Chapter 10
Joker and Garrus held there breath as Naruto sat in the seat which Joker usually occupies.
"All right Naruto... take it easy." Garrus said with slight worry in his voice. "This is your first time."
"So many buttons..."
"Don't touch anything!" Joker demanded. "Now EDI set up a virtual course so Naruto can fly through it." The little blue sphere popped up.
"Of course Mr Muroe." On the screen before Naruto came up a map with checkpoints on it.
"All right Naruto... don't crash and kill us all." Garrus said with a slight smirk before it dropped and both of them fell to the floor as Naruto took off.
Everyone in the Normandy jolted with the ship as Naruto took it through it's paces. Joker had been teaching Naruto everything for a week and he had already been getting a hang of the way Joker manoeuvred the ship just by watching. Naruto laughed as he passed through another checkpoint before sending the ship into a barrel roll and flying through another before turning and flying down and going through another.
"How we doing EDI?" Naruto asked.
"You are doing very well Mr Namikaze."
"Just call me Naruto." He said before sending the ship onto a straight course and flying through the last check point and bringing the ship back to a steady pace. "That was awesome!"
"Never again..." Garrus groaned as he stood up helping Joker up.
"That was incredible flying Naruto, but it is best to warn someone before you do that type of manoeuvring." Joker said and Naruto smiled sheepishly before rubbing the back of his head.
"Sorry."
"Now get out of my seat before I break a hip." Naruto stood up and Joker sat back down. "Oh sweet leather how I have missed you so!"
"Joker are you ok? You know your talking to a chair right?" Garrus asked and Joker shot a glare at him. "Alright sorry, sorry. So Naruto you and Shepard bunking together how's that going?"
"It's fine." Naruto said as they started to walk away from the still glaring Joker. "And we are just sleeping."
"Sounds boring." Garrus smirked before Naruto hit him in the arm. "Sorry. I'm glad that she is smiling as much as she does lately. You brought hope to her again Naruto." Garrus said, he realised Naruto wasn't walking beside him and he looked back to see Naruto crouched down holding his knee's to his chest and rocking back and forth. "Naruto?"
"You put a lot of pressure on me Garrus!" Naruto shouted before both of them started laughing and continued to walk towards the elevator.
"Where is Shepard at the moment?"
"Meeting with the top dog."
"Illusive man?" Naruto nodded his head.
"Something about a Turian ship bringing down a Collector vessel." Garrus nodded and entered the elevator. "So I wouldn't be surprised if we are off vacation and have to get back to work."
"That sucks." Naruto nodded and leaned up against the other side of the elevator.
"Garrus Naruto gear up and meet me at the shuttle were going out."
"Fun's over." Both said as the door opened and both went and got geared up. Shepard met them at the shuttle and rushed them in quickly and the shuttle took off and headed for the collectors vessel.
"So how's the top dog?" Garrus asked.
"Stupid dick... this is nothing but a trap." Shepard growled.
"Yay a trap!"
"That's a trap for us not for them Garrus." Shepard told him.
"Oh..." Naruto laughed and slapped Garrus in the back. The shuttle entered the Collector's vessel and landed.
"Alright this is enemy territory, watch each other's back and keep on your toes there is no telling what goes on in here." Both nodded and put there helmets on and made sure that they were secured properly before heading out. They made a defence formation around the outside of the shuttle to make sure the area was clear before moving on.
"Commander, I will set a destination for you. There is a terminal further in. You may be able to find out about the collector's base." EDI said over the radio.
"Thanks EDI." The group headed into the ship more and came across countless bodies of humans and empty pods. They rounded another corner and found a terminal with a set of pods around it with collectors in them.
"Were they running tests on themselves?" Garrus asked. Naruto walked over to one of the pods and peered in side. "Ugly fuckers aren't they."
"Yeah... how long have they been dead for?" Naruto asked as Shepard walked up to the terminal and uploaded EDI to the system.
