Hello readers and welcome to my new chapter. I hope this chapter is good for you guys, since I worked hard on it. By the way, for those who don't know, I have a new fanfic called Naruto in Sainan High, a Naruto and To Love Ru crossover. Nobody have to tell me about the number of fanfictions I'm doing, I realize that (I was actually planning to do this first before the others, but my partner convince me to do four fanfics at once), but that fanfic is just for fun. So, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy XIII or Naruto

Chapter 3: Reunion

"Been a long time, hasn't it?"

The two girls continue to stare at him where they at. All the others stare at them, wondering what they are going to do. Naruto was waiting for their response; he sighed and decided to help them out.

"This is the part where you guys punch the living day light out of me, correct?" Naruto said nonchalantly.

BANG

BANG

SLAP

Naruto groan, holding his stomach at the powerful punch Snow gave him while he one side of cheeks aching from the punch from Lightning and the other stinging from the slap from Serah. "Yeah, I guess I deserve that."

"You think?!" Lightning yelled, with Snow and Serah glaring at him. She grabs him by the front of his jacket and pulls him towards her. "Why the hell on earth did you leave, and with only a note telling us why you gone?!"

To his credit, Naruto didn't flinch when he's facing an incredibly angry Lightning, which most people would. "You know why Lightning. I couldn't risk you guys trying convincing me not to go, or worst case scenario, join me."

"So you have to disappear, leaving everyone worried?!" Lightning shouted, tears brimming in her eyes. The others are paying rapt attention to this.

Naruto flinch. "If they were any other option, I would've picked it, but I couldn't risk it. Trust me; I did not like hurting any of my friends Lightning." Hearing that, Lightning calmed down and let him go. Before Naruto can get his bearing, Lightning and Serah hugged him tightly, with him giving his own in return after a few seconds.

"Glad you're back Naruto." Serah whispered, making Naruto smile. After they finish hugging him, Snow gave him a brotherly hug, which he returned. When they finish, Naruto look around to see three unfamiliar faces. One was an African American male, with a giant afro and a chocobo on his head. Another was a pink hair girl with very strange clothing and a smile that could light up a son. And the last was presumably Nora's son, Hope, considering that the boy is holding on to her, like if he doesn't she would disappear.

"I believe I have yet to introduce myself to you three." Naruto said, speaking to Vanille, Sazh, and Hope. "My name is Naruto Namikaze."

Sazh raised his eyebrow at that. "So you're one of the missing Namikaze families?" Sazh asked. "You and your family have been missing for six years. Where've you been?" Naruto merely gave him a cheeky grin.

"Here and there." Naruto said vaguely, not revealing where he has been to. "So, what's you name old man?" Sazh gain a tick at the name.

"The name is Sazh, and I'm not that old." Sazh grumbled. The chocobo on his head chirped before flying and landing on his hand. "This is chocobo."

Vanille introduced herself next. "My name is Vanille, it's a pleasure to meet you." Naruto smile at the happiness in his tone. It was almost infectious. She then looks at him curiously. "How did you stop her from turning into a crystal?" She was inferring to Serah.

Naruto smirk when he saw the others look at him, wanting to know the answer to that as well. "That's for me to know and you guys to find out." Vanille pouted at that, Lightning's eyes twitch at the annoying smirk on his face, and the others look mildly disappointed.

Lightning gave him a mild glare. "I see you are still as playful and annoying as ever."

"While you are the same serious and ill-tempered woman I befriended."

Lightning gave him a glare, but it has some playfulness in it, while Naruto grin at her. The two of them miss this, the usual banter with each other.

"Um, excuse me?" Naruto turn to the quiet voice beside him and look to see the boy, Hope, walk over to him. He looks shy to speak to him, but his eyes are filled with gratitude. "Thank you for saving my mom. I thought she….died, after I saw her…." He tried to finish what he was saying, but he started remembering his mother falling, and he was on the verge of tears.

Naruto saw this and quickly got on his knee, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder to keep him calm. "No worries. I would do it again if it came to that. I'm not one to let people die if I have any say in it."

Hope smile at him before getting to his mother, who was watching the scene with a soft smile. Suddenly, they all heard a rumble and the sanctum started to shake, making the group lose their balance and almost fell on their butts.

"What's happening!?" Vanille asked in panic. Another rumble came and the sanctum shook once again. All of them are seeing the building starting to crumble.

"The PSICOM is attacking the sanctum." A voice said from behind. Everyone immediately turn to see Gaara floating towards them. Lightning was about to bring out her sword, but stopped when she heard Naruto speak.

