Disclaimer: Still down own either Halo or Naruto. Guess I better keep dreaming...
First Contact
The Land of Fire had always been a country true to its name. For as long as anyone cared to remember, the climate within its domain could have easily been described by a single word: hot. Though the forests were not as dry as the deserts in the Land of Wind nor as humid as the islands in the Land of Mist, the citizens of the nation were no strangers to temperatures exceeding 38° Centigrade. Heatstroke and dehydration were common occurrences among the poorer populations. 'Winters' were more comparable to rainy seasons with snowfall being an extreme rarity, while Summers were expected to bring a good share of heat waves.
Kakashi Hatake had found himself right in the middle of such a heat wave. The mid-afternoon sun sitting directly above was brighter and more potent than was to be expected of a normal Summer day. It caused him to sweat profusely, soaking his face mask and forehead protector to uncomfortable levels. His usually sleek and vibrant silver hair was now damp and grimy, and he could feel his clothes sticking to the surface of his skin in numerous places. To make these matters worse, he couldn't even bask in the shade provided by the forest's natural canopy. Instead, he was forced to endure the pure power of the sun's rays as he stood in the impact crater of an otherworldly construct. His hand subconsciously reached for the Icha Icha novel poking out from his back pocket; he sourly realized the book's material was suffering under present conditions.
All in all, Kakashi was not in the best of moods. And as he continued to stare at the target of his attention, he knew in all certainty today was going to be far from among the best.
For the last few minutes, all it did was stare back with its large, orange-gold eye. The... being had not moved a centimeter. It was if it was watching the Jōnin. Studying him. Vigilant of every action and movement from his breathing chest to the hand wiping sweat from his forehead. Vaguely reminiscent of a Samurai of the Land of Iron, it was covered head-to-toe in an outlandish olive-green armor. While it hid behind the strange carriage, which also seemed to be forged with the green metal and shockingly needed neither a horse or mule to operate, its two hands held what looked to be little more than a thin, well-crafted metallic slab. Though Kakashi could not be sure of what the object exactly was, the way in which the being carried and aimed it at him did all but deny its nature and purpose.
A weapon.
The question, however, remained. What kind of weapon was it? Although it didn't resemble anything the ninja had ever seen, why did it still give him a sense of uneasiness? Why did it feel so lethal, even though the ninja had never seen anything like it? Perhaps it had something to do with how it was held by its owner. How the being, who appeared to be equipped for battle if the armor was any indication, seemed to have complete faith in its ability to defend itself with such a tool. Sure, Kakashi has seen and dealt with aplenty fools overconfident in their weapons and strength, but the fact this was a complete unknown with everything from the contact to the weaponry was setting off a range of alarm bells in his head.
Unfortunately, he was never able to continue that train of thought, because what the being did next was as surprising as its existence. It spoke; the voice emitted deep, gravelly, and loud enough to cross the distance.
"Identify yourself."
The language, however, came as a total loss to the Jōnin as it was one he had never heard before. Using silence to translate his inability to understand, he waited until the being spoke again. But this time it sounded... different.
"Shìbié zìjǐ."
Kakashi, seeing how it was attempting to communicate, took a slow step forward. Only for the being to nudge the metal in its hands in a threatening fashion. Seeing this made him return to his original spot with another step backwards before waiting for the armored individual to speak again. It continued like this for the next several moments, with it saying an intangible phrase and the ninja providing a wordless response.
"Identifícate."
"Назовите себя."
"Identifizieren sie sich."
"Identify yourself."
The Konoha-nin's single visible eye, which had narrowed earlier in an investigatory manner, now widened as the latest set of words jarred him. They weren't just some incomprehensible jargon. No, this time they were spoken in the perfectly understandable universal language of the known world, Ninja Standard. Albeit thickly accented.
