Final Fantasy VII Remake: A Tale Of Midgar Book I

by Arch-Daishou00

Destiny... A set course is not meant to be changed. A path is already written and set in stone. Aerith had long thought that was true. Till he appeared by the whims of the prince of madness, and it all had begun to change. Now an heir of Rama stands upon Gaia's soil. Nothing will ever be the same again... As the goddess of harmony, designed.

4. Way of the Watch

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Final Fantasy VII Remake

Co-Author and Beta: Godospartan the kitsune

Re-Edited 11/21/2022

Chapter 4: Way of the Watch

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

A shallow groan escaped the blond Uzumaki's lips upon rising off his bed. But, by holy Amaterasu, was his whole body sore and aching in protest just moving after last night? Idly his cerulean orbs glanced over towards a briefcase full of Gil. 'For all that effort, if that Sofiya woman can't be impressed, I'm done trying.'

Mercenary work had been his bread and butter back home; he could do the same here in this world too.

"No plans on retiring now that you've become rich?"

Naruto scoffed while removing his shirt; 'we both know I only need half of that money. The rest is going to the Leaf House and Doc's place.'

The Kitsune Bijuu rolled his eyes; "Ever the bleeding heart."

Ignoring the comments, the blond grabbed the hem of his sweatpants and took them off, revealing his completely naked form. His bare feet strode for the newly installed shower he had put in the room to replace the older one that hardly functioned anymore. The hot water felt like muscle balm, soothing away all the aches and pains once turned on.

He had no training today; he got plenty of exercise from last night to last a month. Grabbing his soap, the blond glanced toward the door; "You know your boots squeak louder when trying to sneak, right?"

"Well," the playful voice of a young woman chirped, "You got the sense of a Ninja." Leaning to the side, the blond saw a ponytail brunette with a bandana wrapped around her head peek in. Jessie's amber eyes seem to gleam at the sight of the tall, muscular blond standing nude in the shower. Only a flicker of disappointment shone with a brick wall hiding the rest of the blond from the waist down. "Ahh, if that pesky wall weren't there, I'd get a show."

A brow cocked from the blond; "Have to get to know you first. Naruto Uzumaki."

"Oh, I know; I saw you last night at the Colosseum. Hell of a fight, handsome; the name is Jessie Rasberry, and I will happily dry you off." Oh, there was a purr in her tone.

"Go on a date, and we will see." He began scrubbing down, not one to waste good clean water. "Any reason you've snuck in here and wanted to see me? Besides the obvious drooling looks you're giving me now."

"Can't blame them, can you? All that training from Tomoe, Tsukiko, and Meihui did wonders for your physique. And waking your dragon blood was a plus." But, of course, the fox was smirking, snickering, and half-serious.

Jessie gave a teasing shrug; "As it so happens, I'm here on Watch business. Boss Sofiya is here and would like to see you."

Washing his long spiky blond ponytailed locks, Naruto paused; "So she was there last night like Dutch said."

"Yup, and I was quite impressed by your skills. But also how you ensured everyone was safe when facing down Corneo's Behemoth. You proved you're not some showboat thrill-seeker."

"...Wait, I thought it was because I'm a former Ninja?"

Jessie gave the nod with a more serious look; "Was also that too, but she can tell you more."

Thoughts ran through his head about what to do or say next when he saw the boss herself. 'She saw the entire fight, knows my moves... She'd probably still think I'm dangerous but is willing to talk, given Dutch giving the all-clear as it is. But questions still arise for the time being, what the hell is her deal against ninjas regarding her time in the war, and how much is true from the tales I've gotten so far...'

Sensing his sudsy locks oozing a little from the soap, he first chose to get through his shower. "Well, that's some good news at least... Thanks for the heads up. So, just give me a little to clean up, and I'll see her afterward. Alright?"

"That's fine," Jessie winked back; "Your friend Aerith is keeping us company... Sure you don't want some yourself?"

The blond deadpans; "A date first, then will see."

"I'll hold you to that!" And just like that, Naruto saw the woman move away from the door and leave.

"Well, this will be an interesting morning." A chuckle came from the blond's Bijuu comrade

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Sofiya smiled, handed a glass of water sitting at the blond's table; "Thank you, Ms. Gainsborough."

"I'm just happy you showed up. Naruto has done a lot of good around the slums." The brunette remarked, taking a seat on Naruto's couch.

At that, the older woman chuckled; "What I kept hearing from Dutch and quite a few others from the Watch."

"You sure he won't mind," Aerith turned her head, watching Biggs and Jessie play a game of pool.

"Oh, don't worry; Naruto and I always play." Aerith waved off the man's concern; "Don't think the kids were going to let you go when seeing you."

Nostalgia bloomed in the man's gaze; "Can't say I don't miss working at the Leaf House. But now the place is in good hands; besides, being in the Watch ensures those kids are kept safe."

It did not take long before Naruto entered the main room dressed in a shirt and a pair of jeans. As he watched the others playing, the blond grinned. "So that must make you the famed Biggs around the place. Folks Mentioning a guy who worked there rings some bells. Maybe go visit before heading back to your place?"

That gave a reflective regard before the man shrugged. "Will think on it..."

Standing up, the long blonde-haired woman offered a hand formally. "You're the man of the hour, Naruto Uzumaki. Sofiya, it's been a long time coming... Satisfied your curiosity finally?"

The blond extended his hand to tie the long portion of hair into a low ponytail. "Well, finally got a face to the woman who's been stonewalling me for the past few weeks." He quipped as both gave a strong, firm handshake.

"I deserve that," Sofiya omitted before they let go of the other's hand. Both take a seat with Naruto sitting beside Aerith.

A loud whine came from Jessie; "You could have stayed shirtless." Biggs only snorted with a head shake at his friend's antics.

"Hmm," Aerith tapped her chin, "I wouldn't mind."

"And would either of you ladies remove your tops to give us a show," Naruto addressed back, earning a smack on the arm from his blushing friend.

Jessie, however, swayed her head in thought, "Maybe on a date." She winked with a cheeky smile.

