Summary: Flung into a world of advanced technology and magical fantasy, can a war torn hero defies the future that has already been decided and finds his own happiness there, or will he once again become an instrument of fate and lose all that he cares about? Lucky for him, his new friend seems to know a thing or two about the fate of her world, in a way one could not possibly imagine. [FF7R]

This is a crossover between Naruto and the Remake continuation of Final Fantasy VII, and eventually Rebirth.

Inspired by The Legend of Gaia's Sennin written by The Engulfing Silence, carrying many similar elements that I take no credits of – although I have received the permission to use these elements for this story from the author himself. Everything belongs to their rightful owners and creators!


"Naruto" Normal Speech.

'Naruto' Normal Thought.

"Rasengan" Magic/Jutsu/Technique.

"Kurama" Demon/Monster/Bijuu Normal Speech.

'Kurama' Demon/Monster/Bijuu Thought.

Defiers of Fate

Chapter 3

Bodyguard

"I'm glad to see you're all here,"

Spoke Tseng as he walked into the spacious room through the automatic door. He was a tall man, wearing a dark blue business suit. The sharp lines and creases of his clothing, along with the no-nonsense expression on his face told everyone who met him that he was not a man to be crossed. He had black eyes, shoulder-length, black hair that was tied in a ponytail, and a tilak in the center of his forehead.

"Now that you are all present, we can get down to why this meeting was called."

The other members of the organization that had previously been lounging around on the various couches and sofas spread across the special room reserved just for them all stood at attention as their leader walked into the room. The only one who had been standing was a young woman who, like the others, was dressed in the standard uniform of the organization, consisting of a black suit, a white dress shirt, a black tie, dress slacks, arched dress boots, and fingerless gloves.

Although her silent nature may come across as cold, while her colleagues and superiors knew that she simply preferred to stay focus on the job, every employee in Shinra agreed that Cissnei had the fact of an angel, with some even debating if she was the 'prettiest woman in Midgar'. With a slightly heart shaped face that held a youthful appearance, flawless, lightly tanned skin, light brown eyes and reddish brown hair that ran down to just below her shoulders in messy curls, it was hard to argue with their assessment.

"I was wondering why us three had been called in, boss." A man with spiky red hair commented from his spot on the couch, being the only one that had not risen from his seat that he was currently shared with his partner, a man with a completely bald head, but well trained figure.

"All will be answered in due time, Reno." Tseng answered as he walked over to his desk and pressed a button on his laptop, turning on the massive screen on the far side of the wall, drawing the attention of the other three inside the room to it. There were a few seconds in which the screen remained blank, then it started to crackle for a moment before shifting into the image of Naruto and Aerith, walking side by side on the street of Sector 5 Slums.

"The Ancient?" Reno asked, acknowledging Aerith for the title that the special divisions of Shinra knew her for, although it wasn't long for him to turn his gaze to her companion "And who's the blondie? Is he her boyfriend or something?"

"No one knows. His ID said he's from Kalm, but it could be fake information. He has recently settled down in the Slums of Sector 5, and is believed to be living with the Ancient." Tseng answered as he pressed a button and brought up the blond's ID, displaying his information along with a portrait photo of him.

"Those eyes." Cissnei pointed out while having the odd feeling she had seen him somewhere before. "Is he an ex-SOLDIER?"

"We have records of a SOLDIER candidate that looked like him, although he never made it and became a member of the infantry unit due to failing the psychological test. Whether that candidate and this man are the same person is yet to be confirmed. We cannot rule out the possibility that he has his name changed." Tseng nodded before he continued, speaking in a firmer tone as he looked at his subordinates around the room, confirming Cissnei's suspicion of him "Professor Hojo has requested for the Ancient to be brought to him for her monthly medical evaluations."

"Well, here we go again…" Reno said lazily as he leaned back into his seat.

"Sir, may I ask why you need all three of us this time? Usually just Reno or Rude or myself is enough for the job." Cissnei asked seriously, casting her gaze back to the blond on the screen "Is it because of him?"

"You're correct, Cissnei." Tseng confirmed with a nod "It appears this mysterious individual here has been making quite a name for himself being a mercenary. According to the Intelligence Division, monster hunting is in his job description, and it seems he's very good at it. It's best that we don't underestimate his ability and risk interference with our operation in securing the Ancient."

"Reno and Rude, you two will handle him if he gets in the way. You're allowed to bring a unit of infantry with you." Tseng then continued, speaking to the two men on the couch before looking over to Cissnei, who already knew what she needed to do "Cissnei, you will take care of the Ancient. I'm certain she will try to resist us again, so try to bring her in unharmed."

"Understood, sir." Cissnei nodded her head at Tseng in response.

"This should be interesting." Reno made the comment as he folded his hands behind his head, looking quite uncaring despite what he said.

"I have sent everything that we know about him to your personal device, be sure to read it before going to the Slums. You will leave later this afternoon." The leader of the Turks said as he took his seat behind his desk and pulled out several documents along with a pen, continuing to speak to Reno and Rude without needing to take his eyes off the paperwork that he was about to do "You two better get going."

Hearing Tseng only referring to him and Rude, Reno poked his head up and saw that Cissnei was already on her way out of the room, leaving him and his partner with no choice but to immediately get up and follow her, while Tseng just sighed.


"All done?"

"Yeah. That should be everything. We can go collect my payment now."

The sound of heavy machinery and clanking tools filled the air as Naruto accepted his payment from the satisfied client, who then bid him and Aerith goodbye as he left the construction site with the girl following a close distance behind him, waving her hand goodbye to the workers who all adored her much like the other people of the slums.

