A/N - Finally! A new chapter for this story! Only took forever, right? lol

Anyways, I want to get something out of the way first. Some idiot commented on this story saying that I've made Naruto weaker. There was no evidence of this in the first chapter, and there was no real way to tell how strong he's become or not just from reading the first chapter. There is a reason I've titled the story: "Ultimate SOLDIER" after all. Naruto is OP in this story and will be able to handle damn near everything that gets in their way. Yes, I mean even Sephiroth. But, the others need room for growth as well, so Naruto won't just steamroll over everything. Still, Naruto is going to be OP in this story.

Anyways, enough about the idiot whose head is too far up his ass. I worked hard on this chapter. It took a long time to write, but I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I got so many requests to please update this story, so I wanted to get a new chapter out for it. I'd like to think it turned out pretty well, especially considering the fact that it's the longest chapter I've written in a while. A whopping 12,058 words! Yay! lol.

Okay, not much else to say. Hopefully you like the chapter!

Chapter 2 – Assault on Mako Reactor #1

The two MPs went down easily, both taking only a single attack to be brought down. Scoffing at this, Naruto looked at Cloud and said, "Not bad. You sure know how to use that sword of yours. Where'd you get that thing, anyways?" he probed, hoping to get some answers.

Cloud looked at Naruto warily for a time before deciding to answer honestly. "I honestly can't remember. I think it was given to me. But I honestly can't remember for the life of me. Why?"

Naruto shrugged and said, "I knew a couple of people that had a sword just like that one. It was something of an heirloom, passed down to those the previous wielders deemed worthy of the blade. Seeing your sword brought back old memories."

"Interesting." Cloud said after a moment of silence. "We should get moving. Don't want to keep the clients waiting, after all."

As the duo walked together, Naruto looked at Cloud once again and asked, "What are your plans for after we complete the mission? Are you going to stay with AVALANCHE? Or are you going to set out on your own? You have to know that an ex-SOLDIER like you will most likely be targeted by Shinra again. They don't take too kindly to deserters and traitors, after all."

Cloud shrugged it off and said, "So what? They don't concern me. I just want to finish this job and get out of here."

Naruto quirked a brow for a moment before shrugging it off. "Whatever you say, Cloud. I thought you'd want to stick around for Tifa's sake. Guess I was wrong."

Cloud's eyebrow rose as he chanced a glance at his partner for the mission. "Are you trying to make me feel guilty? It's not going to work. I don't care about these people. They're simply a means to an end. I need money, plain and simple."

Naruto shook his head and said, "That's fine. I'm just saying that Tifa obviously cares about you, and Jessie seems interested in you as well. I'm sure they'll miss you. That's all."

"If you say so. Let's just do our job. Enough with the small talk." Cloud said as he led the way to the others.

As they approached Biggs, Jessie, and Wedge, the two of them listened as Biggs talked to them. "Yep, you two used to be in SOLDIER alright. You handled those two with ease."

Jessie looked away from what she was doing for a moment. "It's still weird having not just one, but two ex-SOLDIERs on the team. SOLDIERs work for Shinra and are our enemy, after all. But you won't hear me complaining. Besides, it helps that you're both such cuties."

Biggs nodded along and said, "We're not going to complain about having you two on our side. Besides that, Tifa vouched for the both of you, so I'm willing to place my trust in you."

"Just don't get in my way and we'll be fine." Cloud said. "As I told Naruto before, I'm only in this until I'm paid. Then I'm out of here."

Naruto shrugged off Cloud's attitude before he looked Biggs in the eyes. "Tifa asked that I help, so you're stuck with me now. But I have another employer that is in need of my services. So, I won't be around all the time. She does need me, after all."

Jessie glanced over her shoulder at him and asked, "Another girl, huh? First you steal my heart, and now you're after another girl? For shame."

Chuckling at Jessie's teasing, Naruto patted her lightly atop the head and said, "You're not just cute, but funny, too. Good combination right there."

Jessie blushed a bit, but found herself smirking at him. "You're going to be fun to have around, I can tell. Welcome to the team, Naruto Uzumaki."

Before they could continue their conversation, Barret came running up. "The hell you all doin'!? I thought I told you never to move in a group! Our target's the North Mako Reactor. We'll meet on the bridge in front of it."

It was at this point that Jessie finally managed to open the door. Waving goodbye to the two ex-SOLDIERs, she and her teammates rushed off. Barret went to follow them, but paused to turn and look at Cloud and Naruto. "I still don't trust you two." And with that, he hurried on ahead.

Naruto shrugged it off before looking to Cloud. "Go on. I'll catch up in a bit."

Cloud frowned at him for a moment before eventually shrugging his shoulders. "Do what you have to do, Naruto." And with that, he was off.

Once Cloud and the others were out of sight, Naruto glanced up at the enormous Mako Reactor. "Not really sure how to feel about this. Barret doesn't seem to think about the consequences that his actions could have. So, I guess I'll have to take care of things myself." Forming a single hand seal, he summoned a veritable army of shadow clones. "You all know what to do. Make sure not to leave a single person or animal behind. I won't have innocent people and animals caught in the explosion."

Saluting their boss, the clones scattered, each of them rushing off in search of people and animals in need of rescue. After they were gone, Naruto glared ahead and began to follow after the AVALANCHE team members. This isn't the way to go about righting the wrongs committed against the planet. You're acting no better than a garden variety terrorist, Barret Wallace.

Upon entering the reactor, Naruto saw Wedge directly opposite him on the other end of the bridge. Approaching him, he decided to ask, "Why aren't you with the others?"

The portly man offered Naruto a smile and said, "I'm here to secure our escape passage. You should focus on the mission, Naruto. I still can't believe we're going to be blowing this huge furnace up! Man, that'll be a sight to see!"

Nodding his head in understanding, Naruto patted Wedge on the shoulder and said, "I'm placing my trust in you Wedge. You just focus on securing us that escape passage. As for the reactor, just leave that up to us."

"Of course, Naruto. Good luck!"

"Thanks." Naruto said before he hurried after the others. Upon catching up to them, he waved in greeting. "Sorry to keep you guys waiting. I had to take care of something."

Barret frowned deeply at Naruto and said, "Alerting all your SOLDIER buddies, no doubt. Knew I couldn't trust ya."

Naruto facepalmed and said, "Wrong." Summoning forth a single shadow clone, he said, "I sent out a bunch of these guys to evacuate the people. I wasn't about to let innocent civilians get caught in the blast. Something you weren't thinking about."

Barret and the others blinked at Naruto's strange power. "Ain't seen nothin' like that before." Barret admitted. After a moment, he shook it off and asked, "Either of you ever been in a reactor before?"

Naruto shook his head and said, "Not that I can recall. I was mostly kept in the labs and treated as an experiment. I rarely got to go out for any reason other than to deal with Shinra's enemies."

Looking to Cloud, they listened as he said, "I have. I did work for Shinra, if you'll recall."

Barret nodded once and said, "Makes sense. So a lab rat and some merc. Guess I'll take what I can get." Shrugging, he turned and looked at Biggs and Jessie, who were once more working to open a door. "The planet's full of Mako energy. People here use it every day. It's the life blood of this planet. But Shinra keeps suckin' the blood out with these weird machines. It just ain't right!"

Naruto frowned deeply and said, "So that's what I was injected with. The life blood of the planet. I'm stronger now, sure, but it still doesn't feel right."

Cloud looked at Naruto, having heard what he just muttered to himself. "Injected with Mako? Why does that sound familiar?"

