A/N: Alright ladies and gentlmen, good news and bad news. Good news first. I'm on the mend. Even better, My grandmother's all but recovered from congestive heart failure and I managed to sell my old house, though all that money went to more bills. Ugh. Anywho, I've finished moving my things and am now a proud resident of East Berlin, Pennsylvania! Alas, I'm still jobless, and the bills are piling up because of my health. Fun, right?

Anywho, I managed to put this up here at points between job hunting. It's been great, guys. Loving the feedback. Really. I'm hanging tough though, despite everything life is throwing at me. Despite all that's happening, I don't intend to abandon this or my other works! Though I would greatly be appreciative of a Co-Writer or two at this point! On another note, there was a discrepancy mentioned with Oriana's age, but that's only because the events of this story are progressing more rapidly than in the original. Additionally, a typo; I had meant to say that Ori is presently twelve, not nine. But in regards to the age difference, there you go. Naruto's prescence has lit a fire under Saren's behind, so to speak.

You'll soon see what I mean...ALSO! Warning! Naruto is a little...unhinged in this chapter thanks to Saren's actions. Its not going to be a constant thing, just an indication of how the stress of leadership is getting to him. You may even see a few familiar quotes in this...Also. Glossing over Therum here, folks. You'll soon see why...

"Falling is easy. Getting up is the hard part."

~?

Terror

"C'mon now, at least try to hit me~!"

Naruto sighed softly, dissapointment wreathing his whiskered features as he dodged a steady stream of bulllets, his dark body weaving in and out of the line of fire. Those that did come close enough simply spattered and flattened against the mounted shields on either of his arms; their shimmering surfaces glinting red then blue then red again as they sheltered their host from harm. It was a fascinating system, really; one he was certain most would balk at the idea of. Miranda and Jack probably were.

"Is he enjoying this?!"

"What was your first hint, cheerleader?!" The tattooed biotic shot her a withering glare before popping up to snap off a shot at a batarian who'd gotten too close. Nailed right between all four eyes, the angry alien went down with a wet gurgle, dead before he hit the ground. Naruto bounded over him, his arms a blur of biotic and tech as he danced among the hail of bullets. Jack felt herself shiver at the sight, and not in a bad way. He was perfect. An angel of death, dealing demise and despair to any who dared stand in his way; a laughing phantom of demise who spat in the face of his enemy and cut them down.

Her arms moved robotically to take her targets while he worked. All the while her eyes watched, admired the ruthless precision with which he dispatched his foes. He was smiling, sneering, mocking them, his voice raw and hoarse wot. All around Jack the battle raged, Miri and Shepard and the others taking their own shot, but Jack barely noticed them. Instead, she was hyper-aware. Not of them, but the beligerent blond hacking into their enemies. A tingle of anticipation coursed through her. When had he gotten this...good? Then the realization struck her like a thunderbolt.

She wanted him.

But you can't have him, can you? Miri doesn't like to share. That thought made her clench her jaw and blow a stray strand of hair away from her face. She felt a momentary flash of anger, raw and hot in her veins like fire. Why'd she ever grow this shit out? Naruto, of course, her mind supplied. It was always fucking Naruto. She'd always admired him from afar, but it was painfullly obvious that Miranda had him wrapped around her little finger. And even if she didn't, what chance did a freak like her have with him? Slim. Very slim. No, she was stuck in the fucking friendzone.

If it weren't for that one time back in Zakera Ward, she would think she had absolutely no chance at all. He hadn't exactly pinned her to the wall with his mouth, but he'd done the next best thing.

She remembered what he'd done when someone -a batarian- had laid dared to lay hands on her. He went completely ape-shit. Compared to that, he was being nice today. He'd tortured the poor man for hours on end; letting him regenerate only to inflict the same pain all over again. By comparison the men and women shooting at him died relatively swift, immediate deaths. Dumbasss! She swore silently at her stupid heart. Pine for him later, will ya? Shoot the fuckers now! So she watched and said nothing, reluctantly returning her attention the battle brewing in the bar.

Chora's Den had turned into something a warzone since they'd been here last. Naruto loved it. Delighted in the chaos. Even with his girls and his newly acquired allies at his back, Humanity's First Spectre found himself outnumbered almost four...to one. In such confined quarters as these, cloaking, was nearly impossible. Grenades were an awful idea. So instead he had done something that went against everything his shinobi training first taught him. He abandoned stealth altogether and gave himself to the rage that had been simmering inside of him for the last day. Yielded to it, utterly.

He tanked.

Why, you ask? Because he could. Some might wonder how a biotic infiltrator, even one of his calibre, was capable of such thing. It shouldn't have been possible. But in reality, the concept was maddeningly simple. His shields-the whirling ones on his arms-were designed for hard fast strikes, not firefights of attrition.

In essence, by firing mostly at him, Fist's men were only making it worse for themselves.

By absorbing the kinetic energy behind each bullet, they took that force and channeled it back into the capacitors-resulting in a constant feedback loop that kept the shields just shy of overloading. Add in his chakra as a booster and you had a barrier nothing short of a krogan-or a very powerful biotic-could shatter. It was a recent improvement-installed just the other day. Watching the Geth rip through his shields back on Eden Prime had been just a little...disconcerting, to say the least. So he'd upgraded.

Heavily.

Now it paid off as he walked through fire as though he were a biotic god. His blades flashed murderously in the dark lightning, opening throats and carving deeep, bloody trenches in all whom came near him. Behind he could hear the angry snarl of gunfire from his own allies, growing steadily louder as they advanced. Leaving less, and rounds to go around, less directed at him, and more them. The shields would last for about another minute or so at this rate, then his momentary tanking session would be over. Maybe he should consider flattening it against his body as an added boost to his shields-

Yeow!

His cowl smoldered as a lucky shot got in under his guard and interrupted those thoughts, raising an angry welt on his cheek as it passed. His head snapped toward. Dock worker. Two of them. One had fired. He didn't hesitate, stalking towards them, blades in hands. The first man yelped and opened fire again. Naruto flowed around the shot-not even deigning to raise his shield. In that instant the second opened fire, his heavy pistol pumping molten lead in his direction. A flicker of biotics and they slammed harmlessly into the wall.

