I'm really surprised at the reception this fanfic has received so far. Two chapters and so far everyone who's reviewed as enjoyed it. I just hope I can continue to impress with my work.

So this chapter has a bit of a time skip at a start. Mostly so I can keep the ball rolling, and not get too bogged down in the early parts here. That's been something I feel slowed down both my Shinobi's Creed and Wizard of Kitsune fanfics.

By the way, if any of you are reading this, and are unfamiliar with anything, please feel free to ask questions. I'll be happy to answer and to try and explain things to the best of my ability.

Also, Geo Soul has a Naruto challenge fanfic for anyone who's interested, so contact them or Jax-naught2.0 about it. I'll be putting up another ad in my Shinobi's Creed fanfic as well.

So, nothing else to say, so I guess we'll move on with the show.

Disclaimer: The following is a nonprofit fan made fanfiction. Mass Effect is owned by Bioware and EA, while Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto. Please support the official releases.

Chapter 3

A Tragedy That Bonds

Benning Colony, Late 2169

Naruto Uzumaki Shepard ducked under an incoming blow, blocking another before grabbing his opponent's arm and flipped them over, dropping and gripping their arm in an arm lock. The now fifteen-year-old vulzan held onto his opponent, grinning. "You give?" He asked, feeling them struggle.

The now sixteen-year-old Alicia Shepard growled as she tried to lift him up with her arm, but failed. She finally slumped back, panting. "I give," she said, tapping the ground. Naruto grinned as he released her, rolling away in case she tried to get at him again, hopping to his feet as Alicia slowly got up, rotating her shoulder. "Jeez, lighten up on the grapples next time," she muttered.

"Well you do leave yourself open to them sweetie," Malcolm said, joining Naruto and Alicia, while smiling. "I know you prefer straight up striking, but Marine CQC is not just about hitting your opponent. You need to mix it up." Glancing up at the rising sun, he nodded. "We should get back to the apartment. Need to get ready to get you both to your godparents," he said with a grin, ruffling Alicia and Naruto's hair.

Naruto groaned softly. "Right, spending time with Jiraiya the fohlohk again," he said, shaking his head as he slipped into his native tongue for his nickname for his godfather. Malcolm just chuckled as he escorted the two kids out of the park in Joughin, the capital of Benning. It's where they'd go for their morning training and sparring sessions during the weekends.

Naruto quietly smiled as they started to walk back towards their apartment, thinking about things. It had been over five years, nearing six, since he had been discovered on Therum and began his new life with his family, the Shepard's. A life that almost hadn't happened. He shuddered a bit as he remembered when the testing and analysis ended, and the Council was deciding what to do with him. There had been a hearing, where they had begun to discuss his fate.

Flashback

Naruto shifted a bit nervously, glancing from Hannah to the three aliens sitting across from him. Besides himself, Hannah, and the unknown asari, turian, and salarian, there was also a human he didn't recognize, as well as Dr. T'Nevra and Dr. Kerrick present as well.

The asari, Councilor Tevos, started the meeting. "This meeting is to discuss what is to be done with young Naruto here. Drs. T'Nevra and Kerrick have both informed me that they have learned all that they can from him. As have your own researchers. So now, it is time to decide what is to happen to Naruto."

Naruto blinked at that, and looked questioningly at Hannah. "Mommy, what do they mean?" He asked worriedly.

Hannah gently squeezed his hand. "Don't worry Naruto. They're just talking about what's going to happen to you now."

"Why would they talk about that?" He asked. "I'm going to live with you and daddy and big sis, right?" He asked, sounding a bit hesitant.

Hannah couldn't answer him, so she just gently squeezed his hand, as Bartimus spoke. "Given the importance of Naruto Uzumaki being the last member of an ancient race, and the information provided by the study and analysis of him and the Prothean data found, I believe that he should be brought to a facility where he can be properly raised and trained to serve as a Spectre for the Council. In this manner, not only can we put his talents to good use, but he can serve as an example to everyone, helping to protect Council space and all who dwell within our borders," he said.

Naruto looked at Hannah questioningly. "What's a Spectre?" He asked, only to look up as Dr. T'Nevra stood.

"Councilor, I again remind you of the fact that even if Naruto were a physically and mentally healthy member of his species, it would likely be too dangerous to take him away. Based off the information we've learned from the Prothean data, as well as information from various animal species that exhibit behaviors similar to Naruto, it is highly likely that taking a young vulzan from their parents before they're ready to become independent can cause severe to extreme mental and emotional trauma. Naruto was more than likely mentally scarred when taken from his own family and it was only the presence of other vulzan that kept him sane during his time with the Protheans. Even now though, his mental state is not completely stable, and taking him away from his current family would simply destroy him mentally. If he even survived that happening, he would be of no use to you."

"I disagree," Kerrick said. "There is nothing to suggest at all that the subject would react in such a manner. It should be perfectly safe to separate him from his current family. However, I would like to offer a suggestion that before he is taken to be trained as a Spectre, perhaps it might be best to take him to a facility with more advanced medical technology, for more in-depth studies. There's quite a bit about his physiology that could help many lives, or advance the fields of science immeasurably," he added.

"Will you stop treating him like he's some lab experiment for you to dissect!" Dr. T'Nevra said. "He is a living being, a sentient living being, and should be treated as such! Not some varren for you to poke and prod!"

"That is enough," Councilor Tevos said quietly but firmly, silencing both of the doctors. "Ambassador Goyle, do you perhaps have any thoughts?"

Ambassador Goyle glanced over at Naruto and Hannah, before looking towards the Council as she went over her thoughts. She had read all the information on young Naruto, and the results of the tests. She knew about Naruto's connection to Hannah Sheppard and now Hannah's family as well. The boy practically refused to go anywhere without knowledge that Hannah or Malcolm were at least in the next room. She could see his dependency on them, his need for this familial contact. And yet at the same time, she weighed what gaining the Council's favor by agreeing with them would mean. It was all but confirmed that humanity would soon be gaining its own embassy onboard the Citadel, which would give the Alliance more respect and power within the ranks of the Council races and their affiliate races. Not only that, but there was even talk of considering adding a human operative to the elite Special Tactics and Reconnaissance operatives, or Spectre operatives, of the Council. The forerunner for this esteemed position being an officer in the Alliance Navy named David Anderson. It had been quite a surprise when they learned one of the Spectres had anonymously nominated Anderson for the position.