Looking at Cloud, Naruto shook it off and said, "Let's not think about that right now. We've got a job to do, after all."

"True. We'll just have to figure it out later." Cloud said before turning towards Barret once again.

"If you two are finished mutterin' to yourselves, you should know that I'm comin' with you two from this point forward. You two ain't got a problem with that, do ya?" Barret said.

Naruto quirked a brow and asked, "You sure you can keep up with us, old timer?"

Barret scoffed and said, "Somebody has to keep an eye on the both of ya. Might as well be me."

Cloud shrugged and said, "Whatever. Let's just get this over with."

After Biggs got the first door open, the hurried into the next room. While Jessie got to work on opening the second door, they listened as Biggs said, "Just think about how many of our people risked their lives, just for this code…"

Naruto frowned and said, "That just means we can't let their hard work go to waste. Can't let them down, after all."

"You've got a point there, Naruto." Biggs said, smiling at the older man.

It was at this point that Jessie managed to open the door, allowing them all entrance to the deeper reaches of the reactor. However, Biggs remained behind. Glancing at him for a moment, Naruto soon shrugged it off and followed his teammates towards the elevator.

Following Jessie inside, they listened as she said, "Hey Cloud, can you please push that button over there?"

The spiky-haired blonde shrugged and did as instructed, pressing the correct button that would take them further into the belly of the reactor. As they rode the elevator down, Barret looked at the two ex-SOLDIERs and said, "Little by little, the reactors'll drain out all the life. Then that'll be that."

"That's not my problem." Cloud said dismissively.

"The planet's dyin', Cloud! It's everyone's problem, whether you like it or not!" Barret exclaimed frustratedly.

"The only thing I care about is finishin' this job before security and the Roboguards come." Cloud admitted unashamedly.

When Barret looked about ready to slug Cloud, Naruto placed a hand on his shoulder. When the older male looked his way, Naruto shook his head and said, "Don't let it get to you. You're bound to hear the same thing from way more people than you could imagine. If it helps alleviate your worries and frustration somewhat, just know that I plan to stick around and help however I can. I've got a few people that I can count amongst those I care for. Tifa-chan and Aerith-chan are naturally included in that list. And I'm hoping to become good friends with you and the other members of AVALANCHE as we work towards saving the planet. Okay?"

Barret frowned for a time before reluctantly nodding his head. "For some reason, I believe you, Naruto. So long as you're stickin' around, that's good enough for me. Now, we're almost at the bottom, so let's get a move on."

"Roger that." Naruto said with a smile on his face.

After stepping out of the elevator once it reached their destination, the party of three followed after Jessie as she hurried down the long staircases towards their destination. Naturally, they had to fight their way through a number of enemies, mostly machines, until they finally caught up to her in front of a ladder leading downwards. "Glad you three could make it." She teased good-naturedly.

Naruto smirked at her and said, "You're pretty quick on your feet, Jessie-chan. But do try to be more careful. I don't want to see you get hurt because you got careless."

Giggling a bit, Jessie said, "Duly noted. Now come on, follow me."

Following Jessie down to the bottom of the ladder, they proceeded to pick up the Potion before waving bye to her and proceeding further downwards towards the core of the Mako Reactor. As they neared it, they picked up the green Restore Materia. Seeing as Naruto already had fully mastered Materia equipped, he gave it to Cloud to make use of for the time being.

Afterwards, they finished their approach, with Barret walking to the side while Naruto stood watch from behind Cloud. "When we blow this place, it ain't gonna be nothin' more than a hunka junk. Cloud, I want you to set the bomb."

Cloud quirked a brow at him and asked, "Shouldn't you be the one to set it?"

Barret shook his head and said, "Jus' do it! I gotta watch to make sure you don't pull nothin'."

Sighing in aggravation, Cloud took the bomb, but ended up freezing as he heard a voice in his head. "Watch out! This isn't just a reactor!" it said.

Naruto quirked a brow at Cloud's strange behavior. "You okay there, Cloud?"

"Huh?" Cloud asked aloud.

"Jus' hurry it up already, Cloud! I ain't gonna wait all day." Barret said.

"…Yeah, sorry." Cloud said a bit unsurely.

After the man set and activated the timer for the bomb, the alarms began to blare overhead. "Ah shit! Heads up you two, here it comes!" Barret exclaimed.

Sure enough, a large machine known as the Guard Scorpion appeared before them, blocking their escape passage. Scowling at this, Naruto knew that time was of the essence. So, without waiting on the others, he raised his hand and called for a Thundaga spell, striking the machine and causing it to nearly crumble into pieces. Focusing his mana once again, he unleashed another Thundaga spell, which seemed to do the trick.

When the machine fell into pieces and exploded afterwards, Cloud and Barret stared at Naruto in shock. "The hell was all that?!" Barret exclaimed in shock. "We didn't even get to do nothin'!"

Naruto quirked a brow at him and pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "We don't have the time to play around with any enemies that get in our way. We do have a time limit, after all. Now hurry!" And with that, they hurried back towards the ladder leading back up to the area where Jessie was waiting.

As they reached the top, Naruto noticed that Jessie was stuck. Hurrying up to her, he knelt down and gingerly helped to free her leg. When she looked down at him with a blush on her face, he smiled up at her and said, "Are you alright now, Jessie-chan?"

Jessie slowly nodded, but before she could say anything, he stood up and motioned for her to hurry on ahead. "Kind of on a time limit here. We'll talk later." Nodding her head in understanding, she hurried on ahead of them.

After some time running through the reactor towards the elevator, fighting those pesky monsters along the way, they finally rode the elevator up and out. Once more, Jessie and Biggs had to enter the codes to open the doors. Afterwards, they all hurried out and along the bridge, narrowly escaping the explosion.

Once they were safely away and inside their escape tunnel, Naruto walked over to Jessie and asked, "Are you alright now? Your leg doesn't hurt, does it?"

The brunette blushed a bit before smiling up at him. "No. I'll be fine for the time being. Might need to put some ice on it later, but I'm good to go for the time being. Why? Did you want to carry me, Mr. Hero?" she teased.

Chuckling softly, he said, "Don't tempt me."

Once more, Jessie blushed a bit. Looking away from him, she resumed work on what she was doing. Not used to guys teasing me back. That's a new one.

It was at this point that Biggs spoke up, getting everyone's attention. "Well, that should keep the planet going for at least a little longer."

"Yeah." Wedge said, though he sounded a bit concerned.

Walking up to him, Naruto placed a hand on Wedge's shoulder and smiled kindly at the chubby fellow. "I know you're worried, but everything will be fine. Well, for the most part, at the very least."

Smiling back at Naruto, he said, "Thanks, Naruto. I appreciate you trying to cheer me up."

"No problem."

It was at this point that Jessie stood up again and stepped back from the wall. "Alright everyone! I recommend standing back." She said before stepping away from the wall. Shortly afterwards, the explosive went off and blew open a hole, allowing the various members of AVALANCHE to escape. However, on the way out, Wedge's ass was aflame, and he began to run around in a panic.

Chuckling to himself, Naruto walked up to Wedge and said, "Hold still. I'll have this fire put out in a jiffy." And with that, he used a simple Water jutsu to put out the fire. "There you go. All better."

Wedge looked at Naruto in awe for a moment before he hugged the older man tight. "Thank you! You're such a wonderful friend!"

Naruto awkwardly hugged his friend back and said, "You're the easily emotional type, aren't you Wedge?"

Wedge chuckled as he stepped back. "Kinda sorta, yeah. Sorry about that."

