Chapter 10: Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold
Joker and Garrus held there breath as Naruto sat in the seat which Joker usually occupies.
"All right Naruto... take it easy." Garrus said with slight worry in his voice. "This is your first time."
"So many buttons..."
"Don't touch anything!" Joker demanded. "Now EDI set up a virtual course so Naruto can fly through it." The little blue sphere popped up.
"Of course Mr. Munro." On the screen before Naruto came up a map with checkpoints on it.
"All right Naruto... don't crash and kill us all." Garrus said with a slight smirk before it dropped and both of them fell to the floor as Naruto took off.
Everyone in the Normandy jolted with the ship as Naruto took it through its paces. Joker had been teaching Naruto everything for a week and he had already been getting a hang of the way Joker maneuvered the ship just by watching. Naruto laughed as he passed through another checkpoint before sending the ship into a barrel roll and flying through another before turning and flying down and going through another.
"How we doing EDI?" Naruto asked.
"You are doing very well Mr. Namikaze."
"Just call me Naruto." He said before sending the ship onto a straight course and flying through the last check point and bringing the ship back to a steady pace. "That was awesome!"
"Never again..." Garrus groaned as he stood up helping Joker up.
"That was incredible flying Naruto, but it is best to warn someone before you do that type of maneuvering." Joker said and Naruto smiled sheepishly before rubbing the back of his head.
"Sorry."
"Now get out of my seat before I break a hip." Naruto stood up and Joker sat back down. "Oh sweet leather how I have missed you so!"
"Joker, you ok? You know your talking to a chair right?" Garrus asked and Joker shot a glare at him. "Alright sorry, sorry. So Naruto you and Shepard bunking together how's that going?"
"It's fine." Naruto said as they started to walk away from the still glaring Joker. "And we are just sleeping."
"Sounds boring." Garrus smirked before Naruto hit him in the arm. "Sorry. I'm glad that she is smiling as much as she does lately. You brought hope to her again Naruto." Garrus said, he realized Naruto wasn't walking beside him and he looked back to see Naruto crouched down holding his knee's to his chest and rocking back and forth. "Naruto?"
"You put a lot of pressure on me Garrus!" Naruto shouted before both of them started laughing and continued to walk towards the elevator.
"Where is Shepard at the moment?"
"Meeting with the top dog."
"Illusive Man?" Naruto nodded his head.
"Something about a turian ship bringing down a Collector vessel." Garrus nodded and entered the elevator. "So I wouldn't be surprised if we are off vacation and have to get back to work."
"That sucks." Naruto nodded and leaned up against the other side of the elevator.
"Garrus Naruto gear up and meet me at the shuttle were going out."
"Fun's over." Both said as the door opened and both went and got geared up. Shepard met them at the shuttle and rushed them in quickly and the shuttle took off and headed for the collectors vessel.
"So how's the top dog?" Garrus asked.
"Stupid dick... this is nothing but a trap." Shepard growled.
"Yay a trap!"
"That's a trap for us not for them Garrus." Shepard told him.
"Oh..." Naruto laughed and slapped Garrus in the back. The shuttle entered the Collector's vessel and landed.
"Alright this is enemy territory, watch each other's back and keep on your toes there is no telling what goes on in here." Both nodded and put there helmets on and made sure that they were secured properly before heading out. They made a defense formation around the outside of the shuttle to make sure the area was clear before moving on.
"Commander, I will set a destination for you. There is a terminal further in. You may be able to find out about the collector's base." EDI said over the radio.
"Thanks EDI." The group headed into the ship more and came across countless bodies of humans and empty pods. They rounded another corner and found a terminal with a set of pods around it with collectors in them.
"Were they running tests on themselves?" Garrus asked. Naruto walked over to one of the pods and peered in side. "Ugly fuckers aren't they."
"Yeah... how long have they been dead for?" Naruto asked as Shepard walked up to the terminal and uploaded EDI to the system.
"I am sorry Commander I was unable to find anything other then what went on here." EDI said appearing before the monitor. "It appears that they were running compatibility tests with themselves and humans."
"They want to see if we have anything in common?"
"It appears so; there is also something else you might find interesting. A single cell in the Collector's gene pool."
"What is it?"
"It is Prothean, the Collector's originated from the Prothean's."
"Impossible!" Garrus said in shock.
