Naruto: Journey to Lyonesse Remastered

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This is the last of the old chapters so next chapter will be all new. Here is Chapter 6. Enjoy!

Last time:

….The 'polite debate' as to whether or not Naruto was worth anything went on for some time. Naruto remained calm but he wanted to thrash Brutus and his muscle-bound friends just to shut the arrogant man up. 'Gods this clod is annoying.' thought the blonde ninja.

Finally Benibara said icily, "Naruto, Lord Brutus and his four Gladiators seem less than convinced of your worth. A demonstration please…?" It seemed she was purposefully ignoring Claudius.

Naruto nodded and said quietly, "As you wish Lady Benibara." as he vanished in a body flicker. The four Gladiators on the opposite side of the table suddenly fell to the floor lifelessly with panic in their eyes and Naruto reappeared behind Benibara looking as if he hadn't moved an inch. To everyone in the room there was simply a blink where the whiskered blonde disappeared and reappeared. Naruto said, "Body Pathway Derangement technique. Their nervous systems have been scrambled via electric shock so they can't control their movements. It will be about four hours and they'll be back to normal. Note they are totally helpless and I could kill them, you and your son effortlessly Lord Brutus." 'Thank you Tsunade baa-chan for teaching me that cool jutsu.'

Brutus looked at his Gladiators in absolute shock. All of them had wired reflexes for speed and incredible physical strength. They were among his best! Now all four of the giants were laying in the floor flopping around hopelessly. They were like a bunch of fish out of water. None of them could verbalize words and their eyes were full of sheer terror. Brutus tore his eyes away from the four helpless Gladiators and said, "W-what did you do to them?"

"I already explained it Lord Brutus." said Naruto coolly. "The Body Pathway Derangement technique is quite effective, yes?"

Benibara's light green eyes were full of predatory glee. Both Claudius and Brutus suddenly felt as if they were looking at a hungry lioness ready to pounce. Benibara said, "I think you proved our point Naruto. Very nicely done."

Naruto's blue eyes seemed to flash at Lord Brutus and Claudius as he stood silently behind Benibara. The two men shivered in fear. "A-all doubts have been cleared from my mind." stuttered Brutus. Claudius was just gaping like a fish.

Magnus smiled indulgently. "Thank you for the demonstration Naruto. Lord Brutus, Claudius; I'll have your men taken to the infirmary were they can sleep off the side effects of that technique. You said it would last around four hours Naruto?"

The orange loving ninja nodded. "Yes Lord Magnus. If they are sedated now to keep them from injuring themselves then they should be fit and well in the morning."

"Marvelous." said Lady Rosalie with a cold tone of approval in her voice. She quickly ordered the staff take the four Gladiators to the infirmary and the dumbfounded Brutus and Claudius were escorted to their luxury suites.

Benibara wanted to squeal and kiss Naruto but decided that would be a bad idea in front of her parents. Kraven smiled and patted Naruto on the back on the way by. A much happier Steelside family enjoyed desert together.

"This evening didn't turn out so bad after all." said Magnus….

….

Chapter 6

Whorl Arcology

Naruto was present with Steelside family and Master Xian as Lord Brutus and his entourage left the next day. The fear in Brutus' and his Gladiator's eyes was something to behold but Claudius was absolutely terrified of Naruto's mere presence. Benibara couldn't have been more pleased. Even Magnus seemed rather delighted. The Steelside patriarch was utterly fascinated with the Body Pathway Derangement technique and had his medics examine the unconscious Gladiators thoroughly. Just as Naruto had briefly described; all of their neural pathways to their voluntary muscles were in complete disarray and it took about four to six hours for them to reset themselves. Magnus figured there were more lethal versions that could stop a heart or something but he decided not to ask for the time being. The Steelside patriarch felt very fortunate that Naruto was on their side….

A couple of hours later Naruto and Benibara were summoned to Magnus's office and found Rosalie, Master Xian and the head of Whorl's Security there along with Magnus himself. "We've discovered the origins of that cyborg precious." said Magnus to Benibara. "He was an immigrant construction worker from Castor Arcology. He intended to kill you so I would suffer the loss of family the way he did. He blamed me personally for the death of his family during their war with Pollux Arcology.

"Why would he do that?" asked Naruto. "If two arcologies were at war then how could you be held responsible Lord Magnus?"

