Chapter 1: Arrival

It was pouring during the night. Not a storm, but a calm rain that makes one want to gaze outside by the aesthetic.

A young man lay on the hard cobblestone ground, cold water dripping on his face. He seemed unconscious enough to not react in the slightest. His clothes were torn, save for his pants which were thankfully on. His face, tanned complexion and a whiskered-like mark on the cheeks, had drops of blood that were now being washed off.

If one were to see him, their initial thought would be that he is dead. Most likely killed and left on the street. What a poor soul, though.

A series of footsteps began to approach. A woman with an azure blue coat carrying an umbrella while she stared at the body before her. Her eyes were blank, but she felt an internal regret if she were to leave him be. By making a hasty decision, she grabbed the body with one hand with surprising strength before she headed home.

Her home was nothing special. Just a simple one bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom, with the added furniture of a television, a single table, two chairs, and a chesterfield couch where she placed the man.

Taking his damp clothes, she wasn't bothered seeing his naked state. She was used to it, and she had been trained. However, as a woman herself, she couldn't just ignore the thing below the waist. Not that she was interested, no. Her heart was set on someone else.

Placing a hot towel on his forehead, she was surprised to see him groaning. Good. He will survive. And for the rest of the night, she did this repetitive action before she got tired and fell asleep.

He awoke in a panic with his heart beating rapidly. He gripped his chest to calm himself down and took a moment of realization with the sight before him. It was someone's home, and he couldn't think of anyone that would willingly bring him here. Furthermore, he noticed that he was nursed back to health as he wore a fresh set of clothes consisting of a white t-shirt and gray sweatpants.

Walking outside the balcony, he hissed at the glaring sunlight before his eyes widened. There were multiple strange vehicles with four rounded wheels that moved by themselves without a horse. On top of that, the people were wearing formal clothing, such as suits or dresses.

Sitting inside to contemplate, he tried to remember the events that led him to this present event. The last thing that came to mind was a battlefield, with hundreds of people on the ground, beaten or dead. Next, the battle against a god. An entity that was a threat to the world. Someone who had the capability of destroying humankind with her hands.

Her?

So it was a woman. But who?

He tried to think of a name as he repeated his alphabet.

K?

Yes, K!

Kagu– Kaguya! That was it.

He fought a goddess named Kaguya with his friend before she…

That was the limit of his memory. Nothing else was being added.

How about his name? He sure does have one. Everyone does.

N? It was a familiar letter. For some odd reason, an image of a fishcake began to swirl in his brain.

Naruto then? Yes, he got it.

His name was Naruto, and he fought someone named Kaguya before he woke up in this random place. That was the gist of it.

"Good morning," a monotonous voice greeted him, distracting him from his introspection.

Naruto saw a woman. She was plain-looking with pale skin and bobbed lavender hair with a fringe covering the right side of her face. She had a blank look while she stared at him, and they continued to look at each other for a minute before things got awkward.

"G-good morning," he stuttered in reply while she rummaged into the kitchen to prepare something to eat. "Need help?"

"Wash these potatoes before peeling them."

There they were. Busy slicing vegetables and cooking without a single word being spoken. It, fortunately, progressed without worries as they were too occupied with their tasks. On top of that, the woman was internally satisfied by having someone assist her for the first time with preparing food. She always deems it as tedious, but when you have help, it is a different matter.

As they sat facing each other at the dining table, they waited for the other to speak. An introvert and a confused individual equals silence apparently.

"Thanks for the breakfast," said Naruto, breaking the cold wall of ice in front of them. "It was great."

"You're welcome," she replied without caring. On the inside, she had a prideful and relieving moment as she is not too confident with her cooking abilities.

"Who are you, anyway? And where am I?"

"You can call me Fiona Frost, and we are in Berlint, Ostania," she replied oddly, like she was reading a piece of paper with her lines, and Naruto couldn't help but notice.

"Ostania…" He trailed his words to ponder.

