Ch. 13: Reclamation
A/N: Establishing partnerships, making plans, and a triumphant farewell.
Disclaimer - I do not own Naruto, Star Wars, or any obscure references to other owned or written material, either official or those of fandom. They are all property of associated parties.
Though the battle was over, adrenaline still coursed through the veins of many of the rebels, and the courtyard of Gato's once terrifying fortress was the scene of celebration. Laughing, crying, shouts of victory filled the once solemn city streets as the denizens of Wave truly began to take in what they had accomplished.
Their oppression was over. They had fought overwhelming numbers and experience, and they had won. For the first time in almost fifteen years, Wave had reason to celebrate and despite their hungry bellies and sore bodies, every living person in the entire city rejoiced.
All but a few...
XxXxXxX
- Villager's House: Naruto -
Naruto sat beside the exhausted form of Inari, who lay sleeping. A kindly villager had allowed him to use their house and lay Inari on one of the beds there. The boy was obviously in no shape to journey the distance between his own house and the middle of the city, and Naruto had had no intention of just leaving him to sleep in the street. Not after everything he had been through in such a small amount of time.
He had been informed by HK that the boy had managed to steal his sidearm and used it to avenge his mother's death. A death that bore heavily on Naruto's conscience. Not only because the young mother had sacrificed herself worthlessly, but also because he could have prevented it in the first place.
The night prior to the battle, last night, he had been plagued by a single vision constantly replaying in his mind's eye. He, in a young boy's body, was cradling the body of his mother as she died in his arms. When he had awoken, he tried to make sense of it but was unable to come to a conclusion. It made no sense! He didn't even have a mother. His had died before he even had the chance to get to know her. The vision's true meaning only struck him when HK told him that Tsunami had gone to the city to find her father. With dawning horror, he realized it wasn't his mother he had seen die, it was Inari's!
The relief he had felt when he arrived at the towering fortress to see Tsunami safe was enough to make him feel weak, and he allowed himself to relax again. Now that he, Kakashi, and HK were here, there was no possible way she could die, right?
He sunk his head into his hands in shame at his actions. His own arrogance had led to the death of the most innocent woman he had ever known. She wasn't a kunoichi; she didn't lead the violent lifestyle of a ninja. She didn't even live in a ninja village! She was just a single mother doing her best to care for her young son and aging father through a time of crisis. She hadn't deserved to die, and especially not the way she had. And then there was Inari...
Without a doubt, this had been the greatest mistake he had ever made, and it was tearing him up inside. If only he had the chance to take it all back, to make everything better he would do it. No matter what the price, he would do whatever it took to give the young boy his mother and innocence back. It was only now that he realized how true his Sensei's words had really been.
As though called by the boy's thoughts, Naruto felt a weight on his shoulder and looked up to see Kakashi standing behind him, an arm outstretched.
"Hey, Kakashi-sensei."
His Jonin instructor winced at the fatigue in the boy's voice, though he understood it well. He had served in the war himself, after all and he knew well the consequences.
"You know, everyone is asking about you. All the villager's want to know where their 'savior' is. A hero shouldn't get into the habit of making people wait for them. I hear tardiness is frowned upon in a lot of places."
Naruto laughed halfheartedly at the man's joke, but couldn't put everything behind it.
"I'm no hero; I couldn't even save Tsunami-san."
Kakashi sighed sadly. He had been expecting this from the beginning, if not the exact context. Naruto was obviously the type to accept the blame and guilt of every mistake on his own shoulders, even if it wasn't his fault. Just like he himself.
"Naruto, it isn't your fault. You can-"
"But Sensei, it is my fault! I saw this happening, down to every detail! I could have stopped it, I could have..."
"You could have what? Forced her to stay home, away from her family? Tied her up and locked her in her own house for her own good? Or better yet, you could have put her in a suit of armor made entirely of bubble-wrap!"
Naruto frowned at his instructor, feeling he wasn't being serious enough.
"I'm being serious!"
"So am I. No matter how talented you are, no matter how strong you are. Hell, even if you can see the future like you are claiming you can, you won't be able to save everyone."
"Well why not? If I can see the future, I can change it! I could have made it so she didn't die."
Kakashi pulled up a chair beside him and sat down next to his student. The boy was distraught over what he saw as his failure, and he was on the brink of tears. The man wasn't entirely sure what to tell him, but he wasn't about to just sit back and let his student suffer.
"Naruto, just being able to see the future doesn't mean you will be able to change it. Sure the future isn't set in stone, but we don't know what decisions we will have made for that situation to occur anyway. In some ways, that might even be worse. If the future was predetermined and you could see what was going to happen, we could just shatter that stone and prevent whatever would have happened from coming true. But at the same time, perhaps by changing the future, something horrible would come to pass. Something a thousand times worse than what should have happened, but didn't because of our intervention."
The look Naruto was giving him told him that the boy was unconvinced, but Kakashi just sighed sadly.
"Look Naruto, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but things like this are always going to happen. It won't matter how well you do at something, even if you pull it off perfectly with no mistakes, something will still go wrong, and people will die. That is the price that comes with victory. There is simply no way around it. All we can do is plan, and prepare, and do everything humanely possible to reduce that price before it comes, but in the end it must be paid."
Even though he was widely known to be an elite Shinobi that was feared by hundreds, thousands, it didn't make Kakashi any better with social situations. When it came to something like this, he was just as unprepared and uncomfortable as anyone else. And for the first time since Obito's death, he found himself hating himself for it. He wanted nothing more than to be able to tell the boy exactly what he needed to hear to make him feel better, but he just didn't know what those words were. All he could do was lay a hand on the kid's shoulder and give him as much support as he could.
Naruto looked up at the man with such sorrow that Kakashi was reminded of something he hadn't thought in weeks. Despite his ability, and the intelligence he would show, Naruto was still just a boy doing his best to learn in a world that allowed no failure. Throwing his discomfort to the wind for the sake of his young student, Kakashi pulled Naruto into a tight hug and held him there. Naruto fought the hold for a moment feebly, but stopped resisting and just let himself relax. For the first time in more time than he could count, Naruto allowed himself to cry.
