THE FOUNDRY – MARTI NINA

South Fayoth

"Looks like we won, ha, you're as fun as always moral support."

"Nina, what are you doing here?"

"Saving you of course."

"You knew I was going to be here?"

"Oh no, that was just a lucky coincidence."

"Then why are you here? What made you come to Fayoth? I wasn't even certain you had survived the day that Furst attacked the academy."

Nina smiles. "Sora, that old fool, he threw me away when I offered to help him. I'm sure he expected me to hunt you down and help with this little rebellion you've put together. He probably didn't even consider that I'm no saint. When the incident at the academy passed, I came here to Fayoth, seeking my revenge."

"Revenge?"

"For my students Naruto. For my children. I came here for revenge against General Nero."

Naruto remembers this story; it is the reason Nina opposes the empire so strongly. General Nero was sent after her when she was a bandit, Nero was handpicked by Furst to hunt her down. Nero used terrible methods in her pursuit of the criminal Marti Nina. When the hunt was finished Nina was not given a chance to fight back, instead Nero attacked her and her students turned children. Nero killed those most precious to Nina and left her with the burns on her face. Truly it is one of the most harrowing stories of Furst's tyranny he has heard.

"I'm against killing people Nina, it robs you of a potential ally and anybody can make a mistake."

"Not her," Nina snaps. "I am not you; I am not a good person at heart. I don't want to defeat Nero for some great cause. I want her to suffer, as I have suffered. I want her to feel fear grip her heart and know there is nothing she can do to prevent what is coming. I want her to feel what I felt because that is exactly what she deserves."

"I don't think we are going to see eye-to-eye on this," Naruto admits.

"No, we're not. That's what I like about you moral support. This world can only be fixed by someone like you who is too kind for their own good."

"Thanks."

"So, are you going to help me to fight Nero?"

Naruto contemplates it. An Imperial Guard General. That is someone the likes of which he hasn't fought before, at least not successfully. Zahra was an aspirant to the role but never ascended to it, he managed to defeat her when working with Sasuke. Fighting an actual general though is an entirely different prospect.

The last time Naruto fought a general he did so alongside Ming Dai. The two of them worked together well and they did almost everything right. Naruto attacked that general, General Safura, with everything he had. It was a direct attack which would put down most people, even those on the level above him. Safura took the attack without fussing though, that is the skill level he would find himself up against again.

This time may be different though. He has seen Imperial Guard Generals fall before, and he saw them fall at the feet of this bandit who became his teacher, Marti Nina.

"You think I can help you?" Naruto asks.

"Yeah. I myself am at the general level, I am not only a class 8 warrior but a skilled one. Things will be tricky if I fight Nero alone though. I hate to admit it, but the old lady is stronger than I am. She is stronger than most other generals. Your presence would change things though. Yes, a class 7 'life' user could very well turn the tables in my favour."

Naruto nods.

"OK then. But Nina, if it becomes my decision whether she lives or dies, I intend to let her live. I will stay true to myself, and I won't let hatred take you over."

Nina fakes a sigh. "Fine, whatever. God, you can be just as boring as Endou Akashi when you want to be."

Naruto smiles. He has missed Nina. She may take very few things seriously, but she is powerful. If she were to join the rebellion after defeating General Nero, she would probably become the most powerful warrior within it's ranks. Naruto knows that she is likely stronger than even Yuuki Terukatsu, a warrior who once managed to slip through the grasp of Akashi and his followers. It is a dangerous mission, one he may end up disliking the outcome of, but he feels he must do it nonetheless.

"I have one condition."

"Sure, anything."

"We will have to reunite with the others before we go to Nero. When we do, we must tell them nothing of this. None of them are ready to face a class 8 warrior, not yet."

Naruto sees Nina staring back at him. When she doesn't react, he wonders what is going through her mind. His suspicions are soon answered when she lets out an "aww" and hugs him tightly. She chuckles as she rocks him side to side like an infant, patting him on the head with her right hand as she does so.

"Look at that, Juan would be proud, the moral support has grown up into a big responsible man."

"Could you stop fussing now?"

"Nope, no way, a mother has a right to be proud of her children."

"Please let go."

"One condition."

"Name it," Naruto groans.

"Could you use some 'life' energy on me. It feels really nice to have some comforting divine energy and I've never found any as good as yours."

"Fine."

Nina reluctantly let's go. She quickly pretends she's going to hug Naruto again to scare him before stopping. This man may one day become Homeworld's second saviour, but for now he is just a class 7 warrior. She takes this opportunity to tease him because it may not be possible in the future. It is her hope that one day he won't be her pupil anymore, but the leader of the Homeworld rebellion.

"So, who is in your group?"

"My family, a couple of old friends, Clyde and Hannah's daughter, and Hinata and her friends."