Coming to a decision, she spoke. "Councilors, I can understand the positions of both Dr. Kerrick and Councilor Bartimus," she said. "My people are young and inexperienced within the galactic community you all have been a part of for thousands of years. For us to benefit most from young Naruto by having him live with one of our families would more than likely be seen as you favoring my people unjustly. However…young Naruto is also the last of his kind. He has already been ripped away from one family, and utilized in experiments. To subject him to those same circumstances again I believe would be cruel and inhumane," she said. "I would offer my opinion and hope then that this Council consider what is best for Naruto when making its decision."

Bartimus's mandibles twitched slightly, as Tevos nodded, before turning to Naruto. "I believe there is one other we should hear from as well," she said softly. "We sit here, speaking about what to do with Naruto, and yet, we must also consider what he wishes as well."

"Councilor, he is a child," Bartimus said, sounding agitated. "He would automatically ask to remain with his 'family'. We must decide what is best for galaxy, not what's best for one child."

Tevos glanced at Bartimus. "And what happens, Bartimus, if he does become mentally traumatized, or dies, because we do take him from his 'family'. How does that benefit anyone?" She asked, as Bartimus glanced away slightly. Tevos turned to Naruto, who had moved closer to Hannah. Deciding to try and calm Naruto a bit, she moved closer, but crouched down. "Naruto? May I speak to you?" She asked softly.

Naruto shyly looked up at her, as she continued to speak. "Naruto…I'm not sure how much you understand what's going on here. Do you need me to explain?"

Naruto shuffled a bit. "You're talking about taking me away from my mom," he said softly. "I don't wanna be taken away from her."

Tevos gently shook her head. "Naruto, you need to know how special you are," she said. "You have special talents and abilities, ones that can be used to help a lot of people. Don't you want to do that? Help people?" She asked kindly.

Hannah frowned at that, feeling like Tevos was trying to guilt Naruto into agreeing with her. She held her tongue though, knowing she couldn't say anything to the Councilor, not like that.

Naruto however just clutched onto Hannah a bit tighter. "I-I wanna stay with my mom," he said, moving as if to hide himself away from her.

Bartimus was about to speak, but was stopped by a gentle yet firm hand of Lieran on his shoulder. The salarian Councilor quietly shook his head, while Tevos looked at the boy. She could practically see and feel the fear the boy was experiencing. It was a strong fear, almost palpable and tangible. And she began to realize the truth of the matter.

Standing up, she retook her position between Bartimus and Lieran. "…my fellow Councilors…I feel that in the best interests of Naruto, he should be allowed to remain with his family," she said, looking at Bartimus. "I do believe that if we were to separate him from his family at this stage, we would likely cause unspeakable harm to him that would mitigate any advantages or benefits we might gain. Therefore, I move to have Naruto remain with the Shepard family, though the Council will continue to monitor and watch over Naruto."

Bartimus looked stonily at Tevos, before looking towards Naruto. As a turian, he was taught to believe that it was expected to serve the people, and put their well-being ahead of the individuals. To him, it seemed natural that any benefits Naruto could offer, as a test subject or a Spectre, would outweigh the negative impact Naruto might suffer. And yet, as he looked at the boy, he relented. "…very well Councilor Tevos. I second the motion."

"I also agree with the motion," Lieran said, giving a slight smile at Naruto. "The young need the guidance and protection of their family, so that they might grow strong enough to protect others."

"Hannah Shepard, Ambassador Goyle, we hereby declare that Naruto Uzumaki shall remain in the custody of the Shepard family, who will become his legal guardians from this day forth, as recognized by the Council and all its affiliate races," Tevos said. "This meeting of the Council adjourned."

Naruto blinked, then smiled up at Hannah, happily hugging her tightly, as Hannah gently hugged him. Dr. T'Nevra smiled happily as well, while Kerrick simply gave another sniff and stormed off. Bartimus glanced at the family, and let out a quiet sigh, hoping this decision was the right one. Lieran just gave another smile and nodded, while Tevos watched the happy alien boy.

"Good luck Naruto," she said, turning and leaving with her fellow Councilors.

Flashback Ends

Afterwards, Naruto had spent several months with various tutoring programs, being helped by Alicia and one if not both of his parents in learning everything he needed to know to catch up with human children around his age. The time spent learning together had helped bond the family more, as they spent time reading and learning together, as well as occasional trips to local or nearby landmarks or museums. Of course it wasn't easy given how Malcolm and Hannah were often being transferred around every couple of years, but it did mean the two children got to see quite a bit of Alliance space.

And they did have each other. Even if Alicia and Naruto weren't able to keep any long term friends, they had grown close as siblings, becoming as thick as thieves. Alicia's energetic and friendly nature had helped Naruto start to come out of the emotional and mental shell he had hidden himself in order to cope with being taken from his biological family and experimented on. And in return, Naruto's more shy and sedate nature had helped reign in her mischievousness and impulsiveness, though he had become her partner in crime in not just pranking their parents, but also pranking students or teachers who ultimately annoyed the pair.

Of course, that's not to say Alicia didn't occasionally annoy Naruto. Like she did right now, as she wrapped an arm around Naruto's neck to get him in a headlock and messed with his shaggy blonde hair. "Well at least I'm still taller then you are, squirt," she said with a grin, making Naruto whine as he tried to get away from her. It was something Alicia liked to lord over Naruto, in a good natured teasing sort of way, that she was taller than him by a couple of inches.