XxXxXxX
- Outside House: HK-47 -
After seeing Naruto walk into the house with the annoying young one passed out in his arms, HK had taken it upon himself to guard the doors in order to allow his Master time to rest and recuperate. It was obvious that he was suffering from mental exhaustion, and he wasn't about to let anyone in to make it worse until his Master was ready to deal with it. A hard-ass killing machine he might be, and proud of it at that, but he still knew how to serve when it came to human's needs. It helped with his assassination protocols to know how a Meatbag's mind worked, after all.
Shortly after he had blocked the doorway to stand guard, Naruto's Sensei had approached him, ordering him to allow him entrance. His main argument being that he 'Had the right to tend to his student, regardless of whether his pet killing machine wanted him to or not.' A compelling argument, he had to admit, which was the only reason he allowed the silver-haired man entrance. He could always kill him if things got out of hand. That made his processor glow happily.
In order to make things move along a bit more smoothly, and to distract himself from killing the next civilian that came to him asking where his Master was, he gave three -50s the order to search through Gato's Fortress for any survivors, plus taking inventory on whatever Gato had managed to hoard in his greedy little hole during his reign. The other two he ordered to go to Tazuna's home where the three prisoners were being kept, and keep an eye on them. He expected to be alerted the moment they awoke. It wouldn't do for them to just be able to walk right out of their bonds, after all. No doubt his Master would be pleased when he came out of the building to find that even during his absence, things had kept getting done and there were a few less things for him to worry about.
He had only gotten a few moments of planning in before the two Magnaguards had approached him, and that was things had gotten tense for a moment.
"Mocking Statement: Well well well, look who finally decided the Master good enough for them to check up on him."
The two brother's by battle and design walked side by side and stopped before HK, not deeming his comment worthy of a response.
"Where is the Master? Is he alright?"
"Indignant response: If you had been by his side in the first place, you would already know the answers to both of those queries."
Though incapable of showing their displeasure visually, Alpha's voice made their displeasure apparent.
"We do not have time for your games, Archaic-one. Where is he?"
"Answer : He is inside with the Silver Meatbag. He is resting partially, though I suppose he and the man are discussing recent events."
"And you are standing guard, instead of searching through the building?"
"Challenge : Someone has to do your job for you."
Alpha had to stop himself from drawing his weapon and lashing out at the Droid before him who would dare to speak such venom. Even his ever stoic brother bristled at the comment and took a defensive stance, ready should a fight break out. Still, there were more important things to be done than just stand around picking fights with each other, and Alpha was the first to stand down and address them.
"Look, as much as we would enjoy teaching you a much needed lesson in respect, there are more important things to be done. You are more efficient at communication than we are. We would suggest that you work with the rebellion and organize them while the Master is resting. Meanwhile, we will stay here and guard him. Our six eyes are better than your two. You can do simple math, can't you?"
If it was possible, HK would be sneering at the two before him, but unfortunately that wasn't within his operating procedures.
"Reluctant Acceptance : Very well, I shall talk to the Meatbags and start making plans, in the meantime I expect you two to keep the Master safe... this time."
The brothers refused to rise to the bait as they took HK's place, one on either side of the door. The assassin Droid walked away toward the thickest throngs of rebels, still celebrating in minor ways. No doubt there was to be a party later on, but for now that didn't mean they still couldn't enjoy their victory.
XxXxXxX
- Villager's House : Naruto -
When the flow of his tears had finally slowed, Naruto wiped his eyes with his sleeve and smiled sheepishly.
"Sorry Kakashi-sensei, I kinda got your vest wet, huh?"
Kakashi just smiled down at his blond student and ruffled his hair.
"Hey, don't worry about it. It's machine washable."
That comment did more for Naruto than anything else the man probably could have said, and the genuine laugh went miles in making the boy feel better. With a deep breath to sort himself out, Naruto returned to his normal mindset and smiled.
"Thanks, Kakashi-sensei. I guess I needed that."
"Don't worry about it. Everyone has their moments, it's just a matter of getting through them in one piece, right?"
"Yeah, you're right. But what are we going to do about Inari? I mean, it's my fault his mom is... is gone."
"Tell you what, right now let's go talk to the villagers, and we'll worry about all that later okay?"
Naruto grinned at him and stood up, stretching out a kink in his shoulder.
"Yeah, that sounds like a plan."
The older ninja had an evil thought as he heard the crowd outside the door, and a plan came to mind. As soon Kakashi pushed the door open, he was quick to step aside and push Naruto from behind. Not expecting the shove, Naruto was forced out into the street where a large throng of overjoyed and celebrating people were waiting for the appearance of their new hero.
"Hey look everybody! There he is!"
"The Hero of Wave!"
"Uzumaki-sama! Thank you so much!"
"We owe you everything!"
Naruto was practically bowled over by a crowd of people rushing to his side to thank him personally for saving him, and it came down to Alpha and Omega trying to keep the crowd away. Though once the people found out that the Droids weren't actually going to hurt them, it became a bit more of a challenge.
In his state of shock, Naruto almost jumped in surprise when Kakashi came up behind him.
"You know, this is usually the time when the Hero makes like... a speech or something."
The boy spun to face him with an expression of abject horror.
"B-but I don't know how to make a speech! I've never had to talk to a crowd before!"
Kakashi just turned the boy's head to face the crowd of beaming faces.
"At this point, I don't really think they care. Besides, I've heard you say some pretty wise things every once in a while, all you have to do is do it again. All that's changed is the number of people listening to you. You'll do fine."
"You think so? I mean, couldn't you just do it for me? You're the team leader after all."
Kakashi just laughed at his student's worry.
"They don't want to hear from me, Naruto. They want to hear from you."
Without giving him any more time to second guess himself, Kakashi steered the boy towards the front steps of the building that, just a few hours ago, had housed Gato's forces. With shaking steps, Naruto climbed up them until he was standing above the crowd's head level, and looking down at them. All the men and women who had fought Gato's men for their freedom stared upwards at him, waiting for him to speak as though he was the greatest hero they had ever seen. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the rest of his team off to one side, and watching him as well. Sasuke's default scowl at least brought a sense of normalcy to the insane situation he found himself in, and Naruto was grateful for it... kinda.
