Tip Of The Spear
Ch1
Kids In America
Tokyo, Japan, Earth, 2011, JSDF Refugee Camp Seven, Unaccompanied Children Processing Tent
It's been several days since the earthquake and tsunami had hit the island country and the people that lost everything just keep on coming. As the day wore on Asuka Ikari began to feel old beyond her years. The aged adults were bad enough but it was the kids that tore her heart. The majority that come in were reunited with family in less that thirty-six hours. The linking of school district student information to the central government, while controversial, had been a godsend as it was able to locate a child's parents or next of kin very quickly.
However, there were some villages in the effected areas were not hooked up as their student population was below the mandated minimum. This now posed a problem, one of the small unnamed villages had been all but wiped out with only two survivors. Two children, a boy and a girl both around age six or seven. As they stood shivering in front of Asuka a soldier from the SDF briefed her on how they were found.
"My patrol found these two near the body of who we presume to be a grandparent," the man began, "Evidently they lived on higher ground as the body was carrying a folder of documents. One of which is a little...troubling."
"Oh? How so?" Asuka asked knowing that a lot of the villages carried on long forgotten traditions. Hell that was how she met and married Shinji, his and her mothers were coworkers at a research facility and while watching their children play together decided that they would make a cute couple. Twelve years later at age fourteen they were reintroduced and told that they would be getting married upon finishing high school. Their families would pay for and university degrees that they intended to obtain.
"It's a marriage contract for these two," the man answered, "The children refuse to leave each others side and when they do it's only to use the restroom."
"A marriage contract huh? Haven't seen one of those in a long time," the lady commented as she took the case holding the documents. Looking over the papers she remembered her wedding contract and how outraged she was to be told she was to marry Baka-Shinji. In the end it turned out for the best, her husband was a Major in the JASDF flying helicopters to aid the stricken areas.
The contract she noted had been written on a scroll in the formal style of the emperor's court. And, as sad as it seems it was all legal and binding, the girl was more or less already the boy's wife but the kids already seemed to be an established couple. Picking up the birth certificates and child ID cards Asuka began to read out loud.
"Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, age seven, born on ten October, two-thousand and four. No family outside his village aside from his now deceased grandfather, one Arashi Namikaze."
Hearing his name Naruto had looked up at the lady, she seemed nice and seemed to not know about his 'tenant'. The boy gave the woman a bright smile as if to tell her he was harmless.
Asuka smiled back as she picked up the next set of papers, "Sakura Haruno-Namikaze, age six, born on March twenty-eight, two-thousand and five. Kami, all this before her birthday. No known living family, taken into the Namikaze household."
Now Sakura gave a small smile at the woman and hid behind the boy. Most likely very shy, thought Asuka. As she watched the pair Asuka noticed that they were very close and Naruto was very protective. It was in his posture, while he appeared to be relaxed his muscles were tensed as if in fight or flight. Looking back at the records she began to read over their school records.
"Naruto Namikaze, first grade in the village school, hmmm, it says here that you are very bright and intelligent but have a short attention span," the woman told the small boy.
Looking down the child was mumbling something. When asked what he said he looked up and replied, "I don't like being cooped up and have to sit in one place."
"I see," Asuka said before turning to the girl, "Sakura Namikaze, high marks in everything, in fact the top of your class," hearing that the little girl smiled as the woman continued, "It says here honey that you're very shy, is that why you hide behind Naruto?"
Sakura nodded, "They pick on me because I have a huge forehead," she told the woman softly, "Naruto and jiji are the only ones that protect me and now jiji is gone."
Asuka was quiet as she first looked at the girl and then turned her attention to the papers in front of her. As she flipped over one of the last ones her eyes widened, "Hello, it seems that there is a family friend in the US that had agreed to foster these two should anything happen to their guardian here in Japan. A Kurama Hagaromo in San Diego, California. Well kids, it looks like you have a home."
Seeing the children cheer up like they did made Asuka smile. Since late in the day she decided it would be a good idea to get lunch, in her condition she had to keep up on her meals. Eating for two could be tiresome, taking the kids by the hands she led them to a large outdoor kitchen the American Navy had set up to feed the people int he center. Seeing the variety of food they could have Asuka laughed a little as the kids made confused faces. 'Figures," she thought, 'poor kids being isolated in a village and only eating traditional foods.'