Cold, bloody steel flashed in the gloom. A head rolled. The last man scrambled away from the corpse of his companion, squeezing the triggr. His gun clicked fruitlessly, overheated. He saw death in the blond's eyes, but even then, his final moments were still spent fruitlessly squeezing the trigger.

"Y-You stay away from me!" he cried. "Bastard! Butcher! DEMON!"

"Right on all counts, mate. Maybe I am a monster. But you know what?" Naruto lowered an arm, gently laying one of his blade to the man's throat, its crackling edge glided across his rigid neck like a lover's caress. "At least I'm fighting for something. As for you? I suppose there's a small grain of solace in seeing you fight back with words." And then, without pause, or preamble, he cut his throat from ear to ear. The worker offered an irate gurgle and collapsed to the ground, bleeding almost before the blade left his flesh. Naruto caught his head before it hit the ground. He couldn't here the bullets anymore behind him. It was over.

"Sh," he cooed softly. "Don't fight it. Easier that way. Just let go...

Someone whimpered.

"Oh, spirits, oh, spirits...

Naruto's head jerked in the direction of the voice, his blade swinging toward the sound, swinging unerringly towards a fresh throat. Something stopped him. He was looking into the terrified eyes of a turian-and a young one at that. Pale lavender tattoos chalked his mandibles, quivering now in fear. A pistol lay beside him-utterly forgotten as his bright eyes stared up into the Spectre's face. Naruto hesitated. The beast within him roared in fury, baying for the boy's head. What was one more corpse on his consciences? His blood was up; he wanted nothing more than to vent his frustrations out on the hapless turian. He battled with it for an instant, eyes flickering. Then he made his decision.

"Go." he swore at him, yanking the boy to his feet. "Just fucking go!" Almost as an afterthought, he growled, You do shit like this again, and I will fucking find you. Understood?!"

The turian didn't hesitate in the slightest; he scrambled upward and bolted for the exit, nearly tripping over his own two feet -as well as the bodies clogging the club- before finally breaking for the door. And then it was done. He'd have no way of knowing, but in that instant, he'd just spared the life of one Lantar Sidonis. Another ripple, one that would echoe two years into the future. Sighing, he slid his weapons into their holsters. An angry fever coursed through his veins. Damnit, but he was just so angry right now. A deep breath was taken to center himself. He needed to calm the hell down. Now, before he did something stupid.

"Did everyone see that, because I will not be doing it again!" he croaked aloud, his voice coming across as deep and booming in the relative silence of the club. Somewhere aways behind him, he could've sworn that he heard someone laugh at the quote he'd thoroughly abused. The spectre-ha!-of a smirk played across his features.

"Hey,"

Naruto turned, his shields crackling slightlly as the blood cooked on their reflective fields. He thought it was Jack who had spoke. Or Shepard. But no. It was Miranda. Miri. She was the first to walk to him once his blade was sheathed. Her expression wasn't wary or guarded like the others; she walked right to him. Touch his shoulder. Her hands ghosted down his arms soothingly. She must've sensed the anger and anxiety roaring in his head, boiling in his blood, because she didn't speak beyond that lone word. She kissed him softly on the cheek. Her touch was enough to remind him why he was here. Why he was doing this.

"Remind me to stay on your good side, boss." Jack murmurred softly as she approached him.

"So noted." he murmurred.

She was still staring at him. They both were.

"What," he turned aside in answer to the unspoken question. "Yeah, I'm just fine." No, he wasn't. Not in the slightest. He needed to find Saren. Make him burn. That bastard had gone after him. After his team. His girls. He'd started this shit, and now it was up to him to end. With or without the Council's backing. If this lead didn't pan out, he'd be taking the first freighter out to the Terminus to hunt the bastard down. And it that meant he had to bloody his hands a little...then so be it.

"Well, damn." Shepard sighed, her jaden eyes slowly taking in the pools of blood at their feet, marring their boots with each and every step. "If I'd known I'd be learning from a one man army, I would've signed up for Spectre training sooner." Her words earned a disbelieving glance from Kaidan, but whatever opinion he had, it was kept in his head, not his mouth. Ashley's mouth had settled into a grim line, her dark eyes inscrutable either by choice or consequence. The last meme

"Gods, sir," Jenkins swallowed, visibly nervous as he finally noticed the copious amounts of blood soaking the spectre, none of it his own. "That was fucking crazy. I didn't know you could fight like that."

"Just don't make him angry, and you won't have to worry."

"I-I'll try not to, ma'am."

At his side, Miri offered up a rare smile of her own, those bright pools of her eyes dancing in the ruddy red lightning as she laughed softly. She was all too eager to dismiss his momentary madness as a onetime thing and for the life of himself he couldn't bring his voice to protest her words. Was it really Saren who had him this fired up? Or was he simply going mad because of the cloning proccess? He hoped-prayed-it was merely the former. The idea of slowly losing his mind because some Cerberus technician in a lab somewhere in Australia had rushed things wasn't exactly a pleasant one. He was all too eager to hear her laugh it off.

"Taught him everything he knows." Wrex crowed proudly.

Jack snorted, elbowing the battlemaster aside. "The fuck you did! He learned that shit from me!"

Naruto barked out a laugh. "Glad to see you lot agree with my methods."

Someone didn't share that sentiment.

"Seriously." Garrus balked, risking a glance around the corpse field that had once been Chora's den. "You let that last one go, but did you have to kill those two?" his visor jerked in the direction of the mutilated workers the spectre had silenced only moments before. "I think they were just-"

"Don't," he said blandly, "Judge me on my methods."

His tone had been calm, but Garrus thought he'd sensed something beneath the surface, something...ugly. It might have just been a thought, but, he involuntarily took a half-step back anyway. Some things are better left unseen. He didn't want to know that Naruto's calm persona masked something far darker, a brutality thinly leashed by a semblance of decency. Didn't need to know that he was beginning to chafe under the strong, near-ruthless grip of the Council. Still, he felt bound to at least make an attempt to salvage his question.

"They were just workers-

"Well, then maybe they shouldn't have shot at me, eh?!"

His voice rose to a shout by the end, and when he'd finished every set of eyes in the room was on him, and he was breathing hard. It got a longer silence, and Garrus could feel his body temperature falling, the rate of his hearbeat plummeting as Naruto's eyes narrowed to slits and fixed on him. When he spoke, however, it wasn't what Garrus was expecting.