Clearing her throat, Sofiya garnered everyone's attention; "Shall we get serious now."

'You're the one who brought the flirty one, not me,' Naruto mentally droned. "Most folks around here are on the fence regarding Ninjas. Like we're the boogeymen of Gaia. And the war did me no favors with some people here. Same with you?"

Sofiya nodded; "Firstly, I like to apologize. I acted poorly towards you with my silence, which was uncalled for."

The blond accepted the apology with a nod but showed he'd like the older woman to keep talking.

"When Dutch told me about you, my thought was perhaps Wutai had sent an agent to Midgar. Now why I might no longer serve in the Shinra military, my priority will always be the citizens of Midgar. So had my people keep an eye on you." She pulled out a cigar along with a match. "And while you showed no signs of wanting to harm the people, your skills and talent are on par with the five Grand Masters of Wutai."

Aerith leaned in; "You were suspicious."

The leader of the Watch nodded, lighting her cigar; "Someone trained by those five wouldn't be here unless they had a reason, I figured. So I assumed you were playing the retired shinobi and being a sage as cover."

"...I wasn't trained by the Grand Masters. My teachers were Jiraiya the Toad Sage and Kakashi Hatake to be a ninja. Tomoe Gozen, and my two grandmothers once I quit being a ninja to be a sage. They are Tsukiko Uzumaki and Meihui."

"Dutch told me the same," Sofiya blew out some smoke, "And I believe it now. Your eyes show your honesty. But it was also more than being a ninja. It was also your flare of being cocky at times; it gave me the impression you like being praised as a hero. And I have seen those types get killed quickly and brutally once reality hits them."

"A fine line between being cocky and just having fun. I have a flare about me, no secret there, and I know how to use it. Underestimating your opponents equals an early death, no matter how skilled you are. Sometimes I use that to my advantage. Regardless, a true hero does not need praise. And I don't. Even if people hated me for trying to help, I'd still do what's right."

He spoke with professionalism and modesty, Something Sofiya respected as she gave an approving nod. She had seriously misjudged this young man and planned to make it right. A saucy look grew on Jessie's face; "So a badass, handsome, a little cocky, and humble. It looks like you're the whole package, foxy."

"Seriously..." Naruto mentally droned with a chuckle of amusement from his Bijuu. Half of his damn clan, Fuu and Ino, gave him that damn nickname.

Sofiya faintly chuckled; "You will likely have to get used to her antics. Nevertheless, I now extend you into our ranks of the Watch."

A cheer escaped Aerith's lips; "You won't regret it, Boss Sofiya."

"Thank you," well, that was a start in the right direction, "Dutch explained what the Watch does. But not only in the terms, 'We do a bit of everything.'"

"That sounds like Dutch," the older blond blew out some smoke, "but he is being literal with his words. From clearing out monsters and bandits to hunting dangerous bounties. We also work like construction, repairs, and medical, anything we can around the slums."

'And I can do much of that, which should help others AND my pockets, so win-win.' Then, nodding and smiling, the blonde stood. "Sounds like a lot, but I'll do what I can to help out in certain ways."

Standing along with him, Sofiya grinned. "I'll hold you to that. First, I'll need to run you by everyone in sector seven and a few other sectors we hold ground in. That, and see what other skills you can apply to the slums. Then, in a day or so, I would like you to come by one of our buildings close to Scrap Boulevard and meet up with everyone there. Would that be something you'd be able to do?" Taking another drag off her smoke, the woman kept looking at the young man before her, seeing if he still required any rest from the recent wounds that he had taken. After all, wounds on the surface can vanish, but fatigue is always a hidden factor.

"Can be there by tomorrow."

Sofiya raised a brow; "You're sure? After last night I had figured at least a three days' rest would be acceptable."

The young blond waved it off; "Just need a day, was always a quick healer."

"Very well," The boss of the Watch conceded with a nod; "Come to Sector Seven by afternoon? I also recommend going through Wall-Market, unless you prefer going through the ruins of Sector Six facing down monsters?"

"As tempting as it is smashing down some beasts, I'll take your advice. Tomorrow, I will see you and the rest of the Watch from Sector Seven. Thanks for a visit, boss." He outstretched a hand with a smile.

Taking a hand in hers, Sofiya smiled back. "See that you take care of yourself, we're doing dangerous work, but we don't want to lose our assets or members, even if they can take care of themselves." Finishing her smoke, she put it out and tossed it in the trash. "Let's go... You too, Jessie, stop staring."

Biggs snorted upon hearing his teammate whine, "But I can stay, can't I? Aerith and I can give foxy a nice massage."

"Hmm," Amusement danced in Aerith's eyes, "Not sure if 'foxy' can handle the two of us."

The blond Uzumaki dryly deadpanned; 'If they knew all the antics Ino did, these two would faint.'

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

After bidding farewell to Sofiya and company, Naruto made a quick trip to Doc Issac and Mrs. Collins. Aerith could say she has never seen both utterly floored by the generous donations from Mercy Clinic and Leaf House. With that much Gil, both can to the upper plate for all supplies desperately needed for the slums.

Once that was finished, both headed for the brunette's residence; "Think we should celebrate you joining the Watch." The florist spoke brightly.

"And how might we go about that? Cause if homemade cooking is involved, I wonder who the chef is." He poked fun at Aerith, who pouted up at him.

"Not my fault the stove caught on fire," Aerith mumbled. And he thought Kyrie's tales of her friend's lousy cooking were just that till he was putting out a fire at her residents. But, seriously, how do you set a kitchen on fire to make eggs!? "Then again, Mireille could be visiting and taking over the kitchen."

A brow cocked from the blond; "Surprised your mom would allow that."

"Oh, she doesn't mind as long as it's Mireille, and she makes the best casseroles."

Passing through the tunnel and heading down the wooden stairs, the duo makes their way toward the cottage.

Looking at the flowers all around the cottage, the sage could only grin; "Still a miracle seeing THIS much green in the area. All the work I do in other sectors, the crumbled areas, always nice seeing this..." He gave a big long sniff in the air. 'Too bad even this area is affected by the damn reactors. Wonder where anywhere can have a good source of natural energy for sage skills.'