Rosalie looked a bit disappointed at Magnus and said, "Whorl Arcoloy supplied weapons to both sides in that war. Castor Arcology won in the end but they believe the war was prolonged for nearly a decade because of us supplying weapons to both Castor and to Pollux Arcology. It's hard for me to not agree with them. Pollux Arcology is nothing but uninhabited ruins now and Castor Arcology will take decades to recover. It could be argued that no one won that war."

Magnus said, "It's a free market economy and I couldn't take sides Rosalie. You know that. It would have caused political repercussions later with other arcologies if I'd picked only one side."

"It also got you the nickname 'Merchant of Death' Magnus." Rosalie said with disapproval in her voice.

"Other arcologies did the same…." defended Magnus weakly. It was obvious they'd had this discussion before.

Naruto was less than thrilled to hear about this but as ninjas were mercenaries by nature he had an understanding (though a lack of approval) of Magnus' actions. The Steelside patriarch chose profits over morals and a lot of people died as a result. The survivors understandably hated him for it. The blonde ninja glanced over at Benibara and she had sympathy for both of her parents in her light green eyes. It was obvious she was very uncomfortable with her parents arguing. Finally the heiress said, "So this cyborg; did he have a network or was he acting independently?"

Magnus looked relieved at the change of subject. "Precious, he was acting independently though he did make a number of illegal purchases from various vendors here in Whorl. Those people are being dealt with but the investigation proves none of them were involved in some sort of conspiracy with the cyborg or with each other. They will be receiving heavy fines for their misconduct. As for the cyborg targeting you it could have been Rosalie or myself just as easily as you. He just happened to get the right intel at the right time to target you."

"Does that mean I'm free to go to Turing Arcology and visit Ariel then?" asked Benibara hopefully.

Rosalie sighed. "Yes it does Benibara but first we're going to get Naruto whatever weapons and armor he needs to protect you. Rather than going to Slates or somewhere commercial we'll be giving Naruto access to the Special Forces Armory. He can pick anything he needs from there as long as it will keep you safe."

"Really?!" asked Benibara with stars in her eyes.

"We don't take your protection lightly Benibara." said Magnus. "That cyborg would have killed you in a heartbeat if it hadn't been for Naruto and I can't think of anyone else who could have stopped that assassin. He will have the best gear available in Lyonesse to protect you with."

"Come on Naruto! Let's go down to look for some weapons!" said the platinum blonde girl excitedly.

It was then that Naruto found out that Benibara loved military equipment and weapons to the same degree his friend Tenten did….That was scary….

….

Naruto and Benibara were down at the Special Forces Armory and the Steelside Princess was beside herself salivating at all things sharp and pointy. Naruto on the other hand was discussing things in depth with the Master at Arms in charge of the armory. Once the whiskered blonde explained he was trained as an assassin a whole hidden section was opened up and equipment that a ninja could really use came to light. He started with lightweight mesh chainmail that made no noise when moved. Adding hidden straps and holsters for a wide array of easily concealed weaponry made it more flexible. There were also a plethora of multi-use tools and hacking equipment….and 90% was banned or illegal in over three-fourths of the arcologies in Lyonesse. Naruto summed it up by saying, "Perfect."

Naruto was soon testing out his new equipment in conjunction with his existing ninja tools. It took him about three days to get a good feel for his new gear but once he was comfortable with it Naruto simply wore a formal but loose business suit designed for his gear to be concealed under it and he looked like a simple manservant like Kraven in dress appearance. For her part Benibara was absolutely fascinated with all of the black ops gear because a lot of it she didn't know even existed. "It's soooo cool! This is even better than Casual Badass!" the Heiress gushed. Several Special Forces Troops sparred with Naruto to test his new equipment and Naruto overwhelmed and outmaneuvered them easily. Benibara was thrilled and Magnus was embarrassed. His best were utterly defeated as if the blonde ninja was taking a stroll in the park….

Master Xian simply reminded Magnus that it was a given considering Naruto was a Sage….

Within a few days Benibara, Kraven and Naruto were seen off by Magnus and Rosalie. They were packed for a week's visit to Turing Arcology and Benibara was very excited. With Kraven stuck on driving duties she hoped to get to know Naruto on a more personal level during this trip. Alas, the orange loving ninja was studying the schematics of Turing Arcology so he would know and understand the terrain should an incident occur. Benibara knew Naruto was just doing his job but she still pouted at the lack of attention he was giving her. 'Maybe I can ambush him in the safety of a resort there….' thought the Steelside heiress.