"Lets go," he jerked a thumb towards the sole remaining door, advancing without bothering to look backwards. The doors whooshed open, exposing an empty office. No sign of Fist. "Huh? He should be right here-

A harsh click was their only warning. "Ah, hell."

"DOWN!"

The air was suddenly full of bullets all over again, but this time their operators were wholly synthetic. A pair of twin turrets blazed away at them from across the far end of the room, thundering loudly in blatant defiance of the intruders who stood in trespass of their master's quarters. Naruto felt one his shields buckle and give to the incessant blasts almost immediatelly, overwhelmed at long last. Technology could only last so long with the heat of battle raging around it, and his gauntlets were far from being immune to malfunctions or other such technical faults.

Jack didn't have that kind of protection. She'd been at his side when the shots started firing. As if that weren't bad enough, she'd stepped forward with her shotgun when his first shield went, putting herself squarely in harms way, with nothing more than her barrier and tank-top to stand between the hail of molten bullets. Her shields lasted for all of a second. Before his very eyes, she folded like a house of cards, snarling in pain and collapsing to the ground.

Naruto shot forward before the other turret had a chance to target someone else, hissing softly as a bullet barreled through his personal shields and took him in the shoulder. Somewheres behind him, Miri gave a small yelp of shock and aggravation. Naruto ignored her. There was only him. Only the blades. His swords flashed once. Twice.

Thrice.

Teeth gritted against the pain flaring from the motion he spun away, still clutching the monolecular blades in hand. Behind him the turrets fizzled and sparked haphazardly-their barrels collapsing to the ground in a neat heap. There was a silence, poignant in its severity as he straighted from his predatory crouch. A flick of his wrists sheated his weapons, returning them to the holsters mounted at his wrist and hip. The scent of charring ozone flled the air, broken only the occasional spark from the still smoldering turrets. And then the world came back to him in a rush of pain and curses.

"Shit!"

Jack.

No.

He spun and nearly cried out the sight that awaited him.

No. Time slowed to a crawl around him, all the world fading to gry. No, no. Everything froze. No no no no! The young shinobi was suddenly and terribly aware of his tattooed friend writhing in the ground less than a foot away from his position, her hands curling -clenching- around her sundered tomach in a desperate attempt to keep the blood and organs from spilling out. He wasn't even remotely aware of the others. Even Miranda was little more than a feeble footnote in his mind. There was only Jack. She couldn't even look at him, her eyes scrunched shut in pain as they were. Her breath came in short, ragged gasps.

"Oh, god." Miranda muttered, covering her mouth with a hand.

"She's not gonna make it." Naruto nearly swung around at the sound of Ashley's voice, but the harsh bark of Shepard's voice beat him to the punch.

"Can it, Williams!"

"Fuck," Jack rasped, trying to laugh. Instead she coughed up a wad of blood. "How bad...is...it?"

"..."

"That bad...oh...

The words died off as she went limp in his arms.

"No, no no, Jack...

Naruto was fairly certain it would be much more than that if he didn't act quickly. Dropping to a knee he laid both hands on her. "Don't you die on me Jackie, I swear to god!" Hands danced across her tattooed stomach, expertly seeking the wounds, palms aglowing softly with green chakra. No response. Every cell of his being, every fiber of his existence was focused solely on repairing the trauma. One the bulllets had even knicked her lung, forcing him to focus still more of his attention and energy on repairing the damage. He wasn't sure how much time passed. Seconds? Minutes? Hours? But finally, finally it was done. The wounds closed. Flesh quite nearly knitted back together. Jack stirred. Moaned. Breathed.

Jenkins crossed himself.

"Spirits," Garrus muttered. "How the hell did you...

Naruto ignored the turian. Dark hazel eyes fluttered open, pinning him with their gaze.

"Watch your hands there, buddy." she croaked. "Can't do that shit until the third date...

Naruto laughed and embraced her, strong arms wrapping around her neck. Without thinking, he pressed his lips to her forehead. "Don't scare me like that, alright?"

"Shit, I'm fine now, alright?" she muttered, her cheeks burning, the words quiet and weak. "Help me up."

Naruto did just that, gingerly aiding Jack in her rise to her feet. Then he remembered why they were here. Why Jack had been shot.

Fist.

"Fist! Come out!" he demanded to the room. "Don't make me fucking find you!"

A dark head of hair poked out over the desk, followed by the rest of a body. "Alright, alright." Fisk held up his hands, lifting empty palms in surrender. "Damn. Didn't know they were sending a Spectre after me. Look, if its information you want, I can - urk!" Those words perished on his lips as an iron claw clenched around his face, his jaw falling slack moments later. And then the Spectre squeezed. Fist screamed. Naruto offered only a contemptuous smirk as his captive writhed in his grasp, swearing while the young men hoisted him off the ground.

"The quarian." his voice was low, Miranda realized. Dangerous. She'd never seen him so angry in all her life. "Where is she?"

"I don't know!"

The Spectre sighed in quiet irritation, much like a young brother dissapointed with his sibling. Then he spun, and slammed Fist down into the desk. Something snapped. It wasn't the table. Fist cried out again. Callously Naruto raised him up once more, staring into his bloodied visage. A tiny droplet of blood trickled from the poor man's face and splashed onto his whiskered cheek. Uncaring of the crimson stain marring his face he tilted his head aside, regarding his captive curiously. Abruptly he slammed him down again. Fist yowled in agony.

"Where?" Naruto asked yet again, speaking in that deceptively calm, chilling voice. Fist spat on him.

"Fuck you! I already told ya I don't-

Clenched knuckles cracked across his face, obliterating the words and smashing teeth.

"Ah, Fist. My dear, dear little Fist," Naruto purred as he relinquished his hold on the man, as he thrust him up against the nearby wall, "Please don't insult my intelligence by lying to me. I don't like liars, ya know? I like them even less when they hurt my girls. Now, I am going to ask you one more time. Where. Is. She?"

"I don't-

"Wrong answer."

His blades flashed out of their sheathes with an angry crackle and rammed into the man's raised hands, burying themselves in blood and bone. Nailing him to the wall. Crucifying him.

"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!" It achieved the desired effect; he started blubbering almost immediately. "Fucking, FUCK! Shit! Why the hell would you...I don't even...shit!"

