Costa Del Sol. A vacation spot where many people came in order to relax and have some fun. Not as popular as Gold Saucer, it was known for its beautiful beach and even more beautiful, exotic women. The group decided to take a short break here. They all knew that Sephiroth had come to this continent, but had no idea where he went after seeing him on board the ship.
Naruto entered the Materia shop and looked over the materia they had. He picked out two Materia, Heal and Restore. He already had a Cure materia, but it never hurt to have a back up. Heal materia would be a great help to those who got poisoned or some other disease while fighting monsters. Too bad there wasn't any more then the one or he would have bought two heal.
So far he had Poison, Restore, Fire, Lightning, and Ice as his magic materia. He had picked up an Earth Materia in Kalm but then had gave it to Red XIII after sneaking aboard the cargo ship just in case anyone saw through Red's disguise. All his magic materia had gained enough chakra that they could now be used to cast level two spells from each. Unfortunately, the Enemy Skill materia Barret had gave him had yet to be of any use. It seemed no monsters he had fought had used any abilities that his materia had been able to copy. Then again, he usually didn't give them much time to fight choosing to kill them quickly then prolong the fight.
He paid for the materia and pulled out his ninjato. Taking the Heal materia, he put it inside the hilt of his second ninjato. The hilt glowed green before settling down. Naruto then left the shop heading towards the beach. He pulled out his little orange book and started to read as he walked across the beach. "Naruto over here!" He looked up to see Aeris in a white two piece bikini waving at him. Naruto also noticed Red XIII lying close to the coast allowing the moving current to hit his face every so often. It seemed the heat was getting to Red XIII and he needed to be near water to stay cool.
Many men were giving Naruto jealous looks for having such a beautiful woman waving at him. He headed over to her and took a seat in the sand as she ran out of the water. She smiled as she reached him. "I was wondering if you would come out here or not," Aeris smiled coyly. "How do I look?"
"Beautiful," admitted Naruto honestly. Any other word to describe her would have been a lie.
A blush heated Aeris's cheeks and she beamed. "Thank you. Why don't you take off those clothes of yours and come swimming?" smiled Aeris. She licked her lips just picturing Naruto's bare chest.
Naruto's cellphone started to ring. He picked it up. His head bobbed a couple times before he closed it. He then stood up. Aeris looked at him questioningly. "Barret said he saw Professor Hojo. I will go check it out," said Naruto forming a hand seal. Aeris pouted as he disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Just when she had him all to herself.
Elsewhere, Tifa watched as Hojo got into a car and headed away from Costa del Sol. She wondered why he was here and not with Shinra. Better let Barret know that Hojo had got away. Turning around, she almost ran smack dab into a brick wall. Her eyes narrowed upon Naruto who looked down at her with a blank expression.
"Naruto-kun. I told you I hate when you do that," grumbled Tifa placing a hand over her heart.
He looked at her curiously. Tifa sighed. She couldn't be mad because she knew that he probably made no effort to sneak up on her. Naruto naturally walked very lightly and only those truly paying attention to their surroundings could hear him. "Hojo already left. I think he headed north," said Tifa.
"We will follow him tomorrow as planned. The tracks of that car will not disappear over night," said Naruto calmly. He then looked at her curiously. She noticed the look and put her hands on her hips. "What?" asked Tifa.
"I am curious why you are not at the beach with Aeris-san," said Naruto. In the past Tifa was always wanting to do fun activities. She had mentioned in the past that she loved swimming and wished that there was a lake around Nibelheim. Many times she took him with her to the coast near Nibelheim to swim in the ocean.
Tifa smirked, "want to see me in a bikini do you?"
"You are avoiding my question. Why?" he asked curiously.
An uncomfortable look appeared in Tifa's eyes. "It's nothing. I don't feel like swimming is all." Her hands pulled down on her shirt, but it still showed off her stomach no matter how much she tugged. "You are trying to hide your scar? Why?" asked Naruto stunning Tifa.
"You know?" said Tifa softly.
"I have noticed you seem more self conscious about what you wear making sure it covers a certain amount of skin around your chest. This is something you never cared about in the past. I had a mere theory until you confirmed it now," explained Naruto. "Why do you care if people see your scar or not?" If Tifa had been in a clear state of mind, she would have realized that Naruto just admitted to keep a close eye on her and her body.
A frowned grace Tifa, "it's ugly. A hideous reminder of the past. I just don't like people staring at it."