It had been just over a week and a half since Naruto had found himself on Gaia, and although he had adapted to the new world he had found himself in, not much had changed for the blond. His life had been relatively peaceful, especially when compared to the previous one he had in the Elemental Nations.

Naruto now worked as the mercenary of the slums, taking whatever jobs came his way from the mundane tasks like supply runs and manual labor, like what he had been doing that morning at the local construction site near the gate of Sector Five for a modest payment of five hundred Gil, to the occasional monster hunts. Saving the children from the toad king and its minions, a group of monsters that had been terrorizing not just their secret playground but many areas around the slums, had done wonder to his reputation. News of his heroic deed spread around quickly, and many residents of the slums now welcomed Naruto as one of their own, seeking him out whenever they needed a specialist to help take care of their problems.

"So? Where to next?"

"I have enough money to pay the medical bill that I still owe now. Let's head back to his clinic first." Naruto answered as he and Aerith stepped into the bustling streets of Sector Five's slums. The two of them had become such a familiar sight for the people that most would start wondering where the other was if the two of them were not together, which rarely ever happened..

"We should also find a place to have lunch as well. My mom won't let me hear the end of it if I don't make sure that you eat your lunch on time." Aerith pointed out with a playful smile, making Naruto chuckle softly.

How Aerith managed to convince Elmyra to allow him, a complete stranger who had literally appeared out of nowhere to her, to stay over at their home was still beyond him. During the first few days, he could tell that the woman was incredibly cautious and possibly even suspicious of him, more so than anyone else in the slums. Perhaps it was because she was worried about her daughter spending time with him, as any parent would, but whatever the case was, she had started to warm up to him after the first week passed by and having him helped out around with the heavy chores, and introduced to her the usefulness of bento – lunch boxes. Although he had promised the woman he would move out as soon as he had saved up enough money to get himself a home to stay in, Naruto couldn't help but feel that Elmyra had come to see him as part of their family already.

It was also hard for him to think about moving out now that he had come to enjoy the warm and cozy feeling that he felt living with the Gainsborough in their house, especially after spending most his life living alone, with Aerith recently putting his name on the door of the guest bedroom where he had been staying in. The girl seemed to always have a way to make his new life in Gaia much more exciting and lively, and Naruto had yet to experience a dull moment with her around.

"How about we do it at the church then?" Naruto suggested, making Aerith beam at him, nodding her head eagerly. Her long braid and sidebands swayed with the movement as she skipped ahead of him, leading the way through the crowded streets while Naruto followed closely behind her.

After a couple of minutes of walking, the two finally reached the clinic of the slum, pushing the door open with the soft chime of the doorbell echoing through the air to head inside, where they found the doctor sitting behind his desk as usual, jotting notes on a clipboard. His face lit up with a smile when he heard the doorbell ringing and looked up to see Naruto and Aerith walking toward him, with the latter smiling brightly and waving her hand at him.

"Hello, doctor!"

"Ah, Aerith, Naruto! Good to see you both," He responded in a cheery voice, setting down his clipboard and standing up to properly greet the two. "How are you today?"

"We're doing great. Naruto here finally has enough money to pay you." She said as she gestured a hand to Naruto, who stepped forward and placed a small bag of Gil on the desk. Despite making it seem like he had just earned enough money to pay the doctor for his medical bill, Naruto actually could have done so days ago after clearing out the group of monsters in the courtyard behind the slums. However, the blond had made the decision to save up a substantial fund first, as he didn't want to empty his wallet completely in one go, not when he had other expenses that he would need to attend to as well.

"Ah, and here I was worrying that you might have forgotten. Thanks, Naruto. I truly appreciate it." The doctor chuckled as he took the bag and put it away into the pocket of his coat. Smiling, the doctor then turned his attention over to Aerith and asked her "Aerith, would you be able to bring me some herbs for the medicine I am preparing for my patient?"

"Of course, doctor. It would be my pleasure." Aerith said and walked with the doctor to his desk, where he brought out a note from his clipboard and started writing down the herbs and flowers that he needed. Staying back and waiting for him to finish, Naruto looked across the room and saw a figure draped in a blanket sleeping in the bed that he had occupied days ago when he first arrived, figuring it was the patient that the doctor needed to make the medicine for. Even from where he was standing, Naruto could see that the patient had sickly pale skin, and hear him groaning quietly under his breath as he slept.

"Here you go, Aerith. I still have some left from the last batch, so there's no need for you to rush." The doctor said as he handed Aerith the note, making her nod at him before putting it away into the right pocket of her jacket.

After that, Naruto joined his friend as she bid farewell to the doctor and made her way out of the clinic, giving the doctor a smile before heading out and closing the door behind him. Before he could suggest their destination, Aerith had already turned around and looked at him with a meaningful smile, making the blond snort softly under his breath before a smile spread out across his face.

"Alright, let's go to the church and eat our lunch then."

"Yay!"

With that, Aerith turned around and ran off toward the gate, leaving Naruto to follow closely behind her. Eventually, the girl slowed down to walking, and the two journeyed together beyond the residential area of Sector 5 slums, crossing a junkyard filled with piles of garbage and twisted looking metal structures, remind Naruto of the junk heap in Konoha that he had been forced to go to in order to find his beat up appliances.