"I bet, though frolicking here is off-limits, mister; the flowers are sensitive, you know." She stuck her tongue out at him after turning to his stopped form, "Even if they are tough enough to survive this area."

A dry deadpan bore on the blond's gaze; "Do I look like an Elf?" He rolled his eyes as his friend giggled; "Occurred to me, how exactly do you and your mom get by? Selling flowers can't be for all of it."

"Mom does all kinds of work over at the community center. And Besides the Cafe, I also sell all herbs for medicinal uses. Some I give out to Doc Isaac, the rest on my own" Where she gets most of her Gil, in all honesty.

Naruto squints; "People think you sell drugs, don't they?"

"...Yup," the brunette slumped her head with a large sigh.

"Well, you do have Cannabis growing up on the roof."

Aerith's face grew flustered; "For medicinal uses!" Then, sharply turning on her heels, marching to her house.

'Wasn't that Kakashi-sensei's go-to lie?' Kurama only chortled loudly at the blond's thoughts.

Following his friend inside, they are greeted by Elmyra, who currently sat at the dining table watching the television. The older woman turned her head upon hearing the door open; "Hey honey, brought over Uzumaki, I see." Her voice was only a touch becoming neutral at the sight of the former Ninja.

"Naruto got accepted into the Watch," Aerith declared happily; "Boss Sofiya came herself to give him the job!"

Her mother gave a surprised gaze; "Rare to hear her coming personally to offer a job."

"Impressed her from last night's battles." Naruto remarked, shrugging as he closed the door; "Sorry to show up unannounced, but she insisted we celebrate with a meal."

Elmyra deadpans; "Sounds like my daughter, alright." The older woman rose from her chair; "Well, since I'm the only one who can cook, I'll get to it."

"Hey, I'm not that bad," Aerith bemoaned.

"You blew out the stove boiling water..."

The sage blinked; 'Okay, that is bad.' At least Sakura can MAKE food, not that it is any good, mind you, but still.

Aerith began making up the table in a way that made it look more like a celebration for the blonde man with her as her mother started preparing the food and cooking. Watching, Naruto watched with little to do, really, but he chose to make an offer. "Would you like me to help in any way? Either of you? Don't want to be the third wheel here, even if it is technically because of me..."

Putting on her apron, Elmyra glanced toward the young man; "You know how to cook?"

"Was taught by my cousin and friend," More like Karin and Ino forced him, but he could never say no to either one of them, especially if the Yamanaka put on her charm.

The older woman waved at him to join her in the kitchen. "The concept of rest just goes over your head, doesn't it?" Aerith quipped in amusement.

As he washed his hands, Naruto turned to his companion. "Rest is for when you're tired or hurt; I am neither at the moment. So why bother resting when I can do something to help? The better choice." That earned him a tongue stuck out at him.

"I hope you don't want anything too fanciful; we aren't made of money and food, after all. We get by, but it's no luxury." Elmyra grabbed the vegetables to start chopping, handed some to the sage, and hummed.

The blond shrugged; "I'm not particular." At least since he grew older and appreciated food other than Ramen. Though it was still his favorite dish like it was for all Uzumaki.

"And your clan is still a pack of weirdos. But then again, you are all part dragon, so being an eccentric is par for the course," Kurama chimed nonchalantly.

'Least I'm not a total perv like Uncle Samenosuke.'

The Bijuu nodded; "True, you're more subtle about it."

Ignoring his partner's words, Naruto eyes Aerith's mother before tending to the vegetables in hand. In the few weeks in the Slums, he has only sparsely spoken to the woman. While the conversations have been cordial, Elmyra seemed to keep her distance around him. Likely being a ninja, retired, or otherwise made her cautious.

Preparations were done, food was cut and sorted, and they started making the dish. The mother eyed the ninja as it was being cooked, giving nothing of her feelings. "I'll take it from here, you go on and get something to drink, and it'll be done shortly."

"If you're sure, thanks. Smells great already." The sage smiled, got himself a cup, and wondered why he felt so tense. A tension that was less anxious and more along the lines of social awkwardness, as if this dinner was not going to be very bright for the household.

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Taking a seat at the table where Aerith just finished setting up the table. The brunette gave a pleasant grin which the blond returned as they sat opposite each other. "Smells like your prized meatloaf, mom." She winked at Naruto; "You'll love this; I bet you won't last two helpings."

Guffawing erupted from Kurama; this girl had not seen an Uzumaki on an empty stomach. A challenging gaze bore the sage's eyes; "I'll take that challenge."

"Well, it's a good thing I made just enough for the challenge, though I usually have leftovers afterward," Elmyra said with a small smile. "A quick prayer?"

"I'll let you two say it; I'm not sure which prayer in my head would be appropriate." Naruto was hungry and ready to chow down but stayed respectful, as usual. The young man watched and mirrored the two ladies as they entered the prayer.

Elmyra nodded before speaking, "Great Mother Minerva, watch over us and bless us as we eat. Bless this food, this planet's bounty, we thank you, so mote it be."

"So mote it be," Aerith repeated, with Naruto muttering it back in respect, and soon the three dug into the food.

Conversation flowed mainly between mother and daughter, with some words from the blond. She was mainly discussing the Corneo Cup of last night. More news to Elmyra, who was only told minor details last night. Shock etched in her eyes, gazing over to the man, "How in the name of Shiva did you survive fighting a Kaiser Behemoth."

That drew Naruto's attention; "So there are different types of those things?"

"My late husband Emmett saw a few during his tenure in the military. He told me only two of their kind could talk. The Kaiser and Behemoth Kings."

Nodding, the sage tucked that back in his mind for any future fights with such things. Then, as he finished his second helping, much to the surprise of Aerith, "Seems your husband was a traveled man."

"He was..." A little sadness crept in from memories, even the sage saw such, but the woman stayed strong and returned to try another topic. "But to do what you did is extraordinary. Shockingly so, but I can see why it brought a personal visit from Sofiya; it would take as much to impress her to such a degree."