Naruto thought to himself, 'Just you wait Hinata-chan, Shizuka. I'll find you yet. Please be safe….'

….

Rosumovi Arcology

It had been a very long three days. Hinata and Iaso were making progress as to how Hinata arrived in Lyonesse to begin with and what to do about it. Hinata was still adamant that the bioroids destroy the cloned byakugan eyes and all data pertaining to them and Iaso was now making a formal report to the Rosumovi Arcology Council of Twenty Five.

Standing before the Council, the mind healer said formally, "The situation is this. In sister Hinata's home on the surface the eyes of her particular clan, the byakugan; are so valued that others have killed or kidnapped members of her family in order to steal or breed them. Sister Hinata herself was abducted when she was only three years old for this sinister purpose and justifiably has a strong complex about this issue. While we see our actions as benevolent she sees them as a violation on par with, if not worse than death. In her clan she would be considered traitorous to let us have these eyes. I humbly recommend that the Council should consider terminating the byakugan program in its entirety. I believe Sister Hinata has many other things she would be willing to share with us in exchange."

Counselor Tartaros stood up. He was a handsome middle aged man with a sandy blonde hair and very serious demeanor. He was in charge of the security and defenses of Rosumovi Arcology. "Sister Iaso; this is preposterous! These byakugan eyes are a huge blessing and give us and enormous advantage over the humans. For us to give them up for the sake of a violent, psychotic outsider who owes us her life and she is selfish is unthinkable! She nearly murdered Counselor Valeria and yourself! I cannot believe my own ears that you actually would side with her on this issue. I am disgusted!"

Iaso narrowed her eyes at the militant man. "With all due respect Councilor Tartaros; as a mind healer I can assure you that Sister Hinata is neither violent by nature nor psychotic in any way. I refuse to let you target her in this deliberate and untrue character assassination. Councilor Valeria was threatened but had Sister Hinata intended to do any of us serious harm or even kill us she could have effortlessly. Chief Healer Asclepius will attest to this wholeheartedly and already gave his word as Chief Healer in front of Councilor Valaria which I am sure you are already well aware of."

Tartaros stewed and said, "She is a dangerous menace to our society and I absolutely refuse to let this pass. I motion that we terminate Hinata and use her body to further our studies. There is much to be learned."

The entire Council and audience chambers gasped and recoiled in horror at the idea of termination. Councilor Valeria said affronted, "Are you serious Tartaros?! There have been four terminations ordered in the last three hundred years and in each case the bioroid in question had serious mental and physical damage that was deemed irreparable. What you purpose is barbaric and goes against what bioroid society morally and ethically stands for. Are you insane?!"

Tartaros said, "I am perfectly sane and she is a threat to our security and way of life! I'm saying we take this action both as a patriot and a protector of the bioroids!"

Iaso was still at the podium and said, "No Councilor Tartaros, you say it out of fear and paranoia. Her combat capabilities are so high that you are afraid of Sister Hinata and the power she possesses. It a well known fact that you are extremely possessive of our combat forces. To have that kind of power outside of your grasp is unthinkable for a person like you."

Tartaros growled, "Do you know who you are talking to Iaso? Who are you to judge me as a member of our High Council?!"

"I am one of the most highly ranked and experienced mind healers in Rosumovi Arcology." stated Iaso. "I am very qualified to examine your state of mind. Your xenophobia is a necessary evil given we are surrounded by human enemies on the outside but that cannot be allowed to turn within. Sister Hinata is a bioroid just as much as one of any one of us in this room and has the same rights as any of us. She has the right to negotiate before this Council and the fact that you have put forth the motion to butcher Sister Hinata like an experiment without even hearing her out compels me to put forth the countermotion that Counselor Tartaros has his psyche examined by the head mind healers supervised by Chief Mind Healer Morpheus himself. Your suggestion sounds like something a human would condone."

Tartaros was red in the face. "How dare you compare me with humans Iaso! You will regret this insult. Strike her last sentence from the record council recorder."

"Belay that order." stated the Head of the Council Athene. "I believe the gravity of our situation is reflected in Sister Iaso's statements. This is very dire indeed."

"Ma'am, I-" started Tartaros.