As he watched, the crowd all quieted down and turned to listen to him, smiling expectantly. Though he was afraid, he couldn't help but feel a spark of pride warm the pit of his stomach as he saw their eyes. Never before had he seen such a look from so many people. It gave him a sense of confidence that he had only felt a few times before, one being the time he spent in 'The Ring' so many weeks ago. He lifted his arms and what sparse conversation remained quickly silenced as every head in the crowd turned his way, ready to listen to everything he had to say.
Focusing on that sense of confidence, he propped himself up with one leg on a chunk of rubble and struck a heroic pose he had seen in a picture once. The thought struck him that before him stood the gathered denizens of the now free Nami no Kuni.
"Everyone! The day you've been waiting for, the day you bled for, is finally here!"
The crowd of people cried out loudly in exultation, drowning him out. When they quieted he continued.
"But before we celebrate, we must take a moment to be silent. To remember! To remember those who fell in the violent battle against your oppressors. Your freedom came at the greatest of costs; the lives of free men! I would ask that you take a moment to lower your heads with me, and remember those who shed their blood so that you may live free."
At his command every head in the street lowered and total silence fell, broken only by the sound of Naruto's voice calling out the few names of the casualties of the fight, the last of which was Tsunami's name. While it only took seconds to call them all, the silence reigned for far longer. Eventually Naruto lifted his head and clapped his hands loudly.
"There will be a time for mourning, but it is not now! Today we have won a victory that will be remembered for generations yet to come!"
The crowd roared loudly at this again, and Naruto waited for them to quiet once more.
"Now the question is, what are we going to do now? Should we quit while we're ahead? Return Nami no Kuni to its previous state and leave it at that?"
Naruto's eyes started to blaze brightly with vigor as the rebels turned to look at him and each other questioningly.
"Oh no. Because Gato will keep happening. Not himself personally, but people like him. Dictators, tyrants, individuals who will enslave your country for their personal gains. No matter how many you cast down, there will always be another to rise to take his place."
A faceless voice in the crowd called out, over the whispered conversation raging through the masses.
"What are you saying? How do we fight something that will keep coming?"
"By looking at other cities. Konoha is an excellent example. It is easy to rule over those too few and too weak to fight back. But if you have a country full of those trained in battle, armed with technology to fight back, it will become impossible to take over Wave. Too many too strong for anyone to challenge!"
Though they had been obviously skeptical to begin with, they quickly started to warm up to his words, and soon they were cheering along.
"With what I have given you and with the strength you have already shown, we can take this farther than any of us had previously imagined! We can make Wave one of the superpowers in the Elemental Countries."
One of the faceless men in the crowd called out, challenging his allegiances.
"And what about you? You belong to Konoha, why are you saying these things if you are a loyal Konoha ninja?"
Naruto's face then took on a dark scowl that made Kakashi frown. Even Sakura caught the look, and the thought struck her that she had never seen him look at someone like that before.
"They abandoned me first, why should I stay? With very few exceptions, the entire village has made it their goal in life to make mine a living hell, and until a few months ago they were successful. Now though, I have the support of people who need me, who want to teach me, but more than anything, who care for me. And these men have opened my eyes to a truth that I was refusing to accept."
He took a step down and spread his arms wide, raising his voice.
"Konoha hates me! They fear that which they cannot understand and seek to destroy that which stands between them and their destruction. No longer! I could care less if Konoha burned to the ground! My only allegiances lie to those who have taken the time to know me and who I am. Two old men, a school teacher, and a young, learning chef! They are who I shall remain in Konoha for, for now."
Every person in the crowd was partially taken aback by the venom in is voice as he made his proclamation and even Kakashi had a cold frown. The Jonin was not looking forward to the talk he had to have with Naruto, but it was well time for it.
"No, Konoha is not my home. It is only the cage that keeps me imprisoned. It seems only yesterday that I walked these streets, and what did I see? Starving children! Men who couldn't afford to feed their families! Mothers who had no food to give to their loved ones! But what do I see now?"
Naruto stepped upwards again, allowing him to see even more of the crowd gathered.
"Now I see an country of free men and free women! Those who now have the necessities to build a life for themselves without fear of being struck down while they work! In many ways, I envy you. What you have now, I will never have in Konoha. I bear no small amount of pride that I was able to serve a small part in aiding you in earning your freedom, but I envy what you have all the same."
Kakashi's eyes widened as he finally caught onto what Naruto was trying to do. He was trying to convince Wave into inviting him to stay! To welcome into their hearts and homes with welcome arms and it was working!
"Well why do you stay if it was that bad? Even for those people you mentioned? It just doesn't seem worth it!"
Naruto smiled sadly and shrugged his shoulders at the crowd.
"I have no choice. I don't have anywhere else to go. I am a prisoner in my own home, like all of you were. The only difference is that I have no way to change things, because no one will help me do it. Either I stay and suffer, or run with nowhere to go and be chased by Konoha's Missing-nin until I am captured and returned."
The boy heard the grumbles and curses from the crowd, and he almost grinned at how well it was working. Sure, he could have just asked them if he could live with them and they no doubt would have accepted happily. He had helped them save themselves after all, and he had the means to make Wave prosper as it never had before. If he had though, it would have been his idea and not theirs. Bane had taught him a valuable lesson in manipulating people. A person was far more vehement in defending an idea that they thought was their own.
Just as he had expected, his answer had sent some of the members of the crowd into a fury and there was a flurry of outrage toward his home village.
"I can't believe they would do that!"
"That's just horrible!"
"They treat someone like him like that? What kind of people are they?"
While most of the crowd were talking amongst themselves about what they had just been told, four prominent figures made their way through and out of the crowd, stopping at the foot of the steps. He recognized each one of them, though he had never been personally introduced to the only female of the group. She did seem pretty interested in shooting glances to her left, where Kakashi was watching her though.
Shumei, Benjiro, Yumiko, and Tazuna spoke together quietly for just a moment before seeming to come to a conclusion. As a single group, they made their way up the steps to Naruto and stopped a few below him which caught the boy by surprise. As soon as the crowd noticed that something was happening, they silenced to watch and a ripple of anticipation ran through them as they realized who the people were exactly. The heads of the rebellion!
The first to step forward was the young woman, Yumiko, and she stopped directly before him with a sad smile.