"Pay attention, Mr. Fist." Naruto tapped his cheek, forcing the sobbing man to look him in the eye. "I'm still talking here."

"What the hell is he doing?" Jack hissed aside to Miranda. "I've seen him pissed before...but never like this". And it was true. They'd seen Naruto carve up his enemies countless times before. His killls had always been quick and clean. Precise. Merciful, even. This, was the antithesis of that. Torture. There was a brutality here, a madness that they'd never seen in him before. Was this because of her? She'd seen the terror in his eyes when she stopped breathing, heard him begging for her to live...

Miri felt nothing but disdain for the man trapped in her lover's grasp. "I don't bloody know. But I think Fist deserves it."

"Did I ever tell you what the definition of Insanity is?" Naruto asked quietly, bringing his face close to Fist's. "Insanity, is doing the exact same fucking thing, over and over, expecting that shit is going to change. That. Is. Crazy. That's exactly what's happening right now. You keep lying to me, doing the exact same fucking thing over and over and over and over again thinking, 'This time is gonna be different. No, no, no please' This time is gonna be different.' Welll, I really hate to break it to you," his words ended in a growl as he wrenched the blade in the wound, "But if you're gonna keep lying to me-I'm just going to keep hurting you. See, I'm not inconsiderate," Another blade danced in his hand, "I know you're under orders from Saren not to talk to me. I can respect that. Orders are important. But you can't hold yourself to them. But you think if you don't tell me, everything will be alright. That Saren will be able to keep paying you-

Without warning, a knife slammed into Fist's thigh, drilling him even deeper into the plaster. His pained whimpers pitched into a frantic shriek.

"SHIT!

-that I won't go after him." Naruto continued cheerily, voice rising to make itself heard over the man's agonizing wails. "That's where you'd be wrong-

"OH GOD, OH PLEASE, OH DEAR LORD!"

"Hey," He began, frowning. Blue eyes narrowed as his victim continued to squal and sob and beg for his life. "Hey!" he shouted. A pistol flew free to press it against the man's forehead! "SHUT THE FUCK UP! OR I WILL BLOW YOUR FUCKING BRAINS OUT!" Fist fell quiet as the safety clicked, his frantic cursing dissolving into a web of hysterical tears. "Good boy." Naruto nodded, his voice dropping back to its normal vollume. "As I was saying, I don't need proof to go after him. I just want to see the look on that smug bastard's face when he I strip him of his Spectre status. But you know what? I... can do without that. You tell me what I want to hear, maybe you live. You don't, maybe you die. Either way, I win. Now, last chance. Tell me, or die."

Fist folded like a house of cards.

"Alright, alright!" he sobbed! "I don't get paid enough to die! The quarian's meeting with my men in the upper level of Zakera Ward! They're going to kill her for the data! If you hurry, you might make it in time!" There was a pointed, jagged silence as he finished his sentence.

"She's dead if we don't move!" Garrus barked.

"So noted."

"There, I told you! Now let me go!"

Naruto gave the man a glance, considering his answer. His promise. A paragon would let Fisk live. Then again, he wasn't feeling very paragon at the moment. No, not at all. This man had shot him. Jack. Besides, Wrex had his money to collect. And who was he to deny his old mentor a few credits? But it was more than that. This man had hurt someone he cared about. And he wanted to be released, to be allowed to escape and cause havoc once again? No wall in hell. A vicious grin slowly spread across his face.

"Alright. I'll let you go...to your death." As horror dawned on the man's visage, a certain red reptile stepped forward. "Wrex? Time to collect that bounty."

Fist screamed. "NO!"

The krogan shotgun barked once.

Tali'Zorah nar Rayya was anxious.

She could feel the weight of the data packet pressing down on her. Such a small, tiny thing, taken from that geth, and yet it seemed to possess infinite weight. Heavy enough to sink the career of a Spectre. People had been known to kill for information like that. And she wanted to trade it for protection. Protection. Ha! A small part of her laughed. Could anything really protect her from a Spectre like Saren? Could the Shadow Broker? Maybe. Maybe not. The nerves were getting to her. She was just anxious, she told herself. Yes, it was just the nerves.

Fist had promised her he'd set up a meet. It would all work out in the end. Or so she hoped.

She risked a glance at the turian who'd come to greet her, a ghastly looking man whose white face pain made his visage look like a skull. He skulked towards her, flanked by a pair of salarian bodyguads. She thought it was her imagination, but there might have been more lurking in the shadows. The quairian gulpged, ignoring the queasy feeling in her stomach. This didn't feel right.

"Did you bring it?" he asked. His voice was oily.

A snake of dread coiled in her gut. "Where's the shadow broker? Where's Fist?"

"They'll be here." He soothed. A hand drooped toward her face, gently carressing at her mask. "Where's the evidence?" The dull sense of alarm immediately piqued into a full blown wail. No. Something was wrong here, terribly, horribly wrong. She might be young, but Tali knew a bad deal when she saw one. She slapped his hand away and lurched backwards.

"No way. The deal's off.

His mandibles twitched in a scowl. The next thing she knew, a gun was in her face.

"Wrong move, kid-

"Rasengan."

The cry came completely out of nowhere; in that same instant a spiraling sphere of energy smashed into the angry alien from above and ground him into fine paste at her feet. Tali yelped and jerked backwards, jerking away from the dark, hooded man who'd just dropped out of the sky to silence her attacker. "Yo." he raised a hand in cheery greeting. She barely had enough time to notice him and recover her wits before he was gone, vanishing into the darkness. Shouts began to ring out around her. Screams. The sounds of gunfire. The same voice from before cackled.

"Light 'em up, boys!"

Once the shock wore off she began to notice them, a horde of black, hooded men appearing from the shadows themselves, rising from the ground, dropping from the sky, setting upon the remaining men with menacing blades or more of those strange spheres. In almost no time at all, Fist's men were all either dead or dying in the alleyway. The engagement had lasted only seven seconds. Now she found herself face to face with seven strangers, each of them identical to the first who'd dropped down out of the ward's like a wraith in the night.