"Enough Tartaros." replied the Head Councilor. "Whether or not your motion is in fact carried out; Sister Iaso's countermotion will be carried out. I decree as Head Councilor that Chief Mind Healer Morpheus will evaluate you fully once this matter is settled." Seeing Tartaros was sputtering and about to protest loudly Athene said, "Sit down Councilor Tartaros and be silent. Your questions and insights will be welcomed once Sister Hinata is here to defend herself."

Tartaros grimaced and sat down. He glared across the room at Iaso who looked unruffled as she always did when reporting. 'I can't believe we're negotiating with that savage. As for you Iaso; I will see to it that you pay dearly for your insults.'

"Please retrieve Sister Hyūga Hinata so that she may speak before us in an interview." ordered the Head of the Council.

….

Councilor Valeria waited nervously as Sister Hinata was walked in. Hinata was accompanied by the Healer Hygieia and Mind Healer Iaso as well as two armed guards to 'control' the byakugan princess should it become necessary. Counselor Valeria cringed at the very idea. Hinata could easily overwhelm the two guards and probably wipe out most of the Council before they could even react. With a mixture of fear and respect Valeria said, "I welcome you to our exalted Council Chambers Sister Hinata. May I introduce the Leader of the Council of Twenty Five, Head Councilor Athene. She is most wise and honored so please pay her the respect she is due."

Head Councilor Athene peered down at the pearl eyed kunoichi from her chair. Athene was a tall, beautiful woman with the appearance of being in her fifties, Her hair was a rather brilliant red. "I welcome you Sister Hinata of the surface. I have been apprised of your situation by Mind Healer Iaso and it seems that some terrible misunderstandings have occurred between us. Please be at ease and consider this an interview; you are not here to be judged by this governing body."

The Hyūga heiress knew politics. Being from the Hyūga Clan meant she'd had courtly manners and maneuvers drilled into her head virtually since birth. She bowed deeply in the flowing white robes they had given her. "I am honored to meet Head Counselor Athene and the exalted governing Council of Twenty Five of the Rosumovi Arcology. I am Hyūga Hinata."

Over the next hour and forty five minutes various members of the Council came forward from their chairs and questioned Hinata, her motivations and her actions. The indigo haired kunoichi deftly maneuvered around any difficult questions as she presented her case. Iaso and Valeria were both dazzled at how adroitly Hinata dealt with each Councilor. It was as if she was a longtime member herself as opposed to one being questioned. Often the beautiful kunoichi countered their questions with simple, logical ones that totally invalidated the arguments put forth against her. While it was clear that Hinata was very young it was also very apparent that in this sea of political fishes she was most definitely a shark….and a very dangerous one.

Things didn't get heated until Councilor Tartaros stepped forward and introduced himself in a pompous manner. Hinata's reply to his introduction was, "It's a pleasure to meet you Councilor Tartaros. I understand you wish to murder me and experiment on my corpse like some kind of lab animal." That changed the mood. Hinata said it in such a friendly and disarming way that no one would have noticed if her words didn't cut the militant Councilor to the marrow. There were a few quiet gasps in the audience chamber but no one said anything. Tartaros was too dumfounded to speak….

Hinata said, "I also understand you are in charge of the Security Forces of Rosumovi Arcology. There are two well trained guards at my flanks and two standing before Head Councilor Athene as is appropriate; nicely done. However, I couldn't help but notice that there are five others with weapons aimed upon me." She pointed out three particular people behind her in the balconies. "There is one there; there and there. They seem to be targeting me with long barreled guns; rifles if I'm not mistaken." Tartaros' eyes grew wide and he started to sweat as Hinata continued.

"Also, in either corner of the room there are two others; there and there. They seem to have pistols hidden under their robes." said Hinata pointing respectively to the left and right corners of the room. "It occurs to me that they are in a perfect position to not only shoot me but they are also ideally placed to shoot several members of the Council of Twenty Five in the back or the sides from which they have absolutely no defense. I can only conclude that any political opponents on the Council you might have could be dealt with quickly and efficiently in one fell swoop. I trust that Head Councilor Athene knows about all of this because surely you wouldn't do such a thing without her express permission Councilor Tartaros." concluded Hinata with a friendly smile and a wave of concentrated killing intent she'd been gradually ratcheting up since she started talking to him.

You could hear a pin drop. All the Councilors looks frightened as they looked around wildly at the people Hinata pointed out. Tartaros was sweating a river and was white as a sheet. Athene thundered, "What is the meaning of this Tartaros?!"