Shaking it off, Naruto patted Wedge on the shoulder again before he turned and listened as Barret began to speak. "Alright everyone, let's get out of here. Rendezvous at Sector 8 station! Split up and get on the train!" And with that, almost everyone set out in different directions, all of them aiming to do as ordered and reach the station.

When Barret went to hurry off, Cloud reached towards him and said, "H-Hey! What about our arrangement?"

Turning around to look into Cloud's eyes, Barret said, "You'll get your money when we get back home. Just make sure you make it, got it, Cloud?"

And with that, Barret was off. Cloud grumbled irritably before looking at Naruto. "What about you?"

Naruto shrugged and said, "I'll be there. You go on ahead, Cloud."

Shrugging his shoulders in response, Cloud left in his own, separate direction, not at all looking forward to spending more time in the slums with AVALANCHE again.

Deciding to take his time, seeing as he could easily reach the station without trouble, Naruto proceeded into the next area, only to frown as he saw a familiar face being shoved to the ground by a bunch of people who were running around in a panic. Scowling at their rudeness, he walked up to Aerith and helped her back onto her feet. "Are you okay, Aerith-chan?"

Aerith looked into Naruto's eyes and her face lit up with a bright smile. "Naruto! I thought you were busy!"

Naruto smiled at her and said, "I was. I'm supposed to make my way to the Sector 8 station and catch the next train down to the slums. But I'm taking my time with it. No sense in rushing, after all."

Giggling a bit, Aerith walked to a nearby bench and sat down, patting the spot beside her. Taking the invitation, he sat down beside her and smiled at her. "Sooo, where is my clone? He was supposed to be watching over you."

Aerith giggled sheepishly and said, "Mom kind of wanted your clone's help with something. So, I took the opportunity to sneak away and come up here. I was hoping to sell some flowers, but…"

Naruto frowned and said, "Nobody wants to buy any, huh? If that's the case, then I'll buy one. How much do they cost?"

Smiling brightly at her dearest friend, she said, "For you? 1 Gil."

Smirking at her, Naruto pulled out 100 Gil and placed it in her hand. "Keep the change." He said with a wink.

Giggling to herself, Aerith gave Naruto three flowers. "For being such a sweetheart." She said.

"Well thank you, I try." He teased.

Giggling a bit more, Aerith smiled happily at him and said, "Thank you, Naruto-kun. I know I've said it before, but I really appreciate everything you're doing for me."

Naruto smiled at her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, giving her a one-armed hug as he pulled her against him gently. "Aerith-chan, I'll always be here for you. I won't let anyone harm you. No matter what it takes, I'll be your guardian angel. Okay?"

Resting her head on his shoulder, she closed her eyes and hummed thoughtfully for a time. "Thank you, Naruto-kun. But, don't you have to get going? You don't want to keep your new friends waiting too long, do you?"

"True. But I want you to know I care, Aerith-chan. You're the first person I met after escaping the labs, and you're a dear friend. Zack was a good friend as well, but I have no idea what became of him. If only I was free back then, I could have helped him with whatever he was going through at the time. I wish he was still here." Naruto admitted.

Aerith nodded and said, "I miss him, too. But, I've come to accept that he's gone. We'll never get to see him again. At least, not until we return to the Planet someday."

Giving Aerith's shoulder a gentle squeeze to show his support, he was content to just bask in the silence around them for the time being. When she began to speak again, he listened. "Naruto-kun, would you like to come back with me? You could spend some time with Mom and me. I know she'd like to thank you for what you're doing, too."

Naruto frowned for a moment in thought. After taking some time to think on it, he said, "I'll try to come by tonight, if that's okay? I need to report our success to Tifa-chan. That, and I don't want them to worry about me because I disappeared on them. So, I'll swing by tonight, okay?"

Nodding in acceptance of that, Aerith placed a kiss upon his cheek before she stood up and spun around to face him. Bending over so their faces were inches apart, she flashed him a grin before saying, "Good. I'll be holding you to that promise. Now get going, Buster."

Chuckling softly, Naruto rose to his feet and patted Aerith on the head gently. Afterwards, he created two clones and ordered them to keep her safe. Soon afterwards, he turned and hurried off, making his way towards his destination. I'll always keep you safe, Aerith-chan. That's a promise.

Aboard the Train

Naruto quirked a brow as he looked around at everyone present. "So, Cloud's a no show, huh? I wonder what happened to the guy?"

Wedge frowned sadly and said, "I really hope he's okay."

"Do you think he was killed?" Biggs questioned, only to earn him a few glares. "Hey, hey! It's a valid concern."

Barret scoffed and said, "No way an ex-SOLDIER like that's gonna get killed by some low-level grunts. Watch, the punk'll show up sooner or later, actin' all cool an' shit."

Jessie giggled a bit at that before she said quietly, "I hope he's okay…"

Placing a hand gently upon her shoulder, Naruto said, "Hey, don't worry too much, okay? Cloud will be fine. Just because he didn't show up at the station doesn't mean anything. He'll probably do exactly as Barret said: show up at the last minute, acting like he's some hotshot or something."

Giggling to herself, Jessie nodded her head in thanks. "Thanks, Naruto-kun. I appreciate it."

Biggs took this moment to speak up again. "Say, do you think Cloud's going to stay on and fight for AVALANCHE?"

Barret scoffed at this and asked, "How the hell would I know!? Do I look like a mind reader to you!?" Slamming his fist down on a crate near him, Barret snarked out, "Hmph. If y'all weren't such screw-ups…"

Naruto scowled distastefully at him and said, "Don't go blaming anything on us. Everything will be just fine. Cloud may not be the nicest person or the easiest person to get along with, but I think he'll be here, and he'll probably stay on with AVALANCHE, so long as the money's good. Besides that, you shouldn't say such things about your people, your friends."

Grumbling irritably to himself, Barret soon calmed down and said, "Yeah, you're right. Sorry everyone. Guess I'm just worryin' for nothin'."

Wedge frowned at this point and asked, "Hey, Barret! What about our money?" When Barret simply narrowed his eyes at him in a fierce glare, Wedge quickly looked down at his hands and said, "R-Right. Sorry I asked."

It was at this point that they heard knocking on the door nearby. "Huh?" Barret asked intelligently. Then the door opened and in came Cloud, flipping neatly until he landed on his feet in a crouch. Afterwards, he shut the door before turning to look at the members of AVALANCHE. "Where the fuck have you been?!" Barret exclaimed.

"Looks like I'm a little late." Cloud said coolly.

Naruto facepalmed while Jessie giggled beside him. Shrugging it off, he listened as Barret shouted, "You damn right, you're late! You come waltzin' in here, makin' a big scene! Damned show-off."

"It's no big scene. It's just what I always do." Cloud said.

Barret practically snarled at this point. "Shit! Havin' everyone worried like that. You don't give a damn 'bout no one but yourself!"

Cloud smirked at this and asked, "You were worried about me? How touching."

Barret growled this time and said, "The hell?! Fine hotshot, that's comin' outta your share!" Walking towards the door that led into the next car, he turned and said, "Enough a this shit. Follow me, we're movin' out!" And with that, Barret exited the current car to venture into the next one.

Wedge smiled brightly at Cloud and said, "Hey, Cloud! You were great back there!" Then, just like Barret, he moved onto the next car.

Biggs stepped in front of Cloud and said, "We're gonna do even better next time, Cloud. And I'm glad you're alright."

After Biggs left for the next car, Jessie stepped up to Cloud and poked his nose lightly. "Don't go making us worry about you next time, okay Cloud? Also, here…" She said before using a handkerchief to wipe Cloud's face. Showing it to him, she said, "Sorry, your face was all black. You're looking much better, now." And with that, she left the car as well.