"Gaara!" Naruto shouted in surprise, causing most of the others to look at him. "When did you get in here?"

"As soon as I sent your friends back to Bodhum, along with the rest of the resistance." Gaara said, towards them. Before anyone could ask any questions, Gaara spoke again. "Look, there's no time for talk. The PSICOM are going to try to be bring the sanctum down, along with Fal'Cie with it."

Vanille has a shock expression on her face. "But aren't they taking back to Pulse? That what the purge was right?"

More rumbling came, making Hope squat on his knee and cover his ear, like all of this would go away if he did that. Nora quickly bend down to her son and hug him. Sazh spoke. "All they care about is taking everything from pulse off cocoon. Dead or alive, it's all the same."

Vanille was shell shock at that, stepping back a little bit. Naruto saw that expression and was a bit curious. He knows it's probably her innocence that making her shock, but he can't help but think that it's more than that.

"We can't stay here! They'll kill us!" Snow shouted, wrapping his arms around his mom. The shaking continued for a few minutes until it all suddenly stop. Everyone look around; confuse as to why as it stop. Then, they turned around when they heard the door opening from behind them.

Naruto eyes harden, knowing what's inside. This Fal'Cie been ruining lives for too long. They need to be stuff. "I'll be right back. Don't wait up for me." He told everyone. Everyone look at him in confusion, but he continues walking to the entrance.

"Naruto, where are you going?" Serah asked, walking towards him. Naruto didn't take his eyes off the entrance, but he answered her.

He smirk. "I'm going to have a small little chat with the fal'cie about what's it been doing."

Everyone look at him in shock, knowing what he meant. He's going to face the Fal'Cie see. "Are you out of your mind kid?!" Sazh exclaimed. "That thing wants to chew us out and spit us out!"

"Don't worry old man; I'm stronger than I look." Naruto said with the smirk still plastered on his face. He held out his arm, getting gasp shocks from most of the group. Because right on Naruto's arm was the l'cie mark he got all those years ago.

"Naruto, where did you get that mark?" Lightning asked, feeling extreme anger at the Fal'Cie that turned her best friend into a l'Cie.

Naruto shook his head. "I'll explain it to you later Lightning. Right now, I need to face the l'Cie. I can tell this though. It's the reason Serah isn't a crystal right now, but still retain the powers she gains from becoming a l'Cie."

Serah eyes widen at that, along with the others (except for Gaara) and she look at her arm to see that the l'Cie mark is still there, but faded. "Now if you excuse me, I have to kick Anima's ass." Naruto started walking up the stairs, but notice Lightning and Snow following. "Lightning, Snow, you need-"

"Don't you tell us to go back Naruto." Lightning said fiercely, glaring at Naruto. "We are not letting you face the fal'cie alone. We just got you back; we're not going to lose you again." Snow nodded in agreement to that.

"If you guys are going, I'm going to." Serah said. Naruto, Lightning, and Snow immediately protested, but she was having none of it. "You think I'm going to stay here or get of here while my sister, my fiance, and my brother figure go face off a fal'cie? I'm going and you can't stop me from coming with you guys." Naruto sigh, knowing that Serah can be as stubborn as her sister.

"If you're coming with us, you'll need a weapon." Naruto said, shocking Lightning and Snow at the fact that he's letting her come with them. Naruto roll his eyes at the shock looks. "You guys heard what she said. Beside, she's as stubborn as you Lightning and would find a way to follow us. Besides, she will be safer with us without the risk of PSICOM or any creatures attacking her."

Lightning and Snow conceded at those points while Serah smile happily at the fact Naruto letting her come. Naruto reach something inside his coat taking out a contact bow. "I hope you remember your archery lessons Serah. This is a bowswords, which can turn into a bow for range, and a sword when need to fight up close." Serah happily took the bow. She hope she remember her archery lessons as well. With that, the four left, with Gaara following.

Sazh sighed, seeing those five go to the fal'cie. "I'm with a bunch of crazy kids, I just know it." He turns to the two kids and the mothers. "We best follow them. We don't have anywhere else to go."

The whole group went inside the room where the Fal'Cie, Anima, is at. All of them are tense, ready for the fight to come. Naruto glare at the middle of the room, where the Fal'Cie is at. Anima.

"So this is what a Fal'Cie see look like." Naruto commented. "Or is it a container that he's in?" No one answer the question. Lightning glare at the thing in anger, wanting to strike the thing down for damage it causes people to die andfor nearly turning Serah into a crystal. If it wasn't for Naruto, Serah would've been one.