Tartaros panicked and yelled to his people. "Kill her! Kill the outsider now!" At that point all hell broke loose and all five gunners shot at once….but Hinata had already vanished in a body flicker. Tartaros himself was hit by a rifle bullet in the shoulder aimed at Hinata because he was in close proximity to her previous position. Less than a minute later Hinata had disarmed and knocked out the two gunmen in the corners via body flickering behind them before they could react.

People were screaming and the three snipers in the balcony had lost their target. Tartaros was clutching his wounded right shoulder and Athene was demanding order and for the gunners to surrender their weapons. Tartaros yelled to keep looking for Hinata but soon all three snipers in the balconies were also disabled by juken strikes. In the blink of an eye Hinata reappeared in a body flicker behind Tartaros and said, "It seems that Council Head Athene wasn't aware of your treacherous actions Councilor." The militant Councilor went for his pistol with his good arm and found the holster was empty.

"Looking for this…?" asked Hinata as she held up the pistol by its barrel. "I doubt Head Councilor Athene would want a madman such as yourself to have such dangerous toys."

Tartaros screamed enraged, "I'll kill you with my bare hands!" Hinata easily parried the completely unhinged Councilor's strikes with one hand before she ghosted around behind him and tapped his back in several places which caused him to fall to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut. Staring wide eyed over his shoulder Tartaros shrieked fearfully, "What….what did you do to me you savage?"

Hinata's eyes narrowed. "The only one behaving savagely is you Councilor. I struck points on your back to induce temporary paralysis. The only physical harm you have is that shoulder wound caused by your sniper that missed me." She took on a rather sardonic tone. "It seems to me you've grossly miscalculated this situation Councilor Tartaros. I don't know you legal system here in Rosumovi Arcology but I'm afraid that you are in a great deal of trouble."

….

Once the Council of Twenty Five and the bioroids in the audience chamber were back under control and many healers had been called in to take care of the many scrapes and bruises caused in the brief panic that Tartaros and his five agents sparked off. Head Councilor Athene was down on the audience floor with Hinata talking quietly. "The Council has greatly misjudged you Sister Hinata. It seems we had a scorpion within our nest and you found him out before something catastrophic could happen. While I cannot speak for everyone on the Council you have certainly earned my trust. This whole matter with the byakugan eyes will have to be sorted out but I'm afraid the corruption of former Councilor Tartaros and possibly within our security forces has to be rooted out first so the citizens of Rosumovi Arcology can rest easy again. I realize I'm in no position to ask you for any favors but would you be willing to help us Sister Hinata? It would do a great deal towards garnering support from our people for you."

Hinata pondered a moment and said, "I will cooperate with you Head Councilor Athene but know this; I will not let the theft of the byakugan eyes go. I understand you have more pressing concerns for your people's sake but I will not forgive or forget this violation of my person."

Athene nodded somberly. "It is more than I can ask for Sister Hinata; I thank you for your cooperation."

….

Misogunia Arcology

Shizuka was quietly moving her forces in and taking one room at a time before securing it and moving on. Obadiah only had two of his five floors left and the top one included the hoverport. As it turned out the Director and his cronies really weren't that well equipped for combat as the upper floors were designed more with luxury in mind rather than defense. "Why do we hesitate Lady Shizuka?" asked Kharkov. "Surely we could overwhelm them with sheer numbers."

"There are three reasons." stated the Nadeshiko Princess clinically. "The first is we can wait as long as we wish while Obadiah can't. Their supplies unlike ours are finite. The second reason is a cornered animal is the most dangerous animal. I don't want to waste the valuable lives of our people needlessly. The third reason is psychological warfare. Obadiah and his men are caught in a deathtrap and it is only a matter of time before they turn mutinous and go for each other's throats. It would be supreme irony if Obadiah was killed by his trusted lieutenants though I hope to finish him off personally." The sheer amount of malice glowing in Shizuka's green eyes made Kharkov shiver.