Malcolm chuckled as he poked Alicia's shoulder. "C'mon Alicia, don't tease him about that. You know he's a bit sensitive about his height," he said, as Alicia let Naruto go. Naruto grumbled as he tried to fix his spiky shaggy hair, yet grinned a bit ruefully as he saw his sister's grinning face.

"Now c'mon you two. We need to get back home so you two can shower before Jiraiya and Tsunade arrive," Malcolm said with a grin, stepping up the pace a bit. Naruto and Alicia quickly followed.

"So any idea where they're sending you?" Alicia asked her dad, who shrugged.

"Oh they're just assigning me to the marine detachment aboard one of our warships. There's been some pirate movement near some of our colonies recently, so they want to put more people on the alert," Malcolm said calmly. Despite his tone though, Naruto felt a stab of worry.

"You're going to be careful though, right dad?" Naruto asked quietly, as Malcolm looked at his alien son. He just smiled, wrapping an arm around the two teenagers.

"Of course. Don't worry about it," he said. "Maybe when I get back, we can start progressing to some of the more advanced holds and moves," he added.

"Awesome," Alicia said with a grin, lightly punching Naruto in the shoulder. "C'mon, don't worry about it. Dad's been out on patrol dozens of time."

Naruto nodded quietly. "You're right. Sorry," he said with a smile as they approached their housing. Putting his worries aside, he smiled softly as they entered the house, content with his new life with his family.

Citadel

Councilor Tevos let out a quiet sigh as she settled into the chair at her work desk within her private quarters, quietly activating the terminal. The past few years had not been exactly smooth. Following the Council's decision to let Naruto be adopted by the Shepard family, they had received numerous protests from officials within the batarian Hegemony and turian Hierarchy at the allowance of Naruto being cared for by the new and untested Systems Alliance. Councilor Bartimus had done his best to handle things with his fellow turians, while Tevos and Lieran handled the batarians.

Unfortunately, not that long afterwards, Councilor Bartimus decided it was time to return to Palaven, and serve his people within the Hierarchy. His replacement, Councilor Sparatus, had arrived soon afterwards, and began adjusting to his new role as Councilor. This disruption in the Council's synchronicity was soon made worse by two events.

The first was shortly after the Systems Alliance gained its embassy onboard the Citadel, much to the consternation and complaint of the batarians and volus. With their new place amongst the Council's affiliate races, Ambassador Goyle, at the behest of the Alliance Parliament, had brought forward grievances the Alliance had with the turians for the First Contact War. They stated that during the turian occupation of Shanxi, the turian occupying forces violated Council law by dropping asteroids onto their colony in an effort to wipe out Alliance marines within the colony. Considering the Council had forbidden the use of asteroid drops or firing upon an inhabited or garden world, the turian's actions were thus a violation of the very law they were supposed to uphold.

The scandal that followed only increased tension between the turians and humanity. The turians, angered and embarrassed at this being made public, only grudgingly made reparations in order to save face. However, no public apology for the orbital bombardment of Shanxi was made, a compromise that Tevos and Lieran 'persuaded' Ambassador Goyle to accept.

However, shortly thereafter a second incident caused more tension between humanity and the Council. Humanities Spectre candidate, a young officer named David Anderson, had been sent on a secret mission with his Spectre evaluator, a turian named Saren Arterius. The mission was supposed to be a simple retrieval of a rogue batarian scientist. However, something went wrong during the mission, resulting in a catastrophic explosion within the refinery the batarian scientist was hiding in, leading to the deaths of hundreds of innocent human workers living not too far from said refinery. In his report, Saren blamed Anderson for the situation, stating that Anderson had blown their cover and forced Saren to destroy the facility. Anderson had protested this, stating Saren had blown the facility without any reason for doing so, but the Council, not wishing to create another public scandal, labeled the entire incident an industrial accident, and swept everything under the rug. The files were sealed, and Anderson's chances at becoming a Spectre were eradicated. While the public had no idea anything had happened at all, the Alliance and the human politician's privy to the info had felt that they had been cheated out of a chance to show the galaxy what they could do by the Council.

Since then, the bond Tevos had hoped to build between the Council and humanity seemed to slowly deteriorate. What goodwill and cooperation had been forged through the joint endeavor on Therum and with regards to studying Naruto was done away by militant turians aggravating problems with humans, and with human centric groups like the Terra Firma political party continually holding protests over the occupation of Shanxi, and other rallies opposing the 'appeasers and their alien masters'.

If that wasn't enough, Lieran had recently stated his decision to retire, and return to the salarian Union. He was starting to reach the end of his life span, since due to their high metabolism salarians usually only live for forty years. But still, the loss of him from the Council so soon after Bartimus left and Sparatus joined simply meant more problems for the Council as a new salarian representative was brought in. While Tevos was used to changes in fellow Council members, having been the asari representative long enough now to have seen several fellow Councilors come and go, this level of disruption was greater and more taxing than any before. And it would possibly grow worse.

Rumors and some unconfirmed reports from the salarian Special Tasks Group, or STG for short, had led her to believe the batarians were possibly planning something. At this time she couldn't be sure what it was, if anything at all. But still, given the antagonistic nature of the relationship between batarians and humanity, Tevos knew that the troubles she was facing currently would likely only grow worse.

Shaking her head, she turned to the only report that had any form of good news. The Alliance had been continuing to send reports and updates on Naruto's status to the Council, and so far, the alien boy was doing quite well with his family. He seemed to be growing in a happy, well adjusted young man, for which Tevos was thankful. She made a note to continue watching the boy, to see if he had any inclination towards a military career once he reached maturity. It could still be possible to bring the boy in for the Spectre's, and gain a powerful operative. Finishing the note, she set it aside, and set to work on the next report before her.

Benning Colony, one week later

Naruto let out a quiet sigh as he sat on the low wall that flanked the stairs leading up to the local high school he and Alicia were currently attending. Around them, students were leaving the school, heading to the buses or sky cars that would be taking them home, or meeting up with friends to walk back home. Naruto himself was currently waiting for Alicia, trying to keep his gaze lowered to the steps while the hood of his hoodie was up to hide his features.

