Hey there people! Got another chapter for this story for yh! Glad you are all liking it so far! Not much to say in this AN other than that Naruto's character will take time to develop into what he is supposed to be. Given his background, he doesn't understand what it means to be normal. And he'll also be reluctant to open himself up to people on a more personal level. C.C. is a start, but you'll just have to wait and see where it goes!
Anyways, enjoy!
Jeremiah grimaced as he flipped through page after page in a file he had just been provided. He glanced up slightly and observed the assassin who had delivered him this file and others. True to the assassin's word, he had been helping Jeremiah with such reports for the past few days.
"And these are…accurate?" He questioned the validity of these reports. The names of some of these reports accused of the highest form of treason against the empire were substantial. Some of the information that had been gathered in this file alone was stuff that even the OSI would have brushed over, mainly because the OSI was so sure of its superiority in its intelligence methods.
"Yes. Evidence of collaboration between Gunthar Heavy Industries and Eleven resistance groups like the Blood of the Samurai is included with that file." The assassin stated as Jeremiah sighed. Gunthar Heavy Industries is one of the largest and most powerful companies within Area Eleven, monopolizing virtually most of the civil engineering sector within the former country.
"To think that they would be willing to provide aid to terrorist to only line their own pockets…" Jeremiah muttered. Apparently, they were providing resistance groups with aid, such as shelter, materials, etc. If only so that the said groups cause more chaos and destruction, Gunthar Heavy Industries would swoop in and seize all the rebuilding contracts. The case of their treasonous actions was evident.
"What will you do now?" The assassin for hire questioned him as Jeremiah frowned. He has all the evidence he needs, even if he has acquired it via…less then desirable needs.
"I'll have their home office raided, followed by the liquidation of their leadership and placing the company under the direct control of the occupation government," Jeremiah stated. He reasoned that trying to hide anything from the assassin was useless, the evidence was in his hands.
"Nationalization?" Naruto questioned as the man nodded sternly, clearly Gunthar Heavy Industries had forgotten their place in the empire. Naruto said nothing beyond that, not carrying the damage that Jeremiah was doing on his own. The reports had been forged, and Naruto had made sure that any raid of the said company's home office would result in Jeremiah finding corroborating evidence.
"Before I leave, I should warn you that there is a plot growing to remove you from your office," Naruto warned as Jeremiah scoffed.
"Naturally. Those whom I have imprisoned for suspected treason would have allies who wish to remove me from my position. Let them come." Jeremiah stated as he folded his arms across his chest and leaned back in his chair. He'd root out the enemies of the empire.
"I see. In that case, keep a watchful eye on your shoulders." Naruto advised. Jeremiah was a useful puppet. Through him, he could potentially control the occupation government. Before he could leave, Jeremiah coughed in his hands to catch his attention.
"If I may ask, why exactly did you help Zero? You don't seem like the terrorist type." Jeremiah questioned with intrigue. The assassin has been helping him clean house, re-organize the occupation government, root out traitors, and more. Why would someone like him help Zero? Naruto stood rooted in his spot as he mulled over his thoughts before he answered.
"Because I have no home." He answered truthfully as Jeremiah blinked at the answer. He was expecting some grand and deep answer, perhaps a philosophical debate. Not this.
"No home?" He questioned. He needed to know more about this character that could easily slit his throat whenever he pleased.
"I never had a home, no family, nothing. My homeland…I have no homeland to hold any allegiance and I failed the only person I admired…" Naruto spoke, his voice gaining a slightly somber tone before he composed himself again and simply vanished from Jeremiah's sight.
"I see…" Jeremiah muttered as he rested his elbows on the desk, interlocked his hands, and leaned forward. He could see it, the slight stiffening, the somber tone that the assassin took towards the end.
"So, you too have lost someone you admired and now feel unworthy…" Jeremiah didn't know how, but he could tell that was indeed the case. In a way, he could sympathize with the assassin. The…boy seemed clearly troubled by the event and thus saw no reason for any alliances.
"Maybe…I have been too harsh…" Jeremiah flinched to himself as he looked down at his desk. He had done many things, so many things in the name of the Empire. Things he would have never considered doing when joining the army. As he sat and reflected on his actions, he realized that the hatred he bore against the Japanese was…misplaced to some extent. His actions most likely drove more of them into the arms of the terrorists, not forcing them into submission.
"And beyond that…the only answer is…" He grimaced at the prospect of utterly annihilating a whole people. In the past, he had justified his actions by telling himself the enemy were just animals, not worth saving.