So that explains the odd clothing and vehicles. He wasn't anywhere near Konoha, or the Elemental Nations, for that matter. He was in an unknown place with unknown people. Furthermore, the moment he woke up, he had a strange feeling of the aura in the area. By using Sage Mode — through instinct —, he tried to perceive the chakra of the people, and it came out to none. Not one individual, whatsoever, possesses spiritual energy. Only him — and him alone.

It was a scary discovery. As if he was thrown into a random world, robbed of his memories, by the means of discovering it himself.

Anger.

It began to accumulate. A feeling inside of him, similar to boiling water, swirled inside his stomach. Rage, confusion, and sadness collated as one. His eyes began shifting from a cerulean blue to a bloodshot red with slits in the middle. The whisker-like marks on his cheeks also were protruding to a bolder color. Overall, he was resembling a fox, combined with bloodlust.

Fiona jolted from her seat and glared at her visitor. She took a second to make a hasty decision of whether or not she should grab her pistol from her room, or should she immobilize him quickly. In the end, the former won after an internal debate.

"What the hell are you?" She questioned with demand, her voice becoming icy. "Speak up before I blow your head off."

She cocked her weapon and pointed it straight at the man's temple. One pull from the trigger and his brains will be splattered to the walls.

On the other hand, she began to sweat due to the hot air seeping from him. Of course, while she may not casually point a deadly weapon at a stranger, this was different. He was a monster, and one she couldn't understand. She felt an emotion that she thought she got rid of…fear.

Before her was a thing oozing death, and if — even for a slight second — she is caught off-guard then she might as well die.

Upon seeing the wary look on her face, Naruto widened his eyes in surprise before dropping to his knees in regret. He almost lost himself through impulse. This time, anger almost took full control of him, and even if he laid a single finger on this woman, an innocent woman, then it's a burden he couldn't carry on his shoulders for the remaining time of his life.

There was this feeling. A sense of protection is what he wanted. He didn't understand why, but he couldn't bear to see a sight where an innocent person was harmed.

"I'm sorry if I scared you. I-it's just that…I don't understand what's going on," he lamented. "One moment, I was fighting for peace, and next — here I am!"

Fiona understood why he was feeling that way. He was in a state of turmoil, and she began to become curious about who this man is. Why was he on the streets, beaten almost half to death, on a cold-rainy evening? Furthermore, he mentioned fighting for 'peace'. Was he a spy agent for this country? If he wasn't, what did that statement mean? Did he completely lose his mind?

Withdrawing her weapon, she deeply sighed before scratching her forehead with the tip of her pistol. What an insane way to start the day.

"So, where did you say we were going?"

After a brief discussion between him and Fiona, the latter suggested that they go somewhere where he will become enlightened on things. She also can't take the initiative of revealing everything to him, such as her profession and who she truly was, because of the risk of being caught. With the SSS becoming more suspicious of their citizens as they day passed by, hiding one's identity was more struggling than ever.

Furthermore, she was also skeptical of this man. He displayed questionable things, such as his eyes changing colors, and radiating death. Secondly, he supposedly is stricken by amnesia. A novice strategy of deceiving a person.

She had three theories: one, he was a spy or an assassin. That part was the most likely, since he wasn't fazed in the slightest after facing a weapon at point-blank range. No regular individual would act the same, as their reactions would mostly be pissing themselves and crying for mercy and whatnot. Meaning he is a trained personnel.

Her second speculation: he was experimented on, and after being a failed product, he was tossed into the streets like a doll.. This part was the most absurd, and most unlikely. While there had already been signs of turning animals, mostly dogs, into weapons, doing so on a human was just unethical and unheard of. There has yet to be a technology capable of doing such a thing.

Last, but not least — he isn't acting and is completely confused about the whole thing. She wouldn't be surprised if this turns out to be true. Although, she can't help but become more intrigued by this man. It was odd, really. Maybe he was just a thug who got beat up, or an innocent getting robbed, who knows?

"Here we are," she announced as they stood in front of a huge white building.