School life was not exactly easy for Naruto. Being the sole alien in a school of humans tended to make him stand out, even though he looked more like a human than any other alien currently in the Milky Way Galaxy. Naruto, still feeling shy and nervous around new people, had a very hard time making friends. When you add in how it was human and teenager nature for them to tend to shy away or isolate people who were different, it made for a rather lonely experience in school. A few people had seemed interested and tried to talk to him or get to know him better, but it rarely turned into anything more than just some polite conversations. His situation was made worse though by the fact that he was a rather easy target for bullies.

Such as now, as he saw three pairs of feet stop in front of him. Mentally gulping, he raised his eyes, and let out a mental groan as he saw Ted Crankston, his current worst bully, and his two cronies. All three were grinning, in the way that made Naruto want to curl up. "Well well well, if it isn't fox boy," Ted said out loud, drawing the attention of other students. Some glanced at them, and moved away, while others stopped to watch. Naruto just hunched down a bit, biting his lip.

"H-hey there Ted," he said quietly. "You need something?" He asked. (1)

"Indeed I do," Ted said with a smirk. "We've got that report in Galactic History about the bird people's Unification Wars that's due next week. My friends and I are really looking forward to getting A's on it, aren't we guys?" He asked, as his two friends snickered. Ted looked back at Naruto. "I'm sure you're just as eager to see us get A's, aren't you?"

"A-All three of your reports?" Naruto asked, his eyes going wide. "B-But I've got my own to do, and with everything else, I-," he said, only to yelp as Ted grabbed the front of his jacket, lifting him up slightly.

"Now now, you're not being ungrateful for all the good I do for you, are you?" Ted asked with a bit of a snarl, as Naruto shook his head. He didn't want any problems or confrontations, and in exchange for basically doing Ted's work for him, Ted in turn ensured no one gave Naruto any problems about being…'unique'. If Naruto were to fail to deliver though, Naruto knew his time at school would be almost like torture.

He was about to speak when a hand clamped onto Ted's, making him groan softly in pain and let go of Naruto. The alien boy stumbled and glanced up, seeing Alicia standing there, one hand gripping the bully's wrist. "You got a problem with my little brother?" She asked nonchalantly, even as her grip tightened a bit.

Ted grimaced a bit, trying to pull his wrist free. "No problem here," he stated, glaring at Alicia, who just smiled and released his wrist.

"Good," she said, before slinging an arm around Naruto's neck. "C'mon, let's get home before the old man drives granny Tsunade insane," she said with a grin, pulling Naruto away.

Naruto let out a quiet sigh of relief, as he walked alongside his sister, their home on Benning being close enough to the school for them to walk. As he did so, Alicia lightly punched his arm. "When you going to stand up for yourself? You know I can't keep saving your butt all the time," she said, her voice playful but with a hint of frustration and worry in it.

Naruto shrugged a bit. "I just don't want to cause any problems," he said. "Plus I don't want to draw attention to myself. Kind of had enough with people staring at me because…well…I don't look like them," he added quietly.

Alicia stopped at that, frowning. "Naruto, you can't be afraid of being yourself," she said. "C'mon, you're awesome and unique! Be yourself; don't fret about others making a big deal about it."

Naruto shrugged, glancing down. "I'll try," he said softly, only for Alicia to yank down his hood, trap him in a headlock, and start to semi-gently noogie him.

"Nope, I want a promise little bro! Promise me," she said with a grin.

"Okay, okay, I promise I'll try," Naruto said, squirming as Alicia grinned at him, letting him go.

"Good enough. Now c'mon, let's get home before Granny Tsunade kills the old pervert," she said with a chuckle.

Naruto chuckled as well, thinking about the odd couple he had met some three years ago.

Flashback

A twelve –year-old Naruto shifted a bit uncomfortably, standing close to Hannah as they waited for the arrival of a pair of guests. Hannah and Malcolm were going on a brief weekend getaway, to spend time as a couple, and as such, had called in a couple of old friends to watch over Alicia and Naruto.

Hannah hoped Naruto would be alright with Jiraiya and Tsunade. She trusted them both implicitly, as did Malcolm. They were Alicia's godparents after all. Jiraiya was a retired Alliance officer, who had been Hannah's commanding officer when she first graduated from Boot Camp. He had become a mentor to her, and they had become friends as she rose up the ranks. However, a bad battle with some pirate raiders had left Jiraiya badly wounded, and forced him off active duty within the Alliance military. Deciding instead to retire, Jiraiya took up being a writer, though his choice of genre was…questionable to say the least. Jiraiya had started writing a series of 'steamy romance' holo-novels which became incredibly popular, leading to him and his wife Tsunade Senju, one of humanity's foremost medical experts, to live quite comfortably. When Alicia had been born, Hannah had been quite happy in naming her mentor and old friend the godfather of her daughter, and Tsunade had been happy to take on the role of godmother.

Now, those same two people were coming to watch over Alicia and Naruto while she and Malcolm spent some time together, both having some leave time they were using. She smiled as she heard the door chime, and Malcolm answered it.

Alicia burst into giggles as she saw a rather tall and broad man with white shaggy hair bound into the room, giving off a goofy grin. "The stars tremble and villains weep as I take the stage. Men cry with jealously as women swoon before me! I am the one and only Jiraiya!" He shouted, doing a weird little hopping dance.

Before anyone could react though, he was blasted back by a relatively small ball of red biotic energy, as Naruto , terrified of the strange man dancing and shouting, had reacted instinctively and sent a blast of biotic energy that sent Jiraiya flying back out of the room. Alicia and Hannah could only burst out laughing at the sight of the dazed Jiraiya slowly sitting up, his hair blown all over the place, while Naruto huddled fearfully behind Hannah.

