Sentinel: Odyssey Chapter 4, a naruto fanfic

A.N. Welcome back to the Anime Cinematic Universe! Last time, Jack and Naruto found themselves ambushed by Itachi Uchiha! How will they escape the infamous traitor of the Leaf?! Let's find out!

Let'sgetiton!

Disclaimer: OCMixmaster27 does not own any of the franchises represented in this story apart from original characters. This work is made for nonprofit entertainment purposes only.

"Hello there!": Speech.

'This is gonna be fun': Thoughts.

[All systems are go!]: Mechanical Speech

{Welcome to Japan.}: Foreign Speech

"How Dare You!": Monster/Demon Speech, Special Technique

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Sentinel: Odyssey

Chapter 4: Send Me on My Way

Location: Unknown

Date: July 5th, 2016

The first thing Jack notices as he regains his senses is that the blue sky and yellow sun above him have been replaced with a red sky and a crimson moon. He also sees that the green forest he was surrounded by before has been transformed into a flat expanse of blackness. He looks at his body and finds himself in inverted greyscale.

"What the hell is this?" Jack asks himself in confusion.

"This is Tsukuyomi."

Jack quickly turns around and sees Itachi, also in inverted greyscale, staring at him impassively.

"Tsukuyomi? Is this some kind of weird Sharingan trick?" Jack questions the ninja.

"It's more than some kind of trick. This is my world, where I control everything," Itachi explains. "I can make you drown in a bottomless sea. I can burn you in fire for hours on end. I can slow down time itself and make seconds feel like days." Itachi's eyes narrow dangerously. "With all that being said, I highly suggest that you tread lightly."

Jack raises up his fists. "Not my style, jackass."

Jack quickly charges at Itachi and throws a haymaker right at the ninja's face. Just as Jack's fist makes contact, Itachi's body bursts into a murder of crows that swarms around Jack, disorienting him. As Jack centers himself, he finds that the crows have reformed into Itachi right behind him.

Realizing that hand-to-hand won't work, Jack squints his eyes as he tries using his laser beams.

But nothing happens.

Jack's eyes widen in shock. "What the?! My powers!"

"You don't have any powers in my world," Itachi states evenly.

Jack starts to panic. How could his powers not be working?

Unless…

"This isn't real. This is an illusion," Jack mutters as a smile slowly forms on his face. "This is all in my head."

Itachi quirks an eyebrow at Jack's smile. "Why are you so happy all of a sudden?"

CRACK!

Itachi's eyes widen at the loud cracking sound behind him. He quickly turns around and looks up into the sky, where he sees glowing orange cracks forming in the crimson moon.

"How…?" Itachi asks in disbelief.

Jack smirks. "I've got a special friend that helps me adapt to and overcome any obstacle in my way. He lives in my mind, which is where the two of us are right now. We've been beefing up security measures in my mindscape for days, and when you combine that with our previous experience with Sharingan illusions, then…well, you can see for yourself."

The orange cracks in the moon grow and widen, while metal tendrils pop out of the cracks like an eldritch monster.

"What was that you were sayin' earlier about this being 'your world'?" Jack asks smugly.

Itachi doesn't respond as he focuses on the entity crawling out of the moon, his Mangekyou Sharingan spinning rapidly. After a moment, the cracks stop growing, and the movement of the tendrils slows down to an absolute crawl.

"Woah, woah! What did you just do?!" Jack demands in surprise.

"I told you that I can control the flow of time here. I've slowed down your friend's invasion to less than a fraction of a fraction of his speed," Itachi explains. 'For the moment, at least.'

Jack brings his fists up again. "Sen can adapt to that, too, and I won't let you torture me without a fight!"

"Troublesome," Itachi mutters tiredly, before turning around and raising his hand nonthreateningly. "Listen. I didn't bring you here to fight you or torture you. I brought you here because I have a question that needs to be answered."

Jack narrows his eyes in suspicion. "Which is?"

Itachi gives the foreign teenager a piercing look. "What are your intentions for Uzumaki Naruto?"

"My intentions? My intentions are for me to get back home, and to bring Naruto with me so that the both of us can live out our peaceful happy lives as far away from this hellhole as possible!" Jack declares.

"How far away is your home, exactly?" Itachi questions.

"Well, my geography is a little rusty, but I'd say just a bit away from the other side of the planet," Jack answers cheekily.

Itachi continues gazing at Jack, searching for any sign of deception, only to find nothing but the truth. "I see. You're from beyond The Veil." He then nods in satisfaction. "This is good."

Jack blinks in surprise. "Good?"

"The farther away from the Elemental Nations you can take Naruto, the safer he'll be," Itachi says.

Jack's confusion grows. "Hold on a second. Why do you care about Naruto's safety? You're one of the cult bastards that locked him in your dungeon and tormented him, remember?"

"I was never truly part of the Akatsuki. I was a spy for the Hidden Leaf Village," Itachi reveals.

Jack scoffs. "A spy? How original."

"It's the truth. My mission was to infiltrate the Akatsuki, discover their plans, and stop them anyway I could," Itachi explains. "Unfortunately, the other members of the organization, especially Pain, were more powerful than I anticipated, so I've had to bide my time and find a window of opportunity to defeat them. Then, you arrived and did most of the work for me. You not only crippled the deadliest threat to our world, but you also saved Naruto from certain death. For that, you have my thanks."

"If you're with the Leaf Village, then why did you let Naruto get captured in the first place? Why didn't you help him escape?" Jack asks suspiciously.

"I had no choice. When we got word that Naruto was outside of the village, Pain ordered me to investigate. That's when I learned that the Hokage and the fools in the Village Council had banished Naruto," Itachi explains with his fists clenched in anger. "Pain saw the opportunity and commanded me to capture Naruto. While he was imprisoned, I was planning a way for both of us to leave safely, so I told Naruto not to attempt any escapes, but he didn't listen. Then, one day, after so many attempts, Naruto made it so close to the exit, but Pain stopped him. Pain then ordered Hidan and Sasori too…punish Naruto for his transgressions."

"Punish?! They tortured him! For fuck's sake, Naruto lost an eye because of those Godless bastards!" Jack yells out in rage. "And you just let it happen?!"

"I had little power to stop them," Itachi argues. "If I stepped in and tried to save Naruto, then Pain would have figured out where my loyalties truly were. I would have been killed, and then Naruto would have had nobody to help him in there."

Jack crosses his arms. "Yeah, some help you gave him. Leave him in a cell while you sit around and hope for a miracle. Very helpful."

Itachi doesn't bother trying to defend himself.

Crack!

The orange cracks spread only slightly, but enough to get the notice of both Jack and Itachi.

Jack takes a breath to let go of some of his anger, then asks, "Just for curiosity's sake, what was the Akatsuki's grand scheme for world domination?"

"How familiar are you with the legend of the Ten-Tailed Beast?" Itachi asks in return.

"Sen told me the story." Jack answers. "A goddess named Kaguya was using something called the World Tree in order to conquer the planet, but her sons, Hagoromo and Hamura, stood up to her. She then fused with the World Tree and became the Ten-Tailed Beast. Hagoromo, Hamura, and Sen – you know, the Sentinel – eventually beat the Beast and sent it up into the moon."

Itachi seems surprised at Jack's telling of the story. "Yes, that's how the legend goes, though I had no idea about Kaguya, the World Tree, or the Sentinel."

"Really?" Jack points up at the orange cracks filled with metal tentacles. "Well, the Sentinel is up there. That's who I have inside me. I call him Sen."

Itachi's eyes are wide as he looks back at where Jack is pointing, finally realizing just how much power this foreign teenager has inside his body.

"An entity capable of fighting the Ten-Tails. Incredible," Itachi mutters, before turning back to Jack. "Well, the demon that is inside Naruto is one part of the Beast's power, and there are eight others scattered across the Elemental Nations. The Akatsuki's plan was to capture all of the Jinchuriki, extract the demons out of their bodies, and reform the Ten-Tails. Pain planned to use the Beast's power to subjugate everyone and bring about eternal peace to the Elemental Nations."

"So, Pain was plannin' to use a demonic weapon of mass destruction to scare everyone into followin' his demands, and he calls it peace. Typical evil overlord right there," Jack says.

"Fortunately, we were only able to extract four of the nine Tailed Beasts before you arrived and disrupted everything," Itachi continues.

A sudden thought occurs to Jack. "If the Akatsuki tried to extract the Nine-Tailed Fox out of Naruto, would he have survived?"

"Due to the nature of the ritual, Naruto would have been the last one to have his Tailed Beast extracted. Naruto would have had a better chance than most at survival due to his high vitality and healing factor, but, most likely, he would have died," Itachi answers honestly.

Jack growls at the thought of Naruto, the boy he's come to care for dearly, being killed for his demon and then tossed into a shallow grave.

"I don't care what it takes, or who I have to break. With God as my witness, I won't let anythin' happen to Naruto," Jack declares.

Crack!

The orange cracks spread further, and the metal tendrils start moving faster, making Itachi panic slightly.

"Jack, I can't hold your friend back for much longer, so listen up," Itachi demands, getting Jack's full attention. "I hope you're ready to fulfill your vow, because you're going to have enemies on all sides. The remainder of the Akatsuki will seek to destroy you and recapture Naruto, and they won't be caught off guard like last time. Then there's the Leaf Village. I don't know what the hell compelled them to banish Naruto in the first place, but I do know that they'll send everyone they can to get him back, and they have plenty of powerful shinobi to throw at you. And, of course, there are the other Shinobi Villages that'll kill to have both you and Naruto in their armed forces. I'll provide you with resources that'll help you two on your journey, but that's all I can do."