"You mentioned her separately," Nina observes, "Don't tell me there is tension between you and your wife Naruto."

"Sort of. You won't believe me but I promise this is the truth."

Nearby in South Fayoth

Hinata and the others have been waiting patiently, some of them nervously to see if Naruto will return. This is the point they agreed to meet at if any of them got separated. Now it seems clear that whatever was in the tavern led Naruto somewhere else. It either led him to the rebels he was hoping he would find or into a trap. It also seems clear that Naruto chose not to share the information with them because he feels the need to protect them. Perhaps he is expecting too much from himself.

"Do you think he will return?" Himawari asks her mother.

"I doubt it."

"Sis!" Mana protests, "Try and say it a bit kindlier. You may not get along with him, but he is the father of your children."

"It is possible that he will return," Hinata admits, "But there are only so many reasons he disappeared. He suspected a trap incorrectly and found some allies, he suspected a trap correctly and fell for it, or he was taken away by someone else.

"If he found allies then he should have returned by now, if nothing else to save us from worrying about him. If he fell into a trap then by now he is either on his way into Furst's custody or he is dead. If he was taken away by somebody else, then he might be OK, but we have no way of finding him. Regardless, it is unlikely that he will return."

Minato sighs. He cannot fault Hinata's logic, even if her manner is somewhat lacking given the circumstance. Naruto knew what he was getting into though. Hinata never wanted the pocket-worlders to take part in the war but Naruto insisted. If he takes foolish actions in wartime, he has nobody else he can blame for the consequences of those actions.

Thankfully, Naruto arrives. He appears in the distance moving quickly towards them. What is even better, he does not return alone. He brings Marti Nina with them, the teacher who assisted each of them at the academy. This causes jubilation amongst the group, at least those who know of Nina's identity. Except one person is distinctly displeased, that being Hinata. Last she heard Nina was a criminal.

Everyone is quick to welcome Naruto back, but the appearance of the infamous bandit has put Hinata in a bad mood.

"What took you so long to come back?"

"I thought I saw something outside the town, I went to investigate, and I was ambushed. Thankfully Nina saved me."

Nina looks around the group and first approaches Sasuke and Sakura. She shakes each of their hands in turn, enthusiastically greeting them for the first time. They were two of very few pocket-worlders who did not learn from her in the academy.

"Hello, Naruto tells me that you two are his closest friends. It's good to meet you. Apparently, you learned advanced techniques with divine energy all by yourself. Perhaps I can show you a few tricks you haven't learnt yet."

"It's nice to meet you too," Sakura says.

"And Himawari!" Nina says, making her way to the princess.

"Hello Nina."

"I hear that your power has grown tremendously since you and I saw each other last. You've learned to use three elements at once I am told. As far as I know that makes you the first person to do that."

"Yeah, I can use 'lightning', 'wind' and 'fire'," Himawari answers.

"You've taken what I did and built upon it; I always knew that you had it in you. Of course that makes me the ideal person to give you advice you know. I taught moral support the One True Sense in very quick time, imagine what I could after a few hours with you. Perhaps I could turn you into the world's most successful bandit."

"I'm not sure I'd like life as a bandit," Himawari admits.

"Nonsense, I can see it now. Uzumaki Himawari, daughter of the rebellion's leader, roaming town to town stealing money and wealth. When people talk of the how they were raided by a woman with three elements nobody will believe them. Before long you would become the subject of a children's story, helping parents scare their little ones into behaving."

"I think it would reflect badly on my parents if I did that."

Nina laughs. "It probably would. Let me know if you ever want me to point you in the right direction."

Next in her list of people from the past is Minato and Kushina.

"I see the two of you have welcomed a little one," Nina says. "Very cute, just the sort of warrior we need for the wars to come. Do you picture your baby being on the front line or are you going to hide her somewhere whenever you need to fight? If you're looking for childcare, I don't have a very good record."

"It's good to see you too Nina," Minato says.

Nina smiles. Next is Hannah.

"Hello."

"Hello, you were my parents teacher, weren't you?"

"Sure I know your parents. You are Hannah, the child of perfect instincts, right? I don't feel there is much I can teach you. If you wish to know something of your ancestry though, I could tell you a few things."

"I look forward to hearing them."

Lastly Nina walks over to Naruto's wife. When she met her in the academy it was clear that Hinata possessed a strange power, there was something special about her that made her stronger than normal people. Nina had no idea what it was though, only Sora knew. Now that makes so much sense to her, now she knows exactly who Hinata is. She is the daughter of a man who once hunted her across Homeworld. She is the daughter of Endou Akashi.

"Hello your majesty," Nina says, bowing sarcastically.

"I have no desire to talk with a criminal like you."

"Me? A criminal? What nasty things have people told you about me my lady?" Nina continues her sarcasm. "I can assure you I've never done anything bad, no not in my entire life. I've been very good. Tell me how I have offended you, should I have bowed with my other foot forward?"

