Ch. 14 : Debriefings
A/N : Returning to Konoha, Settling in, and A new... saboteur?
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.
- Road to Konoha : Team Seven + Haku Trio -
Naruto had to admit, while there was some lingering animosity from his own team to Haku and the brothers, it was nothing out of control. In fact once you got past the front they put up, Gozu and Meizu were both as he had once been. Pranksters at heart.
"So by the time he realized we had switched the cans, his workers had already painted half of the building neon green."
"The look on the guy's face was hilarious. Of course, then we had to run for it. Who would have guessed he would have Shinobi training?"
Naruto chuckled in appreciation of the greatest of arts. Still, they had some catching up to do before they reached his level. His team meanwhile simply shook their heads at the three's antics.
"That's nothing. You know the Hokage Monument in Konoha?"
The brothers gave him a puzzled nod.
"I painted it."
They waited a moment, expecting more of an explanation, but they only got silence.
"You painted it?" Gozu prodded after a few seconds.
"Yup. Ask Kakashi-sensei."
"He's not lying. Imagine the village's surprise when we noticed the grand faces of our city's greatest heroes painted up like geisha."
Gozu and Meizu could only stare at Naruto in outright shock before dropping to their knees before him and bowing repeatedly.
"We are not worthy! We are not worthy!"
Naruto propped his hands on his hips and threw his head back, laughing raucously. Haku smiled at her 'brothers' actions and was glad Naruto seemed to be taking it all in stride. In fact, in the few hours they had spent together, they had grown quite fond of the older blond. It was good to see Gozu and Meizu have so much fun. They had been forced to be serious for far too long, and it simply went against their nature.
"Alright you guys, quit goofing off so much. We are still on a serious mission, and we are in the presence of enemies... technically... I guess."
While it was obvious Kakashi had been addressing Naruto specifically, Gozu and Meizu saw the chance to irritate the Jonin. Naturally, they couldn't pass it up. As one they both leaped to attention, giving a crisp salute.
"Sah Yes, sah! Serious, sah!"
"You hear that brudda! Wez got enemiez to bash!"
"Indeed brudda! Let's get to paying attention then! ATTENTION!"
Both brothers stood straighter than natural, arms and legs bolt straight and heads tilted up slightly.
"Platoon! Fo'wa'd. MA'CH!"
"Left, Right, Left, Right!"
Kakashi had to restrain himself from knocking the two young punks to the ground for such disrespect. They were mocking him! Though he had to admit, it was pretty funny. Sakura had no such inhibition.
"You two idiots! Show Kakashi-sensei some respect!"
"Sah! Enemy at the rear!"
"Double time, Gozu! Double time!"
Naruto had to hold his ribs to stop himself from collapsing from laughter at the sight of the 'Demon Brothers' running in terror from an irate Sakura, intent on braining them. It was quite literally one of the funniest things he had ever seen. Even Kakashi had to give a reluctant laugh.
When Naruto could finally breath again, he turned to Haku with lingering tears still in his eyes.
"Are they always like this?"
The girl shrugged somewhat, still smiling.
"Kind of. This is how they are naturally, but they haven't had a chance to relax in a long time. What with running from hunter-nin and traveling with Zabu-..."
Naruto saw her flinch at the name of her dead master, and he hastened to change the subject.
"So hey, have you ever been to a city like Konoha before?"
The girl bit her lip and shook her head. She was glad that he had changed the subject, but at some point she was going to have to get over her pain every time Zabuza's name was mentioned. It was disrespectful to her new Master, after all.
"No, sir. I haven't. Wave was actually the biggest city we have been in so far. It will be interesting to see how things are in a big city."
Kakashi glanced over in surprise at what the girl had called Naruto, but he was far past caring any more. That didn't mean he would stop keeping an eye on them though. Naruto may have had a strange way of changing people around him, but it wasn't infallible and there was no way he was going to let his student be betrayed.
"Now remember, I honestly don't know exactly what is going to happen when we get to Konoha. You have never served in a hidden village's Shinobi forces and aren't technically a Missing-nin. Plus with your bloodlimit you will probably be offered a place under Konoha's protection through a probationary period until you prove yourself trustworthy. The other two though... they are Missing-nin so the rules are a little different. They aren't exactly powerful enough to serve as a major threat, but they have abandoned a village before, so they aren't going to be received all that warmly. Fortunately for you guys, you have a Konoha Shinobi who is willing to vouch for you. This will give you some leeway, but anything and everything you do will be monitored and Naruto will be subject to blame for anything you do."
Haku nodded seriously at that, making a note to keep Gozu and Meizu under control. She wasn't about to put any more pressure on Naruto after he was willing to go out on a limb to save them from their life of running. She made a mental note to talk to Gozu and Meizu about it later on, before they got themselves into too much trouble.
"Hatake-san, in Wave when Naruto made his speech... what did he mean when he was speaking of the village? Do they really hate him as much as he says?"
Kakashi was silent for a moment as he deliberated on what to say. He couldn't come outright and say why they treated him that way, obviously. Technically the Third's law only applied to Konoha citizens, but Haku wasn't a citizen... yet. On the other hand, he couldn't lie and tell her nothing. She would see for herself as soon as they walked through the gates.
"He wasn't lying. Ever since the day he was born Konoha has... its hated him. He serves as a living reminder of everything that was lost thirteen years ago. Fortunately most of their animosity ended with glares or ignoring him, but that is still a hell of an environment for a young boy to grow up in."
It hurt Haku that the gentlest of Shinobi Villages would treat someone like that, but it seemed like Naruto had managed to get through it smiling.
"He said something about only recently having two men teach him or something, what did he mean by that?"
Kakashi seemed surprised at the question, and he glanced down at her from his book. It was lucky that he always kept a spare on him, otherwise he might have had to walk all the way from Wave to Konoha without his precious reading material. All because of... her.
"Why are you asking me? Go ask him for yourself, I'm sure he could tell you more than I could anyway. Hell, you might even get more information than I did."
Her response was cut off when HK-47 made an announcement.
"Observation: Master, it would seem Konoha has come into view. We shall be there shortly."
"Excellent, thank you HK. You hear that, Kakashi-sensei? We're almost home!"
