THE FOUNDRY – PREPARATIONS

The Hertz Compound

"That is your expectation?"

"It is my prediction. And it's been a long time since I've been wrong."

Erik hates that smug quality Nadia has. All her life she has been correctly seeing through how events will unfold, even when it should be impossible. Only a few cases of miraculous events have gone against her predictions, events such as victory over the Dark Dimension and the emergence of the pocket-worlders. While she may have earned confidence in her abilities, to him it seems much more like arrogance.

Erik's hatred towards Nadia is well established. The King of Cheqitori has never been friendly with his fellow royals, but he has a special hatred reserved for Queen Nadia. Though she is not the most powerful royal she is the most calculating, and in the ever-continuing struggle for land Nadia has taken more from him than anyone. Her ruthless schemes have encroached on his borders and made Cheqitori the smallest nation of all. It would be smaller if it were not for the direct intervention of the emperor. Furst has a secret that only Erik is supposed to know, a reason why the land in question needed to remain within the borders of Cheqitori.

Erik raises his hand and thinks about smashing his communication stone. This is a special stone though, a royal-grade stone that can communicate with Nadia even in a foreign nation. Knowing this stone is too valuable to destroy, he grabs one from one of the Hertz Compound guards and smashes it into the wall. Erik loosens and removes his tie as he storms out of his room, making way for the residence which holds his most loyal soldier.

The door opens smoothly but with just enough noise to alert Yasmine that her superior has arrived. From her supine position she sits up from the waist with a menacing smile on her face.

"Welcome to Yasmine House, how may I assist you?"

"This is no time for jokes Yasmine."

"There is always time for jokes in Yasmine House."

Lime green energy gathers around Erik. Yasmine pouts like a child, waiting for the incoming chaos. Nothing seems to happen for a few seconds, then meteorites rain down from the sky, each clad in lime green energy of their own. They strike at the four corners of the house, at the pillars supporting the roof. The ceiling dramatically collapses, missing Erik but coming down straight on Yasmine's head.

Erik hears a sigh from beneath the rubble. An explosive wave of 'water' erupts from the middle of the debris, pushing it away. Yasmine clothes drip onto the remnants of Yasmine House and she looks up to see that she managed to avoid getting her king damp. It looks like he really is in no mood for games after all.

"What would you like me to do?"

"I have been speaking with Queen Nadia, and she has given me her prediction about why the rebels look ready to attack the compound."

"What did she say?"

"She thinks the next logical step for the rebellion is to destroy the Foundry and cut off our supply of divine abilities. As long as we have that power advantage, we can entice people from their side of the conflict to defect, to replace fallen members of the Imperial Guard. If that advantage is no longer ours though then the playing field becomes much more even."

"Oh I get it now. Yes clever-clever-clever. They can't get you or the emperor to say where the Foundry is, they haven't got the power. Nobody else knows where to find it, not even me, but someone may still be able to tell them. They're going after Philip and Theresa, those two might know where the Foundry is."

"Exactly."

"You know, the emperor would probably tell you to kill Philip and Theresa rather than let them fall into enemy hands."

"I know."

"But King Hertz doesn't want to do that. Is it because you care about your family members? Or is it because you aren't willing to lose another advantage in your struggles against Nadia and Petra."

"Don't ever question my motivations Yasmine, all I need you to do is follow my commands."

Yasmine zips her mouth shut. Erik wishes sometimes that he had a different general reporting to him. Nadia's general is Dodi, an emotionless yet calculating man who does what he is told efficiently. Petra's general is Nero, probably the most powerful general, second only to Head General Safura herself. He often wonders if either of them would have made the difference in previous power struggles if they would have been more suited to work with him than Yasmine. There is little point considering it now, generals don't just swap, and there is nobody else in the Imperial Guard worthy of filling Yasmine's shoes.

Erik continues. "I want you to summon your best guards here, to the compound. You are going to help my clan defend this place against the upcoming assault. If you lose this place to the rebels the consequences will be severe, not just for you and me, but for the entire country. Is that understood Yasmine?"

"Loud and clear boss. Is Enri going to be a problem for you? Combat may not be her speciality, but she did spend years fighting with the emperor."

"Combat is my speciality. There is no royal who isn't adept in combat. Defeating Enri won't be a problem, I'm more concerned about those who are coming to this place. Yuuki Terukatsu, Uzumaki Naruto, Endou Hinata, Max's experiment, the crown prince, are you certain that you will be able to defeat them?"

"Nero said that Nina isn't a member of the rebellion. If Nina's movements are restricted to Fayoth as our information suggests then there is absolutely no reason to panic. Outside of Enri, there is not a single member of this rebellion who I cannot defeat."

"Good."

Erik begins to walk away.

"By the way," Yasmine calls after him. "Could you tell me where I can find Yasmine House Mark II? The first one is a bit of a mess right now."

"You are a General in the Imperial Guard. I'm sure you can find someone who will show you the way."