The florist of the slums grinned; "Tomorrow, we go to Sector seven for foxy to do some paperwork and meet some more Watch folks."

"Have either one of you been to seven?" Naruto inquired.

"I used to sell flowers at the park near the entrance," Aerith remarked; "Haven't been by there in ages."

Elmyra drank water before speaking, "Not many times myself. Hate going through Wall-Market but as it is the only safe way to seven do what you got to do." She paused; "They have a few good markets, and the bar opened up a few years ago. I heard everyone loves the food and drink there... What was it called...?"

Aerith filled in the blank; "Seventh Heaven, the bar owner Tifa Lockhart who is loved by the folks over there. And I think nearly all the guys and some girls want to marry her."

'This means she's either the kind of person who's just characteristically approved of and her traits are desired...' He trailed off, but he knew the other answer very well, making his partner snicker.

And then answer for him, which was just agreed with a mental nod. "Might be because she's got a body to die for or the personality of an angel. Who knows, maybe both? Still, the question remains, our curiosity peaked."

'Just not to the point of concern.' He smiled as he finished another helping, much to the shock of the two women with him. "No bars until after the Watch and me get to business. But it's probably a stop on the way out. So we will have to see. By the way, the food is great, thank you very much." He almost purposefully gulped down a huge bite that should have messed up his face. Still, somehow he got it down without a spilled drop of sauce or chunks of meat falling off and without trouble chewing, making them wonder if he was part mutated chipmunk... even though his cheeks were normal and not puffed out at all to confirm such a theory.

Mother and daughter stare for a moment before returning to their food. "I'm glad you like it," Elmyra slowly quipped.

XxX ~ Next morning ~ XxX

"I can't believe you gave up half of the Gil!"

Naruto winced from the screech that erupted from Kyrie's lips as she, the blond, Aerith, and even Evan made their way toward Wall Market. All were dressed in casual attire, including the younger blond's gaudy thug look; still, Naruto carried his ebony katana on his belt just in case. Though the sage partly wished he had brought earplugs as the buxom petite teen girl had been ranting at him since meeting up with her and Evan.

"Because all that matters to me is having enough to keep myself fed and clothed. I wouldn't know what to do with Gil besides the orphanage, and Doc needed it more." Naruto glanced toward the hat-wearing girl; "What would you prefer I'd done with it?"

"Maybe buy me all the luxuries I could ever want? Make me the happiest young woman in the entire slums? That would be amazing..." She had a dreamy look with all her ideas about what she considered a luxury.

"And yet even you would still give to the orphanage; you're not as disapproving as you think, Kyrie." That earned Aerith a glare and pout, which she returned with a laugh. Much to Naruto's eye-rolling resignation of the renewed banter between the two.

Adjusting his fedora, Evan sighed, "Glad I least could come along for this."

"Well, I did invite you to patrol the sector six ruins," Naruto reproached with a sideways glance.

"I'm not much for confrontations Mr. Naruto," Kyrie snorted upon hearing her friend's weak excuse.

"Oh, come on, it would toughen you up."

Evan looked mildly offended; "I'm tough enough!"

Aerith only bore an amused expression; "Okay, then spar with Naruto." She giggled, seeing the teenage boy turn several shades of ghostly white.

Curiosity grew in the sage, peering over towards the only other male of their group; "Ever been to Wall Market?"

"...Me?" Evan pointed to himself, "Umm..." A blush grew on his face; "I-"

"He froze at the sight of a honeybee girl," Kyrie spoke casually; "Turned so red I thought he was a strawberry."

"Last I heard you tell it, and it was cherry." Aerith grinned and laughed with Kyrie at Evan's expense, who was indeed turning from pale white to a blushing red.

"So will we have to avoid the inn at all costs, or can we normally go there? Cause I am not dragging you from Wall Market to anywhere else just because you launch backward into a nosebleed knock out." Naruto continued to look at Evan as they trailed closer to their destination.

"Ignore these girls; I can handle it! I'm a man, after all. I am NOT that bad." He grumbled afterward, as Kyrie was snickering so hard she had to hold it in and was failing.

Well, that was to be tested as the four neared the shadiest area in all the slums. The sage glanced at Madam M's polar with no sight of the woman in question. Likely relaxing from the overnight party she no doubt had with the winnings she gained. And it was a relief since it meant Aerith and the older woman would not start a catfight.

The crowd around the market was about as big as it was a few nights ago; 'This place reminds me of Tsuki no Kuni a lot.' But, outside of that, criminally ran part of the course.

"Less annoying after that fat idiot and his brat got their heads out of their asses." Kurama snorted.

Naruto deadpanned; 'Michiru and Hikaru have gotten a lot better.' So much so that Amayo remarried her former ex-husband. Or that could have also been because Aunt Lyn screamed at her so badly about not being there for her son. It guilted her back. A bit of both...

A scoff came from the Bijuu.

"NARUTO!" Three voices that sounded like soothing honey caught their attention as three gorgeous young ladies dressed in varying revealing outfits ran up to the tall blond. "We miss you," Spoke one of the girls with long brunette hair, blue eyes, and a revealing halter top showing off her 'assets' and flat tones stomach.

"Welcome back, champ!" Then, the next girl with a short bob cut addressed in a two-piece outfit showing off her figure.

The third wore a low-cut dress that hugged her hourglass figure with her hair in a ponytail; "We thought you'd be resting for days after facing that mean old behemoth. But you look as good as new," Only a blind idiot would miss the purr in her voice.

Aerith cocked her head, looking at the girls who focused solely on her friend; "Hey. Your Andrea's girls, aren't you?" The ones that were with the eccentric man at the Corneo Cup. Beside her, Evan's face was a wild shade of red as he could not stop staring at the alluring ladies. "What's up!?"

However a tiny scowl marred Kyrie's lips, but she stayed quiet.

Not one to turn down friendly banter, especially from recent events, the blond smiled. "Can't keep me down; many have tried and failed to keep me in a bedridden state for longer than a night or so. Thanks for the concern, though."