Obadiah's group had lost yet another floor to Shizuka's forces. After that he'd retreated to the hoverport to escape and now was badly injured from an explosion that caved in the exit. Shizuka's 'little' trap had been even more effective than she'd hoped. The entire upper floor was nothing but smoldering, twisted metal and body parts. The smell was atrocious and the carnage was unbearable to look at. Obadiah was completely trapped and there was no way out. Of his eighteen remaining men only three were armed guards (the majority died in the carnage upstairs) and the remaining fifteen were administrators that served Obadiah himself -and three of them were dying of grievous wounds inflicted by the explosion. 'What am I going to do…?' the Director whimpered mentally. 'Time and food are running out. I wonder why the rebels haven't attacked to finish me off….' The floor below they just lost was his personal kitchen so what little food they had was now carried upon them….Obadiah was thinking desperately for a way out of this….

….

Shizuka was content to wait for three days so far….For Obadiah he was living the definition of hell. True to Shizuka's predictions; of Obadiah's remaining men nearly half had revolted from within and tried to kill him as a peace offering to the rebels. All that was left was Obadiah, seven administrators and one guard. Most of them were injured due to the violence of his own traitorous men turning on him. Obadiah himself had been shot once and without the proper medical treatment would probably die soon. All of them were suffering from starvation, injuries and fatigue. The only supply they had left was water from a faucet on that floor.

The Director considered surrendering or trying to kill himself but he didn't have the courage to do either. The photo he still remembered of Shizuka's eyes burning into him from the page struck terror into him. If he surrendered then god only knows what she'd do to him. Several of his remaining men had broken down and just wanted their suffering to end. One finally snapped and ran for the only exit. Rather than letting him open the door for the rebels Obadiah ordered his loyal guard shoot the coward in the back….That's when the guard said solemnly, "That was the last of our ammunition sir."

….

The Nadeshiko Princess heard a burst of gunfire and then the desperate sounding words, 'That was the last of our ammunition sir.' Then she smiled viciously and said to Kharkov. "Now we move in; blow the door!"

Obadiah was listening in shock as his guard told him there was no ammunition left as the guard stood forlornly in front of the door. "What should we do sir?" asked the guard sounding helpless.

The Director was about to respond when the door exploded inward and the shrapnel tore the guard and another of his men apart. "Oh….my….gods…." he said weakly as Shizuka stepped through the burning wreckage of the doorway looking as if she was emerging from hell itself to retrieve him. Her green eyes burned into him.

"Long time no see Director." said Shizuka conversationally as she pulled two hands full of kunai out. Faster than the eye could follow she threw wind enhanced kunai with deadly accuracy into Obadiah's surviving men killing them instantly. Then she said, "You can't imagine how long I've been awaiting our little reunion. Well, actually it hasn't been that long since you sent that gorilla with the shattered kneecap down to give me this gift from you." she said as she motioned to her equipment pouch.

"H-Hans gave that to you?" asked Obadiah in shock.

Shizuka was carefully retrieving her kunai from the bodies littering the floor. "Hans…? Was that his name? I slit his throat so quickly that I never got a chance to ask. To answer your question he didn't give them to me. I stabbed a kunai knife in his throat and took them off of his dying carcass….Well, we have an entire arcology full of people who owe you a great deal Director. First they'll make you into a woman." Obadiah stared in terror and Shizuka said, "What, did you think I was going to end your misery quickly like I did these pathetic followers of yours? Your suffering is only limited to the imagination of your former slaves Obadiah. I just told them to make sure it was nice and slow…."

The great Director Obadiah whimpered as the Nadeshiko Princess dragged him out by his throat to face the music….

….

That evening; Shizuka sat back cleaning and sharpening her kunai knives as the people of Misogunia Arcology celebrated being free of Obadiah's regime. She honestly felt that feeding Obadiah to a pack of hungry jackals probably would have been kinder than what his former slaves did to him. Suffice it to say that after four hours of horrendous torture (including skinning him alive) he finally died and then they cut his body to shreds no bigger than confetti before scattering the remains hither and yon. It wasn't pretty but then again the things he did to these people over the decades were far worse. 'At least he got to die like a woman….or like the bitch he was to use his favorite phrase.' thought Shizuka to herself.

Shizuka began to contemplate her next move….

….

Turing Arcology

After a rather sedate hour long drive from Whorl Arcology; Kraven informed Benibara and Naruto they were coming up on Turing Arcology and he pulled the hover limo around to give them a good view from the air. Benibara had seen it all before but it was a whole new experience for Naruto. Turing looked like a very high tech structure designed to look very much like a medieval European castle. In the center of the structure it was dominated by a massive clock tower that had a clock face on each of its four sides. Also of interest, Turing Arcology actually had a monarchy of sorts said to be descended of the past Emperors off Lyonesse but they were mere figureheads. They were fabulously wealthy but still held no real political power. The real power lied within the vast technological empire of the Tesla Family as it had for the past two and a half centuries.