"It's a terrible thing that your village would treat such a wonderful person as yourself as horribly as you say they have. In fact, we've heard rumors from the few traders we've gotten from Konoha about a young boy who is treated like an animal. Now that we know it is you, we can't allow it to go on. In the name of the Support Branch of the Nami Rebellion, I, Yumiko, offer you a place within our home as our leader!"
The young women sank to one knee before him and bowed her head in a show of submission. The crowd was silent for one, breath-taking moment, before erupting into deafening cheers. Before Naruto could even say anything, the oldest of the group, Benjiro, hobbled up to him and stopped next to the still kneeling woman.
"The moment I laid my eyes on you, I knew you would be the one to save us and allow us to regain our freedom. Now I hear you wish for us to be a stronger and more prosperous country than we have ever been in the past? How could I not pledge my support? In the name of the Shield Branch of the Nami Rebellion, offer you a place within our home as our leader!"
With a dexterity surprising for a man his age, Bejiro knelt next to Yumiko, bowing his head. The crowd didn't even hesitate this time before bellowing it's approval, and Shumei didn't even wait for them to quiet down before standing in front of Naruto, with a stern look on his face.
"I am not like my two comrades. I am not one to bow before a man, especially not some punk-ass kid without knowing for sure that he can protect my people better than I can myself. Before I pledge my allegiance, I want you to show us, right here and now, what you can do that should make us follow you. Not your Droids either, I'm not following them. I want to see what you can do!"
Naruto held a stern look on his visage as he looked past the man to the crowd.
"And do you all want to see what I can do as well? Shall I prove myself here and now!"
While no single person spoke out as boldly against him as Shumei had, there was a general surge of approval, and Naruto grinned at the chance to prove himself before such a crowd of people.
He examined his surroundings briefly before identifying the perfect target. A large pillar of Gato's building had been damaged during the battle, and while not actually sagging, the chunk missing from its base made it clear that it wouldn't be standing by the end of the week.
Naruto glanced at his bodyguards, then nodded towards the pillar. While confused at the order, the two Magnaguards knew what they were to do. Even if it would put a part of the crowd in danger, they were sure that their Master had a plan.
As one, the two towering Droids marched stiffly to the weakened pillar and drew their electrostaffs. As one the brought them to life and charged them to full power. As the weapons built up the energy required to take down such a sturdy target, Naruto addressed the crowd.
"You question my ability! Now witness my power!"
Not for the first time since the speech had begun, Kakashi felt his heart pound in anxiety at the events unfolding before him. Those two damned machines were obviously about to destroy what little support the massive pillar had, sending it crashing to the ground. The only problem with that, was the thirty or so people standing between the gargantuan chunk of marble and the ground! Before he could even say anything to stop them, Naruto nodded once more and the two Droids swung. He was too far to do anything, all he could do was watch as Naruto went through whatever insane plan he had and pray that the boy knew what he was doing.
Charged to the peak of their power, the twin electrostaffs released a concussive blast upon impact, obliterating the supports of the pillar. Like a tree sawed through, it leaned for a moment before falling in seemingly slow motion, before gaining speed.
The crowd watched in horror as the pillar fell towards them, and a mother screamed as she cradled her child to her chest in a vain attempt to protect it from the falling marble.
Naruto didn't flinch as the pillar fell. He simply allowed himself to completely relax and release the control of his own body to the Force. Instead of channeling it as he usually did, he allowed himself to simply become a conduit as Kyle had taught him too, letting the Force act through him.
He braced himself with a wide stance and reached out with arms, eyes shut let him concentrate better. While never before had he ever tried to lift something as massive or heavy as the pillar before him, he knew he could. He didn't know how he did, and he couldn't explain it even if he wanted to. He just... knew.
With the strain of a man lifting the Hokage Monument, Naruto grasped the column with the hands of the Force. The gasps of shock, terror, and awe from the crowd obviously meant that the descent had ceased, but the boy didn't dare open his eyes to see. He knew what was going on in his mind's eye and it would have to do. He had to move this damn thing before his will gave out. After all, it was reallyheavy!
Sasuke looked on in dawning horror as Naruto... caught... the pillar. He knew that the dobe was stronger than he was in the academy. He had seen him levitate those kunai, and he had watched as he threw a enemy ninja around like a rag doll. But this! This just scared him.
Sakura had screamed with the mother as the pillar fell towards the crowd. The breath had left her lungs when the pillar had stopped though, and she could hardly comprehend what was happening. Naruto... the moron Naruto who had constantly asked her out practically every day in the academy, had just...
She couldn't even finish the sentence in her own mind. All she could do was watch as Naruto hefted the column with whatever power he was using.
Naruto didn't bother trying to show off with the pillar. The weight behind the marble was almost more than he could handle, and he couldn't afford to screw around. He clenched his teeth and moved in exaggerated movements, manipulating the pillar in mid-air. He took a slight step forward to change his stance and twisted his entire torso to the side, pushing with every fiber of his being and the Force he was channeling.
Betraying even the law of nature written by Shinobi, Naruto forced the slab of marble off to one side, where there were no people standing and he could safely drop it. Lacking the strength to ease it to the ground, he had to choice but to just release it and let it crash to the ground, shaking the very ground beneath the gathered people's feet.
With sweat practically pouring down his back and face, Naruto turned to Shumei with a confident grin.
"You're turn."
The final leader of the rebellion could only stare, open mouthed, at the feat that he and the rest of his village had borne witness to. After a moment he could only shake his head and smile back.
"By the faith I have in your strength, abilities, and the hope I have in your Masters; In the name of the Sword Branch of the Nami Rebellion, I, Shumei, offer you a place within our home as our leader!"
The young man hadn't even taken his place next to his fellow rebels before Tazuna was standing in front of them all, facing the crowd. Arms spread wide, he spoke to his people.
"And what of You, Nami no Kuni? Do you offer Naruto your support in bringing Wave to prominence?"
For a heartbeat, everything was silent. No single person so much as coughed. There was a pause for a moment, as though everyone was waiting for something before one man stepped forward.
"I do!"
With those two simple words, the man sunk to one knee and bowed his head as the Rebel leaders had before him. Apparently that was what everyone had been waiting for as more people started standing forward from the crowd to stand beside the first man, speak their allegiance, and then kneel as well.