Naruto look at the thing with a glare. "Anima. I want to know why you're here. How did you even get here?" He was only answered in silence, making Naruto gain a tick mark. "Oi! Are you deaf? Why and how are you here?"

"Answer us!" Snow demanded, stepping towards the Fal'Cie. "You ruin several lives! We want answers as to why!" The others merely watch as Naruto and Snow try to get answers out of the Fal'Cie, but it didn't do or say anything, if it can even talk. Finally, Lightning had enough, and took out her sword to fight it.

"Screw getting answers. Nothing is going to come out of that thing!" Lightning then charge at the thing and started hitting the container with her gunsword.

"Lightning!" Serah cried out, but the soldier ignores the call and kept slashing at that thing.

"It's this thing fault that the purge started!"

CLASH

"It's the people who are dying!"

CLASH

"And it doesn't give a damn about anything of that!"

She made one final clash and the force of it forced her to step back to stop from falling. Suddenly, lights started turning on and machines began working from around them. They saw things coming up from the floor, looking suspiciously like hands, making them step back. Finally, the container opened, revealing the fal'cie that cause this chaos. Anima.

Everyone took the step back in shock at the site of Anima. Hope had a panic attack and quickly ran out of the room, out of his mother's grasp.

"Hopew, wait!" Nora called out, following her son. Hope continued running, wanting to get out of the room, but then Anima suddenly blocked the exit, making Hope fall flat on his butt when he hit the door/force field. Nora quickly went up to him, with Vanille following the woman.

"Come on, now." Sazh said, looking at the Fal'Cie with some fear. "Are really going to fight that thing?"

Naruto took out his sword, Oathkeeper and Oblivion. "Well, the entrance is already blocking. So we don't really have much of a choice. Besides, I came in here to get answers and destroy this thing and I'm going to complete the latter of that goal."

Lightning change her sword into a gun and point it at the Fal'Cie, Snow brought his fist up, Serah grab an arrow and pointed it at the Fal'Cie, and Gaara had the sand from his amulet form around him.

Sazh sigh, thinking of his son. One of the people who turned into an l'Cie. "I'm in." He finally said, pulling out his guns. "As long you don't mind an amateur. Got these guns, might as well use them."

"Thanks." Lightning said, not taking her eyes off the fal'cie. All six of them are ready for the fight of their lives. Suddenly, one of the hands summon from the floor launch at them, forcing them to scatter.

Naruto ran at the hands and try to climb up to where the cables were holding it, but he was he got knocked off from those hands. Serah, Lightning, and Gaara tried to shoot at the face, but the arms were blocking it. Both Naruto and Snow charge at the face, but had to step back when those hands try to smash them.

Naruto gritted his teeth. Those hands are protecting Anima too well and he can't get on them to destroy the cables holding it without getting shaken off. That's when the idea form in his mind. Maybe if we can stop it from moving….

He looks at Gaara, silently communicating his plan. When the man nodded, Naruto did his role and sent a little wind at the arm to gain its attention. Immediately, it move up and went to smash him, only for Naruto to dodge.

"Grab him!" Naruto shouted and Gaara quickly surrounded it with sand. The mechanical arm tries to get out of the sand trap, but Gaara wasn't budging. He saw the other one comes at him and he quickly dodge before surrounding it with the same trap.

"Lightning, Snow, get the left arm! I'll get the right! Sazh, Serah, Gaara, when those arms are destroyed I want you to focus the bullets, arrows, and sand on Anima!" Naruto commanded and everyone nodded. Lightning and Snow quickly climbed up with the arm and started smashing and slicing through the cable until it was down. Naruto, with the speed of lightning, slice around the cable several times before it was severed. When Gaara let go of the arms, they fell on the ground.

"Now!" Naruto shouted and the three range fighters quickly fire off their weapons. Sazh was shooting rapidly from both guns, Serah was using arrow after arrow, and Gaara was sending out several sand bullets, with the fal'cie taking the onslaught.

"Keep going!" Naruto shouted. He decided to join them and thicken up the wind around them until it was sharp as metal. Naruto sound several gust of wind that was like a knife while Lightning change her sword into a gun and started shooting with them.

As they thought they were winning, it suddenly formed two new arms. But instead of trying to crush them, it was pointed at them like cannon. And they realized it was cannons when they started to charge up, making their eyes widen.

"Shit!" Naruto shouted in panic. "Everyone get down! Gaara, shield us!" As the cannons blasted, Gaara quickly formed a shield to shield them.