"Wait a minute. You said that you're loyal to the Leaf Village. Why are you helpin' me keep Naruto away from the Leaf?" Jack questions the shinobi.

Itachi's normally blank expression becomes sad. "I may be loyal to the Leaf, but I know it's dark side all too well. Naruto has suffered enough in that village. He deserves to have happiness in…wherever it is you live."

"Aren't you worried that the Leaf would come after you because of this?" Jack asks.

Itachi chuckles mirthlessly. "The Leaf won't be an issue for me. Not for long."

Jack looks confused by Itachi's cryptic words. His attention is then drawn to the growing cracks and faster-moving tendrils in the crimson moon.

"I think we should take this conversation outside," Jack suggests.

"That seems to be for the best," Itachi agrees as he relinquishes his hold on Sen.

Without the added hindrance, Sen quickly increases the pace of his entry, as the glowing orange cracks spread past the moon and into the sky, with more metal tendrils popping out. Eventually, the cracks spread to every portion of the Genjutsu world.

From the cracks, Itachi is able to get a glimpse of a singular orange eye staring right at him before, with the sound of breaking glass, Tsukuyomi shatters.

Location: Road 17

Itachi covers his eyes as he releases the Genjutsu. The strain of using Tsukuyomi is damaging enough for his vision, which is why he usually limits how often he uses the technique, but the added resistance from The Sentinel has made the damage exponentially worse. This is why it takes him a few moments to recover some semblance of his eyesight.

And why he's unprepared for the incoming fist.

POW!

The Traitorous Uchiha Prodigy finds himself uncharacteristically flown backwards from the force of the punch, which sends him tumbling away on the dirt road.

"You had that coming, you pink-eyed cunt!" Jack yells with his fist outstretched, while Naruto continues clinging to his side.

"J-Jack! A-Are you okay?!" Naruto asks his companion in great concern, his face still hidden.

Jack calms himself and gives Naruto a reassuring pat on the head. "I'm alright, boyo. Apparently, this guy wanted to have a talk."

"A talk?" Naruto asks incredulously.

"Aye. Turns out this guy was spying on the Akatsuki for the Leaf Village," Jack explains as Itachi picks himself off of the ground. "He was trying to find a way to bust you out before I arrived." Jack scoffs. "Though, honestly, I think he spent way too much time with his thumbs up his ass."

"He was a spy? That can't be," Naruto denies, not trusting Itachi one bit.

"It's the truth, Naruto," Itachi says as he dusts himself off, a large bruise forming on his face. "I regret that I couldn't help you more, but my mission was…difficult, to say the least."

"So, killing you family and clan was part of the mission?" Naruto questions, causing Itachi to flinch.

Jack takes a moment to process the blonde's words before slowly turning towards the Uchiha, his eyes glowing orange with energy.

"You. Did. WHAT?!" Jack yells out furiously.

"Itachi slaughtered the entire Uchiha Clan, including his parents, in a single night. He only spared his little brother, Sasuke, who he tortured before abandoning the village," Naruto explains, causing Jack's eyes to glow brighter. "Was all that part of your special mission too, Itachi?"

"I had no choice," Itachi defends evenly. "My father, Fugaku, was the Clan Head. He and the rest of the Uchiha Clan were planning to overthrow the Hokage in a violent coup."

"You know, I find you very unbelievable right now," Jack states as he just barely holds himself back from blasting the man in front of him.

"He was going to use Naruto as a weapon," Itachi reveals, taking the wind out of Jack's sails. "My father had the Mangekyou Sharingan like myself and Tobi, and he planned on using it to control the demon inside of Naruto and unleash it on the village. Thousands of innocents would have been killed. The village would have been decimated, leaving it exposed to invaders. Every attempt at negotiation had failed. So, I was commanded by the Village Council and the Third Hokage to eliminate the threat once and for all."

"G-Gramps…agreed to it?" Naruto mutters, feeling saddened and ashamed of someone he cared for.

Jack's eyes stop glowing as he looks down and comforts the blonde.

"It was my duty and my burden," Itachi continues. "It felt like my heart was shredded to pieces when I killed my family, especially my parents." He then chuckles mirthlessly. "They never hated me for my actions. Hell, they actually called me kind. That is what hurts the most."

Suddenly, Itachi bends over and starts coughing loudly and wetly into his hand, startling Jack and Naruto. Jack's eyes widen as he sees the blood on Itachi's hand.

"Holy shit. You're sick," Jack says as his eyes glow orange again, this time giving Jack an X-Ray look into Itachi's body. "You're really sick."

"Sick?" Naruto asks with a hint of concern in his voice.

"Microscopic polyangiitis. A rare form of vasculitis," Jack explains using information about human anatomy from Sen. "His blood vessels are inflamed and damaged, which is affecting the rest of his body. It's treatable, but not curable. Sen estimates that Itachi only has a month to live, at most."

Itachi stops coughing long enough to mutter, "It'll be long enough…for Sasuke to do what he must."

Naruto gasps in realization. "That's why you spared Sasuke and tortured him. You want him to kill you."

"And thus redeem the Uchiha name," Itachi confirms as he cleans the blood off his hand. "I had no idea that he would try to abandon the Leaf Village. Because of my actions, you were forced to fight your comrade, which, I suspect, led to your banishment. For that, Naruto, I am so sorry."

Jack mentally files away the knowledge of Sasuke being Naruto's comrade. "Yeah, well, sorry doesn't really fix much here."

"You're right," Itachi agrees as he reaches inside his cloak, "but, hopefully, this will help."

Jack stays on guard as Itachi pulls a sizable scroll out of his cloak, which the shinobi gently sets on the ground.

"This scroll contains extra supplies, which will sustain the two of you long after you reach the Land of Waves," Itachi explains. "There's also some literature regarding the laws and customs of several regions, including the Land of Fire and the Hidden Leaf Village. I highly suggest you read up on them, Jack."

Jack nods at this.

"One more thing," Itachi adds as he pulls out a much smaller scroll, which he sets down near the other one. "There's a seal on Naruto's body that's restricting his chakra flow. This scroll contains the key needed to release that seal. Naruto's going to need his chakra if you two are going to make it out of here."

"I'll take care of that right away," Jack says.

Itachi straightens himself out and gives one last hazy look at the two travelers.

"I wish you two the best of luck on your travels. If you'll excuse me, I have some loose ends to take care of," Itachi states before turning around to leave.

"Itachi!" Naruto calls out, stopping Itachi's exit. "…Did Konoha ever know where I was?"

"…Yes. I gave them as much information as I could about your location," Itachi answers honestly. "I even made preparations should they attempt a rescue."

"But they never did."

"…No, they didn't."

"I figured as much," Naruto mutters sadly, causing Jack to give him a one-armed hug.

Itachi sighs and looks back at the redhead. "Take care of him."

Itachi's form bursts into a murder of crows that fly off into the sky, leaving behind the two scrolls.

After a moment, Jack scans the area with his enhanced vision. "He's gone."

Naruto takes a breath in relief as he dislodges himself from Jack's side.

Jack gives the two scrolls a suspicious look. "Stay behind me, Naruto," he tells the blonde, who quickly places himself behind the redhead.

Both teenagers cautiously walk to the two scrolls. Jack gingerly picks up the smaller scroll and slowly unfurls it, bracing himself for any boobytraps. After another moment, Jack sighs in relief before analyzing the writing in the scroll.

"Okay then. How do I open…?" Jack mutters, before his eyes blink orange several times. "Got it. Thanks, Sen." Jack places his hand on the seal in the middle of the scroll. "Seal Release."

A puff of smoke erupts from the seal, and Jack finds himself holding a small tag with a symbol for 'key'.

"Naruto, do you know where the seal is?" Jack asks as he holds up the tag.

Naruto nods and pulls up his shirt, revealing his chest and stomach, which are much less emaciated than before. "It's over the Nine-Tail's seal on my stomach."

Jack kneels and places his hand on Naruto's stomach, causing the blonde to blush. Jack channels his chakra, revealing the intricate seal containing the Nine-Tailed Fox inside of Naruto's body, which Sen recognizes as the Eight Trigrams Seal, along with another simpler seal surrounding the first.

"So, I just place it on here, and…" Jack says as he puts the tag over the seal arrangement. "Seal Release."

The symbol on the tag glows, causing the outer seal to glow as well before it fades away, leaving only the Eight Trigrams Seal.

"GUH!" Naruto suddenly grunts as a rush of energy fills his entire body, causing him to collapse onto Jack.

"Naruto! Are you alright?!" Jack asks concernedly as he stands up and keeps the blonde on his feet. His enhanced vision notices the sunny-yellow energy filling Naruto's body.

"M-My chakra! I-I almost forgot what it felt like!" Naruto exclaims in shock as he feels the return of his chakra after so long.

As well as something else inside of his body.

"Naruto!"

The blonde gasps as he hears a familiar voice with an unfamiliar tone of concern inside his mind. "Fox?"

Jack's eyes widen. "Fox?"

"I-I can hear the Nine-Tailed Fox in my head," Naruto explains as he steadies himself.

"Kurama," the demon fox corrects. "My name is Kurama."

Naruto blinks in surprise. "You…you gave me your name? B-But I thought you hated me?"