"And yet, I have been betrayed by my closest confidants." He said to himself. It was the enemy that had attempted to strike him from the front, but rather he found a knife pointed at his back by his own comrades, all seeking to gain power. If the Japanese were animals, then what were the Britannian soldiers that had aimed to stab him in the back?
With Naruto:
Remembering his past brought more pain than anything for him, but he couldn't show it. His training was almost automatic, despite the seal being removed. Deprogramming his training was hard, after all, he was but a child when it had begun. Such habits didn't break easily. But…he'd try, and C.C. had the greatest breakthrough in that regard.
"So, you're finally going to take that mask off?" Kurama questioned him as Naruto's hand twitched. Lelouch had provided him with some clothes as his tattered Root ANBU outfit would stick out like a sour thumb in public.
"Yes," Naruto responded curtly as he brought his hand up to his mask before pausing. C.C. was the only person who had seen his face. She knew who he was, both as Sunflower and the boy behind the mask. She didn't know everything about him, namely his name, but she knew what he looked like.
"Good, about time your face saw the sun. The only place that shouldn't see the sun is where it doesn't shine on your body." Kurama roared in laughter at his own joke while Naruto cringed slightly at the fox's joke. Still, he had his doubts.
"I can do this…no one knows me. I can do this…" He chanted his mantra in his head, resolving himself as he gently took his mask off to reveal his face. The cold wind gently brushed his cheeks as he took in a deep breath, the Byakugan deactivating as the veins around his eyes subsided to allow them to rest.
"I can fix them for you, you know. Heck, I can improve them." Kurama offered once more, but he knew the answer to that offer.
"Never." Naruto's response was quick and almost harsh. He'd never allow anyone, including himself, to alter these eyes. To him, it was sacrilegious to alter them. They were his most prized possessions not because of their abilities, but rather because of who they belonged to.
"Worth a shot." Kurama shrugged as Naruto stepped out into the ally, amidst the sea of people walking about. It was…different being around so many people. For most of his life, he had lived in a small cell, operating in the shadows.
"So many…people…" He thought to himself as he gingerly walked about as he discreetly looked about. A childhood of killing and unwilling subservience to people who saw him as nothing, but a weapon breeds some form of paranoia.
"I wonder…is this…freedom?" He muttered to himself as he aimlessly walked about down the street. Aside from the odd looks some people gave him, most either ignored him or just simply smiled and went about their day.
"You would have loved this…Hinata." He muttered once more, his eyes dropping slightly, his mouth turning into a small frown. The world seemed imperfect without her in it, even if it was a different world. When she was still alive life still had its color, but now it was dull. Perhaps it was he who had become jaded after all that he had done.
So lost in his thoughts he didn't realize when he bumped into someone. His right hand twitched. His first instinct was to jump back, slip out a Kunai, and eliminate the threat, but he stayed his hand. He wasn't in the Shinobi world. Here he had no enemies for now that knew who he was.
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry!" A feminine voice brought his attention to the person he had bumped into. Looking down, he saw a pink-haired girl with bluish-violet eyes. Taking in her appearance, he noticed that she was wearing clothes that were much higher quality and most likely very expensive.
"5'9'', around 61kg, Britannian, clearly from a wealthy family…" Naruto thought as he began to deduce everything about the person before him. Another element of his training had been drilled into his head. He released a small breath that he didn't know he was holding as he calmed himself.
"It's…ok." He spoke, almost whispering. He had never talked to anyone without his mask. His mask was something that brought him comfort, hiding, and shielding him from the world. Without it, he felt naked, exposed, and vulnerable.
"Euphie, are you alright?" The voice that spoke next sent Naruto's senses to high alert. He knew that voice. Looking up, he saw Suzaku, dressed in civilian clothing, walking up and gently bringing the girl back up.
"Does he know? Should I eliminate him? He knows my face now. I should eliminate him." A million thoughts were going through his head as he prepared to slip out a Kunai and do away with Suzaku and any witness. His heart thumped in his ears as his training and fears slowly began to creep in. His face was revealed to an enemy he had a past encounter with. His cover was compromised. The only way to solve this mistake would be to –
"Are you ok?" He blinked rapidly as the voice of Suzaku brought him out of his murderous thoughts. Looking at the older boy, he realized the Knightmare pilot was giving him a look of concern.
"Uh…yes." He answered. Suzaku didn't know. Didn't know that he was the masked assassin who had a hand in saving him. He released another breath as he calmed his nerves. His response was awkward and guarded, and apparently, it was picked up by the two.
"Sorry about that! My name is Euphie!" The older girl introduced herself with a wide smile as she extended her hand out to him. Naruto looked at the offered hand before he slowly raised his own in return. He did promise Kurama that he'd try.