"I am sorry Commander I was unable to find anything other then what went on here." EDI said appearing before the monitor. "It appears that they were running compatibility tests with themselves and humans."
"They want to see if we have anything in common?"
"It appears so, there is also something else you might find interesting. A single cell in the Collector's gene pool."
"What is it?"
"It is Prothean, the Collector's originated from the Prothean's."
"Impossible!" Garrus said in shock.
"It could be very well true Garrus. The Reapers wiped out every single Prothean from existence but that would be impossible, there may have been a few survivors and the Reapers may have enslaved some. There is nothing but meat, bones and cybernetics here. There is no free will. The Reapers enslaved the Prothean's and this was there outcome."
"Am I missing something here?" Naruto asked as he stood there trying to figure out what they were talking about.
"I also found something more interesting." EDI spoke up again.
"What?"
"I had EDI run a scan over the shinobi's DNA, it turns out that it is a seventy seven percent match between the shinobi and humanity. The difference is that the shinobi genetic code also has Prothean genes, mixed in with human DNA. Commander." Joker told her.
"Could the shinobi have met the protheans years earlier in their development?" Shepard inquired.
"I don't know, but hang on." Naruto said, then thought, "Kurama?"
"What is it, Kid?"
"You're thousands of years old, right? Could the Juubi have been related to the Protheans, or the Reapers?"
"The sage did mention someone who helped him develop ninjutsu, Naruto. He said that this person was a spirit, or a god. I forget which. I'm not entirely sure, but it could have been a prothean. It helped him develop the chakra system, and thus ninjutsu."
"I think I may have something," Naruto told Shepard and Garrus, and then relayed the information from the fox to his comrades.
"So, the protheans helped your 'Sage of Six Paths' develop the chakra system" Shepard thought out loud, "So that means they may have thought you could help defeat the reapers in the next cycle.."
"I think so." Naruto mumbled before walking on ahead. "Lets go."
"Oh is Mr Prothean grumpy?" Garrus chuckled.
"How about you shut up or I go tell a certain red head your feelings!" Naruto growled. Garrus stumbled while Shepard looked at him oddly.
"You like Gaara, Garrus?" She asked making Naruto burst into laughter and Garrus took a swing at him.
"It's not Gaara! It's a girl!" Garrus shouted at her making Shepard grin.
"Oh so who is it?"
"We don't have time for this!" Garrus shouted again.
"Well Mr, we are going to have to have a long talk about this girl you like." Shepard said with a hidden smirk and hands on hips. "Now lets keep moving." Both the blonde and the Turain nodded and continued on walking.
"Commander on a hunch I had EDI run a test on the ship, this was the same one that attacked the Normandy two years ago."
"The same ship tracking me for two years? This can't be a coincidence." Shepard said. "Everyone keep on your guard." The group nodded and continued on walking and walked into a large room with millions of empty pods.
"Oh dear lord..." Naruto said in awe at the size of the chamber.
"It's like a hive in here." Garrus said.
"This is to many pods... there going to hit Earth!"
"We won't let it come to that." Naruto told her and she smiled back at him.
"Thanks Naruto." Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and continued on walking.
"Commander there's the terminal." Garrus said as he pointed to a weird platform looking thing.
"Alright lets get what we need and get the hell out of here... Naruto are you ok?" Shepard asked as she looked to the blonde. He was leaning against a wall with a hand holding his head.
"Y-Yeah just fine... just got a bit dizzy there for a second." Naruto said standing back up. "Lets keep going." Shepard eyed him for a moment before nodding her head and walking up to the platform.
"EDI find everything you can while your in there."
"Of course Commander." EDI appeared on the screen and started to go through the systems. Garrus kept his rifle to the ready and so did Shepard, Naruto on the other hand was having a hard time breathing. He held his head as a another headache started and then looked up as they heard a shot.
"EDI you better hurry!" Garrus shouted as he took cover.
