Hey Everyone! How you doing? Well, I have received a lot of feedback from you guys saying that you would love to see Naruto as a Jedi Gladiator, so without further ado, I give you Chapter 8 of Under the Stars.
Previously…
Naruto was silent for a moment, before he stood, uttering just three words.
"As you wish."
He quickly moved to his room, and once inside, sealed the door. I have three hours to prepare, enter the Coruscanti underground, and meet up with the contact, he thought, rummaging through his things. He pulled out a pair of simple cloth pants, and grabbed a hemp sack in the corner of his room. He pulled out one of his kunai, and quickly cut it apart, making the rough outline of a shirt. He sewed it up, purposefully making the stitch work sloppy, and threw it on, before he grabbed a rough cloak. He packed up his kunai, scrolls, and other weapons, before he tied them to his thigh. He looked up at the clock, and saw that he had managed to kill a half hour. He looked at a long-range communicator he had been building to practice his engineering skills, and nodded, making a decision.
He quickly sat down, and created a few clones, giving them instructions on what parts to assemble. Within an hour, the job was completed, and he took a look at the finished product. It was a powerful system, and he had managed to compact the system, allowing it to be transported more easily. He pulled out his own communicator, and found a certain contact he had met in the Coruscanti underground before. He sent out the signal, and waited.
A figure appeared a few seconds later, his features hidden in the folds of a smuggler's cloak. His posture seemed to relax upon identifying the caller, and when he spoke, his voice was pleasant enough, despite its youth. "Naruto!" he exclaimed, scratching his chin as he gazed at the young Jedi. "What can I do for you? Need me to get you some more of that strange ramen?" They chuckled for a moment, before Naruto's face grew serious. "I need you to get another communicator to my planet, for a man named Kakashi Hatake," he said, watching for any reaction. "I'm going to be on a dangerous mission very soon, and I'm going to need to speak to my old acquaintances." The young man nodded, asking, "When do you need it there?" Naruto thought for a moment, and asked, "Is it possible for you to get it there in three days?" The young man scoffed, and said in mock-outrage, "You shame me, good sir! What kind of smuggler would I be if it took me three days to deliver something to a planet that close? I could easily make it in two." "Alright," Naruto said, grinning. "Get it there as fast as you can. Usual fee?" The smuggler nodded, and asked, "When should I expect pick-up?" Naruto looked at the clock, and saw that he had an hour and twenty minutes left. "I'm on my way to the underground now, so can I expect to meet you at the usual place in an hour?" The smuggler nodded, and signed off.
Naruto grabbed his bag, and stuffed a few scrolls in containing various weapons and jutsu formulas. He found a blank scroll, and sealed the communicator into it, before stuffing that scroll down the neck of his new "shirt". He slipped out into the hallway and jumped up to the ceiling, sticking with a bit of chakra. If this is meant to be a secret mission, he reasoned, than it would be beneficial to make sure I remain undetected. The sheer number of Force-sensitives in the Temple would allow him to escape without being sensed, so he merely had to hope that none of the Jedi would happen to look at the ceiling hundreds of feet above. He moved through until he found a window, and pulled it open, slipping out. He closed it, and turned to see the world spread below.
Hundreds of thousands of vehicles flew by beneath him, and the sun was setting, painting everything an ethereal shade in the twilight. He released the chakra holding him to the sloped roof, and slid down the ziggurat, building up more and more speed. When he came to the edge, he leapt forward, combining his chakra and the Force to increase the distance. He soared over the vehicles, crossing over a thousand meters before landing on an opposite roof. He landed in a roll, and kept running, jumping from building to building until he finally came to one that towered over the section where he would meet his contact. Without stopping, he leapt from the edge, this time using nothing to lengthen the jump, and dived, the wind roaring in his ears as he shot down like a cannonball.