"You're not ugly." Tifa looked at Naruto with wide eyes. A warm feeling appeared in her chest at his words. She stared deeply into his sky blue eyes. "A scar is a scar. Nothing more, nothing less. It will fade with time. It plays no effect on who you are. You shouldn't worry so much about it," said Naruto honestly. "It's trivial."
"Are you calling me foolish?" smiled Tifa.
"Hai."
Tifa smiled brightly before giggling. How was he able to do that? With just a few sentences make her feel so much better about something that has made her self-conscious for the past five years. "Just for that, you owe me a drink." Tifa grabbed Naruto's hand and dragged him over to the only restaurant in Costa del Sola. Naruto looked at her curiously wondering what had caused her sudden change in attitude. He wondered if he would ever truly understand her.
Break
"Can we take a break?" panted Yuffie. The young ninja fell to her butt wanting to take a break from all the climbing. It had been so easy at first walking through the plains, but now they were climbing up a mountain. Why did they have to travel so much?
Tifa looked down at Yuffie, "we need to keep moving. Remember Barret, Aeris, and Red left before us. If we take too long they will get way to far ahead for us to help them if they get in any danger."
Yuffie grumbled, "I hate this."
Naruto landed in front of Yuffie and kneeled down. "Climb on," he ordered. A blush heated Yuffie's face. An angry look appeared in Tifa's eyes. Yuffie noticed the look and sent a victorious, smug smile to Tifa before climbing on Naruto's back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and blushed a deep shade of red when she felt his hands on her bare legs. In a single leap, Naruto made it to where Tifa stood. "Let's keep moving."
Tifa glared at Yuffie but said nothing as they continued to climb the small mountain. It took them about twenty minutes to reach the top. They looked down to see a huge Mako Reactor built in the valley between the mountains. Naruto crouched down allowed Yuffie to hop off his back though the girl did so reluctantly. The trio ran down the stairs and stood in front of the reactor. "What a weird place to build a Mako Reactor," blinked Yuffie.
"If we follow these railroad tracks we should be led to another town," said Naruto.
"Let's get going. I am sure the others are waiting for us there," said Tifa. Naruto nodded and started to lead the way.
Corel
A crack filled the air and Barret's head jerk to the side. He made no motion to fight back as a second punch made him take a step back to prevent from falling. "You got real guts coming back here after what you did," said a man with dirt and dust all over his clothes. Two men stood behind the man giving Barret's hateful looks.
"Sorry," said Barret spitting out some blood.
"Sorry? That is all you got to say to us? After what you did. Look at Corel. It's all your fault!" The man scowled before turning and leaving the two men following him.
Barret hung his head in shame. "Barret, what was all that about?" asked Aeris worried.
"You heard him. This is all my fault. That's all there is too it," said Barret. He walked off on his own with Red looking at him curiously and Aeris with a worried look in her eyes.
"Aeris! Red!" Both turned around to see Tifa entering the town. Naruto and Yuffie followed behind her. Aeris smiled, "you finally made it."
Tifa nodded before frowning. "What happened with Barret? Why did he let those guys hit him?"
"Saw that did you? He wouldn't tell me when I asked him. But they said something about the current state of Corel being his fault," frowned Aeris.
Naruto took a look around the village of Corel. It looked like a run down camp site. People in the slums of Midgar lived in better conditions. Tents were pitched everywhere and people were desperately trying to sell items to those coming through the town in order to take the tram to Gold Saucer. "Where do we go from here?" asked Red.
"There is no point in going to Gold Saucer. The chances of Sephiroth heading there are slim to none. If we head south for a bit we should cross over a river then reach Gongaga Village," stated Naruto in a daze. He soon snapped out of it and frowned. How did he know that? This is first time ever being in this area. Yet a part of him knew Gongaga village well. Now he had to visit there in order to learn more about it.
"What about Barret?" asked Aeris.
Naruto glanced at the woman who sent him a pleading look. "I will speak with him."
Break
Barret had left Corel and sat down with some sake. He took a large swig from it. Or at least attempted to but nothing came out. His eyes opened and he gasped as he found the bottle no longer in his hand. "The fuck?" Barret looked up to see Naruto holding his bottle of sake. "Give that the fuck back." The man stood up and pointed his gun at Naruto.
"We are headed for Gongaga Village. But Aeris-san wishes for me to speak with you about the incident that occurred earlier," said Naruto unafraid.
"Don't concern you all. Just stay out of it," glared Barret.