"Good work." One of them murmurred, the dulcet tones of his voice making her heart momentarily skip a few beats. "Dismissed!" And just like that they were gone, vanishing in plumes of smoke. She was left staring at a single human. As she looked on he reached up, tugging his cowl down. Blue eyes and bright, blond hair greeted her startled eyes .and she realized that she knew this young man. Even among the flotilla, the infamous abilities of humanity's first Spectre were something of a household name. The young man standing before her had donated milions to the quarian people -ancestors bless his bleeding heart- over the course of his career

She was gawping at Uzumaki Naruto.

"Hello," he smiled polietly, whiskered cheeks dimpling in bemusement. "You're Tali, right? I believe you have something that might interest me...

Saren was worried.

It was a rare emotion for him all things considered. He hadn't felt such anxiety as this since he'd first laid eyes on Sovereign. No-perhaps that wasn't quite right. He'd felt it once before, earlier than that. When he'd first laid eyes on a ragged street urchin from earth. When that urchin had spat fire at him, scarring his face for life. That same misbegotten urchin was the spectre standing before him now. If he'd known the threat he would pose back then he would have ended him when he had the chance. Should have ended him. Had he know that whelp would be such a threat, grow into a nuisance like this he would have done many things. But now this was a mere footnote in his mind as Councilor Tevos cleared her throat.

"This trial of Saren Arterius is called to order." she began. "Uzumaki Naruto, what new charges do you have to bring?"

"Only one." came the reply. "Treason."

The Council had summoned him once more to appear before them and, once more, he'd done so in hologram. It had been tempting to turn up in person, but he didn't trust the boy's temper. So here he was yet agains, expecting more half-hearted accusations to be flung at him. He was not prepared for what came next. When he saw the boy, saw the quarian standing at his side, his hopes sank. Somehow, someway, despite all of the orders he had given to his men, had found a way to expose him. This thought filled him with fire. Hate, even. And Shepard was alive, it seemed. Another cause to hate.

His Spectre status had been instrumental in the last few months as he laid his plans. Losing it would hamper him somewhat but he was certain he could continue on. What galled was that a human-this human-had been able to best him. Him! He had been so careful, so precise, and now, through one slip

"Here's your fucking proof." he opened his omnitool. "Data salvaged from a geth memory core. Evidence linking Saren to the Geth." With a defiant finger he jabbed a finger down, activating it. Almost immediately there was a soft chime, followed by the unmistakeable sound of a voice. His voice.

"Eden Prime was a major victory!" Saren's very own words boomed back throughout the chamber at him, crowing within triumph, mocking him. "The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the conduit. Those misguided fools on the Council have no idea just how close we are to fufilling our goal."

There was a brief pause. And then, much to his charign, Benezia's voice followed.

"Yes, one step closer to the return of the Reapers."

Naruto's smile threatened to send the red haze descending over his vision all over again. Damn him! By the spirits, damn him to oblivion!

There were a thousand curses and swears that he wanted to spit in that moment-but he held his tongue. Kept his silence, just as Naruto kept his face schooled into perfect composure. He knew the boy longed to get his hands on him again after their first confrontiation. And if they did clash again Saren knew the risks were high. He would most likely die. As much as it gallled the elder spectre to admit it, the human was better than him-at least when it came to the realm of physical combat. His abilities alone made him troublesome for anyone short of a trained biotic to face, but all the training Vasir, Bau, and the others had beaten into him over the years made him...dangerous.

Tevos cleared her throat. "Have you anything to say for yourself, Saren?"

Fools, he thought at them silently. You have no idea what's coming. You don't understand!

Willfully, he cleared his throat.

"This could be a fabrication-

"No." We have already tested that and found no such evidence of tampering. This evidence, your treachery, is utterly irrefutable." Sparatus snapped, his bright eyes narrow and angry as they locked upon him, gleaming in their dissapointment. "Saren Arterius, you are hereby stripped of your spectre status and all privileges that com with it as well as ordered to surrender for your crimes." Belatedly he realized that the information must have already been presented to them before the trial was called. They'd already made their decision long ago. This was a sham. They were doing this to shame him. And they expected him to come in? Cretins!

"You imbeciles," he barked out a laugh, feeling his artificial jaw clench. "You've no idea of the importance of my work. I'm trying to save the galaxy!"

"By attacking human colonies." Shepard snapped back, her eyes glowing angrily.

"I wouldn't expect you to understand, Shepard." he snarled, eyes cutting to the blond. "Just as I don't expect that brat to show me any mercy if he finds me."

"When." the blond corrected quietly, his words just low enough to be heard on the transmission,those eerie crimson eyes boring into his own. "Because I will hunt you, I will find you, and then-I will kill you." There was a bitter iciness to his words that chilled Saren to the bone. The once boiling lake that had been his rage was now frozen, replaced only by a numbing desire to see this human brought low. He didn't just want to kill him anymore, he wanted to humiliate him. Take all that he held dear, break him down until he was a shadow of his former self.

"We shall see." with a hiss he cut the transmission.

Naruto didn't miss a beat; even as the turian flickered out of existence he was turning his gaze toward the council. "So we got all that, right?" he asked. "Your top agent is a fucking psycopath, I was right, and you were wrong. Did I mention I was right?" the words lingered, hanging there in the empty air, condemning them for their stupdity. Sparatus looked like he was about to shout, Valern had retreated inward, his large eyes all but focused on his own console.

By comparison, Councilor Tevos was quite quick recover her voice. "I admit, we were wrong to doubt you-

The Spectre silenced her with a wave of the hand. "I don't want to hear your apologies. You're going to let me go into the Traverse after Saren, and you're not going to get in my way. We both know that. However, I've one more thing to add. I could use another Spectre with me on this. If he's working with the Reapers-and don't you scoff, Sparatus-then I need all the help I can get. Also," he tapped a hand to his cowl. "In the obvious case that you refuse to believe me again, I'll be recording all my actions from now on. You want proof? I'll cram it down your throats. Now, get me an agent to work with."

Tevos was quick to concede the point, silencing Sparatus with a wave of her hand. She could see the anger glinting in those eyes, staining them red. He'd sworn to bring them proof, and he had. It was remarkable that he hadn't simply tossed out his rank and gone after him. And he still just might. Their refusal to believe him had hardened the young man; he wasn't the same idealistic youth that followed their orders without question or inquiry any longer. And that made him dangerous. Best to simply appease him for now-lest they lose another agent.

"We could contact agent Vasir-

"I was thinking someone a little closer to home." His eyes slid to Shepard. She started, her bright eyes bulging. "What? You wanted my opinion. I think you're ready now."