They came in ones and twos, but quickly there were more and more. In only a minute or two every head in Wave was bowed to Naruto, declaring him their leader.
Tazuna turned to Naruto with the single most serious look the boy had ever seen him wear. The man's voice was loud and clear, intended for both Naruto and the crowd behind him to hear.
"And what of you, Naruto? Will you serve Wave as a leader should? You have made promises to our country that we will expect you to follow through with. Will you bring us prosperity? Will you care for every man, woman, and child? And, when he time comes, will you lead us in war?"
Naruto was caught off guard by the statement, and for a moment hesitated at how serious everyone was taking this. Sure he had expected to get results with his speech, but this was far more than he had ever thought possible. Not only were they offering him a home, but they wanted to make him their leader right off the bat!
For a moment he almost wanted to refuse, but the gleam in the bridge builder's eye was enough for him to feel that confidence once more. The man obviously cared for his people more than anything, and if he was willing to give it all to Naruto, he must have faith in his ability.
"I shall!"
Every head in the crowd looked up at Tazuna as the man spun on his heel to look back.
"By your shows of fealty, and by the word of our Savior, Naruto, I make this pact! From now, to the day we die, we of the mighty Wave shall serve Naruto, and under his guidance we shall make Wave a country to be feared!"
Naruto stepped beside the man and raised his hands high.
"No! Wave was the name of a country ruled by fear, dominance, and tyranny! This country of ours shall bear a new name! A proud one that has been lost to the ages, but was once known to every being that walked the face of this earth! This shall, from now on, be the proud city... of Ruusan!"
The cheers of everyone in the courtyard was enough to be heard across the city, and Naruto had the passing thought that people in Konoha must be wondering what all the ruckus was about. The four Rebel leaders before him had all stood up at his declaration and returned to the crowd, hugging their family and friends. Even Benjiro had an animation to his movements that was good to see.
The only one to remain was Shumei, and he gave Naruto a steady look.
"I'm trusting you with everything that means the most to me. We all are. If you disappoint or hurt us, I swear that your powers and Droids won't be enough to save you."
Naruto grinned and grabbed the man's hand, shaking it proudly.
"You've got a deal!"
Shumei just shook his head at his new leader's wild antics before descending the stairs and meeting up with his own wife, hugging her to him proudly. Through the shouting and cheering, Naruto felt his comm link spark to life and he activated his end.
"Yeah, what is it?"
"Master, we have finished looting the building and we found a rather substantial wine cellar. We thought that the people of Wave... of Ruusan might enjoy a bit of a celebration, so we brought everything within it to the main lobby. It is waiting for you now."
Naruto laughed.
"You guys have the best timing sometimes. Out..."
It took a few moments for Naruto to get the attention of the crowd, but when he did they were glad to see that he was grinning.
"Alright you guys, listen up! Now I've heard that you guys used to love a good party, but I'm just not seeing it!"
With a hand signal behind his back, Alpha and Omega both spun around and delivered a shattering roundhouse kick to the doors leading into the lobby behind him.
"So why don't you guys actually get to it and show us how it's done?"
True to the -50's words, right in the middle of the lobby was the biggest pile of bottles, vases, jugs, and casks of the widest variety of alcoholic drinks any of the gathered people had ever seen. The people of the newly christened Ruusan just stared for a moment, before Tazuna spoke first. The old man sniffed loudly and wiped a fake tear from his eye.
"Isn't she the most beautiful thing you ever seen! DIBS!"
The bridge builder then charged towards the now permanently opened doors, quickly followed by a throng of men and women heading to stop him from drinking it all alone. Naruto was hardly able to leap out of the way in time to stop from being bowled over, and even then he had to lean against what was left of the pillar to stop himself from collapsing. He was laughing too hard.
XxXxXxX
Not long after the party had started in earnest, Naruto had gotten a message over the comm link informing him that Haku and the Demon Brothers had finally regained consciousness. Naruto acknowledged the message and sent his guards a message for them to join him.
Before he could slip away from the party raging in the lobby he was caught off guard by possibly the single person he wanted to speak to least right now. Kakashi.
"Mah, Naruto! There you are, I've been looking for you."
In an attempt to get away from him without having to talk for long, the boy didn't slow down. He opted instead for just yelling a reply over his shoulder.
"Sorry, Kakashi-sensei, but I have somewhere I need to be. I'll talk to you later, okay? Cool, bye!"
As he watched his student run off through the front doors, Kakashi could only stand there dumbfounded.
"...what just happened?"
He debated giving chase for a second, but was distracted by a particularly feminine hand on his shoulder.
"I don't suppose whatever you needed to talk to Naruto-sama about was more important than say, spending some time with me... was it?"
'Heh heh, no contest.'
"No, I suppose it could wait for a couple of hours."
Yumiko winked flirtatiously and Kakashi couldn't help but grin under his mask.
"A couple of hours, huh? I've heard rumors about a ninja's stamina, but that's amazing. Maybe you could show me a few things. Life in a profession as dangerous as yours must get stressful sometimes. What do you say we find somewhere quiet and I'll help you relax?"
The Jonin chalked his conversation with Naruto down to another day and trailed along behind Yumiko toward one of the more secluded areas of the building. What kind of gentleman would he be if he denied the company of a beautiful young woman, after all?
He loved being a ninja. Wait a second, Naruto-sama?
XxXxXxX
- Gato's Fortress : Sasuke & Sakura -
While drinking was one of the primary highlights for adults at the celebration, that didn't mean there wasn't anything else to do. Some of the younger kids had started playing childhood games of tag, hide-and-seek, and others, darting between the legs of adults as they celebrated in their own way.
The somewhat older youths meanwhile, had gathered together next to a musical group that had started playing not too long ago. Before today, Sakura had been too busy with the mission in Wave to focus on any of the other kids in the village. Now that she had the time to relax and check out some of the other kids their age, she noticed that they had a robustness to them that equaled that of the adults. Some of the guys weren't that bad looking, either.
Driven by guilt at that thought, Sakura shot a glance at Sasuke. As soon as the party had started Kakashi had disappeared off into the crowd as though looking for someone specific. All he said to them when he left was to 'enjoy themselves', before leaving them to their own devices. Predictably, Sasuke had sought out the quietest and most secluded corner and leaned against the wall with his eyes closed.