"Naruto…Naruto Uzumaki…" He introduced him officially for the first time to anyone in this world. But even back in his world, he'd never done that. To all but his only friend he was the 'Demon Brat', the 'Leaf's Weapon'. A faceless assassin.
"Na-ru-to…" Euphie said his name slowly, trying to get a hang of it before she nodded to herself as she finally got it down. Suzaku smiled at the interaction. The boy was apparently Japanese, despite his more Britannian looks, but he was glad at knowing that such a thing didn't bother Euphie.
"She's proof enough that the system can be changed from within." He thought to himself, his personal belief strengthening at knowing that people like Euphie exited. For Euphie, however, she saw something different. Contrary to popular belief, Euphie was very insightful, after all, she grew up in the Imperial Court where inter-family politics were rife. Just looking at the young boy before her could tell just how much pain he held and she could easily judge that by looking at his eyes, which were a peculiar feature.
"I have never seen eyes like that before. Color aside, they are full of…pain and…sadness…" She smiled sadly at him, to which Naruto simply returned an impassive look, not sure how to react.
"Say, Naruto, why don't you hang out with me and Suzaku!" She offered as Suzaku blinked at her offer while Naruto wasn't sure how to respond. Hang out…the only time he had hung out in the past was with Hinata and those moments were few, too few. A look of sadness briefly flashed across his eyes before he nodded.
"Yes." He muttered, but it was loud enough for Euphie to hear, causing her to grin in happiness. Before Naruto knew it, Euphie began to drag him about, much to his cringe and Suzaku's amusement.
"You're a wonderful person, Euphie," Suzaku muttered with a small smile. Even though his meeting her was…odd and her lie about evading bad men, he was glad that he had met her. Call it fate, but she was a breath of fresh air after all that had happened in the last few days.
For Naruto, however, he was going through a whirlwind of emotions. His training was screaming at him to take control of this chaotic situation. To stop. To analyze. To act. To withdraw. But he had to fight all that training from kicking in automatically. He wasn't a Shinobi right now. He was just Naruto; someone he wasn't allowed to be for a long time. He didn't know how to handle this situation. And so, he, begrudgingly, allowed Euphie to take control, allowing her to drag him around.
He said nothing as she talked about, dragging him across multiple shops and establishments and the sight was indeed amusing. Euphie was 5'9'', respectable very tall for her age group. While Naruto, being a bit younger than her, only stood at 4'9''. Yet, that was mostly due to his age rather than a lack of height. But that did not mean he was a pushover physically.
He didn't say anything, merely observing how the older girl simply enjoyed herself, with Suzaku going along with her antics. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. Long ago, so long ago, he would have craved such attention, for such companionship. Hinata was the only one who showed him that…His eyes drooped slightly, and a small barely noticeable frown took over his face.
"Naruto, are you ok?" He blinked as he schooled his features and looked at Euphie looking at him with concern. For a second he was reminded once more of Hinata. She showed him the same concern...
"Yes." A lie. He wasn't ok, he never was ok. He was broken on so many levels that he couldn't even understand what normality was. Euphie kept up her concerned look before she smiled, though it was a sad smile.
"You must have lost much, haven't you, Naruto?" She questioned him as he stiffened at that. Euphie was far more perspective than he originally assumed.
"…." He said nothing as he gave her a blank look. He never had much to begin with in life. He didn't care about losing any of his own possessions. The only thing he had ever cared about was Hinata. Seeing that the boy wasn't going to say anything, she sighed before she looked up at the sky. The sun was starting to set, and the sky was beginning to take an orange hue.
"Suzaku, I have a request of you." She spoke up as Suzaku chuckled lightly as he gave a slight bow.
"Your wish is my command!" He joked as she gave him a small smile but took on a more serious look.
"Take me to Shinjuku." She requested firmly, causing Suzaku to look at her with wide eyes while Naruto looked on impassively.
"But…" Suzaku tried to reason but the look she gave him told him enough.
"I want to see Shinjuku." She reaffirmed, not yielding any ground on this demand. Suzaku hesitated but accepted her request against his better judgment before he gave Naruto a glance. Suzaku wasn't a fool. The blond was Japanese and with how he behaved his life was most likely not pleasant.
Later:
Shinjuku Ghetto was a stark contrast to Tokyo Settlement. It was derelict, left for nature to consume while Tokyo Settlement thrived. All around them they saw nothing but ruined buildings, the few locals that remained after the Shinjuku incident wandering about, and the general lack of care the Ghetto had.
"How awful…" Euphie muttered as she took in the atmosphere. Her heart clenched at the sight of people living in such conditions, conditions her nation and people had forced upon them.