Soon, Naruto and Aerith arrived at the large structure that Aerith had taken him to a couple of days ago and told him was a church, a place where people go to for religious activities – or at least used to before it was completely abandoned. The roof was slanted and tiled, and the body was made of large sandstone bricks. The front door was a large set of wooden double-doors with bronze handles that looked like it would collapse if he gave it a slightly hard push. Despite looking more or less like a ruin, the place certainly held a tranquil quality to it.

Inside the Church were several rows of wooden benches, most were in poor condition and some were already broken. There were large columns on either side of the room, holding the roof up while at the far end was a door, and in the center was a small patch of vibrant looking flowers. Sunlight was streaming through a small hole in the roof, lighting up the flowers beautifully. Naruto had wondered how there could be any sunlight at all with Shinra's giant plate blocking out the sun above them, but he had also learnt to accept the effect that Aerith seemed to have with the nature around her.

"I gotta craft a table and some chairs if we keep coming back here to have lunch." Naruto said, making Aerith giggle in agreement before he brought out from the inner pocket of his jacket a scroll, which he had brought from the local grocery store in the Slums and recraft into something similar to what he and the other ninjas normally used, and opened it to unseal two bento boxes and a pair of chopsticks along with a spoon for Aerith, who watched closely before smiling in amazement.

No matter how many times she had seen him doing it, Naruto never ceased to amaze her with what he could do, from storing items away inside his scroll for safekeeping and easy transporting, to manipulating elements in various forms without the need for Materia. It confirmed that he was indeed from another world, and prompted her to wonder if all ninjas from his world could do the same things that he could, or if it was something exclusive to him.

"So, do you have any job this afternoon?" Aerith asked as she sat near the patch of flowers and enjoyed her lunch with Naruto, who sat in front of her and ate the foods Elmyra had prepared for them using the chopsticks.

"I think I am done for the day. Unless a monster shows up, I will be free for the rest of the day." Naruto answered with a shrug before he suggested, looking over Aerith at the flowers on the ground behind her "Would you like me to accompany you as you go sell these flowers?"

"I'd love to, but you don't need…"

"You are planning to go to Sector 7 today, right? The weapon shop that is making my weapons is also in Sector 7. I want to go check if they have finished my order yet." Naruto smiled at Aerith, stopping her before she could tell him that he didn't have to go with her "Plus, I think it would put your mother's mind at ease knowing I'm with you. Watching over you and making sure that nothing is gonna happen to you is the least that I can do to repay her kindness, and yours as well."

"When you put it that way..."

Aerith said, smiling softly at the blond before she nodded her head to him, making Naruto grin at her in response before turning back to finish his food, pretty much inhaling the whole thing in less than a minute. Elmyra's cooking was just as amazing as ever.

"Still no luck?"

Aerith asked in interest as Naruto brought out from his jacket the orange Materia and started to toss it up and down in his hand. She had recently taught him how to use Materia, but while he had no problem using hers, the normal ones, succeeding after only a few tries, the orange Materia remained unresponsive no matter what he did. Aerith had tried to see if she could use it herself, but gave up after she also failed.

"Yeah… feels like this thing is just a glowing rock at this point." Naruto said as he caught the Materia in his hand and tried once more, even channeling a bit of chakra into it to see if that would work, but it was just as he had expected, nothing happened. The result was the same as always.

"Maybe the problem is that we don't know what it does."

"Could be." Naruto nodded his head in agreement and went back to tossing the Materia, doing it a few more times before putting it back in his pocket once Aerith had finished her lunch, handing her a handkerchief along with a bottle of water before taking her box to seal it and his back into his scroll. Turning back to Aerith, he watched as she selected the flowers that she would sell for the day from the patch of flowers and picked each type by a dozen to neatly and delicately put them in her woven basket, handling each flower with great care.

"Ready?"

"Yes. Let's go." Aerith said as she got up and nodded her head to Naruto, heading out of the church with him to make their way back to the residential area of the slums and take the train to Sector 7 Slums, arriving at the station just in time to buy two tickets for themselves and get on the train just as it was about to leave.

Since Sector 7 Slums was only a sector away, the train ride to the area was swift and uneventful, with Naruto passing the passenger ID checkpoints without any problem thanks to his new ID card, which he had gotten from the local authority in the Slums after helping them out with some jobs and filling out a bunch of paperwork, registering himself as a traveler from Kalm who looked to settle down in Midgar as a mercenary.

Due to the recent rumors of Avalanche's increased activities around the Slums, Shinra had tightened up their security measures, scanning each person and making arrests without warning if anything suspicious was found. Having grown out of his careless-self years ago, Naruto was not foolish enough to travel around Midgar by trains without some appropriate papers on him, knowing that it would only draw unnecessary attention to him from Shinra and bring troubles to Aerith whenever they traveled together.

Once they arrived at Sector 7 Slums, Naruto and Aerith disembarked from the train and stepped into the small station. All slums within Midgar had a few shared characteristics, from the narrowed, twisting streets to the old and rusty huts and buildings. The air was filled with a mix of various smells - from food vendors cooking up their specialties to the metallic tang of machinery being worked on in the local shops. Despite the poverty evident in every corner, the atmosphere was just as lively as it was in Sector 5.

"Would you like to buy some flowers? All of them are only one Gil, each."

Naruto smiled as Aerith began selling flowers the moment that she stepped out of the train with him, looking as enthusiastic as she had always been moving from one person to another, talking with anyone who would give her the time of day trying to convince them to buy her flowers. Some people did, some people didn't and some just outright ignored her. But no matter what happened Aerith kept carrying on with a smile on her face as she worked. Not too many were people buying from her, despite flowers being a rarity in Midgar and she was selling each for only 1 Gil, the job seemed to be something that the brunette greatly enjoyed and sometimes, that alone was already more than enough.

