A/N: EDIT: Aw, look at the cheeky widdle flames. Ain't they just precious?
Please read this note here, would you kindly?
As ever, we're following the Ember's Rule here. That's no joke. Really, it isn't.
If folks don't like this, it'll be deleted. Poof! Gone! Every bit of feedback helps. Reviews are the fuel which keeps me writing in these crazy times. With my tight schedule, I simply don't have time to write a story folks don't like. Without them, my inspiration cannot take wing and I can't write a word. So by all means, speak up!
Now, onto your questions comments and concerns! Got a bit of a mixed bag this time:
Q: Naruto...he's still a good guy in this story, right?
A: Very much so, for the most part. He's firmly on the side of good...and that might land him in a bit of trouble here. We all know he's not willing to compromise on his morals, but in a place like Zaun and Piltover, that could end very poorly for all parties involved.
Q: Why not block anonymous reviews?
A: Because that wouldn't be fair to those who don't have accounts. I get plenty of anonymous reviews from folks who can't or won't make an account; most of them are quite nice. Suppose that means dealing with trolls and the like, but still...it lets people see what I'm dealing with.
Its hard sometimes, but I'm trying to deal with it.
Q: Naruto mentoring Powder? Alright!
A: More or less. Read on to see what I mean. Our boy keeps his promises.
Furthemore, I feel the need to clarify something. Many think Naruto's weaker with one arm in this story, that he's lost his Sage power and been reduced to a shell of his former self. To which I have but one thing to say.
Nope~!
This iteration of Naruto is in his prime and then some.
What's that? How can he be in his prime? You'll just have to read on and see what I mean, no?
Q: Will we get a Piltover!Naruto anytime soon? It would be so much fun! You could even include Ahri since she's been around awhile...
A: What did I say about tempting me?!
Q:...Naruto isn't going to let that happen is he? No, surely not. Right? Right?! Neon?!
A: *zips lips*
Alright then, I've kept you long enough. Lets get into the meat of the matter and have some fun!
Once more, I own no quotes, references, or memes.
Not a wit or a one. NOT! A! THING!
"Look, I'm really not here to cause trouble. Really! I'm not your enemy. So lets be friends, eh?"
"Alright. I'll bite. Why are you so keen on even helping Powder in the first place?"
"Because I made a promise. And I never go back on my word."
...a man of principle, then. I can respect that."
"Great! So I've got a few ideas...
~Fox and Hound.
Keeping a Promise
"How'd you lose the arm?"
Of all the questions Naruto had expected today, that...that, was not one of them. Vander had already subjected him to the usual battery of inquiries-Who was he? Why was he here in the Undercity? What had he promised Powder? Why was she following him around like a lost kitten? Was he a danger?- but that one? It actually brought him up short.
Kurama scoffed in the back of his head. "Saw that coming."
"Well," Bracing his good limb against the bar, he pushed himself upright and faced the barkeep fully. "Suppose someone had to ask sooner or later...
His reward was a fresh bowl of ramen; all but brimming with noodles and broth. While not quite the fine fare he favored from Ichiraku, Zaun's equivalent proved more than adequate enough to suit his tastes. He tucked into with a happy hum. Say what you would about this "Hound of the Underground" but Vander made a mean dish.
It also gave him time to consider his answer.
"Lost it saving a friend." he said at last, unable to hide the grimace from his face.
Liar. An awful low voice hissed in the back of his head. You killed me, Naruto. You let me die...
No! His mind rejected the notion wholesale. I didn't kill anyone! He was alive! I felt it! His last coherent memory consisted of lying there on the ground, bleeding out beside Sasuke. Of feeling the earth shift underfoot like water, an awful feeling accompanied by a low roar..and then nothing. He'd opened his eyes three days ago to find himself...well, somewhere else.
His regeneration had kicked in soon thereafter, and while it had healed the worst of his wounds, it did nothing for hi guilt.