He reached the airlanes, and as vehicles shot at him, he used the Force to twist, slow, speed up, and otherwise dodge the vehicles. Judging by how they kept going, they never even saw him. He was rapidly approaching the ground, so he used the Force to slow his speed considerably, and once he hit the ground, he released a surge of chakra and Force power into his system to brace himself so much that he only felt the impact he would feel if he had hopped over a fallen tree. He stood, and snuck through the dark streets, keeping to the shadows. A couple of different beings passed by him, hardly giving him a look due to his state of dress. After all, the Coruscanti underground wasn't a place for the rich. Or at least, the rich who made a semi-honest living.
He found his way into a seedy bar, and managed to find an unoccupied booth. The waitress walked up to him, a cute Twi'lek who looked to be about eighteen, and whose uniform left very little to the imagination. She gave him what would have been a charming smile, save the dead look in her eyes, and asked, "What'll it be, sugar?" "Can I get a glass of some of your Twi'lek liquor?" he asked, remembering that was one of the signals he needed for his contact to appear. "I'd need to see some I.D." she replied, leaning slightly to the side so her hips stuck out. He waved his hand slightly, and said, "You don't need to see any identification." "I don't need to see any identification," she repeated, her eyes and voice blank. "You will go get my drink." "I will go get you your drink," she repeated, and walked away, slipping between the crowds.
He waited silently as the crowd became thicker and more boisterous as the night wore on. He took a look at the clock, and saw that the designated hour had passed. Twenty minutes left, he thought, looking at the faces in the crowd. When will he arrive?" The waitress set his drink down on the table, and left. He watched her leave, and when he turned back, saw the young man sitting in the booth across from him. "About time you got here…Boba."
"I had a little job to do before I got here," the Mandalorian clone replied, downing the drink. "Why I keep smuggling things for you when I'm supposed to be a bounty hunter is beyond me."
"It could be because I pay you well," Naruto joked, passing the young man the scroll containing the communicator. "And it could also be that every time you go to my planet, you discover a new weapon or poison for your work." Boba grinned, and nodded, hiding the scroll in the folds of his cloak. "That job I mentioned actually had me using one of those senbon from your planet. I designed a small launcher for it, and when dipped in poison from your planet, poison we don't have an antidote to, it makes my job much easier."
"Well, we shinobi know how to kill our enemies," Naruto said, falling silent for a moment. He stood then, and said, "I have to go, Boba. I'm scheduled to leave the planet in fifteen minutes, and you know me, I always have to wait until the last moment." The Twi'lek waitress hurried back over, and gave him the check, which he promptly paid. As she took the money, she leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Is there anything else I can do for you?" She pressed her breasts lightly against his arms to emphasize his point, and he pulled out a few more credits. He waved his hands before her eyes, and her voice and eyes went blank again as she was mesmerized. "You will take this money, and you will go home and rethink your life." She took the cash, and left the bar, the shinobi following.
Naruto managed to find the platform where his handler was waiting, and waited in the shadows as men stalked around. His communicator beeped, and Naruto ducked behind a stack of crates. He pressed the button, and a cloaked figure appeared. "You Naruto?" the figure asked, and he grunted out a reply, keeping his voice down as a couple of guards, or thieves, or whatever they were walked by. "Alright. Now, I'm scheduled to be here for a pick-up, so I want you to find a large crate and get into it. The crate has the numbers 1011, followed by the letters ASFJ. I'll be seeing you soon."
Naruto gazed at the men nearby, and saw that they were loading several crates onto the ship. He quickly cast around, searching for the designated crate. He saw a man about to pick it up, and he used the Force to influence him to look away for just a moment. In a flash, he performed a teleportation jutsu to place himself inside the crate. He felt the man lift, and heard him grunt as he walked up the walkway. He was dropped inside with a less-than-graceful toss, and he smashed his head against the durasteel container, stars winking into existence before his eyes. He heard the man walking away, and he swore quietly, rubbing the back of his scalp. He heard the mechanical whir of the rising walk, and he sat silently in the cramped crate, waiting to be released.