"It'll hold, but not for long if it's keep going." Gaara said as another blast shook the shield. Naruto had a determined gleam on his eye slowly standing to the center.

"Gaara, open up the shield when I tell you to. I going to finish this Fal'Cie once and for all." Naruto said to him. Gaara nodded and prepare himself to open up.

"Are you out of you mind?!" Sazh said, as another blast hit the sand wall. "You're going to make yourself an open target the minute that shield goes down."

"He's right Naruto. What on earth are planning that would make you take such a risk?" Lightning questioned, concerned for her friend. Naruto gave them a smirk that reminded them of a fox. A Kitsune, to be more exact.

"Don't worry. I got something that'll help." Naruto said confidently. When he turn he's around, he close his eyes and slowly form an electric ball in his hand. While Gaara is slowly weakening in the onslaught, Naruto had his ball grow bigger and bigger until it was the size of a soccer ball. Everyone is looking in awe as Naruto form the ball of lightning.

Finally, he opened his eyes. "Now!" Gaara quickly let the sand wall down in exhaustion while cannons fired directly at Naruto. Naruto thrust his ball of lightning, obliterating the other shots and hitting directly at Anima.

When the ball hit, the fal'cie was encased in lightning and started shaking in pain. Naruto grin. Perfect shot. But that grin quickly disappeared when he, Gaara, Serah, and Nora were quickly pushed out of the room. Before they could do anything, the force field quickly activated again.

"Hope!" Nora shouted while Serah shouted "Lightning! Snow!". The two of them ran to the door and trying to get through, but with no luck. Naruto was right behind them, and they try breaking through the shield and door using their weapons and bare hands while the room was encased in light.

"Forget it; you won't be able to open it." Gaara said to them. "The Fal'Cie is dying, I'm sure of that, but he's going to make one last charade now. All we can do now is wait and hope they come out alive."

Nora and Serah bit their lips, close to tears as their loved one are inside while Naruto clench his fist. He hates feeling useless. He hates standing here while two of his best friends are inside with the Fal'Cie.

Then Naruto suddenly heard something from inside. It sounded like something is about to….

"Gaara, shield!" Naruto shouted in panic. Gaara didn't hesitate, since he was hearing it to, and quickly formed a sand shield around them, right after Anima exploded into crystal. Unfortunately though, the blast of the transformation was so strong that it blew all four of them away.

The last thing they saw was crystals before blacking out.

(Lake Bresha)

"Naruto! Naruto! Naruto wake up!"

The blonde hair groan, open his eyes when heard a female voice. When he did, he was face to face with Lightning.

The woman sighs in relief, seeing her friend wake up. "Glad you all right Naruto." She grabs his arm and helped him up from the ground he was on.

Naruto chuckled. "Glad to see you are okay. Now…." He look around to see not only the others with them, but also that they are standing on crystal. "...Where the hell is we?"

"Lake Bresha." Sazh answered for him. He's looking up towards the sky. "I guess we fell from up here, and the lake turn to crystal."

Naruto blink in bewilderment. "Did Anima do this? How in the world did the lake end up crystallized and us ending up on top of it?" Naruto heard the man groan.

"You're asking the question we all are wondering. That and we're wondering how on earth we survive." Sazh said, scratching his head. Meanwhile, Nora is comforting a traumatized Hope while Serah is hugging Snow tightly.

Naruto narrow his eyes in thought. The Fal'Cie trapped those five inside for a reason. Either to kill them before he dies or….

Naruto eyes widen, but before he can voice that thought, a ceith appeared behind Snow and Serah. "Behind you!" He shouted, getting Snow and Serah to turn around.

"Get behind me!" Snow exclaimed when he saw one of them raise its arms up. Snow raises his arm up and block the punch it delivered. Then, something happen that shocked everyone.

Snow's armed started glowing blow and when he pushed it away, it was blasted away with that blue energy. Snow stared at his arm in shock while the glowing died down. "What….did I just do?"

"You use magic!" Hope said in shock. "You use the power of an l'Cie. We're all l'Cie." They then notice more of the ceiths coming to them, making everyone ready their weapons.

Naruto pull out his sword, Lightning her gunsword, Sazh his pistols, Snow held up his fist, Serah pull out her bow, Hope his boomerang, Vanille her binding rods, Gaara the sand, and Nora her rifle which she somehow kept with her.

Naruto, Lightning, and Snow ran towards the group of ceiths while the others stayed where they're at for range attacks. The three melee fighters are taking down any of the ceiths close to them, covering each other like a good team. Meanwhile, the others are using their range weapons to take down any ghast coming at them and the ones Lightning, Naruto, and Snow are fighting.