"You know, life was somewhat returning to normal…" Suzaku stated somberly. The people were returning and cleaning up the Ghetto, slowly rebuilding what life they could. Before Shinjuku became a bloodbath once again…
"The Britannian military massacred countless during the Shinjuku massacre," Naruto added. He had killed many during this battle, but then again, his hands were already stained in the blood of countless others before this battle.
"It wouldn't have happened if the terrorist didn't provoke the military." Suzaku fired back but flinched as he saw Naruto's face. Stoic as it was before.
"Britannia stole their nation, their homes, their lives. And you expect them to take that lying down?" Naruto questioned the older boy, watching to understand the kind of character Suzaku was beyond just being Lelouch's friend.
"If they just work within the system, they can change it for the better. Instead of being constructive, they are destructive." Suzaku argued. Euphie smiled sadly at him. Suzaku was an optimistic person, just like her.
"Your optimism seems misguided. Only a few days ago you were going to be put to death for a crime you didn't commit and purely because you are Japanese." Naruto pointed rationally as Suzaku opened his mouth but closed it. He couldn't refute that.
"That doesn't change anything. This system…can be changed from within. Violence is never the answer." He argued as Naruto simply gave him an impassive look.
"Naruto, don't you care about the people you love? Is not possible for us to look towards a better future?" Euphie questioned him gently as Naruto turned to look at her. A better future? People he loved…
"That is irrelevant." He responded coldly causing her to gasp while Suzaku's hands balled into a fist.
"What about your parents? Your family!" He questioned the blond as Naruto froze. Parents? Family? He had always wondered who his parents were, what they were like…did they love him?
"I'm an orphan. I never knew my parents. I have no family. There is no one in this world for me." He answered rather truthfully, yet at the back of his mind, C.C.'s smile flashed briefly. Well, he did have a friend…
"Naruto…" Euphie muttered sadly. She couldn't blame him if he hated her, hated Britannia. Naruto was clearly young, younger than her, and if he was an orphan that meant that his family most likely died during the war.
"As I stated, irrelevant." Naruto brushed it off, despite the slight tang of pain he felt in his heart, but he banished such pain. It would serve him no good.
"I understand, Naruto. I do. We all feel the same pain of losing the ones we love." Euphie tried to reconcile, but Naruto's muscles stiffened. Understand…she could understand him?
"No." He muttered out as she tilted her head at that.
"You can never understand…understand the hell that I have lived. Losing the only person that cared about you. Living in a world that despises your existence." He let his anger come to the surface for one of the first times. How can she claim to understand?
"You know nothing." He stated as took a deep breath before he turned around and began to walk away. Anger would serve him no good either. Suzaku was going to make a move but Euphie stopped him.
"It's ok, Suzaku." She stated as he looked at her.
"But Euphie…" He tried but she shook her head.
"Naruto has clearly suffered at the hands of Britannia, at the hands of my people. Because of Britannia, he has no family. He has no one. I…I can understand his pain and hatred. It's hard to forgive when you have been robbed of everything." She spoke as Suzaku merely listened before he turned to watch the retreating form of Naruto.
"He isn't the only one who's lost people…" Suzaku stated. He lost his father to the war, something he will forever blame himself for. Euphie said nothing. She knew who Suzaku was, his background, and everything that had happened to him. To a degree, Suzaku's response was more measured because of who he was and his life, but Naruto was unfiltered. And she wanted to see that, she wanted to see just how badly her people had mistreated others.
"I promise…" He turned his head to look at Euphie, whose face showed determination and fire in her eyes.
"I promise Suzaku, that I'll make this world a better place, a place where people like Naruto can grow up with their families and loved ones. A place where people no longer have to suffer, to lose those they love to war, violence and suffering…" She promised him as Suzaku's respect for the girl increased by every word.
"Euphie…" He muttered as she held her head up high.
"I promise as Euphemia Li Britannia, I will create a better world, for everyone." She declared as Suzaku smiled at her declaration before he replayed the last words she spoke.
"Li Britannia!?" Suzaku shouted in surprise as she gave him a sheepish look at bonked her head.
"Oh, whoops, I forgot I didn't mention that." She said rather sheepishly as Suzaku facepalmed. What a surprising day indeed.
And that's it for now! So, Euphie and Naruto finally meet, although she has no idea who he really is. I wanted to compare the two characters and their outlook on life. Euphie is more of an optimistic, while also seeing the negatives in the world. Naruto meanwhile is more jaded and pessimistic given the way he was treated and the things he has done. He sees the world through a shattered lens.
Of course, overtime he'll slowly break from that as his character develop, but for now, I'll see you all next chapter, bye!