After about ten minutes, he felt the jolt of the ship entering hyperspace, and the top of the crate came off. He tried standing up, and wound up rolling over the edge of the crate, landing hard on the durasteel floor. He groaned, and stared up at the person above him. His jaw dropped, and he sat up, his brow furrowed in surprise. "Iruka?" he exclaimed, and the figure dropped his hood, revealing the grinning scarred Chunin. The man pulled the young Jedi to his feet, and the two grabbed each other into a bear hug. "What the hell are you doing here?" Naruto asked, gazing at the man with wonder. The former Academy teacher silently motioned for the Jedi to follow, and as they walked through the hall of the unfamiliar ship. He could tell that it was a new model; the walkways were still gleaming, and the walls were streak-free. Once he reached the cockpit, he sat down in the co-pilot's seat, and watched as Iruka sat down behind the controls, taking the wheel as if he was born in the position.
"After you left," Iruka began, taking a look at the controls, checking that everything was in order, "more and more ships started coming into the planet. We had slavers, smugglers, criminals, Republic and Separatist ambassadors, the works. Some people came to live on our planet, and some of our people left to live elsewhere in the galaxy. Anyway, a slaver tried taking a couple of the Genin, so I wound up killing him. Unfortunately for me, he was actually a representative from a Separatist planet, and they said that if I wasn't taken care of, they would bring droids to the planet. Before the business reached the Hokage, I spoke to the representative who came with him, and we came to an agreement. I swore that I would leave Kironia and that I would never return so long as the Separatists existed." Naruto sighed, staring out at the streaks of blue light zipping past.
"Who was the representative you made the agreement with?" Naruto asked, staring at his former teacher. He took in his appearance, noting the black denim jeans, the chain belt slung across his hips, the attached leather holster holding a DL-44 Heavy Blaster Pistol. He wore a V-neck white silk shirt, covered by a black leather vest. He wore a pair of black leather boots, resembling the old shinobi sandals they used to wear, and sitting on top of his forehead, Naruto was shocked to see the old goggles that he used to wear as an Academy Student, resized with a jutsu to fit the man.
"His name was Count Dooku," Iruka replied, and he leaned back, setting the ship's autopilot. "He was "gracious" enough to give me some credits to get me started, just to make sure that I would never return. So, I got some clothes, got this ship, and got a job as a smuggler." Naruto nodded, not surprised. After all, he had performed some smuggling missions in his time. "What kinda ship is this?" he asked, looking around again. "I've never seen this kind before. New model?"
Iruka grinned, and ran his hands over the controls. "She is. It's the all-new YT-1300 Light Freighter, straight off the Corellian Engineering Corporation line. I've done a couple of mods, and now this baby can take out a Destroyer cannon with one well-placed shot, and jump to lightspeed faster than any other ship out there." Naruto grinned at the man's giddy expression, and leaned back in the chair, resting his hands behind his head. "Oh yeah!" Iruka said, reaching into a small compartment, "I got something for you." He performed a quick seal, and Naruto felt the heat of a fire jutsu, before he smelled an enticing scent. His eyes went wide, his mouth began to drool, and his fingers began to twitch in anticipation as Iruka brought a steaming bowl into view.
"I got you ramen!"
Sasuke sat in a meditation position aboard the Star Courier, emptying his mind of any thought but his hatred of Itachi. He roared out in anger as he failed to use what he had heard called the Force. Punching the durasteel wall in anger, he slumped against it, running his hands through his hair. When he and Orochimaru had murdered a Twi'lek and stolen his ship, they had fled their planet, Orochimaru out of thirst for knowledge and a method of immortality, Sasuke to find new methods to kill Itachi. They had discovered, quite by accident, a holovid recording of a Sith, displaying powers that made Sasuke envious almost instantly. Since then, he had been studying all available information on the Force, trying to show some sign that he could unlock the power. So far, his efforts had been in vain.
You wish for power?
Sasuke jerked to his feet, and drew his blade, whipping around to see who had spoken. He felt a chill as he saw that he was alone, yet felt a dark presence hovering over him.
I can offer you the darkest secrets of the Force.
