Chapter 4:

Disclaimer: I don't have any ownership of Naruto or Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha. I am just doing this for my own entertainment and hopefully the reader's.

December 22 6:20 am
In orbit over Non-administered world #97 "Earth"

Chrono walked into the maintenance lab to find Amy talking to a vid screen showing a teen girl with brown hair and glasses. "I should probably come there, bringing new devices of unknown origin to TSAB Headquarters just would not be safe."

"Sorry to wake you and trouble you with this Mari." Chrono heard Amy say as he put the orange Bardiche gem clone into the isolation field with the other intelligent devices their unexpected guests had brought.

Mariel's yawn from being reminded of the early hour could barely cover her excitement at this new research item. "It is really no trouble Amy sempai, I should be able to arrange transport there in a few hours."

"That might be for the best Atenza-san." Chrono interrupts the girl's conversation, and drawing their attention to the devices suddenly starting to pulse back and forth, apparently having a conversation of their own.

"I am increasing the security isolation of the devices." Amy says worriedly while, quickly running her hands over the control panel. "You had best bring the captain here Chrono."

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"Oy..."

"Oy! Aren't you bored with sleeping yet dattebayo!"

Naruto's awareness comes back with a snap. He finds himself standing in a formless grey void looking at a dressed in white and white haired version of himself.

"Who the heck are you, and why do you look like me?!" Naruto intelligently demands while pointing at the doppelgänger.

The other boy grins, "Maybe I am you, if you took after your dad more."

Naruto lunges for him only to find himself flailing uselessly to find purchase on ground that isn't there. "What the heck?"

The other boy's laughter causes Naruto to seethe as he spins end over end without going anywhere. "Sorry, that was unfair, but I just couldn't resist." The white haired boy puts a hand on Naruto's shoulder to stop him spinning around. "I am Raphael the...spirit of the of the device your dad made using the piece of your life force the book tried to steal."

"So why are you here...where is this anyway?" Naruto snaps as he grabs for the other's hand, still lacking any leverage he could not do much more.

"This is a function the devices have called visualization training. We still share a connection for however long it might last." Raphael replies with a shrug. "While gramps and pops debate what information they should give our potential allies Levina lead us to I thought I might occupy myself more constructively."

"Consider my introduction a free object lesson in what it sounds like to others when you act cocky" When Raphael waves his free hand out the scene changes to the two of them standing on a cliff overlooking a vast sea and sky. "But to make up for it how would you like me to teach you the basics behind one of the greatest benefits of the new tools you stumbled across. An ability the Sharingan can't begin to copy."

"You have my interest..." Naruto says cautiously.

Raphael steps away from him and out into the open air. "You now can learn to fly."

############

The nine tails is startled from his nap as the entire space of his prison is suddenly enveloped in bright golden light. Covering his eyes with both arms he grumbles, "Damn kids!"

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"What is the status." Captain Lindy orders as she steps through the lab door.

"A lot of apparent activity, but very little actually happening it seems." Chrono replies while Amy is engrossed in status monitors of the three devices. "The most we have been able to determine is the AI of these devices seem to be able to interact and are pooling resources."

"Good morning to you." The three of them are startled as a video window opens in front of the devices showing the face of the man currently in their sick bay, or at least a version with orange hair. "I am the lightning Sage Abraxxas, my friends choose me to speak for us since the rest of our team seems to be in rough shape."

"You are the AI of Levina's device." Chrono states skeptically.

"In a manner of speaking yes, to get out a tough spot a former student of mine combined a few tricks of his own with the technology he found." The man in the vid screen shrugs. "Unfortunately his efforts had mixed results, with the new device missing functions both basic and advanced."

"We might be best served to leave it that way then." Lindy states mildly.

"We had a feeling you might say that." The Jiraya duplicate agrees with a grin. "How about a trade of valuable information for upgrades and maintenance. As well as a promise of our assistance against the new threat to get its claws into the book of darkness you have been dealing with."

"New threat?" Chrono asks skeptically

"The Cloud Knights tried to absorb what they thought was a mass of what you call mana from the boy into the book, what they got was a fragment of a self regenerating spirit beast that could potentially consume the book from within." Abraxxas states calmly.

Lindy nods. "That agrees with what Levina told me, now what other information do you have to offer?"

"I have come to know that you are well familiar with changing mana to fire or lighting element." Abraxxas smiles. "What would it be worth if I told you that there are three other useable elemental affinities and I could teach you how to wield them." The smile turns to a grin. "Might that be a fair trade for a refit for my friends?"

Lindy looks over at the officer cadet barely controlling her urge to scream at yet another new twist. "Amy why don't you go back to the surface base and make sure Fate gets off to school safely. Chrono and I can handle things here until Mariel arrives."

The girl sharply salutes and quickly retreats from the lab.

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A dry grit filled wind blows across the a desolate desert world in the dimension sea, causing the blue fur of a large wolf to stand up on end and fluttering the green dress of a woman as they concentrate on the book floating in the air in front of them.

"Have we exhausted every possible diagnostic and scan?" Zafira's question rumbles from between his fangs worriedly.

"Everything seems to be operating normally." Shamal replies quietly. "That phantasm we saw still has me on edge though."

"We should return to master Hayate before she becomes worried about us then."