"I hated that I was once more imprisoned in an Uzumaki against my will. I never hated you specifically. You were an annoyance at best. Although, to be honest, I enjoyed watching you scorned by your fellow humans. It made me feel vindicated in a way," Kurama explains, with shame in his voice at his last statement. He continues somberly, "But then, you were captured by the Akatsuki, and though I was separated from you by the seal, I saw and heard how those bastards tortured you. My anger cooled at what I witnessed, and I realized that you were a prisoner just as much as I was. I'm so sorry, Naruto. You suffered for so long because you were my vessel."

Naruto's surprise grows as he hears the heartfelt apology from Kurama. He remembers when the demon once threatened to devour him and the entire village as soon as Kurama was free of the seal. To now hear that same demon speak to him with a voice full of regret…

"It wasn't your fault, Kurama," Naruto softly tells the fox. "You were a prisoner, too."

"…"

"I know we didn't get along when we first met, but maybe – right now – we can start over," Naruto offers. "What do you say?"

Naruto hears a gasp of surprise from the fox, then several moments of silence, before a deep chuckle fills his head.

"You're way too kindhearted for your own good, kit," Kurama mutters in amusement. "Sure. I can do a fresh start."

Naruto smiles softly. "You and me both, Kurama."

"Naruto? You two good?" Jack asks in concern, having been right next to the blonde as the private conversation occurred.

Naruto nods. "Better than ever, actually. We're giving each other another chance."

Jack sighs in relief. "Good to hear."

Kurama hums as he appraises Jack through Naruto's eyes. "So, this is the vessel of Hogo-sha. He's certainly strong for a human. You've picked yourself a good mate, kit."

Naruto blushes brightly. "K-Kurama! W-We haven't gotten that far yet, dattebayo!"

Jack blinks in bewilderment. "Pardon?"

Naruto quickly waves his hands dismissively. "N-Nothing! It's nothing!"

Jack scratches his head confusedly. "…Okay…"

Naruto takes a deep breath to calm himself, before stretching out his limbs. "It really does feel great to have my chakra back."

"And it's a nice color, too. It matches your hair," Jack points out, causing Naruto to blush again. "Is the color different from person-to-person?"

Naruto nods. "It does. You can find out yours by channeling your chakra through your body."

"How do I do that?" Jack asks. "I usually have Sen do it for me."

"W-Well, I'm a bit rusty, but…" Naruto says nervously, before putting his hands together into a Ram hand sign.

Jack watches as Naruto's yellow chakra starts pouring out of his body in mass quantities, with the blonde's face scrunched up in concentration. After a few moments, Naruto stops and bends over in exhaustion, his face sweating as he gulps in air.

"*huff*…I'm definitely out of shape…" Naruto mutters tiredly.

Jack hands Naruto a water bottle, which he eagerly accepts.

"So, like this?" Jack asks, before forming his own hands into the Ram sign.

Taking a drink, Naruto watches as sunset orange chakra radiates off of Jack's body. Naruto mentally notes that it's a similar color to the Sentinel's glowing eye.

"Huh. I was expecting more of a navy-blue color," Jack says as he looks at his chakra.

"I really like it!" Naruto blurts out, before looking away shyly. "I-I mean, orange is my favorite color, so…"

"In that case, this is excellent," Jack quickly says as he stops channeling his chakra.

A thought suddenly occurs to the redhead.

"So, you were a shinobi before, right? What kind of techniques do you know?" Jack asks. "From what Sen told me, all shinobi can disguise themselves, replace themselves with logs as decoys, and make fake copies of themselves."

Naruto blinks in surprise at the question, before thinking to himself. "Well, I do know the Transformation, Substitution, and Clone Jutsu, though I can't make illusory clones because of my chakra control. I had to teach myself how to make solid clones instead with the Shadow Clone Jutsu."

"No way! You can actually duplicate yourself?!" Jack exclaims in excitement.

Naruto smiles at Jack's excitement. "Absolutely. They can fight just like me, except it only takes a hit or two to destroy them. Because of my huge amount of chakra, though, I can make a hundred of them without breaking a sweat. Plus, when a clone dispels, all of its memories get sent into my mind, so I learn everything they learn."

"So, basically, you're a one-man army," Jack says with a huge grin on his face. "Fantastic!"

"Once I get back into shape, I will be. Right now, though, I need to relearn how to manipulate and control my chakra before I can think of spamming clones," Naruto states, before shuddering, "and I know that relearning the Rasengan is gonna be a bitch and a half."

"The what?" Jack asks.

"It's my main offensive technique. I gather my chakra into a spiraling ball in the palm of my hand and I shove it towards my target," Naruto explains. "It can grind through metal easily."

"Seriously?! That's incredible!" Jack says excitedly. "You must be an amazin' shinobi."

Naruto blushes at the praise. "Thanks. I'm not that amazing, though. I can't do any Genjutsu because of my poor chakra control. My Taijutsu is terrible, too. I'm usually just throwing fists like a street brawler."

"Hey! Don't put yourself down like that!" Jack commands, startling Naruto. "You are amazing. You don't need any illusion crap if you can literally make yourself into an army and destroy things with chakra balls. As for your fighting style, I can teach you my moves. Shit, I'm a three-time State Boxing Champion. If anyone around here can show you how to make your street brawlin' into somethin' that can destroy your opponents, it's me."

"You'd really do that for me?" Naruto asks in amazement.

"Of course! I'd love to have you as my student," Jack answers eagerly.

Naruto smiles warmly. "You're too kind, Jack. Is there any way I can repay you?"

"You don't have to repay me. It'd be my pleasure," Jack replies.

"But I do have to!" Naruto insists. "You've helped me out with so much, and you're inviting me into your own family. I'd feel terrible if I didn't repay you in some kind of way."

Jack hums in thought for a moment, before extending out his hand. "Tell you what; I'm already a one-man army, so I'm not really interested in the Shadow Clone Jutsu, but the Rasengan sounds awesome. You show me how to do that while I'm teachin' you boxing, and we'll call it even. Deal?"

Naruto smiles and accepts the offered hand. "Deal!"

Location: Road 17

Date: July 18th, 2016

Time: Evening

(Insert Music: Send Me On My Way – Rusted Root)

The past two weeks have been pleasant travels for our two adventurers. Since they parted ways with Itachi, none of the surviving members of the Akatsuki have attacked them, and they haven't crossed paths with any shinobi. Jack's use of his enhanced vision combined with Kurama's ability to sense negative emotions meant that anyone following them would be quickly detected. Thankfully, nobody seemed to be tracking the two of them, giving them plenty of time for themselves.

The first week was spent getting Naruto healthy and fit again. The villagers and Itachi made sure to pack healthy foods filled with essential nutrients and vitamins that would help Naruto return to full strength. Unfortunately, none of their food stock included ramen, something that greatly displeased Naruto. Jack promised that he would treat the whiskered teen to a ramen buffet one day soon, which earned him a massive bear hug.

After a week of active travelling and healthy meals, Naruto was fit enough for Jack to start training him in boxing, which has gone amazingly well so far. Apparently, Naruto is a kinesthetic learner by nature, which works wonderfully when it comes to martial arts. Jack figures that he can make the blonde into a championship boxer by the time they leave the Elemental Nations.

Jack's training in mastering the Rasengan wasn't quite as smooth, however. It turned out that there were a lot of complex parts involved in creating a ball of energy meant to grind things into powder. After several days of not making it past the second step, Jack swallowed his pride and asked Sen for assistance with spiraling the chakra correctly, which improved things immensely. Eventually, after countless amounts of burst balloons and rubber balls, the foreigner was able to create a stable and usable Rasengan.

Naruto wasn't exempt from Ninjutsu training, either. After he got his chakra control smoothed out once again, he relearned the majority of his Jutsu, including his Shadow Clone Jutsu. Jack was absolutely awestruck at the amount of Narutos that surrounded him when he first witnessed that technique.

Unfortunately for the blonde, he's been unable to create his own Rasengan, even with the help of a clone. According to Kurama, there's something inside Naruto that needs fixing before he can use the Rasengan again.

To make up for this, Naruto decided to increase his arsenal of techniques thanks to some scrolls and materials on Nature Manipulation and Elemental Ninjutsu that were given by Itachi. Using a slip of chakra paper, Naruto learned that he had an affinity for Wind. He's been teaching himself several offensive Wind Jutsu, including Wind Release: Great Breakthrough and Wind Release: Pressure Damage. This particular training has been a much smoother experience for Naruto than relearning the Rasengan, especially with his Shadow Clones participating and adding their own experience into Naruto's mind.

At the moment, Jack and Naruto are currently laying on their shared bedroll next to a smoldering campfire under the clear night sky, the two teenagers relaxing after another day of traveling and training. Jack laughs as Naruto regales the redhead with another tale of his pranking hijinks.

(End Music)

"Hahaha! Seriously?! The whole thing?!" Jack asks in disbelief.

"The entire monument! All four faces!" Naruto confirms jovially. "It only took me five minutes, too! You should have seen everyone's looks!"

"Ah, I would have loved to have been there," Jack says as his laughter winds down. "You know, it's funny; we actually have a monument like that in my home country."

Naruto looks intrigued by this. "Really? How many faces are on there?"

"Only four of the…what…fourty-three Presidents we've had?" Jack replies.

(A.N.: Grover Cleveland served two separate terms, so technically it's 43 at this point in time.)

"That many?" Naruto asks incredulously.

"Yeah, nobody ever stays in office for too long. It's meant to keep our leaders from having too much power," Jack explains.