Naruto poured the sake out of the bottle much to Barret's ire. "This is your hometown isn't it? Why do they blame you for the destruction of it?" He tossed the empty bottle back to Barret who punched it causing it to shatter.
Barret gained a guilty look. "Cause it's all my damn fault." A far away look appeared in Barret's eyes as he began to tell his story. "Corel had always been a coal mining town. It was so dusty and calm, a real small town. Ain't never heard the word Mako Reactor until that day. Shinra told us that the days of coal were over and that Mako would help make the town prosper. Sounded great and everything. Finally we could all have the good life and have a bit more money in our pockets."
"I helped convince my best friend that it was a good idea to build the Reactor. Dyne had been against the idea from the very start. I should have listened to him. Only weeks after the reactor had been built an accident happened at the Reactor. An explosion. Shinra had blamed it on us and attacked the town. I watched as my hometown was burned to the ground. My hand isn't all I lost. My family and friends were all killed." A hard look appeared in Barret's eyes. "So I got this gun grafted on my hand to replace what I had lost and to remind me to never trust those sons of bitches again," finished Barret.
"It wasn't your fault," said Naruto.
"Didn't you-"
"You convinced your best friend that building the Reactor was a good idea. But what about the rest of the town?"
"It doesn't matter about the rest of the town. I should have seen past Shinra's lies," yelled Barret.
"Then you and I are guilty for the same crime." Barret looked at Naruto. "I too failed to protect those I cared about from Shinra and allowed my home at the time to be burned down to the ground. If you were responsible for Corel then I was responsible for Nibelheim," said Naruto.
Barret smirked, "guess we aren't so different. But don't go thinking we are fucking buddies now." Naruto noticed that Barret seemd to be feeling better. It seemed talking about the past with somebody had helped the man.
"It is time to get going," said Naruto heading back towards the others. Barret followed giving one last look at Corel.
Gongaga Village
Naruto, Aeris, and Tifa entered the small village. A small dust village with a couple of stores and few homes. Tifa gasped as she ran ahead and looked at the sight that no one could miss. Naruto and Aeris came up besides Tifa and looked upon the destroyed Reactor. "What happened here?" gasped Tifa in horror.
"The same thing that happened when we blew up Mako Reactor One and Five," replied Naruto. Tifa looked at Naruto with horror filled eyes. He didn't even glance at her and Aeris remained silent. "Judging from the destruction, most of the town must have been caught in the blast radius."
Tifa gained a guilty look, "even though we were trying to help save the planet, I never thought that our own actions could have harmed so many people. I see now that we were going about things in the wrong way." Aeris put on comforting hand on Tifa's shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile.
Naruto turned around and looked at a certain home. He gave it a questioning look before walking towards it. Aeris and Tifa watched him leave with questioning gazes. Lately, he had been acting strangely. Naruto knocked on the door and waited patiently. The door opened and an old man in his late forties answered. "Hello, how may I help you young man?" asked the man with a friendly smile.
"Gomen, but could you tell me who lives here?" asked Naruto. What was he doing?
The man looked at him oddly. "I live here along with my wife. Don't you read the mailbox?" Naruto turned to look at the box. It read. Mr. and Mrs. Fair. Sudden memories assaulted Naruto.
"The name is Zack Fair. SOLDIER First Class," smirked a handsome man with black hair and a large sword on his back.
So, they were his memories. "Gomenasai for bothering you. I have the wrong house." Naruto turned on his heel and walked away. Aeris and Tifa quickly followed Naruto.
"Naruto-kun?"
"Are you ok?"
Naruto walked to the edge of the town and turned to face them. "Zack Fair." Tifa looked down at the ground at hearing his name. Aeris's eyes widened and a gasp escaped her. "You know Zack?" whispered Aeris not believing it.
"He is the second member of SOLDIER that was sent Nibelheim along with Sephiroth," stated Naruto.
"That's right," nodded Tifa. "Do you remember?"
"No. But I now know who's memories I have been experiencing and why Aeris-san felt so familiar. You and Zack knew each other?"
Aeris nodded slowly. "He was my boyfriend. Five years ago he disappeared after going on a mission." Tifa had no idea. She hugged Aeris and the flower girl smiled gratefully. "I had always wondered what happened to him. I felt his presence go into the Lifestream five years ago but not completely. Yet I still sense a part of him in you. You said that you fell into the Lifestream? I think maybe a part of him imprinted on you. That is why you have some of his memories and why your presence feels so familiar."