"But you called me a pig-headed idiot!" she hissed beneath her breath.

"Yes." he nodded, the ghost of a smile pulling at his face. "Yes, I did. But you're a pig-headed idiot with heart. You've proven that you can change. That's someone I can work with."

Sparatus balked. "Uzumaki...you can't be serious."

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, Councilor." he fought to keep his voice even, battling back the hatred he felt for the man's stubborness. "The Commander has proven herself capable in recent events. She has survived horrors on Akuze long before we met, and emerged unscathed from that. That's something even I wouldn't be able to do. War-combat-is her resume. It defines her. Makers her who she is. In the time that I've worked with her, she's more than earned my approval." His head inclined minutely in deference to the redhead. "I would be honored to work with her not as a teacher, but an equal."

There was a collective silence as the Council considered his words. Finally, they nodded.

"Commander Shepard, step forward."

The events that followed were little more than a blur for Naruto, Mianda, and Jack.

In very short order he learned that he and Shepard had been given collective command of the Normandy. Anderson was stepping down as captain. That didn't feel right to him but he didn't offer any complaint. They did have an objective however; three, to be precise. The first was Liara T'soni. The others were Noveria and Feros. Miranda wasted no time in claiming the captain's quarters with him-which worked out swimmingly as Shep decided to keep her old soldier's bunk with the rest of her crew. They adapted to the idea of having two Spectre's aboard readily enough.

Jack claimed a place for herself in the cargo bay with Wrex, not trusting herself anywhere near the Alliance soldiers.

That suited Miranda just fine. She had no illusions to the fact that her fellow biotic was pining for Naruto, but as long as she didn't act on those feelings without permission, she was content to leave at that. Jack was the closest thing she had to an actual friend-her relationship with Naruto clearly didn't count-and for all their arguements and the irritating nickname of "Cheerleader" she actually enjoyed her company. But she'd be lying if Jack's attraction to Naruto didn't create some friction between them.

Long ago, she had sworn never to share him with anyone else. And why should she want to? He was the rock in her life, an immutable pillar that had stood strong, weathering everything life threw at them. She wanted him by her side forever. All to herself. He'd been her brother first all those years, then gradually become something more since he'd helped her escape. She loved him. Miranda could count those for whom she used the dreaded "L" word on one hand. Naruto stood squarely at the top of that list.

Nothing short of up and joining Cerberus -an act she was certain he'd never commit- could shake her faith in him. Yet sometimes, when she caught Jack looking at him, she felt sorry for the girl. Naruto was a man after all, and terribly handsome in his own right. Part of her wondered what would happen if she ever did give up her stubborn pride and share. Technically, she already had, in a way. Her cheeks colored in remembrance, as she recalled that night. She remembered kissing Jack during that party all those years ago. What would it be like to kiss her again, she wondered?

Not today.

Today marked their trip to Noveria, almost a day since departing the Citadel. They'd been busy. The crew had finally started to acclimate to the prescence of all the aliens and unknowns unboard, something she did not give much thought for. Because today marked another day. An anniversary. Theirs. Today was-by all accounts-the anniversary of their escape from the clutches of Henry Lawson. Last year it had gone unmarked thanks to Naruto's Spectre status. Not this time.

Smiling at the thought, she palmed open the door to his quarters.

Naruto glanced up almost immediately at the sound, his eyes no longer glued to the datapad trapped in his hands. If anything, he seemed to have forgotten all about it. His eyes took her in at a glance, raking over her as she entered, lingering upon her as she glided inside, locking the door behind her. She wasn't wearing her armor for once; instead she elected for casual wear. As casual as a genetically perfect human could be. This elicited a small smile from his fellow biotic. Her jeans were sinfully tight, hugging her hips, a simple black halter doing very little to disguise the swell of her breasts. Dark raven hair spilled down her back in a sea of all too raven tresses, framing her lovely face.

His jaw dropped slightly. "Wow. Is it that time of year already?"

She laughed and moved to sit beside him.

Neither mentioned how many years it had been. Neither wanted to think about it.

"We really need to stop celebrating this." he said at last. "I know its a good thing we escaped but...shit," he shook his head. "I don't like celebrating anything to do with that bastard."

"Really?" she scoffed.

"Hey, don't knock it until you hear it." He gave her a mock-serious glare, "Someone once told me that if you keep looking backwards you're going to miss what's right in front of you."

Miranda stared at him for a moment, her dark eyes looking into his so intently it was like she was looking into his soul. He could see her thinking the words over as she held his gaze, never wavering, or flinching as the soft sounds of the engine pulsed beneath their feet, as the stars moved around them in a haze of sound and light. Slowly, she leaned forward until her face was only inches away from his, and then her eyes dropped to his mouth and back up again, the hint of a smile on her own lips as she watched him. She smiled.

"You're right in front of me, Naruto."

He grinned. "I suppose I am."

"Hmm."

And then she closed the distance.

He pressed his lips against hers. Lips so different from his own; softer, as soft as rose petals, fuller, holding him in thrall at very first brush. He pulled back, marveling, and then he went in again...marveled anew at the decadence of her...then again, and this time, moaning, she opened for him.

Her tongue rolled against his, bringing with it the tastes of summer: berries dipped in cream, newly blooming roses and sultry midnights. He dipped lower still, face brushing against hers and she came alive in his arms; lurching up from the bed to meet him, wrapping her arms round his neck with a planitive cry. As focused on her as he was, he was able to follow her lead. When her tongue thrust, he knew to meet it. When her tongue retreated, he knew to chase it. He relished every experience that was her, growling with a sudden desire for more. More...everything.

Her fingers slicked through his hair, decadent sensations dancing over his scalp, tickling skin that had only evern been touched by her hands.

"Up?" An inquiry.

When she failed to immediately respond, Naruto cupped her bottom and lifted her, forcing her to straddle him, settle her weight against him. And oh, sweet heavens, yes, that was exactly what he'd needed. Pleasure rocketed through him, a beautiful sort of torture. She moaned into his mouth, her nails sinking into his scalp, as if to hold him in place. As if she worried he would try to get away. Never would he do such a thing. He was lost, tied only to the woman in his lap and glad for it. Except...

Except the new position was no longer the blessing he'd thought.