When Kakashi had moved to confront the being, he had not once expected proper communication to be established. His original intention had simply been to make his presence seen and hopefully do it in a non-threatening fashion. All things considered so far, the being was clearly not an associate of any known nations or hidden villages. It made logical sense it wouldn't have been able to speak the same language. But now there it was, having just asked ‒ more like demanded ‒ the Copy Cat Ninja provide his identity. He didn't know whether to be thrilled or terrified for having found this unimaginable connection, but he did understand what his next action needed to be. He lifted his hand in the air like how one might do to greet another and slowly began walking forward before the being could continue its dialogue. Keeping his open palm in the air, he managed to reach about half the distance before he was stopped by another threatening nudge of the metal plank. "My name is Kakashi Hatake, and I am a Jōnin of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Mind if I ask who you are?"
—
It was safe to say finding Humans living on this planet was among the last things Chief had considered. From the moment of arrival to now, he and Cortana had not found a single shred of evidence indicating the inhabitance of a space-faring race, let alone Humanity. Granted, it could have been argued their stay on-world was just beginning, but there were always certain hints and traces of a planet's denizens. For example, there might have been civilian radio communications, GPS signals provided by orbiting satellites, or indecipherable-but-detectible alien transmissions in the case of a Covenant presence. The lack of any of these signs pointing to the existence of a technologically advanced civilization on this world made the improbability of finding anyone noteworthy quite clear. Yet there the Spartan was, looking at an irrefutably Human man staring right back at about fifty yards away. The silver hair was a strange feature and the vest reminiscent of an early 21st century flak jacket was odd, but there was no doubt about what he was.
However, the knowledge of Human-life existing on this planet did little to ease Master Chief. With what he knew of the situation, it was blatantly obvious the world and its population was not under UNSC control. This meant the people here were either Insurrectionists or citizens of a very remote colony outside the jurisdiction of UNSC space. Neither conclusion encouraged trust for the unknown man encountered, but at the very least bullets hadn't started flying. Yet.
The first thing Chief did after assessing the new contact was attempt to establish basic communication and identify the individual. As standard military protocol dictated be done when met with an unidentifiable Human faction or force, he went on to continuously repeat the simple phrase, "identify yourself," each time in a different language. The purpose for doing so was simple: eventually he would say something the other party understood.
Although English had become the most common tongue in the UNSC, much of Humanity was still divided by a large and diverse language barrier. Languages such as Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, Russian, German, and Japanese, which were among the most influential on both Earth and her colonies, all still had a significant number of speakers even in the mid-26th century. To solve the issue with battlefield communications, UNSC Navy officers were required to know how to read and write English, while Marine Corps and ODST units were assigned 'Language Specialists'. Spartan-IIs, like John-117, were all trained and educated in the basic use and understanding of the most-spoken languages.
It was not until Chief had made it to Japanese before he got a real reaction. Though the man in the distance had attempted to step forward after the repeat in Chinese, no sign had been given to assume the phrase was understood, so a warning was made with an exaggerated motion of raising the Assault Rifle higher. However, this time the man decided to raise his hand instead. This indicated the phrase was indeed relayed properly while also saying it was no longer necessary to continue speaking. Considering this and the distance between the two of them, the man was given permission to cross halfway before receiving another warning to not approach any further. It was then that a vocal response was finally received in a formal, yet thick and unfamiliar Japanese dialect. "My name is Kakashi Hatake, and I am a Jōnin of Konohagakure No Sato. Mind if I ask who you are?"
"Do you know anything of a Konohagakure No Sato," Master Chief asked quietly in English. The question was not for the man, but the AI currently in his head.
"Translated literally, it means 'Village Hidden by Tree Leaves.' And there aren't any references to a place with that name in my database." Cortana had a tad bit of both curiosity and confusion in her voice as she answered. "Either its existence was wiped from the records in my storage, or it was never there in the first place."
This puzzled the Spartan some as well. "Don't you have Omega-grade security clearance?"
"Yes. I should have knowledge of every colonized planet and ONI black site from Earth to the edge of Human-controlled space."
"We have been gone for over four years," he stated matter-of-factly.