He cautiously lowered his sword, and turned yet again, looking for the source. This time, however, it wasn't from fear, but from intrigue.
Your former friend, Naruto, is a Jedi, young Sasuke, and you have nothing. Now how is that fair? He, who was born nothing, is more powerful than the true heir of the Uchiha legacy.
Sasuke's mouth curled into a snarl of rage, realizing that the voice was right. He was the last Uchiha! He deserved everything the galaxy had to offer, not some imbecile who lived like a monk just because he could.
Very good, the voice said, his voice smooth. Prove yourself to me, and I will give you all the power you desire.
"What do you wish of me?" Sasuke asked, closing his eyes. He knew by now that he would not see the man who spoke to him. He felt the man's satisfaction, and a flash of images appeared in his mind.
He saw all but one of the four escape pods launch from the Courier, before they exploded, sending the metal flying through space. Another launched shortly after, and stayed intact, turning so Sasuke could see himself inside. The Courier exploded in a great ball of fire, incinerating everyone inside, and leaving any survivors to die within minutes in the cold, oxygen-free vacuum of space.
Once you have done this, seek me out at the Colosseum. I am Darth Sidious, and I shall make you the most powerful Sith who ever lived.
The presence disappeared, and Sasuke stood, determination in his eyes. He strode from the small room, stalking past the few people who had rented passage on the ship. He gazed at them as he passed, noting who they were. He saw a small family of Togruta, the daughter resting on the mother's lap as the father watched over them. He saw a female Wookiee, entering old age, her brown fur starting to turn silver. He saw an exotic-looking blue-skinned female Twi'lek who looked down at those present. She wore fur pelts that covered up a fishnet ensemble that displayed her breasts and genitals when they weren't covered by the furs. Sasuke's gaze lingered on her, and he moved on, stopping at the cargo hold. He opened the door, and found a number of seismic charges. He pulled them out, and sealed them into a scroll, before he concealed himself with a simple Genjutsu. He snuck past the occupants, and reached the escape pods. He opened each, and hid them in three of the pods, leaving the last for himself, and set them to a remote he held. He then moved into the engine room, leaving one near the reactor core, setting it to another remote.
His last task was to check on Orochimaru. He used his Sharingan to stare through the durasteel doors to the cockpit, and sighed in relief to see that Orochimaru was focused on the controls. He slipped back to the hold, and released the Genjutsu. He ran into view, panting and acting scared. "The reactor's gonna blow!" he shouted, and the assembled people jumped into a flurry of activity. He ran them to the escape pods, and ushered the family into one, and the elderly Wookiee into another. He closed the doors before the Twi'lek could enter one, and he launched them into the void. Once they were out of range, he flipped the switch activating the charges. He watched as the pods imploded, before expanding out. The woman gasped, and turned to him, fear in her eyes. "What would you do to survive?" he asked, and she allowed the furs to fall to the ground, revealing her body to him. He tossed her into his pod, and climbed in after, launching the pod. When he was within safe distance, he activated the final charge, blowing his sensei to kingdom come.
He then turned to the woman, and watched as she pressed herself against the wall to try to get away from him. He programmed the coordinates for the planet below, before he undressed, and pulled the woman's clothes from her body. She whimpered in fear, before she yelped in pain as he tore into her. Her cries continued as they descended down to the planet Geonosis below.
Naruto awoke just as the ship came out of hyperspace. He turned to Iruka as the Chunin masterfully landed the ship, and said, "And now to act as your slave." Iruka nodded solemnly, and he pulled out a switch made of bark from a sakura tree. He motioned for Naruto to walk ahead of him, and the two stalked down the gangplank into the desert heat. They were instantly surrounded by Geonosians, who surrounded them, speaking in a series of clicks. Iruka responded, and Naruto raised an eyebrow in surprise as the Chunin addressed them in their own language. Iruka noticed, and shouted, bringing the switch across the young Jedi's back. Naruto stumbled to the ground, and sprawled out in the dirt as he heard the insects laughing. The Geonosians gave Iruka a small amount of credits, and hauled the boy away, Iruka watching them go.