After landing smoothly the group of three entered Turing through a security tunnel which was a large scanning array without a person in sight. It was simply a matter of walking from the parking bay through multiple scanning beams and if any were set off then the person who set them off was checked at the end of the tunnel at a security station. Both Kraven and Benibara were checked after setting off the scanners and were found to be carrying a pocket watch and expensive jewelry respectively. They didn't detect anything on Naruto despite the fact he was armed to the teeth. The blonde ninja was welcomed to Turing Arcology with a smile by a pretty attendant at the immigration desk where he was issued a visitor's pass and his Whorl Arcology identification was confirmed. He was also given a local VR device for his (non-existing) datajack.

Once they were inside Naruto noticed how even the interior of the arcology was arranged to look like a castle. While Whorl Arcology was laid out in a very neat and organized way that gave one a feeling of unity and security; Turing was dotted with all kinds of different 'towns' and bizarres within it that were all lavishly decorated and highly automated. It gave a person the feeling of a multicultural, high tech paradise. Then the blonde ninja noticed that there weren't nearly as many people around as in Whorl and most that were present seemed to be using high end communication devices and weren't doing much else.

Naruto asked, "So what's with the lack of people? I thought Whorl and Turing Arcologies were about the same in size and population."

Benibara giggled at Naruto's clueless look. "Naruto, over half the population spend two thirds of their day or more hooked into Virtual Reality in their homes. Some of the elderly are more or less living their existence entirely in the VR world as young people."

The ninja looked shocked. "So what happens when they die?"

Kraven said, "As I understand it a digital 'gravestone' with their data is made and the body is then recycled. It's quite efficient really."

"Sounds very disturbing." whispered Naruto to no one in particular. 'From the sounds of it the inhabitants would all potentially die if there was a power failure.'

"It's a really cool and wonderful place to visit." said Benibara enthusiastically as she accessed her VR device and called her cousin Ariel. After clicking it off Benibara said, "Ariel is sending a car to pick us up. She is attending a VR class lecture right now so she'll meet us at her place in about an hour. Just think Naruto; soon all this world will be accessible to you!"

For his part Naruto wasn't sure he even wanted it all to be accessible to him. 'I've got to do this to find Shizuka and Hinata-chan!' he mentally reassured himself. 'Locating them is paramount.'

….

A driver dropped the Whorl group off at the Tesla Mansion where they were greeted by a single attendant. Benibara explained the house was maintained by automated means so the entire staff of the Tesla Mansion was less than ten people (The Steelsides had a staff of fifty plus security guards). They were brought to a sitting room and served some tea and snacks until Ariel arrived about twenty minutes later and welcomed them. The tall, statuesque Benibara soon exchanged hugs and kisses with her shorter, more curvaceous cousin. The two beautiful blonde haired young women made quite the stunning pair.

Kraven stood up and bowed properly before kissing Ariel's hand. The two had met before on multiple occasions. "It is wonderful to see you again Lady Ariel and in such good health as well." said Kraven kindly.

"It's nice to see you too Wilhelm; I hope my cousin hasn't been too much of a troublemaker of late." said Ariel with a wink. Kraven smiled and Benibara pouted a bit.

Ariel then turned to Naruto who was now standing. She gave him a welcoming smile and said, "It's nice to meet you in person Naruto; please just address me as Ariel." She held out her hand and Naruto pressed his lips to her knuckles feather light. He still thought it was a rather odd custom but Kraven assured him it was a must.

"Thank you for the warm welcome Lady Ariel." answered Naruto. "And thank you for your invitation to come."

"It's my pleasure." said Ariel brightly as she turned to Benibara. "Father and Mother are both busy currently but I informed them of your arrival. They send their greetings. I hope they'll be able to join us for dinner. Come, let's get you three settled." The Tesla heiress then eagerly led her guests to their rooms….

….

POSTSCRIPT:

Well, Obadiah has gone the way of the dodo and Shizuka is in charge of Misogunia Arcology for now. Hinata has turned the tables on her detractors and is working towards resolving the byakugan issue….how will that work out? Lastly, Naruto has arrived at the very alien Turing Arcology. See you next time. Blue out. 12/22/18 –Original Version 10/9/15