"It could be very well true Garrus. The Reapers wiped out every single Prothean from existence but that would be impossible, there may have been a few survivors and the Reapers may have enslaved some. There is nothing but meat, bones and cybernetics here. There is no free will. The Reapers enslaved the Prothean's and this was there outcome."
"Am I missing something here?" Naruto asked as he stood there trying to figure out what they were talking about.
"I also found something more interesting." EDI spoke up again.
"What?"
"I had EDI run a scan over Naruto's and Gaara's DNA, it turns out that it is a ninety seven percent match Commander, you're standing with a full blood Prothean." Joker told her.
"Talk about a bag of old bones." Garrus chuckled.
"I'm not old!" Naruto growled.
"Your race is though, over fifty thousand years old." Shepard told him. "So in theory this ugly thing may be a distant relative."
"Oh shut up." Naruto mumbled before walking on ahead. "Let's go."
"Oh is Mr. Prothean grumpy?" Garrus chuckled.
"How about you shut up or I go tell a certain red head your feelings!" Naruto growled. Garrus stumbled while Shepard looked at him oddly.
"You like Gaara, Garrus?" She asked making Naruto burst into laughter and Garrus took a swing at him.
"It's not Gaara! It's a girl!" Garrus shouted at her making Shepard grin.
"Oh so who is it?"
"We don't have time for this!" Garrus shouted again.
"Well mister, we are going to have to have a long talk about this girl you like." Shepard said with a hidden smirk and hands on hips. "Now let's keep moving." Both the blonde and the turain nodded and continued on walking.
"Commander on a hunch I had EDI run a test on the ship, this was the same one that attacked the Normandy two years ago."
"The same ship tracking me for two years? This can't be a coincidence." Shepard said. "Everyone keep on your guard." The group nodded and continued on walking and walked into a large room with millions of empty pods.
"Oh, kami-sama..." Naruto said in awe at the size of the chamber.
"It's like a hive in here." Garrus said.
"This is too many pods... there going to hit Earth!"
"We won't let it come to that." Naruto told her and she smiled back at him.
"Thanks Naruto." Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and continued on walking.
"Commander there's the terminal." Garrus said as he pointed to a weird platform looking thing.
"Alright let's get what we need and get the hell out of here... Naruto are you ok?" Shepard asked as she looked to the blonde. He was leaning against a wall with a hand holding his head.
"Y-Yeah just fine... just got a bit dizzy there for a second." Naruto said standing back up. "Let's keep going." Shepard eyed him for a moment before nodding her head and walking up to the platform.
"EDI find everything you can while you're in there."
"Of course Commander." EDI appeared on the screen and started to go through the systems. Garrus kept his rifle to the ready and so did Shepard; Naruto on the other hand was having a hard time breathing. He held his head as another headache started and then looked up as they heard a shot.
"EDI you better hurry!" Garrus shouted as he took cover.
"I am going as fast as I can." EDI responded. Shepard started to shoot and Naruto followed suit as he took cover. More of the platforms started to fly around them.
"This can't be good..." Naruto said as another headache ensued. EDI appeared again after five minutes in the fire fight.
"I am done."
"About time!" Garrus shouted as he jumped off the platform and Shepard took the files from EDI and headed after Garrus. "Naruto move your ass!"
"I'm coming I'm coming." Naruto mumbled as he ran after them. They had to fight hordes of enemies that kept coming after them.
"Where the hell were they ten minutes ago when we were running through here?!" Shepard growled as she took down another collector.
"Who cares lets just get back to the shuttle before the ship comes on line." Naruto and Shepard nodded and Shepard took the lead. Naruto was in the back looking over his shoulder from time to time to see if anyone was coming up behind him. He looked over his shoulder again only to crash into a wall.
"Naruto can you hear us?!" Garrus shouted. A door had closed just before Naruto had got through.
"Yeah what the hell happened?" Naruto called out.
"The door closed, we can't get it open EDI said that there is another way, head to your left and follow the corridor!" Shepard called out and Naruto nodded before he took off. He rounded a corner and drew his pistol as he shot a Collector in the head before jumping and throwing two kunai killing another.
"What is wrong with me? Constant headache and I'm slower then usual..." Naruto asked himself as he leaned up against the wall breathing heavy. "I need to get back to the others." He began to walk again and was having an even harder time in doing so.
X-X
"Do you think he is ok Commander?" Garrus asked as he checked around a corner to show that there was no one there. "I mean he wasn't looking so good before."