"I am going as fast as I can." EDI responded. Shepard started to shoot and Naruto followed suit as he took cover. More of the platforms started to fly around them.
"This can't be good..." Naruto said as another headache ensued. EDI appeared again after five minutes in the fire fight.
"I am done."
"About time!" Garrus shouted as he jumped off the platform and Shepard took the files from EDI and headed after Garrus. "Naruto move your ass!"
"I'm coming I'm coming." Naruto mumbled as he ran after them. They had to fight hordes of enemies that kept coming after them.
"Where the hell were they ten minutes ago when we were running through here!" Shepard growled as she took down another collector.
"Who cares lets just get back to the shuttle before the ship comes on line." Naruto and Shepard nodded and Shepard took the lead. Naruto was in the back looking over his shoulder from time to time to see if anyone was coming up behind him. He looked over his shoulder again only to crash into a wall.
"Naruto can you hear us!" Garrus shouted. A door had closed just before Naruto had got through.
"Yeah what the hell happened?" Naruto called out.
"Door closed, we can't get it open EDI said that there is another way, head to your left and follow the corridor!" Shepard called out and Naruto nodded before he took off. He rounded a corner and drew his pistol as he shot a Collector in the head before jumping and throwing two kunai killing another. Naruto is then blown back into a column and knocked out cold.
Collectors and Husks slowly and cautiously hobbled up and started to surround the blonde warrior. At the same time, inside the seal, Kurama awoke. Seeing the situation, he made the decision to act.
"Can't let you die, kid. Let me handle this."
X-X
"Do you think he is ok Commander?" Garrus asked as he checked around a corner to show that there was no one there. "I mean he wasn't looking so good before."
"He will be fine. Keep your mind on track Garrus." Garrus nodded and missed the look of concern on the Commander's face. She was indeed worried about him, since they got separated.. They rounded another corner and continued on with guns ready to fire at a moments notice. Garrus almost dropped his gun when he saw Naruto laying on the ground.
"Naruto!" They both shouted. The blonde didn't move as they ran to him. Behind the blonde was over a dozen dead Collector's. Shepard ran full pelt at him and slid on her knees as she stopped next to him and brought him up to her in a hug.
"Commander we need to get out of here now! Here give him here I will take him!" Garrus picked Naruto up and slung him over his shoulder and helped Shepard up.
"We need to move." Garrus nodded and both took off at a run, Garrus with his pistol and Shepard with her rifle at the ready. Shepard took the lead and shot down three collector's as the shuttle came into view. "Get him aboard!" Garrus ran for the shuttle and got inside with Naruto and set him down and Shepard came in moments later and the shuttle took off. Garrus removed his helmet and Shepard did the same. She pulled Naruto's helmet off and could see the veins in his neck were starting to show a lot more then they should and were highly visible.
"What's wrong with him?"
"Dr Chakwas will take a look at him. Send a transmission saying to prep a bed for him." Garrus nodded and went to the driver while Shepard cradled Naruto's head in her lap. "Don't you dare die on me Naruto. I don't want to lose anyone else, not again!" Tears fell from her eyes as she held Naruto closer.
X-X
Naruto slowly opened his eyes and had to close them again when he saw nothing but white. His head was in agonising pain and there was no one in the room. It took him a moment to remember where he was and when he remembered he laid back in the hospital bed.
"What happened? I remember fighting some collector's and then I collapsed... Jane and Garrus must have found me." He concluded. The door slid open and Dr Chakwas and Sakura walked in. "What's the diagnosis doc?" Dr Chakwas chuckled as the joke and sat at her desk.
"You were knocked unconscious by a blast from a collector. We had to come all the way to the citadel for medical treatment, I had no idea what was wrong and we even had Mordin take a look with no success." Naruto nodded his head. "What happened out there Naruto?"
"I'm not exactly sure." He told her honestly. "When we started the mission I was fine but I got knocked back and hit my head on that column." Dr Chakwas nodded her head.