"You should show some respect to the true empress," Michel the Horse demands.

"Respect, what a laugh. This woman's father was indeed Endou Akashi who pursued me as a criminal, but she is no empress. I see no crown on your head. I see no empire that follows you. Your claim to the throne is nonsense. If anything you should bow to me."

"Why would I bow to you?" Hinata asks.

"Your uncle employed me as a teacher at the academy. He recognised me as one of the best teachers in the world. I am the only one of that elite group to survive Furst's attack on the academy. I suppose that technically makes me the Academy Head right now."

"Titles like that are earned, not given."

"I quite agree. So, don't make me call you Empress Hinata. You are Akashi's daughter, nothing more."

"That's enough Nina," Naruto says.

Nina smiles faintly before looking back at Hinata. There is an arrogance about Hinata, a lesson from her youth that she misunderstood. The aloof attitude that others may have encouraged her to have should have been the result of power, not the cause of it. Nina wishes that she could take Hinata under her wing once again, that she could make her understand that which she misunderstood in the past. She suspects that she will not be the one to teach that lesson though. She suspects that lesson must come from Naruto.

"Very well, I have no intention of causing trouble," Nina says, "I am going to rest for the night. I'll be under that tree if you need me."

Nina walks away from the rest of them, the situation more tense now than when they thought Naruto to be dead.

That Night

Nina walks over to Naruto. He is sleeping in the middle of the others. She steps over everyone in her way, making sure not to make a sound until she arrives at him. She kneels down, looking down on his upside-down face. She taps her knuckles twice on his forehead, as if knocking on a door.

Naruto's eyes snap open and he sees Nina's inverted face looking down at him. He watches as she mouths to him that she has received a message. Of course she received this message by a communication stone, a technology he doesn't yet fully understand.

Naruto gently gets to his feet, trying to be careful not to wake anyone. As Nina taught him over a year ago, he begins to use the One True Sense. He checks to make sure that nobody is awake to give away that they are leaving. Nobody awake, good. He believes that Sasuke would be the lightest sleeper amongst them so points in the other direction. Together he and Nina climb over the others and walk to a safe distance where they can talk.

"You've received a message then?" Naruto asks.

"I know where Nero will be in the next few hours. Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"I'm sure, let's go."

They leave together. Nina points out that the One True Sense was very useful in their escape. She reminds Naruto that she and Juan taught him how to use that technique. They talk about Juan for a short while, the man who unfortunately died that day Furst attacked the academy. One of the many dead who will likely be forgotten, overshadowed by the death of the Headmaster of the Academy.

"We are heading east," Nina explains. "General Nero is going to inspect an Imperial Guard Camp. She's probably there to make sure they are ready for war, so we have to be prepared to come up against tough opposition."

"I'm ready."

"I know, you said, but it's important I warn you. You are a very important man to the rebels; they would never forgive me if you died for nothing. Even if it were just the two of us fighting against Nero, I wouldn't like to say who would win. I need you at your best."

"That strange ability I've been using," Naruto begins.

"What about it?"

"It's a divine oddity."

Nina laughs. "Don't be ridiculous. Wait, really? Moral support, you're telling me you created an ability that only the emperor has matched before?"

"Yes."

"Ha, you really are something special, I knew that when I saw you take that potential test."

They continue to head in the direction that Nina's informant suggested. They head towards the encampment, knowing the difficulties they will face. However, Nina is Naruto's most powerful ally. Naruto is only the second man to master a divine oddity. Together they are a unique team the likes of which the world has not seen in a very long time.

Nina watches Naruto move a short way ahead of her. She smiles at him; she concludes that he must be right. That power he has is amazing, more so than any technique she could have taught him. He is becoming stronger by the day and if she is right it won't be long before he surpasses her and Juan. Each second, she spends with him she is more and more certain that he has a destiny, that he will be the one to change things.

With Nina at his back, Naruto is also confident. He is confident that together they can fight against General Nero. General Nero is one of the most powerful and significant adversaries they face in this war. If they defeat her it will be the first major victory for the rebellion over the empire.

Apart they are struggling in the face of the empire. Together, they may just be able to win.

Author Note

Hi All,

Sorry to have only got these two chapters out during the week.
I hope to get another chapter out tomorrow.

Thanks for reading,
Me

Battle Classes in this Chapter

Uzumaki Naruto (7) = Life (2) + Transcendent (2) + Shinobi (3)

Marti Nina (8) = [Fire + Lightning] (3) + Combo (1) + Manual (3) + Divine Ability (1)

In Response to sarada chan san's Question
About where Clyde, Mirai and Hannah are

I can't say exactly where Clyde and Mirai are right now, to do so might be to give spoilers.
As this chapter hopefully shows, Hannah is with Naruto.

Thanks for reading.