Sakura sighed sadly and went back to examining the people of the newly dubbed Ruusan. She couldn't for the life of her figure out why they would choose to follow someone like Naruto. Even if he could do that freaky crap with his 'Force', that was still nothing compared to what a lot of other people could do. Come on, if they were going to follow someone, why wouldn't they pick someone really strong? Like Sasuke! Surely he could do way better than Naruto could. What did that moron even know about ruling a country anyway?
Sasuke examined the crowd warily, keeping an eye out for both Naruto and their useless Jonin. Now that the intense fights were over with and the mission was going to be easier from here on out, he had time to start thinking over his teammates.
The entire trip their Sensei had done nothing but sit on the sidelines of fights and teach them to walk up trees. Granted, that last one was pretty useful but it wasn't like he went to any lengths to teach them how to do it well. He just showed them once, talked it through, then started reading his damned book and throwing rocks at their heads. Hardly an extensive regimen for him. Plus there was whatever he and their even more useless teammate had been doing alone while he and Sakura were stuck guarding the old man on the bridge.
That was another thought that set his teeth on edge. That blond bastard had been pissing him off even more than he thought possible lately. First he shows up with some kind of power that he refused to teach him, then he has the gall to attack him with it. Now he even has a damned country following his stupid lead. He didn't know how Naruto was doing it, but if Sasuke didn't start catching up in ability soon, he might just have to take the punk down a peg.
Sasuke still hadn't forgotten the conversation he and Naruto had had outside Tazuna's home a few days ago. Back then Naruto had made it sound like he had some grand plan that he needed his help with. Then the bastard turned around and forgot about him, showboating with his powers and metal slaves with no regard to his own ability. He was an Uchiha, dammit. Not someone to be thrown on the sidelines and forced to watch other people do all the work.
With an irritated grunt the boy went back to surveying the crowd, doing his best to ignore his female teammate's pouting.
XxXxXxX
- Tazuna's Home : Naruto -
With Alpha and Omega at his sides, Naruto strode confidently through the front door of Tazuna's family home. Just as he expected two HK-50 Droid's were standing guard over the struggling forms of Zabuza's three companions. As soon as they saw him enter and recognized him, they glared at him and struggling to free themselves even more, though Haku only went limp.
"Nice of you to join us. I was worried you guys might be unconscious for a while. Sasuke did a number on you two."
Unable to respond through the gags, the Demon Brothers settled for shooting him the dirtiest glare they could muster. Granted, it might have been more intimidating had they not been trussed up like a suckling pig.
Naruto nodded to the guards, and the Droid's removed the gags on their mouths, allowing them to speak.
"You son of a bitch! As soon as we get out of here we're going to kill you for hurting Zabuza-sama!"
Meizu was quick to defend his brother.
"Yeah! Zabuza's going to be here soon to bust us out of here, and then you guy's are screwed! Right, Haku?"
When a response wasn't forthcoming, the Demon Brothers looked back at their female companion. The expression she had was of no comfort whatsoever to them, and their words took on an almost pleading tone.
"He'll come rescue us, right Haku-neechan?"
"Yeah, there's no way that red thing could have beaten Zabuza!"
Haku only bit her lip to stop herself from sobbing, but Naruto could still see the traces of tears being forced back.
"B-but that's..."
"...impossible."
The sadness in their tone was too much, and Haku couldn't stop herself from crying. She didn't make any sound, and were it not for the tears running down her cheeks it would have been impossible to tell. The Demon Brothers knew the only thing that could cause that reaction, and it crushed them both. They just seemed to collapse in on themselves, and stopped struggling in their bonds.
"Look, you have us defeated. There's nothing we can do."
"If you're going to kill us, at least have the decency to make it quick."
The boy drew one of his throwing knives and held it in a revers grip. He stalked toward the Demon Brothers and the three prisoners tensed as he left their line of sight. Gozu was the first to feel the presence directly behind him, and he closed his eyes. He wished a silent farewell to his brother and surrogate older sister, and waited for the end...
That never came. The blade he expected to feel pressed against his neck or something only slit the ropes binding his arms behind his back and legs at the ankles. The young Shinobi from Mist rose to his knees shakily and rubbed some life back into his wrists.
As he watched, the blond nin from Konoha did the same to both Meizu and Haku, releasing them from their bonds before backing up some, leaving space between them. The three shared a bewildered look amongst themselves, but Naruto just smiled softly at them and squatted down, bouncing once on the toes of his thick boots.
"I don't plan on killing you, I never did. Ask Haku. I've wanted you guys on my side from the very beginning. You were all just too thick-headed to see it."
He slid the knife back into his jacket and took it off, throwing it across the back of one of the chairs in the front room. For the second time since he entered the house, he noticed the hole in the wall and carbon scoring in a patch on the floor. Apparently Zabuza hadn't been jerking them around. Who'da thunk?
The Demon Brothers shared a look for a moment before they both glanced at Haku, waiting for orders. He might have just released them, but that didn't necessarily mean that he planned on letting them go. If Haku gave the order, they wouldn't hesitate in killing their captor/rescuer.
Haku only shook her head slightly in response to their silent query, and the brothers stood down. That didn't stop them from standing on either side of Haku in a defensive position though, much like Naruto's own bodyguards who now stood off to one side of the room. The brothers were both well aware of what HK's could do with their drawn weapons in this situation anyway, so they were content to just wait and watch. Haku seemed like she had a plan anyway.
"You go to lengths to capture us, to kill our only leader, and then you release us from our bonds? Why is this?"
The girl fingered one of her concealed weapons in preparation, but the Droid's seemed to notice. The two -50s raised their blaster rifles and pointed them at her and the brother closest to them. The Magnaguards meanwhile raised their staffs and moved to stand between their Master and the three prisoners.
Naruto only lifted his hands in a peaceful position, ordering the Droid's to stand down while he did so.
"I don't plan on attacking you unless you attack me first. On this you have my word. I only want to talk to you right now. Hear me out, and when I'm done no matter what you chose to do, I will let you go. Alright?"
Haku may not have trusted him, but it wasn't like she had much of a choice. She decided that as long as he kept his word, she would listen. Besides, it was probably best for them to be gone before the blond kid's Jonin Sensei showed up. While none of them knew who he was, Zabuza seemed to have recognized him and that was never a good thing.