A pensive look appeared in Naruto's eyes ago. "That would explain a great deal." Aeris frowned. He did have a point
"We won't know for sure until you gain your memories back," said Aeris.
"She is right. All this is speculation and theory. Until we know the truth, nothing is certain," said Naruto. "The others are here. We will stay here for the night and leave in the morning." Naruto walked towards the small run down inn to rent some rooms for the night.
Break
A frog ran right at Naruto who looked at it curiously. The frog moved at chuunin level speeds as it jumped up and punched Naruto right in the face. Or tried to, but Naruto blocked the punch with his hand. That was the wrong thing to do as Naruto suddenly turned into a frog. Yuffie burst out laughing at the sight. "Ha-ha! It couldn't happen to a nicer person," laughed the young ninja.
Red smirked a bit as well. It was quite humorous. There in place of Naruto stood a frog one foot tall wearing ANBU gear and a face mask covering the lower half of its face. The frog had an emotionless look in its eyes. Red and Yuffie fell silent when the Naruto frog shot forward at jounin level speeds and punched the frog in the face. Naruto-frog then followed it up with a series of jabs. The frog hit the ground hard. To finish it off, Naruto-frog kicked the frog in the chin knocking it into the air before appearing above it and bringing his heel down upon the frog's head. It shot towards the ground like a bullet and created a crater in the shape of a frog. In a cloud of yellow smoke, Naruto returned to normal. "Aww come on. Even as a frog you can kick ass?" pouted Yuffie.
"We should keep moving," stated Naruto. He had purposely let himself get hit in order to learn that ability, Frog Punch.
A song filled the air and Naruto turned his head to see a frog singing. Red growled as several more frogs popped out and started to sing as well. Naruto frowned as the music was laced with chakra. In a cloud of smoke Yuffie turned into a frog. The Yuffie-frog started to hop around angrily. Red fell asleep. Naruto flicked a kunai piercing a frog right between his eyes. He felt his Enemy Skill materia absorb the Frog Song. But had no time to enjoy it as the frogs started to surround him. Yuffie-frog started to run around as the frogs chased her while Naruto crouched down.
The first frog came at him from behind and jumped up aiming a kick to his face. In a blink, Naruto drew his ninjato slicing it half spraying frog guts everywhere. Reversing the blade, he thrust it backwards piercing a second frog through the chest before spinning and flinging the dead frog at another that had leapt at him. Three frogs leapt at him from front, back, and his side. Naruto planted his foot, and spun around doing a complete 360 degrees. When he came to a stop all three frogs were frozen in the air before popping like balloons spraying blood and guts everywhere.
He turned to see Yuffie-frog getting chased by four frogs. Naruto's hand started to glow red and he pointed his palm at the four frogs as Yuffie-frog ran past him. A stream of fire shot from his hand at the frogs. The smell of barbequed frog filled the air. That had been the last of the frogs. Naruto sheathed his ninjato and looked over at Red. A sharp kick woke Red up. "What? Where are they?" growled Red before calming down as he looked around. An ashamed look appeared in Red's eyes as he realized that he must have fallen asleep. "Gomen."
"It happens," said Naruto before turning to look at Yuffie-frog. Red smirked before laughing lightly. The Yuffie-frog put her hands on her hips and glared at the two. It then started to make wild hand gestures while croaking. Naruto and Red had no idea what it was saying. No one saw it, but a smirk appeared behind Naruto's mask as he found the sight highly amusing.
This day would forever be remembered as, The Massacre at Gongaga Village.
Break
"Up this canyon is Cosmo Canyon," said Red as they walked up the trail.
"That is your hometown correct?" said Naruto.
Red nodded, "yes. That is where my journey with you ends. It is my duty to protect Cosmo Canyon. A duty and honor that has been passed down through my ancestors. Only my father has ever disgraced such an honor. I will not follow the same cowardly path as him." A dark look appeared in Red's eyes at the mention of his father.
Naruto said nothing as he walked up the trail. He had never known either of his parents. But the Sandaime had left him a scroll with the name of his true parents name on it. Uzumaki Kushina was his mother. A refugee from the Land of Whirlpool, who had become a ninja of Konoha. His father, Namikaze Minato. Or as many people knew him, the Yondaime Hokage. The man who had sealed the Kyuubi no Youki inside of him. He held no grudge against the Yondaime. Konoha always came first even before family. All ninjas knew that. The Yondaime had done his duty and nothing more. Naruto would have done the same thing.
"Does Cosmo Canyon have good materia?" asked Yuffie. The girl seriously had a one-track mind.