That got the attention of everyone present and they all gathered in a group again. No one noticed the glare coming from Haku, directed toward the Hunter-Killer Droid. For the first time since they left Wave, Kakashi slid his book back into his equipment pouch.
"Okay guys, let me tell you what's going to happen. We are going to go to the Hokage Tower together and me and my students are going to drop off the mission report. After that we are going to get paid and Sasuke and Sakura will probably be able to leave. Because of Naruto being himself though, I'm going to have to do a crap load of extra paperwork." He grunted noncommittally at this. "Then the Hokage will decide whether or not he wants to allow Haku and the Brothers to stay in Konoha or not."
"What are you talking about, Sensei? Of course he will. The Old Man's great like that!"
The Demon brothers stared at the disrespect in Naruto's tone while speaking of his Hokage. The could only imagine what would have happened had someone called the Mizukage that!
"Anyway, after that assuming they are allowed to stay, they will be given a place to stay."
"What are you talking about? They're going to stay with me. I've got plenty of room after all, and it gets kinda weird having only Droid's and teachers walking around."
Kakashi didn't have the chance to berate Naruto for interrupting again, because they had already reached the gates of Konoha. The stationed Chunin guards at the check-in gate came out to greet them and Kakashi recognized them. Surprisingly, so did Naruto.
"Izumo! Kotetsu! What's up guys!"
The two Chunin glanced over to the familiar voice and their eyes widened at the dramatic changes in their friend.
"Holy crap! Naruto, is that you?"
"Damn straight!"
The boy strode forward, tall and proud. Kotetsu whistled in appreciation at Naruto's new stature and left Izumo to deal with Kakashi.
"Hmm, you look different. Did you do something with your hair? And your clothes... and the fact that you are HUGE NOW! You used to be a midget, but now you're almost as tall as I am."
Naruto laughed in outrage at that.
"What are you smoking! I'm way taller than you are!"
"Bull crap! You barely come up to my chin!"
Kakashi and Izumo did their best to ignore their respective teammates as they stood face to face, trying to make themselves taller than the other, despite being about the same height.
"Alright, everything seems to be in order. Your clearance has been granted, welcome home."
"Thanks, Izumo. Good to be back. Alright you guys, Naruto stop comparing sizes with Kotetsu and get over here! We need to go to the Hokage's office so I can finally get away from you guys."
Haku laughed into her hand at the way Naruto grew pink at his teacher's comment. He was so cute when he was embarrassed.
Izumo watched them walk away, watching the newcomers closely while Kotetsu just laughed and called back to Naruto.
"Hey Naruto! Once you're done with the Hokage, you should come hang out when our shift is over! We haven't seen you since you were still in the academy!"
"You got it man! Later guys."
Kotetsu and his partner watched as the group disappeared into Konoha and the gate closed behind them.
"Did you see how much Naruto changed? What do you think happened?"
Izumo watched the gate for a moment before shrugging and going back to his station.
"I have no idea, but I intend to find out. Now quit being lazy and help me get this crap filed away."
"But its so boring..."
XxXxXxX
- Hokage's Office -
"Okay, let me get this straight. You're mission was to escort Tazuna-san to Nami no Kuni, which was classified as a 'C-rank' mission. You hadn't even gotten half way to Wave Country before you were attacked by the 'Demon Brothers', who I notice are accompanying you now."
Gozu gave a sheepish wave before Meizu slapped him on the back of the head.
"Upon defeating the enemy, you subdued them and left them in the road, your mission to protect Tazuna taking precedence over taking the two into captivity. Again, before you even got to Wave you were attacked once more by the 'Demon of the Bloody Mist', and fought him to a standstill. With assistance from Naruto's personal companion, he was defeated. Before he could be eliminated, he was assisted by another enemy disguised as a Hunter-nin, who is with you also."
Haku was standing close beside Naruto, trying to keep a cold face. The disregard the Hokage was showing for her old master's life was making it hard though. It was only Naruto's wordless support that helped her get through it, of which she was grateful.
"From there you finally managed to get to Wave, and rest. Only a few days later Naruto here," The boy winced at the tone being directed towards him. "Decided that the safety of his team was less important than helping this village free itself, and so helped a rebel group plan a CIVIL WAR!"
The entire team flinched at the Hokage's shout, and for the first time Naruto started to wonder if he had done the right thing. He wasn't alone, as Kakashi seemed to be having the same doubts.
"Once more, with the help of back-up supplied by Naruto in the form of weapons, armor, and Droids, the revolution was successful, thank god." The last part was muttered, probably to himself, but no one commented.
"While the rebels were fighting for control of the headquarters, Team Seven assaulted Zabuza's companions in a final battle. Now here's the part that gets me. Team Seven and a Droid were up against Zabuza Momochi, the famed A-rank Missing-nin and the leader of the Seven Swordsmen; the last survivor of the Yuki clan in possession of a dangerous Kekkei Genkai that allows control of ice; and the previously defeated Demon Brothers."
Kakashi had a feeling he knew where this was going, and he gradually started inching towards the door in case he needed to make a break for it. Needless to say, his book was long gone.
"That alone is worrying, though I'm sure with Kakashi's help you would have managed. No, what really irks me, is that you DIDN'T have Kakashi with you! Because he went off alone to deal with two would-be assassins, leaving you ALONE to deal with them!"
While the Hokage's outrage wasn't directed towards them, Team Seven, Haku, and the Demon Brothers all moved as far away from Kakashi as they could without pressing themselves against the walls. Kakashi in the meantime, was in trouble. As soon as the Hokage had mentioned the part about having his help, the Jonin had turned and tried to break through the door.
The Killing Intent of the Third froze him in his tracks, and any doubt he might have ever had about the Hokage being fit to lead Konohagakure was wiped clean. He had never been so afraid in his life. And he had served as ANBU Captain!
"Now, Kakashi-kun." That sweet tone scared him even more. "Would you mind what CRACK you were ON!"
"T-they had HK-47 with them..."
His response wasn't satisfactory, and the Hokage slammed his fist on the desk, making it groan in protest.
"OH, well in THAT CASE! It makes it all okay!"
Kakashi felt himself sinking in on himself, and he was starting to wish he had lost the fight against Zabuza.
"He... he was already injured from his last fight! And Zabuza never even got the chance to touch any of the kids!"