The Crystal Caves

Sakura cannot stop herself. Hinata is too compelling to her, a puzzle with a solution both simple yet profound. How did this person before her come into being? Is Hinata one person at all? Are there two souls inhabiting her body? Is there one soul with two sets of memories? Is this how Hyuuga Hinata would have turned out with a different upbringing? Endou Hinata poses so many questions for her, but sometimes she must put that all aside, because she is her friend.

The shinobi has proven highly useful to Hinata as well, Mana has noticed. Mana heard that Hyuuga Hinata had a sister, but that she is no longer with them. Now Sakura seems to be the closest thing. At present Sakura is like the pocket-world version of Mana, someone close to Hinata who saw her grow up, a friend she can talk to. Together she hopes they can help Hinata to move forward in a way that would make both Hinatas happy, something that neither of them could do apart.

"Do you mind if I ask you about your past from this world?" Sakura asks.

"My father tried to keep my life private, but a lot of the people in the rebellion will have heard the stories anyway. Feel free to ask me anything Sakura, I would rather you heard it from me than from them."

"What were your parents like before all this? I've heard about what others think, but you know them better than anyone."

Hinata nods. "My parents met during the war against the Dark Dimension. My mother was a member of the Muto clan, the strongest clan in all Homeworld at the time, greatness was expected of her. My father came from a small village, much less was expected of him. When tribulations came my father's way, he didn't try to avoid them, he faced them head on and ended up becoming Homeworld's mightiest warrior. Of course my parents eventually met, along with my uncle, and then Furst. My parents fell in love as they travelled together."

"I have heard," Sakura admits, "But I want to know how you think of them."

"… my mother was stricter on me in the past, but I understand why now, it was necessary. She was always very kind towards others. My father never raised his voice with me, I've never felt safer than when I was with him. I think he made everyone think that everything would be OK.

"When Mana joined our family, they were both very welcoming, at least it seemed that way to me. They were leading Homeworld, but they never neglected us, they always made sure we had everything we needed and more. Michel would look after us when they were both away. They inspired loyalty in their time, loyalty that I didn't think could be shaken. It seems I was wrong. I think their weakness was that they believed in the good in everyone, that is why they didn't see Furst coming."

"They were welcoming to me," Mana says. "I didn't have a home after everything that happened in Seblix. I thought I would be alone the rest of my life. But they treated me like their own daughter though. I think I was probably the luckiest person in all Homeworld, falling in with Akashi and Enri."

"Did I get on with my family in your world?" Hinata asks.

Sakura hesitates. Not such an easy question.

"At times," Sakura finally answers. "Your relationship with your family wasn't always as great as it sounds like it was here. There were a lot of unfortunate circumstances in the Hyuuga clan back then. Naruto really helped you to work through some difficulties though, and so did Neji. He was your cousin in that world, he sadly died during the 4th shinobi war, saving the two of you. I've heard from Himawari that you would visit his grave often."

"Neji…"

"Do you remember something?"

"The name seems familiar somehow. Perhaps he was in one of the memories I had."

"If you remember something of your other life, I'm sure he would be there."

"Sakura be honest. Did you mention Naruto because you want me to like him more? I know that you pocket-worlders still see me that way."

Sakura laughs. "It's not a surprise that a story like that would make you like Naruto. You loved him in that life after all. That's not why I told you the story though, I wasn't trying to make out that he is some kind of hero. I told you that story because it's the truth."

"Were we always friends in your world?"

"We became friends over time. The other you was timid, she struggled with self-confidence at times. I suppose that's why you admired my foolish teammate. Naruto believed in himself even when nobody else thought he could win. The longer we knew one another the more comfortable we were with each other. I am told that continued in our futures. As we fought in battle together against the Akatsuki I think that trust grew even further."

"I feel comfortable talking with you too," Hinata says.

"Thanks."

"I believe you when you tell me about my past in that world," Hinata continues. "Naruto and the others were all my family; they probably just want the other me to return desperately. I never know if they are saying what they are saying for my sake or for hers. With you it's different, I feel like I can trust you, like you have no ulterior motives. I think no matter which world you and I were born in we would have become friends."

"I'd like to think that too," Sakura says.

Mana smiles. It is as she thought. If Hinata and Naruto are going to cooperate as the leaders of the rebellion, Haruno Sakura may be the most important person in making that happen. She is the only person to be a friend to both Hinatas.

Later that Night, the Crystal Caves

Enri sits gazing into the distance, thinking about the past and the future in turn. Her thoughts often drift to Akashi and how he would have handled the situation. She wishes he were still here, that he had hidden instead of fighting Furst the day of his death. If he were here now an offensive like this would be painless. The rest of the time she thinks about what she will have to do. She should be able to survive if Erik tries to kill her, but it's not without risks, he is the King of Cheqitori after all.

She hears footsteps approaching her from behind. She doesn't recognise the rhythm of these steps yet. She turns around to see that it is her two students who are approaching, her grandson and her son-in-law. They have already come a long way since arriving at the Crystal Caves, but there is a longer road ahead still until they are ready. One day, one of these two will have to fight the emperor.