Naruto chuckled to himself before he walked past Cloud, only to pause and look back at his spiky-haired ally. "They were really worried about you, Cloud. Don't go making this a habit." He said before exiting into the next car.

Cloud scoffed and muttered to himself, "I don't need you people worrying about me. But…thanks."

As they entered the next car, where some of the other passengers were located, they heard an announcement echo above them. "Last train out of Sector 8 Station. Last stop is Sector 7, Train Graveyard. Expected time of arrival is 12:23 AM, Midgar Standard Time…"

When the other passengers saw the rowdy bunch, they immediately fled to the next car, not wanting to stick around and deal with such hooligans. Well, all except for a select few who just didn't care.

As Barret took a seat nearby, Naruto watched Biggs, Jessie, and Wedge rush off towards the front of the car, the three of them seemingly doing their own thing. As for Cloud, he watched as his fellow blonde took a seat directly across from Barret, not wanting to interact with anyone else for the time being.

Left alone, Naruto looked at the nearby man who was lying casually across the seats, obviously feeling rather comfortable. When he caught Naruto looking at him, he said, "What? This is my house, so feel free to make yourselves right at home."

Naruto frowned somewhat sadly at the man before saying, "I see. Sorry for intruding, but thank you, all the same." And with that, he walked ahead a little way before turning his gaze on the balding, middle-aged man sitting close to Barret.

"You see the headlines in the Shinra Times? The terrorists that bombed the No. 1 Reactor are based somewhere in the slums…. Blowing up a Reactor…they sure put some thought into this one." Frowning to himself, he said, "It's a miracle no one was hurt in the explosion. They must have a real calculating leader. I wonder what they'll do next?"

Naruto quirked a brow as he chanced a glance at Barret. Calculating leader, huh? You're giving the guy a biiit too much credit. Oh well.

Barret noticed the look Naruto had given him. Grumbling to himself for a moment, he soon said, "Stop actin' like a damn kid. Siddown an' shu'up! And don't go givin' me that look o' yours."

Chuckling to himself, he looked at Cloud at this point, only to shake his head. I'll just leave him to his brooding. Kami, that reminds me so much of Sasuke it's scary.

Approaching the three members of AVALANCHE at the front of the car, he listened as Biggs said, "This train hasn't switched to security mode yet. I'm sure that will change by tomorrow."

Frowning at this, Naruto said, "That's going to make things a tad more difficult for us. Cloud and I don't have the proper licenses to make it through such checkpoints."

Biggs nodded before he let out a yawn. "Mmm, that mission sure took its toll on me. I'm gonna sleep 'til we get to the station. Wake me up when we get there, please."

"Of course. Get some rest, Biggs." Naruto said before he turned to Wedge. "How are you holding up, Wedge?"

Wedge smiled brightly at Naruto and said, "I'm doing good. You know, someday AVALANCHE's gonna be famous, and me, too! What do you think, Naruto? Do I have a bright future ahead of me?"

Naruto smiled at Wedge and said, "Wedge, I believe you can do anything you put your mind to. And no matter what happens in the future, just know that I've got your back. Okay, buddy?"

Smiling brightly at his friend, Wedge said, "Thanks, Naruto!"

"Anytime." Naruto said before he stood at Jessie's side. "What's up, Jessie-chan?"

Jessie smiled at him and said, "I'm just looking at the map of the Midgar Rail System. Why don't you join me? I can explain it to you, if you'd like."

"I am pretty curious. Sure, lay it on me, Jessie-chan."

As they looked at the map, Jessie said, "I really like this kinda stuff. Bombs and monitors…flashy stuff, you know?" Before Naruto could reply, Jessie shushed him and said, "It's about to start." When the screen showed a model of Midgar, she said, "This is a complete model of the city of Midgar. It's about a 1/10,000 scale. The top plate is about 50 meters above ground. A main pillar supports the plate in the center, and there are other support pillars built in each section…" Leaning in close, she whispered to him, "The No. 1 Reactor we blew up was in the northern section. Then there's No. 2, No. 3, all the way up to the No. 8 Reactor."

"The 8 Reactors provide Midgar with electricity. Each town used to have a name, but no one in Midgar remembers them. Instead of names, we refer to them by numbered sectors. That's how things turned out. Alright, look at what's next." As the screen began to show them the route for the train they were on, she said, "This is the route this train is on. The route spirals around the main pillar. We should be coming around the center, right now. Each checkpoint has an ID sensor device. It checks the identities and backgrounds of each passenger on the train and is linked up to the central data bank at Shinra headquarters." Once more, she whispered to Naruto, "We definitely look suspicious, so we're using fake IDs."

It was at this point that the sensor began going off, scanning each of the passengers aboard the train. "Well, speak of the devil… That light means that we're in the ID Security Check area." Whispering to him again, she said, "When the lights go off, you never know what kind of creeps'll come out."

Smirking at her, he nearly pressed his lips to her ear as he said, "Don't worry, I'll keep you perfectly safe. I'm not about to let some creep feel you up, after all." Then, just to tease her a bit, he gave her butt a pinch, causing her to jump and blush deeply in embarrassment.

Staring hard into his eyes, she soon giggled and said, "I really don't know how to react. I'm so used to being the one doing the teasing. Have to admit, this is a pleasant surprise."

"I aim to please." Naruto said with a mock bow. "Besides that, you started it. It's only fair that I tease you back, after all."

"Touche, Naruto-kun. Touche. Anyways, we're almost back now. What a relief." Jessie said, breathing out a sigh of relief. Once the lights came back on, Jessie smiled at him and said, "I think I know what to do with you. How about next time, I make an ID real special for you."

Nodding in thanks, he said, "Much appreciated. I'd like that very much."

"Okay, then I'll put a little extra effort in and make it with a BANG." She said with a giggle. "Anyways, we're almost there. After talking with you, I'm definitely ready to try my best! I do believe you've lit my fuse."

Smirking at her, he said, "Are you sure that's all I've done? Maybe I should try harder."

Giggling again, Jessie swatted him playfully on the shoulder. "I swear, you're too good at this. I can tell, spending time and talking with you is going to be all kinds of fun!"

"Oh, most definitely." Naruto said before he turned and approached Barret.

"Look. You can see the surface now. This city don't have no day or night. If that plate weren't there…we could see the sky." Barret said.

Peering out the window beside Barret, Naruto looked upwards at the plate and shook his head sadly. "It's a damn shame. I've always enjoyed seeing the starlit sky at night."

Barret nodded and said, "I'm sure a lot of people livin' down in the slums wish they could see it, at least just once, before they die. Shinra ain't no good for anyone. Not only are they killing the planet, but they're making life miserable for some damn good people. It's unfortunate. Down below, all the people livin' in the slums are sufferin' 'cause of that goddamn 'pizza' up there. The slums are full of polluted air that makes livin' in 'em a real pain in the ass. On top'a that, the Reactors keep drainin' up all the energy."

Naruto frowned sadly at this and looked from Barret to Cloud. "Cloud, I know you said you're only in it for the money, but even you have to admit that this is wrong. Right?"

The younger spiky-headed man said, "I know. And I understand that. But I'm no hero. I need the money so I can make a living and get out of here. I don't know where I'll go, but so long as it's away from Shinra, I don't really care."