"I'm done here." Aerith said as she walked up to Naruto and stopped a few feet in front of him with a smile on her face. "So, where is this weapon shop that you mention?"

"This way." Naruto answered with a gesture of his head to the side before he led Aerith out of the station and toward the innermost section of Sector 7 Slums, stopping multiple times for Aerith to sell her flowers, which Naruto did not mind even the slightest bit.

Eventually, the two arrived at a two story building with smoke coming out of the chimney on the rooftop. As they entered the building together, Aerith's attention was immediately drawn to the impressive collection of weapons on display. The assortment ranged from swords and spears of various sizes, their polished blades glistening in the light, to custom-made guns and crossbows that stood out from the mass-produced ones Shinra supplied their enforcers with. Although she had only been to a couple of weapon shops before, Aerith knew not many of them had a forge, where the smoke was coming from, and a shooting range where a group of customers were testing out their newly purchased weapons on dummy targets, filling it with holes as they laughed and cheered with one another.

Those customers…

"Hey, old man!" Naruto's call caused Aerith to turn back to him, watching her friend as he walked to the counter, where the 'old man' was standing even though he didn't look that old. He appeared to be in his middle ages, with graying brown hair and dark brown eyes, with his attire consisting of a white tank top, leather jacket and green pants. Unlike the young and slender shopkeeper who sold weapons from his trailer in Sector 5 Slums, this man looked like he could handle heavy weaponry; his rough hands and defined muscles showed the hours he had spent working at the forge.

"Oh, it's you again," Yamato acknowledged Naruto in annoyance, shaking a fist at the blond. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me an old man!"

"You can tell me as many times as you want, old man." Naruto shrugged with a small grin, making Yamato narrow his eyes at him before he turned to look at Aerith, his gaze casting from her to the basket of flowers in her hand. "By the way, this is my friend, Aerith. Aerith, this is Yamato, the owner of this shop."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Yamato." Aerith greeted Yamato in a friendly manner, earning an amused chuckle from the blacksmith.

"I can already tell your girlfriend has more manners than you, kid." Yamato said, making Aerith's cheeks dust a light pink hue. Fortunately for her, it went unnoticed by both men as Yamato pointed a finger at her basket of flowers and asked in a curious tone "Are those real?"

"Yes, they are real. Would you like to buy some? They are only 1 Gil each." Aerith answered radiantly as she stepped forward and showed the blacksmith her wares, making him grin in response before bringing out some money to buy a bunch. "Thank you so much."

"Don't mention it. It's been so long that I have seen real flowers. They remind me of home… and life outside of Midgar." Yamato said as he put the flowers into a small cup and made his way over to the forge to fill it with some water from the bucket before returning to his seat to put the flowers on the counter. "There. This should do for now. I will have to make a proper vase for it later."

"So, can I get a discount for my order?" Naruto jokingly asked.

"For the lady, maybe, if she wants to buy a weapon. You, not a chance." Yamato replied nonchalantly, making Naruto snort in response while Aerith just shook her head and waved her hand in front of her to politely refuse his offer, already feeling quite content with her staff. "Alright, wait here. I will be right back with your stuff."

Nodding, Yamato then turned around and made his way towards a backdoor where Naruto and Aerith figured he kept all of his orders. The two did as told and waited, chatting idly with each other before they heard the sounds of the door being opened again, although much more forcefully than normal – probably from Yamato kicking it open. Soon, the blacksmith made his return, carrying in his hand one large, wooden box that looked to weigh a couple dozen pounds.

"Here, the first batch of order that you requested to be completed first." The blacksmith heaved as he set it down on the counter top.

Naruto and Aerith watched as he took off the lid on the box, revealing hundreds of shuriken, their shiny metal surfaces reflecting the yellow light of the room off each other. However, what drew Aerith's attention was an intricately crafted kunai that was laid in a separated section of the box, having three blades instead of just one like the weapons she had seen in documentaries about the Wutai war on television. In addition to its unique design, the handle of the kunai also had a single Materia slot.

"I gotta give it you, kid. The schematic that you gave me to forge this kunai is incredibly detailed. I don't think I have crafted a kunai like this in my life." Yamato said as he carefully picked up the kunai and handed it to the blond, who then gave it a few tests, feeling its weight and consistency while expertly wielding it in his hand. Judging by the look that Yamato had as he watched Naruto handling the blade, Aerith could tell that he was impressed by his skill. "How did you come up with such a design?"

"I didn't. My father used kunai like this. I simply wanted to pay some homage to the same technique that he used them with." Naruto said, before bringing out from his pocket the orange Materia, moving it close to the slot near the handle. To his surprise, although not entirely unexpected, the Materia shrank down until it fit perfectly into the slot. Naruto smiled as he inserted it and watched it enlarge to fit snugly inside "Perfect."

Smiling, the blond then showed the Kunai with the Materia to Aerith, who beamed at him in response.

"An orange Materia, huh? That's my first time seeing one." Yamato smiled while scratching his chin thoughtfully. "There was this kid from my hometown who really loved Materia, especially the rare ones. It's been years since I last saw her though, but if she ever comes to Midgar you better be careful because she will try to nick yours the moment she learns of its existence."

"If I ever run into her, I'd love to see her try."

Naruto said with an amused laugh, before he went back to the box and pulled out several of the shuriken to start testing them to see their quality. It was just as he had expected, each shuriken was very well made, sturdy and sharp, yet also weighted just right.