"Bed?" she gasped.

He nodded.

"Bed."

Wordlessly he pulled her toward the bed, gently pushing her down against the mattress.

Her breasts smashed against his chest, causing a brand-new ache. He wanted to feel her against him, skin to skin, no barriers. He released her long enough to rip his coat down the middle and jerk his arms free of the fabric, allowing what was left to flutter to the floor. He thought to do the same to her garments; indeed, his fingers tightened around the hem of her shirt before he could think to stop them, and began tearing free the fabric with reckless abandon, pausing only for her mouth to capture his again. His hand moved with a wave, the motion dimming the lights.

Shadow to shadow, skin to skin, she pressed against him the dark. It wasn't long at all before she was left straddling him, riding her spectre away and into oblivion. They came quietly together in the black before giving out, collapsing against one another, sweaty and stricken.

"I love you," she whispered softly, her lips brushing his neck as she nuzzled deeper into his chest.

Naruto laughed softly, leaning down to rest his head against hers. "Love you too."

They didn't emerge from the cabin again until they hit Noveria.

Noveria was little more than a snow-trodden blur, Mirand thought.

Their second stop along the way, Liara's mother was supposedly here. For the most part, their first mission had gone rather smoothly. They hit the Artemis-Tau cluster, found Therum, and rescued Liara T'soni. Miranda didn't like that starry-eyed look she gave Naruto. Shepard seemed to find it funny. The woman's mood had improved considerably since she'd become a Spectre; she'd even caught them playing biotic tag once, despite the fact that Shepard was a good deal stronger than her beloved. For all intensive purposes the two were fast friends, though the mentor-student relationship seemed to persist despite their equal rank. Whatever spite had existed between them in the beginning, it was nowhere to be seen.

But there was no hint of that good humour now.

"You...are...a...bloody...awful...driver!"

"I don't see you doing any better, Lawson!"

It was nowhere to be seen at all, as she clung to her seat for dear life, quietly cursing the fact that the Mako didn't have any seatbelts to speak of. Shepard drove like an absolute maniac.

"Goddess...is she always like this?" Liara gripped her own chair with her now-whitened knuckles, her already blue face positively pale. Whether it was from the knowledge that her mother was here, or motion sickness, the poor maiden looked about three seconds from puking her guts out.

"Hell, yeah!" Jack was laughing like a maniac as she employed the turret, enjoying ever second that the massive car/tank thrashed around them. And there atop the hull, she could hear the occasional curse from their beloved blond, punctuated by a crack of his barrier as he warded off the occasional rocket hurled their way.

Driving to the Peak was proving to be an...interesting experience. Naruto had flat out lost his patience and shot Anoleus dead when the man repeatedly refused to allow them admittance into the upper facilities-a fact that worried her a little. In the passing days he seemed to be becoming more and more aggressive. His attitude towards her and Jack hadn't changed in the slightest but, whenever mention of Saren arose and it often did, he always seemed to draw inward on himself. Would killing the blasted Turian calm him, she wondered? She could only hope so-

"Oh, fuck me." His oath over the comm was the only warning. "Is that a fucking human missile-

And then, something hit him.

Miranda knew it immediately because of his curse, and the sudden loss of him on the radar. Whatever it was it hit hard, hard enough to send him sprawling backwards miles to the south. Even as she shouted at Emily to turn the blasted ship around, she heard the unmistakeable crack of artillery fire. The Mako jolted from side to side. More geth. For all intensive purposes...

...he was on his own for now.

"Damnit!"

Naruto twisted aside as a white blur slammed into him, knocking him clear off the roof. His body struck the snow, his breath mask ripping aside to expose his whiskered visage to the blistering conditions. Even then his body was already moving; ducking, rolling, breaking his fall into a somersault at the last instant. It saved his life.

"Die!"

"Oi!"

Naruto ducked low as the blade swept over his head then leapt high as it came sweeping in for a second pass, swatting the deadly edge of the ninjato aside with the buisiness end of his pistol. In the instant that it took him to flick the safety off and line up a shot tracking with her movements she was on him again, the monomolecular blade weaving a deadly dance of death around him. The bleak chill of Noveria was frigid around him, snow and sleet stinging his eyes as he bobbed back and forth, her weapon only a fraction of a second behind.

He could barely see his attacker through the snow, but what he did see chilled him to the bone.

"You have his reflexes." she murmurred, approvingly, her words soft and low, like those of a lover. "You have his spirit...but you're nothing. I'm tired of observing you, imposter! At least entertain me a little before you die!"

He didn't deign to reply, instead lunging forward to meet her in combat once more. His shields whined in protest as the vibrating blade skimmed them-dropping to nearly half. She grunted as his fist cannoned into her stomach and knocked much-needed oxygen from her lungs. All the while, his body thrilled at the combat. Something in him relished fighting against this perfect stranger, and yet, somehow, he felt as though he knew her. He did, somehow. He knew her. He found his body predicting her movements almost as if it already knew them, it gave him the slightest edge and kept him alive long enough for her to make a mistake.

Finally, she made one.

The woman-assasin?-overextended herself in a swing-a second of wasted movement that he took full advantage of. A gauntlet shot out, rasengan in hand. She saw it coming and threw up her shields, the deadly sphere plowing through her defenses and throwing her down to the scorched earth. Naruto tracked with the movement and snapped off a shot, forcing her to waste another second to roll away and recover. That was alll it took for him to holster the pistol and draw on his own aresenal; a single breath and the pale-eyed lass found herself face to face with a cone of flame.

Expertly she bounded away into the drifts, skipping backwards in retreat. Naruto pressed the attack, pouncing on her. A pair of ninjato now danced in his hands as well. One found its place in her arm, drawing a furious scream from its victim, a cry that escalated as its twin sank into her knee. He slammed boot forward and kicked her back into the tundra, ready and waiting for the next attack. But his attacker didn't rise. Not this time, not right away. For each second without his helmet, his own breath grew more and more ragged in the frigid temperatures. He was really wishing the mako would come back about now; he'd been fighting for his life since she'd tackled him off the hood.

"Fucking...persistent...

A soft, husky chuckle greeted this turn of events.