It was the Embassy in Ostania for the west. But that was only the facade. The truth is, it was the headquarters of the Westalian Intelligence, an organization devoted to keeping the peace between the two opposing nations.

Using the hidden lift in an alleyway, a photo booth as a cover, Naruto was astonished by how secretive this whole thing is. It piqued his interest in who these people were, especially Fiona.

Once they were underground, he became more surprised, literally gaping, as he witnessed a fully-used hideout. People were scrambling with their paperwork, and multiple posters of wanted suspects were hung on the walls and where they were last located.

"Good work on persuading him into coming here, Agent Nightfall."

Naruto furrowed an eyebrow at the statement as he turned to see a woman approaching the two of them. She looked young — probably in her late twenties or early thirties — with a slim figure and narrow eyes, covered by bifocals. She had long and wavy strawberry-blonde hair that reached her back that swayed as she walked. She wore a black wide-brimmed hat and an elegant black dress with white collared shirt and a ribbon under the collar.

Also, who was Agent Nightfall?

"It didn't take much work. After I received the news last night, I immediately did what I could," replied Fiona, getting a nod from the other woman.

"Great."

She switched her attention to Naruto and took the time to observe him. He was young, much younger than her of course, between the ages of seventeen to twenty. He stood at an average height of 175 cm with an exceptional physique as she glanced at the muscular arms. His hair was blonde and had whiskers on his cheeks, resembling a cat or a fox.

"I see," she smirked, making him feel uneasy with the probing eyes. "He fits the description."

"What description?" asked Naruto with a raised eyebrow.

"You didn't think this was all a coincidence, no?" She began, catching his full attention. "At approximately 11:30 PM on January 21, reports about the sighting of a 'flying-man' occurred. After thirty-minutes in the air, he landed precisely in the neighborhood of Berlint. Fortunately, the citizens were fast asleep and didn't bother to check, giving us the opportunity to acquire you without worries. Furthermore, I tasked Agent Nightfall here, or as you know her as Fiona Frost, to keep an eye on you in one of our safe houses and report any suspicious activities. So far, we have only received one, which was you acting strangely after hearing where you were."

So she hid the fact that he was acting like a monster? But why?

Looking sideways at Fiona, her face did not give any answers, whatsoever. It remained blank like usual.

"Who are you people, anyway? And what do you want from me?" asked Naruto, becoming wary as he slowly retreated.

While he was confident that he could take them on, there was the off-chance that they didn't mean any harm. They gave him new clothes and food, for starters.

"We are WISE, The Westalian Intelligence Services' Eastern-Focused Division. As the name suggests, we are a spy organization. Our main goal is to retain peace between Ostania and Westalis, and prevent all sorts of things that may spark up war. Whether that be assassination or espionage, any means necessary."

She stated proudly with a smirk as he only listened. So that explains why during her introduction, Fiona seemed to be reading off of a script. He's not even sure if that's her real name. But one thing caught his attention, something significant — 'retain peace.' For the sake of it, they are willing to sacrifice anything and use any tools to succeed in their goals. Again, he felt an odd sensation. Like a nostalgic feeling. He suddenly remembered the term 'shinobi' due to how similar the two were.

"What about me?" the woman tilted her head in confusion at his question. "Why am I here then?"

"Tell me, boy. How many times in your lifetime do you see a person falling a hundred feet from the sky and surviving with minimal wounds?" The question was rhetorical, so she was prepared to continue.

But…

"A lot of times, actually. Isn't that normal?"

Naruto bluntly replied as he remembered the war. After seeing abilities that could destroy the world, seeing someone merely falling from the sky was anything important.

She blinked at the answer. Was he being sarcastic? If so, it was slightly funny.

"Anyways, I didn't mean it literally," she cleared her throat. "With that said, we are curious about you, boy, albeit suspicious. We believe keeping an eye on you is the best course to take. We want to know more about you, where you came from, and why you possess the abilities you have shown. It sounds like we are forcing you to comply, and I can't blame you for thinking that way. But to continue our peace, and protect the lives of the people, we can't have you roaming free as you please."