It gnawed at him
Stop. He flinched. You don't know that. If I survived, so did he. It was just a little blood loss. He'll be fine...
"Hey." Kurama jabbed him, shattering his reverie. "Stop spacing out and focus. He's talking to you, for crying out loud."
.
..
...he'd been talking to himself again, hadn't he? He needed to get a grip.
"I'm sorry." he blinked back at Powder's old man. "Wanna run that by me again?"
Vander quirked a greying bow. "I said that's a respectable thing to do. Must've meant a great deal to you, this friend of yours."
Those words were spoken kindly, but they struck Naruto hard; a proverbial fist to his confidence, more powerful than he could put into words. His head bowed. Rather than answer, he turned back to his meal and focused wholeheartedly on devouring it. At length he swallowed and managed a nod.
"Yeah...
"I'll cut to the chase, then." a bottle thunked down beside his bowl, drawing his eye. "What do you want with Powder?"
Naruto bridled a bit as he polished off the last of the broth in bowl. Ah. And now they came to the meat of the matter. A few good meals had replenished his stamina, but this line of inquiry threatened to drain it from him all over again. He found himself grateful she'd run off with her siblings; if only to spare her the awkwardness of this conversation. He could always track her down later.
"I'm training her." he answered at length. No point in lying. "She did me a favor, and now I'm paying her back."
"Eye for an eye? That sorta thing?"
"Nothing like that." his hand dipped into the worn pouch at his side and came up with a golden coin. It danced between his knuckles as flexed his fingers. "I was starving. She gave me money for food and brought me here."
Vander propped an arm on the counter. "Why her?"
Naruto feigned a shrug. Why indeed? Because he pitied her? Because she reminded him of himself at that age? Because she'd seen a starving man on the corner and immediately gave him what little money she had? The list went on. They'd be here all day if he stopped to list everything. In the end he settle for an more ambiguous answer.
"Because she's earned it."
Vander didn't relent; his eyes were stern as steel. "Earned what exactly?"
Naruto stole a wry glance at his marked hand, eyeing the pale white circle within. He should've lost it with his dominant arm, but rather than fade, that strange mark had simply moved to his other palm. Even now he felt it slowly replenishing itself, feeding off his and Kurama's chakra even as it empowered them to new heights. He still held the last vestiges of the Sage's power in his chakra coils. With power came knowledge, the secrets to esoteric techniques he had never before known. They buzzed in the back of his brain like fireflies, snatches of knowledge he didn't truly understand, yet they benefited him all the same.
What would Sakura call it? A symbiotic relationship?
So long as he didn't throw himself headlong into the fray and exhaust it utterly, he had nothing to fear. But back to Powder.
"She'd earned the right to be taught." he clenched his fingers into a fist. "Dozens of people passed me by without so much as a second thought, but she stopped."
In all honesty, he was contemplating giving her chakra. Maybe. If she was as pure as he thought she was it might be possible. This wasn't a gift he wanted to give lightly, but it seemed the only way to keep the promise he'd made to her. Just as the Sage of Sixth Paths had first given chakra to the people of his word, so could he. The knowledge burned in the back of his brain as keenly as if it were his own. He wouldn't know if he could truly do it until he tried...no, do or do not, there is not try.
But did he want to?
Little Powder might well be an exception to most of the of filth down here, but in giving her this gift he'd need to teach her more than he'd originally intended. Possibly a lifetime of training, likely with little in the way of reward. Many would call that madness. Then again, madness is contagious. And what is the definition of madness? Normality was a lie, after all. Everyone was unique.
"There you are; all squared away." Vander slid a rusty key ring across the counter, snapping him back to the present. "Your room's up in the attic."
Kurama offered a low whistle. "I like this one. He understands."
"What, just like that?" Naruto swept a finger through it, dangling it underneath. While it felt nice to be shown some proper hospitality, he wasn't sure he deserved it. "I can stay here? But I haven't done anything to earn it at all, yet."
