Welcome to Chapter 7. Took a good bit to get this started, and I was put on hiatus for several weeks because I had to replace my moldy, soggy RV floor and my laptop died shortly afterward, so I had several issues dealing with getting this written. Anyway, enjoy the chapter, and don't forget to leave a review telling me what you think.
Chapter 7: Day One
August 17th, CCY 3380, Morning
The group awoke at different intervals the next morning, none sure of what the day had planned for them other than Hagoromo, who opened his eyes, exiting his meditation. He picked up his staff and walked over to the lazier members of the group, waking them up by tapping their foreheads with the straight end of his staff. As they groaned and slowly rose from their slumber, he cleared his throat to get the group's attention. "I have formulated our schedule for this week. I can sense there are threats much more dangerous and far-reaching than those we have dealt with on our own world, and we must all be ready."
"Minato, Jiraiya, Hiruzen, please obtain a map of Equestria and the lands abound. The most detailed that is offered. If possible, also obtain a geopolitical map. We must know how the country's various towns and cities operate and how they contribute to the country's prosperity as a whole." The three nodded, grabbing ration bars from their own storage before heading out the door of the large tower penthouse.
"My charges, I wish for you to use your extensive knowledge on human nature to integrate yourselves into the political society of the various cities and towns here. I will send each of you to a separate location so we can gather information the fastest." They nodded, though Kokuo didn't seem very happy about going on her own.
"Naruto, you will remain with myself and Žiara. We will be training you to better harness your latent power, as well as prepare your mind and body for the power you will soon possess." Naruto went to complain/ask a question, but Hagoromo raised his hand to stop him. "Naruto, we have already discussed this. This is the course of action that will lead to the best and greatest results. Besides, we will not begin the physical training until your mind has been sharpened. The war waged on your world may have tempered your body and spirit, but mentally, you still have much to develop and learn." The little logic in Naruto's brain couldn't refute Hagoromo's argument, and he visibly deflated, begrudgingly accepting the man's statement.
At that moment, a knock sounded on the door, and the guard spoke. "The Princess is now entering." A moment later, Princess Celestia stepped forward through the doorway of the penthouse, and the attention of all the room's occupants moved to her.
"A good morning, Hagoromo and company." The group issued their own greetings back to her, before she sat at the table next to the bathroom door, a soft expression adorning her features.
Žiara sat down in the armchair next to the table, looking at Celestia with a calm expression. "A pleasant morning to you as well, Princess. Might I inquire as to the reason for this early morning visit?"
"I'm only here to see about a schedule, if your group has one."
Žiara chuckled at the Princess's timing in her arrival. "We actually just finished discussing such matters. Hagoromo, would you like to reiterate our discussion?"
"Of course, Žiara." Hagoromo recounted the discussion that had just transpired, and Celestia was pleased with the group's initiative.
"Ah, so that is why I passed the three older men on my way here. If you'll recall them, I can have the necessary materials for them delivered."
"I shall endeavor to do so. One moment, please." Hagoromo flared his chakra in a specific pattern for a moment, and not a second later, the three men flickered back into the room. Celestia raised an eyebrow and asked Hagoromo about what he had just done. "The simplest explanation of the process is that each shinobi is trained to detect specific patterns in others' chakra that serve as signals, and the strength of the signal as it is being broadcast determines the severity of the issue at hand. I conveyed a sense of minor urgency, so that they should be sure to return at their earliest convenience." The three older men nodded, confirming Hagoromo's thesis.
"What do you need to begin your task?" Celestia asked, turning to Minato, Hiruzen, and Jiraiya. Upon being told what the three men needed, Celestia stepped out the front door of the penthouse for a few moments, and stepped back in, closing the door behind her. "I've informed one of the guards of what you need. He will be back shortly. In the meantime, I believe you told me, Hagoromo, that you sought to place your... children... in political seats, is that not true?"
"I believe I did, though I am not naive to a point where I'd be of the mindset you would simply hand them such important positions. Though a starting point would be appreciable, they will need to work toward their goals, just as Naruto will have to work toward his."
Celestia nodded, taking a sip of a cup of water she had retrieved shortly before the three men had returned. "In that case, I may be of some assistance in suggesting where each of your children should attempt to establish themselves, that they would find it easiest to adapt. Though the major issue with having them integrate themselves into the political climate is that most positions in any meaningful capacity require a four or six-year certification from the Canterlot Universal Academy in political science, so they will need to attend that university before they can begin the task you have set out for them."
"Then my children will be sure to fulfill those requirements, and work toward their task." Hagoromo insisted, and the others nodded at the unspoken agreement. "I must inquire as to the prerequisites for their entry into this political science program."