"These are perfect. Thank you so much, old man." Naruto said sincerely as he carefully packed the weapons back into the box. "I'll be sure to put them to good use."

"Just be sure not to get caught by Shinra with those around."

"I'm more surprised that they let you live and sell these weapons here in Midgar." Naruto replied absently. "Aren't you from Wutai or something?"

"Yes, but it's been years since I last saw it. And also, believe it or not, some of their enforcers use Wutai weapons. A lot of their soldiers and instructors became adapted with their techniques during the war. Understanding your enemies and all that bullshit." Yamato replied with a shrug, making Naruto nod his head in understanding. "I guess my crafts and my skills are still useful to them to a certain degree, so they let me off the hook until I decide to cross them. As long as you don't throw these weapons at Shinra and point your finger where you got them from, I will be fine. There are other Wutai blacksmiths in Midgar, after all, but I'm the best."

"Bold of you to say… but don't worry, I'm not that kind of guy. Not to mention I won't get caught." Naruto said with a smile before he continued "I can't promise you I won't throw these at Shinra though."

"Alright then. Be sure to come back in three weeks for the rest." Yamato told Naruto before he decided to ask, watching the blond in a mix of confusion and curiosity as he picked up the box and placed it on the floor, keeping only the kunai at his side "Do you need any help carrying that? I can get my assistant to…"

"Don't worry, sir. He got this covered." Aerith giggled and told him, making Yamato look at her strangely before the two of them watched as Naruto brought out his storage scroll and unrolled it.


"Hey Aerith, I'm feeling a bit thirsty so wanna go check out that bar over there?"

Naruto asked, gesturing his thumb to the building that stood just across the street as he and Aerith exited the weapon shop together. Like most buildings in the slums, it appeared more or less a bungalow of brick and wood cobbled together to create something vaguely resembling a building, but was still definitely the brightest one in Sector Seven, easily noticeable with its lights and well taken care of the doorway. The building was two stories, with a large sign on the front of that blocky piece that had big 'HAVE A GREAT DAY' written in bold lettering on it. Below that was another, curved sign that said Seventh Heaven.

"Don't you think that it's a bit too early for a drink?" Aerith smiled, making Naruto chuckle mirthfully in response.

"Nah, I just want to check if they serve any non-alcoholic drink." The blond answered with a shrug before he asked again "You wanna come? My treat."

"Aw, such a gentleman." Aerith giggled as the two of them went toward Seventh Heaven and made their way in through the saloon style doors. Aerith was the one who headed in first, with Naruto following her, though not before he stopped when he felt a ghostly presence behind him, making him turn around to look. However, when he couldn't see anyone but the same people on the streets, Naruto wondered if he was imagining things.

But he could have sworn that he saw something akin to a trail of dark smoke disappearing behind a building on his left.

"Naruto, you coming?" Aerith asked from inside the bar, making Naruto nod before entering. The inside was about what he would expect to see in a bar located in the slums. The floors were made of paneled wood and were slightly worn from use. There was a scattering of tables around the room with chairs placed around them, while dominating the entire section across from the door was a bar with several stools, and a fridge and shelving behind it containing several bottles, jars and jugs of various alcohols and other drinks. A large sink and stove combo was located on the other side, hidden behind a small wall, and to his right was an old jukebox that was playing a melody and a pinball machine. Despite everything looking aged and worn, the room was surprisingly clean.

To say that Naruto and Aerith were impressed would be an understatement.

"Oh wow, this place is certainly a lot nicer than the bar back at home." Aerith commented as she and Naruto took their seats at the table near the jukebox. A minute later, a person came up to them and asked them.

"What can I –"

Offered the young woman, but she stopped when Naruto turned around to look at her, blinking as he slightly leaned his head back and looked up. She looked to be in her early twenties, roughly the same as Aerith, and was an extremely beautiful woman with dark brown hair, which fell below her waist and was tied near the tips to form a distinctive dolphin-tail split. Her eyes were what one would call a whiskey red colored with brown coloring.

Her outfit was a white tank top over what looked to be a black sport bra that showed off nearly all her flat, well-toned stomach, and a black mini-skirt with a belt and suspenders. On her hands were a set of red and black gloves that extended up above her elbows, matching her red boots and black stockings. However, it wasn't her clothes or her eyes or even her beautiful face that attracted the most of Naruto's attention.

No, that honor belonged to her amazing figure, which clearly meant more than just looks. He wouldn't be too surprised if she didn't have any guard at the bar especially when she was beautiful and attractive as she was because she simply didn't need one when she could do the job herself. But above all, she had a bust that could easily measure up with the likes of Samui or even Tsunade Senju back in the Elemental Nations. Without her sport bra, her cleavage would have been pretty much visible thanks to her several sizes to small top. Following the curvature of her waist, her body flared out into a set of wide hips that were perfectly proportioned with her breasts, which moved into a set of long, toned and athletic legs.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked softly, getting the young woman to jolt in startlement at the sound of his voice, turning his gaze back to her face before she could notice he had been checking her out. Her face was quite pale, and her eyes remained widened as she looked at him, seemingly recognizing Naruto even though he was certain he had never met her before… unless she had seen him crossing the street to Yamato's weapon shop the first time he was at Sector 7 Slums.

Which could only mean that she was mistaking him for someone.

"C-Cloud?" She asked, her voice a bit shaky yet hopeful.

"Cloud?" Naruto repeated as he turned to look at Aerith, who also had the same confused look on her face as she looked between him and the bartender. It didn't take him long to realize that she had just spoken a name.