"Hello Naruto. Hello Boruto. Do the two of you struggle to sleep the night before a battle as well?"

"I am struggling at the moment," Naruto says. "Have you heard about our brief fights with General Yasmine."

"Not in detail."

"She was in another league," Boruto explains, his head bowed. "Even with all the techniques we have learned we couldn't defeat her. I worked with Hannah; dad worked with mom. Nothing, we couldn't come close to winning. I don't understand how someone becomes so powerful as that. She didn't seem to be using any unconventional techniques, but she had an answer to everything."

"I suspect that she was using a technique," Enri explains. "In fact, I suspect she was using several passive techniques. I can't prove it though."

"I don't understand," Naruto admits.

"You have learnt one special technique Naruto, the One True Sense. It doesn't boost your battle class, but it is a technique that gives you an edge in combat. Now imagine there was one for improved hand-to-hand combat. Imagine there was another to improve your senses, another your mindset, another your concentration, another your tactics. You keep learning more and more techniques, what would happen if you learnt more than ten."

"It would be almost impossible to defeat you," Naruto answers.

"I know this is what the royals do, but they practice techniques very difficult to learn, just like your One True Sense," Enri explains. "The generals wouldn't be capable of that; they must be learning something easier. Still if you learn enough it would be very hard to defeat you. Perhaps the only person who can match such an individual is one who possesses a divine oddity, as the two of you do."

"We weren't strong enough though," Boruto admits.

Enri smiles. They have a desire to always get stronger these two. They are warriors in a way she could never be. She got stronger because she needed to for the preservation of her life and the lives of those she loved. Her loved ones just happened to be stronger than most, so she had to climb up to new heights alongside them. They are just like Akashi though; they want to get stronger for the sake of everyone.

Hinata's mother doesn't have many techniques of her own. She favoured the approach of gaining strength the usual way. That was enough in the previous war where Akashi pitted himself against the Empress of the Dark Dimension. There is one which her mind is drawn to though, a challenging technique she learnt in desperate times that could greatly aid both Naruto and Boruto.

"I can teach you the fundamentals of one technique," Enri says. "I'm not a teacher like my brother or like Nina, so I can't promise you will understand it any time soon. If you can master it though, you may be able to match your skills against the royals."

"Where did you learn this technique?" Naruto asks.

"My brother gifted it to me. I wanted to help in the final days of the war, and I felt there wasn't much I could do, so I asked him to help me. He couldn't use the technique himself, but he was very good at teaching it. He told me this technique was of the very top tier. It's the sort of technique that ventures close to the territory of divine oddities."

"But it should help us to fight against the generals."

"It depends how far you can go with it," Enri admits. "Boruto, if you master this technique then you should surpass the skill level of the generals. But Naruto, this technique particularly useful to you. If you can get the basics of this technique, and if it combines with your existing skills in the way I believe it will, then it may put your skill level on par with the royals."

"How are we going to learn this technique if it is so difficult and we don't have a teacher," Boruto asks.

"I didn't say it would be easy," Enri smirks. "I can tell you what it does but working out how to do it will be up to you. Someone had to work out how to do it the first time around, the two of you will have to do the same thing. It's learning the old-fashioned way. All it requires is a bit of intelligence."

"You might struggle then old man," Boruto teases his father.

Naruto smirks, "Is that a challenge Boruto. Have you ever seen how I train? Let's just say I pick things up a lot faster than most people."

"So what is the principle behind this technique," Boruto asks. "What actually happens when you are using it that is so great."

"Boruto, Naruto, what you will do is as simple as this," Enri says. "Divide your mind."

In Response to The Darkest wizard's Question
About dialogue between Naruto and Sasuke

There will be more dialogue between Naruto and Sasuke in future.
I can't say exactly when, but it will be there.

Thanks for reading.

In Response to rasengan1245's Question
About how the 64 palms works without chakra

I'm not sure I've written anyone to use that technique without chakra.
Would you mind jogging my memory?

Thanks for reading.

In Response to rasengan1245's Question
About divine abilities

There are a lot of divine abilities, too many to list for now.
In future I will mention it alongside battle classes when these are mentioned.

Thanks for reading.

In Response to SnakethZero's Question
About Kurama potentially having divine energy and Naruto drawing on it

If Kurama works out an element Naruto could definitely draw on it.
Who knows, it may happen in the future.

Thanks for reading.

In Response to m'j doom's Question
About if the royals are all loyal to Furst

Maybe, but not necessarily.
Nadia believes siding with him is the only way to avoid death, and the others respect that she is usually right.

If there was any major disloyalty to Furst, I couldn't reveal it without giving away spoilers.

Thanks for reading.

In Response to S's Question
About if divine manuals are made in the Foundry

No, divine manuals are not made in the Foundry.
I have yet to reveal where they are made.

Thanks for reading.