Celestia chuckled. "I do not remember the specifics, as I have not had a hand in the university's day-to-day for many decades, but I can provide you the location of the university's admissions office, where the staff on hand will be more than willing to assist you."
"That would be delightful." Celestia used her magic to conjure a pencil and a sheet of paper, which she deftly wrote on for a few moments, before handing the paper to Hagoromo. "Thank you once again for your able and willing assistance, Princess."
"It is of no concern. I am afraid that I must return to my duties now, so I bid you and your group farewell." Hagoromo and the group bade farewell to Celestia as she rose from the chair, placing it back where she had pulled it out, and strode elegantly out of the room. Hagoromo gave the sheet of paper Celestia had inscribed the address of the university on a second glance, then decided the course of action was to take the group and visit.
"Store your belongings, if you must. We will depart for the university momentarily." With Hagoromo's declaration, the group made their way out of the penthouse. Naruto had Senshi stay inside, not only to guard their belongings, but to prevent another panic attack in the populace of the city.
Canterlot Universal Academy
After making their way to the bank responsible for holding accounts for money, and getting an estimate of their total holdings - even with the value of each RyΘ only being a hundredth that of a ßit, they were still now very wealthy, with a savings account where the vast majority of their fifty-two and a half million ßits were being held - they made their way to the Academy to have the group register for classes. It had been decided - much to Naruto and Jiraiya's chagrin - that everyone in the group would attend classes to further familiarize themselves with the world.
The entire group had decided to enroll in the intermediate and advanced history classes in the mornings held in 404 - a small theater room with capacity to hold fifty people at the top floor of the university taught by a senior professor aptly named Old Fart, the advanced algebra class in the afternoon held in 319 - another theater room taught by a newer professor named Pen Stroke, and the science and biology classes in the evening held in 142 - a class reserved exclusively for large groups such as theirs taught by another newer professor named Camellia Cradle. The last one was especially important, because as Hagoromo would explain later, it was important that, especially for those with talent or experience in medical ninjutsu, knowledge of the anatomies and operations of the various species that inhabited Equus would be paramount in helping injured individuals in the future.
In addition, some of the group decided to take their own courses. Minato decided to take a weekend class on magical theory, citing a desire to understand the mechanics of the powers on Equus in an effort to incorporate the energies of the world into his own seals. Jiraiya and Hiruzen decided to take an optional class on communication and vernacular, citing that they'd be more easily able to help others in the future. The nine all signed up for the same Saturday evening political science class, obviously.
Jiraiya decided to enroll in the magical theory class, same as Minato, though unlike Minato's desire to incorporate magic into his seals, Jiraiya did not really have any productive purpose in mind. Žiara only chose to enroll in geology and geography classes, for reasons she did not elaborate on.
Naruto was enrolled in EVERY class the university had. Literally EVERY ONE. Thanks to Hagoromo and Žiara, Naruto would send Shadow Clones to each class, under a different guise unnoticeable by the professors, while the original would stay behind for the mental training Hagoromo and Žiara would employ.
"Thank you for your time and assistance, Mrs. President." The group were now getting ready to leave after having spent most of the day enrolling in the semester's classes, which would begin the following Monday, and ordering their textbooks. The cost for those that weren't Naruto was 4,280 ßits, while Naruto's cost was well over 200,000 ßits. Minato complained for a while about how much money had to be dropped, but had been convinced earlier that such action was necessary.
"Of course, Mr. Otsutsuki. Good luck to all of you with your classes." The President of the university, an elderly woman who went by the name Silver Stream, thanked the group for their time and bade them farewell.
On the way out, the group ran into, of all people, Twilight. She carried a bag over her shoulder, presumably with a load of books or other study-related materials. "Ah, hello again, young Twilight."
Of course, Twilight being the overzealous bookworm she was, she did not notice the group until Žiara called out to her. She looked up from her current reading and waved to the group, running over. "Hey, everybody!" Then she noticed the direction the group had been walking from. "Oh, did you guys just get done enrolling in classes here at the Academy?"
"As a matter of fact, we did. Are you enrolled at the Academy?" Jiraiya asked.
"Yeah, I am! I was just on my way to meet all my professors!" Twilight enthusiastically replied.
Naruto's eyebrow twitched. Of course it's the bookworms that would be excited about such a thing...
"I believe we shall join you in your endeavor, then. It will be good knowledge for young Naruto, considering he will soon be sharing a class with every student in this building."
"Ooh, I can't wait! Come on!" Then Twilight's awareness kicked in, and her eyes widened in shock, then curiosity at Hagoromo's statement. "Wait, Naruto's taking every class offered?! Dear Celestia, you have to tell me your secrets!"
