Ranger24: Okay I have good news a trailer for Lotr will be out tonight!. In the mean time enjoy Naruto!
Chapter 13: Resolution.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Naruto's sleep was troubled and breif. When he awoke he did not get up but just stared at the cealing. He felt as if Hohenheim's blood was on his own two hands.
Naruto (Thinking): I can't live with this.
Cortana: Then don't.
Naruto: What you want me to kill my self?
Cortana: No! I meant just move on with life.
Naruto: Why? Whats the worth of life? Love, power, wealth, acheivements they all come to nothing in the end! Whats the worth of annything.
Cortana: The worth is in the act. The fact of doing and impacting upon the world. It is our duty to contribute to the future.
Naruto: That's not a good enough reason.
Cortana mentally sighed.
Cortana: Then here are others. My tracks have been seen and there will no doubt be questions that you do not wish to answer. Besides there is nothing for you here. No farm, no family...
Naruto: Eds not dead! Hey that ryms.
Cortana: Yeah well when he gets here your going to have to tell him the full story and personally from my guesses he'll probably want to kill me.
Naruto had a good feeling she was right.
Naruto: Well what do you want me to do?
Cortana: Search your heart and you'll find the answer.
Naruto calmed himself down and focused. He discovered underneath his greif was a massive overwhelming anger.
Naruto: What? Am I supposed to go and kill the strangers.
Cortana: Yes.
Naruto: Why Ithought you were afraid of them.
Cortana: I've had a lot of thinking time while you were out. In the spine when you convinced me to return to the farm against my better judgement I realized there are somethings you just have to take head on.
Naruto: Then we must leave at once.
Naruto stood up grabbing his clothes. All the pain was gone. His greif replaced by one thought with only one name, revenge. He crept down stairs when he heard voices in the kitchen.
Tifa: ... Place to stay we have room.
Cloud said something Naruto didn't quite catch.
Tifa: Yes the poor kid.
Cloud: Hmm... Well I'm not sure he told us the truth.
Tifa: What do you mean?
Cloud: When we got to the farm there were a lot of places were the snow was chruned up and near by were giant foot prints. Then there's the board thing. There were signs of the board up to just over a mile from town. At that point signs of the board vanished and we found the same tracks.
Tifa: Maybe what he saw scared him so much he didn't want to talk about it.
Cloud: Maybe but I'm going to ask him about this all as soon as possible.
Naruto gulped. Cortana was right it wasn't safe anymore he had to leave at once! Slipping out the back door and into the street.
Naruto (Thinking): Okay think Naruto. You need supplies before you can go on any sort of big journey. And maybe something to sit on while your riding Cortana. That means I need a saddle so I need to get leather. To the tanners!
Naruto made his way over to Peter Griffen the town tanner. Tanners made leather out of animal hides from hunters or farmers. Sitting near a large basin full of the smelly liquids used to remove the fur from the hides were two hides hanging in a tree. Carefully he slipped them off the tree branch were they had been hung to dry.
Naruto (Thinking): I'm going to get in trouble for this but only if I get caught. Besides I'll pay everyone back some day. Hopefully.
He hide the hides in a tree at the edge of town. He made his way back into town to get some food from the tavern. Then he grinned and changed course. If he was going to steal it might as well be from Barken.
He made his way to the butchers shop. When he wasn't there Barken locked the front door with a pad lock, but the back door was held by only a thin chain which Naruto broke. Slipping inside he grabbed severval dozen wrapped packages.
He slipped back into the alley then dove into a snow drift as he saw Cloud walking past.
Cloud: Naruto?! Naruto!? Where are you!?
Naruto slipped out the back of the drift... Only to hit Jairya's trash can which he had just managed to get upright.
Jairya: Oh crap.
Naruto, holding back a serious stream of curses, made his way to the tree. When he got there he saw that the hides were gone!
Ranger: And where do you think your going with if I'm not mistaken two things of cow hide, twenty pounds of meat, and a guilty concious.