"He will be fine. Keep your mind on track Garrus." Garrus nodded and missed the look of concern on the Commander's face. She was indeed worried about him, he hadn't been acting like his usual self since they got back from Konoha there was something wrong and she didn't know what. They rounded another corner and continued on with guns ready to fire at a moments notice. Garrus almost dropped his gun when he saw Naruto lying on the ground.
"Naruto!" They both shouted. The blonde didn't move as they ran to him. Behind the blonde was over a dozen dead Collectors'. Shepard ran full pelt at him and slid on her knees as she stopped next to him and brought him up to her in a hug.
"Commander we need to get out of here now! Here give him here I will take him!" Garrus picked Naruto up and slung him over his shoulder and helped Shepard up.
"We need to move." Garrus nodded and both took off at a run, Garrus with his pistol and Shepard with her rifle at the ready. Shepard took the lead and shot down three collectors as the shuttle came into view. "Get him aboard!" Garrus ran for the shuttle and got inside with Naruto and set him down and Shepard came in moments later and the shuttle took off. Garrus removed his helmet and Shepard did the same. She pulled Naruto's helmet off and could see the veins in his neck were starting to show a lot more then they should and were highly visible.
"What's wrong with him?"
"Dr Chakwas will take a look at him. Send a transmission saying to prep a bed for him." Garrus nodded and went to the driver while Shepard cradled Naruto's head in her lap. "Don't you dare die on me Naruto; I don't want to lose anyone else, not again!" Tears fell from her eyes as she held Naruto closer.
X-X
Naruto slowly opened his eyes and had to close them again when he saw nothing but white. His head was in agonizing pain and there was no one in the room. It took him a moment to remember where he was and when he remembered he laid back in the hospital bed.
"What happened? I remember fighting some collector's and then I collapsed... Jane and Garrus must have found me." He concluded. The door slid open and Dr Chakwas walked in. "What's the diagnosis doc?" Dr Chakwas chuckled as the joke and sat at her desk.
"You collapsed and were under intense strain. We had to come all the way to the citadel for medical treatment, I had no idea what was wrong and we even had Mordin take a look with no success." Naruto nodded his head. "What happened out there Naruto?"
"I'm not exactly sure." He told her honestly. "When we started the mission I was fine but after a while I started to get dizzy and weak." Dr Chakwas nodded her head.
"By rights you should be fine but I don't want you going out for a while. You are confined to the ship." Naruto was about to protest when she glared at him. "Doctors orders."
"Alright." He mumbled. "So we are docked at the citadel?" Chakwas nodded her head. "Can I at least go out here? It's not like I am bound to get shot here."
"That's the Commander's call. But if she says yes then I will allow it, you are in no immediate danger here." Naruto nodded and stood up and reached for his clothes. The door slid open and revealed Gaara.
"Hey Gaara! What's up?" Naruto asked as he proceeded to get dressed.
"We need to talk." Naruto nodded and followed the red head out of the medical bay and into the elevator. Gaara was quite all the way to the observation deck that he had occupied. "Take a seat." Naruto sat on one of the leather couches and Gaara took one on the opposite couch. Naruto sat quietly as did Gaara for a full five minutes before Gaara spoke. "You haven't told them?"
"No need."
"Naruto..."
"Seriously its one day of the year it happens every year, no point in celebrating when there are more important thins to think about." Naruto told him.
"Well I still think you should tell someone, I only know it."
"And that's the way it's going to stay understand..." Naruto gripped his head as his head started to pound.
"Naruto? What's wrong?" Gaara asked as he walked over to his friend. Naruto had his head down as he was holding both sides of his head. "Naruto?" Naruto's head shot right up and looked into Gaara's eyes with red slit eyes making Gaara take a step back.
"Gaara stay back!" Naruto roared at him. Gaara felt chills run down his spine. "Lock the door! Now!" Naruto ordered and Gaara did what he was asked.
"What's going on Naruto?" Gaara asked slightly worried.
"The Bastard isn't gone!" Naruto yelled as he fell from the ground and repeatedly smashed his head on the hard floor enough to make blood start to spurt out and start to form a slight puddle on the floor. "How! I killed you! I did what my father couldn't! How are you still alive?" Naruto bellowed as he continued to smash his head on the ground adding more blood to the growing puddle.