"Alright, fine. We're listening. Now what do you want to talk to us about?"
Naruto sat down in one of the kitchen chairs and spun it around to face them.
"Okay, listen up. I have two Masters who have big plans, alright? And when I say big, I mean big plans. One of these plans included getting Wave under our control, which is called Ruusan now, by the way. Obviously you guys knew what the situation was with Gato given that you guys were working for him."
The three nin paled at that, but Naruto seemed not to notice.
"Well my team and I were sent here to protect Tazuna while he built the bridge, which would hopefully serve as the pressure they needed to break Gato's hold on the region. The problem was, is that even if we protected him, he finished the bridge, and we went home there would still be no happy ending for the poor people of Ex-Wave."
"Gato would have just either taken the bridge under his control or destroyed it to prevent the civilians from using it, right?"
Naruto's eyes gleamed as he nodded to Haku and laughed.
"Yeah, exactly. That would only end in failure, and in the end things would only change for the worse. That's why Kakashi-sensei and me convinced my team that we needed to actively fight Gato in order to end his regime once and for all. Wasn't easy either, Sakura's a freakin' sissy."
Gozu chuckled at that, but a quick glare from his brother was enough to sober him up, and he just shrugged innocently.
"Right, anyway. So me and Tazuna take a little bit of a walk and he explains some things to me. Turns out he and a couple of other people had been planning a resistance to fight Gato, and the had a pretty decent size militia built up, though they had no experience. Fortunately for them, they just happened to have a generous benefactor outside the village who was supplying them with the armor, weapons, and medicine they would need for the rebellion. Take a wild guess who that benefactor just happened to be, and it wasn't me."
"Well after that I called in a couple of my little metal friends over there. Well, actually I called a few specific Droids and one just happened to bring company. Not that I'm complaining of course. They came in handy. Now the plan was to watch over Tazuna until the bridge was almost done. We figured that once Gato saw that the bridge was almost finished he would send in an army of mercenaries to 'deal' with us. As soon as he split his force to attack us, Tazuna and the rebellion would charge up to his front door and start ringin' the door bell, if you know what I mean. There was just one little thing I wasn't expecting."
He pointed a finger at them accusingly.
"You guys. I really hadn't expected Gato to hire Shinobi and send them after us. You have no reason to trust me, but I am going to say it anyway. I am truly sorry for what happened to Zabuza-san. He was a powerful ninja and he died fighting against all odds. I'm sure that that is what he would have wanted, if a little less brutal, but HK can get like that in the middle of the fight."
Naruto dragged his hand through his hair, and sighed heavily.
"I offered you a chance to walk away before the fight, and I really wish you had accepted it. If you had, Zabuza would still be alive and you would all be well out of harm's way. You need never have suffered like you have. Still, what's done is done. In reparations for what my team and I have done with you, I will make you an offer."
Haku narrowed her eyes at him.
"What kind of offer?" She asked him, warily.
"I want you three to join me. I kinda need strong people like yourselves."
The three before him were taken aback by how casual his words were. As though he was asking them were they liked to eat out.
"The hell is that supposed to mean!"
"What do you mean, join you!"
Naruto shrugged at the Demon Brothers, he was pretty much expecting their reaction, but it was Haku's that he was interested in. He was expecting outright refusal given that the thing that killed their leader called him Master. Instead she only bit her lip and looked down, obviously thinking hard.
"Haku, you can't seriously..."
"...be considering it, can you? He killed Zabuza-sama!"
"And what do you propose? Just because Zabuza-sama is... isn't with us any more, doesn't mean the hunter-nin will just stop chasing you! We don't know enough to make it on our own, and we aren't valuable enough to find safe-haven with any other village."
She stopped going off on the brothers and turned to Naruto instead.
"Will you be able to keep us safe? How do we know we can trust you?"
Naruto just gave them an incredulous look.
"One, you're still alive. Two, I have a base that makes Gato's look like a playground. No one knows about it that isn't supposed to know. You will each be given private quarters there and will be under the protection of the security protocols. Oh, and the whole glory, fame, fortune, and power.. thing."
Gozu and Meizu's eyes widened at the confident declaration, but Haku wasn't so easily convinced.
"And what do you get out of the deal?"
Naruto just shrugged like it wasn't that big of a deal.
"Well, you guys will serve me, obviously. You and Ruusan's civilians will be my first true followers. You will be running some missions for me, whatever else I need doing. I'm not exactly sure yet, but it will benefit us both in the long run. I will compensate you guys for your work. Beyond keeping you safe from Missing-nin and giving you a home."
"And you're long term plans?"
He winked at her playfully.
"I can't go telling you all my secrets before you even sign up now, can I? Remember though, either way you guys are walking out of this situation alive and well. You'll be long gone before even my own team realize you're missing."
The three shared a look before turning back to Naruto.
"We... we'll need time to think it over. Is that okay?"
Naruto smiled and nodded kindly. The bridge wasn't finished yet, after all, and wouldn't be for at least a week. They had time to think about it, sure. It wasn't something he could just force them into after all.
"I'll tell you what. My team and I are going to be here until this bridge is finished. When it is finished and the day we leave, if you have decided to join me, then meet me on the bridge. If not, don't worry about it and you can leave whenever you want. I won't tell anyone where you went, especially since I don't know."
Naruto stood from his seat and snapped his fingers. The Droids came to his side and left the building first. Naruto hesitated before following them.
"Either way, I wish you the best of luck wherever you go. I'm sorry things had to end up like this."
With that the blond left them to their decision and returned to the city to enjoy what was left of the celebration. Tomorrow they had to get back to work, after all. Behind him in the house, Haku and the Demon Brothers shared a final look. One thing was for sure. They were definitely going to consider his proposition, and not just for the safety.
XxXxXxX One Week Later XxXxXxX
- Completed Bridge : Team Seven -
Naruto and Tazuna looked back proudly over the bridge they had helped build. With Gato finally taken care of and with no dangers of coming to work on it, all of the builder's who had needed to quit to protect their families had returned to finish the bridge. With so many hands working at the same time, the bridge was brought up and completed well within the expected deadline.