"Exactly. There might be locations I don't know about, but that's not what's bothering me."
A couple seconds passed before Chief realized his companion wasn't going to elaborate on her statement. "What is?"
She replied only after a moment of hesitation, which equaled to quite some time for her computer of a brain. "I can't really answer that until we learn more about this 'village.' You should probably start chatting with our new friend." Her tone then took on a mildly humored attitude. "Looks like he's getting impatient."
True enough, the silver-haired man had crossed his arms and narrowed his eye. Seeing as how the they both communicated in the same language, it was only natural the stranger would have expected a return greeting after providing his identity. Not wasting anymore time, the supersoldier raised his volume and spoke out loud in Japanese once again. "Spartan-117, United Nations Space Command."
—
Kakashi had not a single clue what a 'Spartan' was. The only assumption he could make was 'Spartan-117' was either a rank or designation of some kind. It couldn't possibly be a name if it had numbers in it. Then there was this 'United Nations Space Command,' which must have been whatever organization or faction the armored humanoid was affiliated with. He had never heard of it before, but the term 'Space Command' alone was most certainly intriguing, if a little daunting. Did it imply whatever institution or government this being came from had the ability to reach beyond the heavens into outer space? It was an interesting, yet frightening prospect to consider.
The Copy Cat Ninja was not an astronomer or any kind of scientist for that matter. However, that didn't mean he did not have a basic understanding of what was relatively common knowledge. Scientific advancements had long ago reached the point where the general population learned of some basic facts about the world they lived in. For example, the Earth was a spherical 'planet' that revolved around the Sun, which rested in the center of what had been called the Solar System. Out of a total of nine planets, Earth was the third farthest from the Sun followed by Natsuhiboshi as the fourth. Passed the sky, or atmosphere, in the areas between planets was 'outer space', a dark void empty of all matter and incapable of sustaining life. Because of these known truths, Kakashi had a good idea how large and overwhelming the discovery of a space-traveling people would be.
Of course, it was all still just a farfetched interpretation. It was not possible to draw any solid conclusions on the current situation without some concrete explanations, even if the silver-haired ninja would have trouble understanding them. One could argue the evidence was right in front of his face in the form of the armored being and metal object that fell from the sky. However, the truth was no one had any real idea what any of it was, let alone what it meant. So in actuality, that was the reason he was out there, attempting to communicate with an unknown entity equipped with unknown weaponry and technology. Someone, or something, needed to explain what was going one, and who else to do so than the very being that emerged from the middle of it all. Besides, if his assumptions about its origins were true and it did come from outer space, it likely wasn't a good idea to make an enemy of it. The best thing to do at that point was continue talking to it and maybe learn if it held any allegiances. "If you don't mind me asking, is Spartan-117 you're name?"
The following reply was short, cold, and instantaneous. "No."
Just as he thought. "Is it a rank or designation?"
"Yes."
"Can you tell me your real name, then?"
"No."
Kakashi slightly narrowed his eye and took the opportunity to finally return his arms to his side. "Why not?"
All the while as it spoke, the being never budged a centimeter. It remained like a motionless statue, keeping its gaze and metal weapon trained on the Konoha-nin at all times. It was a sign of true military discipline. "Classified information."
What makes his name valuable enough to be kept a secret, his thoughts questioned. Unless... The Jōnin paused his wandering mind as he wiped away another drop of sweat threatening to irritate his eye. He would have his answer soon enough. "Under who's or what's authority is your name Classified?"
"Office of Naval Intelligence."
"What exactly is this Office of Naval Intelligence?"
For the first time since the beginning of the conversation, the armored being hesitated to reply. It paused as if internally debating how to respond before eventually speaking a couple moments later. "The Office of Naval Intelligence is the service branch of the United Nations Space Command Navy responsible for espionage and counter-espionage."