For a moment, Kakashi thought the Hokage was going to leap over his desk and attack him. After a moment though, Sarutobi rubbed his eyes and started toying with his pipe.
"That's not the point, Kakashi. You left your students in the presence of an extremely dangerous Missing-nin that had already shown intent to kill. I understand that you did it to protect the client's daughter, but teamwork is one of the biggest points we press as Konoha Shinobi. You don't leave your team behind. Ever."
Kakashi nodded and bowed deeply, ashamed of his actions.
"Yes, Hokage-sama. I understand. I sincerely apologize and swear it will never happen again."
Sarutobi nodded, more gentle now. He knew Kakashi got his point, and he trusted that the Jonin wouldn't lose his head like that again in the future.
"See that it doesn't, Kakashi. You are one of Konoha's best, I have the utmost faith in you. Now, is there anything else I should know?"
Naruto shuffled his feet, but when it was clear he had no intention of saying anything, Kakashi elbowed him in the ribs.
"Yes, Naruto-kun?"
"Umm... well you see, after the battle... The people of Wave wanted a... a speech."
The Third didn't know where this was going, but he was absolutely sure that he wasn't going to like it.
"Uh-huh."
"And Kakashi pushed me into it..."
"Hey! Don't bring me into this!"
"So I gave them one..."
The Third cocked an eyebrow at this.
"And why would that be cause for concern?"
Naruto shuffled his feet again, and didn't make eye-contact.
"Because they kinda voted me to be their leader. Oh, and it's called Ruusan now."
There was silence in the Office for a short while before a loud crack. The Third stared down at the two halves of his pipe before sighing and pulling a new one from a desk drawer.
"And what do you plan to do with this? Now that they have voted you to be their... leader."
"I'm not sure. I need to seek guidance from my Masters before I decide anything."
"Alright, fine. But as soon as you make a decision, I expect you to come to me and discuss it, alright?"
"Yes, sir."
"Alright, Team Seven is dismissed. You shall be paid for a B-rank mission, since we were only compensated for a 'C-rank', but Tazuna has informed me that they shall pay the entire balance for a 'A-rank' as soon as their economy recovers. Naruto and Kakashi, you stay."
Sasuke and Sakura bowed respectfully and made their way out of the office. Normally Sasuke would have pressed to stay, but he had a feeling it would be best if he was nowhere near this next conversation. He really didn't envy his teammate.
With Sasuke and Sakura gone, Haku moved forward to stand close beside Naruto, as though seeking his support, and the two brothers took their places on either side of them. The old man noticed their movement with an approving eye. Years of diplomatic situations had taught him how to read body language, and from what he could tell any of the three newcomers were willing to fight for their right to stay with the boy he once saw as family to him. He also noticed that Kakashi had stood a bit straighter, taking the situation entirely seriously. Apparently there was even more to this than he already knew.
"Now, Naruto. Why don't you start with explaining to me why you thought it would be a good idea to bring three Missing-nin into my village?"
Naruto sighed and dropped his head, thinking carefully on how he was going to phrase his words. He knew the situation was a delicate one, he just wasn't particularly sure how he was going to proceed.
"I... I thought it was best for them."
Sarutobi stared at him with a passive face, showing neither approval nor disapproval.
"And why is that?"
"Well... when they were traveling with Zabuza, its not like they killed people just because they thought it would be fun. They were running from people who wanted to kill them, right? What's so wrong with that? They were protecting themselves and just wanted to find a place to call home where they could be safe."
"As true as that may be, they still attacked Konoha Shinobi. By all rights I should turn them over to Ibiki for even stepping across my borders."
Naruto paled at that, not wanting to send his new friends to Konoha's infamous interrogation expert. While he had never met the man, a few of the classes in Konoha were dedicated to the stronger people in the village. Ibiki's name came up now and then, and it wasn't because the man was so skilled at making friends.
"B-but they only attacked because it was their job! They stopped as soon as they realized they had been lied to! We attacked them in return, but they aren't holding any grudges! I thought Konoha was supposed to be the kindest of the Hidden Villages?"
"Yes, to our own maybe. These are still our enemies!"
"Why?"
The defiance in the boy's tone caught both the Third and his Jonin Sensei by surprise.
"Why are they our enemies? They aren't trying to kill you, or me, or even Kakashi-sensei. We've even been getting along really well once we stopped trying to beat each other to a pulp. The only reason we even fought in the first place was because we got stuck on opposite sides of the mission. It was a twist of fate, and for that you are going to condemn them to being captured by Mist Hunter-nin?"
"Now Naruto, no one said they were going to be captured."
Naruto crossed his arms and gave the old man a serious look.
"Yes they will. Without Zabuza to watch after them and keep them safe, they won't last two weeks. You know that just as well as I do and you know even better what Mist does to their prisoners."
The Third rubbed his forehead. The kid knew how to make a argument, he had to give him that.
"Alright fine. Let's suppose you had a point. Suppose I were to let them remain in Konohagakure, if only for a time. What would you suggest I do with them? Let them walk the streets at their leisure? The civilians would never tolerate it, let alone the Shinobi!"
"You mean like they tolerate me?"
It was a low blow, and they both knew it. Still, the Old Man needed to know that he was serious about this.
"Naruto..."
"Let them stay with me."
Sarutobi looked up into the boy's eyes, and for a moment he could have sworn he saw the shadow of his father standing behind him.
"Let them stay with me in my compound. The village never needs to know that they are there. I have more than enough room for them to live comfortably and they will have everything they need. They serve their probation under my Masters' supervision, and if they are found trustworthy you can decide what to do from there."
"And what if they do something against the rules? There needs to be repercussions for their actions Naruto, you have to realize this."
"I take full responsibility for their actions. The village would love to see me disciplined for something, anyway. That will only give them even more of an excuse. The 'Demon brat' getting punished for four people now, just just himself? You really think people will oppose this as harshly as you're making it seem?"
The Hokage sighed once more, feeling reluctantly proud of the young man before him, despite his irritation.
"You aren't going to give up on this, are you?"
Naruto smiled out of the corner of is eye.
"You know me so well, Old Man."
Sarutobi couldn't help but smile as he drew three sheets of paper from one of many drawers in his antique desk.
"Fine. Have them sign these three papers and you sign each one at the bottom, showing that are vouching for them, and take full responsibility."