Now Team Seven, Tazuna and the other leaders of the rebellion, and a large number of civilians had come to see their heroes off. Even Inari had come to say goodbye. For the last week the poor lad had been mourning the death of his mother, but after a long talk with Naruto, he had come to understand. It was a tragedy that his mother had to die, but at the same time with her death many others were saved. Her sacrifice was not in vain, far from it, and from now on she would always be remembered.
Though he didn't come outright and say it though, Inari had decided what he wanted to do with his life. He had hated the feel of killing Gato, but he didn't regret it. Some people simply had to die, and not everyone was ready to do it. He had already spilled blood, and when the time came he was sure he would be ready to do it again. Not because he enjoyed doing it, but so other people wouldn't have to.
He planned on joining the army as soon as Naruto brought it into creation, and he was going to become the person sent out on the most dangerous missions, and he would succeed to honor his mother. That would be his gift to her. In doing so he would protect his grandfather and all the people of Ruusan, his home, and he would become a hero. Like Naruto...
Over the last week, major events had been happening in Ruusan, thanks to Gato's destruction. The mines had reopened for one, bringing in a flood of orders for minerals and precious metals that had been held off since Gato took the docks. Trade had reopened between the islands of Ruusan, and the people of the city had feasted for the first time in years.
As a bonus, Naruto had started sending in more and more -50s with various scientific and technological devices, as well as books and sources for the civilians to learn from. As was decided in the beginning, Ruusan would have no hidden village or Shinobi population. It would instead focus on technology unlike any the world had seen for thousands of years. For now it would be secret, hidden from everyone but the people of the city. But when they were ready and they had a significant force built, they would make themselves known to the world under a single banner. Naruto's.
All was falling into place, and it made Naruto confident, if not cautious. There was only one thing really bothering him, and that was his team. They had been suspiciously quiet since the celebration, but Naruto suspected that it wouldn't last. No doubt he was going to catch hell the minute they walked over Konoha's Mission Department's threshold.
Still, he would worry about that when the time came. For now, he had to say his goodbyes to his people. Tazuna was the first to approach him, and he laid a thick hand on his shoulder.
"I still don't understand why you have to leave. This is your home now, isn't? Ruusan is your country, so why are you abandoning it?"
"I'm not leaving you guys! I promise. I will be back, there are just things I have to do first before we are really ready to go on, alright? I will still be in contact, and I am leaving behind a force big enough to protect you from whatever might happen. They are willing to work as well, and they have been ordered to follow your orders to the letter. Just... be careful how you word anything that can be translated violently, okay?"
Tazuna bellowed his laughter and clapped the boy on the shoulder once more.
"Will do, but what about those two tall, freaky ones? Aren't they your bodyguards? Why are you leaving them here?"
Sure enough, Alpha and Omega were both standing behind Tazuna and, despite their initial programming, they were going to guard Tazuna instead... for now.
"They are going to stay as well. You will have more need of them than I will. Keep them safe though, I expect to get them back in the same condition as I left them!"
"You got it, Sire."
Naruto blinked owlishly at the man for a moment before grinning.
"What's with the 'Sire'?"
Tazuna just shrugged, though he never stopped smiling.
"Meh, me and the villagers keep hearing the Hks call you that, so we figured we might as well do the same. We never had a single leader before, after all. It's a new experience for us."
"Yeah, you and me both."
The old and young man shared a smile before turning to go their separate ways. Tazuna back to his city and Naruto to his. His team was waiting for him about a third of the way down the bridge, but the walk over the rest of it was made in an uncomfortable silence. The quiet wasn't to last though, a fact that Sasuke lamented silently.
"Hey, Kakashi-sensei. Who are they? On the end of the bridge?"
Naruto perked up at Sakura's words and he channeled the Force through his eyes in order to see who she was talking about. Sure enough, he recognized the unique signatures of three people he hadn't seen in seven days.
"Well I'll be damned!"
Naruto took off running at almost a full sprint towards the silhouettes at the end of the bridge, and this time Kakashi didn't even bother calling after him. Sakura didn't share the same inhibition though, and she started following him.
"Naruto! You're supposed to stay with the team!"
Kakashi just sighed and rubbed his temple. He recognized the figures too, and he could already tell that they were going to give him a massive headache before the day was through. Well at least he had his precious to distract him.
Sasuke watched in irritation as the man reached into his pouch to pull out his damned book. A small smile came over him though, as he watched him fish around for a moment in vain. Soon Kakashi was tearing his entire belt inside out trying to find his one solace. After a minute of futility, Kakashi looked to the heavens and cried out a single word, loaded with sorrowful agony.
"Yuuummiiiiikkoooooooooo!"
Sasuke grinned to himself. Maybe today wouldn't be so bad after all. As soon as he thought the words, Sakura came jogging over to him.
"Oh, I almost forgot, Saskue-kun. When we get back to Konoha, do you want to go get some lunch or something? We can celebrate being home together!"
Dammit!
A/N : Alright! Finally, chapter thirteen is out. The first chapter of the new year, huh? Sure hope I did it justice. Well as you can see the Wave arc is finally concluded. Haku and the Demon Brothers have agreed to accompany Naruto to Konoha. Zabuza is missing, presumed being mind-f***ed, and Wave, err I mean Ruusan is on its way to becoming a global superpower.
For those of you who don't recognize the name and for some of you who might, Ruusan is the name of the planet where the Brotherhood of Darkness and the Army of Light had a series of battles, eventually resulting in the Sith releasing an ancient technique known as the... you guessed it, Thought Bomb.
Obviously, I have changed a few of the details in the book 'Path of Destruction' (Awesome book, btw and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys Star Wars stuff.) to match my own maniacal and admittedly devious ends.
Well, now that you guys are starting to realize just how far my madness goes ;), I am going to sign off. No promises when the next chapter will be out, but it might very well be a couple of weeks so don't hold your breath for too long. I will be keeping track of chapter progress on my profile, for those who are interested.
Stay Frosty...
- Nikolai
P.S. Aah, as a side note my Beta Reader PhoenixMasterOfTheSevenSwords has handed the reins over to Dingo T. Wilds. All of PhoenixMaster's previous stories are in the process of being restored, refreshed, and re-posted By Dingo so those who recognize the name, go check it out.