"It is place where one can connect with the planet. But it does have a few stores that sell items and materia," answered Red.
Yuffie smiled greedily, "perfect!"
It only took them an hour an half to climb the canyon. Red upon noticing his home, ran ahead of the group leaving Yuffie and Naruto. "That place doesn't look all that great," frowned Yuffie expecting something more.
"Many people come here all over the world. It may not be the most beautiful place, but it is relaxing," said Naruto. The memory of his and Tifa's time here had been one of the happiest moments of his life. It is the first time that he experienced real happiness. Not just a fleeting moment, but an actual moment where he would have been content if it had never ended.
"I suppose," shrugged Yuffie. "As long as they have some good materia I don't care."
Naruto pulled out his cellphone and gave Tifa a call. He told her that they would spending the rest of the day at Cosmo Canyon. By the time he finished talking with her, him and Yuffie had arrived at the entrance. "Welcome. Today is a joyous day. Nanaki has returned to the village," smiled the man.
"Who is Nanaki?" asked Yuffie curiously.
"Nanaki is Nanaki," smiled the man. Yuffie and Naruto gave the man deadpanned looks.
A voice they recognized spoke up. "Let them through." The man turned to face Red. "They helped me along my journey back home." Red then turned and started to run up a set of rocky stairs.
"Any friend of Nanaki is more then welcome to enter Cosmo Canyon. Enjoy your stay," smiled the man moving aside.
"I thought his name was Red XIII?" frowned Yuffie confused.
"That is the name Hojo gave to him. His real name must be Nanaki," said Naruto entering Cosmo Canyon. He walked over to Red who waited at the top of a flight of stone steps. Yuffie went off on her own to explore the shops.
Red looked up at Naruto. "There is someone I would like you to meet. My grandfather, Bugenhagen. I believe he can help you in your quest to save the planet and defeat Sephiroth. He knows a great deal about the world."
"Arigato," nodded Naruto.
"You should bring Aeris as well. I am sure as a Cetra, she can learn much from him and the elders here at Cosmo Canyon," said Red.
"I will give her a call. Where does your grandfather live?"
"The house of the top of the cliff. Just climb all the way to the top." With those final words Red calmly made his way up to his grandfather's house. Naruto decided to look around for a bit until the others arrived.
Bugenhagen's House
Aeris looked at the strange home with the giant telescope. To be honest, she was a bit nervous. Never had she been in a place where she could hear the planet so clearly. "Are you ok?" asked Naruto.
"I am fine. Just a bit nervous," smiled Aeris.
"Relax." She looked at him curiously. "Everything will be fine," said Naruto. Aeris smiled brightly. There he went again, making her forget all her worries with just a few simple words. She nodded her head and entered the home.
Inside, an old man who looked to be ninety or hundred years old stood talking with Red. The old man wore blue and purple robes. He had a bald head and a thick white beard. "Ho Ho Ho, are these your friends Nanaki?" laughed the old man.
"Yes grandfather. This is Naruto and Aeris. She is a Cetra," nodded Red, as he turned to face the two. "Naruto, Aeris, this is my grandfather, Bugen. He is an incredible man. He knows everything."
"A pleasure to meet you sir," bowed Aeris. Naruto inclined his head respectfully.
Bugen smiled, "I hear you took care of Nanaki."
"I do not need taking care of. I am an adult," said Red defensively.
"He is quiet and very deep. I am sure your friends think you are an adult as well." Bugen chuckled as he patted Red on the head. Aeris giggled lightly. "Nanaki's tribe has incredible longevity. His 48 years of age is equivalent to that of a 15 or 16 years to us humans."
Naruto didn't seem to care while Aeris had a surprised look. "I want to be an adult. I want to be able to protect you and the village," said Red firmly.
"Ho Ho Ho. No Nanaki. You can't stand on your own yet," smiled Bugen. The old man had a sad twinkle. "To do that now would only destroy you in the long run." Bugen smirked as he jumped on the table in the middle of the room and took a seat on it. He stroke his beard and started to laugh. "Ho Ho Ho. When the time comes for this planet to die. You will find that all you know is absolutely nothing."
"When the planet dies?" said Aeris.
Bugen started to laugh. "Oh yes. It may be tomorrow or 100 years from now. But it is not far off."
Aeris frowned, "how do you know this?"