Naruto scoffed at the notion and said, "Away from Shinra, huh? Their reach extends everywhere throughout the world. Unfortunately. You're bound to run into them no matter where you go. Unless you'd prefer to live on an island somewhere and never leave. Trust me when I say this, Cloud: if we don't do something, Shinra's going to end up killing the planet. Nowhere will be safe and nowhere will be habitable anymore. Even if we aren't heroes and won't make much of a difference on our own, we still have to try. I know that I'm not about to give up the fight so easily. Can I expect the same from you, Cloud?"

As Cloud mulled everything over in his head, Naruto turned back to Barret and said sadly, "If it were possible, I'd gladly move everyone up onto the plates where the air is cleaner and they're able to see the sky instead of those damned plates. Shinra just doesn't care, one way or another." Clenching his fists angrily, he said, "I swear, if I ever get the chance, I'll kill the president of Shinra. But, more than that, I want to get a fair shot at Hojo. What he did to me is something I just cannot forgive. I can't remember my past anymore and it's all because of that monster and his 'experiments'. I can't even remember my own age anymore. I lost count of the days and the years. My best guess is that I'm 27 years old, now. Give or take a few years, possibly."

Barret frowned at that and asked, "The hell'd they do to you, anyways? You obviously got somethin' against Shinra. You probably hate 'em even more than we do."

Naruto nodded and said, "You could say that. I was treated as a lab rat. I was pumped full of Mako energy and put through so many experiments and 'tests'. I'm different from everybody else on the planet, so Shinra, especially Hojo, were excited to test my limits to see exactly what I was capable of. As I already told you and the others, I'm from another world. I can barely remember how I came to be here. Speaking of which, I get the feeling you all thought I was joking when I said that."

Barret nodded and said, "You damn right, I thought it was a joke. Who the hell would believe such a thing, especially about someone they just met? But, after seein' what you can do firsthand, I'm willing to believe you now. I'm sure everyone here can say the same thing. The crazy shit you can do is unlike nothin' I've ever seen before."

"Well, thank you for believing me now." Naruto said with a genuine smile on his face. Looking back out the window, the blonde said, "I fought to save my world once before, so now I'm going to fight for this world. If that means I have to take down Shinra to do it, then I'll happily do it. But my main goal? I'm going to make damn sure I kill Hojo. That monster tortured me until I was this broken mess. I want to stop him before he can hurt anyone else."

Barret walked up to him and placed his hand upon the blonde's shoulder. "I know I'm not the easiest person to get along with, but I'll help however I can. There's a bunch of them Shinra bastards that need to be taken down if we want to help the planet. Though, I've got to ask. How the hell'd you survive being pumped full of Mako? That should have killed you."

Naruto shrugged and said, "Believe it or not, I'm really hard to kill. Especially nowadays."

Chuckling gruffly at that, Barret took a seat once again and smirked at the man. "You're alright in my book. Little strange, but alright."

Chuckling along, Naruto took a seat and decided to wait patiently for the train to arrive at their destination. I'm sure there's plenty more monsters in Shinra to take care of, but Hojo's #1 on my shit list.

Looking at him, Jessie frowned sadly to herself and thought, Poor Naruto. Nobody should have to suffer like you have. I hope we can help you to restore your missing memories.

Sector 7

Upon arriving at the station, Naruto waited for everyone else to get off before he followed them off the train. Nodding in greeting to the station employee before he heard Barret exclaim, "Yo! Get over here, all'ya!"

Choosing to ignore him for the time being, Naruto glanced back at the station man and said, "It's nice to see you again, sir. How's it going?"

The red-clad man offered a small smile and said, "When you've been a train man as long as I have, you see a lot of people and a lot of lives. People meeting, parting, joy, sadness…" Sighing softly, he continued, "After a while, it doesn't even get to you anymore. I can't help but wonder how long it's been. There's an invisible rail between me and the passengers. I could never live their lives. I'm just a train man, plain and simple. It's easier that way. Don't get me wrong, that's not to say that the crossing gate of my heart doesn't hurt now and again. Back during the war, I remember there were a lot of painful scenes. But, I suppose that's a story for another day." Shrugging, he said, "Anyways, the first train leaves Midgar at 5:04 AM. Try to keep that in mind."

Naruto frowned sadly at the man and said, "I'm sure you've seen it all by now. I can only imagine what you must have felt when I first came through here. I was barely covered in tattered rags. No clothes and no money to speak of. Just my weapons, my materia, and what little I had on me at the time."

The train man chuckled softly and said, "Believe it or not, you're not the first person I've seen like that. You get used to seeing strange sights down here in the slums. Still, I couldn't help but worry about you at the time. Are you doing better now?"

Naruto raised his hand and waved it in a so-so motion. "Sorta, yeah. I've made some new friends and I feel like I'm really making a difference now. But I can barely remember anything about my past. I barely even feel human anymore."

"Hmm, that's tough. I hope your situation improves for you before long. What's your name? I'm Scott." The now-named Scott said.

"Naruto Uzumaki. It's nice to meet you, Scott. I need to get going now, so I'll see you later. Take care of yourself." The spiky-haired blonde said before he joined Barret and the others.

"You all done chattin' it up with the train man?" Barret questioned somewhat grumpily. When Naruto simply smiled at him, the muscular male shrugged and said, "Awright, listen up. This mission was a success. But don't you go getting' lazy on me now! The hard part's still to come! Don't y'all be scared of that explosion! 'Cause the next one's gonna be bigger than that! Now, meet back at the hideout! Move out!"

As Barret and the others ran off, Naruto facepalmed and shook his head. "Ugh. If the next one's going to be bigger, I might have to create more clones." Shrugging it off, he was about to move out, only to be surprised as Jessie was right there in his face. "Whoa! What the heck, Jessie-chan?"

"Are you alright?" she asked, sincere concern on her face. "You looked a little down."

Scratching his whiskered cheek somewhat awkwardly, he said, "I'll be fine. I just wish he wouldn't say such things. If the next explosion is bigger, then I really need to make sure I get everybody in the vicinity out of there. I don't want any innocent lives, human or otherwise, to be caught in the crossfire of our battle. I don't think Barret's thinking about all the innocent people that could get hurt by doing this."

Jessie nodded in understanding before she said, "That's why we have you, Naruto-kun. No matter what, we know you'll do the right thing. That gives us the confidence and reassurance we need to keep up the fight. Well, at least that's how I choose to think of it. I trust you, Naruto-kun."

Smiling at her, Naruto said, "Thank you, Jessie-chan. That really means a lot to me. Now, shall we get a move on?"

Giggling a bit, Jessie took his arm in hers and began walking off with him at her side. "Why of course, my knight in shining armor. Let's get going."

"So, I'm your knight in shining armor, now?" Naruto asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Jessie smirked up at him and said, "Of course! You saved me and even looked after me when my leg got stuck. Sure, it's feeling a lot better now, but I could have died if not for you. So, thank you." Before Naruto could reply, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his cheek. Afterwards, she began tugging on his arm again. "Now come on, let's get going!"

Blushing deeply, Naruto allowed himself to be escorted by the lovely Jessie Rasberry. Okay, she's a bold one. I've enjoyed the back-and-forth teasing we've done, but I have to say; I wasn't expecting that at all.

Entering the next area that was adjacent to the Sector 7 Slums where everyone lived, Naruto paused to look at the enormous tower nearby. "It's huge, isn't it?" Jessie said. "Some people live in constant fear of the possibility that the plate might fall someday. If it ever does, a lot of people will die. I wouldn't put it past Shinra to attempt it at some point, just to get rid of us. If they find out where we are, I mean."