Naruto groaned in exasperation, while the others chuckled at his predicament. Naruto made a Shadow Clone to demonstrate. "Shadow Clones. Originally developed during the Second Great Ninja War by the Second Hokage and his top ninja as a non-endangering form of espionage, Shadow Clones, when dispelled, transfer their memories back to the creator. Makes information gathering a breeze, and more recently, it was discovered that we can use Shadow Clones to speed up all but physical training by several orders of magnitude. And Naruto can make so many that it's possible for him to learn a hundred years' worth of information in two months or less." Jiraiya elaborated while Twilight sped in circles around Naruto's clone, taking notes and mumbling to herself in fascination about how not even their magic could replicate such feats.
Eventually, Hagoromo placed a hand on Twilight's shoulder, causing the bookworm to pause. "Calm yourself, young Twilight. I understand the desire for knowledge is great in you, but you must temper it with patience and caution. lest you delve into knowledge beyond your capability of understanding. Men have been driven to madness for much less than you could potentially uncover."
At Hagoromo's words, Twilight at least had the decency to look abashed. "Oh, sorry, I guess you're right, Mr. Otsutsuki. I guess I got ahead of myself there and got too excited."
"It is acceptable. Just remember to exercise caution for things you do not understand. And please, I would like to be referred to by simply my given name. Unfortunately, we have a long few weeks ahead of us, so we must depart and rest. Have a nice evening, young Twilight, and good luck in your studies."
"Alright, you guys have a good night too! See you next week!" Twilight waved at the group as they turned and headed in the direction of the tower where they were staying.
About a hour and a half later, everyone save Naruto, Hagoromo and Žiara were asleep. Naruto was laying on the bed thinking, when he felt a mental pull not unlike that of Kurama's own summons back before they grew to trust each other. Not a second later, he was asleep in the real world.
Realm of the Six Paths
Naruto found himself in the same place he'd woken up before he found out what had happened on his world. He frowned and looked around, before spotting Hagoromo and Žiara resting in meditative poses, as if they had been waiting for him the whole time. He moved and sat down across from them, and Hagoromo opened his eyes, staring at the young ninja. "We will begin your training shortly, young Naruto. First, I will allow Žiara to explain the nature of this realm, as it is her creation."
Žiara took over at this point. "This realm, which I created to allow Hagoromo to use to split the Ten-Tails's chakra into what are no longer the Biju, is designed for extended stays. I created it so it is far removed, though not entirely disconnected, from the dimension of time. The ratio of time is one to one hundred twenty, which for each hour that passes in the real world, you will have spent five days here. This is the ideal situation for mental training because it can be done while you are sleeping, with no ill effects.
"On the topic of your mental training, in this realm, we will be using the time mainly to focus on exercises you overview in your studies at the Academy. Along with dear Twilight, I will be able and willing to assisst in your understanding of these concepts, as I have already made available and used this realm to peruse and gain understanding of a copy of every material item needed for your classes."
Hagoromo took over again at this point. "However, we will not be training your chakra control or other ninja-related skills in this realm." Naruto, as he was wont to do, went to complain, but Hagoromo stopped him. "Do you know of the Sharingan ability known as Tsukuyomi?" Naruto nodded his head, remembering that Sasuke, Itachi and Madara, among other Uchiha, were capable of and wont to use the genjutsu. "Due to its ability to allow its user to dictate the flow of time inside its reality, we will be using my Tsukuyomi to train. Because of my mastery of the concepts and fundamentals of chakra, and my having simultaneously awakened both the Mangekyo Sharingan and Rinnegan, I have absolute control over the reality that my Tsukuyomi creates, and my usage of the ability does not harm myself or the individual who the ability is cast on. Thus, we will use my Tsukuyomi realm to train your Ninshu. You may still endeavor to use your Ninjutsu in the real world should the need arise, but as our student, you will be expected to adhere to our teachings and philosophies while training in this realm. Are you aware and in acknowledgement of this?"
"Yes, Super Gramps..." Naruto clearly was not happy at having to spend so long training, even if it was while he was asleep.
"Also, starting now, in this realm and the Tsukuyomi reality, you will address me as Hagoromo-sensei and you will address Žiara as Žiara-sensei."
"Y... Yes, Hagoromo-sensei."
Hagoromo cleared his throat. "Alright, let us begin with your training. Tsukuyomi."
I honestly did not expect to finish this chapter before finals week came up. Other than the names for the professors, I had no issues writing, and everything basically just wrote itself. Unfortunately, infodump ahead. In order to show the power and rankings of characters in-world as they stand now, I need to make a system and give a few characters' stats as of now. And I'll have to split the stats up over several chapters due to how many characters I need to cover.