"I told you to be normal, you idiot," said a woman who entered behind Jiraiya, rolling her brown eyes while setting aside the coat she had been wearing, revealing a blouse that seemed to be straining from her rather gifted chest, and a pair of mid-calf length pants. She shook her blonde hair out, flipping the two loose ponytails she had her hair in back behind her head, before entering and smiling warmly at Alicia. "Ahhh, that's my favorite goddaughter," she said with a smile as Alicia rushed up and hugged her. "And I take it this is Naruto?" She asked, wrapping an arm around Alicia while smiling at the young alien boy hiding behind Hannah.

"Yes, this is him. Sorry, he's really shy around new people," Hannah said, as Naruto hugged her leg.

Tsunade just smiled as Alicia let her go and she crouched down so she was level with Naruto. "Hey there sweetie. Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you," she said. "My name is Tsunade."

"But you can call her Granny," Hannah said, making Tsunade flinch as she turned her gaze on Hannah, one of her eyebrows twitching. "Oh c'mon, you know you love it when Alicia calls you that," she stated.

Tsunade took a deep breath, but then gave a slightly rueful grin. "I suppose, but I don't like being made to feel old," she said, even as she ruffled Alicia's hair.

Naruto slowly looked out, and seeing how friendly Alicia was with Tsunade, slowly moved forward. "I-it's nice to meet you, T-T-Tsunade," he said, having a bit of a hard time pronouncing her name.

Tsuande smiled as she gently held out a hand to the boy. She had intended to let him cautiously take it, but was instead surprised when he slowly sniffed it, and seemed to relax a bit, moving closer and gently taking her hand. She shrugged and smiled, only to give a sigh as Jiraiya came into the room, rubbing his head. "You going to calm down now you old pervert?" She asked, as Jiraiya chuckled.

"I'll try sweetie. I'll try," Jiraiya said, as Naruto blinked at that.

"Pervert?" He asked curiously, as Tsuande got a dangerous but mischievous look in her eyes.

Flashback Ends

Since that day, Jiraiya and Tsuande had become semi-constant fixtures in Naruto's life, sending them e-mails and vid mails every so often, and visiting for holidays, or the Shepard family going to visit them. Naruto had quickly gotten over his fear of them, especially Tsuande who he had happily accepted and grown close to, even calling her 'Granny', much to both her chagrin and enjoyment. Jiraiya had also gotten his own nickname as well after that first initial visit, with Naruto calling him 'fohlohk', the vulzan world for pervert. Only Jiraiya was ignorant of its meaning, which made it hilarious when he mistook it as a sign of affection rather than an insult.

Naruto chuckled softly as they turned onto their street. "Heh, knowing Granny, she's probably already smacked him at least three times today for working on his newest smut book," he said, getting a laugh out of Alicia as she thought about that mental image.

The two of them both made it to the front door of the house when Naruto stopped, blinking as his ears twitched ever so slightly. "…someone inside is crying," he said.

Alicia frowned and quickly opened the door, entering quickly and shutting it behind them. "Hello? Jiraiya? Granny?" Alicia called out.

"We're in the living room," Jiraiya responded, his voice holding none of its usual mirth. They could hear a woman crying in there, as well as another female voice softly murmuring.

Dropping their bags, they both rushed into the living room, stopping as they made it to the entranceway. Jiraiya was standing behind the couch, on which they could see Tsuande doing her best to comfort a distraught Hannah. Naruto stopped cold, his eyes widening as he saw his mom. Somehow, as he saw her hunched back, he just knew something horrible had happened.

Alicia quickly rushed over. "Mom?! What are you doing back? What's wrong?" she asked, quickly moving around the couch and dropping next to her. Hannah just broke down again, fresh tears falling as she grabbed onto her daughter and hugged her close.

Naruto quietly approached, moving next to Jiraiya, who quietly began to speak. "The colony of Mindoir was hit yesterday," he said softly to Naruto and Alicia, as Hannah kept hugging Alicia. "It was a massive raid, unlike any seen before. Batarian pirates and slavers hit the colony in force. The Einstein's task group was the first to respond, but by the time they got there, the batarians were dug in. The marines that hit ground side…it was a massacre. Those that didn't stay down were killed, while the batarians rounded up the majority of the colonists and escaped."

Naruto bit his lip. "Jiraiya…was…was dad…?" he couldn't ask what he wanted to, as Alicia looked up sharply at the implication, her eyes wide.

"Your father's unit was one of the first to hit groundside," Jiraiya said, his voice almost emotionless. "Their CO was killed almost instantly, and Malcolm…he tried to rally the men and charge the batarians… a Lieutenant Zabaleta saw him get cut down…" he said quietly.

Alicia gaped at him, and then looked at her mom. "…t-that's….d-dad's just injured right? He's not dead…he can't be dead," she said, as Hannah sobbed softly.

"I'm sorry Alicia…your dad…Malcolm…h-he didn't survive," Tsunade said softly, her own eyes watering.

Naruto felt like someone had punched him in the gut, staggering back slightly, only to feel Jiraiya's hand support him. He looked up at the older man, seeing for the first time the aged, serious face of his godfather that somehow was always hidden by his goofy antics. He trembled softly, feeling himself go numb as he tried to understand what he had just heard. His father…his father was dead?

Alicia was shaking her head. "No…no he can't be dead,' she said, trying to stand up. "He's not dead. Stop lying," she said.

Tsunade reached out to her. "Alicia, please…your mother-," she started, only to be stopped by Alicia.

"Stop joking around! This isn't funny!" She shouted, standing up after getting out of her mom's grasp. "This joke isn't fucking funny! Dad isn't dead! HE CAN'T BE DEAD!" She screamed at them.

"Alicia, I'm sorry, but he's dead. You can't deny it," Jiraiya said, as Alicia glared at him.

"SHUT UP! YOU'RE LYING! HE'S NOT DEAD! HE CAN'T BE DEAD! HE SAID HE WAS COMING BACK!" She shouted, tears starting to fall from her face. "WHY ARE YOU LYING?! WHY ARE YOU-?!" She was interrupted by Hannah grabbing her and pulling her into a hug.

"H-He's dead sweetie," she whispered, even as she cried. "I-I'm sorry…b-but he's dead," she whispered.

"N-No…n-no no no no no," Alicia whimpered out. "H-He can't be mom…h-he can't…" Alicia broke down at that point, crying with her mom as she wrapped her own arms around her tightly.

Naruto slowly moved forward, joining them as he hugged them both. He still felt numb, and yet part of him knew that he had to do this. He had to comfort his mother and sister. He held onto them tightly, closing his eyes as he felt the both of them sob in his arms, frantically hugging and holding onto each other, as Tsunade and Jiraiya quietly watched the three of them hold each other close in their grief.

Council Chambers

The Council found itself faced with a chaotic situation. As soon as news had reached them of the raid on the Mindoir colony, Ambassador Goyle had requested an emergency meeting with the Council. Not surprisingly, she had also 'requested' the batarian Ambassador be present as well.

Now, Ambassador Goyle was standing before the Council, making her case. "Councilors, the attack on Mindoir was blatant act of hostility, if not outright war, by the batarian Hegemony against my people. Countless Alliance citizens were kidnapped to be sold into slavery, while close to fifty Alliance Marines and hundreds of civilians were killed. This act of aggression cannot go unanswered. We respectfully ask for the Council's aid in bringing sanctions against the batarian Hegemony, if not military action," she stated, trying her best not to send glares to Ambassador Gorrsh.

The batarian ambassador scoffed. "These were not actions of my government. They were slavers, people living outside the laws and jurisdiction of the Hegemony. The ambassador has no right to demand anything of my government or against my government," he stated.

"They were your citizens! And even if they were not acting under your orders, undoubtedly your people benefit from it. Who else but the Hegemony has use for slaves, considering it is illegal within Council Space," Ambassador Goyle shot back. "The majority of raids conducted against Alliance colonies and interests have been small raids that are easy enough to pass off as simple pirate or gang attacks, but the attack on Mindoir was of a size and undertaking too great for a simple criminal element. The slavers not only had a massive force at their disposal, but were armed with military hardware used by the batarian military. If the Hegemony did not order the attack, they still supplied it," she stated.

"If the Alliance cannot protect its citizens, then perhaps they should reconsider colonizing worlds, especially when those worlds had already been claimed by other governments," Gorrsh retaliated, only to be stopped by Tevos.

"Even still Ambassador, it was citizens of your government and people who conducted this raid. If the ones responsible for these atrocious actions cannot be held responsible, then your government should make reparations for the lives lost and affected. Unless of course your government is willing to help track down the slavers and hand them over to the Alliance for justice, as well as aid in the rescue of the kidnapped colonists," she stated.

Gorrsh's eyes narrowed as he confronted the Council. "The Hegemony will not be paying any reparations to the Alliance," he spat out. "Not when the Alliance has committed egregious acts against us. They have taken our worlds and resources from us. And yet the Council refuses to curb their expansion into what is our territory. If the Council refuses to take action against the Alliance, and instead favor them and side with them, then my government has only one course of action." He brought up his omni-tool, typing in a few commands. "The batarian Hegemony is formally withdrawing from the Council as one of its affiliate races. As of this moment, no form of alliance exists between the batarian Hegemony, and any of the Council races or their affiliates. Good day," he said, delivering the documents before turning and storming off.

The three Councilor's could only stare in shock at the retreating form of the batarian ambassador. While the batarians were not the first race to leave the coalition of Council affiliate races, they were the first ones to do so willingly. The krogan and quarians, the other two races to lose their embassies, had said embassies and affiliate status revoked in the wake of the krogan rebellions and the geth uprising respectively. The batarians were the first race to willingly leave the Council. It was not necessarily any great loss, as the batarians offered little to the Council beyond a military and economy that had been on the decline for the past few centuries. But still, to have a race willingly withdraw from the Council affiliate races was shocking.

Ambassador Goyle also watched the batarian ambassador storm off, clenching her hands as she did so. She turned to the Council members, who all still look shaken. "Is there any action we can take now?" She asked them.

Sparatus was the first one to speak. "While we are disgusted by the actions of the slavers who attacked your planet, there is little we can do now. While they remained one of our affiliate races, we could put political pressure on them, but now that they are a separate entity, we have no pull or control over them. And the Council is not eager to enter into a conflict which does not concern it."

"Does not concern it? One of your affiliate races was attacked. You won't do something to help us?" Goyle asked, stunned and furious.

"We will be happy to offer what services we can to help the survivors of Mindoir, but we will not send a fleet into the Traverse in what seems to be a matter that only affects humanity," Sparatus said. "If the Hegemony declares war on humanity, we will offer supplies and perhaps military aid should the war expand to include the Council races. But considering this has only been pirate raids so far, you must handle the situation since it so far only affects your people."

Tevos, shaking off her stupor, spoke. "Councilor Sparatus is correct," she said quietly. "The Council cannot become involved in affairs within the Traverse that does not concern it. It could cause not only war with the…newly rogue Hegemony, but could also incite the criminal gangs and pirate forces in the Terminus Systems to act out against the Council races and our affiliates. I'm sorry Ambassador, but we must look to the safety and well being of all who fall under our jurisdiction, not just one race."

Ambassador Goyle stiffly nodded. "I understand," she said, her voice emotionless.

Councilor Tevos let out a sigh. "I believe that will be all for today. We must handle the situation with the batarians leaving," she said, as she turned to leave, followed by the other two Councilors. Ambassador Goyle watched them leave, before turning and stiffly marching away.