Naruto shook his head and said, "If they do attempt it, I'm willing to bet that they'll use the news to pin the blame on AVALANCHE and call it a terrorist attack. And, like mindless sheep, the people will believe every word of it. After all, Shinra has made their lives so much easier that they can't possibly be the bad guys."

Jessie scoffed at that and said, "Sadly, you're probably right about that. Just…make me a promise, okay?"

Looking into his companion's eyes, he asked, "What promise?"

"Promise me that you'll save us if anything like that ever does happen. I don't want to die before I can have a family of my own. I want to grow old with a nice man, have plenty of children, and live an easy life, away from all the pain and strife. I don't want to die anytime soon, Naruto-kun. So please, promise me that you'll take care of us, no matter what?" Jessie requested.

"Jessie-chan, I promise that I won't ever let you or the others die. I'll always be here for you. Okay?" Naruto reassured her.

Blushing slightly, Jessie kissed his cheek again and said, "Thank you, Naruto-kun. Now come on, we don't want to keep Barret waiting."

"Of course, Jessie-chan." Naruto said as he walked with her into the small town of the Sector 7 Slums.

When they entered the town, they immediately heard the sound of gunfire coming from Seventh Heaven. Jessie sighed and shook her head. "Sounds like Barret's chasing everyone out of the bar again. Oh well. We might as well head on over. Unless you want to take a look around town first?" she asked, smirking up at him. "I'm sure you'd love to have a beautiful woman like me hanging from your arm for a while longer."

Naruto chuckled to himself and said, "Oh, most definitely. But I'd rather not keep the boss waiting any longer than we have to. Besides that, I kinda already made plans to visit someone tonight, so I can't stay for very long."

Jessie frowned at him and asked, "Is it another girl? You're thinking of cheating on me already?"

Facepalming himself with his free hand, Naruto looked into Jessie's eyes, only to see her grinning at him. "Ha ha. Very funny. I'll have you know that I can't choose between any of the girls in my life, if I was forced to. I want to find love and settle down with a wife and child, perhaps more than one child, now that I think on it. But, if it comes down to me having to choose between two or more women? I highly doubt I'd be able to make that choice. I'd rather have a polyamorous relationship than hurt people I care for."

Jessie frowned just a bit more as she looked into his eyes searchingly. "Heh, you're really serious about that, aren't you?" Seeing him nod, Jessie smirked at him again and said, "You'd better be ready then, because I'm not going to make it easy on you. You'll have to win me over first, Tiger. I'm not going to just be a member of your harem just like that."

Chuckling to himself, Naruto said, "I don't even have to try. My natural charm will make you fall madly in love with me. Just you watch."

Jessie giggled to herself and said, "I like you! I've never had someone that will playfully banter with me like this, before. It's nice."

Naruto nodded in agreement. "Believe it or not, I was never that confident with women before. I think that losing my memories might have actually helped me get over that problem. Who knows, though? Still, I like you, Jessie-chan. You make things fun. You're a damn good friend to have."

"Why thank you, Naruto-kun. I aim to please." she said with a mock bow. "Now come on, we've kept them waiting quite long enough."

"Of course, my lady." Naruto said as he walked with her towards the Seventh Heaven bar.

Approaching Barret, they waited for him to step aside before entering the bar, still arm-in-arm. When a little girl rushed towards them and exclaimed, "Papa!" Naruto was initially confused.

Jessie smiled at the girl and said, "Hello again, Marlene. Were you good for Auntie Tifa while we were away?"

Marlene nodded rapidly and said, "Uh-huh! I've been very good!"

Jessie giggled and patted her gently on the head. "Good girl. Marlene, let me introduce you to my dear friend, Naruto Uzumaki. Naruto, this is Marlene, Barret's daughter."

Marlene looked up at the tall man and somewhat nervously hid behind Jessie. Chuckling softly at this, Naruto knelt down to be eye level with her and held out a flower. "Here, Marlene. I got this flower especially for you. Isn't it pretty?"

Marlene's eyes brightened considerably as she tentatively took the flower into her hands. "Y-You really got this…all for me?"

Naruto smiled at her and gently petted her head for a moment. "That's right. I have one for Tifa-chan and Jessie-chan, too. Flowers for the lovely ladies in my life." He said before he stood up and handed Jessie her flower. Without waiting for a reply, he walked up to Tifa and handed her the final flower, watching as she slipped it into her hair, just a few inches above her left ear.

"How do I look?" Tifa asked.

"Absolutely stunning." Naruto said with a happy smile on his face. Afterwards, he rejoined Jessie and Marlene and smiled down at the little girl. "Do you like it, Marlene?"

The little girl nodded rapidly as she held onto the pretty flower. "Uh-huh! Thank you, Mr. Naruto! It's very pretty!"

Naruto smiled down at her as she rushed back over to join Tifa, eagerly showing off the flower she had been given. Once she was gone, Jessie slugged him lightly in the arm and said, "You're just too damned sweet, Naruto Uzumaki. And don't think I didn't catch your little flirt with Tifa, either. Are you trying to woo all the ladies in your life?"

The blonde shrugged and said, "Not necessarily. If someone asks me for my opinion, I'll gladly give them an honest answer. Tifa-chan does look amazing and the flower really helps to bring out her femininity. Just like the flower you slipped into your hair make you appear better as well. It brings out a certain charm in you that otherwise remains hidden when you're out on such dangerous missions. It's a new side of you that deserves to shine from time to time, if you ask me."

Jessie blushed deeply before glancing away from him, unable to look him in the eyes. "I swear, you're way too good at getting my heart pumping. Damned Casanova."

Naruto simply chuckled before patting her gently on the shoulder. Afterwards, he walked up to the bar and took a seat on one of the stools. He watched as Tifa and Marlene chatted rather animatedly with one another, a bright smile on his face.

Noticing his gaze, Tifa motioned for Marlene to wait a second before walking over to him. "Thank you, Naruto-kun. That was really sweet of you. Where'd you find these flowers, anyways?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head for a moment as he glanced away somewhat nervously. "Another of the girls in my life gave them to me. She was initially going to sell them for 1 Gil a piece, but I gave her 100, so she gave me three. I kinda promised I'd see her again later tonight, sooo…"

Tifa smirked at him and said, "I see how it is. You're here flirting with us lovely ladies when you've already got a woman waiting at home for you. For shame, Mr. Uzumaki. For shame."

Naruto chuckled softly and said, "We've only known each other for a short while. I'm happy to call her my dearest friend at this point. Aerith-chan found me after I escaped from Shinra's clutches. She helped me out big time, and I promised to look after her as a result. For some reason, the Turks want her, but I'm not sure why. So, I plan to protect her for as long as it takes. I won't let anyone harm her. Just like I won't let anyone harm you guys. You're my new family. A family that I never had growing up. I can remember that much, at the very least."

Tifa frowned sadly at him and reached over the counter, ruffling up his hair a bit. "You're a good man, Naruto-kun. If you want to leave now, I'm sure Barret would understand. Although, if you leave now, you're not likely to get paid for a job well done." She teased.

Naruto chuckled and said, "I'm not in it for the money, Tifa-chan. Still, some spending money wouldn't hurt. So, I'll stick around long enough to get paid, then I'll head on out to visit Aerith-chan."

"Good choice." Tifa said, a wry smirk on her face. "Barret should be coming back inside any moment now. I know he can be a little rough around the edges, but he's not a bad guy, I promise."

The blonde chuckled and said, "I know that. Barret's the kind of guy that wears his emotions on his sleeves. He can be foul tempered sometimes, but he's got a big heart and cares for those under his command. Buuut…"

Tifa sighed and nodded her head. "He fails to think about the consequences of his actions, I know."