"Though we are heading for a business meeting, if you girls would excuse us, we'll go out of your hair so you can do your... things... EVAN! Snap out of it!" Kyrie was gently trying and failing to push the sage anywhere in her attempts to make this go smoothly and quickly. "We... Need... To... MOOOOOVE!"

A cocked brow came from the tall blond peering back at Kyrie, who was 'trying' to push him forward. However, the three girls seem to ignore the Breton hat-wearing teen, with two wrapping themselves in Naruto's arms. "Ande wanted to see you; come on!"

Evan quickly caught his longtime friend, who squeaked, almost falling forward as the honeybee girls began to walk Naruto away. Aerith only giggled, earning a glare from the younger girl but soon followed at the girls chatted up the blond.

"Andrea wants to see me?"

The buxom blue-eyed brunette led the way; "Yup, he had a surprise for you whenever you came back."

'That's a quick surprise...' As the sage walked to the inn, everyone else did as well; much to Kyrie's pouting chagrin, some of the girls on Naruto were very handsy even when still in public view.

Naruto's ears perk, hearing some folks call out to him. So many were still buzzing over the Corneo cup, as many congratulated him on his hard-fought victory. "Looks like you're a star," Aerith bemused at his side.

"Oh, everybody can't stop talking about the other night," The bob-cut honeybee girl on Naruto's right arm chimed. "Oh, and that offer is still open if you like."

Evan looked, trying to avoid staring at the girls; "O-offer?"

"To be a Honeybee girl," Aerith remarked back casually, earning flabbergasted looks from her friends; "I'm still happy with my current work."

A low whine came from the ponytail girl; "But you have such a cute figure; you'd look amazing in our outfits. Plus, that dress hides how big those breasts are."

The slum florist looked proud; "B cups can be large in their own right."

Kyrie dryly glanced over towards Evan, whose face was bead red with all this talk. Going down a flight of stone steps, they enter the pub district of the market. At every corner was a bar for anyone to eat, drink, and dance to their heart's content. Some were already in full swing, not even caring it was not even night. Strolling along, they came to an open area towards what had to be the largest establishment in the district. The entrance was decorated with fluorescent lights with two bees at the top. A curtain covered the door, and a handsome man adorned in a suit stood vigil.

Though his posture was relaxed, Naruto could tell this man was a very skilled fighter. Likely the Inn's bouncer despite his welcoming presence he gave off. The man turned his gaze to the group; "Anna, Bell, Rachel." The blond paid close attention to the man's eyes as he peered at each girl.

Anna at the front waved brightly, "Hey Sam! Is Ande in? We found Naruto, our new champion of the Corneo Cup!"

"Ah, I've heard quite a bit about you from Mister Andrea and the girls here. You're the talk of the town Mr. Uzumaki."

Naruto gave a weak nod; "Just Naruto, your boss, wanted to see me?"

A flashing smile grew on Sam's lips; "He did indeed. I'll go fetch him." The man turned, moving the curtain to head inside.

"Shall we head in, cutie?" One of the girls giggled at Naruto while another snuggled into his side rather seductively.

"Were we not supposed to wait to be welcomed in?" The question was fair, but considering the blonde's famous new title, Evan needed help understanding the new air about what could be done with public views being so high.

Still, the young man with girls around him heavily just shrugged. "Not going to get too wrapped into getting in or out of the inn; we still have to get to seven and all that... a minor detour isn't that bad." The pouting from Kyrie grew more, with the young girl's arms crossed over her generous chest. "Oh, stop pouting; it won't be too long."

Not one second later, the curtain swayed to the side with the eccentric proprietor himself stepping outside with flare; "Ah, I had wondered when we might meet again, my boy." He wore the same flashy outfit he had on during the cup. "Though surprised you're moving around so soon. I had assumed you would be bedridden for a while." Intrigued danced in his tone.

"Quick healer," Naruto quipped with a smirk. "So what can I do for you, boss? These lovely ladies said you had something for me?" Kyrie faintly growled, watching the honeybee girls let out airy giggles while hugging the blond more.

Without a word, Andrea pulls out two plastic cards from the hidden pocket of his pants. Extending his hand Bell grabbed the cards to show the tall blond happily. Aerith, Kyrie, and Evan leaned in and soon shared Naruto's shocking, wide-eyed expression: "A lifetime membership to the Honeybee Inn!" All chorused loudly.

The club owner chuckled warmly; "You've shown not only remarkable talent but immense skill and finesse in battle. Moreover, you carry yourself with grace and showmanship I both respect and admire. Thus my club is always open to you."

Naruto was stunned for a moment before shaking it off; "Um, thank you. Though surprised, Corneo would even allow that given our disagreement the other night."

"On the contrary, you placed the Don in a precarious position. Neither can he move against you or disqualify you as champion because two trio members are on your side. But also, he would have a riot at the hands of the citizens. The people of the market respect strength, and you've shown it in spades. They are on your side," Andrea spoke earnestly, reminding the blond of Kakashi.

Bell spoke up, "And here is the other one." Then, switching the cards, they saw something that made them all cock a brow.

"A full security card to go to the upper plate," Aerith muttered in awe; "How did you get that and so fast?"

A cryptic smile bloomed on the older man's face; "I have my ways, Ms. Gainsborough."

Or this guy was leagues more connected than Corneo even dreamed of being. And possibly infinitely more dangerous, "His heart is not consumed by hate or darkness if you're curious. But if I had to guess, this is the guy who runs Wall Market instead of that lecherous buffoon," Kurama chimed in lazily.

'I don't know whether to be impressed or amazed at that idea. Because it seems so true at the moment.' Still, the sage pocketed both cards in his secure pack and gave the man a smile and bow. "Thank you for your generosity, Andrea. Though I may not visit as much as you'd expect, work may keep me, but I will make good use of the gifts given."

The man agreed with a smirk of his own, light and hearty. "I'm sure you will, Naruto, and I am sure you will enjoy every moment of such when you do. Almost every one of my girls expects a visit from you, so I hope your endurance can handle such desire."

The fox felt the grin and chuckle more than heard or seen. "Oh, the challenge is offered... I think even he wouldn't bet against you on that offer after what he's seen so far."