Benning Colony

In the weeks following the attack on Mindoir, the Alliance military had gone on high alert. Outlying colonies had made ready to evacuate at a moment's notice, while their garrisons doubled their patrols and readied themselves to defend or evacuate their colonies. The fleets had been mobilized round the clock, ships ready to launch at a moment's notice to intercept any pirate or raider ships, or even a batarian invasion force. In fact, the heightened state of the Alliance military had led to the eradication of three separate raider groups who believed the aftermath of the Mindoir colony attack would be a good chance to attack human colonies or merchant ships. Instead, the highly alert Alliance responded with a viciousness not before seen; only taking prisoners from the raider groups to interrogate on the location of slaver, pirate, or raider groups.

News had also spread about the Council's unwillingness to move against the batarians, or to even help the Alliance deal with the criminal groups within the Traverse that could continue to threaten human colonies. Quite a few citizens, feeling the fresh emotional wounds of Mindoir, had grown quite angry at the Council's blatant refusal to help them out, with some of the more xenophobic people protesting that they should withdraw from the Citadel and strike out on their own. Others were screaming for war with the batarians, to avenge Mindoir. Ultimately though, the Alliance knew its position was not strong enough at the current time to go to war with the batarians. While military intelligence estimated that the batarians military strength was lower than the Hegemony claimed, the Alliance was still building up its own strength, and was not yet ready to fight a war.

None of this ultimately mattered to Naruto or Alicia. All that mattered to them was the fact that their father was dead. The two of them had been excused from school, to give them time to mourn Malcolm Shepard's death, along with their mother Hannah. Malcolm's body had been returned to them, and they had followed his last request, taking him to Earth, where he had been born, for his burial. During the funeral, Naruto had remained silent and strong, supporting his sister and mother as best he could. He wasn't sure how he knew what he needed to do, but he simply knew that right now, he needed to be the strong one, for both of them. As much as he saw Malcolm as his dad, he had been Alicia's real biological dad, and Hannah's husband. He knew those two were closer to Malcolm, and thus were suffering more from his lost. So he did his best to help them both.

Hannah currently had been reassigned to a desk job on Benning, and been given light duty so that she could properly mourn the death of her husband and be mentally and emotionally evaluated, to judge her fitness to return to the field. It had been a trying time for her, but when she saw how Naruto was doing his best to comfort both her and Alicia, she knew she had to try and be strong as well, for her children. While she was far from okay, she did her best each day to get through it, so that she could be there for Naruto and Alicia, the way Naruto was for the two of them.

Alicia however was having a harder time. The energetic girl now seemed to listlessly pantomime her daily routine, simply getting up, eating, and doing things for the sake of doing them. When she and Naruto eventually returned to school, she had been silent, simply going to her classes, doing the school work, and heading home.

Naruto let out a quiet sigh, as he sat down next to Alicia during the lunch period in the open courtyard that most students preferred eating in when the weather was fine. It had been three days since they had returned to school, and three and a half weeks since they learned Malcolm was dead. He sadly watched as his sister quietly but mechanically ate, her eyes barely moving at all as she looked down at the food in front of her. Naruto glanced at his own food, a bag lunch of dextro food, before trying again to snap his sister out of her funk. He pulled out a couple of vegetable sticks and stuck them on his canine teeth, so they looked like extra long teeth, and gently poked Alicia's shoulder. When she glanced up, he grinned. "Hey look sis, I'm a walrus," he said with a grin, making a throaty barking sound.

Alicia just looked at him, before glancing back down at her food, mechanically eating again, as Naruto lost his grin, and pulled the 'teeth' out of his mouth. He glanced down at his own food, before speaking. "Alicia…I know you're really hurting right now…but…please…I need you back sis…I'm trying so hard not to break down, but…I can't lose you too…please Alicia…I can't lose you too," he said, his voice cracking as he spoke.

Alicia paused for a moment, still looking at her food but not mechanically eating it anymore. She kept staring at it for some time, not moving, but not speaking either. Naruto was about to speak when a loud voice echoed through the courtyard. "Hey Shepards!"

Naruto turned to see Ted Crankston walking towards them. Naruto somehow had been able to avoid the bully for the past couple days, but it seemed that said teenage boy had finally found them. Undoubtedly he was pissed he and his friends didn't get their reports. And at that moment…Naruto didn't care.

"What do you want Ted?" He said in a low voice, one that had a dangerous growl to it, as he slowly stood up, his eyes hidden by his bangs, while he slightly trembled.

"Look, we need to talk-," Ted started to say; only to yelp as Naruto's hands grabbed the front of his shirt and he was yanked into the air. Naruto's eyes were now locked onto his, and he could see in them a blazing fury he had never seen in the usually shy and meek boy. His eyes widened as he saw the boy's blue eyes actually start to become purple, while wisps of red biotic energy began to swirl around Naruto.

"Talk?! Talk about what Ted?! About how I didn't get you your damn reports?! I'm sorry, I was a little distracted by the fact that my fucking dad was killed! I was a little distracted by my traumatized sister, in case you didn't fucking notice! So I'm sorry I didn't write your damn reports for you!" Naruto roared out, as everyone around them could only stare in amazement and some horror. They all had known the alien boy to be rather shy and meek. But this boy in front of them…they could feel and see the power he had, the anger, nay the rage in his voice.

Ted was gasping for breath, feeling the pressure of the power this boy wielded, as he struggled to speak. "N-No…t-that wasn't it…I-I wanted to say…wanted to say…"

"Say what Ted?!" Naruto demanded angrily.

"That I'm sorry," Ted finally got out, making Naruto stop for a moment, before lowering Ted so his feet touched the ground.

"What?" Naruto asked, still feeling the rage and adrenaline, but also feeling confusion, as Ted looked down and away.

"I wanted to tell you both…how sorry I am, about what happened to your father," he said quietly. "And…I guess I wanted to apologize to, for how I've been treating you this whole time."

Naruto, panting ever so slightly, narrowed his now vibrant amethyst eyes. "Why do you care?" He asked, his tone still dangerous.

Ted took a deep breath. "My uncle…I was pretty close to him. He was a mechanic here on Benning. After my father ran off, my uncle…he was there for me and my mom. He was like a dad to me…and then four years ago, he was killed in an accident at the spaceport. So…I know what it's like, to lose someone who's like a father to you…or is a father to you," he said. "That's why…I wanted to tell you how sorry I am, about your father dying."

Naruto just looked at him, eyes narrowed slightly, before he responded. "Yeah…thanks," he said quietly, turning back to his sister.

Ted just nodded, as he turned and left, as everyone around them muttered, surprised and still shocked at what had happened. A few teachers who had been watching quietly left as well, not seeing any reason to intervene since no one had been hurt.

Naruto meanwhile just sat next to Alicia, taking deep breaths as he tried to calm down, his eyes slowly turning blue again as the red biotics around him faded. He stopped though when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and a quiet voice said "That was pretty cool, little brother."

His eyes shot up, and he found himself looking into Alicia's eyes, as she gave him a very small, weak smile. "A-Alicia?" He asked, surprised to see her showing any emotion.

"Yeah," she said softly, the smile fading as she looked at him. "A-are you…are you okay?" She asked.

"I should be asking you that," Naruto said. "You've been…you've been almost catatonic since…well the funeral," he said softly.

"Yeah…I know," she said quietly, looking down. "I just…I guess I just…I couldn't handle it," she said softly, trembling as her eyes watered. "It…it was…it…" she finally broke down, starting to cry and sob, as Naruto wrapped her up in his arms, holding her close, letting her cry into him as the dam finally burst, and the emotions she was holding in were finally released.

The bell rang, indicating that lunch was over, and the students began to head off to their next classes. But neither Naruto nor Alicia moved, as Naruto sat there, comforting his still sobbing sister, letting her work out all her emotions. A hall monitor drone came by, saw them, and headed off to alert a teacher but likely any teacher would understand, so it didn't worry Naruto.

Eventually Alicia began to calm down, still sniffling and sobbing softly. She slowly pulled back, wiping her eyes. "T-Thanks," she said, giving him a weak smile. "Sorry about getting you all wet."

"Hey, no problem," Naruto said. "I'll just smell like wet canine for a bit," he joked, causing Alicia to let out a soft laugh.

"Seriously though Naruto…thanks for not…for not letting me go," she said, looking down.

He just patted her shoulder. "You've always been there for me when I needed it sis…I'm going to do the same for you, no matter what."

She smiled up at him, her eyes a bit red and puffy, but her face starting to fill up with emotion again. "And I'll be there for you too," she said. "Though…if you're going to be all badass and stuff like you were during lunch, you may not need me anymore."

Naruto chuckled softly. "Don't worry Alicia. I'm always going to need my big sis," he said, before standing up and offering her his hand. "Feel like heading to class?"

Alicia took his hand, using it to help herself up. "Yeah. Let's go," she said with a gentle nod, as the two of them headed off to class.

Benning Colony, 2172

"And so today, we honor the students who have graduated from Terrence Howard's High School. I give you the graduating class of 2172!" The principal of the school said as the students and their families stood, clapping and cheering, The students all threw their hats into the air in celebration, only to gasp as a ball of red energy shot up as well like a firework, before exploding in a shower of dispersing biotic energy.

On the ground, an eighteen year old Naruto as he watched his display, while next to him his sister crossed her arms, letting out a 'hump'. "Showoff," she muttered, as Naruto grinned down at her, now standing at six feet to her five feet nine inches.

"Awwwww, is someone sore they can't do that yet? Or maybe they're still sore their little brother is taller than them?" Naruto asked with a grin, as Alicia stuck her tongue out at him, but then grinned and hugged him.

Soon enough, Hannah, Jiraiya, and Tsunade joined them, grinning as they approached them. "Well done you two!" Jiraiya said, clapping them both on the shoulders.

"Oh, I'm so proud of you," Hannah said, smiling as a few tears fell from her eyes as she hugged her children to her. The past few years had been tough for her, with Malcolm's death, but her children had kept her going, and she knew she had to be strong for them, the way they were for her.

"Thanks mom," Naruto said, smiling warmly and happily at his mom, as Alicia grinned as well. "Thanks, all of you. Even you, you old fohlohk," he said to Jiraiya, making the old man pout.

"You're going to have to tell me what that means," he said, as Tsunade just smirked, knowing what it meant.

"Don't worry, it fits you perfectly," she said, winking at Naruto. "So…you guys looking forward to what comes after high school?" She sked.

"You know it," Alicia said. "In fact…we both know what we want to do now that we've graduated."

Hannah blinked at that in surprise. "You do? What?" she asked.

Naruto and Alicia looked at each other, knowing that their choice would probably surprise their mom, and not in a good way. But all this past year in high school, they had both talked it over with each other, and they knew that this is what they wanted, to honor their father. They both looked to their mother and their godparents, as Naruto spoke.

"We want to join the Alliance military."

Some might consider that a bit of a weird place to end, but I think it works well for what I've got. Sorry about this chapter taking a while to get out, I was working on both this and my Beast Wars chapter at the same time, so it slowed me down. However, if all goes well, you should get two fanfics updated this month, so I hope that makes up for it.

So…hate this chapter? Love it? I think it's an alright chapter, but I'm biased so it could really be horrible. Guess we'll see what you the readers think.

I hope you all continue to enjoy this fanfic, and please keep reading. I promise we're going to get some action next chapter, and soon enough, the real story is going to begin, so just hang in there.

Thanks go out again to my awesome beta's, Kyuubi123 and a7xfanatic1195 for their work in editing my mistakes and making this fanfic better.

Till next time readers!

1. So before a lot of you start shouting 'why is Naruto being a push over and stuff', hear me out. Considering everything he's been through, the kind of emotional trauma and scarring and such from being ripped from his biological family, experimented on, then frozen and waking up in a strange new world, he's going to have some emotional and psychological issues. So while this may not seem anything like Naruto, not even sharing basic similarities, I am going to have him grow into something better. Just watch.

Fohlohk=pervert