Gozu and Meizu both shared an astonished look before almost scrambling over each other in an attempt to get to the pen first. As one they stared at the sheets before them, feeling an elation they hadn't felt in years.
"Are... are you serious? We can really stay, Hokage-sama!"
The man cocked an eyebrow at the enthusiasm from the two young men. These were the 'Demon Brothers'?
"As long as you follow our rules to the letter and stay with Naruto whenever you venture into the village? Yes, you can stay. Just don't give me a reason to revoke your licenses. I'm only letting you remain here because of Naruto."
They bowed together, foreheads almost pressing into the desk before rushing to sign the paperwork. Haku meanwhile, was hesitating and staying at Naruto's side.
"Haku, what's wrong?"
The girl looked up at him, insecurity clear in her eyes.
"Is... is this what you want, Master?"
Naruto frowned at that.
"What do you mean? I thought you wanted a place to live and be safe?"
"It's not that. I just... I don't want to serve Konoha. I want to serve you."
He nodded in understanding and looked to the Hokage, who by this point looked about ready to slam his head on the desk. Before Naruto could even pose the question, the Hokage was rummaging through his desk, muttering incomprehensibly under his breath.
"Alright, alright. Fine, here."
Finally finding what he was searching for, the old man slid a different sheet across the desk.
"This will sign your allegiance not to Konoha, but to an existing family. Though that family still has it's allegiances signed to Konoha, so you will still serve us in the end. And I suppose you two are going to want this as well, aren't you?"
Gozu and Meizu only grinned sheepishly, pen still pressed against the initial papers.
"Damn you, Naruto. No one else gives me this kind of a headache on a regular basis, why can't you just give me a break sometimes?"
Naruto laughed and grinned happily while Haku signed her paper, smiling shyly.
"What are you talking about? I've been gone for ages! I've got catching up to do."
Everyone in the room heard the quiet whimper that followed, and Naruto cracked up.
"Don't worry though, I'm pretty sure this will wrap everything up. For now at least."
"Alright, but we are going to talk about this more later, okay Naruto?"
"Yes, sir. Of course. Thank you."
Once the three new recruits had finished signing their papers, he waved at them dismissively.
"Now begone! I am already going to have to pop a couple of pain-killers for my headache and I don't need you making it any worse. Go show them their new home. And no detours! I know what you're like."
"B-but! Ichiraku's!"
Sarutobi laughed at that, knowing of Naruto's one true vice.
"Alright, fine. You can make a pit stop at Ichiraku's, but after that you go directly home, okay?"
He hadn't even finished his sentence before Naruto had taken off, dragging his new companions behind him. He faintly heard an affirmative yelled back at him coming from down the hallway, and he chuckled. It was good to know that the boy hadn't changed after his first 'C-rank' mission.
"Now Kakashi, what is it you needed to talk to me about?"
The masked Jonin stepped forward hesitantly, never dropping from his stance.
"It's, about Naruto actually."
"Why am I not surprised in the least?"
"Yes, but this is serious, Hokage-sama."
The old man nodded and tapped his lips with his pipe. He leaned back in his chair and gave Kakashi an appraising eye. The man was never this official unless something was seriously wrong.
"Very well, report."
"Sir. I have reason to believe that Naruto's loyalties are not to Konoha itself. I believe he has an alternate agenda that doesn't serve Konohagakure."
Sarutobi frowned, but didn't move.
"These are serious allegations, Kakashi. I assume you have some proof of this?"
"The boy himself, sir."
"Explain."
Kakashi shifted slightly under the stern gaze of his superior, well aware once again that this man was the leader of an entire village.
"During the 'speech' that he mentioned, when he was addressing the gathered village of Wa... Ruusan, he spoke of the hatred of the village. What he didn't mention, is that he spoke of his loyalties. From what I've gathered, if this village were to come under attack this very night, he would fight to rescue the Ichiraku family, Iruka, and yourself. After that? He would be content to watch the village burn."
The Hokage sighed sadly and stood from his chair. With exaggerated slowness he moved to the large window behind him and looked over the village.
"Yes... I've gotten that feeling from him before, but who can honestly blame him? I've done everything I can to keep him safe over the years, and I would like to think I have had a positive effect. He was left alone physically, at least, but I can't order people to be his friend. To do so would only make matters worse."
Kakashi was unsure of what to say to that, so he simply remained where he stood stiffly at attention. After a moment of watching the movement outside the tower, the Hokage turned back to Kakashi.
"Yes, I am aware of his feelings. He tries to hide them, but more have seen it for what it is than he knows. Still, I can't just allow him to leave and you know that. Keep an eye on him Kakashi, be there when he needs you. Maybe if we can show him that there are those in Konoha that care for him, he will be less inclined to abandon those who don't. I know for a fact that my own grandson and his two friends have taken to him, but I still think there needs to be more. I wish there was more I could do for him, but you have that opportunity."
Sarutobi dropped into his chair heavily. For the first time that day, he was showing his age.
"Just keep an eye on him Kakashi, and try to stop him from doing anything rash. These new companions of his might be just what he needs, but I'm still not willing to put all of my faith into three newcomers."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Kakashi took that as the sign for his dismissal, but when he turned to leave the Hokage stopped him.
"And Kakashi."
The man stopped and turned back. Again, Sarutobi was looking out the window, so he could only make out the back of his chair.
"If he does try to leave... you know what you have to do."
Kakashi hesitated at the order, but he had no choice to obey. The repercussions for such an act were simply to far reaching to allow Naruto to walk away from Konoha on a whim.
"...yes, Hokage-sama."
There was silence for a moment, before Kakashi left the office and closed the door behind him. When he knew he was alone, the Hokage turned back to his desk and pressed his head against the wood. Sometimes he hated being Hokage, and it wasn't anything to do with the paperwork.
XxXxXxX
- Ichiraku Ramen Stand : Naruto and Co. -
After the mission debriefing, Naruto had wasted no time in making his way to his beloved ramen stand. Along the way he hastily pointed out places of note in the village to his companions. The three following him were in shock. Never before had they been in a village as large as Konoha was. It was massive! Because of their status as Missing-nin they had been forced to avoid major cities or anywhere with a Shinobi population. It felt good to be able to take in the sights, though their senses long since attuned to staying out of the open were driving them crazy.