Kakashi's eye widened a bit at the given answer. If what he figured was correct, this Office of Naval Intelligence was a military organization similar in role to Anbu Black Ops or the Toad Sannin's spy network. And if that was the case, it meant the being he was talking to could only be one of two things: a spy, or a highly skilled and lethal agent. Considering the bulky, green armor, it was likely the later. He didn't show it on the outside, but at that moment the Copy Cat Ninja began wondering if making contact without aid had been the best decision. "What are you?"
"... Elaborate."
"What is your occupation?"
Th armored being once again hesitated for several seconds before answering, but otherwise showed no other sign of discomfort with the question. "I am a solider."
For thousands of years, the world as people knew it had been engulfed in an era known as the Shinobi Age. It was a time when the military power of nations and factions was determined by the strength and number of their ninja ‒ deadly men and women specialized in the arts of Chakra. Unlike mere soldiers, who were often poorly trained civilians enlisted or drafted by their governments for battle, ninja were more than just simple tools of war. They were assassins, saboteurs, mercenaries... sometimes bodyguards. But above all else, they were warriors. Artists of their profession. No others, besides possibly the Samurai of the Land of Iron, matched them in discipline and lethality. So, for someone or something in the armored being's position to claim they were no more than a common soldier ‒ not a ninja, spy, or even a Samurai, but a soldier ‒ was near unthinkable.
In the face of such a conundrum, Kakashi could only investigate and question further. "As a soldier, what is your objective?"
The being waited only a second to answer. "To defend Humanity, no matter the cost."
—
The current situation was beyond unsatisfactory. In fact, Tenzō would go as far to describe it as a tactical nightmare. The moment Kakashi Hatake had decided to uncharacteristically jump the gun and approach the green giant was the very moment they had lost their advantage. Everything regarding this armored being was a complete unknown, from its abilities and weapons to its backstory and very existence. When the silver-haired ninja decided to expose himself in the name of a peaceful communique, he might as well have made himself a hostage. The fact no one could predict what the armored being's intentions or capabilities were made approaching it hazardous. It was made even worse because the Copy Cat Ninja should have known better. Whatever possessed the man to act so recklessly, especially after witnessing the giant ride a metal, horseless carriage out from an explosive fireball, was beyond the Anbu captain's understanding. Now, as consequence, he had to watch his comrade stand at the mercy of a being that was showing no indication of being a friendly sort.
Tenzō wasn't helpless, but he was at a frustrating disadvantage in terms of information and location. It was true there was only one of that... whatever it was, and there were thirteen of them if he included Kakashi and the others he had brought along. However, the numerical superiority was made void by the silver-haired ninja's position far out from the treeline in the crater and, more importantly, the abilities of the green being that continued to be a mystery. The reality of the situation was, if the cat-masked Anbu and his allies attempted to make any kind of aggressive move, they wouldn't be able to guarantee Hatake's safety. It was not to say the man could not defend himself; far from it. But Tenzō simply wasn't going to risk his fellow ninja's life without enough knowledge on the giant and the apparent weapon it was carrying in its hands. Considering the possibility that it was a member of a people that could fly through the skies in giant metal ships, who knew what it possessed. Technologically or otherwise.
"Kakashi went and got himself stuck in a tricky spot," stated the oddly confident voice of a man behind him.
The Anbu captain shifted further behind the tree he had been using as cover and turned around to acknowledge the speaker. Only for shiny, jet black hair cut in a bowl style, green spandex of a jumpsuit, and remarkably thick, bushy eyebrows to fill his vision. "Gai," he deadpanned as a simple greeting to the Jōnin.
"Tenzō." Gai nodded his head, then slowly and carefully walked to a nearby tree a few meters away. He laid his back on the trunk and leaned his head to the side just far enough where he could peek out and see the metal behemoth in the distance and its surroundings. "So what do you think of my eternal rival's decision?"
The Anbu returned his attention to the scene taking place between Kakashi and the green giant before answering. "Unlike him."
"Agreed. He isn't normally so reckless." The Konoha-nin then gave a small smirk. "But I wouldn't say it was unyouthful."