Before he could say anything, Aerith had responded to the young woman in a soft, comforting voice.

"I'm sorry, miss, but I think you have the wrong person. This is my friend, Naruto."

"O-oh..."

The beautiful bartender looked rather disappointed at her words, but she was quick to pull herself back together, a feat that actually impressed Naruto greatly. Giving Naruto an apologetic smile, she then said, speaking to the blond with a small smile on her face and her head lowering a little "My apology, I mistook you for a friend of mine I have not seen in years."

"Don't worry about it. It's fine." Naruto shook his head and said with a smile.

She gave him a bright smile and said, "Of course! Now, can I get you two something?"

"Do you serve any non-alcoholic drink?" Naruto asked and the bartender nodded her head in response. "You can bring me anything that you have."

"I will just have a glass of water, please." Aerith raised her hand and told the bartender cheerily when she turned to her.

Nodding her head to Aerith, the bartender then casted her gaze to the basket of flowers that the girl had put on the table and asked in surprise, "Are those…?"

"Real? Why yes!" Aerith responded with a beaming smile on her face "They are only 1 Gil each. Would you like to buy some flowers, miss…"

"Tifa. You can call me Tifa. It's been so long since I last saw real flowers." The bartender gave the brunette her name before she continued, smiling after checking out all the flowers that Aerith had. "Please wait here. I will be right back with your drink and the money to buy those flowers."

With that said, Tifa walked back to the bar and got behind it, grabbing two glasses before setting them down on the counter top. Naruto remained interested in the bartender for a few more seconds before he started casting his gaze somewhere, checking out the slot machine and wondering if Tifa would let him try out his luck there.

Though, the blond couldn't help but notice that there seemed to be a strange line of dust around the machine, as if the spot it was standing on was a trapdoor or something similar.

"Ouch." Naruo winced slightly when Aerith suddenly reached her hand out and pinched his arm, making him turn to her and look at the brunette in confusion. "What?"

"You were checking Tifa out, weren't you?" Aerith asked nonchalantly, and Naruto was also quick to deny it.

"No, I was not."

"Yes, you were."

Naruto just rolled his eyes playfully when he saw the teasing smile that Aerith then had on her face as he continued the exchange with him, the two of them not having to wait too long for Tifa to return with their drinks and the money to buy the flowers. How Aerith noticed him checking out Tifa even though he did it in like less than a second was still beyond him?


"Man, I'm actually starving."

Naruto said as he walked out of the train with Aerith while holding his grumbling stomach with one hand. The two of them had just returned to the Slums, after spending about two hours at Seventh Heaven enjoying their time with the friendly bartender Tifa, who had become quick friends with Aerith. Her bar certainly also looked a whole lot livelier than it already was with all the remaining flowers that Aerith had, with the other guests even commenting about them when they came in.

"Mom must be home waiting for us with dinner already. Let's get going." Aerith said as she walked up and grabbed his arm, dragging him out of the streets of Sector 5 Slums while the sun slowly descended over the horizon. The blond just laughed and walked with her.

But before they could make it anywhere near home, they were stopped by a lithe, suited figure, with Aerith being the first to recognize them, while Naruto just gazed on in curiosity. "Cissnei?" The brunette addressed as the other young woman, Cissnei, made a gesture of her head for them to follow her. Her expression was stern and headed toward the gate.

Whatever that she wanted with them, it seemed she didn't want it to happen in public.

"Aerith." Naruto said slowly as he looked at his friend. Her face was hidden from him by the sidebands of her hair, but the way she was gripping his arm told Naruto that she was no longer in her usual upbeat self.

"Naruto, can I please have my staff?" She asked and Naruto did not bother questioning why she wanted her weapon, bringing out his scroll and unrolling it in one smooth motion while it was still in the air to Aerith's staff, giving it to her before the two of them followed Cissnei out of the town. It wasn't long before they reached the courtyard near an abandoned factory, where Naruto immediately realized that they were fully surrounded.

"I hope you guys have a good reason for bothering us on our way home."

Naruto said, an underlying threat in his words as he gazed fearlessly at all the barrels of guns pointing at him when Cissnei stopped and turned around to look at them, standing between two suited men. One was a man who was adjusting the cuff of his suit, his all business, no nonsense aura was second only to the girl, while the other had a lanky physique, unkempt red hair terminating in a long ponytail, and two symmetrical red marks on his cheek bones. He was wearing goggles, pushed up onto his forehead, an unbuttoned suit jacket and an untucked dress shirt, giving him a lazy appearance, but Naruto didn't let that fool him as he looked at the electro-mag rod he was tapping against his shoulder.

"We have no reason to bother you," Reno said with a smirk, turning his gaze from Naruto to Aerith, who clenched her staff tightly in her hand "However, we were hoping the young lady would accompany us back to Shinra Headquarters."

"Sorry, but Aerith and I are kind of in a hurry, Maybe some other time gentlemen." Naruto said in a tone as if he weren't talking to anyone of significant status, even though he could already tell that the group were Shinra. Having done some research on them from watching news and reading newspapers, he knew that the three suits were the members of the Turks, an intelligence agency engaging in reconnaissance and espionage, or even black ops, including kidnappings and assassinations, on behalf of the corporation.

Not insignificant at all, that's for certain.

"Well you see now that's just too bad," The red head said, his demeanor showed that he clearly wanted the confrontation to go south "Because we were ordered to bring her. Some people we work for just want to run some for medical evaluations on her. We will let your girlfriend return home after our professors poke her fingertip with a needle to get some blood for testing, that's all. Promise she won't even feel a thing."