"Calm down Naruto! This isn't helping your situation! Control him! Just like you did before!" Gaara shouted. "This is not the time to get emotional!" Naruto gripped his head and his body thrashed around. Gaara went on his knees and gripped Naruto by the shoulders and brought him up on his knees. "Naruto! Calm down!" The red slit eyes were unfocused and were dashing around every where in the room. "Don't let Kyuubi out! Think about how many innocents would die!"
"I... I can't do it! There is no way!" Naruto shouted.
"Then do it for Shepard! How would she react if you were gone! Don't hurt her again!" Naruto's eyes opened in shock. "That's it Naruto." Gaara thought. "You have hurt her when you were in your seven tailed state, think about how much you would hurt her if you were gone! She would blame herself for not being able to help you! Do you want to give her that much pain and suffering?!"
"I don't want to hurt her Gaara... don't make me hurt her! Please!"
"Gaara! What's going on in there?!" Miranda shouted from the other side of the door. "Open this door now!"
"Sorry just a minute!" Gaara called back.
"Now Gaara!" Miranda shouted as she bashed on the door.
"What do I do Gaara?" Naruto asked with a worried look on his face, he was strained underneath the pressure of holding the fox back.
"Let me in."
"What! No way!"
"You can't go in while holding the fox at bay let me do it!" Gaara demanded. "It's all I can think of that will work." Naruto looked at him before slowly nodding his head.
"Alright." Gaara gave him a small smile before resting his hand on Naruto's head and closing his eyes. When he opened them again he was shocked. Naruto's mindscape was that of the Normandy. There were cracks shining a bright gold color along the walls signaling that this had been going on for a while now. There was a roar of anger making Gaara head to the elevator. He hit the command deck and had to shield his eyes as the command deck was literally in flames and in the centre was the gate of what Naruto had made to the seal the Kyuubi in. The Kyuubi roared again almost blowing Gaara of his feet.
"Stop this!" Gaara shouted. Everything went quiet and the Kyuubi looked over to Gaara.
"Mortal... leave here so I can rip you to shreds and watch you scream in pain after I take Naruto's body for myself!" Kyuubi roared.
"Why are you doing this to him?"
"He tried to kill me and almost succeeded! Punishment must ensue!"
"He did that because you were trying to take over again! Leave Naruto alone and stop all of this. Do you want to die? If Naruto failed last time, he won't fail the next time." The Kyuubi stopped struggling, Gaara had a point there was no way that if the need came to it Naruto would do it again and next time succeed. He was that type of person. "Even if you make it off this ship and onto the citadel, there won't be a big enough ship so you can travel anywhere, you will be stuck on the citadel for the rest of eternity. You need to think things through before you act, you're a lot like Naruto."
"Don't put me on par with that miserable pup!" Kyuubi growled.
"Ever since Naruto has been on the Normandy has he ever once been miserable? Everyone has accepted him for who and what he is. Can't you just give him that? In his whole life he has been shunned, betrayed and beaten. Will you just give him this?" Kyuubi sought through all of Naruto's memories since he had been on the ship and had to smile. He had not once put up a fake charade around any of them. He was being himself. "I beg you, please let Naruto be. This is all he had ever wanted in his life. I owe him that much to ask you to leave him be." Kyuubi lay down and rested it's head on its paws.
"You were the Jinchūriki the pup saved weren't you?" Gaara nodded his head. "I guess you do own him something then, he saved you from your insanity and helped save your life."
"Will you stop all this and make amends? You were working together with him once before, why not again?"
"Pride is why. For if I just give up my pride will be forfeit."
"You're stuck within a person who has already tamed you once... I think that is enough to let your pride slip once more." Kyuubi eyed the red head before sighing deeply.
"Under a few condition's I will accept..."
Gaara opened his eyes and could see the red fade from Naruto's. Naruto's face became more relaxed and less strained and he smiled lightly at his friend.
"Thanks Gaara." Naruto smiled. "I don't know what I would have done without you."
"You have done the same for me time over time again, it was the least I could do Naruto." Gaara said standing back up and walking over to the door where Miranda was still bashing away and opened it.
"Gaara, what happened, why was this door locked... why is there blood everywhere!" Miranda ordered as she looked over the red head and blonde.
"Little complication." Naruto said with a silly smile. "It's all sorted now."
"Is the Commander back yet?" Gaara asked. "I wish to look around the citadel to see how the government here acts."
"Gaara you're not a kage anymore you don't need to look into politics." Naruto joked as he stood up and wiped his forehead on his sleeve wiping the excess blood off.