As soon as Asuka explained what the foods were the kids made their choices deciding to try the western foods since they would be living in the US, where ever that is, so it would be best to get used to it now. While not ramen, it was good and filling being told it was something called a hamburger with sliced, deep fried potatoes on the side, the red haired woman called them fries. Not an appetizing name but it did tell you what you were getting.
"So, in about three days you'll be on your way to your new house," Asuka told them.
"Ummm, how far is our new home from here?" asked Sakura.
"Yeah, can we walk there in a few days?" Naruto added.
Asuka softly laughed, if these kids weren't spoken for she was sure Shinji would let her keep them, their innocence was so...refreshing. "No hun, sorry but America is about nine thousand kilometers from here," seeing them deflate slightly at hearing the distance Asuka added, "But, you two will be flying on a passenger jet so it will take you about 12 hours to reach Kurama-san."
Hearing the name Kurama the kids cheered up and and held their hands tightly. They had done it just like the fox told them to do. While looking for a place to go the fox had found this world and very quickly had summoned other foxes in his clan begin to set things in motion. Several sought out a location in a Japanese backwater that the kids could say they were from.
Others had created the records Asuka had read from, the only documents that were real was the marriage contract and the guardian papers. The rest were a fiction with a grain of truth, Kurama knew how smart the kids were and how shy Sakura could be, so it was easy to have school records and family history fabricated, especially one that had been wiped out in a tidal wave and earthquake caused landslides. The old man had found the children and was indeed taking then to a shelter but had suffered a fatal heart attack on the way. The soldiers who found them assumed the man was related and was the one carrying the papers. As his body was in a very poor state it was disposed of quickly and the kids had given the poor soul a name to be remembered by. In the coming years they would always remember the man on the day he found them. He was the first person outside of the Hokage and his loyal ANBU that was nice to them, and they would always be thankful for that.
Two days after the phone call was placed two children of mixed Japanese descent were placed on an All Nippon Airways flight for the United States and a new way of life.
Time Skip Twelve Years
Seventeen year old Sakura Namikaze was in her families dojo sparing with her husband and best friend Naruto Namikaze. After ending up on her back for the last time she accepted the offered hand that helped her up.
"Not bad Sakura-chan, you're getting better everyday. Kuruma-san said that you're doing well in your medicine techniques too," the blond teen told her.
"Thank you Naruto, I'm glad that he thinks so," she said to him before turning serious, "When will we go home? I...I miss Konoha even though we were treated poorly I miss Ino and I know you miss jiji and the ramen people, so...so I was just wondering."
"Kurama said not yet, in a few years but it's sooner that it was," Naruto explained, "The fox says that we both need to enlist in this country's military, since the true ninja are no longer found in this world. I plan on joining the Navy, you should to so we can stay together but if not you'd look cute as a Jarhead."
Sakura hit her husband with a fist and looked at him as he lay on the floor, "We both go into the same service or not at all baka." With a smile she turned to greet their guardian for breakfast.
As Sakura entered the main building on the estate they lived in she was hit with the welcome smell of fresh coffee. It was something that was not available in the Elemental Nations and something that everyone had fallen in love with. Walking into the kitchen she walked up to the human form of the Nine Tail Fox and kissed it's cheek.
"Good morning Kuruma-sama, oh thank you," she said as she took the offered cup, "Naruto will be in shortly and it seems he's worked up an appetite."
The fox laughed and continued making breakfast. Over the beings life it would sometimes take the form of a human and walk among mankind as a change of pace. Then came the Senju and Uchiha who captured and sealed it and it's siblings into humans as a way to create the ultimate weapon. The biju were called beings of hate and malignant chakra.
That was not true, the biju were created by the Sage, Hagaromo Ĺtsutsuki out of love and were intended to watch over the people and lands of what would become the Elemental Nations. Kurama was tasked to look over and protect children and that was his undoing as the Uchiha clan had attacked his family and killed his kits sending the being into a rage that allowed him to be trapped and sealed into Mito Uzumaki. It wasn't until his second container became pregnant that he had let go of his hate for most of humanity except for the Uchiha as it was because of one that Kushina lost her life and Naruto had been persecuted.
It was only a fail safe that Minato placed in his son's seal that allowed the fox to leave if need be to protect it's host. The two were connected but as long as they were in a certain proximity Kurama could stay in the physical world. Over time that distance had expanded to nearly seventy miles. True, when the three entered this world Kurama was able to work independently across an ocean but it was for a short time and even then had the separation lasted a week longer he would have been snapped back into the seal at once.