"You know that's not everything they wanted from me, Reno," Aerith said and Naruto was actually surprised by the venom in her voice, having never heard her using that kind of tone before. "I will not come with you."

"Well there you have it gentlemen," Naruto said as he slowly brought out his new kunai, which might not look not threatening at all to the Turks considering the backup that they had, and the skills that they possessed. "Aerith apparently doesn't want to come with you. How about we all call it the day and return to our home, huh? Before any of you guys get hurt here?"

"Man, would you listen to this punk, Rude?" Said Reno as he pointed his electro-mag rod at Naruto. He flicked his wrist and the rod came to life, sparking with blue streaks of electricity as it was turned on. "Looks like someone needs to teach you a lesson." A man of few words, Rude just grunted in response and took a stance, while Cissnei slowly brought out a weapon that looked like a disc. With a flick of her wrist the red, four pointed blades extended out, forming a shuriken with a rather unique design, something that did not come unnoticed by Naruto.

"The only lesson that is gonna be taught here will be by me." Naruto stated, his eyes narrowing before he threw his kunai at Reno with a flick of the wrist.

"Seriously?" The red haired Turks asked mockingly as he blocked the weapon, causing sparks to fly when its blade came in contact with his electro rod with relative ease "Do you even…!"

Before he could even react, Naruto had appeared above him in a flash of yellow, surprising even Aerith as he caught the kunai in his hand before kicking Reno in the side of his face with the sole of his left boot, sending him crashing face first into the ground much to the shock of his colleagues, who was completely stunned. Rude was the first to recover, throwing a hook at Naruto while he was in the air, but the blond simply flipped himself up after placing one hand on the man's surprisingly strong arm, using it to propel himself forward and kicked the man across his face, sending him flying and crashing into the steel door of the abandoned factory.

In a moment of panic, a soldier aimed his gun at Naruto and pulled the trigger. Quick as lightning, Naruto dodged the bullet by leaning his body to the side and deflecting it with his kunai. The sound of the metal projectile hitting the ground behind him stunned everyone whose eyes were on the blond.

"Cease fire! Cease fire!" Cissnei roared as she held her arms out to stop the other soldiers before they could do anything stupid, having already raised their weapons and pointed them at Naruto, with Aerith standing directly in their line of fire. "If even one stray bullet hit the Ancient, you're done! Do you understand?"

"But, ma'am…"

"The Ancient?"

As the captain of the infantry unit tried to reason with their superior, Naruto paused and casted his gaze momentarily back to Aerith, acknowledging that the title was indeed directed at her. Before he made any comment about it, Naruto quickly sidestepped, dodging an upward swing from Reno, who gritted his teeth while scrambling to get back to his feet. Naruto had to give it to the guy for his endurance and recovery speed. After all, he had kicked him pretty hard.

"Gotta make me work for it, huh?" Reno asked as he came at Naruto like a storm, letting loose a barrage of swift attacks using his electro rod, varying from thrusts, horizontal swings at the torso to downward strikes to the head and diagonal slash across the chest…. never letting up on his attacks. His strikes were fast, even for a human, and his footwork was light, staying on the offensive while using his speed to take down his opponents quickly. His weapon crackled dangerously with arcs of electricity as he swung at Naruto, and the blond knew better than to get hit by it. "About time, partner!"

Naruto swiftly turned to the side and used the back of his hand to block a fist coming at him from the side, acknowledging that Rude had recovered and rejoined his partner. There was a dark bruise on the side of his face where Naruto had kicked him, and his lips was also bleeding, but the man kept a perfectly calm demeanor as he attacked Naruto with a series of punches and kicks, syncing his attack with Reno to overwhelm the blond. Having noticed that he had broken his glasses when he kicked him, Naruto knew the man brought at least an extra pair.

"Naruto, don't hurt Cissnei and Rude." Aerith shouted at him from the side, making Naruto glance at her, his hands and kunai perfectly blocking and deflecting the attacks coming at him from the two male Turks "They might not look like it, but they are good people."

"The fuck is that favoritism, princess? What did I ever do to you?"

"You're rude!"

"That's my partner." Reno shouted back, but he never lost focus in his attacks. That, however, did not stop him from getting punched in the face by Naruto, causing him to stumble back and leave Rude to engage the blond alone, though only for a brief moment as Naruto caught his wrist and took a low stance to thrust the elbow of his other arm into his guts, sending him flying back with a cough of pain.

Noticing only the faintest sound of something spinning through the air, Naruto did not waste any time to tilt his body back, letting the shuriken that belonged to Cissnei, who realized she could not just stand there and watch from the side anymore, to sail past him with barely a centimeter to spare. Although Cissnei had missed her attack just as she had thought, expecting no less from a man who could react fast enough to deflect bullets, her shuriken still accomplished its main purpose, creating an opening for Reno and Rude to throw their joint attack at the blond.

Only for him to disappear in a poof of smoke and reappear above them in a whirling of leaf.

"What the…" was the only thing that Reno could utter before he and Rude were both kicked in the face again in a swirling, spinning attack from Naruto, sending them crashing toward the metal junks that were lying all around the courtyard. Rude was able to stop himself before he crashed into a stack of boxes, but he was instantly sent flying away by a greenish tornado that was directed at him by Aerith, falling onto the rooftop of the abandoned factory just as Naruto returned to the ground and spun around while simultaneously sidestepping the left, snatching Cissnei's weapon out of the air in a feat that showed lightning quick reflexes and perfect hand-to-eye coordination, his hand latching onto one of the handles on one of the four razor points that were protruding from the spoke when it made a full round and flew back at him.