A comfortable silence falls as the two teenagers lie down and look up at the starry sky.

"Hey, Jack? You said before that your home was big, loud, and tough. Is it…is it safe?" Naruto asks tentatively.

Jack sighs, before explaining, "Well, there is crime, but it's usually dealt with by our massive police force. Of course, sometimes some bad guys with advanced weapons or superpowers pop up and cause trouble." Jack then smiles confidently. "Luckily, there are more than enough good guys with powers and gadgets that beat the bad guys and keep everyone safe. They're called 'heroes'."

"Heroes actually exist in your world?" Naruto asks in astonishment.

"Absolutely," Jack replies. "My favorite one is called 'Superman'. He has a whole mess of powers, such as flight and super strength. What I love most about him, though, is how kind he is when helping others, and how he gives hope to people around him just by showing up. I really admire that about him."

"Amazing," Naruto mutters. "I'd love to meet him."

"Yeah, me too," Jack says. "I've got a hundred things for him to sign."

Both teens chuckle, before returning to their stargazing.

A sudden thought occurs in Naruto's mind. "If we have superpowers, will we have to be heroes, too?"

"Do you want to be a hero?" Jack asks in return.

"Honestly, I'm done with being a hero. For good," Naruto answers tiredly.

"You don't have to be a hero if you don't want to," Jack tells his companion. "The whole point of you coming to live with me is so that you can get a fresh start. You can be whoever and whatever you want to be, Naruto. What would you like to be?"

Naruto takes a moment to think to himself. In the past, he always blurted out to everyone how he was going to be the next Hokage. But, truthfully…

"Well, I did have this…fantasy of being a chef when I was growing up," Naruto reveals.

Jack nods proudly. "That's an excellent dream to have. I'll help you make it a reality."

Naruto is once again touched by Jack's eagerness to help. "I feel like you're spoiling me, dattebayo."

"You're precious to me, Naruto. I take care of the precious people in my life," Jack tells Naruto frankly. "That's who Jack Maguire is."

Tears well up in Naruto's eyes as he embraces Jack lovingly, which the redhead happily returns.

'This warmth…this happiness…I never want it to end,' Naruto thinks to himself as he falls asleep in his companion's arms.

All while ignoring the tiny voice of doubt in the back of his mind.

Location: Fire Temple

Date: July 19th, 2016

The Fire Temple is the largest monastery in the Land of Fire, and perhaps the most famous in the whole of the Elemental Nations. The temple houses the order of ninja monks that primarily live secluded from the outside world and practice Shinobi arts that date back to the earliest dates of the Shinobi era.

One monk, who wears the standard white robes with a grey sash, diligently sweeps the front area of the temple. Behind him are the colossal iron doors that serve as the front entrance to the temple, though they're more often than not sealed to keep intruders out of the temple. Flanking the doors are two statues depicting humanoids with crow-like faces and large wings on their backs. They stand in fighting positions, as if ready to attack trespassers.

As the monk continues sweeping, he spots two individuals walking up the flight of stone stairs towards the entrance. His curiosity is peaked as he drinks in the visage of the redheaded teenage boy with unusually rugged facial features.

His full attention, however, is on the other teenager, with spikey blond hair and whiskers on his face.

'There's something familiar about that boy…' the monk muses to himself as Jack and Naruto approach the temple entrance.

The monk asks them, "Welcome, children. What brings you to our temple?"

"Well, we're on our way to the Land of Waves, and we figured we'd stop by here and check out the temple here," Jack explains as he holds up a camera. "You know, take some pictures and stuff."

"I'm afraid that only those of our order are allowed inside the temple grounds. Entrance by outsiders is forbidden," the monk tells the outsiders.

Jack sighs. "That's a shame. So much for playing tourist."

"Sorry for disturbing you," Naruto apologizes as he looks over at the front entrance. "It sure is a beautiful place."

The monk smiles serenely. "No need for apologies, young man. You're right about its beauty. It is a wonderful nexus of nature and spirituality."

Jack notices the two statues. "Who are those handsome fellows?"

"They are representations of Karasu Tengu," the monk explains. "The Karasu Tengu are powerful crow-like spirits that are an integral part of our worship here at the temple. Legend has it that after the time of the Sage of Six Paths, the Karasu Tengu taught humans the art of stealth, espionage, and infiltration. By combining those skills with the manipulation of chakra, humanity produced Ninjutsu, and thus began the Era of Ninja."

"Amazing!" Naruto exclaims. "So, they were the first shinobi? Are they still around?"

"It's entirely possible, though very few people in recent times have reported even a glimpse of a Karasu Tengu," the monk answers. "They are the masters of stealth, after all."

"It's true," Kurama says in Naruto's mind. "I only met the Karasu Tengu once in my existence, and that was because I accidently stumbled upon one of their settlements. Those feathered bastards pecked and slashed and chased me out for a week straight. It was humiliating."

As Naruto holds himself from giggling, Jack holds up his camera again. "Is it alright if I…?"

The monk nods. "Go ahead."

As the redhead takes pictures of the impressive front gate, the monk glances over at the blonde, who watches his companion act touristy with a smile on his whiskered face.

Suddenly, the monk remembers where he's seen the blonde teenager before. It was on a picture given to the head monk by his old friend from the Hidden Leaf Village. The picture was of a boy that the Leaf callously gave up, and now were desperately trying to recover.

Jack finishes his photography and bows to the monk. "Well, we won't be botherin' you anymore. You have a pleasant day."

Naruto bows as well. "Thanks for the story, monk-san."

With that, the two teenagers start heading back down the steps, leaving the monk with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Well, on the bright side, we have more time for traveling," Jack says to Naruto, who nods in agreement.

"Just a moment!"

Hearing the yell causes Jack and Naruto to stop and turn back to the monk, who gestures for them to approach. The teenagers give each other looks of confusion before walking back up to meet the monk.

"Now that I think about it, there are special circumstances in which outsiders can enter the temple with permission from the head of our order," the monk says. "You two seem like fine respectable young gentlemen. Why don't you wait here, and I'll go inside and get permission for you to tour the temple a bit?"

Jack shrugs. "Sure. Why not?"

"Excellent. I'll be back as swiftly as possible," the monk says before hurrying towards the front gate.

Arriving at the giant steel doors, the monk forms a hand sign and channels his chakra, which has an ethereal gold color to it. Almost immediately, the doors swing open, allowing the monk access to the temple grounds. The monk walks through the entryway and makes another hand sign, causing the doors to slam shut.

This leaves the two teenagers standing at the top of the stairs.

"He seems nice," Jack comments, getting a nod from Naruto.

Location: Inner Sanctum, Fire Temple

Inside the most secure area of the Fire Temple stands a gigantic statue of a Tengu holding a staff in a seated position. Sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed before the statue is another monk, with this one wearing a waistcloth with the kanji for "Fire" on it along with the standard monk attire.

The monk from the front gate approaches his brother and kneels beside him. "Chiriku-sama."

The subordinate monk then whispers into the ear of the head monk. Chiriku's eyes open at what he hears.

"You're sure of this, Zenza?" Chiriku asks.

"I remember the photo that was shown to us by Sarutobi Asuma. It's him," Zenza confirms.

"And they said they were headed for the Land of Waves? Not the Leaf Village?" Chiriku questions.

"Yes, Chiriku-sama," Zenza answers.

"…Are either of them wearing a headband of any kind?" Chiriku asks in curiosity.

"No, Chiriku-sama," Zenza answers. "I don't see any affiliation to any village whatsoever. In fact, the redheaded boy looks so…unusual. I've never seen anything like him from any region in the Elemental Nations."

Chiriku hums as he processes this information.

"Let them in, Zenza. I'll greet them personally," Chiriku says as he stands from his seated position.

"Yes, Chiriku-sama," Zenza says as he bows to the head monk before departing.

This leaves Chiriku alone in the holy sanctum. He sighs and looks at the statue, as if he's silently asking for wisdom from the spirit.

Location: Front Gate, Fire Temple

Back at the front gate, Jack and Naruto continue waiting for the monk to return.

"Hey, Jack. Do Tengu exist in your world?" Naruto asks in curiosity.

"Well, there are beings that look like winged humans," Jack answers. "We call them angels. They're children of the Almighty God, and they help protect humanity from demons and dark forces."

"Wow! Maybe they're related to Tengu somehow," Naruto suggests.

"I kinda doubt that," Jack says frankly.

Suddenly, the gigantic steel doors open again, getting the teenagers' attentions. They see Zenza standing at the entrance.

"Good news. Our Head Monk, Chiriku-sama, wishes to personally give you two a tour of the temple," Zenza tells the two travelers, surprising them at the sudden turn of events.

"Well, that's awfully nice of him," Jack comments as he and Naruto enter the temple grounds.

As they enter, Zenza closes the doors behind them, and the two teenagers get their first look at the monastery. The temple itself is modestly decorated and large enough to accommodate scores of people. It's surrounded by a wall of smaller buildings, most likely living quarters. Monks are scattered across the grounds as they perform their various duties.

"This way," Zenza says as he leads Jack and Naruto to the front steps of the temple, where a single monk appears to be waiting for them.

The various monks give the two strangers curious looks, as they're not used to having outsiders escorted through the grounds unless they're new converts.

As the trio approaches the steps, Naruto notices the white waistcloth worn by the monk waiting for them.

'Where have I seen that before?' Naruto muses to himself.

Zenza, Jack, and Naruto eventually find themselves in front of Chiriku, who gives the group a friendly smile.