A twinkle appeared in Bugen's eyes. "I can hear the cries of the planet. Listen." Aeris, Naruto, and Red listened as the sound of wailing echoed throughout the home. A sad look appeared in Aeris's eyes as she felt the pain of the planet. "Do you hear that? That is a cry from the planet. As if it to say 'I hurt,' 'I suffer.'"
"They have come here on a journey to save the planet. Why don't you show them your apparatus?" suggested Red.
"Ho Ho Hooo. Save the planet? Ho Ho Ho. But then again, I guess it wouldn't hurt to show them," smiled Bugen.
Bugen's Apparatus
Naruto and Aeris walked around amazed at the sight. Not many things could catch Naruto's interest, but a 3D replica of the entire galaxy would make anyone amazed. Never had Naruto seen such an incredible use of technology. It felt as if they were literally in the middle of the galaxy. "This is amazing," gasped Aeris.
"Hmm, yes pretty good. This is my laboratory. All the workings of space are entered into this 3D holographic system," laughed Bugen.
A comet flew right past Naruto. Aeris is right, this is amazing. "Well, let's get back to the subject. All humans die. What happens to them after they die? The body decomposes, and returns to the planet. That much everyone knows. But what happens to the hearts, consciousness, and their souls? The souls too return to the planet. And not only those of humans, but everything on this planet. In fact, all living things in the universe are the same. The spirits that return to the planet merge together. They roam, converge, and divide becoming a swell, called the Lifestream. Lifestream…in other words, a path of energy of the souls roaming the planet. Spirit Energy is a word you should never forget." Bugen smiled as he continued. "A new life…children are blessed with Spirit energy and are brought into the world. Then, the time comes when they die and once again return to the planet. Of course there are exceptions, but this is the way of the world." Naruto listened closely to the man. He found this to be fascinating. Aeris was in the same state of mind as Naruto. "I've digressed but you'll understand better if you watch this."
The 3D image of earth came around until it stopped right between the three. Naruto and Aeris watched as green flecks started off as a kid then grew into an adult. It then showed the adult dying and the energy traveling across the planet forming into another child. The same thing happened with the trees, animals, until a swirl of lights representing spiritual energy surrounded the planet. "Spirit energy makes all things possible. Birds, trees, and people. Not just living things. But spirit energy makes a planet a planet. What happens if that spirit energy were to disappear?" Bugen raised his arm so that his hand was right in front of the planet. Slowly, all the spiritual energy started to get sucked away. Earth became barren and cold before it fell into pieces towards the ground. "These are the basics of the Study of Planet Life."
"If the planet loses its spiritual energy it dies," said Aeris softly. How horrible.
"Ho Ho Ho, spiritual energy is efficient because it interacts with nature. When spiritual energy is forcefully extracted and manufactured, it can't accomplish its true purpose," laughed Bugen.
"Mako Reactors. They truly do destroy the planet," said Naruto.
"Yes. Spirit energy gets compressed in the reactors and processed into Mako energy. All living things are being used up and thrown away. In other words, Mako energy will only destroy the planet." Bugen hit the switch and the holographic image ended. "If you wish to learn more. Then go listen to the words of the elders." Aeris bowed gratefully before leaving the room. Naruto nodded at Bugen as he too left.
Cosmo Canyon: Nighttime
Red stared into the bonfire that had been set up. The same bonfire he remembered looking into when he was a mere child. It had been a long time since he had last stared into this fire. A year to be exact. The sound of someone sitting down made Red turn his head to see Naruto take a seat on the ground next to him. "Have you finished speaking with grandfather?"
"Hai. I learned a great deal from him," said Naruto.
"He is a remarkable man. I only wish my father could be as great a man as grandfather," said Red with a dark look.
Naruto stared into the fire. "What did your father do?"
A silence filled the air. Red stared deeply into the fire. "Long ago. A war broke out in these lands. My mother, courageously fought helping to protect our homeland. But my father ran away like a coward. He left my mother to die to save his own life," scowled Red.
"When I think of my mother, my heart fills with pride. However, when I think of my father it fills with shame and anger."
"You really can't forgive him can you?" Red turned to see Bugen walked towards him.
"Of course!" Red growled. "When the Gi Tribe attacked, he left leaving mother and the people of the canyon for dead."
Bugen frowned. "I believe it is time for you see something Nanaki. Naruto-san, would you please join us? Where we are going is very dangerous." Red looked at his grandfather with a look of curiosity. Naruto nodded and stood up. Red and Naruto followed Bugen as he led them up towards his home.