Naruto whirled around to see Ranger standing there a scowl on his face. He was wearing a faded leather jerkin and green everything else. Drapped across his chest were several knives and at his side was the short sword. He had a very heavy looking pack on his back and in his hands were the hides. Naruto glared at him.
Naruto: Give those back!
He lunged forward and snatched the hides throwing them over his shoulders.
Ranger: I hope you have enough meat to feed your dragon.
Naruto froze in his tracks.
Naruto (Thinking): Oh shit! I've been caught!
Naruto: Cortana get here right now!
Cortana: I'm on my way.
Naruto (thinking): I have to delay him as long as possible.
Naruto: How did you find out?
Ranger was silent for a moment. His lips moved soundlessly as though he was speaking to someone else. Then he spoke.
Ranger: There were clues everywhere I only had to pay attention.
He leaned against a house wall.
Ranger: Tell me how is your dragon?
Naruto: She... is fine. We weren't at the farm when the strangers attacked.
Ranger noodded.
Ranger: Ah your legs. You were flying.
Naruto noodded. He mentaly checked on Cortana's position. To his suprise she was right over head.
Naruto: Come down.
Cortana: No.
Naruto: Why not?
Cortana: Because of the slaughter at Doru Areba.
Naruto: What?
Ranger smiled.
Ranger: I've had a few chats with your dragon and she has agreed to remain over head until we settle our diffrences. Now where are you going?
Naruto suddenly felt like he just had to tell something. Ranger also was the only one he really felt knew what was going on. He'd already seen Cortana and spoken to her through the mind touch.
Naruto: I was going to track down the strangers and kill them.
Ranger noodded.
Ranger: A mighty task for one so young and yet it seems to me that help would not be unwelcome.
Ranger hefted his pack.
Ranger: Besides I'm not going to let some kid go running around the country without me going along for the ride. And normaly you need at least three people to start a quest call it radition or call it the need for help.
Naruto sighed. Having Ranger around might slow them down.
Naruto: I don't need any help but if you want to come you can come.
Ranger smiled.
Ranger: Good.
He did the weird lips moving no talking thing again.
Ranger: I think your dragon will listen to you now.
Cautiously Naruto opened the link.
Naruto: Cortana?
Cortana: Yes.
Naruto: Could you meet us at the farm?
Cortana: Yes. So you have reached an agreement?
Naruto: I think so.
Cortana: Good.
Ranger24: And here I end this chapter. It's short but important. Next time a few questions are answered and some new ones are raised before Naruto, Cortana, and I set out on our quest! Read and review!
Also Shadow Sycindacate. As to Naruto wearing Spartan armor I experimented with that. Here are the results.
Mark VI (6) Armor
Ranger: Okay Naruto raise your right arm.
Naruto raises arm a little to fast breaking the bone.
Naruto: Shit!
Breaks the other arm grabbing the broken arm.
Ranger: Cut the power!
Two days and alot of Bacta later.
Mark V (5) armor.
Ranger: Okay Naruto raise your right arm.
Naruto raises right arm way to fast. Breaking and shattereing his right arm bones.
Naruto: Son of a bitch!
Ranger: Cut the power!
One noght and a lot of skellagrow later.
Mark IV (4) armor
Ranger: Again raise your right arm Naruto.
Naruto once again busts his arm.
Naruto: OH COME ON!!
Ranger: Cut the power!
Ranger24: After some medical treatment and Naruto's protest I had Seamus (my OC Robot) get to work on a speacil suit of SPI (semi powered infiltration) armor. With AI storage slots.
SPI Armor
Ranger: Okay Naruto raise your right arm.
Carefully Naruto lifted his arms. No damage.
Naruto: HORAY!! I didn't break any bones!
Ranger24: So yeah thaty solves everything, except the huge medical bill I was forced to pay. Note to self make sure to have cast sign a waver. Again read and review.