Judging by the size and prosperity of Konohagakure, they had been expecting something a little bit more... extravagant than the small and somewhat run-down stall that Naruto brought them to.
"So, Naruto. Why are we coming here?"
"Yeah, it doesn't look like anything special..."
Not for the first time since they had started traveling together, Naruto had to resist the urge to beat the crap out of his new subordinates.
"Y'all better watch yourselves! This just happens to be the single best restaurant in all of Konoha."
The two Demon Brothers shrugged and stepped through the curtain leading into the ramen stand. Behind the counter was an old man who was stirring noodles and a much younger girl cleaning dishes.
"Hey old man! Long time no see."
The aged cook's head snapped up, eyes ablaze with righteous fury.
"Who the hell just called me ol-... Well I'll be. Hey, Ayame! Guess who finally decided to step in and pay us a visit?"
The young girl's smile was blinding as she dried her hands on a ragged towel and made her way over to the counter, where Naruto had already taken a seat.
"Well hey there, Naruto. It's been a while since you came by. We were starting to worry that you had finally gotten tired of eating ramen all the time."
Naruto just gave his smile while the girl brought him a steaming bowl of miso without even listening to his order.
"Don't worry, that will never happen. How could I ever give up on your cooking? Besides, I just got back from a pretty long mission to Ruusan."
"Ruusan? I've never heard of it. Is that where you met your new friends?"
Realizing he hadn't introduced his new gang, Naruto gave a small grin and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.
"Heh heh, sorry about that. Ayame, this is Haku, Gozu, and Meizu. And Ruusan is the new name of the country that used to be called Wave. You know, the one with all the islands?"
"It's a pleasure to meet you all. Any friend of Naruto is a friend of Ichiraku's. You're welcome to come here any time. Wave, isn't that the one that got taken over by that one businessman? Gato?"
Naruto was somewhat surprised that Teuchi would know about it, but he just nodded as he kept eating his food. Ayame set down three more bowls of various ramen for the newcomers, all of which were on the house as was customary.
"Yup, that's the one. All we were supposed to do was guard this old guy while he finished building this massive bridge, but of course hings are never that easy."
Ayame untied her apron and hung it up on a peg. Afterward she sat down on a stool next to Naruto and propped her head in her hands, paying attention to everything Naruto was saying.
"Well? What was your mission like? When did these three start following you around? Why did they change the name of the village to Ruusan?"
Naruto chuckled again at all of Ayame's questions. He knew she rarely got the chance to leave the village, and was always eager to hear whatever stories of outside Konoha as she could. He was more than welcome to tell her of his most recent exploits. It was the least he could do for free ramen after all! Well, the first bowl at least. He had no intention of driving his favorite stand out of business.
XxXxXxX
- Path to Compound : Naruto and Co. -
After the lengthy conversation with Ayame and occasional insight from the old man, Naruto had finally finished his bountiful feast and said goodbye to the family, leaving a hefty tip. With his intense cravings finally sated, Naruto had then started making his way down the now familiar path leading to his new home. Not for the first time he had started to realize just how far into the forest the compound actually was, and he was really glad for the technology he had at his disposal. Making this trip on foot every day would have sucked.
The other three didn't know about that though, nor did they know how long the trip was, which resulted in their current situation.
"Are we almost there yet?"
"Oh my god! I swear Gozu, if one of you two ask that question one more time, I'm going to knock your heads together! We'll get there when we get there! Geez..."
Gozu blanched at the outburst and he quieted down, muttering under his breath while his brother laughed at his expense. Haku laughed quietly to herself as well at the look on Gozu's face. The little pout was totally out of place on the killing machine's face.
"Alright, finally we're here. Check it out and be amazed!"
"Uhm... Naruto... there's nothing there."
"Hm? Oh, right. The stealth field."
The three gave each other a look behind Naruto's back, somewhat worrying about their new Master's mental health. Here he was looking like they should have just borne witness to the coolest thing built by man, and they were standing in front of an empty clearing.
"Hey Master Katarn, would you mind dropping the cloak? I've got some people I want you to meet."
"Who are you talking to! Are you feeling al-..."
"HOLY CRAP!"
Haku's concerned question was cut off by Meizu's shout, which actually summed the situation up rather accurately. Not ten seconds after Naruto had talked to thin air, the air in the middle of the huge clearing just sort of... shimmered, and the next thing they knew they were staring at this massive fortress! It was amazing!
"Naruto... what, what is this?"
The blond turned to face them and spread his arms wide, indicating the entire compound.
"This is your new home. What's mine is yours. I'm pretty sure we've got anything you will ever need. Rooms, utilities, weapons, armor, clothes, really good food... the works. Come on, I'll show you around."
Haku and the brothers followed along behind Naruto, wide-eyed. Haku was amazed by the detailed architecture of the surrounding buildings and the massive statues. How such fine detail could be carved into whatever material the walls were made of was a mystery to her.
Gozu and Meizu meanwhile were watching the veritable army of HK-50 Droids preforming various tasks such as carrying large I-beams like the builders in Wave had, shooting targets in a range with their strange weapons, and some were sparring with melee weapons like they had seen some of the people of Ruusan carrying before they had left.
While they didn't get to satisfy their curiosity of everything going on outside the walls of the great pyramid, Naruto seemed to be in a bit of a hurry, so they decided to come back later to finish checking things out.
"Before I give you guys the tour, I have some people I want you to meet. I know you guys have heard me mention my Masters. Well these two are the only two people who have actually given me a home, as well as taught me things I thought were impossible. They are powerful Force users, like I am only a lot stronger."
The others had seen the feats Naruto was capable of, and the idea of someone even stronger than him made them falter. If Naruto could throw a massive column, than what could they do?
Their individual musings were cut off when Naruto activated some kind of security machine on the side of a tall stone doorway, and the stone slabs swung open to allow them access. The corridor revealed to them was of the same black material as the outside and was tall enough to accommodate three people standing on each others shoulders.
Naruto was still explaining the architecture of the compound when his comm link sparked to life, and the sound of blaster fire could be heard through the static.
"Naruto! We need backup! We are outside the War room and we require immediate assistance!"
"Master Katarn? What's going on? Why is their shooting going on?"