Chuckling softly, Naruto gently patted her hand to show his support. Afterwards, he turned to face Barret when he walked into the room. The very moment he entered, Marlene glomped onto his leg and giggled happily. "Welcome home, Papa! Look at what Uncle Naruto gave me!"

Barret looked at the flower his little girl presented him with. Gently patting her on the head, he turned to look at the blue-eyed blonde, though, looking into his eyes, it was like there was a sea of green inside of them. Shaking it off, he said, "Thank you, Naruto." Looking back at Marlene, he asked, "Did you thank Uncle Naruto?"

Marlene thought it over for a time before coming to the realization that she never did thank him for the flower. So, turning to him, Marlene bowed politely and said, "Thank you very much, Uncle Naruto! It's really pretty!"

Naruto simply smiled and waved at the happy family. Tifa, seemingly noticing Barret's shift in mood, asked, "Are you alright, Barret?"

"I'm jus' great!" Barret said. "Now, get in here, fools! We're startin' the meetin'!" And with that, he rode the elevator down into the depths of Seventh Heaven.

Rising from his bar stool, Naruto waited for the others to hop down before he turned to Tifa. "You're not coming with us?"

Tifa shook her head and simply smiled at him. "Not this time. You go on ahead. I want to talk with Cloud for a moment."

Nodding his head in understanding, Naruto rode the elevator down below and took a spot beside Jessie. He would wait patiently for Cloud to join them.

Later

When Cloud finally joined them, Naruto sat up and turned to face Barret, waiting to hear with he had to say. Barret turned from his punching bag and faced Cloud and Naruto with a stern gaze. "Cloud! Naruto! There's somethin' I wanna ask ya. Was there anyone from SOLDIER fighting us today?"

Cloud immediately shook his head no. "None. I'm positive of that."

Barret punched the bag one more time before looking squarely into Cloud's eyes. "You sound pretty sure of that."

Cloud nodded and said, "If there was anyone from SOLDIER, you wouldn't be standing here now."

Before Barret could blow up at him, Naruto held up a hand to silence him. "While I wouldn't have phrased it like that, Cloud is correct. There wasn't anyone from SOLDIER there, today. Trust me when I say you'd be able to tell the difference between a simple foot soldier and a well-trained SOLDIER. SOLDIERs are just that much tougher than your regular, garden variety enemy."

The taller man frowned deeply and said, "I see. S'pose that makes sense. But I want you two to remember somethin': your skinny butts are working for AVALANCHE now! Cloud, this means don't go getting' any funny ideas about hangin' on to Shinra."

Cloud scoffed at this and said, "All you did was ask me a question. I answered it. That's all. I have no more attachment to Shinra than Naruto." Walking up to Barret, Cloud got up in his face and said, "I'm going upstairs. I want to talk about my money."

While Barret began to shake in anger, Tifa surprised them by appearing in the bunker and stopping Cloud before he could go anywhere. "Cloud! Please wait!"

Barret scowled and said, "Tifa! Let him go! All he cares about is 'money this' and 'money that'. Damned spiky-headed bastard."

Cloud shot a nasty glare back at Barret, but didn't say anything. Instead, he turned his gaze on Tifa once more. "Tifa, unlike you and the rest of AVALANCHE, I don't care about them or the Planet. I just want to get my money and go."

Tifa frowned sadly at him as she watched him ride the elevator back up to the bar. "Cloud…"

"You could go after him, you know?" Naruto suggested to her. "I know you care about him. I'm not sure about your relationship with each other, but it's easy to see you care about him. So go after him."

Tifa looked into his eyes for a time before nodding quickly. Pressing a button, she waited for the elevator to come back down before she thanked Naruto and rode the elevator upwards. As soon as she was out of sight, Naruto sighed and shook his head. "Cloud, you're being a real jackass right now."

"Tell me about it." Barret said as he made to walk past Naruto. "If he wants his goddamn money, I'll give it to him. But, for Tifa's sake, I'm gonna make damn sure that punk sticks around, even if I have to wave a huge bag of Gil in front of his face to do it."

Naruto chuckled softly and said, "Roger that, Mr. Boss Man."

Barret scoffed at that before he proceeded to begin climbing up the shaft leading up to the bar. He needed to speak with Cloud, and he wasn't about to wait for a damn elevator to carry him up top. Climbing was far quicker in his mind.

Meanwhile, down below, Naruto looked at Jessie for a moment before placing his hand gently on her shoulder. "How are you holding up, Jessie-chan? I know the news isn't exactly painting all of us in a good light, but at least nobody died in the explosion. That has to count for something, right?"

Jessie smiled up at him and said, "Thanks, Naruto-kun. I think I'll get to work on yours and Cloud's fake IDs soon. I promise, yours is gonna be great."

"I'm looking forward to it, Jessie-chan." He said. "Anyways, I need to get moving. I can't leave Aerith-chan waiting for too long. She'll start to wonder where I am."

As Naruto chuckled lightly, Jessie pouted cutely at him, getting his attention instantly. "Pooey. Here I was, hoping we could cuddle."

Blushing, Naruto shook it off and said, "Nice try, Jessie-chan. I'll see you tomorrow morning, bright and early."

"Glad to hear it. Now shoo, shoo. Away with you, my shining knight." Jessie said.

Chuckling softly, Naruto ruffled her hair slightly before he rode the elevator up. Once up top, he bade goodbye to the three 'friends', if you could call them that, before exiting the bar. Alright Aerith-chan, I'm coming. Just be patient for a little while longer. He thought to himself as he sped off.

Aerith's House

It wasn't until about an hour later that Naruto reached the Sector 5 Slums and from there to Aerith's house. Stepping inside, he smiled and waved at Aerith and her mother. "Sorry it took so long. There was a bit of a holdup, but things are mostly sorted out now. Did you run into any problems on your way home?"

Aerith shook her head with a smile on her face. "Nope! Your clones did an excellent job. Thanks again, Naruto-kun!"

"Anytime, Aerith-chan. Elmyra-san, it's a pleasure to see you again." He said, bowing politely to her.

Elmyra smiled kindly at him and said, "It's good to see you again, as well. I hope you've been keeping well."

Naruto raised his hand and made a so-so motion with it. "For the most part, things are going well. Since you're probably going to end up hearing about it anyways, I helped AVALANCHE blow up the No. 1 Reactor. Don't worry, I made sure to have my clones evacuate everyone beforehand. I wasn't about to let innocent people die if I could help it. Barret doesn't really think about the consequences, which can be a bit…draining, let's say. But, for now, I'm going to keep working with them. Something tells me that if I stick around with AVALANCHE and with you, Aerith-chan, that I'll be able to truly help save the planet someday. I can't really explain it, but I know I'll get that chance."

Aerith clasped Naruto's hands in hers and said, "I believe in you, Naruto-kun. Just…don't go dying on me, okay? Too many people have died already."

Naruto frowned for a moment before he wrapped his arms around Aerith and hugged her close. "I won't leave you alone again, Aerith-chan. And I promise that nobody will ever hurt you, so long as I'm around. Just promise me that you'll talk to me before you even think about doing something reckless. Okay?"

Aerith smiled and hugged her friend back. "I promise. You're stuck with me, Mr. Uzumaki. I'll stick to you like glue." She teased.

Chuckling softly, he proceeded to walk with her to the dining table, the two of them sitting side-by-side. When the clones brought dinner out for the three of them to eat, they thanked the clones before they each dug into their meals. The entire time, the happy family of three just chatted with one another, the three of them content with the way things currently were.