Tenzō resisted the urge to shake his head at his fellow ninja's usual semantics before peering at him curiously. Although "youthfulness" was a common saying of the thick-eyebrowed man, the way in which he said it this time implied a deeper meaning. "Is there something I should know?"
"Yes," Gai affirmed with another nod. His hand raised to his chin and cupped it between his index finger and thumb. "Perhaps my eternal rival didn't rush out there as blindly as you thought."
The Anbu captain narrowed his eyes, even if they were hidden behind his porcelain mask. But before he could make a retort, another voice echoed lightly from deeper within the forest. This one was slightly deeper and seemed somewhat... disinterested. "To be exact, he did precisely what I asked him."
Tenzō looked in the direction the words came from to see a man with two scars on the right side of his face and dark brown hair tied up into a spiky ponytail. "Shikaku, I didn't expect you to be here as well."
"The Hokage classified this mission as a high priority S-rank," Shikaku declared nonchalantly as he took a knee behind a bush. "He deemed it necessary to assign me as the leader of the second team sent alongside Kakashi's."
"I see," the Anbu said in understanding. "Hokage-sama must feel this is incredibly important to have sent you."
Gai snorted with a toothy grin. "Meeting an alien survivor in this mess is a big deal, wouldn't you agree?"
"An alien," Tenzō asked skeptically, his gaze returning to the green, armored giant still standing behind its strange metal carriage. "Is that what you believe that thing is?"
"It fell from the sky, didn't it?" The spandex-wearing man pointed his finger up toward the sky in an exaggerated motion. "I think 'alien' is as good a name as any."
Team Rho's captain remained unmoving as he fell into deep thought. After several seconds of silence, he spoke almost in a whisper. "I don't know what to think at this point. Shikaku?"
"Hm..." the pony-tailed ninja grunted. "I want to learn more about what we're facing before deciding what I believe. Although if I had to be honest, what we've seen so far inclines me to agree with Gai."
The Anbu raised an eyebrow at the man. Shikaku Nara, head of the Nara Clan, was considered by many, if not all, in the Hidden Leaf to be the smartest person in the entire village. His superior intellect and unequaled IQ had led him to become the Jōnin Commander, second only to the Hokage as the leader of all the village's shinobi forces. Like most men in his clan, he had an ingrained laziness and indifference when concerning nonessential matters. However, he more than made up for it by being Konohagakure's greatest strategist of his generation. A tactical and analytical master if there ever was one. And when it came to threats against the village and his fellow Konoha-nin, he was reputed be highly determined and often merciless in combat. Whenever the ninja spoke, those around him had a good mind to listen intently, for he was never one to waste words.
Shikaku noticed Tenzō's gaze, even with the mask covering the Anbu's face. "I'd explain my reasons, but we have more important matters to deal with." The Nara nodded in the direction of the metal object, shifting the other two ninja's attention to the scene taking place between Kakashi and the armored being.
The three men watched as the silver-haired Jōnin lifted up his right hand in what looked like a gesture of greeting, then steadily began walking closer to the giant. After about fifty meters, it nudged its strange metal weapon in a threatening motion, causing the shinobi to stop in his tracks. Although what was being said could not be heard, it slowly became obvious the two were vocally communicating. "Seems Kakashi managed to start talking with it," Gai said.
"But how," asked the Anbu captain out loud and a bit confusingly. "You think it can speak our language?"
It was Shikaku who answered, his tone blunt. "Think about it. We've been assuming this is a being that comes from a people who possess technology capable of achieving flight and traversing the stars. If this is true, then we can't even begin imagining what it can do." The Nara suddenly slapped the side of his neck to squash a mosquito, then released a sigh before continuing. "We probably look like a primitive civilization to that thing, which doesn't exactly make me feel any better."