As to how he had set up everything on his side of the ocean was easy for a daemon, while he transited away from Konoha with the children he had sent out his family of summoned foxes to assume human form and lay the ground work. In what seemed like a blink of an eye over one hundred and thirty years had passed on Earth allowing for an establishment of false histories. One history was a village in Japan that should not exist and the other was of a man who's family had came to California as merchants selling rarities from Japan to wealthy Mexican and Anglo families in San Diego.
The history of the Hagaromo family was one of service and a Hagaromo from every generation would serve in the countries military. First they served in the Army and later as San Diego became a major Navy town they would join either the Navy or Marines but there was always at least one Hagaromo serving. In fact in the years prior to this worlds second world war all of the men in the family had joined the Navy and Marines because of the nation wide depression. The family needed money to live on and the military were the ones that were hiring. It was this tradition that kept the family from being forced into a relocation center in WWII. No one in the government would dare to insinuate that this family was anything but loyal.
During those dark days the foxes watched over their friends and neighbors homes and assets, waiting until they could come home. When an elder was about to pass it was a fox that would stand the vigil and escort the soul to it's new home. The elders were never surprised at finding that their oldest friend was a fox in human form. And the ones that accidentally discovered the clan's secret never said a word. Over time the clan had attained a community of retainers and associates. Kurama was one of the last of the clan in this world and as soon as his 'kits' were trained and blooded they would return to Konoha and help Naruto claim what is his, leaving everything in this world to the few clan members remaining. Upon the departure of the last member all assets would then be sent to Konoha via a sealing array for the young Namikaze couple to enjoy. Hearing of this arrangement Naruto insisted that a quarter of the assets be split among the retainers the clan had gained over the last century and a half.
The boy in question soon walked in and sat down to eat. After a few moments he looked up to his guardian, "Kurama-san, Sakura and I will be talking to a recruiter in the morning, since we've graduated I've been getting antsy. It's time we take the next steps in our training."
The being nodded, "And what did you and your vixen choose?"
Naruto looked at him and said, "Navy, Sakura will ask for Corpsman and I will try out for the SEAL Teams."
Kurama sat in thought and asked, "And your reasons to choose these occupations?"
"Two reasons, both rates are trained here in our back yard and unless I'm sent far away you can relax at home until I do get deployed. As far as Sakura is concerned, she will ask to be attached to a Marine unit as their medic so she can also get experience in combat."
"You are okay with this plan kitling?" the girl was asked.
"I am, Naruto and I will both have basic training near Chicago and return here for school and training. It's doable and I have no doubts, we will succeed."
"One last thing," Kurama asked, "your hair. Pink hair is not natural on this world as you know. How will you explain it?"
"Since both Naruto and I are into the punk scene the color is easy to explain, before we leave I'll use a dye to change the color to a darker shade," Sakura told her surrogate parent, "People here are very easy to fool and it will help in infiltration training."
"Very well, even though you're not eighteen yet being married should let you sign for yourself, if not I'll be proud to sign the papers allowing you to join," Kurama said with a smile.
The next morning the pair walked into the recruiters office in their best punk attire. After talking to the Sailors there they took the placement tests, the ASVAB, and made waves as they both tested very high, in fact they could pick any one of all the jobs and training programs offered. Armed with their birth certificates, school records, naturalized citizenship papers as well as their marriage license they quickly filled out the enlistment forms and were off to take their induction physical. At the end of the day they were sworn in and told to report back in a month for transport to basic training.
The next month was a blur as the small family made preparations for the next part of their training, the kids saying goodbye and Kurama to ensure the family business are taken care of while he's away as well as having trusted friends watch over the clans estate. Soon the big day was close and Naruto found himself in the dojo along with his wife and guardian. It was time for the fox to return to the seal and take care of the boy.
Sitting in the middle of the room Naruto entered a state of meditation as he cleared his mind. Soon he was in his old mindscape of sewer tunnels and water on the floor. That would not do, the fox deserved much more and it should be a place where he'd be happy. So, thinking deeply Naruto thought back to his time in the village more precisely the woods and meadows outside the wall.
Once that was done the teen added a stream with an arched bridge. Looking around he began to populate it with small game so the fox can either hunt or play. The finishing touch was the inclusion of a replica of the clans main house and grounds. Just as he was done he felt a sharp pain hit him centered on the seal on his stomach.