"You will in a moment." the aging barkeep pushed off the counter. "But first, a question. Just how strong are you?"
Naruto found himself quirking a brow. "Strong enough, I guess. Why?"
"No reason." the twinkle in his eye said otherwise. "Dodge."
"Wait, whaddya mean dodge-
Vander moved.
Naruto reacted accordingly. A clenched fist smacked into his open palm, producing a vicious shockwave that blew the blond's hair back. The barstool creaked ominously beneath him, but he didn't budge an inch. Blue eyes met dark gray. Neither yielded. A low growl snaked through the air. He wasn't sure who it came from. His wrist twisted and yanked the barkeep forward, only to grunt as the man's forehead bashed against his.
One monster eyed another. Neither yielded.
In that moment, Naruto felt he gained some measure of the man Powder called papa. His gaze drifted up to the gauntlets hanging from the bar. Here was a killer who had cast his gloves aside, an old hound who no longer bared his fangs, a man who sought to become something better, not for himself, but for the sake of his family. He could respect that. Admire it, even. His was a resolve few could aspire to.
At length, Vander withdrew, plucked a pipe from his coat, then lit it. "Thought I told ya to dodge."
"You did." Naruto lowered his arm, found himself smiling despite it all. "Didn't feel like it."
"Not bad." the former fighter chortled a little, considering him as one might a fine gem. "Bit sloppy, though. Who taught you how to punch?"
"No one, really." Naruto rolled his good shoulder. "I'm mostly self taught...
He fell silent at that brash remark. "Any other tricks?"
...got something you don't mind losing?"
"Hmm." Vander thumbed his bearded chin as he considered the sorry state of the pub. At length, his eye settled on a ramshackle wall nearby, crude plaster and all, well out of the way. "Eh, that musty thing over there's been crumbling for a bit now. Been meaning to tear it down and build it back up. Why don't you-
Naruto pointed a golden digit at it, not once budging from his seat.
A miniature rasenshuriken whistled forth from his finger; with a thought it hurtled forward. It was over in an instant. The wall didn't so much fall as it did disintegrate outright. There wasn't even any rubble left to fall to the wayside. More than a few patrons shied back, eyes bulging.
Naruto blew on his still smoldering finger. "Hows that?"
Alright, maybe he was showing off a bit. What could he say? Vander had left him in a good mood. It felt like he was staring at an older version of himself; a man willing to die for his ideals, someone willing to take on the world itself for the sake of what he deemed was right. Older, harder, perhaps a bit wiser, but the resemblance was there; if not in appearance then beliefs.
How could that not rile him up?
Vander whistled at the gaping hole he'd left within, then looked back to him. "...you're not a mage, are you?"
The ghost of a smile touched Naruto's face. "No. Not a mage. Dunno what that is."
"You seem a decent enough sort," he took a long puff from his pipe and exhaled deeply, "So let me give you some advice." Something darker still flashed through those dark eyes. "You said you'd help Powder. I'm fine with that. But if you hurt those kids...
...you hurt me." Naruto flicked him a thumb's up. "Got it."
Vander offered his pipe to him.
On a whim Naruto leaned in and took a puff of it.
Mistakes were made. His eyes bulged even as his lips puckered.
"Blech!" he recoiled, hacking and coughing. "That's vile! How do you stand it?!"
"You get used to it." The old brawler clapped him on the back. "Welcome to the lanes. And kid?"
Naruto paused. "Yeah?"
...look after Powder. She's had it rough, too."
Naruto risked a brief glance over his shoulder. Sure enough he found the runt lingering by the door.
A weary sigh threaded through the air.
"Don't have to tell me twice...
(.0.0.0.)
Vi didn't trust easily.
When you grew up on the streets, family was all you had. That and the strength of your own two fists. Vander was family. So were Mylo and Claggor. Powder was her sister by blood. She'd fight for them. Die for them, if it came to that. Family was family. You didn't mess with family.