It was a known and somewhat accepted fact that technological advancements throughout the Ninja World had been at a near complete standstill for the last several decades. Authentic scientists were few and far between, and the theories or ideas they came up with were often overlooked or perceived as useless by world leaders. To put it simply, Chakra was the biggest obstacle to new technologies, especially in the field of warfare and medicine. In the eyes of governments, what new tool could compare to one that can level buildings in an instant or heal wounds faster than any stitches? If it wasn't related to Chakra, ideas were more often than not cast aside by those who held influence, with there being only a few exceptions such as a certain Slug Sannin.
Considering this truth, Tenzō felt the smallest shiver crawl up his spine. It was a little terrifying knowing no one had any clue what to expect from the green giant. However, it also made the Anbu wonder: how had Kakashi and Shikaku planned to approach the situation if hostilities were to erupt? "You said Kakashi did as you asked?"
—
"Why is your objective to defend Humanity," carefully asked the silver-haired ninja. As of the current moment, he was thoroughly confused and in dire need of explicit answers from the green, armored being. Even if there was to be a man under that metal suit, the response to the Jōnin's last question just didn't make sense. The Human race was not a single entity, but instead a heavily factionalized species separated by dozens of different nations around the world. How could any man or being state their goal was to commit themselves to Humanity as a whole?
"It was what I was trained for," was the blunt reply, as if it should have been obvious.
Kakashi remained quiet for a moment as he locked his gaze with the being's orange-gold 'eye', which was looking to be more like some kind of glass visor the more he looked at it. He was attempting to search for anything he could somehow use to learn if what he was just told contained even a hint of inauthenticity. "Who were you trained by?"
"The United Nations Space Command."
This was technically something the Copy Cat Ninja had already been told before. Seeing as how the being was clearly trying to refrain from providing any form of in-depth explanations, he grudgingly decided there was nothing more to do than continue asking more precise questions. "And what, exactly, is the United Nations Space Command?"
"The United Nations Space Command, or UNSC, is the military, exploratory, and scientific agency of the Unified Earth Government."
Unified Earth Government? That single, three-worded phrase rocked Kakashi's mind with the weight of a sledgehammer behind it. It can't be... "What are you?"
"Like I said, I am a sol-"
"No," the ninja interrupted. "What, are you?"
In response to this question, the armored figure remained silent for what felt like hours. It simply stood there motionless, its otherworldly weapon never aiming away from the silver-haired man. Over the course of the eerie laconism, an abrupt wind pushed through the area, carrying dozens of rogue leaves into the air. It would have been a welcome relief from the mid-afternoon's scorching sun in any other time and place, but the tension between the two strangers allowed no such pleasure. Eventually, at some point after Kakashi started becoming frustrated with the silence, the green giant finally spoke in its usual deep and apathetic voice. "I am a Human."
"And where are you from," the Jōnin asked anxiously after several moments in thought, almost scared of the coming reply.
"... From Earth."
CHAPTER END
A/N: Hey readers! I hope you have enjoyed this chapter even if it wasn't as long as the last. Also, I know this story so far hasn't had much, if any action, but I want you to trust me when I say it has been for good reason. My plans for this story are to keep characters and events as realistic and lore-friendly as possible, so that translates over to when it does and doesn't make sense for bullets to start flying. It also brings up Master Chief, and the fact he and the Spartan IIs received high-class, government-funded educations alongside their training when they were inducted into the Spartan program. And we all know Doctor Halsey never does things half-ass.
Spartans, especially the IIs, are essentially the Tier 1 Operators of the Halo world. For anyone who doesn't know what that means, think of them as comparable to SEALs, Delta Force, SAS, etc. That's as far as I'll say for now, as I will be getting more indepth with what that means regarding the MC in coming chapters.
Another thing: some of you might be wondering why Chief said he came from Earth and not Eridanus II. The answer is simple; his real backstory and identity is classified beyond the upper heirarchy of ONI. Other than that though, the more detailed reasoning will be explained in future chapters as well. That's right, I don't like talking about important stuff in the Author's Notes :P
In the meantime, thank you all again for reading Halo: Iunctus, and I hope you continue to enjoy it!