"By rights you should be fine, probably just a simple concussion, but I don't want you going out for a while. You are confined to the ship." Naruto was about to protest when she glared at him. "Doctors orders."
"Alright." He mumbled. "So we are docked at the citadel?" Chakwas nodded her head. "Can I at least go out here? It's not like I am bound to get shot here."
"That's the Commander's call. But if she says yes then I will allow it, you are in no immediate danger here." Naruto nodded and stood up and reached for his clothes. The door slid open and revealed Gaara and Sasuke.
"Hey Guys! What's up?" Naruto asked as he proceeded to get dressed.
"We need to talk." Naruto nodded and followed the red head out of the medical bay and into the elevator. Gaara was quite all the way to the observation deck that he had occupied. "Take a seat." Naruto sat on one of the leather couches and Gaara took one on the opposite couch. Naruto sat quietly as did Gaara for a full five minutes before Gaara spoke. "You haven't told them?"
"Not yet."
"Naruto..."
"Seriously it's one day of the year it happens every year, no point in celebrating when there are more important thins to think about." Naruto told him.
"Well I still think you should tell someone, We only know it," Sasuke noted
"We can tell them later. For now..." Naruto then fell asleep on the sofa.
"Naruto? What's wrong?" Gaara asked as he walked over to his friend. Naruto had his head down as he was holding both sides of his head. "Naruto?" Naruto's head shot right up and looked into Gaara's eyes with red slitted eyes making Gaara take a step back.
"It's just me," Kurama said, "Don't worry. Naruto just overexerted himself over the last few missions and needed the rest. When he got knocked out on the collector ship, I had to take over to ensure he survived." Gaara and Sasuke nodded . "Listen to me, and I'll tell you a few things that you may now know about this knucklehead and the last 2 years." The fox ordered and the two ninja did what they were asked.
"What's going on Kurama?" Gaara asked slightly worried.
"The kid has been seriously overdoing it in every battle he's faced since the war. What with Konoha sending hunters after him, he hasn't slept well, at least until he got onto this ship. Add onto that, the stress of battle, and added stress of Konoha's council, and other bullshit from the village, and you can see how he's in the shape he's in," Kurama continued to explain ,"That kid's become the closest thing I've had to a friend, and for a Biiju, that's saying something."
"Just what are you trying to say, Kurama?" Sasuke asked.
"During the war, he was trying to do it all himself, Sasuke. Until he got some advice from, of all people, your brother. Remind him of that, Uchiha. Remind him that he's not going at this alone, and maybe he'll quit pushing himself like he has been over the past 2 years." Naruto shouted.
"Think we should tell Shepard?" Gaara inquired of the Biiju.
"It couldn't hurt, but really, just you two and Sakura talk to him, and things should be ok."
"Gaara? What's going on in there!" Miranda asked from the other side of the door.
"Sorry just a minute!" Gaara called back.
"OK Gaara." Miranda answered,
"Remember what I said, Uchiha, Gaara," Kurama advised, and then the biiju closed Naruto's eyes, and the blonde started to wake up. It is this scene that Miranda walked in to see.
"Is Naruto going to be OK?" the cerberus agent asked.
"He will be," Sasuke told her, "He just needs to rest for a while."
"Is the Commander back yet?" Gaara asked. "I wish to look around the citadel to see how the government here acts."
"Gaara your not a Kage anymore you don't need to look into politics." The blonde joked as he stood up and wiped his forhead with a handkerchief.
"I wish to see what a Spectre is."
"I wouldn't mind trying to fight one, see what they are all about." The Uchiha stated. Miranda looked over the three and smiled lightly.
"I give you authorization to leave the Normandy to explore the citadel. Take your gear with you just in case you run into trouble." They nodded and headed to the armory and got suited up, exited the ship and were already in a crowd after taking ten steps.
"Busy place." Naruto smiled.