Good luck, Naruto, the smuggler thought as he watched the young Jedi being dragged through the dirt by his arms. He stalked back up the gangplank, and quickly flew off before his face was registered through the Separatist database and he was fired on.
Naruto's vision dimmed and flickered as he was dragged through the damp underground tunnels and caves, his body scraped with dirt and sand. Every now and then, his captors would smash the butts of their weapons against his face, and blood was stream down while he saw stars. He finally came into a large domed area resembling a hive, where thousands of Geonosians shouted, clicked, and jeered at him. He felt someone cut his sackcloth shirt from his torso, before he was tossed into a large pit with steel bars blocking tunnels that led to somewhere else.
Someone tossed a spear in after him, and he ran to it, quickly picking the weapon up as one of the gates was lifted. He turned, and he paled when he saw an acklay. As the world seemed to slow down, he saw the creature's three-eyes, its armored exoskeleton, and its six clawed legs. It had tough, leathery skin that was a sickly shade of greenish-brown. It lunged at him, and he dodged, its sharp teeth snapping closed centimeters from his neck. It swiped at him, and one of the barbs on its claws tore his chest. He gasped in pain, swiping the spear across the creature's back, the blade glancing off the exoskeleton. The creature roared at him in anger, and it swiped at him again. He managed to dodge, and he used the spear to vault onto the acklay's back.
As if shook and bucked, he grabbed several of its spikes to hold him in place with his left arm, while he kept jabbing with the spear in his right. The creature twisted, and its head ridge knocked him off its back, the spikes tearing his legs as he fell off. He limped a few feet away, and gazed up at the jeering insects above him. By now, his pants had been shredded to little more than shorts with dangling strips of jagged cloth, and his body was equally torn. Already his body was starting to heal, but he quickly shut off access to the Kyuubi's chakra, leaving the wounds alone. He needed to appear normal if he was to participate in the gladiatorial fights.
Assuming he survived testing.
The acklay shuffled toward him, and Naruto went into a flurry of swipes and stabs, managing to nick the creature's skin in a few places, making it angry. It charged at him, and he shot out a chakra tether to a different gate, managing to lock onto it and pull himself to safety as it slammed into the pit wall. Remembering what he had learned from Jiraiya, he focused wind chakra onto the tip of the spear, and then focused his lightning chakra to cover it, to give it a little extra sharpness and give the appearance of some kind of power. I am so glad I have both natures, he thought, and he charged forward as fast as he could with torn legs. The creature turned to stare at him for a long moment, before it charged, lunging at his throat with its claws.
Naruto leaned back, sliding underneath the creature's body, and jabbed the spear up, the enhanced blade easily puncturing and tearing through the soft underbelly. As he slid out from under, the acklay collapsed, blood and intestines falling out of the jagged, smoking wound. The Geonosians fell silent for a moment, before they began cheering. Naruto raised the spear over his head, and loosed a guttural war cry.
An elderly-looking man stepped out of the crowd, and the Geonosians fell silent as he raised his hands, gazing down at Naruto. The young Jedi recognized him as Count Dooku, and emptied his mind of his mission so the Sith wouldn't be able to read his thoughts. "You have passed our test, slave, and will become a Gladiator. What is your name?" Naruto glanced at the spear in his hand, and cocked his arm back, launching it toward the Count so it embedded in the wall behind him, the shaft quivering an inch to the left of his face. As the Count's gaze narrowed at him, he proclaimed himself to those present.
"I am Naruto Uzumaki, son of the Fourth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf in the Fire Nation, Greatest of the Five Elemental Nations on the Planet Kironia. I am a shinobi the likes of which has never before been seen. And I swear to you, Count Dooku, that I shall fight, and those who come before me shall die."
The two stared each other down, before a gate opened, obviously leading to the Gladiator quarters. Naruto stepped into the darkness, and the gates closed, sealing his fate.
Well, there you are guys. I hope you liked it. Review, and let me know.
-Zeratide, out.