"I am Chiriku, Head of the Fire Branch of the Hermit Group. I welcome you both to our temple," Chiriku greets as he brings his hands into a prayer and bows at the two travelers.

Jack and Naruto both bow to him in kind.

"Nice to meet you, sir. I'm Jack, and this is my friend, Naruto," Jack introduces himself and his companion.

"It's an honor to be here, Chiriku-sama," Naruto says respectfully.

"Thank you, young man. Before we begin the tour, there are a few things I need to go over with you," Chiriku states, getting the outsiders' attention. "Firstly, there are several statues and artifacts strewn about the temple complex that we monks handle with extreme care, which I will point out to you. Therefore, I must ask that you not touch these items during our tour. Secondly, there are several areas of the temple that will be completely off-limits to the two of you. And thirdly, I must ask that you two act in a manner that is respectful for this environment and our way of life. Any questions so far?"

Jack and Naruto both shake their heads no.

"Wonderful. Then, let us begin," Chiriku says as he leads the group into the temple.

Location: Main Foyer, Fire Temple

Upon entering the temple, and after taking off their shoes, Jack and Naruto are both greeted to the sight of dozens of smaller Karasu Tengu statues on either side of the hallway, all of them in various combat poses. Several monks are carefully cleaning some of the statues. A couple of them look down from their work and watch the two visitors with interest.

"These are some of the statues that are to be handled only by the monks," Chiriku says as he leads Jack and Naruto down the hallway. "As you can see, we have a great deal of respect for the great Tengu spirits. Here at the Fire Temple, we can practice the original Shinobi Arts in peace, away from the outside world and the Hidden Villages."

"I hope this isn't too personal of a question, but do you dislike the ninjas from the Hidden Villages or something?" Jack asks curiously.

"We don't dislike them at all. We simply feel as though they are misguided in their efforts," Chiriku replies honestly. "They have allowed themselves to be corrupted by greed, politics, and the pursuit of power. They've strayed away from the true purpose of the Shinobi Arts."

"Which is?" Jack asks.

"The betterment of humanity," Chiriku answers. "The Sage of Six Paths gave the people the gift of chakra so that we could understand one another, and the Tengu taught us their ways so that we could defend ourselves from evil. Unfortunately, both gifts were corrupted over time, and because of that, countless innocents have suffered in wars created by Ninjutsu."

Jack sighs. "Darn shame, it is."

"Indeed," Chiriku agrees as he leads the two teenagers through the temple.

Location: Inner Sanctum, Fire Temple

The tour group arrives at the inner sanctum, allowing Jack and Naruto to drink in the sight of the massive Karasu Tengu statue inside.

"Have you ever seen a Tengu before, Chiriku-sama?" Naruto asks curiously.

Chiriku chuckles. "Unfortunately, no, but my master, Chukaku-sama, met one when he was a youth."

The Head Monk points to a small shrine on one side of the room dedicated to an old monk with a long grey goatee.

"He was once a shinobi himself from the Hidden River Village and was on a routine scouting mission when he met the spirit." Chiriku recounts. "Because he was respectful and friendly to the spirit, he wasn't struck down. Instead, the two of them began a peaceful correspondence, during which, the Tengu personally taught Chukaku-sama some of the ancient arts, including how to harness a special type of chakra through diligence and hard work. After his lessons, Chukaku-sama and the Tengu parted ways, and they never met each other again. Chukaku-sama then resigned from the Shinobi Forces and joined the Fire Temple, where he taught me and others how to successfully use the gift given by the Tengu. He was a wise and kind man."

"Sorry about your loss," Jack says sympathetically.

"Don't be. I'm honored to have been his student for as long as I have, and I will always treasure the time spent with him." Chiriku says reverently as he bows to the shrine of his late master, with Zenza following suit.

Location: Main Courtyard, Fire Temple

"And here is where most of our training takes place," Chiriku says as he shows Jack and Naruto the main courtyard.

The two teenagers watch as several groups of monks practice their katas, with teachers overseeing each group and correcting the forms of their students. The movements of the monks are swift, precise, and waste no energy with flashy motions.

Jack whistles lowly. "Impressive."

Chiriku gives Jack an analyzing look. "Are you a fighter by any chance, Jack-san?"

"Aye. I've been boxing since I was a child," Jack answers.

"Boxing? I've never heard of that form of fighting before," Zenza says in confusion.

"Well, boxing mainly involves using your fists for quick, powerful strikes against your opponent," Jack explains, bringing his arms up in a boxing position as emphasis. "I only use my legs to maneuver myself around the ring and to help move my body out of the way of incoming attacks."

"Quite an unusual form of fighting," Chiriku muses to himself. "Would you call yourself an expert in the art, Jack-san?"

Jack scratches his head and shrugs. "Well, not to boast, but I've been the State Boxing Champion for the past three years. I can honestly say that I'm skilled in it."

Chiriku hums to himself in thought, before smiling. "I'd like to see this art in action."

Jack, Naruto, and Zenza all look at Chiriku in surprise.

"Come again?" Jack asks in confusion.

"Indulge me, Jack-san. In exchange for the tour, you and I have a spar in the courtyard," Chiriku offers. "Let's see how well you last against me for…three minutes."

"Chiriku-sama! That is highly unorthodox!" Zenza exclaims.

"True, Zenza, but this is an unorthodox situation we find ourselves in, is it not?" Chiriku says to his fellow monk, before looking back at Jack. "What do you say?"

Jack makes eye contact with Naruto, having a silent conversation with the blonde, before turning back to the monk with an excited grin.

"You're on!"

Timeskip: Several minutes later

"What's going on?"

"The Master's fighting an outsider!"

"What's an outsider doing here?"

"Apparently, he and another were being given a tour of the temple by the Master."

"…We're doing tours now?!"

This is the conversation going on as practically all of the monks in the order are crowding around a fighting field, watching the upcoming spar with curiosity and excitement. On the field, Chiriku is making a prayer to the spirits for strength, while Jack is stretching out his limbs, with both fighters being shirtless. Naruto stands nervously next to Zenza, who is acting as a referee for the fight.

Jack finishes his stretches and kisses his rosary just as Chiriku finishes his prayer. Both fighters turn to face Zenza.

"This is a three-minute spar between Chiriku-sama of the Fire Branch of the Hermit Group and Jack from…!" Zenza announces before trailing off in uncertainty. He turns to Jack. "Where are you from again?"

Jack shakes his head. "You wouldn't know the place," he says plainly, catching Chiriku's interest.

Zenza nods and accepts the answer. He continues, "This match is Taijutsu only! No other techniques or outside interferences are allowed! All fighting will cease at the end of three minutes, or until one fighter is unable to continue!" He then addresses Chiriku and Jack. "Both fighters face me. Bow."

Chiriku and Jack both put their hands in prayer position and bow to Zenza.

Zenza then commands, "Face each other. Bow."

Chiriku and Jack both face each other and bow.

A monk next to Zenza pulls out a simple alarm clock as Zenza calls out, "Ready!"

Chiriku gets into his stance, with one foot behind the other and his hands open in front of him. Jack, meanwhile, gets into his traditional boxing stance, which confuses the spectating monks.

"What kind of stance is that?"

"I've never seen it before."

"I doubt he could last thirty seconds against the Master."

Naruto glares at the muttering monks before looking at Jack with concern.

"Have faith in your mate, kit," Kurama tells his friend.

'Right…and he's not my mate yet!' Naruto exclaims in his mind before giving his attention back to the fight.

'Are you sure you don't want any enhancements?' Sen asks his host.

'You heard the judge. No interference,' Jack replies internally, before smirking. 'Besides, I want to enjoy this fight.'

The monk holding the clock sets it to three minutes as Zenza exclaims. "BEGIN!"

Immediately, Jack charges at Chiriku, weaving left and right as he approaches. The redhead circles the monk for a bit before throwing a left punch. Chiriku blocks the punch with his arms, but the force of the hit causes him to stagger back with a surprised grunt.

"What the?!"

"He actually made the Master stumble!"

"Amazing!"

Chiriku takes a moment to register the pain in his arm. 'That was a lot of force in just one hit. I'll have to be careful with this boy,' he muses as he readies himself again.

Jack weaves into Chiriku's guard again and throws several quick jabs at the monk, who swats the fists away. Jack goes for a leg sweep with his hand, but Chiriku kicks it away. Chiriku goes for a couple of jabs of his own, but Jack blocks the first one and dodges the second. Chiriku then aims a kick right at Jack's face, but Jack blocks it with forearms and uses the block to force Chiriku backwards, causing Chiriku to stumble backwards and nearly fall to the ground. The monk is able to steady himself, though, and stay on his feet.

Jack approaches Chiriku again and goes for a right hook, which Chiriku swats past him. Chiriku then goes for a right forearm strike, which Jack blocks with his own arm. Chiriku goes for a left under-jab, but Jack ducks down low and avoids the hit. Jack goes for a left cross into Chiriku's stomach, but the monk blocks the hit and jumps backwards to gain distance. Jack stands up straight and goes for a left-right cross combo, but Chiriku blocks both hits. Chiriku then kicks at Jack several times, but Jack keeps his guard up and blocks the kicks. On the last kick, Jack grabs the attacking leg and pulls it in as he goes for a right jab. Chiriku blocks the jab, swings his other leg around, and wraps it around Jack's head to try and take him down. The redhead stays on his feet, however, and tosses the monk behind him, making his opponent roll across the dirt.