Yes, she was right. It sounded as though they were forcing him to follow orders, and while he was hesitant at first, her reasoning was enough to convince him. As long as it's for the safety of the people, he will do what he can. Although, he hopes he gets some sort of freedom, even just a tiny bit, like having his own room and stuff, or his own place.

"Of course, we won't always supervise you. You can still do what every normal human being does with total freedom — such as sleeping in your own room and taking a shower. It's unethical to have prying eyes during those times.

Good. That was just the thing he needed and wanted.

"So, where am I staying during this whole process?"

"I have already received confirmation from one of my agents monitoring you. With his family."

"You don't mean —"

For the first time, Naruto saw Fiona showing emotions as her eyes widened.

"Yes, you guessed right. He will stay with the Forgers at the moment. Agent Twilight, one of the best spies in the country, will be keeping an eye on Naruto until the time we finally deem him as trustworthy." Looking back at him, she spoke once again. "You will be meeting him shortly."

He nodded before he had a train of thought. Would his only job be acting as a good boy? Staying at a stranger's house the whole time? Besides, why is this 'Twilight' guy responsible for him, if he already has a family to take care of? It just doesn't make any sense.

"Is that all I have to do?" Fiona and the other woman stared at him. "I mean, if it's for peace, I can be more useful. I could use my abilities to help you, guys. Fighting, spying, anything."

Seeing the vehement look on him, the woman couldn't help but feel respect towards him. It was a rare thing, nowadays. With every corner of the world, there will always be heinous and corrupted minds lingering. So, seeing this boy, no, man, in front of her, hope began to swirl.

"If you insist. I was just about to ask if you are willing to assist us in our current mission," she remarked, getting a smile from him. "Right now, we are in the process of getting closer to the Chairman of the National Unity Party of Ostania, Donovan Desmond."

She displayed a photograph of a thin, light-skinned man with large eyes that were perfectly circular in shape. Additionally, he appeared to be sleep deprived as evidenced by the obvious eyebags. He has black hair that is combed back and appears to have been closely buzzed on the sides of his head. On his left side, he has a lock of gray-white hair. He has a mustache and a notable lack of eyebrows. Finally, he has a row of scars running down the sides of his skull.

"He is a potential threat in harming the truce between Westalis and Ostania, and we must prevent that."

She looked at Naruto who was staring earnestly, sinking in every piece of information, making her grin.

"However, we have one main problem. Donovan is known to be an introverted man, almost refusing to show his face to the public. The only time he would do so is when attends an event for his son held at the prestigious Eden Academy. This is where you come in, Naruto. You must enter the school as a student, and befriend his eldest son, Demetrius Desmond. It's not a complex mission, which is why I am more than willing to assign it to you. You did go to school, right?"

"Of course!" Naruto replied, feeling affronted. I think I did, although I can't remember what it was called.

"Good. So, just do what students do — make friends. Get closer to Demetrius and probe any questions about his father. Or become an Imperial Scholar to get closer to his father."

"Then don't I need a guardian for that?"

"Exactly. This is why I will have Loid Forger act for that part, and leave everything to him. Easier said than done, really."

"For the last part, by the sound of it, it seemed like only geniuses become Imperial Scholars," he remarked with a regretful expression.

Although, for the life of him, he can't remember anything he learned from his previous academy. His memories are still hazy since he woke up, and it's not progressing quickly. No matter how hard he tries, his head will just ache as a result.

"Indeed it is. In order to become an Imperial Scholar, one must earn 8 Stella Stars, a merit earned by those who display high-level of intelligence, and remarkable talents, or are shown to be a great influence to society."

"Phew. I'm not too sure about that," he muttered.

"Don't worry. We have three months to transfer to the academy with late notice. During that time, we will push you to the fullest. Reading, writing, and anything else. We must succeed! You have to show you are worthy of entering Eden, Naruto."