"I don't like crowds." Gaara told him.
"Don't worry I'm here with you... now lets go find that Ramen stand!" Naruto laughed as he walked further into the mass of people.
X-X
"Something wrong Commander?" Anderson asked as he watched Shepard lean over the railing and sigh.
"I... a member of my team collapsed." She said worriedly. "I don't know what's wrong and I have no idea how to help him." Anderson walked next to her and rested a hand on her shoulder. "I lost Alenko... I lost my whole team, I just don't want to lose him like I have lost everything else."
"I know you cared for Alenko a lot..."
"Not like I care for Naruto." She interrupted him. "If I was in the same position back on Virmire I would risk the whole mission just to be there in his last moments and die with him. That's how I feel for him." Anderson nodded his head.
"You love him." Shepard glanced over at him and nodded her head.
"It's hard not too." She chuckled. "He grows on you more then you know. He is incredible."
"He can even take on a Krogan one on one." Ashley said from where she was standing. "Plus he has a great ass." She smirked as Ashley grinned.
"One hell of a kisser to." Shepard smirked remembering his touch. Her face became sad again as she remembered there last mission. "Dr Chakwas said he was suffering from intense strain. But there was something about the way he was I have never seen him like that. So weak."
"All we can do is wait until Dr Chakwas alerts us that he is awake." Garrus said.
"There has to be a ramen stand around here somewhere!" A shout came from outside making everyone look over the balcony in shock at the voice. "Ramen... Ramen where are you!" The voice came again.
"Naruto!" Naruto, Sasuke and Gaara looked up and saw Garrus, Ashley and Jane all looking down at them.
"Oh hey guys do you know where I can find a ramen stand?" Naruto asked rubbing the back of his neck.
"I am guessing you are not happy to see us." Gaara said. "It would seem that the mess with Naruto has been sorted. He will be fine from now on." Naruto continued to rub the back of his neck as he took on a sheepish grin.
"Sorry for worrying you."
"Come on up, I am sure Councillor Anderson will want to meet you." Garrus called down. "Might even give you directions to a Ramen stand." Naruto was at the door within a minute with a worried looking Gaara who had been dragged along.
"Nice to meet you Naruto." Anderson holding out his hand.
"Councillor."
"Call me Anderson. I didn't want this title." He smiled with a small glare at Shepard.
"Thought you would be better than that dick Udina." Shepard told him.
"He would have been at war three times already with the other races if he was the Councillor." Ashley said. "At least we have a decent man on the Council." Ashley and Gaara talked to Anderson about politics while Garrus went and hoped one of the the terminals to search the net. Naruto walked over to Shepard who had been quite for a time and was once again leaning over the railing.
"You Ok Jane?" Naruto asked leaning next to her staring off onto the richer part of the citadel.
"I am now that I know your safe." She turned and smiled at him. "I don't know what I would have done without you Naruto."
"I'm sure you still would be kicking Collector ass all the way back to there base." Naruto chuckled. "Has EDI decoded the information yet?"
"No not yet, it shouldn't be to long before she does." Shepard told him and both went quite.
"Your not going to ask?"
"I figured you would tell me when you were ready." Shepard smiled. "Plus it's not like I'm going anywhere."
"Just a slight concussion, and 2 years of not getting enough rest, what with Konoha's hunter nin chasing me."
"So that made you collapse?"
"It's a bit more complicated then that..." Naruto went on to tell her about everything that had happened during the war, and his 2 years afterwards, on the run, and the collector ship.
"I'm glad Kurama helped you out."
"Commander we have decoded the information form the Collector's vessel, would you like me to send the information to you?" EDI asked.
"That won't be necessary EDI we are heading back." Naruto's eyes shot wide open.
"What about my Ramen!"
"Next time Naruto." Jane smiled. "Everyone were heading back to the Normandy, time to find out where these Bastards live." Everyone nodded and headed out leaving a smiling Anderson behind.