Chiriku quickly gets back on his feet and into his stance just in time to block a punch thrown by Jack. Chiriku throws several punches of his own, which Jack maneuvers away from. Ducking down from a punch, Jack sees an opportunity and lands a strong right hook into Chiriku's ribs. The pain stuns Chiriku enough for Jack to land another right hook into the monk's jaw. Chiriku grunts as he stumbles away, keeping himself from crying out from the pain. Spotting Jack rapidly approaching, Chiriku quickly kicks Jack in the chest, causing the redhead to stumble back himself.

Jack smirks as he wipes the dust off of his chest. "Now this is a fight!"

"You can do it, Jack!" Naruto cheers loudly, causing the surrounding monks to look at him, making the blonde duck down shyly.

Both fighters get back in their ready stances. Jack bounces around on his feet as he circles around his opponent, staring at the monk and searching for any weak points. He throws his shoulders around as if faking some attacks, making Chiriku tighten his guard and stay on alert.

Chiriku ignores the painful spots throughout his body as he observes the fighter in front of him.

'So, this is what boxing entails. He may not use his legs for combat, but his quick and powerful punches make up for it. His guard is also tight and strong enough to dodge or tank whatever attacks I throw at him. He truly is an experienced fighter.' Chiriku muses. 'I can feel it. The way he's circling me. Probing me. Finding any weakness to exploit. He's like a wolf hunting his prey.

Jack finally closes in on Chiriku and throws three punches. Chiriku dodges and maneuvers away from the punches, but the rush of air next to him tells him all he needs to know how much power is in those fists.

'Did I say wolf? I meant lion!' Chiriku screams in his head.

Jack continues throwing punch after punch at Chiriku, who quickly backs up towards the edge of the arena to avoid them. Chiriku finds himself right in front of a spectating monk as Jack goes in for a punch. Chiriku leans away from the incoming fist, while the spectating monk yelps in surprise as he quickly crouches down to avoid being hit himself. Jack continues punching at Chiriku's head while Chiriku continues leaning away from his opponent. This causes them to travel down the edge of the arena, with all of the monks on the sideline ducking down to avoid being unfortunate casualties of Jack's attacks.

"HEY! WATCH WHERE YOU'RE PUNCHING!" one of the crouching monks yells out in annoyance.

"Sorry!" Jack calls out as he throws another punch, which Chiriku dodges once again.

Chiriku seizes the opportunity and jabs Jack in the throat, catching the redhead off guard. Chiriku then goes to elbow Jack's ear, but Jack focuses again and blocks the blow. Jack cocks his right fist back and slams it into Chiriku's gut, sending the monk flying backwards. Chiriku is able to land back on his feet and slide to a stop.

Chiriku takes a moment to catch his breath and recenter himself, while Jack shakes his arms and shoulders loose.

Naruto bounces on his own feet in a mixture of excitement and apprehension as he watches the redhead that he cares for fight with the skilled Head Monk.

The other monks, meanwhile, are astonished at what they are witnessing.

"Unbelievable!"

"No one's lasted this long against the Master in Taijutsu before!"

Chiriku narrows his eyes at his young opponent as he thrusts his palms behind his back. 'I may have taken quite a beating, but I believe I've figured out your style.'

Jack, meanwhile, finds himself smiling. 'I've never fought a master martial artist before today, but I'm having a blast! This is more fun than my Championship match!' His joy turns to confusion, though, as he sees Chiriku lower himself towards the ground. 'Wait. What is he…?'

Chiriku adopts a new stance. This one has his open hands in the same positions as before, but his right leg is bent with his right foot pointing more to the right, his left leg is extended to the ground in front of him with his left foot pointed up, and his body is bent slightly at the hip.

After a moment of analyzing the new stance, Jack smirks. 'Taking the low ground. Clever.'

Chiriku beckons Jack to approach, which Jack obliges with a nod.

Jack closes the distance and kicks upward, but Chiriku blocks the kick. Jack then goes for a right hook, which is also blocked. Chiriku then starts moving forward, his legs making a sweeping motion as they try to catch Jack's feet. Jack does his best to maneuver away, but his lack of experience in leg combat shows, and Chiriku quickly hooks Jack's foot and pulls it in. This makes Jack's leg overextend and leaves an opening for Chiriku to throw some super-fast punches all the way up Jack's left side. Jack then tries for a left hook, but Chiriku ducks under it and pushes Jack away. Chiriku then grabs Jack's left leg and lifts it up while kicking Jack's right knee out, sending the redhead down to the ground with a grunt.

Naruto's smile falls as he covers his mouth with worry. The monks, on the other hand, feel their excitement grow at what appears to be their Head Monk's comeback.

Chiriku throws a left jab at Jack's face, but Jack blocks the jab and grabs hold of the arm. Chiriku tries to free his arm, but Jack holds firm as he gets back on his feet and wraps Chiriku into a headlock. Jack then spins and tries to throw Chiriku away with a yell, but the monk holds on to Jack's body, lands safely on his feet, and then performs a counter-throw that sends Jack crashing onto the ground.

Jack's eyes widen in surprise as he shields his face from the flurry of blows Chiriku rains down onto him.

'I haven't been in this position in years! Guess he's not a master for nothing!' Jack yells internally as he moves his head away from another punch before driving his fist into Chiriku's side, sending the monk flying away from him.

Chiriku groans in pain as he slowly raises himself back onto his feet, the few hits that were landed on him taking their toll on his body.

Jack is much faster getting himself off the ground and shaking himself off. He asks his opponent, "You wanna keep going?"

Chiriku replies by wiping the blood off the side of his mouth and entering his ready stance once more.

Jack shrugs. "Fine by me," he says as he raises up his arms.

Jack then charges in and sends his own flurry of blows at Chiriku's face, wanting to end the fight with one or two clean hits. Chiriku responds by blocking each and every punch, making sure that his elbows are the ones receiving the hits. Jack grunts as his fists make contact with the bony elbows, which sends pain shooting through his arms.

Jack backs off and flexes his hands, trying to dissipate the pain. He watches as Chiriku prepares his elbows to shield his face.

Jack smirks and goes for a right cross, which Chiriku again blocks with his elbow. This is part of Jack's plan, however, as he then uses his left hand to uppercut Chiriku's elbow. This opens up Chiriku's defenses and allows Jack to slam his right fist into the monk's gut. Chiriku finds himself flying backwards once again and would have hit the ground if not for the wall of fellow monks catching him and getting him back on his feet.

Jack sees his disoriented opponent and goes in for the finisher, but Chiriku quickly composes himself and kicks Jack away from him. Chiriku then charges in and kicks Jack again, making the redhead stumble back. Jack growls and throws a haymaker, but Chiriku dodges it and throws an open-handed jab right at Jack's face. Jack moves his head away, making the jab fly past, but Chiriku moves his hand and slashes Jack across the face like a dagger.

"GAH!" Jack cries out before roaring as he throws a right uppercut.

He fails to notice Chiriku's foot rising to meet his pelvic region.

Both fist and foot quickly move for their finishers.

RiIiIiIiIiIiIiNG!

Then, everything stops.

Chiriku and Jack are frozen in each other's guards, with Jack's fist a half inch below the monk's chin, and Chiriku's foot just shy of hitting the redhead's nether region.

Naruto and the surrounding monks snap out of their stupor as they look over at the ringing alarm clock. Even Zenza, the referee, needs a moment to collect himself after witnessing the shocking display.

The monk holding the clock quickly shuts it off as Zenza announces, "Th-Three minutes have passed! The fight is over!"

Both fighters separate from each other and catch their breaths.

Jack looks over at his opponent and laughs. "That…was awesome! That was the most fun fight I've had in a while!"

Chiriku smiles at the redhead. "Indeed. It was most exhilarating. Your unique form of fighting seems to suit you quite well."

"Yeah, well, I wouldn't mind learning a few of your kind of moves someday," Jack says as he wipes his forehead. "Might fill the couple of gaps in my form."

"Fighters! Bow to your opponent for a well-fought match!" Zenza commands.

Chiriku and Jack both bow to each other with no small amounts of newfound respect.

Seeing this wonderful ending to the pulse-pounding match, the surrounding monks happily yet politely applaud both fighters. Naruto, however, has little sense of decorum as he rushes onto the field and wraps Jack in a big hug.

"You did it!" Naruto calls out as he squeezes his companion for dear life.

Jack chuckles and ruffles Naruto's hair. "Was there any doubt?"

Naruto suddenly looks ashamed. "Maybe I was a tiny bit scared for you."

Jack continues smiling as he presses his forehead against Naruto's. "No need to worry, boyo. I'll always find a way to come out on top."

"I'll hold you to that, dattebayo," Naruto mutters softly as he continues his embrace.

Chiriku watches the display as Zenza and several other monks rush to attend to him.

"Chiriku-sama! Are you alright?!" Zenza asks in concern.

"A little bruised-up, but I'll be fine," Chiriku answers as several monks surround him and begin applying first aid.

He pays no mind to the medics as he focuses on the two teenagers who are clearly embracing each other in a loving manner. He can find no form of coercion or deception on either side. This confirms some of his suspicions.

"Jack-san!" Chiriku calls out, getting the redhead's attention. "Why don't you and Naruto-san wait inside the temple? I'll heal out here for a little and then meet you two to finish the tour."

"Sure thing!" Jack replies as he and his blonde companion head for the temple.

Zenza notices his superior watching the two outsiders with a critical look. "Chiriku-sama?"