Naruto gulped and sweated slightly. He was starting to regret his decisions.

Loid Forger, also known as Westalis' greatest spy, Twilight, pondered as he was tasked with yet another mission. Being one of the most trustworthy agents of WISE, it didn't come off as a surprise that he would be chosen. He fails to remember if there has ever been one, where he failed a task. He have a 100% completion rate in his portfolio and whatnot.

However, this time, through a series of trials and tribulations, it was the first where he felt the want to give up. He has prevented terrorists from attacking, deadly poisons from being shipped to foreign nations, and etc.

Then Operation Strix came along.

He was tasked with starting his own family — absurdly enough — in order to infiltrate the sacred event of Imperial Scholars to come in contact with Donovan Desmond and persuade him to prevent the breaking of the truce between Westalis and Ostania.

So, he adopted a daughter and tried to shape her into an academic weapon. The result? The opposite happened. Anya, her name, refused to study, and instead focused more on watching cartoons or other activities that had no significance to school.

Becoming a father was the hardest task Twilight had received yet. It was such a complex matter. Having to act as a role model was not as easy as he expected. You have to treat children much differently than adults, and he was barely used to it.

And, after receiving news from the Handler that he would be responsible for another individual, he was starting to wonder if he was more of a babysitter than a spy. Raising a daughter was more than enough, in his opinion.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

A series of knocking was heard on his door. It was probably the individual he was going to be taking care of. As he opened it, he met a young man, much shorter than him, with blonde hair and a nervous grin, wearing an orange coat while carrying a black suitcase. Twilight's eyebrow began to twitch at the hideous choice of color for his clothing.

Who in their right mind prefers orange, out of all colors? Heck, even green would be more suitable.

"You must be Loid, huh?" The boy asked, getting a nod from Twilight. "I'm Naruto. Nice to meet you!"

He greeted him as they shook hands. At least the boy had manners. That was important as he was respectful. Taking care of a rebel would've been a problem, and he would have no qualms of disciplining them.

"Welcome to my home. It's not much, but It's more than enough," said Loid, expecting the boy to become disappointed.

"Wow! What a clean house!" Naruto remarked as he was in awe at how tidy the living room was. Not a speck of dust in sight, whatsoever. "Do I have my own room, by the way?"

"Of course. Follow me."

Loid took Naruto to his room so that he could finally see where he would be sleeping. It included a single bed, a desk with a lampshade, a shelf with books, and a sliding closet. Despite being straightforward, it went above and beyond what Naruto had anticipated. He was quite appreciative.

"It's nice."

"Glad you like it."

Initially, his daughter's room was the target of his daughter's outrage that it was going to be "taken" from someone. But after arguing for an hour, she reluctantly conceded. No matter what she does, she is unable to change the situation.

"Well, I'll leave you be. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask me," said Loid before he walked out and closed the door.

Naruto sat down in bed and sighed heavily as he fixed his gaze on the blank ceiling. He hardly had time to take it all in because of how quickly time was passing. He has been in this location for more than three days, yet his memories have not returned. He was about to snooze after closing his eyes when he heard a snarl. One with depth. Before he heard it again, he was startled by it. It began to resound in his head before ceasing. It seemed to be a call or warning.

"I'm just tired…Yeah. I just need some sleep."

A decision that would have changed the course of events, but Naruto chose to pay no heed.

Unbeknownst to him, a monster lurking, deep within the shadows of one's mind, waiting for its host to call upon its name. It waited, but its voice could not be heard.

Until the next time, it wouldn't fail.

Chapter End.

Author's Note: I have to admit, the end was very rushed, which is why his meeting with Loid was not as great. My mind completely went blank, and I chose not to force myself to write more since it would just confuse myself and the readers. So, I just decided to wait until the next chapter. Don't worry, though. I know this chapter is not as long but the future ones will be. I just don't want to reveal too many characters in the beginning, since it seems forced.

Next chapter: The Meeting of the Forgers.

See ya next time.