At one point during the conversation, Aerith found herself smirking at Naruto. "Sooo, what did you do with those flowers I gave you, huh?"

Naruto blushed and scratched at the tip of his nose. "I, erm…I gave them to three girls I know. One was Tifa-chan, who you've already met. Then there was Jessie-chan, the explosives expert in AVALANCHE. And finally, there was Barret's daughter, a little one by the name of Marlene."

Aerith smirked at him and poked his cheek. "Trying to win over all the girls, huh? Careful, you don't want to go making anyone too jealous now." she teased.

Naruto chuckled softly and said, "Believe me, that is not my intention. Besides, they already know that, if multiple girls fall for me, then it's either I enter a polyamorous relationship or I stay single. I refuse to choose between two or more girls. I just…I can't hurt people like that. I know it may sound strange, but back in my world, there was something called the CRA, or Clan Restoration Act. What this act entailed is that, if you were the last male of your clan, you would have to take multiple spouses and have children with each of them to help raise your clan's numbers again. So back in my world, it wasn't unusual to see someone with multiple wives. I know it may sound strange, but it's how things worked. I'm not saying I'd employ the same thing here, because we most assuredly aren't in my world, but I would rather be in a polyamorous relationship than hurt anyone I come to care for. Even if that means I end up alone for the rest of my life…"

Aerith frowned sadly at him and gently took his hand in hers. "You deserve to be happy, Naruto-kun. I hope everything works out splendidly for you. I don't…I don't want you to suffer heartbreak and loneliness like I have. It just wouldn't be right, happening to somebody as pure as you."

Naruto gently hugged Aerith against him again and said, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry for your loss, Aerith-chan. Zack was a really good man and an excellent friend. I promise that if I ever find out what happened to him, I'll tell you right away. Even if it's bad news, you deserve to know the truth."

Aerith simply hugged him back, burying her face in his chest as she stayed silent. No more words needed to be said between them. They were content to simply find comfort in one another.

The Next Morning – Seventh Heaven

As Naruto entered the bar, he could hear Cloud giving Barret a basic rundown of how to equip and make use of Materia. So, while Cloud took care of that, Naruto approached Tifa and said, "Good morning, Tifa-chan. I assume you're coming with us, this time?"

Tifa nodded and said, "Of course! Just as soon as Cloud and Barret are done, we can set out. I know I'm definitely looking forward to what you can really do, Naruto-kun."

Smirking at her, he said, "Oh? I'm honestly more interested in watching you. I can tell, you've trained in the martial arts. I'm definitely curious to see what you can really do when you put your mind to it."

Tifa had a deep blush on her face after hearing what he said about watching her. When he explained what he meant, though, she breathed silently to herself before saying, "So that's what you meant. I thought you were making some kind of perverted comment about my…"

Naruto blinked a couple of times as he tried to make sense of what she was saying. Then, thinking back on his words, he facepalmed and blushed BADLY. "Sorry. I swear, I didn't mean it like that. I should have worded it better."

Giggling awkwardly, Tifa was about to say something, but they were interrupted by Cloud and Barret. "Shit! What's this, 'It wasn't that tough!' crap? I still don't get it! Fine, y'know what? You guys handle this Materia shit for me. I'll let you decide what Materia I use and when."

Cloud and Naruto just shrugged while Tifa turned to face them. "I got a message from the Weapon Shop man upstairs. He has something he wants to give you two. Don't forget!" Turning to face Marlene, Tifa smiled sweetly at her and said, "Marlene, you watch the store while we're gone!"

"Alright! Good luck, everybody." And with that, Naruto and his friends left the bar. They could easily see a small crowd had formed near the entrance of the town, but decided not to bother them for the time being. Instead, they proceeded to make their way to the weapon/armor store in the southeast corner of the slums. Deciding to put off buying anything just yet, they made way to the second floor of the building, which happened to be a beginner's training hall where you could learn all kinds of useful things.

Cloud played the role of teacher and proceeded to teach the various people there about a wide variety of subjects. Meanwhile, Naruto picked up an All Materia and an Ether nearby.

After they had finished in the Beginner's Hall, they returned to the first floor and proceeded to purchase some Iron Bangles for Cloud, Barret, and Tifa. Naruto was already set with some pretty powerful equipment and Materia, so he didn't have to worry about such things right now.

From there, they proceeded to the item shop nearby and proceeded to purchase some Materia for Barret and Tifa. Tifa had already been given the Restore Materia they had picked up at the reactor, so she only had room enough for one more Materia.

Once they were all set, they proceeded to head towards the large gathering of people by the entrance/exit of the slums. When they approached, they easily spotted Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie mixed in with the crowd. As soon as they saw Naruto and the others approaching, they quickly fled, moving towards the train station. Okay, so that just happened. Whatever.

Listening to the remainder of the crowd, he realized that some guy named Johnny was leaving the slums for greener pastures, so to speak. Shrugging it off, Naruto walked with his teammates out of the town and past the tower towards the train station. As they neared the train, Naruto took a moment to stop and think. We're targeting the No. 5 Reactor this time. But I've got a bad feeling about this. I hope it's nothing, but…

Tifa frowned and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Naruto-kun? Is everything okay?"

The blonde shook his head free of his thoughts and offered Tifa a smile. "It's nothing. Just a bad feeling I got. I've just got a feeling that something bad's about to happen. My instincts are usually right, too. So please, let's all be careful, alright?"

Barret grinned and said, "Oh, we'll be careful alright. But we can't stand around here all day. Regardless of this bad feelin' of yours, we won't get anythin' done by sticking around here. So, c'mon!"

Cloud simply shrugged it off before he stepped on board the train.

Frowning slightly at their casual dismissal of his warning, Naruto soon shrugged it off and was about to follow them. However, Tifa put a hand to his chest and stopped him for a moment. "Naruto-kun, this bad feeling of yours; what do you think's going to happen?"

Naruto frowned for a moment before thinking over all the possibilities. After a moment, he said, "To start off with, I can only guess that the fake IDs won't work, which would alert security and make things much harder on us. Something could go wrong when we go to blow the reactor. Somebody could get hurt. I don't really know. All I do know is that I've got a bad feeling that things are going to get crazy. I don't know what to expect and I can't predict how the mission will go. But, if we work together as a team, I'm positive that everything will work out for the best."

Looking into his eyes, Tifa eventually nodded and said, "I trust you, Naruto-kun. Even if nobody else takes you seriously, just know that I will. Okay?"

"Thanks, Tifa-chan. Let's go. Don't want to keep everyone waiting, after all." Naruto said before taking Tifa's hand and entering the train. Well, let's see just how bad things get this time. I can tell right now that this is going to suck.

A/N - And that's the chapter! As you can see, a looot happened in this chapter. Sort of. lol. I think it turned out well.

Anywho, I wanted to inform everyone that I have another new poll sitting up on my profile. It has something to do with this story, so I'd really like your opinions on it. The reason I put the poll up in the first place is because I got a crap ton of requests to add Tifa and/or Jessie to the pairing. So your votes will definitely help me figure out what to do with them. I honestly wasn't expecting for that many people to practically demand I add them to the pairing. XD Definitely caught me off guard.

Alrighty, I'm kind of out of it right now. Didn't get a ton of sleep, I'm afraid. So some rest and relaxation sounds nice. I think I'll play a game for a while and just chill.

Please remember to let me know what you thought of the chapter! I'm eager to hear your responses to the chapter and the Tifa/Jessie problem I am faced with. Please vote! lol. And if you have any questions or suggestions or anything, please feel free to let me know. Thank you.