"It really is you," standing woodenly and without care, the woman dragged herself to her feet, her arms swaying eerily, head hanging low. "You're him. You have his speed, stamina, spirt, skills and more. I thought you were just a clone...just a product of a syringe. But you fight the same. Breathe the same. You even have his values... I've decided...I want you after all!" Her head snapped up, a laviscious smile pulling at those full lips, turning her serene visage into something decidedly lustful.

It sent a chill racing up Naruto's spine, and not neccessarily a bad one. Breath fogged up before his face in a question:

"Who the hell are you?"

The woman regarded him fiercely, her pearl orbs burning like white flames in her skull. She settled into a strange stance, one that instinctively filled him with dread. Arms and legs apart. Veins bulging in her eyes. That savage smile had turned stern again, but the passion still simmered in those white eyes as she spoke.

"A ghost." she whispered.

And then she pounced!

Naruto waited until the last instant - and then his knee shot upward.

The unexpected strike caught the woman square in the chin, snapping her head with a mist of blood spurting between her teeth. She didn't fall. Instead she laughed at him. "Yes! More!" He barely got an arm up in time as she swiped at his forearm, feeling the pain resonate through his arm, all the way down to his spine. Yeow! He lashed out in kind, his knuckles meeting hers in a silent shockwave. Another eerie, lilting laugh. Whoever she was, she was good. And she was enjoying herself. There was no escape. No retreat. Not for her.

There was only the fight.

"MORE!

"You're insane!" he snapped, driving another knife toward her arm. She made no effort to dodge it; instead she jerked like a puppet sever from its master's strings, twitching as the monolecular blade buried itself deeep into her hip. For the first time since she'd tackled him, the white-eyed woman cried out in pain. Whatever it was, it seemed enough to snap her out of her daze. Trembling, a hand inched toward the hilt of the blade now protruding just above her left leg.

"You...you actually hurt me." she sounded amazed. Awed. Her voice was little more than a whisper, torn away on the wind. "Again. Even now, you're always hurting me." Hot tears gathered in her eyes, freezing almost immediately. She grabbed the knives trapped in her arm and leg. Ripped them free. Then came the dagger embedded in her hip. To his disbelief, the wounds slithered shut almost immediately, hot blood spillling out to snow and freezing at his feet. Gaspng, she staggered backwards.

And tumbled off the cliff.

He reached out for her, but the hot wash of an engine blew him backwards. A black and white form rose in the gloom, bearing a familair insignia. Cerberus. His blood ran cold, and it wasn't from the chill in the air. For a long, agonizing moment, he found himself staring at the human allied interceptor-gawping at the wounded woman standing perched just at its ramp. In her hand, she clutched the last of his knives. It was cradled in her palm, almost like an infant. She was smiling. Aways in the distance he could hear the roar of the Mako's engine, its turret barking furiously at the ship. Shots and rockets bounced harmlessly off its shields, creating only the slightest midair drag.

The woman didn't so much as flinch at the fire. He knew he'd won the battle, yet somehow the look in her eyes made him feel as though he'd lost.

"I'm keeping this." she said, holding up the stolen weapon, turning to stride up the ramp. "Until next time, Naruto-kun. May you continue to entertain me."

Wordlessly the hatch slammed shut, cutting her off from him. With the harsh whine of flight the ship spun away from him and accelerated, leaving him to choke on the fumes. And breath. He was left standing there, an old, ancient dread steeling over him. In the end, he managed only one question to himself:

"Who the fucking hell was that?"

A/N: And there we go. Events are already spiralling out of control, Saren's causing havoc and Naruto's out for blood after being humiliated as he was. Shepard's had a rude awakening and a bit of redemption all rolled into one neat package after her brush with death, so expect her to become less abrasive as time goes on. She also shares fragments of the vision with Naruto. As to just how that happened...all will be explained in time.

That's right she'll be working with Naruto! The Normandy is his! But what will happen with Cerberus? Will the pairing remain NarutoxMiranda or should Jack eventually be involved?! And what of Hanabi?

You decide, dear readers!

I'm not quite certain as to whether Shepard will remain this fic for the duration of all three games so please tell me what you think about that as well! I am but a humble writer without your input, oh dear reader! Any and all ideas are welcome!

So...in the immortal words Atlas...

...Review, Would You Kindly? And of course, enjoy the preview! DRAMA INBOUND!

(Preview)

"Jack," Naruto's voice rose, low with warning. "Now isn't the time."

She paused in her pacing of his cabin, giving him a glare filled with fire. "Then when will be the time, huh? After Virmire? After Saren? Maybe I don't want to keep this bottled up that long, huh?"

"You're kidding me, right?" he maintained his incredulity. "We're about to hit the planet, and you spring this on me?"

"I can't help it, alright?" a hand rose to pinch at the brow of her nose, stifling in its aggravation. "I've tried ignoring you, pushing you away...nothing works! You were there for me at my lowest point, through all those damn highs, all the violence, everything! You're always there, and now I've got thoughts of you crawling in my head like little godamn bugs! And now this shit, with Pragia! What the hell am I supposed to to with that? I can't just shut off these fucking emotions! Tell me what to do!" The look he saw in her eyes wasn't one of desire, it was planitive. Pleading. "Help me."

"What exactly do you want from me, Jack?" a rare growl graced his lips as he pushed himself up off the bed, his moment of weakness all but gone. "Me to break up with Miri? To choose between the two of you? I'm not doing that. I can't do that." he turned his back to her. "I won't." Liar. He wanted her. His body ached for her. How many times had he stolen a glance at her when she wasn't looking? Secretly wondered if she was more passionate in bed than she was battle. Jack was fire. Miri was ice. They were two separate halves of him, the idea of living without either of them was...painful. And then there was this strange Hanabi woman.

No. He refused to think about her. She was a stranger. Whatever strange memories he might have of that psychotic attacker.

"Naruto," he felt himself shiver at the rare usage of his name. Jack's voice, usually so rough and determined, suddenly sounded very small. Like she was about to burst into tears. "You, Ori and that damned cheerleader are the closest things I have to friends-no, you're family. My family. You think I want to screw this up? To lose you? I love you guys, godamnit!" her voice finallly cracked at the end, a tiny sob scratching its way up her throat. He forced himself to stare at the wall, to ignore as she continued. "I can't...I just can't...

"We. Can't." he reiterated.

"Yes, we can."

Her lips collided with his.

Hope ya liked it! R&R! =D