Cissnei was too shocked to speak a single word, as she stood there and watched as the blond man examined her weapon. Never in her life had she ever seen it happen before. While she was sure that there were others who would be capable of such a feat, seeing it with her own eyes was still a shock.

"Nice shuriken. Don't think I have ever used one like this before." Naruto commented before he turned to Cissnei and asked her "It's quite unique. Do you have a name for it?"

Cissnei frowned as she tried to determine the best course of action. Seeing no other choice, she answered him. "It's called a Rekka."

"Rekka, huh?" The blond nodded and he tossed Cissnei back her weapon with a grin "Here. Consider it my gratitude for stopping those fools from firing at Aerith."

He gestured downwards with his fingers, causing Cissnei to blink in surprise and turn around. What she saw left her completely stunned and more shocked than when the man effortlessly caught her weapon midair. The soldiers from the infantry unit were all writhing on the ground, their weapons broken, and they were whimpering in agony.

When did they…

"Consider it a warming. The next time you even think about coming for my friend, remember that I am her bodyguard." Naruto said as he lowered his kunai down, standing protectively in front of Aerith as he said "You are lucky that Aerith likes you and baldy up there, so I will give you guys a pass this time. Grab your friends and return to your home. Do not follow us."

With that said, Naruto walked away with Aerith, not bothering to look back at the three Turks and their soldiers as they scrambled to their feet.


That night, after dinner was over and the dishes had been cleaned, Naruto found himself sitting cross-legged with his hands resting on top of each other, palms facing up in a meditative pose. He was silent as he took in the peaceful surroundings near the waterfall next to Aerith's home. The natural energy flowing into him had a unique sensation that he had never experienced before, calming his mind and soothing his body strangely.

"Are you going to just stand back there all night?" Naruto asked, making Aerith widen her eyes slightly. Smiling, Naruto then scooted himself over a bit and left a spot for Aerith to sit next to him. "If you're going to be out here with me then at least sit down."

Aerith smiled a bit before taking a seat next to him. As she sat down the young woman couldn't help but eye the blond man beside her, asking him in a tone mixed with curiosity and surprise, "How… how did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Being so in tune with the planet." Aerith answered softly "I thought… I was the only one who could do that."

"If you mean what I just did then it's a power that I learnt from the toads of my world." Aerith just looked at him strangely, making Naruto chuckle softly before he continued "No, I'm serious. It's called sage mode, a state that allows me to be one with nature through balancing the natural energy that I take in with my own physical and spiritual energies. I highly doubt it's the same as anything you can do though."

"I see… You gotta tell me how you ended up becoming students of toads later." Aerith nodded her head and said to him with a playful smile before she turned away and looked at all the flowers around them. "You know… I haven't thanked you for protecting me today. It was thank to you that I didn't get taken back to that place."

"Hey isn't that what the hero is supposed to do? Protect the princess, save the day and all that?" asked Naruto with a confident grin, making Aerith giggle lightly. Smiling at her, Naruto then sat there in silence with Aerith for a moment before he decided to ask "They are gonna come back for you again, aren't they?"

"Yes. Usually it was just Reno, or Rude, or Cissnei… but that was the first time they have sent all three of them." Aerith said.

"Must be because of me." Naruto answered and Aerith just shrugged her shoulders back at him in response, her hand reaching out and touching a flower gently. "Aerith, I'll understand if you don't want to talk about it, but I was hoping you could shed some light on the real reason why those Turks were after you."

"Do you know that Turks keep an eye out for potential SOLDIERs and stuff?" Aerith asked, a playful smile on her face as she turned to look at him, looking as if she was hopeful and excited by the idea "Maybe they think that I can be the greatest SOLDIER yet!"

"Aerith…" Naruto said softly.

He didn't want to force her to tell him, but he knew that the thought was weighing heavily on her mind.

"I'm sorry…" Aerith murmured apologetically as she sat back down, scooping her knees up into her arms as she lowered her head "It's just…"

"Does it have something to do with the planet?" Naruto inquired, remembering what Aerith had said to him on his first day in Gaia "You said the planet didn't recognize me, but it liked how I felt… Can you talk to Gaia or something?" So far, he had not met a single person who spoke in the way that she did, so he had figured that it might just be her thing.

Not to mention that she could also tell he was using sage mode and absorbing the natural energy around him, saying that she was in tune with the planet.

Aerith was silent for an entire minute, and Naruto simply sat there and waited for the girl to give him her answer, no matter what it might be.

"It's not talking like most people believe, like how you and I are doing at the moment." Aerith began, sighing a little "You see… I'm not exactly human, not like the other people here on Gaia. I'm what's known as a Cetra, or an Ancient..."


End of chapter 3


Note: and that's the end of this chapter! It's a long one, and I have had a lot of fun writing it, so I really that guys have also had a great time reading the chapter, everyone!

Well, like the last chapter, not much else I want to say. I got Tifa introduced early in this chapter, and Cissnei as well! Hope you guys like the interactions between Naruto and Aerith, as well as the fight scene with the Turks, even though I think I could have done better. Maybe I will comeback to revamp it in the near future, but for now I will concentrate on writing the next chapters.

As always, be sure to leave behind a REVIEW once you have finished reading! Tell me what you think about this first chapter and the story as a whole!

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See you in the next update everyone!