Also, yes, for those of you in advance getting ready to type the million-dollar 'will there be a timeskip' question, there will be. I'm simply not creative enough to fill two whole years' worth of space with enough content. Though the timeskips will be a couple chapters apart each, and there will probably be several over the two-year span. I expect to arrive at the start of the canon timeline by Chapter 20 or 25, with what I've got planned so far. Anyway, the stats and scale are below, and the QA will be at the bottom, as usual.
Stats: There are five stats to be judged, each on a scale of 0 to 100. These, respectively are Strength (STR), Stamina (STA), Intelligence (INT), Durability (DUR), and Charisma (CHA). On the scale, total points that fall within a certain range are awarded ranks, from D to S. D rank constitutes a total score of 0 to 300 (0 to 60 per stat). C rank constitutes a total score from 301 to 375 (61 to 75 per stat). B rank constitutes a score from 376 to 435 (76 to 87 per stat). A rank constitutes a score from 436 to 475 (88 to 95 per stat). S rank constitutes a score from 476 to 500 (96 to 100 per stat). Below the numerical stats, each character will have a list of notable attributes and feats that apply to their current self.
After this chapter, the stats will be posted immediately before the bottom A/N, for future reference.
Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze
STR: 44
STA: 65
INT: 27
DUR: 62
CHA: 100
Score/Rank: 298 (High D Rank)
Notable Feats: Completed the Rasengan, Defeated Kaguya Otsutsuki, Pacified the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox
Notable Abilities: Rasenshuriken (various styles), Talk no Jutsu, Six Paths Sage Mode, Senjutsu Master, Shadow Clone Jutsu
Hagoromo Otsutsuki
STR: 85
STA: 93
INT: 100
DUR: 79
CHA: 68
Score/Rank: 415 (B Rank)
Notable Feats: Sealed the Ten-Tails, Defeated Kaguya Otsutsuki, Created Ninshu
Notable Abilities: Mastered Rinnegan, Truth-Seeking Orbs, Creation Of All Things, Senjutsu Master
Žiara
STR: 82
STA: 78
INT: 91
DUR: 85
CHA: 53
Score/Rank: 389 (Low B Rank)
Notable Feats: None Known
Notable Abilities: Goddess, Mastered Outer Path
Jiraiya
STR: 31
STA: 47
INT: 65
DUR: 39
CHA: 55
Score/Rank: 237 (D Rank)
Notable Feats: Mentored the Fourth Hokage, Defeated three Paths of Pain
Notable Abilities: Senjutsu, Collaboration Ninjutsu, Massive Rasengan, Seal Expert
Minato Namikaze
STR: 45
STA: 68
INT: 88
DUR: 51
CHA: 65
Score/Rank: 337 (C Rank)
Notable Feats: Defeated the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, Created the Rasengan, Led Konoha to Victory in 3GNW, Became Fourth Hokage
Notable Abilities: Rasengan, Seal Master, Flying Raijin, Senjutsu
Hiruzen Sarutobi
STR: 51
STA: 50
INT: 74
DUR: 43
CHA: 55
Score/Rank: 273 (High D Rank)
Notable Feats: Became Third Hokage, Crippled Orochimaru, Mentored Jiraiya, Became Proficient in All Five Nature Transformations
Notable Abilities: Five Style Massive Combo Jutsu, Summoning Jutsu, Reaper Death Seal
Princess Celestia
STR: 52
STA: 18
INT: 67
DUR: 35
CHA: 86
Score/Rank: 258 (High D Rank)
Notable Feats: Banished Nightmare Moon, Defeated Discord, Sent Tirek to Tartarus, Sealed Sombra
Notable Abilities: Directs the Motion of the Sun and Moon, Leads Equestria
Twilight Sparkle
STR: 31
STA: 41
INT: 49
DUR: 29
CHA: 35
Score/Rank: 185 (D Rank)
Notable Feats: None Known
Notable Abilities: None Known
By the way, the ranks also describe a certain level of *boom* the characters can feasibly accomplish, though I'll let you figure that one out on your own.
Now that that infodump is out of the way, let's move on to QA for the chapter.
I'll never understand these MLP fic. What is wrong with keeping Naruto human and the ponies, ponies? (Regarding Chapter 2)
Nothing is wrong with it, the way I'm writing this, though, is because of community feedback. They wanted anthro characters in the story, so anthro characters they shall have.
Kushina is married to Minato. But if U aren't bringing her in, then you better not be shipping Minato with any of the ladies.
Wasn't planning on shipping Minato AT ALL, but thanks for giving me a reason to make sure everybody knows that.
I love the story so far keep up the good work.
Thanks, and the good work is what I will always do.
That having been said, thanks to HyperA1985, ShiningShadow1965 and Arashi Uzukaze for their consistent reviews. I have some things to do before I head to class today, so I'll see you all in the next one!