"Well, thank you very much, mister, but we must get going now! Watch work and all that and have to boogie to Sector Seven slums; thank you again for seeing us!" In an attempt to finally get them along, Kyrie managed to surprise even herself as she grabbed hold of the blonde's arm to pull him from the girl's grasp and hold his arm possessively, mostly accidentally; she'd scream if she had noticed.

Absently his cerulean catch the shape of two ravens perched on a wire. Call him crazy, but he swore he had seen them before around sector five.

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Amusement danced in Aerith's eyes at Kyrie; "If I didn't know better, you acted like a jealous girlfriend." The group finally passed Chocobo Sam's office to head for Sector Seven proper.

"Oh please," her buxom friend rolled her eyes; "I'd rather not have Boss Sofiya on our tail for being late. And whiskers here is too old for me."

"Says the girl who seduced an old man out of five hundred Gil," Evan yelped, being hit on the sheen for his quip.

Kyrie grumpily adjusted her hat, stomping ahead of her friends.

'Yet acts like she is my girlfriend whenever Evan isn't around.' Naruto mentally rolled his eyes.

Kurama snorted; "Her heart belongs to that brat over there; she is just going to have that teenage hormonal phase you went through."

By the gods, did the young sage not miss that crap. His eye soon twitched as Aerith wrapped her arm with his in her usual playful manner; "You seemed comfortable with those girls all over you," She smiled cheekily.

"Got used to it back home," If it wasn't Ino, it was with either Morgan or Aelrie Being all over him. 'Amazing what a person can get used to.'

Kurama snickered; "Shounen protagonist."

'Oh shut up.'

Weaving through a long curvy path surrounded by scrap metal, they reach an enormous open metal gate near a small kid's playground. Aerith brightened; "Evergreen park. Used to sell flowers there, as I told you before."

"Any particular reason why you stopped? Besides, maybe it's looking dead here..." The place was a ghost park, with nothing living or breathing beside them. It was almost chilling for some reason. Still, as they came closer, he saw the eyes on his brunette friend held a sad tint. 'Sore subject, maybe? Or just a sad one she's still thinking about?'

Kyrie climbed the giant cat-looking structure. "You can see a lot from up here, wow."

The ravenette stared ahead through the open gate towards Scrap Boulevard. Apt title as her eyes saw nothing but broken metal all over a cliff pass. She also could see several armed individuals roaming the area, and one that she recognized was, "Looks like Dutch is waiting."

"Then let's go," Naruto motioned with his free hand, strolling past the open gates with Kyrie and Evan soon following.

Like sector five, cliffs were all over this region, with countless metal scraps and rusted machines everywhere. Fortunately, there was a dirt path they could go through, and they were met by several people in regular clothes holding assault rifles. One of them, wearing a ball cap, stared at the tall blond for a moment; "You Uzumaki?"

"Yeah."

He thumbed to the path behind him; "Dutch is waiting for you with Wymer."

Giving a nod of thanks, they kept to the path passing by more folks with weapons; "A lot of guns." Evan muttered nervously.

"Kind of goes with their occupation being the peacekeepers around here," Aerith remarked casually.

Going through a tunnel, they come to a large open area with a massive metal tower laid against the rocks. There stood Dutch with another man of average height in plain jeans and a shirt with a vest over it. A flat cap adorned his head with a full beard, tanned skin, and brown eyes. "There you are," the bald ebony man quipped with a nod.

"So this is the guy who has been making our lives a little easier," the man beside Dutch commented before extending his hand; "Wymer."

With his free hand, Naruto shook it back; "Naruto Uzumaki."

"So I've heard people been talking all over the slums about you."

"Including in Wall Market, tough crowd there. So, you ready to get this done, blondie?" Dutch smirked as he looked over the well-off man in front of him, still getting used to this guy being such a quick healer.

With a fist out and a playful grin back, Naruto confirmed it. "You got it." Of course, such interaction was little, but each knew this was the goal that was strode towards for the blonde in question, not that Naruto could have been stopped from doing what he put his mind to. Though many troubles were annoying, his life was hard enough as is.

"Ain't that the truth," Kurama mentioned in remembrance.

'Shut it; we always make things happen and get everything on track; this is no different. Let's get inducted and get a drink, shall we?'

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

The group opened a gated fence and followed Dutch through a dirt path leading to seven's central district. Much like five, this place had a slew of homes and buildings that were makeshift and repurposed. However, unlike sector five's compact, close-knit community, seven were spread out in a much larger region.

"This place is as busy as home," Aerith quipped, still latched onto Naruto's arm.

The crowd of people roaming about also set the point across; "I've come here a few times." Kyrie omitted to look around.

Dutch then pointed to a large old factory building on the right at the end of the path; "Our headquarters' for this sector." They follow him and Wymer up stone steps to a metal door. Heading inside, they saw the interior partially resembled an office with several desks and tables, papers, and terminals being worked on by people.

At the most extensive desk sat Sofiya. Around her were Jessie and Biggs going over some papers before the ponytail brunette looked up; "Well, look whose here!" Jessie spoke brightly.

'Flirt mode activation for her soon? Maybe...' though he brushed that thought off with a wave. "Yo, how's the work treating you?"

"Complaining vehemently, but it's the job." Jessie stood with a massive grin. "But good thing I chose to work late; seeing you is always a blessing."

Walking up to Sofiya, ignoring the banter, Dutch made his report to his boss. "Got our newest recruit here. He's looking as ready as ever, and I wouldn't pass on the chance to get things started with him this time." He stepped aside as the long-haired individual stood, putting her smoke out to walk to the new group ahead of her. Dutch could only give the sage a minor thumbs up and smile before walking to his desk.

Rounding her desk, Sofiya made her way to her fellow blond; "Glad you could make it." As he was handed some papers, Aerith detached herself from Naruto; "While our group is made up of volunteers, I like to keep things professional."

"Reasonable," Naruto acknowledged looking the paper over. It resembled the first paper given to kids when applying to the Shinobi academy. 'What you're joining can be dangerous, 'possible loss of life'; 'don't join if you're here for the thrills. Everything he heard back when he was a kid. Looking up, Jessie was by her boss with a clipboard and pen.