"I wish to see what a Spectre is."
"I wouldn't mind trying to fight one, see what they are all about." The blonde grinned. Miranda looked over the two and smiled lightly.
"I give you authorization to leave the Normandy to explore the citadel. Take your gear with you just in case you run into trouble." Both nodded and headed to the armory and got suited up. They exited the ship and were already in a crowd after taking ten steps.
"Busy place." Naruto smiled.
"I don't like crowds." Gaara told him.
"Don't worry I'm here with you... now lets go find that Ramen stand!" Naruto laughed as he walked further into the mass of people.
X-X
"Something wrong Commander?" Anderson asked as he watched Shepard lean over the railing and sigh.
"I... a member of my team collapsed." She said worriedly. "I don't know what's wrong and I have no idea how to help him." Anderson walked next to her and rested a hand on her shoulder. "I lost Alenko... I lost my whole team; I just don't want to lose him like I have lost everything else."
"I know you cared for Alenko a lot..."
"Not like I care for Naruto." She interrupted him. "If I was in the same position back on Virmire I would risk the whole mission just to be there in his last moments and die with him. That's how I feel for him." Anderson nodded his head.
"You love him." Shepard glanced over at him and nodded her head.
"It's hard not too." She chuckled. "He grows on you more then you know. He is incredible."
"He can even take on a krogan one on one." Ashley said from where she was standing. "Plus he has a great ass." She smirked as Ashley grinned.
"One hell of a kisser to." Shepard smirked remembering his touch. Her face became sad again as she remembered there last mission. "Dr Chakwas said he was suffering from intense strain. But there was something about the way he was I have never seen him like that. So weak."
"All we can do is wait until Dr Chakwas alerts us that he is awake." Garrus said.
"There has to be a ramen stand around here somewhere!" A shout came from outside making everyone look over the balcony in shock at the voice. "Ramen... Ramen where are you!" The voice came again.
"Naruto!" Naruto and Gaara looked up and saw Garrus, Ashley and Jane all looking down at them.
"Oh hey guys do you know where I can find a ramen stand?" Naruto asked rubbing the back of his neck.
"I am guessing you are not happy to see us." Gaara said. "It would seem that the mess with Naruto has been sorted. He will be fine from now on." Naruto continued to rub the back of his neck as he took on a sheepish grin.
"Sorry for worrying you."
"Come on up, I am sure Councilor Anderson will want to meet you." Garrus called down. "Might even give you directions to a Ramen stand." Naruto was at the door within a minute with a worried looking Gaara who had been dragged along.
"Nice to meet you Naruto." Anderson holding out his hand.
"Councilor."
"Call me Anderson. I didn't want this title." He smiled with a small glare at Shepard.
"Thought you would be better then that dick Udina." Shepard told him.
"He would have been at war three times already with the other races if he was the Councilor." Ashley said. "At least we have a decent man on the Council." Ashley and Gaara talked to Anderson about politics while Garrus went and hoped one of the terminals to search the net. Naruto walked over to Shepard who had been quite for a time and was once again leaning over the railing.
"You Ok Jane?" Naruto asked leaning next to her staring off onto the richer part of the citadel.
"I am now that I know you're safe." She turned and smiled at him. "I don't know what I would have done without you Naruto."
"I'm sure you still would be kicking Collector ass all the way back to there base." Naruto chuckled. "Has EDI decoded the information yet?"
"No not yet, it shouldn't be to long before she does." Shepard told him and both went quite.
"You're not going to ask?"
"I figured you would tell me when you were ready." Shepard smiled. "Plus it's not like I'm going anywhere."
"Just a mix up with the Fox... he was angry at me."
"So he made you collapse?"
"It's a bit more complicated then that..." Naruto went on to tell her about everything that had happened on his first mission when he had gotten back home, his transformation into a replica Kyuubi and destroying Iwa to when he lost control and hurt her all the way up to him collapsing. "... He was angry because I tried to kill him."
"I guess anyone would get pissed at trying to be killed. I'm glad Gaara helped you out."
"Commander we have decoded the information form the Collector's vessel, would you like me to send the information to you?" EDI asked.
"That won't be necessary EDI we are heading back." Naruto's eyes shot wide open.
"What about my Ramen!"
"Next time Naruto." Jane smiled. "Everyone we're heading back to the Normandy, time to find out where these Bastards live." Everyone nodded and headed out leaving a smiling Anderson behind.