So who was this weirdo and why was her baby sister running off to meet him? Where were they off to? Where were they going?
It nagged at her like nothing else; an angry red thorn that pulled and pricked at her heart 'till she felt fit to snap. No matter what Vander said, she didn't trust him. Not after what she'd seen.
And so she would follow them. She had to be sure.
She would watch. She would wait.
She could do nothing else.
.
..
...for now.
(.0.0.0.)
...I don't get it. What's chakra?"
Powder tilted her head just so, a stray strand of blue hair falling across her face.
"Shh!" Naruto held up a finger, but didn't budge from where he sat opposite her, nor did he open his eyes. "I need to concentrate." Yet for all that, those closed lids seemed to see her all the same. "And you need to stay still. I already told you that."
Powder shrugged restlessly. "Aw...
"Ah!" he scowled at her, "I heard that! Don't move!"
She stuck out her tongue at him and blew a raspberry, but nevertheless obeyed. "No fun...
"This isn't about fun." his voice dropped an octave, resonating with something she didn't understand. "This is dangerous, damnit. If I screw this up...well." his lips pursed in a grimace. "It won't be pretty. So let me focus."
Blast. She couldn't fault him for that. So she sulked instead. "Boo...
Naruto didn't answer and so she settled in to wait, trying to ignore the pins and needles in her legs. He'd led her out to the yard and bid her to sit down before doing the same. That had been...what, five minutes now? Ten? More? Less? She wasn't sure. She'd never sat still this long. She was used to moving, acting and doing, not...whatever this was.
Stranger still, he was still holding her hand.
Not holding-holding, he was gripping her wrist really. Like a handshake or something.
But if this would make her stronger, then surely that was worth, it right?
Besides, this was probably safe. Hopefully. Maybe-
"Yeow!"
She jolted as his hand burned white hot against her skin. Heat surged through her elbow, into her shoulder, and poured into her chest. Soon enough it flowed down into the rest of her, leaving a strange tingling sensation in her muscles.
"What was that?"
"That," blue eyes fluttered open with a tired sigh, "Was me creating chakra coils in your body." when she didn't deny him, still he continued. "They're not something your body was meant to have, so I had to be careful in creating them." his lips pursed. "It was...difficult.
A strange feeling welled up in the pit of her stomach. Almost felt like she was sick.
She scratched at her arms. "I feel...itchy."
Not a bad sort of itchy, just itchy. Like she had an itch she couldn't quite scratch. Her body hummed with energy, a faint power she didn't quite understand. It left her restless, knees twisting from side to side in thinly veiled anxiety.
"Perfectly natural," Naruto climbed to his feet and flicked her forehead, drawing a petulant whine from her. "You've not used those coils yet. If you don't, they'll atrophy."
Alright. That made a lick of sense. But a question persist. "...will they make me stronger?"
"With patience and the right training." Those keen orbs narrowed on her intently. "Look, kiddo, this is a very important gift." he trust a finger forth, gently jabbing her shoulder. "And not something I gave out lightly. Don't misuse it, you hear?" He mistook her silence for acceptance and bulled on. "I'm not the best teacher for this sort of thing, but I'll give it my best shot."
"Just like that?"
"Yup." his smile was pure as the sun.
Tears burned in her eyes. "Why me, though? Why give me this?"
She didn't deserve a gift like this. She was a jinx. A screw up. Her bombs never worked. She wasn't just unlucky, she was cursed. Surely this would go wrong, too.
Naruto faltered a little beneath her teary gaze, coughed into a fist and looked away. 'Cuz I made a promise. I don't go back on my word."
Powder wanted to believe him. Really, she did...until fear reared its ugly head once more. "But I always jinx everything-
"No!" His staff slammed down, splitting the earth and startling her alike. "Don't talk like that! You're not a jinx. You will never be a jinx; not if I have anything to say about it!" For a fleeting moment he loomed large over her, casting her in his shadow. "I've been where you are now. I had nothing, no, less than nothing. Nobody believed in me at first. I had to sacrifice and bleed and sweat and cry to get where I am now...