There was a moment of silence before the comm link returned to life, and when it did a minor explosion could be both heard through the link and felt through the compound itself.
"I'll tell you when you get here, just hurry!"
"Got it, I'm on my way!"
"Master, what's going on?"
Naruto didn't stop to reply to Haku's frantic question, instead he started running down the maze of hallways, calling over his shoulder as he ran.
"My Masters are under attack by something, I need to help them! Stay here, feel free to explore just don't touch anything that looks dangerous."
Haku and the brothers could only watch him round a corner and disappear with a dumbfounded expression. If this was usual occurrences around here, maybe they were better off with the Hunter-nin.
XxXxXxX
- Outside War room : Kyle and Bane -
Kyle Katarn did his best to stay hunkered down behind a slab of fallen onyx, out of the way of incoming blaster fire. His Dark counterpart was doing the same on the opposite side of the hall, in no better condition than he was.
Not long ago Bane had gotten a message from Kyle that the Jedi had made a breakthrough with repairing the Droid damaged by Naruto a few hours ago. Far more skilled in electronics and machinery than Bane was, Kyle had taken it as a personal challenge to fix the HK-50 that Naruto had slammed into a wall shortly before leaving for his mission in Wave.
Progress on the machine had been fairly steady until a discovery had been made that slowed it down to a crawl. Not only was the damage far more severe than was first expected, the Droid wasn't even a -50 in the first place. Apparently the previous grease-monkeys in charge of the Droid's in the compound had been successful in creating an entirely new series of the Hunter-Killer style of Droids.
Designated HK-53, the inner components and matrices of the damaged prototype were alien to Katarn and therefore outside his field of expertise. Never one to give up just for lack of knowledge, Kyle had continued to tinker with the Droid as well as research all the information the compound had on the Droid. For the last month or two, no progress had been made until today.
"Tell me again why you thought it was a good idea to run through its combat protocols?"
Bane's words were hard to make out over the gunfire, and Kyle had to yell back to make himself heard.
"I didn't! I managed to align the circuits enough for me to hook it up to the computer, and it just reactivated itself!"
"Then where did it get the gun!"
Kyle's shrug did nothing to elevate the Sith Lord's mood, and he retaliated by sending a bolt of Force Lightning blindly over his barricade. The electric attack missed the machine, but hit an exposed light fixture, causing it to short out and explode in a shower of sparks.
"Your resistance is futile. Lay down your weapons and step out from cover, or be destroyed!"
The Droid's war cry was followed by another round of blaster bolts, which came dangerously close to Kyle's arm. Kyle's response was to return fire with a charged blast from his personal side arm, his Bryar pistol. The shot caught the Droid directly in the chest, and it fell to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut. After waiting a moment to be sure it was down for good, the two Force users stepped out from their cover and approached it slowly.
"Is... is it dead?"
"How am I supposed to know? You're the gear head here, not me."
Kyle's examination of the heap of scrap was cut short by the sound of Naruto barreling around the corner, flaring his Force channels in preparation for an inevitable conflict. His charge slowed to a stop when he saw the two Force Masters kneeling next to the Droid, noticeably not under attack.
With the immediate danger apparently already resolved, he took a moment to check out the hallway that had once been a battlefield and gave an appreciative whistle.
"Damn, what the hell happened here?"
"Your basic tragedy case. I've seen it a hundred times." Kyle stood up, playing the part of a drama detective, and chewing on a toothpick he had conjured out of nowhere. "High-stress job, best friend makin' time with his girl, I guess it all just got to him. Great cop, before he went rouge. Too bad, he was a good kid."
The Sith Lord could only stare at his counterpart for a moment before shaking his head.
"From what Kyle here has told me, something went haywire in this Droid's programming while he was trying to fix it. This is the same one you threw through the wall before you left. Good to see you returned, by the way."
Naruto laughed at his Master, who was prodding the Droid with his foot to make sure it was 'dead'.
"You drove it crazy? What happened? I thought you were supposed to be great with computers."
"I am!" He huffed indignantly. "I've just never seen this type of Droid before. Some kind of prototype or something. The programming is entirely different from anything I've seen before. Hell, you guys should be glad that it stopped at trying to shot us! It could just have easily decided to detonate it's core and destroyed the compound."
"If we were to thank you every time you didn't get us killed, you would start to think that you were actually doing something useful. Now why don't you haul this scrap heap somewhere out of the way? I do believe our little Naruto has brought friends to play."
Kyle wasn't the only one to grumble indignantly as he called for a few -50s to remove the less than ideal successor to the HK designation. Bane ignored Kyle's muttered complaints, and turned to his apprentice.
"Now, you said something about having some people you wanted us to meet, no? You also need to tell us what happened in Wave."
Naruto grinned and started walking back the way he had came.
"You say that like you don't already know."
"Perhaps, perhaps not. Maybe I just want to hear what my student has to say about his first 'big adventure'."
Naruto laughed at Bane's amusement. The Sith Lord rarely made jokes, so it was a nice change of pace.
"Come on. Haku and the guys are probably wondering where we got to, if they aren't getting into trouble already."
XxXxXxX
- Droid Maintenance : Haku and the Brothers -
"Gozu, the Master said not to touch anything! You shouldn't play with that."
"No, Naruto said not to touch anything that looked dangerous. This isn't dangerous, is it Meizu?"
"Nope. It looks more like a kid's ball or something, but metal."
Haku frowned at the misbehavior of her 'family'. Even with that technicality, she was pretty sure that they shouldn't be messing around with things they found lying around. Hell, even wandering around in this massive place was probably a bad idea.
Gozu had gotten bored of just standing around after Naruto had left, and decided to try to find him. Of course Meizu had been right behind him, forcing Haku to follow after to keep them out of trouble.
'A lot of good that did me.'
The first corner they had came to, they had seen Naruto turn left so they went left as well. Unfortunately, that wasn't the only turn separating them. After a few guesses and I-think-he-went-this-ways, they were well and truly lost. Not long ago they had decided to stop wandering and chosen a door at random and hoped to ask for directions from one of the Droids patrolling the corridors.
The room they had chosen didn't have something they could get directions, but something far worse. Shiny things. Lots of shiny things. Before she could even force the other two out of the room, they had separated and started shifting through things, checking out the various parts of deactivated Droids. The room was probably some kind of storage area for upgrades, or... something.