Setting some files down on a table, Biggs said, "Feel I can truly relax a little with you on board." He glanced over to Naruto, who was signing the paper. "I mean, we got some good folks here and all; hell, some are coming by soon to meet ya. With all your skills, we might be able to keep the slums safe for everyone."

"I'm not some OP superhero from a manga or book, you know," Naruto clarified, handing the clipboard and paperback to Jessie; "Just a guy who trained his ass off to get where he is."

"Maybe not, but you're seriously powered up compared to everyone else we know around here, honestly speaking, your power can match; hell, I'd wager even beat SOLDIER at their highest. Up until some of the actual famous ones, anyway." The athletic man in the headband leaned back with his feet up on the desk.

After checking all the papers, Jessie went to get them finalized and filed, with the leader grabbing another smoke. "Don't mind them; we both know you're nature by now. And first things first, we rank work to our newest recruits based on their skill sets. You're strong enough to handle the beasts and wild monsters around here, even handle work that takes ten of our strongest men by your lonesome. Over-qualified may not be a word we use around here, but if we did, you'd fit that bill. So the question becomes, Naruto..." She took a long drag before letting the smoke flow from her lips. "What will your first community job in the Watch be?"

As if on cue, Jessie brought forward some listed jobs and requests, ranging from the normal slaying of monsters to helping fix run-down systems of electrical and plumbing natures, even repairing old houses or building new ones. The blond carefully looked at each and the difficulty presented on the sheet.

A whistle escaped Kyrie's lips as she, Aerith, and Evan looked at the list with Naruto; "There is so much stuff on here."

"Because there is a lot that needs doing," the scarred older blond reproached; "Everything in the slums needs constantly fixed, repaired, or replaced. Never mind the monsters and bandits."

Aerith crossed her arms behind her back; "Life's not easy in the slums."

"Hmm," Naruto thought for a moment before looking up at his new boss, "Monster slaying and construction with plumbing I can do. But, unfortunately, the electrical stuff is way over my head."

Jessie gave the sage a pat on the arm; "No sweat, honey, the hot tech wizard standing right in front of you can whip up a fuse box with her eyes closed."

'She's confident, isn't she.' he gave the list back. "The first job then, when can I expect to start it up?"

"Normally, we'd get you started immediately, within the day. But there are no emergencies, and most current ones are already in progress, so the workload is light enough to suspend for most of the day. Besides, it would be ideal if you could understand how every sector looks, what the people are like, and what you can work with. You've not been in seven before, have you?"

Naruto shook his head at Sofiya's last question; "Then we get acquainted with everyone here and around the other sectors." She paused for a moment; "Where are Barret and Tifa?"

"With Wedge," Biggs commented, looking to his watch; "They should be."

The building door swung open; "Not late, are we?!" A warm, feminine voice chimed.

"Y'all start without us?!" A deep rough masculine voice bellowed loudly.

Naruto and the others turned to see, in the blond's opinion, an ebony-skinned man who could dwarf the Raikage and Killer Bee both by a head, with more muscles than either of them—sporting a black tank top with a dirty brown vest, green cargo pants, thick leather boots, and a fingerless leather glove with armor plates. Adorned his head a crew cut and a thick beard and mustache, least looked in his thirties, with dog tags around his neck. But the most glaring feature that had gotten their attention was the large machine gun strapped to his right arm!

The towering man gave Naruto a stern look; "Well, you ain't skin and bones, Mr. Ninja."

"Be nice, Barret," the young woman accused sternly while focused on holding a little girl in a simple dress with short brown hair, no less than a year old. In terms of looks, this woman could rival Haku and Ino in being utterly drop-dead gorgeous. Having a toned athletic figure with all the womanly curves the gods could have blessed her with, fair flawless skin, dress in a white tank top with a sports bra underneath but showing her endowed bosom that made even Kyrie a little envious. Her shirt stopped at her smooth flat stomach showing off her toned four-pack to everyone. She wore a plated black mini-skirt from the waist down, shorts underneath, suspenders, and thigh-high black stockings with red boots. She had long straight jet black hair that fell below her waist and was tied at the tips to form a dolphin-tail split. On her arms, she wore leather gloves with metal plates on the back and knuckles, with a red-and-black leather armbrace. Idly the blond swore he saw runes engraved on them.

"Yeah, yeah, Tifa. Wedge is over with his cats, so he'll be busy," Barret reproached before taking the little girl with his good arm; "What do you think, Marlene? Think daddy could handle Mr. Ninja?" The one-year-old only smiled with a nod; "I thought so too."

Shaking her head, Tifa turned her whiskey rubies towards the group; "Don't mind Barret, he's..." Her voice trailed as, for a moment, she saw a ghost looking right at Naruto.

That caught everyone's attention; "You okay, Tifa?" Jessie asked out of concern. However, concern was replaced by shock, which soon included everyone as their buxom friend dead on sprinted and tackled the blond in a hug to the ground.

"Cloud!"

The relatively abundant blinking in confusion and dumb looks for a second before Naruto raises a hand. "Question, why are you calling me a cloud? Or is that a name, and if so, why are you calling me the name of someone else? I cannot look that much like many people here... Never have I seen someone near looking like me yet."

That seemed to gain Tifa's attention, and she froze. She let go of the blond but still straddled him and took a long, hard look at his face. 'Cloud doesn't have whiskers...' Her cheeks soon matched her eyes, realizing how they looked and her actions. "I-I am so sorry!" She had to know how to teleport because of how fast she had gotten off Naruto and stood defying physics, but at least now he could get back up. "I-I thought you were someone else."

"Well damn, girl," Jessie's lip grew to a smirk; "Didn't know you had it in you!"

The ponytail blond got back to his feet and dusted himself off; "And who names their kid 'Cloud'? Were they high or something?"

"Hell, at least I ain't the only one wondering that," Barret snorted, getting a giggle from Marlene.

