very well. But we should talk again tomorrow. If you never got to know your mother, then I am eager to tell you about her. At least, as much as I know. She was a good person."

"I'm sure she was. I just wonder what became of her…" he said before he waved goodbye and returned to Wakka's side.

Wakka looked hard at Naruto and said, "Don't go getting any funny ideas, ya? I don't mind you getting' friendly with her, but you shouldn't try to take it any farther than that, eh."

Naruto shrugged and said, "I have no plans for either of us to fall for each other, Wakka. That doesn't mean I'm not going to be her friend. She wants to know about where I'm from, and I'm curious to hear her stories about my mother. I'd like to think we'd make good friends."

Wakka nodded his head in understanding. "Very well. Listen, I've prepared a bed for you. You should go and get some sleep, ya? Rest up until morning."

"Thanks Wakka." Naruto said before he went to turn in for the night. Tomorrow would make for an interesting time, he was certain of it.

A/N - Okay, as you can see, a lot happened in this chapter. Naruto and the others are kinda butting heads with one another, but at least he's found Yugao! And he's met Yuna as well!

I'll be completely honest here: I'm not a fan of Wakka. He just irked the hell out of me. Couldn't stand the guy. Still, I'll try to be impartial with him and give him a chance in this fic, but for a while, he and Naruto might be butting heads. I dunno.

I know some of you may not like it, but I am planning for Naruto and Yuna to fall in love and get together. Just giving you a head's-up on that. *shrugs* So if you don't like that, tough. :P lol

I'm kind of sore and in pain right now, so I'm going to try and relax and enjoy a good game or something for a while. I hope you're looking forward to whatever comes next!