Meizu had been the first to see the... whatever it was, and Gozu had leaped at the chance to break the rules. The ball he held in his hands was less than a foot across, but judging by Gozu's surprise when he picked it up, it was heavier than it looked.
"Hey, check it out! There's some kind of seam down the middle of it. I think its supposed to open up."
As though brought to life by his comment, the metal ball jerked in Gozu's hands and startled him into dropping it. With a yelp of surprise, both Gozu and Meizu eagerly put some distance between themselves and the machine while Haku drew a handful of senbon in case it was hostile.
Propelled by some kind of hidden mechanism, the ball rolled around in tight circles for a moment as though searching for something before falling still.
"Do you think its-..."
Meizu's sentence was cut off when a strange pop came from the ball, which split in two revealing an insect like machine with multiple appendages, all armed with a variety of sharp and mean looking instruments. The Droid flicked out its four long, spindly legs as though testing them before running back and forth in the same circle it had made as a ball.
"What the hell is that thing!"
Gozu's shout of alarm must have scared it, because it gave a shrill scream. Surprised by the scream, Gozu yelled out in alarm as well, causing the Droid to scream again, then run behind one of the many unopened crates to hide. The young assassin held a hand over his heart and huffed for breath while his brother practically rolled with laughter.
"Well I'm glad you find this funny, Meizu. But I told you not to touch that thing."
"Yeah, well. How was I supposed to know it was alive?"
"It doesn't matter now, does it? All we can do now is try to get it back into a ball before Naruto comes back."
Meizu nodded in agreement while Gozu finally got himself under control. With a nod to each other, they both drew their battle chained gauntlets and prepped to do battle with the small metal monstrosity. Haku decided to take an entirely different approach however, and instead got on her knees a few feet from the box the small Droid had taken cover behind.
"Hey there? Are you okay, little guy?"
"Are... are you really talking to that thing?"
Gozu's incredulous look spoke volumes, and Haku huffed in response.
"Look, we don't have to attack everything we see on sight. That's what got us into trouble in the first place." She turned back to trying to peer into the shadows concealing the Droid. "I'm sorry for my friends, they can be a little... retarded."
"Hey!"
To her surprise, a bizarre chattering sound came from behind the crate and one of the thin metal legs poked out around the corner, as though probing for danger.
"It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you. Neither are the others, you're safe."
With obvious reluctance the small creature poked one half of its orb like carapace, and a small red photoreceptor around the corner. Haku rewarded its bravery by smiling gently and lowering herself to make herself appear less threatening.
"You know, once you get passed the fact that it has a circular saw for a hand, its pretty... cool."
As though it understood the words being spoken around it, the Droid chirped lightly and reached out with the arm equipped with the saw. Instead of attacking with it though, it held it up in front of its glowing red 'eye', and spun it a few times, toying around with it.
Haku laughed softly at the strange thing's behavior, then reached out very slowly and cautiously.
"You're a strange one, aren't you?"
The Droid backed away in a panic when it saw Haku's hand reaching for it, but once it saw that she wasn't aggressive, it regained its courage and edged toward her. When it was only a few inches away, it reached out with one of its pronged appendages and tapped Haku's finger a few times experimentally. Haku giggled at the tickling sensation and the cold metal, and the Droid seemed to cock its head for a second before repeating the chattering sound it had made earlier.
"I think it's... laughing."
"You're right."
The young woman ignored the other two, focusing instead on the Droid that was now entertaining itself by poking and prodding each of her fingers in turn.
"What are you?"
The Droid considered the question for a moment before turning back to the shadowed corner it had come from. Haku almost called out to it for it to come back, but the sound of sawing and heavy contents being shifted stopped her. Shortly after it returned, this time dragging a piece of something behind it, with writing on one side. It stopped in front of Haku and looked between the material and her proudly.
"What is this?"
The Droid made a frustrated chatter and nudged the paper forward with one of its legs. Haku got the idea and picked up the piece of paper, which she recognized as part of a label for one of the many crates decorating the room.
"Pistoeka Sabotage Droid, huh? Is that what you are?"
The Droid circled again, chirping happily at finally being identified.
"Well that's way too long of a name for us to call you. How about... Pisto?"
It fell still and silent for a moment, deliberating seriously before making its laughing sound again and leaping onto her folded knee. The jump caught Haku by surprise, and she laughed when Pisto circled her waist and ran up her back. For such sharp metal appendages, it was surprisingly gentle at running up her skin, even through her relatively thin fabric.
"Then its settled! You'll be Pisto from now on."
"Well its good to see that you have made a new friend already, though I did say not to touch anything."
Both Haku and Pisto gave a startled yelp of surprise, and the later ran into the loose robes that offered cover.
"I-I'm sorry, sir. Gozu got bored and wanted to find you."
"So we started wandering, trying to catch up but you had disappeared and before we knew it we were lost."
"And this room had all kinds of really cool looking stuff, and there was this ball..."
Naruto held up a hand to cut off their desperate apologies, though he took no small amount of amusement in the way Gozu was slowly inching behind Meizu, using his brother as a meatshield without him noticing.
"Would you guys relax? I'm not worried about you breaking anything or something like that. I just didn't want you to stumble across anything you couldn't handle in a fight. Anyway, like I had mentioned earlier I have some people I want you to meet."
For the first time Haku and the brothers noticed the presence of two tall strangers, both towering over even Naruto's considerable frame. One was wearing casual clothes and the other billowing black robes and a lowered hood that exposed pale skin and a shaved head.
"On my left is Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Bane. On my right is Jedi Weapon Master, Kyle Katarn. They are my Masters, and have taught me everything I know. Almost literally."
The casually dressed one, Kyle, laughed and ruffled Naruto's hair, earning a sour look from his apprentice.
"That's right. When we took him in he was barely a squirt that didn't even know how to dress well. Now look at him? He's... a slightly bigger squirt."
"Bite me!"
"Ignore the Jedi, he is somewhat of a simpleton."
"Oh screw you, Bane!"
The gathered younger adults all laughed at the banter, before Naruto straightened up and turned back to his Masters.
"These are the three I brought back with me from Ruusan after their Master was killed by HK-47. Gozu and Meizu are the two with the faces, and Haku is the pretty one."