Powder gulped once.
...but fortunately, I had help. And so will you."
When he offered her his hand, she latched onto it. He pulled her upright.
"We'll start with the basics." his staff clinked down, gently this time. "I want you to focus on that "itchy" feeling in the pit of your stomach." when her brow furrowed he hastened to explain. "That's your chakra. You have it now, but its next to useless if you don't know how to use it. So we'll start with-
"But you only have one arm!" her mouth betrayed her, interjecting as her eyes flitted to the nub of his limb. "I mean, you can't really teach much with one arm, but...
Naruto smirked and raised his stub. A giant golden claw of chakra sprouted from it. Powder balked. As she looked on it grew in size, easily larger than she was tail. Still smiling he he casually reached over, seized an empty metal barrel and crushed it like a can of soda. The ruined remnants crashed to the dirt at her feet.
"Wanna run that by me again?"
Her jaw clicked open. "That's wicked. Teach me!"
"Sorry," His eyes flashed once, prompting another gulp from her, a little one this time. "This is the one thing I can't teach or give ya."
"Shoot." Powder kicked at the ground. "Well, that sucks. I'm still weak, then. Still useless...
Perhaps sensing her sorrow, Naruto sighed. His marked hand mussed her hair.
"Not for long. Now then, ready for your first lesson?"
Powder perked up and snapped off a salute.
Her teacher chortled softly.
"Thatta girl...
A/N: Arcane's just a blast to write~!
To be clear, Naruto can very much give and TAKE chakra away as he is now. If someone abuses his gift...poof! Gone.
As ever, we're following the Ember's Rule here. That's no joke. Really, it isn't.
If folks don't like this, it'll be deleted. Poof! Gone! Every bit of feedback helps. Reviews are the fuel which keeps me writing in these crazy times. With my tight schedule, I simply don't have time to write a story folks don't like. Without them, my inspiration cannot take wing and I can't write a word. So by all means, speak up!
Reviews are my lifeblood. Without them, I cannot write.
So In the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Revieeeeew, Would You Kindly?
They keeps an old man alive.
And enjoy the previews.
As ever:
SPOILER! SPOILER! SPOILER!
PLOT DETAILS AHOY!
YE BE WARNED!
Get ready to smile~!
Obvious references are obvious~!
(POTENTIAL!) Previews! What can I say? I've been busy.
"What do you want with my sister?"
"Me? I'm just keeping a promise."
"We hit a house!"
"Did you?" Naruto quirked a brow. "Any good loot?"
Powder opened the heavy sack. A low whistle was her reward.
"All that training really paid off!" her grin was nothing short of euphoric. "I kicked ass! And look at these!" She held up a trio of tiny glowing spheres. "Aren't they pretty?"
Naruto felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. "What...what are those...?
Kurama hissed in his head. "Nothing good."
The Hound of the Underground and the Fox Forged From Fire...best not mess with those two.
And why's that?"
A hand clamped down on Deckard's shoulder.
"Because," Someone hummed in his ear, "You might not survive.
"Touch those kids again, and I'll eat you alive."
"Fascinating, simply fascinating! And you say you're not from this world? Why, after that display, I dare say I believe it!"
Naruto's brow shot straight into his hairline. "And you are...?"
"Professor Heimerdinger, at your service!"
"Real power doesn't come to those who were born fastest, strongest, or even the smartest. It comes to those who will do anything to achieve it."
"On that, I'm afraid we'll have to disagree. I don't want power. Never have. Never will. I just want to keep my promise."
"You have Vander's spirit, boy. And you're not afraid to fight. I'll give you that. But this only ends one way."
"You're right! It ends with you listening to me. I can be very persuasive.
R&R~!