As the pain left him the teen looked up to see Kurama in his nine tailed form, "Kit, this is for me?" he asked.
"Yes," he answered.
"Why?" the fox questioned.
"Because Sakura and I feel you deserve a nice place to live since you've shown us nothing but love and care," came the honest answer.
"Love and care huh? Even when I or one of my family beat you two into the ground while training?" the fox remarked.
"It was for a good reason and we survived. You treated us better than most people ever did back home. So why should I not give you a better place to live," Naruto told the fox before him, "The only thing I regret sensei is that the seal is now a collar, I'm sorry for that."
"Naruto," the fox began gently, "the seal will contain me only if I want it to now, you know that. If I have to be reminded of that I'd rather it be a collar than a cage in a wet sewer."
"Now go," the fox ordered, "Your mate awaits you and there is one last thing that must be done before you two leave in the morning."
Naruto nodded then left his mindscape. Walking past Sakura he entered the main house and made a phone call. He needed to call one of the most trusted of the clan's retainers. The man would oversee the clan's interests until they returned to San Diego in three to four months. While boot camp was nine weeks the small family added a time margin to account for injury or any other form of delay.
That taken care of the two went upstairs to their bedroom for some alone time as they would be apart from each other once they entered the gates of Recruit Training Center, Great Lakes. It would be hard to see each other and not be allowed to talk let alone touch their mate but it would make them stronger mentally and emotionally. So for the rest of the day until they had to leave the couple made love and took comfort in each other, reinforcing the already strong bonds of their love.
The next morning the pair grabbed their backpacks and went downstairs. The recruiters were to pick them up at nine and take them to the airport. It was a courtesy as most recruits were dropped of by their family or in some cases just dropped off by a bus or taxi. It was when doing the young couples background checks that the recruiters found that they came from a family that not only had a rich history with the Navy and Marine Corps, it had a very high amount of awards and decorations, the most common one, the one that all seemed to have was the one nobody wanted, the Purple Heart. The other awards were Bronze and Silver Stars, Air Medals, Navy Cross and other items given for bravery and combat actions.
'No wonder,' thought the Senior Chief Gunners Mate as he watched as he watched as their uncle, Capt. Tetsuo Hagaromo, USN, Retired, gave the kids the Oath Of Office, 'that boy would want to go SEAL or some other Navy Special Warfare unit. The family is just too rich in heroic figures for him not too.'
The fact that a retired Captain had offered to swear in his nephew and niece was not unheard of, the fact that the man was a genuine hero and former POW was a surprise. Said Captain had been shot down in the skies of North Korea in nineteen fifty-one and was taken prisoner just as the rescue helicopter came into view and the last of his squadrons Skyraiders flew past the horizon.
It was then that the recruiters did all they could for the couple including a guarantee that both would be advanced to Petty Officer Third Class upon completing their training for their eventual jobs. All they had to do was enlist for six years. Both teens signed the papers. The fox had told them that they would return after their enlistment ended. Both Naruto and Sakura planned on getting as much training as they could before they left. The fox also told them that they would return the same age as their peers in Konoha, they would be de-aged as nothing was impossible for the fox.
When asked one day before they left about all the members of the clan and where they went after they had 'died'. The answer was a bit of a shock, they, the original foxes had over time married human men and women as both sexes of the foxes had been summoned, and the offspring had then found mates and then they too married. Over the years the line of daemon blood was thinned with human blood but some traits still remained. Long lives, no debilitating illnesses such as cancer or heart trouble. Advanced healing was another trait that was sometimes hard to explain. Over time though, the lives of the clan would come to an end.
The original members had to die off stage as it were, they would reach a certain age and leave on some form of 'business'. Sometime after the member would meet his end, be it ill health, accident or by violence, it didn't matter how just that it would happen. Over time the remaining members and offspring became the protectors of the local Japanese community and that included standing vigil over a friends deathbed. Some would return to their fox form and instead of fear the elder would express joy in having the deities show them favor in their final hours. Sometimes the fox would transform in front of others standing vigil but it would always be in the company of those who still believed in the pantheon of old.
Now with the blood line so diluted the foxes that now stood vigil were full daemon and their job now was to escort their kith and kin home. The non members of the clan would be escorted to the Shinigami and a word would be put in for the departed soul. The kinsfolk would be taken to the foxes summoning world and shown how to transition from human to hanyo, something that all had done without hesitation.