Haku blushed at that, but hoped no one noticed. The buzz Droid inside her robes must have sensed something though, because it chirped and popped out from the back neckline of her clothes.
"Oh hey! You found one of the old Buzz Droids! I knew they were around here somewhere, I just haven't been able to find them for the life of me."
Kyle strode to the young woman and reached out to pick up the Droid. Pisto was lifted into the air easily, but chattered in disapproval and lashed out at the Jedi Master with a bladed claw tip. Kyle yelped at the pain and dropped the Droid while he squeezed his hand in the other.
Pisto fell to the stone floor and bounced before falling on his side. It was only inactive for a second before it started scrambling in an attempt to right itself.
"Little bastard cut me! What the hell is it with Droids in this place always attacking me, and being disrespectful and crap? I'm a nice guy. I really am!"
While Kyle used to Force to heal the light wound, nothing more than a scratch really, Bane crossed his arms.
"Now that the immediate drama is over with, I expect a full report on the details of your mission."
Naruto nodded, switching over to serious mode immediately.
"Yes, Master. We were only walking for about half an hour, right?..."
XxXxXxX
- Corridors to Personal Chambers -
The full debriefing had taken longer than Naruto had expected, because his Masters had insisted on asking a multitude of questions about the events that had occurred during the mission. While they had shown approval for most of it, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something. That there was some detail he hadn't taken into account that he should have. He put his mind to rest with the justification that if it was important, they would have told him. It wasn't like they weren't going to talk about it again, either. Bane had mentioned that everyone was too tired to get into anything serious, and that they would continue the discussion when everyone was rested.
By the time they had finally started winding down, the sun had long since set, and Naruto and his gang were starting to feel the fatigue set in from their long travel. After a short discussion of lodgings, it was decided that they might as well take rooms close to Naruto's so he could show them around in the morning without fear of them getting lost.
"Alright, this is where you guys are going to be staying. Gozu, you and Meizu are going to have the doors across from each other down the hall there. Haku, you can have your pick of the rooms on the hallway, they're all empty."
"What about Darth Bane and Jedi Master Kyle?"
Naruto shrugged.
"Honestly, I don't know. I know they have their own chambers somewhere around here, but they never told me where. Probably so I couldn't mess with them while they are asleep or something. Kyle can be pretty paranoid sometimes."
Gozu and Meizu just shrugged at that, not really caring one way or another. Right now the only thing they could focus on was the idea of their own rooms. After so long on the road and sharing everything, they had practically been forced to abandon any hope of personal space. It looked like their luck really was changing for the better. It was about damn time, in their shared opinion, though they knew Haku had suffered for it the most.
With the Demon Brothers gone, Naruto had the thought that this was the first private moment he and Haku had shared since the day they had met in the forest. Haku seemed to have thought the same thing as well, because her cheeks were tinted the slightest shade of pink.
"Well, I'm pretty worn out from everything that happened today. I'm probably going to get an good night's sleep. Tomorrow morning I'll be sure to show you the supplies warehouse so you can pick out a new wardrobe of your own. N-not that there's anything wrong with your clothes of course! It's just that I thought you might like some different stuff."
Haku couldn't help but laugh at Naruto's embarrassment. He was cute when he was flustered.
"I'd like that. Maybe I will finally have the chance to pick out some clothes without worrying about where I would hide my senbon."
Naruto smiled at her joke and rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of what he was supposed to say. He had never really been good with situations like this, and not even all the information his Masters had 'downloaded' to his brain helped him out. Fortunately Haku helped relieve him of his dilemma. Unfortunately, it was in a way that possibly made it even more awkward.
Slowly and fluidly, Haku sunk to her knees before Naruto and bowed her head to the floor in respect.
"Thank you, lord. For giving my brothers and I a... a home. As I promised before, I swear to serve your every wish until my dying breath. Whatever your command, I shall obey."
Naruto's mind drew a blank for a moment, completely at a loss for words. Apparently his silence must have given the Haku the wrong idea, because her face went a bright red, and she turned away.
"I-if t-that is what you wish, then..."
"NO no no! That's not, you don't have to... uh..."
The two shared a look with each other before they both started laughing at their own embarrassment. For a moment their laughter was the only sound in the hallway, but they quieted for a moment, though the tense atmosphere had faded.
"Haku, I'm really happy that you decided to come with me. You'll always have a home with me, you all will. Now go rest, okay? I think we could all use it."
Naruto offered Haku his hand, and though she didn't need help to get up she took it anyway. Her rationalization was that she didn't want to offend him. It didn't have anything to do with feeling the warmth of his skin, or the fluttering of her stomach. Really!
"Goodnight, Haku."
"Goodnight, sir."
The blond watched as Haku entered the room to his left and closed the door behind her. As soon as he heard the door seal itself shut, he sagged against the wall and pressed his forehead against the cool stone.
"What was I thinking? That was so stupid!"
The two HK-50 Droids assigned to stand guard at his door shared a look before the talkative one laughed.
"Aww, is the Master in... gasp... love?"
The glare it received in return was enough to make it reconsider its comment and how much it enjoyed life.
"Shut up, Droid."
It could only nod frantically in agreement, not willing to trust itself to speak. Its partner however, had no such inhibitions at laughing at its colleague. It remained motionless until its Master's door closed before letting itself move again.
"For further notice, the Master can be touchy about romantic situations."
Its partner nodded sagely before taking its position on one side of the door. Sentry duty was one of the most boring assignments they had been stuck with, but at least it was better than the poor bastards who had to wake the Master up in the mornings.
A/N : Well there you are. Once again I present to you a new chapter of 'A New Order'. Only a few days after the publication of my newest project as well, maybe there's something to having more than one at a time. I guess only time will tell. 'Nulla Gratia' is a Naruto x Overlord crossover fic, for anyone who is interested.
I'm not particularly satisfied with how this chapter turned out, but when am I ever, eh? A lot of boring stuff this go round, since it is just winding down until I can start the next arc. I assure you, I will update my profile when I decide enough is enough and get back to work.
Reviews are greatly appreciated, and are printed out before being stuck to my refrigerator... and then thrown into the fires to fuel my muse. I'm just sayin'...
Stay Frosty...
- Nikolai