Bugen led them to a steel wall in front of the latter that led up to his home. The old man waved his hand and the steel doors slid open. "What is this?" asked Red walking past the doors. He looked down to see a long drop with several stone ledges one could use to jump down to the bottom. "Ho ho Ho, best to keep moving," laughed Bugen.
Naruto and Red leapt from ledge to ledge until they reached the bottom. A light shined through a large archway. Bugen climbed down the later and smiled at them gesturing for them to go ahead. They walked through it to find themselves in a rocky area that reeked of death. A misty fog prevented them from seeing the ground they walked on. And an ominous feeling filled the air. "This place is full of darkness," said Naruto drawing one of his ninjato.
A skeleton burst out of the ground. It floated in the air wielding a long spear with a jagged blade. The skeleton laughed darkly as it charged towards Naruto. Naruto sliced the spear in half and then formed a Rasengan in his left hand. He slammed it straight into the skeleton making it explode causing bones and blood to fly everywhere. A growling sound made Red turn to see two undead wolves stalking towards them. One leapt forward but Red jumped up catching it by its throat. Red landed on the ground on top of it and ripped out its throat before tackling the second undead wolf.
"Ho Ho Ho, I did warn you that this place is dangerous," laughed Bugen.
Naruto and Red continued to fight through countless undead. They finally made it deep enough into the cave that the undead stopped attacking. "As you can see. This cave leads to the back of Cosmo Canyon. It is unfortunate that the Gi were larger then us. If they had attacked us through here we would have been defeated," smiled Bugen.
Red remained silent still not understanding the full meaning of why he had been brought here. Naruto had already deduced what had happened. "Let's keep moving." The trio continued deeper into the cave. They passed through another archway and this lead to an even wider area of space. Naruto sensed a materia nearby and walked off a bit. Red and Bugen watched as Naruto kneeled down over a dead body of a Gi. Without hesitation Naruto plunged his hand into the chest and yanked out a blue materia. Pulling out his ninjato, he stabbed it into the ground.
He took the Enemy Skill materia out of the hilt and placed it inside his chest armor. He then took the blue materia he just had and put it into the hilt of that ninjato. Naruto then reached onto his arm band and pulled out the Poison Materia. He took the Poison and the materia he had just found, then pushed them together. The blue and green mixed together in a beautiful pattern. Taking that new linked materia, he placed it within the hilt of his ninjato. "What did you do?" asked Red curiously.
"Linked an Added Effect materia to my Poison materia. Now my blade won't just cut, but poison as well," explained Naruto channeling chakra into the weapon. The blade turned a toxic looking green. Giving it a few swings, Naruto sheathed it and walked back over to the two.
"Ho Ho Ho, your knowledge on materia is very extensive. I wonder how you knew what type of materia that is?" chuckled Bugen. Red had a curious look. Naruto always did seem to know what materia he had found and how to use it perfectly.
Naruto frowned, "it is something that I can't explain. Just whenever I touch a materia I just know what it is." He had never given that a second thought. How did he always know? That is something he would have to look into at a later time. Something was coming towards them. "Move!" yelled Naruto grabbing Bugen and jumping as far as possible as something came down from the ceiling.
A twenty foot tall spider glared at them. It had a white body and long thin black legs. All eight of its eyes kept an eye on each of them. The spider thrust one of its leg right at Naruto who jumped into the air after creating a clone to protect Bugen. In the air he toss six kunai at the spider. It impressed Naruto with its speed as it dodged each kunai then stabbed him right through the chest. Naruto turned into a log. The spider held a confused and slightly surprised look.
Red took the spider's momentary surprise at Naruto turning into a log and leapt on its back. Growling, Red clawed at the spider taking out three of its eyes before the spider jumped extremely high and hit the top of the cave. Red's eyes widened in pain as he was crushed between the spider and the ceiling. Naruto came in and rescued Red before he hit the ground from that height. "Thanks," grunted Red rising to his feet.
"Do you move well on ice?"
"I can move on any solid surface," growled Red
Naruto nodded as his hand started to glow an icy blue. "Ice 2." He slammed his hand onto the ground. The entire ground froze over in a thick layer of ice. The spider tried walking but ended up stumbling and falling. Red ran forward a red aura surrounding him as his speed increased dramatically. Like a rocket, Red shot forward ripping through three of the spider's legs and slashing through its back. A screech of pain erupted from the spider as it hit the ground.