Chiriku nods. "I've made my decision."

Location: Archives, Fire Temple

Timeskip: 30 minutes later

After taking some time to heal and catch his breath, Chiriku meets up with Jack and Naruto again and continues the tour along with Zenza. They eventually arrive in front of a locked room labeled "Archives".

"And here is our final stop of the tour," Chiriku says to the two visitors, before whispering something into Zenza's ear.

Zenza looks at his superior in disbelief. "Chiriku-sama! Are you sure?!"

"Absolutely," Chiriku confirms.

Zenza glances over at the two confused outsiders for a moment before bowing to the Head Monk. He then quickly enters the Archives room, leaving Chiriku, Jack, and Naruto standing outside.

"What was that about?" Jack asks the monk.

"I asked Zenza to fetch some things for you two to have for your journey," Chiriku says.

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Jack tells Chiriku. "We have plenty of supplies as is."

"I disagree. You can never have too many resources at your disposal," Chiriku insists with a smile, "especially if you're going up against the likes of the Hidden Leaf Village."

Both teenagers suddenly freeze in shock, with Naruto's breath shortening and his eyes widening in fear.

"And what makes you think we're going up against the Leaf Village?" Jack asks tentatively as his eyes glow orange slightly.

"Because they seem desperate to have your companion back in their fold, and you two won't let that happen without a fight. Isn't that right, Uzumaki Naruto?" Chiriku asks the trembling blonde.

Jack quickly scoops up Naruto into his arms and holds him protectively. "It's okay, boyo. You'll be alright."

"…I can't…I won't…" Naruto mutters.

"Naruto?" Jack asks in concern.

"I WON'T GO BACK! I'LL NEVER BE PART OF THE LEAF AGAIN! I'D RATHER KILL MYSELF THAN LET THAT HAPPEN!" Naruto exclaims, startling Jack and Chiriku.

Jack spins Naruto around to face him. "Naruto! Don't talk about killing yourself like that!" he demands seriously.

Naruto snaps out of his fearful state when he sees the concerned look in Jack's eyes. He realizes how terrified he made Jack for Naruto's safety with his declaration.

Naruto hangs his head in shame. "I'm sorry."

Jack pulls Naruto in for a hug. "Apology accepted, Naruto. Just remember how important your life is, to you and the people around you."

Naruto rests his face on Jack's shoulder, the comforting scent of his companion calming him down. "I will."

Chiriku recovers from his startled state and smiles again. "Well, I certainly don't blame you, Naruto-san. From what I learned about the Leaf Village, the way they abused and betrayed you, I would have been surprised if you wanted to return to them. No person should be treated in such a way, especially not a soul as bright as yours."

Jack gives Chiriku an accusatory look. "You knew who he was when you let us into the temple, didn't you?"

"Of course," Chiriku answers honestly. "Shortly after Naruto-san was abducted, an old friend of mine from the Leaf Village came to our temple and gave us a photo of Naruto-san. He asked us to keep our eyes and ears open for any sign of Naruto-san or the Akatsuki."

Naruto's eyes suddenly widen as he remembers where he's seen the white waistcloth before. "Asuma-sensei."

"Who?" Jack asks in confusion.

"Sarutobi Asuma. He's a Jonin from the Leaf Village, and the leader of Squad 10. Squad 10 has some people from my graduating class," Naruto recounts to Jack before turning towards Chiriku. "You're friends with Asuma-sensei?"

"Indeed," Chiriku confirms. "He and I were once part of the Guardian Twelve, an elite team of shinobi sworn to protect the Fire Daimyo. Unfortunately, due to…certain events, the team was disbanded, and Asuma and I went our separate ways. We still stay connected with each other, though."

Zenza then steps out of the Archives room carrying two scrolls, with one bigger than the other.

"Chiriku-sama, I have the items you requested," Zenza tells his superior.

Chiriku nods. "Excellent. These scrolls will help you two in defending yourselves against whatever or whoever the Leaf sends against you."

Jack's eyes narrow in suspicion. "You just said that a shinobi from the Leaf Village is your best friend. Why are you helping us escape them?"

Chiriku sighs. "Because, as much as I respect Asuma and value my friendship with him, my conscience won't allow me to let Naruto be taken back to such an abusive environment."

Zenza approaches the two teenagers and offers them the scrolls. Jack lets go of Naruto and tentatively accepts the scrolls.

"You mentioned before that you were interested in learning some of our techniques. The smaller scroll contains the basic katas for our combat style. You may incorporate them into your boxing style however you like," Chiriku explains as Jack inspects the smaller scroll. "It's the other scroll, however, that will be the real boon."

Jack looks over to the larger scroll and sees the symbols for "Shishi".

"Lion?" Jack asks.

"That scroll you're carrying contains the contract for the legendary Guardian Lion Summoning Clan," Chiriku reveals, which stuns Jack and Naruto.

"Shut up!" Jack exclaims excitedly. "Lion Summoning?! As in summoning lions for battle?!"

"Not just any lions. The Guardian Lions are powerful beasts that are capable of hunting and killing anything it faces, even the largest of other Summoning Creatures. Despite their ferocity, however, they never turn their claws on an innocent," Chiriku explains.

"That's incredible!" Naruto cries out. "I've summoned toads before, and they're amazing fighters! I can only imagine what the lions are like!"

Jack gives Naruto a curious look. "Wait. You can summon toads? How come you never showed me that before?"

Naruto answers, "Well, the Toad Clan is loyal to the Leaf Village, and if I brought a toad to where we were…"

Jack nods. "Yeah, good call there." He turns to Chiriku. "Are the Guardian Lions loyal to any village?"

Chiriku chuckles. "The Guardian Lion Clan would never let themselves be tied to any village, nation, or government. The truth is, only a few people in the history of the Elemental Nations have ever been able to earn the right to summon the Guardian Lions. All others who tried met grim fates."

"And you think I have a good chance to earn their favor?" Jack asks.

"I've fought against you, Jack-san," Chiriku points out. "If anyone I know has a shot of earning their favor, it's you."

"Thanks," Jack says. "You know, the Leaf won't be happy if they find out you helped us."

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time in recent years that the Leaf Village lost a valuable ally due to the mess they made." Chiriku states.

Jack smirks in amusement. "Problems with the neighbors, eh?"

"All thanks to Naruto-san. When word spread throughout the Elemental Nations of how the Leaf treated their Jinchuriki, many of the Leaf's allies, including the Land of Spring and the Land of Waves, broke their alliances with the village," Chiriku recounts. "Apparently, Naruto was a hero in many different lands during his brief tenure as a shinobi."

Jack turns to Naruto with a smile and ruffles his spikey hair affectionately. "I always knew you were a badass, boyo."

Naruto blushes at Jack's praise.

"That being said, I doubt that the Land of Waves will be a safe haven for you two. They don't have a strong enough military force to counter the Leaf's army of shinobi," Chiriku states.

"Oh, we're not staying in the Land of Waves, or any place in the Elemental Nations," Jack clarifies. "We're going past The Veil to get back to my homeland."

Both monks are surprised by the declaration.

"Very few in history have ever attempted to venture past The Veil," Chiriku says. "Most of them failed. Those that succeeded have never returned."

"We're hoping to be the latter," Naruto says.

Jack smirks. "As for the Leaf's army," he says cryptically as he flexes his now metal arms, "…well, let's just say we've got quite the arsenal on our side."

Chiriku and Zenza are stunned by the transformation.

Chiriku smiles. "So it appears."

"Fascinating," Zenza mutters.

Location: Front Gate, Fire Temple

Jack and Naruto once more find themselves outside the massive steel doors of the Fire Temple complex, with new supplies added into their travel packs. Chiriku, Zenza, and the other monks of the Hermit Group stand in the open entryway to send the visitors off.

"Thank you so much for the tour and the scrolls, Chiriku-sama," Naruto says respectfully as he bows to the Head Monk.

"Not to mention the fun spar," Jack adds as he also bows.

Chiriku chuckles. "You're both welcome. I must say, your visit today was unexpected, but also enjoyable and enlightening."

As Jack and Naruto turn to leave, Zenza pulls out a flint-and-steel and lights off sparks towards their backs.

"May the spirits watch over and protect you two on your journey," Chiriku says to the two departing travelers.

"So long!" Jack calls out as he and Naruto wave goodbye while they descend down the stairs.

The monks wave back as they watch the travelers continue their expedition.

Chiriku has a sad smile on his face. 'I hope you can forgive me, Asuma. Letting them go was the right thing to do.'

As Jack and Naruto walk down the steps, Jack suddenly chuckles to himself.

"What is it?" Naruto asks in curiosity.

"It's just that this journey we've had so far reminds me of The Odyssey," Jack responds.

Naruto looks confused. "The what?"

"It's a book about a man named Odysseus who travels through strange lands and fights various monsters all to return home to his family," Jack explains, "Kind of like what we're doing now."

"Except for the 'fighting monsters' thing," Naruto points out.

"Hopefully," Jack adds.

Both teenagers laugh at this.

Jack smiles. "You know, I'd love to read about our adventures one day. The Odyssey of Naruto and Jack. It's got a nice ring to it, don'tcha think?"

Naruto quirks an eyebrow. "Wouldn't The Odyssey of Jack and Naruto make more sense, all things considered?"

Jack shrugs. "Eh. We'll work on the title as we go."

A small smile forms on Naruto's face. 'A story of our adventures, huh? I wouldn't mind reading that either.'