It only took a few minutes before all the ceiths were gone, giving everyone a rest. And giving everyone time to comprehend what happen with Snow.

"So we're all l'Cie?" Snow said solemnly, looking at his mark. The other four checks four marks as well, except for Lightning. She can felt something hitting her slightly above her left breast when they were trapped inside and she's not going to reveal that.

"So we're all l'Cie." Sazh said, repeating what Snow said. But it was more of a statement than a question. Hope started breathing heavily and covering his ear.

"Why me?" Hope whimpered. "Why did we have to fight that thing? If we didn't, we wouldn't have…." His breathing started getting heavier and heavier, getting Nora and Vanille to hug him in order to calm him down. Hope calms down when either or both of them are with him. Nora, because she's his mother, and Vanille, because she comforted him after his mother's supposed 'death'.

"Everything is going to be all right, eventually." Vanille said to Hope. "Come on." The girl pulled his arm and had him follow her, with Nora behind them. The rest of the adults follow those three as well.

"So we are a band l'Cie huh." Naruto commented. "All except for Nora, since she was pushed out with me, Gaara, and Serah. Me and Gaara already know our own focus and Serah completed her focus since she nearly turn into a crystal. Now, we just need to complete you guys focus."

"But if we don't know our Focus, how do we complete it?" Lightning asked the group. Vanille shuffle nervously, wondering if she should tell her dream.

After a moment of hesitation, Vanille spoke up, "I think... I saw it." Lightning looked back to her and

"Saw what?" Lightning questioned. Before Vanille could speak up, Sazh spoke.

"That is how a Focus comes down, people. The Fal'Cie? They don't spell it out with clear-cut instructions. All you get is a hazy glimpse." This got him a small glare from Naruto, for not helping out in the situation. Seeing the glare, he quickly added, "Well, that's what they say. You know legends and all."

"Not helping Sazh." Naruto said in irritation. He then turns to Hope. "Did you see anything Hope?"

"I uh-I just... It's all kind of foggy, but..." He stammers. When his mother grabs his shoulder, giving him silent encouragement, he continued. "I saw this big - I mean towering..."

"W-wait a minute..." Sazh interrupted, "Hold on now. Did we all have the same dream?" This is getting a more and freakier day for him.

"Ragnarok." Both Lightning and Snow breathed out. This made both Naruto and Gaara widen their eyes at the name.

The five new l'Cie remember the vision, the monsters, explosions, and Ragnarok.

"So, we all saw the same dream." Sazh stated, "We all heard that same voice." Naruto, Serah, Nora, and Gaara didn't say anything while the five talk.

"You mean that was our focus?" Hope asked. "But how are we supposed to know what to do from that?"

Vanille answered this time. "That's the tricky part. The dream's the only hint the fal'cie gives us. Figuring out what to do with it - that's our job."

Sazh then realizes something. "Okay, okay. We're pulse l'Cie right? Enemies of Cocoon?" He started panicking, thinking the worse. "So does that mean we have to-? Are we supposed to-"

"Save her." Sazh turn in bewilderment, hearing Snow speak. "Save Cocoon, that's what our focus is." The man said in confidence. Most of the others look at Snow in bewilderment, except for Serah, who is agreeing with him.

"Really? Okay, and why's that?" Vanille questioned. She has to admit, even to her its sound a bit bizarre.

"Before Naruto saved Serah from turning into a crystal those were the last words, to protect Cocoon!" He exclaimed. He then takes a few steps back and says "I'm going to scout out the area, see you guys in a little."

"I'm coming too!" Vanille exclaimed, as Snow ran off. Vanille ran after him "Wait up!" Sazh sighed, feeling a migraine forming up.

"...Six years I was gone and Snow still has the maturity of a child." Naruto said, shaking his head. Lightning nodded in agreement while Serah shook her head.

"I think Snow is right. I said so myself that you guys have to save Cocoon and that's what we are going to do." Serah said to them. She then ran off to the two runners.

Lightning sighed. "Let's follow them before we lose them." The rest of the group walks to Serah, Snow, and Vanille. Meanwhile, Naruto is thinking. What is their focus? And what does Ragnarok has done with it? He doubts that it's to save Cocoon, but he's not going to automatically throw it out. But is their focus tied with his mission?

And that's the end. I apologize in advance if the chapter wasn't good. Snow proclamation of the focus being to save Cocoon always make me want to bash my head on a desk and writing with Serah in this is hard to do, and I like a challenge. Review, favorite, and follow and I will see you later.