Naruto was mulling over that history as they rode in the back of the off white sedan that the Navy had assigned to their recruiting office. As they passed the familiar sights of their childhood he smiled. On the playground were a set of swings and instead of painful and lonely memories like he shared with Sakura in Konoha, they were of fun and friends and then love as they grew closer each day.
The Buhdest temple and Shinto shrine were two other important points for them too. It was in the temple that upon her seventeenth birthday that Sakura and Naruto became legally married and their union recognized by their adopted country. While they thought of Konoha as their birthplace, it would be this country that they considered home. At the shrine they paid their respect to the elder that had taken care of them after the quake and tidal wave. They also prayed to Naruto's fallen parents and asked them to watch of them as they took the first steps of their newest journey.
They made small talk with the recruiters, as they had plenty of time they took a small detour. Entering off of Harbor Blvd they entered the Liberty Station shopping center and pulled up to a land locked ship of some sort. There was a state historical monument plaque near it and on the stern the word 'RECRUIT' had been painted. The recruiters stepped out of the car and motioned Naruto and Sakura to join them.
"Where we're standing was once Navy property," the Sr. Chief told them, " This is where the Navy once had a Recruit Training Center. This ship, the Recruit, has a more common nickname, the Never Sail. This is a reminder that once this place turned out Sailors by the thousands."
As he paused he looked at his two latest recruits. The boy, Naruto had a thoughtful yet determined look. Sakura was more...apprehensive. She'll do well, that, the man knew but it would be the first weeks that'll be hard for her. The fact that her husband was going through the same training made her determined to succeed, their post graduation liberty will be a big reward for seeing it all the way through. As he turned to the teens he spoke again.
"My family up to my father all graduated from this place. It closed a few years before I was able to enlist," he told the young couple," No matter, you two come from a Navy family and I know we took you to the various bases and schools to teach you some of the history and see what you wanted to do. However, we decided to take you here before you left, hopefully you'll use these moments here to help you through those moments when you want to lay down and quit."
At this point the second recruiter spoke up, he was a lower rank a Petty Officer Second Class and had spent the first years in the Navy keeping the engines working on F/A-18's. He asked for a recruiting billet in his home town to be near his father as the man slowly gave in to a long illness. Now it was his turn to impart some wisdom.
"Sr Chief and I have a bit of advice for you two so listen very carefully. First off, keep your eyes and ears open and your fucking mouth shut," he began shocking the teens with his language, "The maker gave us two eyes, two ears and one mouth for a reason and you should know what on your head is the least important."
Next he fixed his eyes on the male of the couple, "Naruto, you're very smart and very fit. Your only weakness is your mouth, keep it locked unless answering a question and you'll go far, just be yourself and you'll be leading the other boots in no time."
"Sakura," he said getting her attention while her husband was in thought, "you're drawback is your shyness. Don't listen to anyone but the Company Commanders, you're as smart and fit as your husband. Show them why he chose you all those years ago," the man told her knowing her and Naruto's history and why they had went through with the contract and not find other partners.
A few more minutes of talking, at one point an elderly gent with his grandchildren came by and shared a story of his training on the Never Sail and the boot camp that once existed here. He congratulated the newest members of 'his' Navy and went along his way. Naruto looked over and thought about what they'd been told by three separate Sailors. He and Sakura had lots to live up to, but that's alright, they had a big reason to succeed, to return to Konoha.
Two hours later the two were in the air, on their way to Chicago and then the Naval Training Center Great Lakes. Halfway through the fight the two entered the aft lavatory and a silencing jutsu later they joined the mile high club. Returning to their seats Sakura rested her head on Naruto's shoulders and napped the rest of the way.
As they left the airplane they were directed to a kiosk by the exit as they approached they were greeted by a Sailor in his whites sporting a bored look. As they handed him their orders and paperwork he noticed they shared the same last name.
"Namikaze, you brother and sister?" he asked.
Sakura spoke for themselves,"No, husband and wife, why?"
"Well, I hope you two got your marriage obligations out of the way because today is your PCD," he said.
Naruto looked confused, he'd went through almost every acronym the Navy had and never came across that one, "PCD? Whats that?"
A grin spread on the man's face as he eyed the two," Pussy Cutoff Date. I'll let you kiss your honey before you get on the bus because after that it's called fraternization. Welcome to the Navy."