Location: Road 17

Date: July 26th, 2016

It's been a week since Jack and Naruto's visit to the Fire Temple. During their travels, Jack and Naruto took a look at the scroll of katas given to them by the monks and have been training in the techniques for the past week. Jack has yet to sign the Guardian Lion Contract yet, stating that he should be as fit and trained as possible in order to impress the Guardian Lions.

At the moment, the two travelers are stopping at an unassuming rectangular building on the side of the road.

"What are we doing here?" Naruto asks his companion, who's holding up a piece of paper with some instructions on it.

"Well, according to Itachi's note, this is the place where we can get some extra cash," Jack says as he walks into the building, with Naruto following behind him apprehensively.

Location: Building, Road 17

After navigating through the abandoned building, Jack and Naruto find themselves in one of the bathrooms. Jack approaches a urinal and reaches behind it, getting a queasy look from Naruto.

"The switch should be right about…here," Jack mutters, before his hand flicks something, causing some clicks to go off from the wall behind the urinal.

Jack steps back as the urinal slides to one side, revealing a human-sized opening in the wall. Both teenagers give each other a look before cautiously walking through the secret doorway.

After descending down some stairs, the teenagers find themselves in a dark room with a door at the back and no furnishings. The walls are filled with large metal lockers, similar to a morgue.

"Can I help you two boys?"

Jack and Naruto turn and see a bald man in a grey cloak approaching them. The man has several scars on the side of his face, thick black eyebrows, and a large black mustache.

Jack clears his throat. "Are you Zangei? The one who operates this…establishment?"

"Indeed, I am. Why do you ask?" the man who is clearly Zangei asks.

Jack pulls out a sizable scroll out of his pack. "I was told that we can collect this bounty here."

Zangei looks over the two teenagers. "A bit young for bounty hunters, aren't you?"

Jack shrugs. "It's kinda a one-time thing."

Zangei hums, then walks over towards the locker. "You can open the scroll over here."

Jack and Naruto approach Zangei, who opens an empty locker and pulls out the table. Jack sets the scroll down on the table and opens it, revealing the sealing matrix inside.

Jack places his hand on the seal and channels his chakra. "Seal Release."

A puff of smoke blinds all three of them for a moment. When the smoke clears, Jack and Naruto are shocked at who they see.

"That's Manzo, and HOLY SHITE HE'S DEAD!" Jack exclaims as Naruto covers his mouth in horror.

Sure enough, Manzo, the rogue shinobi who Jack beat to a bloody pulp weeks ago, is lying on top of the scroll, stiff and lifeless due to the large gash across his throat.

Zangei looks amused at the teenagers' reactions. "Were you not expecting him to be dead?"

"W-Well, I beat him up the last time I saw him, but he was still breathing then, and, uh…" Jack takes a moment to compose himself. "It's, uh…complicated."

"…Right. Well then, let's see here," Zangei says as he pulls out a small book and flips through the pages until he finds what he's looking for. "Ah, here we are. Manzo the Titan; B-ranked rogue ninja from the Village Hidden in the Rocks." He gives Jack another look. "You say you beat him?"

"Aye. Knocked him senseless with my own two fists, I did," Jack replies with a hint of pride in his voice.

Zangei smiles at the redhead. "In that case, I owe you 200,000 ryo for your troubles."

Naruto gets over his shock as he and Jack look at Zangei wide-eyed. "200,000?!" Naruto yells in disbelief.

"Indeed. It's a decent amount for a B-ranked nuke-nin," Zangei says calmly as he shoves Manzo's corpse into the locker. "If you'll follow me into my office."

Zangei shuts the locker and walks over to the door in the back. Jack and Naruto follow the man.

"I wonder what an S-ranked rogue ninja is worth?" Naruto mutters.

"Well, you'll be financially secure for life, that's for certain," Zangei answers. He gives the teenagers a look. "You wouldn't happen to have an S-ranked with you as well, would you?"

"Not today, no," Jack answers cheekily.

Zangei chuckles as he opens the door to his office. "Just as well. I only have enough cash on me at once."

All three of them enter the office. Jack and Naruto watch as Zangei pulls out an empty briefcase and opens it. He then approaches a safe and reaches for the nob, before stopping and giving the teenagers a look. Quickly getting the message, Jack and Naruto turn around, allowing Zangei to open his safe securely. Jack and Naruto listen as Zangei starts transferring money from the safe to the briefcase.

After a moment, Jack speaks up, "So, I don't know how things work here when it comes to discretion, but my companion and I are travelling as secretly as possible, so, if it's not too much trouble…,"

"Not to worry, my young friend. We take our discretion very seriously here. Most of our clients are wanted criminals, after all. As far as anyone is concerned, this transaction never happened. They never do," Zangei says as he finishes filling the briefcase with money.

"Good to hear," Jack says as he and Naruto turn around to find the open briefcase full of notes waiting for them.

Jack glances inside the briefcase for a just a moment, his eyes flickering orange, before shutting it and taking it out of Zangei's hands.

Zangei gives Jack a curious look. "You're not going to count it?"

Jack smirks. "Just did," he says as he and Naruto leave the office. "Thanks a million."

"You're welcome," Zangei says with a smile. "Feel free to use our services anytime."

"Yeah, uh, I'll keep that in mind," Jack replies as the two teenagers head for the exit.

Once Jack and Naruto head back up the stairs, Zangei's smile drops.

'So, if the rumors circling the underworld are true, then he's the one who killed Kakuzu and most of the Akatsuki. I must admit I was surprised to see him and the Kyuubi Jinchuriki come here today. They must have learned about the bounty station from another,' Zangei muses. 'It was a shame to lose Kakuzu, my best customer, but I couldn't exactly deny service to the one powerful enough to defeat him. Business is business, after all.'

Zangei sighs. "It's a shame I'll likely never see him again. He would have made an excellent bounty hunter."

Location: Road 17

Jack and Naruto walk out of the building and head back for the road with their newly acquired funds stored safely inside their travel pack.

"Okay, so 200,000 ryo for that sorry son of a bitch. From what I remember about exchange rates, based on Sen's calculations, that's $17,358.85 U.S.," Jack deduces with Sen's help.

"Is that worth a lot where you're from?" Naruto asks as something a distance away catches his eye.

"Well, it's not chump change, I'll tell you," Jack says with a smile. "I bet we can find ourselves a nice hotel to stay in once we reach the Fire Capitol."

Jack stops as he notices his companion has stopped walking. His smile drops when he sees Naruto's trembling form and wide eyes.

"Naruto? What's wrong?" Jack asks in concern.

"Naruto?"

Jack hears the unfamiliar voice saying his companion's name. He quickly turns and sees four people standing on the road looking at the two of them with varying degrees of shock.

There's the surprised looking teenage boy with black hair in a pineapple-style ponytail wearing a forest-green flak jacket over a black shirt.

Then, there's the shocked girl with long platinum blond hair in a high ponytail with bangs covering the right half of her face. She's wearing a purple high-collared blouse and matching skirt, which exposes her midriff.

Next to her stands a boy with a rotund body who appears to have been interrupted in eating a bag of chips. He has long spiky brown hair that reaches his back and red swirl marks on his cheeks. He's wearing a red suit covered in grey plated armor with the kanji for "Food" on the front.

The one that has Jack's full attention, however, is the one that spoke Naruto's name just now. He's an older bearded man with a cigarette hanging loosely in his mouth. He's wearing a forehead protector with a leaf symbol on it, a black suit with red spirals on the shoulders, a forest-green flak jacket similar to the first boy's, and a very familiar white waistcloth with the symbol for "Fire" on it.

"Naruto? Is that really you?" the bearded man asks hopefully.

"A-Asuma-sensei," Naruto mutters in fright.

Jack's body sags in annoyance. "Ah shite."

A.N.: And cut! Another cliffhanger! An unwanted reunion for Naruto, and another obstacle for Jack to face in his Odyssey.

Anyways, let's talk about what went down.

Firstly, in terms of Jack resisting Tsukuyomi, The Sentinel has plenty of experience in destroying Genjutsu, especially those created by the Sharingan. Combine that with the fact that Itachi entered Jack and Sen's shared mindscape, which processes information at an accelerated rate, means that it takes little time for Sen to dismantle the Tsukuyomi World, even with Itachi slowing down time.

I tried to do something like a traveling/training montage in the middle of the chapter with some music to accompany the scene. Hopefully, I did a decent job. If anyone has any tips in regards to writing montages like that, feel free to message me.

The bit about the Karasu Tengu teaching the people of the Elemental Nations the ninja arts as a precursor to Ninjutsu is a concept that isn't really touched on in the show, but it's one I find interesting since it helps explain the shift from chakra being used by sages to chakra being used by mercenary assassins. I'm trying to find a way to have Karasu Tengu further involved in the story and/or the Anime Cinematic Universe as a whole.

As for the match between Jack and Chiriku, as soon as I realized I was pitting a professional boxer against a martial arts master, my mind instantly went to the epic fight scene between Mike Tyson and Donnie Yen in Ip Man 3 (which I do not own). The fight wrote itself from there.

Lastly, the Guardian Lion contract is an original creation of mine. Jack has a bit of a lion motif going for him already, and I figured this would be good summons for him to have. It'll take a few chapters for him to actually attempt to sign the contract. I don't want to give him too much power so soon.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this story so far, along with the other stories being written in Phase 1. Stay tuned for my next update!

Dropareviewifyoucanflamerswillbeignored.