Red landed behind the spider blood dripping from his claws. Naruto shot forward his ninjato drawn. The blade started to glow green and he leapt up. He leapt in a graceful arc as he turned his body. A sickening sound netal piercing flesh filled the air. Naruto landed on top of the spider his ninjato piercing through its head. The spider thrashed around in pain but the fatal blow combined with the extreme poison being shot through its body was too much. It died within ten seconds. "Ho Ho Ho, let's continue," laughed Bugen.
It wasn't until they reached a third archway did Bugen stop them. "As you can see. The ghosts of Gi still haunt this place. So vile in their ways they are unable to move on. A great warrior came through here all alone to defend Cosmo Canyon." Bugen smiled.
"This warrior-"
"Come Nanaki. Up ahead you will find your answers," said Bugen walking ahead.
They entered the last part of the cave. Bugen froze as he felt an ominous feeling far greater then any of the other specters that they had met so far. Naruto and Red leapt in front of the old man each prepared to fight. "After death, the ghost of Gi like that of stagnant air. It can't be," gasped Bugen.
Out of the ground rose a huge specter. In the form of an Indian Chieftain and wielding a spear at least eight feet long. The specter towered over them as it floated in the air. It lunged at them thrusting its spear at Naruto. Naruto jumped onto the tip of the spear running straight at the specter. A Rasengan formed in his hand, but the specter twisted its spear. Forced to jump off, Naruto created a Kage Bunshin then used it as a spring board to launch back at the specter. He slammed the Rasengan straight into the specter's chest. It roared in pain as it was sent spinning backwards into the cavern wall.
The entire place shook and a couple of stalagmites fell from above. Red ran forward dodging the falling stalagmite before jumping straight at the specter. He slashed it across the chest twice before it backhanded him away. Red landed on his feet and glowed red. He howled into the air and a burst of energy surrounded him and Naruto.
Naruto felt a surge of power rush through him. The ninja found himself moving at twice the speed. Red too moved at twice the speed. The two became blurs as they started to attack the specter from every angle. It couldn't keep up with them as the two continued their relentless barrage.
It hit the wall with a hateful glare in its eyes as Naruto and Red landed next to each other panting heavily. The power boost was about to wear out and the specter could still move. A hard look appeared in Naruto's eyes. Forming a set of hand seals, Naruto felt his body changing. His canines became more defined and his nails became claw-like. "Copy my movements," ordered Naruto. Red growled before following Naruto who started to run on all fours. "Gatsuuga." Bugen watched with wide eyes as Naruto and Red crisscrossed each other before turning into twin tornadoes.
The two tornadoes slammed into the chest of the specter. They burst right through it and out the other side. Red and Naruto came out of their spins. Naruto landed in a crouch before falling to a knee. Red panted heavily with a smirk on his face. He had no idea that he would be able to perform such a technique, but it definitely wouldn't be the last time he used it.
Naruto stood up as the specter started to fade away. That is a jutsu he learned from Inuzuka Hana. She had taught it to him as a favor for saving one of her dog's lives during an A-rank mission. It had been much easier to use when he had the Kyuubi in him as he had been more in tune with his more primal side. Oh well, he would perfect it later. He glanced at Red and nodded. Red nodded back at him. "You have grown much stronger Nanaki. Now I know it wasn't a mistake to bring you here. Come, there is something you must see," smiled Bugen.
Bugen led the way out of the cave and into the back of Cosmo Canyon. The old man pointed up in the air. Red followed the finger and his eyes widened upon the sight. There at the top of the cliff stood a perfect stone statue of his father. At least six arrows were embedded in the statue. "This is.."
"The warrior that fought all alone. He prevented the Gi tribe from taking one step into Cosmo Canyon. Unfortunately, he was unable to return home." Bugen came up besides Red and shouted. "Look Nanaki! Look at your father, at the warrior, Seto! Even though the Gi's poisonous arrows turned his body to stone. He still continues to protect us!"
Red could say nothing as he looked upon his father. "You thought all this time that he had been a coward and ran away. But he, alone risked his life to protect Cosmo Canyon." Naruto turned and walked away. This conversation was not for his ears. As he walked away he couldn't help but think of his own father. Minato had risked his life to protect all of Konoha. Even at the cost of his own. A smile appeared on Naruto's face, it seemed he and Red XIII shared more in common then they had known.
Next Morning
Naruto prepared to leave with the others. "Wait!"
"Red? I thought you were staying here?" smiled Aeris.
Red came to a stop in front of them. "I have decided to continue traveling with you all. I too wish to help the planet."
The others wanted to ask what changed his mind, but Naruto cut them off. "Let's get going."