Poor Tifa looked like she wanted to sink into a hole by how she acted. A pronounced scowl gleamed on Kyrie's lips while Aerith could not stop giggling beside her. Evan surprisingly looked a tad jealous; "Why can't that happen to me?"

"Because you're a dork," He slumped his head from the hat-wearing teen girl quip.

Shaking her head, Sofiya cleared her throat; "Well, the young lady who hugged you is Tifa Lockhart. That is Barret Wallace with his daughter Marlene."

Walking up to the big man, Naruto blinked at the large metal gun arm attachment. "This is some serious equipment... how does it even work?"

Jumping at the chance to explain the engineering, the Watch girl of electrical magic was all but giddy to talk about. "It's a VERY technical piece of equipment, four long barrels of lead pumping power, large under-feeding high capacity magazine with quick ejection and loading system. It has every moving part cleaned daily and quickly and easily fixed in case of operational issues. With a high-tolerance spring ejection system for the casing and a single operational ejection door, the chances of jamming are near nil. With every part fit snugly and without wiggle room but smooth enough not to break under tension, this baby can go all day and night and still be ready for more! OH! And I should also mention it's capable of firing off a large blast from all four barrels at once for massive damage against an enemy target. However, that tends to activate its overheating protection system occasionally."

Both Barret and Naruto shared a thousand-yard stare at Jessie before each other; "What all she said." The tall man muttered weakly. "The nerves of my arm are connected to it; how I can fire with it. Nice to meet ya, Mr. Ninja." Not able to talk yet, Marlene gave a shy wave.

"Retired Mr. Ninja, actually; nice to meet you too." He returned to the wave with a pleasant grin.

"Aww," Aerith cooed, coming up to the blond's side; "She is just so adorable. Aerith Gainsborough, hello~" The brunette spoke brightly, earning Marlene a shy but bright smile.

Naruto thumbed over to the others; "That's Kyrie and Evan; they tagged along."

"Were you looking to join the Watch?" Tifa asked in a friendly manner.

Almost immediately, both teens shook their heads; "I'm not good at fighting," The teenage boy omitted.

"I'm good with my profession," Kyrie spoke with pride.

Sofiya gave the younger girl a slight glance; "Your skills need work." the teenager paled, looking wide-eyed at the older woman who winked as she knew full well what she does for a living.

"Have to say this an interesting bunch," Naruto addressed in a friendly manner.

Barret smiled wide; "Oh, we're a whole collection of weirdos, but we treat each other like family."

"A very eccentric family," Biggs muttered dryly.

"So, was there anything you wanted to know from us?" Sofiya gestured to a table with some chairs. Nodding, everyone decided to take a seat.

Taking a chair beside Aerith, the blond thought for a moment. "Something I got to ask you and Dutch specifically." Upon hearing his name, the bald man peered over from his desk. "The Wutai war, while folks have been pleasant enough. On the other hand, quite a few outright hate me or keep their distance. Like to know what exactly happened with all that."

"You don't know?" Tifa questioned, sitting opposite them; "But you came from there, right?"

Recognition soon glowed on Barret's face; "Oh, that's right, you took a bad bump on the noggin and can't remember much, can ya?"

"Something like that."

Sofiya blew out some smoke from her cigar. Dutch's expression remained indifferent; "The war began in 1985. Wutai is the only sovereign nation that is outside of Shinra's rule. Officially, the war sparked over Wutai's refusal to join Shinra and let them build a Mako reactor."

"...And the real reason?" Naruto barely bought that story, even less than Kurama did.

"Shinra wanted your people's secrets on mana control," Dutch said, lighting a cigarette; "Sofiya and I only learned that later. Then, a month before the war started, Shinra smeared against Wutai, getting folks scared or angry."

"What they didn't tell anyone at all was that Wutai never needed Mako or the reactors. Where we need Materia and magical prowess for our abilities and magic, Wutai could use similar techniques to your own without the need for any of it. It's said they can commune with the very essence of nature, with the natural order's magic, the life of the planet itself in harmony rather than by force such as the reactors do. I have not seen evidence even to grant credence to this theory. Still, whatever they have that is giving them power, Shinra was looking into it, wanting to use, and more than likely abuse, the new way of taping into energy." Sofiya sighed heavily. "As much as it pains me to say it sometimes, Wutai were the real victims of the war."

Dutch nodded and explained further. "One dude I knew from there, actually, before he died, told me they were capable of building energy within their bodies, gathering it, and then expelling it in conjunction with special symbols they either made on paper or with their hands and could do some of the things I saw you do. But seein' as we can't find any real proof, and no one's shown us how to do it, it's not our concern or business. Besides, going against Shinra in any information war would be suicide."

"No doubt about it," Kurama murmured; "They can wield chakra just like you can."

It cemented all Naruto needed to know about this land of Shinobi. "How long was the war going before the cease-fire?"

"Eight years," Biggs sighed; "A lot of people died because of that damn war. On both sides..."

A nod came from the blond; "And Shinra used the media to sway the masses."

Barret huffed; "Goes without saying, now most of the folks in Gaia view your folks as murderers and terrorists."

Of course, they do. "Thanks for letting me know. Shall we get to work?"

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

"Fascinating."

"I'm glad to hear, professor."

Sitting in a large office/laboratory full of equipment, two men dressed in white lab coats stared at a recording on a terminal. One was a young man with short red hair; "Glad I brought my recorder for all that." He muttered, adjusting his tie.

In front of him was a gaunt middle-aged man with a long black ponytail and wore round glasses with a distinctive hunch. The older man gave an abolished dry stare; "I assume the despots of the slums prove more entertaining than up here, hmm?"

The young man gave a weak chuckle. "Sorry, professor."

"Bah," the older man waved it off before looking back to the terminal; "Youth is a phase, nothing more. But finding such a specimen like this... Amazing..."

"He seems to be using techniques similar to Wutai warriors, but also some unique skills have never before seen... even some that we thought impossible." The younger man was in awe after seeing such a display.

Glasses gleaned from the screens before him, and the older, hunched man chuckled. "We must have this man at our disposal... We will have to find ways of capturing him soon."

"Yes Professor Hojo."

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX