Omni Force: ORIGINS

by NegaiFreak

Where did it all start, you might wonder? Well, some stories aren't about just beginnings. They're also about how bonds between our heroes were forged. Join in as we partake in this 100-chapter story of how the Omni Force came to be, with each member getting a tale for themselves! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!

6. Rook Blonko

Welcome back to "Omni Force: ORIGINS"! We've got back-to-back weeks of chapters to continue January, and I'm hoping you'll enjoy 'em! These next two characters I'll be focusing on should make the chapters go a lot smoother.

Anyways, let's talk about Rook Blonko! In spite of some past portrayals of him as a character in my stories, I really enjoyed Rook's presence in Ben 10: Omniverse. He was a cool addition to the series when fans were starting to get turned, particularly in the art style change. It was nice to have it feel like we were in his shoes, getting the firsthand experience to working alongside Ben.

Plus, the Proto-Tool he used was an awesome weapon. There were some times I thought it was utilized in rather goofy manners, which isn't uncommon when it comes to cartoons, but it was still one of the best technologies to be brought forth. When I first started using Rook more in my stories, I wasn't sure where I would take his journey. "Outlook" was one where I gave him a relationship with Sunset, which in hindsight, I'm regretting a little. And then his role in "Omni Force: WAR" probably was one I wish I could've changed around, if only a little. I made him more of an antagonist than he needed to be, and his reasoning for fighting with Law could've been stronger.

In spite of those regrets, I'm persevering and looking to strengthen his character going forward. So this story might look a little different, but I hope you all enjoy it. I'll let Xiaomei take it away.

OMNI FORCE: ORIGINS

Ben Tennyson has had his fair share of teammates over the years. Whether it be his cousin, his grandfather, or even his best friend, he's always had support. But when things started to change after he obtained his new Omnitrix, those that were closest to him wound up moving on.

So who filled the void? Why none other than Rook Blonko, of course. Coming from the planet Revonnah, Rook became Ben's newest partner at a time when he was starting to learn much more about the world around him… along with others. And Rook would soon be thrust into that world himself.

But before we start with that, allow us to have a bit of insight as to what drew Rook to become a Plumber… and eventually Ben's newest partner.

UNIVERSE-57

REVONNAH

Packing everything he wanted along with his Plumber trainee gear, the thirteen-year-old Rook Blonko smiled in his room. When the intergalactic officers had first visited his planet as a part of recruitments, he had one dream in mind: to become one of them. Revonnah had always had its troubles, whether it was the dreary weather conditions, or the infestations that came around harvests. And he knew other planets likely suffered more. He finished packing his case, closing it. At that moment, he turned his head to find a man there with a greying beard at his room's doorway, having a darker skin color with similar lines in his eyes.

"Father…" the young Revonnahgander uttered in surprise. His parent sighed.

"I still do not approve of you leaving," he told him, "The next harvest season is already upon us," he pointed out.

"I am sure that Shar, Shim and the young ones can do well in my place, along with yourself," his son affirmed, standing up and grabbing his things.

"And what would Kundo think?" Da inquired, causing Blonko to blink in surprise, "If he discovers you have left the planet, then—"

"I am not changing my mind on this, Father," his son interjected firmly. He narrowed his eyes onto the boy, but then found a hand come onto his shoulder. He looked over to see a female Revonnahgander that had a predominant blue coloration on her body, with a natural white 'mask' on her face. Black streaks ran down her yellow eyes with orange pupils. She looked over to her son, nodding to him. He smiled back.

"Thank you, Mother," he said, going over and resting his head against hers affectionately. He turned to his father, who sighed again before looking away. Blonko left the room, walking down the hall before entering the kitchen, where his siblings were.

"You are leaving now?" a long, blue-haired girl inquired in surprise.

"Yes, Shar," he responded, "The transport will be leaving shortly," he pointed out.

"Will you be okay?" his sister asked as she walked after him.

"You need not worry," he assured in reply, "I have been training in Revonnah Kai extensively and studying the Plumber manual since I received it," he told her, "Today is my first step into becoming someone that may help safeguard the universe," he proclaimed proudly.

"And what about us?" Shar questioned, causing him to blink as he looked back to see her saddened expression, "What if… things get worse while you are gone?" she inferred further out of concern, glancing away. Blonko turned to his sister, putting a hand onto her shoulder.

"I am confident that will not happen," he stated, "So please, do not worry," he insisted of her, "I will be back someday to visit," he promised, heading out of the household. Shar watched him go, sighing sadly as she wiped away the tears forming in her eyes. He slid down the dirt ledges to the starship parked in one of the fields, jogging over to it. He made certain to load up his luggage before getting aboard, glancing back to see some of the Revonnahganders gathered there. They all gave disapproving looks. He paid them no mind, though. Rather, he steeled himself as he made his way aboard the vessel, with its ramp coming up behind him. Soon enough, it took off into the sky.

Those of Blonko's family stepped outside of their home to see the ship disappear into the stars beyond their planet. Da lowered his head in contemplation, while Bralla put a hand onto her shoulder. The young, unnamed Revonnahganders grew teary as they buried themselves into Shar's robes. She embraced them sympathetically, wondering how her older brother would fare in such an unknown world.

Rook Blonko's journey isn't so much of a strange one, at least in his universe. Many alien species went to Earth as refugees once it became an open travel destination, unbeknownst to the humans there. And in Rook's case, he was sent there in due course to officially start his role as a Plumber… and Ben Tennyson's partner. But he had yet to realize just what kind of partnership would entail… and where it would lead…

OPENING

Insert "Hero" by Martin Garrix X JVKE

Opens with Rook training by himself in the Plumber Academy, swinging Proto-Tool around like a sword ferociously as he sweats. He turns to see Max Tennyson enter, blinking in surprise to see him offering an MPG. Somewhat nervous at first, the Revonnahgander ultimately takes the device into his hand, staring at it for a long moment. When he looks up, he sees the multitude of people from the multiverse he's yet to meet: Ash Ketchum, Naruto Uzumaki, Gingka Hagane, Rex Salazar, Korra, Natsu Dragneel, and Rainbow Dash. A pair of hands then come onto his shoulders, enticing him to look back and see Ben Tennyson and Hinata Hyuga there, giving him encouraging smiles. He grins back, ready to take that step forward.

We see Rook meeting Ben for the first time, easily dealing with a trio of alien criminals at Mr. Bauman's shop. Together, they ultimately go on to stop the crime ring being commanded by Psyphon. They also deal with the likes of Fistrick, Dr. Animo, the Kraaho, and Khyber. Rook sees firsthand how Ben battles, ultimately relying on the luck of the Omnitrix to turn a battle in his favor. They eventually have their falling-out, with Rook leaving Ben to wind up getting captured by Khyber. Luckily, he's saved by the Revonnahgander, as they work together to best the alien hunter.

They still are at odds with each other during their time together, but Hinata is there to keep them in check. Together, the three of them continue working together to help safeguard both the galaxy and the multiverse beyond. Eventually, Rook winds up getting to meet others from the multiverse during the war against the Incurseans, watching them in battle as they rebel. Ultimately, he ends up meeting Sunset Shimmer, who he immediately develops a crush on.

We watch him take part in the battle against Yokai with Sunset, Ben, and Rainbow Dash, followed by him having a swordfight with Deathstroke before his girlfriend comes in to assist. The two of them seem to have a steady relationship going. However, Rook frowns ashamedly at one point as he looks away, knowing that something like this won't last. He especially becomes more hardened in the face of personal challenges such as his family's wishes, along with their planet being under siege at points. Even when facing his old mentor, Kundo, he sees just what his life has left behind.

He starts becoming much more protective of his friends when he gets promoted to a Magister, leading to him having a huge falling-out with not only his teammates of the Omni Force, but also Sunset, who only agrees to an estranged marriage with him so that they can raise an adopted child together. In spite of his decisions and impulsiveness, Rook still finds support from his teammates, including those he distrusted. And he realizes it's because they trusted him in difficult times.

We gets shots of him tucking and rolling aside to avoid combustion blasts from P'Li near the Northern Air Temple, followed by catching the likes of Angel off guard with an energy arrow shot from his Proto-Tool, paralyzing her momentarily. He's seen holding hands with Sunset, who gives him a smile before heading off. He looks down sadly, only for his opposite hand to be taken. He glances over to see Ahsoka Tano there, who also smiles at them. The two of them clash their energy blades, while Ben and Sunset watch from afar.

As the song winds down, we see Rook looking back at the multitude of people he's met across the multiverse. He smiles gratefully before continuing onward, drawing his Proto-Tool and leading the next generation of the Omni Force forward.

END OPENING

ROOK BLONKO

From the stories we've told thus far, they've mostly centered around a member of our beloved multiversal group first meeting their newest colleague in question. But this is a different case entirely. We've already seen how Rook and Ben met, so why go through that ordeal all over again?

I think there's a much juicier story to be told about the Revonnahgander turned Plumber. Nothing to do with his past or his future… but rather his role as a partner… and a friend to Ben. So let's skip ahead three years…

PLUMBER HEADQUARTERS

Seated on the bed in his room and reading the information laid out before him upon his tablet, Rook was careful to digest every single detail he could. Ever since the war against the Incurseans had ended, there was a sense of urgency in the air in case of another conflict breaking out. And it would be all the worse if Ben were gone.

Him being sent away during the ordeal left the Earth almost completely unable to fight back. And his return was part of the only way they ended up winning. As much as he hated to admit it, the Revonnahgander knew that the Omnitrix bearer was probably the best person suited to saving the world. So what would happen if he left again… but by choice?

"Huh…" Rook sighed, lying back on his bed while turning off his tablet.

"Gettin' some reading in?" a voice inquired, getting his attention as he looked over to the doorway to see a Piscciss Volann there with yellowish-grey skin, purple eyes, green eyebrows, sharp teeth, and a pointed face. He also wore glasses and a Plumber suit with pants.

"Magister Patelliday," the Revonnahgander greeted, standing up from his bed and saluting his superior.

"At ease there, Blonko," he remarked with a raise of his right hand, "No need to be so formal," he assured as he chuckled. Moments later, the two of them were walking down the headquarters' halls. "So, you're taking time to relax before the next big threat rolls around?" he assumed of his colleague.

"I suppose…" he replied, "Believe it or not, I was revisiting the chapters in regards to Ben from the Plumber handbook," he admitted.

"Hm," Patelliday hummed curiously, "What's got you so interested in your partner?" he wondered.

"It is not Ben specifically," Rook confirmed, "but rather the worlds he has visited throughout the multiverse," he pointed out, "When I had first read the details of his excursions, I could hardly believe it," he confessed, "But then I was introduced to Hinata and… well…" he continued, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

"I getcha'," the Piscciss Volann responded with a grin, "Speaking of which, Ben's out in his girlfriend's universe, isn't he?" he presumed. The Revonnahgander blinked twice.

"I… do not believe Ben and Hinata are… um… in that sort of relationship…" he responded, "But yes, he is in Universe-Seven-Hundred," he said, "From what I had heard, he was asked to help partake in an important mission while there," he explained further.

"Well, it's been a while since he's been in that world after all," Patelliday noted, "From what Max told me, it's been over half a year," he mentioned to Rook's surprise as he blinked.

"H-Half a year?" he stuttered out.

"Yeah…" the Piscciss Volann replied, "Between the Leaf Village's destruction to the repairs goin' on, there's a lot happenin' there…" he told the Revonnahgander, "Come to think of it, this was way before you showed up to be Ben's partner, right?" he concluded in question.

"Yes," Rook confirmed with a nod, "It was after he had received his new Omnitrix from Azmuth," he added, "It is hard to believe just how long we have been partners," he pointed out, "He even admitted that he was beginning to like me," he mentioned with a chuckle, "From what I hear, that is not uncommon in his case," he remarked.

"You'd be right," Patelliday responded as they walked off. Later that day, Rook fired off orange energy shots from his Proto-Tool at the targets laid out before him in the training range, hitting bullseyes without so much as a sweat. A sliding door opened, revealing Max Tennyson there. He chuckled upon spotting the Revonnahgander Plumber continuing to fire until no targets were left.

"Keeping busy?" he assumed, getting his attention.

"Ah, Magister Tennyson, hello," he greeted, setting his weapon back onto his shoulder, "Do you have a new mission for me?" he assumed.

"Not exactly," Max responded to his confusion as he blinked, "Wanted to let you know first that your sister got accepted into the program," he told him.

"Shar?!" he exclaimed with a wide smile, "That is incredible!" he noted excitedly.

"It'll be in due time, but I think she's going to be a fine Plumber someday," the Magister pointed out.

"That is kind of you to say, Magister Tennyson," Rook responded, glancing off to the side in thought for a moment, "Incidentally, have you heard word from Ben?" he inquired curiously, "I would assume that he does not you informed about his mission progress in other universes…" he inferred with a nervous grin.

"Not really…" Max confirmed in reply, rubbing the back of his neck, "He'll probably tell me about a thing or two and leave it at that," he noted, "Though this case might be a bit different…" he admitted in a grim tone, much to the Revonnahgander's surprise.

"What… do you mean by that, sir?" he inquired curiously.

"Huh…" the Magister sighed, "The last time Ben came back from Seven-Hundred, he… wasn't in the best state of mind," he told his colleague, "It was after the battle when the Leaf got demolished, and he needed time to adjust," he pointed out.

"I… am surprised that he would be so heavily affected, given his various experiences," Rook admitted, quite stunned.

"This was different," Max said, "He had to take some time off to clear his head," he mentioned. The Revonnahgander didn't say anything, glancing down for a moment. His partner had shown signs of vulnerability before, but never once did he see him depressed or out of sorts. Hearing that it was possible for him to be that way was… alarming.

"Perhaps I should head over to join him," he recommended suddenly, causing the Magister to blink in surprise, "If he is under some form of stress, then maybe I can—"

"Let's not jump the gun, Rook," Max interjected, making him blink in surprise, "We don't know if Ben's doing alright or not," he pointed out, "If he wasn't, we would've heard news by now," he mentioned further.

"That… is true…" Rook agreed, "But contrary to that, what if he cannot contact us because he is in trouble?" he questioned back.

"Huh…" the Magister sighed again, "Rook, you're gonna be a fish out of water in another world, especially Seven-Hundred," he noted to the Revonnahgander, who tilted his head in confusion, "You haven't been to other universes yet, so it's probably not the best idea for you to go in alone," he added seriously.

"But… I will be with Ben…" Rook pointed out, "And then—"

"If something comes up, I'll let you know," Max promised, interrupting him again as he headed off, letting the door close behind him. The Revonnahgander sighed. He reached into one of the pouches of his armor, taking out his MPG. During his time with it, he had been in touch with Ben on a daily basis whenever he had gone to another universe. Yet not once during this particular instance did the Omnitrix bearer call. He clutched the device, heading out of the training room himself.

X

It was late that night as Rook lied on his bed, staring at his MPG that he held up in his hand. He admittedly never was keen on going to a new universe. There was already enough trouble in his world. Yet he felt more troubled by whatever was going on in the universe his partner was in.

"No… no," he said to himself in a reprimanding tone, "Magister Tennyson was very clear…" he noted aloud, sitting up and setting his device aside, "Unless something does come up, I will not be rash and…" he continued, only to glance over at the MPG again. He vividly remembered it being handed to him the day he officially became a Plumber, also being declared as one of Ben's newest partners. "Agh…" he groaned out, unsure as to what to do next. And then, by some strange twist of fate, he heard his device buzz. He looked over to spot its green glow, causing him to reflexively reach over and grab it, pressing its center icon to make a hologram appear over it. "H-Hello, Ben!" he stuttered in greeting, "You took a while with providing an update to us, but—"

"Um… Rook?" a female voice echoed from the device, making him blink in surprise as he realized he wasn't talking to the Omnitrix bearer. The hologram was of Hinata Hyuga.

"Hinata!" the Revonnahgander yelped, "Ah, sorry…" he apologized, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, "I had not heard from Ben since he had left on that mission in your universe, so I thought he was the one calling…" he told her.

"I didn't even know he came here…" she admitted over the line to his confusion as he blinked again.

"That is… strange…" he said, glancing off to the side for a moment.

"Anyway, I called because Lady Tsunade's having our teams head out to where Naruto's group is," the Byakugan user explained.

"The situation sounds much more serious than I imagined…" Rook noted.

"That isn't all," Hinata confirmed to his surprise. She went on to tell him what she knew of the situation, involving the likes of Kabuto and his testing of the Reanimation Jutsu, a technique that allowed for the user to bring corpses back to life to do their bidding. Naruto's team had encountered their foe when first searching the area they were assigned to. After a brief conflict that resulted in Kabuto's retreat, the danger seemed to have quelled.

"You heading there is only precautionary?" Rook assumed.

"It's more to help Naruto and the others stop Kabuto from doing whatever he's doing," Hinata explained in reply.

"Well… I wish you the best in that endeavor," the Revonnahgander affirmed, "And knowing that you will be by Ben's side, I doubt I need to worry," he added assuredly.

"Uh, Rook…" the kunoichi uttered, making him perk up, "I didn't just call to tell you that…" she pointed out, "I think you should come and join us," she suggested to his shock.

"Wh-What?" he stuttered out, "Hinata, I am flattered by the offer, but—"

"You'll be a big help, I'm sure of it," she affirmed, interrupting him, "It isn't just because you're as skilled as a shinobi, but your technology's something that can really help us," she mentioned on.

"Huh…" Rook sighed, "Hinata… I would like to join you," he confessed to her, "But the fact of the matter is, with Ben gone, I cannot leave Plumber Headquarters without Magister Tennyson's approval," he told her, "It is unfortunate, but Ben being off-universe means we have less means of dealing with troubles," he added further.

"Why are you letting that stop you?" the Byakugan user asked to his surprise, "I know it sounds silly, especially for you…" she continued, "but isn't it better to go and help your comrades instead of just following orders?" she inquired of him. The Revonnahgander tensed up a little. He thought back to the times he, Ben and Hinata were on missions together, synergizing as a trio and providing the Omnitrix bearer with as much support as possible. Even when their brunette-haired colleague would act all full of himself, they still stood by him because he was dependable. And he knew that he could depend on his teammates.

"…You are right," Rook finally said, standing up from his bed, "But I do not think Magister Tennyson will agree that it is best for me to just leave, even if you are the one asking," he told the kunoichi.

"I can try to explain the situation as best I can to him," she suggested.

"That will not be necessary," the Revonnahgander assured with a wink. Elsewhere in the headquarters, Patelliday was looking at the monitors of the main console before blinking in surprise upon noticing an icon in particular.

"Uh… Max?" he called out, getting his fellow Magister's attention as he came over.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Well… we got no MPG signals on-universe here now…" the Piscciss Volann responded, pointing to the screen. The old man widened his eyes.

"Oh no…" he uttered in realization, smacking himself in the face.

UNIVERSE-700

THE HIDDEN LEAF VILLAGE

A green portal appeared upon the dirt road as Rook stepped out, taking a relaxed breath to calm himself. This wasn't his first time disobeying orders, but it was his first time going into a different universe. As he stepped forward, taking out his MPG and pressing its center icon to make the rift behind him disappear, he blinked in surprise. Ahead of him was Hinata, along with the likes of Shino Aburame, Kiba Inuzuka, and Akamaru.

"Hi Rook!" the former of the Team Kurenai members greeted.

"Hello," the Revonnahgander responded, "This feels… quite different…" he admitted with a chuckle.

"You get used to it," Hinata assured with a smile.

"So this is Ben's new partner, huh?" Kiba presumed as he trudged over with his hands stuffed into his pockets, "Sure is tall…" he pointed out.

"Um… thank you?" Rook responded unsurely.

"Height shouldn't have any bearing on why he's Ben's partner, along with Hinata," Shino chimed in, getting their attentions as he turned to the group, "From what I hear, you're quite capable," he mentioned. Akamaru woofed as he approached the Revonnahgander, causing him to smile as he reached out and petted the ninja hound, who panted happily.

"Well, Akamaru likes you already," Kiba commented, "Anyways, we're about ready to ship out," he confirmed, making Rook perk up.

"Where is it that we are going again?" he inquired.

"Tonika Village," Shino answered, "Our mission is to meet up with the others and discern what the situation is," he explained, "By the way, I'm—"

"Shino Aburame," Rook interjected to his surprise, followed by turning to Kiba, "And you are Kiba Inuzuka, correct?" he assumed of the brunette-haired shinobi, who blinked twice.

"Yeah…" he replied in confirmation, "Guess Hinata told you about us, huh?" he noted.

"She did," Rook confirmed, "She tells me how strong you all are in your own ways," he mentioned, making the Byakugan user sheepishly blush, "Is there anything else I would need to be aware of?" he inquired of the Team Kurenai members.

"Not anything we haven't already disclosed," another voice chimed in, causing the group to turn and see the figure of Kakashi Hatake crouched upon a tree branch above them, "Rook, was it?" he presumed.

"Yes, Rook Blonko, sir," he responded as the jonin hopped down from the branch, "You are Kakashi Hatake, yes?" he guessed.

"Seems you've heard a lot about us…" the masked shinobi noted curiously.

"Well… I did want to make sure I was not being intrusive on this universe's cultures…" the Revonnahgander responded with a sheepish shrug of his shoulders. Kakashi walked up to him, putting his left hand onto his shoulder as he blinked in surprise.

"Believe me, you won't need to worry about that," he assured with a kind expression, "As a matter of fact, I think we'll need that intrusion given what we could be up against," he noted seriously.

"Well, yeah," Kiba agreed, "Kabuto's gonna be a hell of a problem…" he pointed out.

"Not just him," Kakashi said to his surprise, "There's also the threat of the Nine-Tails in case things go awry," he mentioned further. Rook's eyes slightly widened.

"The Nine-Tails…" he repeated.

X

I think a recap of events is in order before we continue, don't you agree? Ben had come to Universe-700 to join Naruto and the others in a mission to investigate the destruction of a village around a place simply called 'The Hole'. And in the midst of their investigation, they discovered that Kabuto was conducting research into the Reanimation Jutsu, allowing him to bring back the dead to use as his pawns in battle.

But that was hardly the issue. In the midst of the group's first clash at the lake, Naruto had accidentally ingested the clone snakes that Kabuto was having produced in his research. Between that and the Nine-Tailed Fox that dwelled within him, he ultimately found himself corrupted. And when those clone snakes were forced out of his body, they created a clone of himself with the Nine-Tails' chakra.

With such a beast brought forth, what will our heroes do to stop it? What will Rook do?

HACHO VILLAGE

Rook thought he would be prepared for anything in this ninja world. Between the stories he was told and what he already knew, it seemed like he'd be ready for any threat. That is to say, until he saw the Nine-Tails clone that both Lee and Guy kicked away.

"It has such a fiendish appearance…" the former of the two taijutsu users noted aloud while taking on a ready stance.

"You're real bad news, aren'tcha'?" his sensei presumed of their foe.

"Lee! Guy!" Diamondhead exclaimed in surprise.

"Both of you, get down!" Rook's voice yelled, causing the Petrosapien to blink in surprise as he turned to see his partner there, setting a rocket onto the barrel of his Proto-Tool.

"Rook?!" he yelped out, seeing the Revonnahgander pull his weapon's trigger to fire the projectile. It launched out, streaking over Guy and Lee's heads as they ducked down. The Nine-Tails clone found itself struck in a fierce explosion, as a plume of smoke rose into the air. From afar, Kabuto blinked in surprise… but grinned.

"Huh…" Rook exhaled before seeing Diamondhead approach, "I did not want to take any chances, even if that was Naruto transformed," he pointed out to his partner.

"Glad you didn't…" he responded, "That's not Naruto," he noted to the Revonnahgander's surprise.

"Seems a bit different from a Shadow Clone, though," Kakashi chimed in, enticing him to look back and see that he was cradling the jinchuriki in his arms with Tenten standing beside him. Neji Hyuga jumped down in front of them, activating his Byakugan as his eyes became more concentrated, with veins bulging around them.

"The Nine-Tails' chakra is immense…" he pointed out as the smoke started to settle, revealing the clone emerging without so much as a scratch.

"That is not good…" Rook realized with a grimace. And as if on cue, he could hear the beeping of the Omnitrix symbol from the Petrosapien beside him.

"And that's worse!" he exclaimed in frustration, transforming back into Ben in an emerald flash of light.

"Oh man…" he groaned out.

"We'll handle things from here, Ben," Neji assured as he stepped forward.

"Yeah, you hang back and help anyone else get outta here," Tenten insisted, drawing her large scroll from her belt.

"But—!"

"You can join the fight once the Omnitrix is recharged," Rook affirmed, interjecting his partner, "But you can still be a hero and help save lives," he mentioned further. With a scoff of frustration, Ben jogged off, heading over to pick up Naruto off of the ground to relieve Kakashi of holding him. He turned and looked out toward where Kabuto was.

"I take it you're behind this?" he presumed. The cloaked figure chuckled.

"What you're looking at is a clone that's no different from the real thing," he told his foes, "Not only that…" he continued, "it seems to have copied the Nine-Tails' chakra, too," he added. Just then, he heard a whirring nearby. He glanced over and gasped to find those of Team Kurenai coming towards him, with Kiba lunging out and rotating his body rapidly, about to deliver a series of body blows to his target. He jumped away though, letting his enemy crash into the rocks. As he was descending towards one of the nearby houses, a darkened shadow extended out and ran up the building, splitting into tendrils intent on entrapping the rogue ninja.

He quickly drew a quartet of snakes from his left arm, having them shoot down onto the building to keep his body in the air. The shadows trailed up them as he weaved his way around them, managing to flip back towards one of the other houses. However, his moment of reprieve was short-lived as he took an orange energy blast to his right shoulder, causing him to yelp with pain as he landed upon a roof. Smoke emitted from the barrel of Rook's Proto-Tool as he lowered it.

"I take it that is Kabuto?" he assumed, while the shadows retracted back to a crouched Shikamaru Nara, who was with Choji Akimichi and Ino Yamanaka as they were tending to an injured Sakura.

"Yeah," Kakashi replied, lifting his forehead protector off of his left eye to reveal his Sharingan, "So the clone's a counterfeit, like how Hidan was created…" he realized, "When did you do it to Naruto?" he asked as the unconscious jinchuriki was now being carried away by Ben and Hinata.

"It was all by chance…" Kabuto noted, "And I didn't expect I'd get a result like this…" he mentioned, followed by moving aside to evade another shot from Rook.

"You're not going anywhere," Kakashi affirmed. Their foe smirked. As the Nine-Tails clone roared angrily again, he performed a hand seal, making coffins sprout up suddenly from the ground around his enemies. Stepping out from them were the formerly deceased shinobi, whose eyes were pale white, while their bodies had brown, bark-like skin with visible cracks.

"This is going to be…" Kabuto began as a wicked grin crossed his face, "quite amusing!" he proclaimed. In the meantime, the Nine-Tails clone went after Guy and Lee, first blitzing the latter as he tumbled away before leaping toward the former. He flipped back from its intended strikes with its enlarged arms, while his student got back onto his feet, charging into the fray.

Rook took notice of the group attempting to get away from the battle, being Dokku, Shiseru, Leo, Miina, Faz, Lando, and Sora. He didn't have time to wonder about their presence as he shifted his weapon into the form of a tonfa to knock back some of the reanimated shinobi. The ninja of the Leaf battled back, with Kakashi putting Kabuto on the run as he went after him. In the meantime, some of the reanimated shinobi were closing in on Naruto, Ben, and Hinata.

"Take him!" the Byakugan user insisted, letting go of the jinchuriki before activating her visual jutsu as her eyes became concentrated with veins bulging around them. She yelled as she palmed two shinobi that came towards her, blowing them back instantaneously. A third leapt over, charging for Naruto rather quickly. The Omnitrix bearer grimaced, but then suddenly heard his device beep, signaling a completed recharge.

He was barely able to slide its lid open before the reanimated shinobi charged in, forcing him to dodge as he stumbled back. Taking notice, Hinata leapt over, smacking the dial that had popped out from the alien device. A green light enveloped Ben as he transformed, becoming a humanoid alien with red skin and a pair of four-fingered arms. He had four green eyes: a main pair, and a smaller pair below them. Three short spikes topped his bald head while there were ones upon his arms and shoulders. A black stripe was upon his chin and one around his mouth like a moustache. He wore a black tank top-like shirt with a large green stripe down the middle, black pants, fingerless black gloves with green cuffs at the wrists, and a belt where the Omnitrix symbol was located at its center.

With his upper arms, he grabbed the reanimated shinobi and slammed him hard against the ground, with a good portion of his body being destroyed in the process. He looked over to Hinata, who took Naruto into her care, nodding to the Tetramand. Meanwhile, Lee and Guy were struggling against the Nine-Tails clone, getting knocked back hard into a rock wall as massive indents were left from their impacts. They fell to their knees momentarily with heavy breaths, getting up as the beastly being approached them.

"Lee… let's do this!" Guy insisted of his student.

"Right!" he responded. Both of them took deep breaths before they roared with life, as their skin turned red with a green aura flaring around their bodies. The two of them lunged out instantaneously, blitzing the Nine-Tails clone before it could even react. Rook had just slashed down one of the reanimated shinobi with his Proto-Tool's orange energy blade as he looked over to see the pair continuously striking the beast, not giving it even a second to gain some kind of ground.

Eventually, after getting propelled by a series of rapid punches from Lee, the clone was struck fiercely in the face by Guy's right fist, sending it tumbling through a stone wall before flying out and crashing into a house afar. The two taijutsu users leapt down, assuming ready stances in case their foe was still ready to do battle. People in the immediate area of the wrecked household fled quickly as the dust had yet to settle.

"More…" a voice growled from the household, which everyone in the area could hear.

"Oh no…" Four Arms uttered in realization, while Rook gasped.

"More…" the voice of the clone growled, being similar to that of Naruto's as its red eyes glowed within the dirt and dust, "More… POWWWWERRRRRRRRRR!" it bellowed, suddenly leaping out in an instant, heading towards where Hinata and Naruto were.

"No!" Rook yelped, hurrying over. The clone landed hard, enticing the kunoichi to stand up and take a fighting stance. But she was unprepared as the beast's right arm extended and smacked her away in an instant as she yelped.

"Hinata!" Neji yelled upon overhearing, seeing her fly by. Fortunately, the Revonnahgander caught in her in his arms as he crouched down. He looked out to see the clone grabbing Naruto's stomach rather roughly, causing him to gasp awake.

"MORE POWWWWWERRRRRRRRRRR!" the beast bellowed.

"I don't think so!" Four Arms yelled as he charged over and grabbed the clone with all four of his arms, "Somebody, get Naruto outta here!" he called out in panic to his colleagues, all of whom were tied up with their own battles at the moment, unable to assist. And things were about to get worse. As it turned out, the tailed beast lurking inside of the jinchuriki was more than willing to give the clone his chakra. And as a result, its body started growing uncontrollably, overflowing with the power it desired. It grew more tails as well, knocking the Tetramand off of it as he fell back on the ground, sliding to a stop.

"Ben!" Rook cried out, seeing Four Arms sit up from the dust cloud that resulted, groaning with pain. The Omnitrix timed out on him in a flash of green light, turning him back into Ben. He looked out and gasped with widened eyes. The clone had enlarged to the actual size of the tailed beast that had given it his chakra. It inadvertently destroyed a few buildings as Dokku, Shiseru and the children were fleeing the scene, roaring all the while. Naruto was still in its grasp. He reared him back before flinging him across the village in an instant.

The Revonnahgander was astonished by such an event as his shook. And then he saw the clone raise its head, forming a dark purple sphere of energy over its mouth. Kakashi was hurrying over as the sphere grew massive.

"That's…!" he gasped out, only for the beast to fire the sphere instantaneously. It tore through several houses and a hill, searing over to the drylands where it crashed and exploded in a powerful shockwave. The beast was left rampaging through the village, swiping at buildings and tearing through streets.

"We need to get to higher ground," Neji advised, going over to grab Ben before leaping away with him. For a moment, Rook could see the panic on his partner's face. He followed the other Leaf ninja, having his Proto-Tool's grappling hook wrap around a telephone pole to reel himself up to the roofs where they had gone. He looked out to see the beast attacking anything in its sight indiscriminately. Everyone was in danger.

"We need to evacuate the townspeople!" Rook suddenly called out to the shinobi, getting their attentions, "If that monstrosity continues to rampage, the best course of action is to prioritize their safety!" he instructed.

"Kakashi's already got a head start on us!" Guy noted, seeing his fellow jonin rescue a mother and her daughter before they could be caught up in the destruction, "Let's get to it!" he advised. Everyone nodded, hurrying out to find and rescue anyone about to be caught in the clone's path. Rook was ready to join them, but then noticed that Ben was still panicked, not yet taking action. His whole body was shaking.

"Ben, we need to hurry!" Rook yelled. No response. "Ben!" the Revonnahgander shouted again. Still no reply. Images of what resulted the last time a rampaging tailed beast went on the loose were filling Ben's mind. Sweat trickled down his face as he hyperventilated.

'I could've...' he uttered inwardly, slowly managing to reach the Omnitrix with his right hand, sliding its faceplate open without even checking what alien he had selected as the dial popped up, 'I could've stopped it...' he recalled, clenching his teeth in frustration. There was always a crux. A moment in which Naruto's anger would overtake him.

"Ben?" Hinata uttered out, noticing him shaking before she could head off. He looked over at her… and saw her lying on the ground, impaled by a metal rod. She was what drove Naruto to almost fully become the tailed beast the last time. All because Ben failed to save her. That's what he thought. Though she wasn't the crux to the clone's sudden growth this time, her not being able to protect Naruto made Ben feel like he should've done that himself. Anger was in his eyes.

"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" he screamed before smacking the dial down, creating a green flash of light that enveloped his whole body. Hinata and Rook shut their eyes to shielding themselves from the light. Eyes began to form all over their colleague's body, except for around his head as his ears became similar to a bat's. His upper body was now covered with multiple eyes of green with black, pointed pupils, which appeared on his palms as well. He was light yellow skinned on his chest and feet while the rest of his body was dark yellow. He was wearing black pants with green cuffs on his wrists and legs. On top of that, the Omnitrix symbol was at his waist upon a green belt with a white stripe.

"B-Ben?" Hinata stuttered worriedly. There were no eye puns. There were no dumb quips. Not a word came out of the Opticoid. He just looked over at the rampaging clone and growled, running towards it. "Ben!" Hinata cried out.

"Wait!" Rook screamed, but to no avail. His partner seemed too intent on going after that clone.

'Not again... I won't let that happen again!' he declared inwardly as he jumped from roof to roof, getting closer to the chakra-bodied creature.

"Hey, what's he doing?!" Kiba yelled as he and Akamaru regrouped with some of the others after retrieving a few more people. Neji looked out with his Byakugan, focusing on the direction in which the Opticoid was heading.

"Don't tell me...!" he started to realize, widening his eyes. The beast was drawing closer to the marketplace where Naruto had been thrown, still unconscious.

"HEY!" Eye Guy's voice yelled, trying to get the clone's attention, "COME AND GET ME, YOU FOXY FREAK!" he roared, firing off green lasers from the eyes on his arms that struck chakra-bodied creature upside the head.

"RRRRRRR..." it growled angrily as it turned its head to see the Opticoid running towards him, still firing multiple laser beams his way.

"Ben..." Hinata uttered worriedly while getting an elderly man to safety.

"Let's keep focusing on evacuation!" Kakashi advised quickly as he set down a pair of young girls, "If Ben can hold that thing back for us, it'll make our job easier!" he pointed out.

"Right!" a majority of the shinobi agreed. Hinata was still worried. She knew the transformed teen was pitting himself against something with incredible power. And Rook did, too.

But that wasn't what worried him. It was how his partner was battling. He had never seen him fight so violently before. The panic that had turned into pure, unadulterated anger was not a trait he'd associate with him, either. Whatever spurred this on was something that had happened before. That's what he could tell at least.

"Ergh...!" Eye Guy, digging his heels into the ground of the street as he fired his lasers constantly at the clone, trying desperately to keep it back. But it was pushing through, rising its front right claw as it roared. "Dammit...!" the Opticoid cursed, ceasing his firing for a moment to open up the eye at his chest, shooting off a huge laser beam. However, the beast pushed through it with just its claw, slamming it down onto Eye Guy in an instant.

"BEN!" Hinata screamed in fright. Everyone else grimaced upon seeing what had happened.

"RRRRRRRRR..." the beast growled, looking down at where it had struck down Eye Guy. Before it could head off though, a green light emitted from beneath its claw, catching its attention for a brief second. All of a sudden, flames erupted from the ground, making the clone stumble back in surprise. The Opticoid had transformed into Heatblast, who rocketed upwards.

"COME ON!" he challenged ferociously, shooting off a huge wave of flames from his hands that struck the beast.

"Ben..." Rook uttered out worriedly. He'd never his partner this vicious... this angry...

"Sensei, we need to help him!" Tenten yelled.

"Hold off until we're sure the people are safe!" Guy shouted back sternly, "We'll have to put our faith in Ben for now!" he added before he jumped off to go find more stragglers.

"RRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Heatblast roared as he was expelling tremendous amounts of fire onto the clone. But it didn't seem to faze it, reeling its arm back and slamming the Pyronite away in an instant, sending him crashing through a couple of roofs in the distance.

"Ben!" Rook cried out as he reeled himself over to another roof thanks to his Proto-Tool's grappling hook. It seemed like a useless struggle for his partner to try and hold the beast back when it was able to handle all of his attacks. Yet Heatblast was still trying, even as the clone reached the marketplace. It took notice of the unconscious Naruto being held on Dokku's back, who widened his eyes upon seeing the beast.

"RRrRRRRRrrr..." it growled, lifting up its left hind claw to crush the two beneath it.

"NNNNOOOOOOOOO!" Heatblast yelled as he rocketed himself over, firing flames into the clone's back. But it didn't even faze the clone as it put its claw down, about to crush them... At least it would have, if not for the giant snake that caught both Dokku and Naruto in its mouth before the claw collided with the ground. The Pyronite grimaced in frustration upon seeing what had happened. "Kabuto...!" he growled angrily, knowing that he was responsible for taking the pair. Disregarding that for the moment though, he slammed into the beast's back, sending it crashing onto the ground below. "You want power, you fucking fox?!" he bellowed, gripping the clone by its back as he radiated with intense heat, "THEN HAVE MINE!" he roared, unleashing a massive explosion of fire onto the beast.

"Ergh...!" Shino grunted as he, Neji, Kiba, and Tenten approached the scene, "The heat..." he uttered out.

"Whoa, that's hot!" Tenten exclaimed as she was sweating madly, shielding her eyes with her arms. Rook reeled himself over with his Proto-Tool's grappling hook, breathing heavily as he viewed the sight before him.

"Ben..." he said, sweating profusely all the while. As the flames subsided, it revealed a rather surprising sight. The clone had shrunken back to its original form, trying to crawl away as Heatblast stood over it.

"I don't think so…" he remarked coldly, about to blast the monstrosity with another barrage of flames. All of a sudden though, a giant, orange-scaled snake shot out of the ground, slithering over and knocking the Pyronite aside in a yelp.

"Ben!" Kiba yelled, quickly jumping down to the ground with the other four. The snake quickly took hold of the clone in its mouth before diving back into the ground with it.

"Damn...!" Neji cursed in frustration. However, he knew their priority was making sure their colleague was okay. A beeping sound caught their attentions, followed by a flash of green light. When it dissipated, it revealed Ben there grimacing in agony amongst the splinters of a house he had crashed into.

"Agh..." he groaned. Though he wasn't wounded, he still had several cuts and bruises.

"Where'd... it go?" he asked as Kiba and Rook helped lift him back to his feet.

"It's gone, unfortunately," Neji responded as he came over.

"I have to stop it...!" Ben grunted out, grimacing as he tried to take a step.

"You've done enough for now," Neji assured, "You should get some rest," he advised seriously. Ben gave off a frustrated expression.

"No, I can go Wildmutt and track them down and then—!"

"Ben!" Rook yelled, firmly placing his right hand onto his partner's shoulder to stop him from talking, "It is alright," he assured, "The best we can do now is reassess the situation before making a move," he pointed out, "And it is obvious that you need treatment," he mentioned seriously. The Omnitrix bearer looked away ashamedly. Kiba walked him off with Tenten, leaving the Revonnahgander with Neji and Shino.

"I've lost sight of the snake," the jonin of the two shinobi confirmed.

"My insects won't be able to track it, either," the latter admitted.

"Huh…" Rook exhaled, "We should regroup with the others first and make sure the citizens are safe," he advised of his colleagues, "Then we can press forward," he affirmed.

X

As the dust had settled from what had been a catastrophic event, many people who were injured were undergoing treatment from the kunoichi in medical tents that were set up in the village square. Rook looked on from the office of the village chief, being in the town hall with Neji, Shikamaru, Kakashi, Sai, and Yamato. He knew Ben was in the tents being treated, but something told him that his physical injuries weren't the problem.

"You've never seen him like that, have you?" Neji presumed, getting his attention as he blinked in surprise.

"No, not in the slightest…" he confirmed in response.

"And then we became aware that the village chief was nowhere to be found," one of the town hall employees told the shinobi, "I just hope that he's alright," he said.

"Me too," Kakashi agreed.

"Is there perhaps a safehouse where he could have been taken?" Rook inquired curiously, "Or maybe a bunker in case of events like this?" he questioned further.

"Not that I know of," the employee responded, only to hear a knock at the door, "Um, excuse me," he said, jogging over to it.

"So not only does Naruto get captured, but the chief disappears, too?" Shikamaru noted.

"It seems almost too obvious to be a coincidence," Sai pointed out. Kakashi took notice of both an empty drawer and a missing scroll from the rack upon the desk. His right eye narrowed. Rook also saw the oddities, pulling out his scanner. He had it expel an orange light over both areas that appeared out of place.

"There is only one set of fingerprints upon each," he confirmed after a moment, "And these were left recently," he added.

"That technology's amazing," Kakashi commented with a chuckle, "Good thing we've got you here," he pointed out, making the Revonnahgander smile.

"Good news, everyone," the employee from earlier chimed in, getting the group's attention as they saw him with another man at the doorway, "I've just learned that there were no fatalities," he told them, causing them to all sigh with relief.

"I'm glad," the Sharingan user said.

"But still…" Sai chimed in, "where are Naruto and Dokku?" he inquired out of concern.

"Hmmm…" Rook hummed, "Perhaps they are where this whole ordeal started," he inferred, "The Hole, correct?" he presumed.

"That's as good a guess as mine would be," Kakashi replied.

"Given that Kabuto was experimenting there, I'd say it's a fair bet," Yamato agreed.

"And the Nine-Tails clone… or whatever it was…" Neji began, "its power faded quickly," he pointed out, "Likely due in part to Ben's relentless attacks on it," he mentioned. Rook tensed up a little.

"How is he doing?" Kakashi asked.

"He's bruised, but fine otherwise," Shikamaru answered, "From what I heard, he wanted to go after that thing when Kabuto snatched it," he added, looking over to Rook.

"Yes, that is correct…" he confirmed, "That clone was a result of this Kabuto's experimentation, so why did it not fall under his control?" he questioned of the group, "It seemed to be acting indiscriminately…" he mentioned.

"That probably means he hasn't perfected the process yet," Kakashi assumed in reply, folding his arms over his chest, "More importantly, I think we need to discuss what his objectives are," he advised.

"Yeah," Yamato agreed.

"Reanimated shinobi normally fight at a very high level," Shikamaru pointed out, "But the ones you fought sounded like they weren't trying too hard," he mentioned, while Rook glanced back outside at the medical tents, somewhat tuning out the discussion. He wanted the chance to talk with Ben more than anything. As dusk rolled around, he headed outside to find Sakura seated at the steps with Shiseru. They both took notice of him.

"Oh, hi," the kunoichi greeted as she stood up, "You must be Rook," she realized, extending her right hand out to him, "I'm Sakura Haruno," she introduced.

"A pleasure to meet you," the Revonnahgander replied, accepting her hand in a firm handshake, "You have already recovered?" he presumed.

"Yeah," Sakura responded with a nod, while Shiseru stood up and turned to the pair as well.

"Thank you for helping the others," she said gratefully to Rook, bowing her head, "Ben mentioned he had a partner who was pretty by-the-book," she noted to him, causing him to blink in confusion.

"Thank you… I suppose?" he replied unsurely, "Speaking of whom, is he still…?" he started to ask.

"He's fixed up, but stayed in the tents," Sakura confirmed in response, "Um, Shiseru?" she said to the woman beside her, "Would you mind giving us a minute?" she requested.

"Oh, of course," she replied, walking off to the side.

"I heard about what happened with Ben earlier," the kunoichi noted as she sat down again, enticing the Revonnahgander to sit beside her, "To be honest, I'm less surprised than I really should be about it," she admitted to his slight astonishment, "Based on that reaction, I bet he hasn't told you about what happened the last time he was in this universe," she presumed.

"…You would be correct," Rook said, "What happened?" he asked.

"When the Leaf was destroyed a while back, Naruto was the only one who could fight the enemy," she told him in reply, "And he was close to winning, but was pinned down at the last moment," she mentioned further, "Hinata went out to help him, and so did Ben," she continued as the Revonnahgander listened, "Even though neither of them could really do much of anything except try to get Naruto back on his feet, they fought," she pointed out, "And then…" she kept going, tensing up, "Hinata was almost killed," she noted, causing the Plumber's eyes to widen, "Both Ben and Naruto watched it happen," she added, "and Naruto almost turned into the Nine-Tails…" she mentioned on.

"I… cannot believe it…" Rook uttered out, "Even with Ben there…" he said, looking down in thought. Sakura sighed.

"As Naruto kept fighting, Ben was shielding Hinata from getting hurt any worse," she recalled, "By the time she got to me, we were able to heal her," she added on, "I can still remember Ben sobbing with relief when he saw her up," she noted. Rook stood up suddenly.

"I need to speak with him… now," he insisted. A moment later, he approached the medical tents. He saw the flap open, with Hinata herself stepping out.

"Oh, Rook," she greeted, "Um… Ben's in there if you…" she started to say, only for the Revonnahgander to walk past her as she blinked in surprise. He entered the dimly lit tent, finding his partner seated on one of the cots with bandages around his arms. With a deep breath, the alien Plumber exhaled.

"Ben, we need to talk," he insisted firmly. The Omnitrix bearer didn't say a word, still turned away.

"There's nothing to talk about," he refused, "I'm sorry I acted up earlier, end of story," he apologized dismissively.

"That is not the reason I am here now," Rook stated, "I have known you for several months, and not once did I ever see you act out of malice or anger," he pointed out.

"Well, first time for everything…" Ben remarked.

"Don't," Rook's voice echoed firmly, causing the Omnitrix bearer to blink in surprise at the use of a contraction by his partner, "Don't try to play this off as a rare occurrence," he advised on, "Sakura told me about what happened the last time you were in this world," he mentioned, "And I can tell that it is having an effect on you…" he added on.

"…She told you everything?" Ben presumed.

"Everything that she felt needed to be disclosed," the Revonnahgander responded as he got closer, "Ben… why did you not tell anyone outside of this universe about what had happened?" he inquired of him, "I know you had mentioned the Leaf's destruction and how Naruto had come to stop the attack, but not much else," he noted on, "Why not tell Magister Tennyson or Gwendolyn, or even Kevin about this?" he listed off in question. The Omnitrix bearer didn't even look at his partner, keeping his gaze lowered.

"Because I didn't wanna relive it…" he answered, "I saw it happen right in front of me, Rook…" he mentioned as he tensed up, "I watched her go out headfirst into danger… and I could've stopped her…" he added on, "But I didn't," he admitted, "And I keep thinking that if I wasn't there in the first place… she'd be dead," he confessed further, letting out a shaky breath.

"Huh…" Rook exhaled, "Post-traumatic stress like that is normal…" he said, walking over to stand in front of his partner, "And I believe that you did the right thing in the end," he mentioned reassuringly.

"What, let the girl I like almost get herself killed?" he presumed.

"No," the Revonnahgander replied to his surprise as he looked up, "You allowed her to try and save Naruto," he pointed out, "And in doing so, you helped save the village," he added further, placing his left hand onto his partner's shoulder, "Between you and I, one thing I would not like for either of us to do is keep secrets from each other, especially in cases like this," he told him, "I am your partner," he affirmed, "and you can trust me," he added with a small smile. Blinking in astonishment, Ben smiled back.

"Thanks… partner," he said gratefully, standing up from the cot, "After the whole Feedback fiasco, I'd rather not keep secrets again…" he admitted, sharing a chuckle with Rook.

"Incidentally, I had not realized that you had an affection for Hinata…" he pointed out, putting his right hand onto his chin curiously. A blush crossed the Omnitrix bearer's face.

"Well… uh…" he stuttered, rubbing the back of his head, "I mean… we used to... sorta date when we were kids…" he recalled, "And… she's great, yeah…" he mentioned awkwardly, "But… you know…" he continued with a nervous chuckle, "She likes Naruto… and I'm kinda recovering from the whole thing with Julie and…" he kept going, only to see his partner laugh a little.

"Perhaps you should… 'live a little', as you would say," he suggested, "If she enjoyed your relationship back then," he continued, "who is to say that she will not enjoy another chance now?" he inquired, causing Ben to look to the side in thought.

"Oh good, you're both here," Sakura's voice chimed in as she entered the tent, getting their attentions.

"Sakura…" Ben uttered out.

"I take it we are ready to search for Kabuto?" Rook assumed, earning a nod in response from the kunoichi.

"We're going to the Hole," she confirmed to the pair, "Kakashi Sensei thinks we'll find Kabuto there," she mentioned.

"And likely Naruto as well," the Revonnahgander inferred. Ben socked his right fist into his left hand.

"It's payback time," he declared firmly, earning nods of agreement from his colleagues.

X

I should recap quite a bit before we continue. Naruto's team had arrived in Hacho Village after encountering Kabuto at the Hole in their first scuffle. They rested themselves with a family of orphans being parented by Dokku, a former village guard, and Shiseru, an officer from Hacho.

Of the orphans they parented, one is a little girl named Miina. For the longest time after her village was attacked, she became mute, only speaking in certain instances. And she was able to see what was happening to Naruto as the cloned snakes were lingering in his body. Along with that, she carried something that would be part of a terrifying weapon…

Not to worry, this is still Rook Blonko's story. He'll have more moments to shine, I promise.

TONIKA VILLAGE

Standing at the very ledge of the Hole, the group of shinobi, Plumbers, and Shiseru all looked down towards the village's center. Neji stood in front, using his Byakugan to scout the area. With it, he could see what looked to be Kabuto standing near the shrine, along with the five orphaned children. Rook could see them as well from the scope of his Proto-Tool. From what he had been told, the children were being cared for by Dokku and Shiseru, having been orphaned due to the attack on the village.

"Kabuto is there," he confirmed to the group.

"More accurately, it may be a clone," Neji chimed in as a correction, "And there are five children as well," he mentioned.

"It's the kids!" Shiseru exclaimed in shock as she stepped forward, "I wondered where they went…" she pointed out, "Why?!" she questioned.

"In any case, we'll need to proceed with caution," Kakashi advised.

"I can do that," Ben chimed in, stepping forward with his white hoodie on, "I'll lure any reanimated creeps out of the way, and you guys can swoop in and save the kids," he told them, "along with Naruto and Dokku," he added further.

"Going in as bait?" Kiba presumed, "Is that really a good idea?" he inquired, arching an eyebrow. The Omnitrix bearer chuckled.

"I can handle it," he assured, reaching into his hoodie pocket to pull out a bright green-and-white object that shifted into a hoverboard, "Once I make my move on Kabuto, you guys make yours," he advised.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Hinata asked, getting his attention, "I mean… after earlier…" she continued as she looked away nervously. Ben's eyes slightly widened before he glanced down in ashamed realization. She was the person he scared the most from his outrage against the Nine-Tails clone earlier. And Rook could see that, too. He looked over to his partner, wondering what he would do next. He dropped his hoverboard as it hovered a few inches above the ground before walking over to the Byakugan user. She didn't even have a moment to react as he suddenly kissed her lips, with nothing but a muffled yelp coming out as she blushed. The others looked over in surprise, while Rook sighed with a smile. The Omnitrix bearer released himself from Hinata, as her eyes were shaking.

"I'll be okay, promise," he vowed with a smile, putting his right hand onto her cheek comfortingly. He then turned around and hopped onto his hoverboard, soaring off into the Hole.

"Wow…" Ino uttered out, "Talk about bold…" she remarked.

"That little…" Neji growled out in annoyance.

"That is Ben for you," Rook chimed in, pulling his Proto-Tool off from his back, "Let us not waste this opportunity," he insisted.

"Right," Kakashi agreed. The shinobi split up into groups, while the Revonnahgander had Shiseru accompanying him as they ventured through the ruined village towards the shrine.

"I didn't realize Ben was such a smooth-talker…" the officer commented quietly on their trek.

"He does have his moments from what I know," Rook replied as continued on their way, "At first, I did not understand him," he admitted, "We were born in different cultures, but there was much that I needed to learn," he pointed out, "Beneath that confidence of his, he is scared," he noted.

"Scared?" Shiseru repeated in surprise, "Of what?" she asked.

"Failure," the Revonnahgander replied, "And I am, too," he confessed as they approached the shrine, "Because I know that there are lives that we are sworn to protect," he told her, "To make sure they still have futures ahead of them," he added.

"Right…" Shiseru agreed, looking down for a moment in thought. Earlier today, she had acted recklessly and smacked Miina for what she thought was her being rude to Naruto. She was far too hasty and ended up making things much worse between her and the little girl. And she wanted to make it right.

"Over there," Rook said in a whisper, causing her to perk up as she took notice of the figures by the shrine, being the five orphaned children standing together in front of Dokku, who was being restrained by Kabuto. Shiseru blinked in surprise upon noticing one of the figures in particular. It was an elderly man with yellow eyes, a grey beard and dark brown eyebrows. He also had an array of scars atop his head.

"It's the chief…" the officer quietly noted, making the Revonnahgander narrow his eyes.

"I think this situation is becoming clearer…" he realized, "Let us get closer," he advised of Shiseru, who nodded as they snuck around.

"Ah, that damn brat with the watch…" Disonasu muttered as he unraveled the scroll in his hands, setting it onto the ground, "He scared me for a moment, I'll admit…" he said, while the scroll flashed a bright gold, releasing a silvery-blue, curved object with metal rods inserted into it except for two notches, "But now that he's occupied, we can finally get started…" he affirmed confidently with a smirk.

"I would expect him to return, but not before you've activated it," Kabuto mentioned, making the Hacho Village chief chuckle. It turned out that he was the mastermind behind Tonika's attack, having put Kabuto up to it in the first place with the reanimated shinobi. In doing so, he gained the Saezuri, an ancient device that if used correctly, could activate something that would grant him immense power, which he had sorely lost.

But for a time, he couldn't use the device due to the fact that it was missing a few key pieces. Dokku had been given two of the metal rods meant to complete the device by the former chief of the destroyed village, as a way of hiding them from their enemies. They had been hidden in his red vest, which he had given to Miina. And now that they were in Disonasu's possession, he could finally do what he wanted.

Reading the instructions of the device from his book, he placed the metal rods in a specific pattern before placing his hand upon the console-like section of it. The top of each rod flashed a different color as they hummed like beats off of a xylophone. The same pattern was being hummed by Miina as well, as she appeared to be resonating with the device.

All of a sudden, the ground started rumbling. Both Disonasu and Kabuto lost their balance momentarily, with the latter letting go of Dokku as he fell to the ground. He quickly picked himself up and hurried over to the orphan children.

"Miina!" he exclaimed, embracing the redheaded little girl warmly as she hugged him back. He then looked over to the other four children, giving off a stern expression. "How could you be so reckless?!" he shouted in a reprimanding tone.

"…'Cause…" Leo started to say.

"…We wanted to see you, Sensei!" Faz bawled out. The portly man blinked in surprise. At that moment, the rumbling grew louder.

"We need to get away!" Dokku warned, picking up Miina before hurrying off with the other children as plumes of dirt erupted around the shrine. Disonasu and Kabuto ran away themselves, with the former carrying the Saezuri with him. Emerging from the ground and tearing apart the shrine was a tower-like structure that glowed with red lines. The village chief cackled.

"Amazing! Amazing!" he exclaimed repeatedly, jumping around with glee.

"Quite impressive…" Kabuto commented. From afar, Dokku was amazed by the sight of the emerged structure.

"That's… the Ama no Hoko…" he realized with shaking eyes. Disonasu was elated that the activation pattern had worked. Now he just needed the ancient structure to release its full power. But as he started to look for the pattern required in his book…

"That is far enough," Rook's voice stated, getting his attention as he turned to see the Revonnahgander there with his Proto-Tool aimed at him, "Drop the book," he advised seriously.

"Ah, so you must be the other otherworlder he mentioned to me…" Disonasu noted aloud, grinning wickedly, "You can't seriously be expecting to try and apprehend me by yourself, can you?" he presumed.

"No," the Plumber responded with a smirk as Sakura, Sai, Yamato and Kakashi leapt over.

"Too much ambition will destroy you," the masked shinobi pointed out, "This isn't something you should use carelessly," he mentioned further. Their enemies just sneered confidently. "We looked you up in an old bingo book," Kakashi told the chief, "It was believed you died in a scuffle with the Akatsuki," he recalled, while the elderly man took notice of the other shinobi that had arrived on the scene, "You specialized in Summoning Jutsu and were known as a homicidal maniac who claimed thousands of victims," he explained on, "And together with Orochimaru, you researched the forbidden Reanimation Jutsu," he added. All Disonasu did was smirk wickedly.

"I would advise you kindly surrender, Disonasu," Rook instructed, steadying his trigger finger. The village chief turned to Kabuto. With a blink of realization, he clapped his hands together, making several coffins emerge from the ground. Along with them, two massive snakes burst out of the earth as well, much to everyone's shock as they slithered around each other. The green-scaled one opened its mouth, releasing the Nine-Tails clone as its arms were restrained by bindings.

It fell to the ground, tumbling to a stop before the group of shinobi and the Plumber, who sweated a little, recalling the clone's brutal strength from earlier. Growling angrily, it picked itself up onto its knees before letting out a powerful roar. A final struggle was about to begin…

X

Rook kept his Proto-Tool trained on Disonasu, even as the reanimated shinobi were coming out from their coffins. He noticed that each of them, save for both Deidara and Hidan, had white clay upon their bodies in differing forms. Shiseru reunited with Dokku and the children, leaving the shinobi to prepare for battle. Kakashi unveiled his Sharingan, while the others took on ready stances. The Nine-Tails clone roared furiously, struggling against its bindings before finally breaking free of them, ready to fight. But before it could make a move…

"Leave that one to me!" a familiar voice called out, getting everyone's attention as they looked up to see none other than Naruto atop the Ama no Hoko, his eyes indicating that he had entered Sage Mode.

"Naruto…?" Dokku uttered in surprise.

"Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Naruto…" Hinata gasped out. The jinchuriki went ahead and put his forehead protector on, tying it tightly before looking down at the Nine-Tails clone he was set to face.

"Sure you wanna take that guy?" another voice chimed in, causing those below to look back to see Ben flying over via his hoverboard, hopping down and landing beside Rook, "I did a number on him myself the last time…" he pointed out confidently.

"Ben!" his partner exclaimed.

"Sorry I'm late," he apologized immediately, pushing up his hoodie's left sleeve to reveal the Omnitrix, "Got hung up with some of those reanimations…" he noted.

"Glad to see you here now," Kakashi remarked, making him crack a grin.

"Naruto, you got this guy?" he inquired of the blonde-haired shinobi.

"Yeah," he responded with a smile of his own, "Counting on you to help take care of the rest," he affirmed on.

"Heh," Ben chuckled, sliding the lid of the Omnitrix forward to make its dial pop up, "You know I will," he vowed, slamming it down to envelop himself in a green flash of light as his body transformed. When it subsided, it revealed that he had transformed into XLR8. The battle started as Deidara released small clay bombs to create a veil of smoke, allowing for the reanimated shinobi to close in and start their attacks on the Leaf ninja. The reanimated Akatsuki member smirked while riding aboard a bird of clay, but that expression soon vanished as the Kineceleran sped up the Ama no Hoko, lunging out and swiping his target across his face, tearing off his right cheek.

"Bastard…!" Deidara growled as his cheek reformed. Meanwhile, the Nine-Tails clone had gone up the tower-like structure to confront Naruto atop it. He was battling the beast back, punching it squarely in the face with his left fist to send it tumbling away.

Back on the ground below, Rook shot back some of the reanimated shinobi trying to close in on him. He noticed how they were all making rather reckless charges at their foes, unlike what he had seen before during the early afternoon. And he also saw how the clay on their bodies was similar to what Deidara had used earlier. He saw Sakura get tackled by two of them, seeing the clay upon their bodies start glowing. He widened his eyes in realization.

"Ben!" he called out to XLR8 as he had just blitzed another reanimated shinobi aside, getting his attention before he sped over.

"Now here's a taste of my genius!" Deidara yelled from above, putting his right hand up in the form of a tiger seal. All of the clay bombs he had stuck onto the reanimated shinobi started shining, set to explode. And each of them were at least closing in or latching onto their foes.

Reaching into one of his pouches, Rook pulled out several small, round devices, tossing them up for the Kineceleran to grab as he dashed by. In an instant, he zipped out, tossing one after another around his allies just as the reanimated shinobi were about to explode. Multiple blasts went off, veiling the area in smoke. Deidara chuckled, looking down to see his completed handiwork. But he gasped in shock to find that everyone who was caught up in the explosions were still alive and intact.

"You're kidding…!" he exclaimed in shock. As if that wasn't embarrassing enough for him, he didn't even notice the arrow-like projectile shot his way until it was too late, piercing right between his eyes as he yelped. Below, Rook had transformed his Proto-Tool into a makeshift bow, grinning at his direct hit.

"Is everyone alright?" he inquired, looking back towards the Leaf shinobi.

"Yeah, good here…" Kiba confirmed.

"What happened?" Tenten asked, "For a second, it looked like we were gonna be goners…" she pointed out.

"You can thank Rook for that," XLR8 confirmed as he zipped over to his partner, "Plumber tech really can come in handy," he noted.

"Temporary matrix shields," the Revonnahgander said, "So long as you weren't being touched by the reanimated shinobi, you would be protected," he explained.

"Agh…" a voice groaned nearby, getting his attention as he looked over to see a grimacing Sai holding Sakura in his arms.

"Are you two alright?" Rook inquired as he quickly jogged over to them.

"Yes… it's not that serious…" Sai assured in response with a smile. In the meantime, the reanimated shinobi that had exploded weren't regenerating.

"Must've been sacrificial pawns…" Guy presumed.

"Or maybe Kabuto's jutsu's incomplete still," Neji inferred, while the Omnitrix timed out in a flash of green light, turning XLR8 back into Ben.

"Speaking of whom…" he began as he approached, "where is he?" he asked curiously.

"And what of Disonasu?" Rook inquired on, "I lost sight of him during the commotion," he noted on.

"I think Kakashi Sensei and Captain Yamato are taking care of them…" Sakura replied as she stood up.

"Then we should hurry and assist them before—" A sudden rumble in the ground interjected the Revonnahgander as he and the others yelped in surprise.

"Oh, what now?!" Ben exclaimed in frustration. The tower was rising again with two more segments. Panels of its middle section move out on beams, revealing a solid red core.

"What is happening…?" Lee wondered aloud. Rook blinked in realization, recalling what Disonasu had been saying earlier. He grimaced.

"I believe this structure is about to unleash the power that Disonasu was talking about," he told his colleagues, "Meaning…" he continued.

"Meaning that thing's about to blow, right?" Ben assumed, unzipping his hoodie. His partner nodded. "I better go get Naruto if he's still up there…" he decided, tossing the article of clothing aside. He glanced over to Hinata, who picked it up. "Hold onto that for me?" he requested with a wink, making her blush.

"Um… sure…" she responded, looking away with a cute smile. The Omnitrix bearer then pressed his fingers against the Omnitrix's lid, making the green, holographic wheel appear over it. He scrolled through his transformation options.

"Are you sure you can handle whatever might be up there?" Rook asked of him, getting his attention.

"Yeah, Naruto probably already took care of it," he affirmed in reply, letting the lid of his device slide forward, allowing for the dial to pop up. He smacked it down with his hand, enveloping himself in a greenish light. As it subsided moments later, it revealed that he became a humanoid grasshopper with significantly large hind limbs. He has a green film connected to his leg joints and legs. He had the same green color scheme as Stinkfly, having a large green horn while wearing green overalls with black stripes all over. To top it off, he bore the Omnitrix symbol upon his stomach. With a grin, he leapt up mightily onto the tower, hopping up the panels one after another.

"Ben…" Hinata uttered worriedly, clutching his hoodie in her grasp. Watching on, Rook narrowed his eyes. Whatever came of this event would decide the fate of this world…

X

When the Ama no Hoko was set to release its power, the platform that Naruto and the Nine-Tails clone stood upon had collapsed, with the latter plummeting into the abyss of the structure. The jinchuriki stood at the ledge, thinking that his foe was finally bested once and for all. But then, he saw a red light starting to emit from below. A beam of luminosity was rising up the towering structure, about to spout like a geyser. The blonde-haired shinobi blinked in surprise, followed by Crashhopper coming up and grabbing him as they leapt away, latching themselves onto the side of the structure.

"Phew…" the Orthopterran exhaled afterwards, "That was close…" he remarked. The force of the beam's blast blew by those below, knocking them over. Rook sat up, widening his eyes at the sight of dark red clouds forming overhead as a result of the beam.

"Ergh…" Kiba grunted out, "That doesn't look good…" he noted aloud.

"What do we do now, Guy Sensei?" Lee asked of his teacher, who grimaced a little. At that moment, Rook took notice of something. It was Disonasu climbing up the Ama no Hoko.

"Stop!" he yelled, drawing his Proto-Tool as he chased after village chief.

"Rook, wait!" Sakura cried out, only to flinch from the booming thunder coming from above. The ominous clouds spread as red lightning rained down onto the Hole and beyond. Disonasu continued his climb, raving about he would finally regain his power. However, his obsession left him distracted as Rook suddenly reeled himself up to the village chief with his Proto-Tool's grappling hook, followed by shifting his weapon into an energy blade that he stabbed the man's left leg with.

"GAAAAHHH!" he screamed with agony, gritting his teeth, "How dare you…!" he snarled to the Revonnahgander as he glared at him. He glared back just as fiercely.

"You will go no further!" he declared, making certain that Disonasu couldn't move.

"That's right!" Naruto's voice chimed in as he landed right above the pair, standing upon the towering structure with his arms folded over his chest.

"Game over, old man," Crashhopper remarked, latched onto the Ama no Hoko from the side. The village chief sweated, knowing that he had no chance of getting away from three enemies, especially with his leg stabbed. But then suddenly, he heard roaring. So did the others.

"What… was that?" Rook asked, "Ben," he began to the Orthopterran, "you and Naruto did defeat the clone, did you not?" he presumed.

"Uh… depends on what you mean…" his partner responded.

"The top of that thing collapsed, and it fell in…" the jinchuriki noted, "We thought that light must've destroyed it or something…" he assumed, narrowing his eyes.

"But that light…" the Revonnahgander began, "It is pure power from what we know, correct?" he inquired of his colleagues, making them slightly widen their eyes, "So if that creature was somehow able to absorb that power much like it did with the Nine-Tails before…" he started to infer, only for another roar to sound off. The group looked up to find something morphing to life at the top of the structure from within the light. The clone had grown to gain a dark violet body, which dripped slimily. It was almost exactly like the form it had taken during the afternoon. Except now, it had nine heads. Its main one roared ferociously into the air.

"Oh, so not good…" Crashhopper muttered out.

"What now?" Naruto asked. Rook looked up at Disonasu, who trembled.

"Where is the device you used to activate this structure?" he asked of him, slightly twisting his blade in the man's leg as he yelped with pain, "Talk, and I may let you keep your limb," he suggested sternly.

"Agh…!" he groaned out, "Even if you were to deactivate the Ama no Hoko…" he began, "that monster would still have its power!" he pointed out to the Revonnahgander's surprise.

"Uh, Rook?!" Crashhopper yelped, getting his partner's attention. Crawling down the structure was the Nine-Tails clone, which reared its front left leg back, enlarging it. The Orthopterran quickly hopped over to snatch his partner, leaping away with him as the beast swiped. Naruto jumped away as well, leaving Disonasu to get struck as he screamed, being sent flying in the process. The trio that evaded the attack managed to land upon the ground, with Crashhopper letting his partner down.

"Tell the others to get themselves outta here!" he insisted of him.

"That goes for you too, Ben!" Naruto added seriously to the Orthopterran's surprise.

"What?! No!" he exclaimed with a shake of his head in refusal, "I'm not gonna leave you to fight this thing by yourself!" he decided firmly.

"The same goes for me as well," Rook affirmed, causing him to look over and see the Revonnahgander setting a rocket onto his Proto-Tool, "We cannot let this monster roam freely," he affirmed. Crashhopper sighed with a smile. At that moment, the Nine-Tails clone landed right in front of them. From afar, the other Leaf shinobi watched on worriedly. Naruto crossed his fingers into the shape of a t, summoning forth a pair of clones in puffs of smoke.

Rook was the first to attack, firing the rocket off of his weapon as it struck the main head of the monstrosity before him and his colleagues. However, it hardly seemed fazed as it screeched angrily. Crashhopper bounded around, striking the beast's many heads until one smacked it aside, sending him crashing into a pile of rocks from afar.

"Ben!" his partner cried out, hurrying over to him. That left Naruto to prepare a Rasenshuriken in his right hand, with the Nine-Tails clone eyeing him curiously. He rushed in as his jutsu was readied, roaring all the while.

"Agh…" the Orthopterran groaned as he was sat up from the ground thanks to Rook, rubbing his head in pain, "Thing's packing more of a punch than it did earlier…" he pointed out.

"But if its condition similar to what we saw this afternoon, it should not be able to maintain that form for much longer," the Revonnahgander noted, looking back towards where Naruto and the Nine-Tails clone were fighting, "If we can just hold out long enough, then—" He stopped himself as his eyes widened. So did Crashhopper's.

Naruto's attack hadn't been enough. And what was worse was that his Sage Mode had been used up as well. Four of the monstrosity's heads each grabbed him by his limbs, hoisting him up into the air as he struggled against their grasp. One head rose up from below, opening its mouth to reveal a void of red inside.

"Naruto, no!" the Orthopterran screamed, getting to his feet as he was ready to lunge over. But he was too late as the head placed underneath the jinchuriki fired a laser beam that pierced straight through him, making him cough up blood. "NOOOOO!" Crashhopper yelled, bounding out to try and catch him, only to get swatted away again by the Nine-Tails clone. Rook felt himself completely freeze in that moment.

Of all the things he experienced up to now, when faced with such an overwhelming force that made others before menial, he was afraid. Both men he knew that were powerful in their own right were getting trounced. Naruto was getting smashed against the ground over and over until it collapsed, while Crashhopper couldn't even get close. Neither were doing much to fight back against the monstrosity before them.

And what could the Revonnahgander do? Up to now, he hadn't even considered just how outmatched he was in comparison to his colleagues and their foes. That was because he never cared. If there was a threat or an enemy, he'd face it without question or reservation. To him, that was what it meant to be a partner. He raised his Proto-Tool, firing off more shots onto the Nine-Tails clone, getting its attention. It readied three of its heads, opening their mouths as they prepped laser beams to be fired.

"ROOK!" Crashhopper screamed from afar. The monstrosity fired its lasers, making the Revonnahgander flinched as he shut his eyes, bracing for impact. But it never came. That was because as he opened his eyes, he saw none other than Naruto there, cloaked in a massive form of chakra in the shape of the Nine-Tails, with six tails protruding from it. He couldn't help but notice that the jinchuriki had glowing lines of energy all along his body as he stood off against the monstrous clone, letting out a roar of challenge.

X

Crashhopper and Rook were able to traverse to the other side of the chasm between the Ama no Hoko and the rest of Hole's immediate area. They looked back to see the apparition conjured by Naruto battling back the monstrous clone, grabbing it by one of its many heads before landing a powerful left hook to it. A straight right punch pushed it back even further.

"Incredible…" the Revonnahgander uttered out.

"Yeah…" the Orthopterran agreed, while the Omnitrix symbol at his abdomen started beeping. It timed out in a green flash of light, turning him back into Ben.

"Guys!" Sakura's voice cried out, getting their attentions as they saw her running over, with Yamato carrying Sai as they followed her, "Thank goodness you're okay," she remarked in relief.

"It'd be better if that wasn't a problem…" the Omnitrix bearer pointed out, looking over to the raging battle that spread into the trees, "Where's everyone else?" he asked.

"They're securing the perimeter," Sakura answered, "You should go there, too," she advised.

"No way," Ben refused, "Not until we make sure that thing's done for," he affirmed seriously.

"And disabled this structure," Rook mentioned, "The device that Disonasu used should be the key to that," he noted on, looking towards the Ama no Hoko.

"Okay…" Sakura uttered out, "So where's either?" she wondered aloud. Just then, Dokku, Shiseru and the kids arrived on the scene. Though the Leaf shinobi pleaded for them to evacuate, the portly man noted that he used to be a village guard. He wanted to stop the Ama no Hoko. And his longtime friend did, too.

The children begged for them not to leave into danger, but their minds were made up. They said some parting words to the five of them before they left, leaving them in tears, along with an emotional Sakura. All of them cheered for the pair as they hurried off. Rook watched on, amazed by their willingness to go into danger together.

"While they're doing that, we've got a problem of our own to deal with," Ben pointed out, looking over to the battle between monsters raging on afar.

"Naruto doesn't seem to be struggling…" Sai noted.

"No, but I doubt he's gonna have control forever," the Omnitrix bearer affirmed in reply, "Either way, we need to be there to back him up…" he continued.

"Or subdue him should he lose control," Yamato finished for him, "Sakura, Sai," he addressed, "You two watch over the children," he instructed of them, earning nods in response from the Team Kakashi shinobi. Ben tapped the Omnitrix's lid, making the holographic wheel appeared. As he scrolled through his transformations, he looked over to his partner, who seemed a bit shaken.

"Have you ever felt almost helpless before?" he inquired of him to his surprise, "As if… you felt as if you could not do anything?" he questioned on. The Omnitrix bearer glanced down in thought for a moment. And then he cracked a little grin.

"'Course I have," he answered, making the Revonnahgander blink in shock, "But if I can't do it… I know there's someone else I can depend on who can," he affirmed confidently. He slid the Omnitrix's lid open before slapping down the dial, enveloping himself in a green light as his body inflated, taking the form of Cannonbolt as the device's symbol rested upon his chest.

"Okay, let's roll!" he exclaimed, curling up into a ball and speeding off. Nodding to each other, Yamato and Rook followed. More chaos was unfolding. Though Dokku and Shiseru were able to find the Saezuri, they didn't know how to activate it. Disonasu's book was nearby, but the earth crumbled beneath it, causing it to fall into the abyss before the pair could get to it.

To make matters more complicated, as Naruto's Nine-Tails cloak manifested more arms for him to fight with, he was becoming increasingly more battle-hungry, laughing without a care. From afar, Kakashi could see as his eyes trembled with fright. The chakra turned a dark red, and the jinchuriki found himself having lost control, no longer visible within the manifestation. A seventh tail sprouted from its body as it grew, gaining a visible bone structure around itself.

"Yes..." the Nine-Tails uttered, "Kill… destroy… THE ENTIRE WORLD!" it bellowed, unleashing a powerful roar as control was coming into his grasp. All of a sudden though, he was slammed upside the head by Cannonbolt, making him stumble. He looked down and growled at the Arburian Pelarota, who unrolled himself, clenching his fists tightly.

"Come on, man…" he pleaded with a determined look in his eyes. Unfortunately, Naruto had lost control. As the Nine-Tails slammed its claws against the earth after his foes, the clone was able to get back to its feet. Each of its heads opened their mouths and unleashed beams of light that seared about randomly.

One wound up striking the Nine-Tails as it roared with pain, while another seared through the ground leading up to the Ama no Hoko. Dokku and Shiseru had just figured out a way to use the Saezuri, only for the ray to streak by them as its force blasted them back. A stray rock managed to strike the officer's right shoulder, dislocating it. What made matters worse was the ground beneath started collapsing. She barely managed to get to her feet and run to her longtime friend, managing to grab his hand in the nick of time just as the ground gave way. But now there was a new predicament. With her arm dislocated, she couldn't try to pull herself up. And Dokku's lack of strength meant that he couldn't pull on her either, especially with his arm bleeding.

Everyone witnessing the scene was shocked. It wasn't as if they could jump in and rescue the pair. They were already occupied with both the out-of-control Naruto and the Nine-Tails clone. Yamato hurried across the tree roots, palming the bark with his left hand cloaked in chakra. Roots spread around the jinchuriki, starting to take hold of him and binding his body. However, it was proving to be strenuous for the captain.

"I'm… not sure how long I can hold him!" he admitted with a grunt.

"Long enough!" Cannonbolt assured as he bowled in, bouncing up to strike the Tailed Beast in the head, making him lurch back. He rolled around, attempting to do the same again, but found himself getting smacked aside by the Nine-Tails as he uncurled, crashing into the ground hard.

"BEN!" Rook screamed as he hurried over, while Sakura was in the middle of healing a weakened Sai. He fired off shots from his Proto-Tool at the Tailed Beast, but they appeared to little to affect him as he turned to strike him, only to get restrained by more wood bindings.

"Ergh…!" Yamato grunted, "Rook, get Ben!" he insisted of the Revonnahgander, getting his attention, "The only chance we have of stopping these two is if he's still able to fight!" he pointed out.

"Right!" the Plumber responded, hurrying over to where his transformed partner had crashed. A green flash of light went off as the dust settled, revealing a groaning Ben as he sat up, rubbing his head.

"Should've gone for Way Big…" he muttered out. At that moment, a hand extended out to him, being that of Rook's. "Thanks," he said, accepting his extremity before getting pulled up, "We gotta help Shiseru and Dokku," he noted seriously.

"That starts by making certain these two cannot intervene," the Revonnahgander pointed out, "Are you still able to fight?" he asked in concern. His partner chuckled, sliding the lid of the Omnitrix forward as its dial popped up.

"Always," he responded, smacking the dial down to envelop his body in an emerald glow. He went down onto his arms his legs, with his clothing covering most of his body. A white shell covered his chest and he had four pointed fins on his back. The clothing went all the way up to his head and his pants were fully black. The black stripes on his now blue face streaked from his eyes, and he developed small spikes upon his chin. The Omnitrix symbol was upon the center of his shell at the chest.

"Let's move!" he yelled in a Jamaican accent, hurrying off. As they closed in the out-of-control Naruto, Kakashi was busy dealing with the nine-headed clone. Arctiguana took a deep breath before firing a freezing ray of blue light onto the Tailed Beast, coating his body in ice to slow his movements. That allowed for Rook to ready a pair of energy arrows upon his Proto-Tool, which had shifted into the form of a bow. He fired them off to strike the head of the monstrosity, but it seemed to do little to affect him as he roared again.

"It is not working!" he shouted in panic.

"Just keep trying!" the Polar Manzardill insisted, unleashing more freezing breaths while skating around the out-of-control Naruto on waves of ice, "We can't give up!" he mentioned firmly. Hearing that, the Revonnahgander steeled himself as he kept launching his energy arrows. But even so, everyone fighting was running low on stamina. Arctiguana's breath was starting to grow heavy. No matter what he or what anyone else tried, there was seemingly no stopping the corrupted Naruto. Even Yamato's attempts to restrain him with his Wood Style techniques weren't even managing to faze him.

"We have to try something else!" the captain called out, making the Polar Manzardill grimace in realization. Things were going from bad to worse.

"Can we possibly lead him towards the clone?" Rook suggested while holding onto his Proto-Tool in his hands, "If they end up weakening each other, it should be easier for us to deal with them!" he pointed out. At that very moment, the corrupted Naruto broke free of the wooden bindings, forcing Yamato to stumble back. The Revonnahgander fired several shots from his weapon, but they practically had no effect on the jinchuriki as he stomped towards him and the captain.

"Guys!" Arctiguana cried out in fright. He was even more mortified when he saw the children running over. Reacting quickly, he leapt out in front of the kids, exhaling a powerfully cold breath to freeze up a wall of ice in front of them. It shattered almost instantly from the force of the jinchuriki's front left paw crashing against the huge tree roots. The kids fell over in yelps as Arctiguana gnashed his teeth together, seeing the Nine-Tails rear his front left leg back, about to crush them. Miina raised her head and looked at the beast determinedly.

"Don't give up," she said. Within the manifestation, Naruto had his eyes shoot open.

"What...?" the Polar Manzardill uttered in shock as he saw the Nine-Tails' manifestation shrink down. It didn't fully disappear, taking on a more human-like appearance cloaked by dark red chakra in the shape of the Tailed Beast. The little girl held her hand out to him. Across the giant gap, Shiseru was about to fall, only being held by Dokku as his arm bled. Both of them knew that if they were to save the world… one of them would have to sacrifice themselves. The children they had taken care of were pleading to the corrupted Naruto with tears in their eyes. They wanted the people who took them in to be saved... because...

"PLEASE SAVE OUR MOM AND DAD!" they begged simultaneously. In that instant, the cloak around the jinchuriki dissipated, revealing him in a state where an orange-yellow light littered with black markings shrouded his entire form. It flowed around him as everyone looked on in shock and awe. Arctiguana transformed back into Ben in a flash of green light as his eyes widened. Looking himself over, Naruto didn't know what to make of the new form he suddenly obtained. But he ignored that thought when he saw Shiseru start to plummet down into the abyss. Without a moment of hesitation, he ran over and leapt out, catching her in his arms before landing on the side of the cliff. Everyone gasped.

"Naruto...?" Shiseru uttered in surprise upon seeing him.

"Dokku!" he called out to the plump man, "Hurry up and stop that thing!" he insisted, quickly running up the wall to bring the guard to safety. Blinking in realization, Dokku got onto his feet and grabbed the last rod, hurrying over to the Saezuri. However, the Nine-Tails clone took notice, firing off a spray of laser beams from its open mouth towards him. Fortunately, he wasn't struck. But the force of the blasts that resulted knocked him down. Taking notice, Ben growled.

"All right, you nine-headed eyesore..." he began as he tapped the Omnitrix's lid and slid it forward, allowing its dial to pop up, "it's hero time!" he exclaimed, slamming the dial down to envelop himself in a green glow of light. His skin turned black as he gained a pair of antenna with golden plugs at their ends, along with a tail that had a similar plug. Gold battery-like bolts were along his arms and hips, while his four-fingered hands had gold bolts at their tips. His two eyes combined into one green one as the Omnitrix symbol appeared upon his green chest.

"Time for some Feedback action!" he declared, firing off a blast of blue electricity to launch himself upwards.

"Don't get in his way!" Naruto roared as he jumped back towards the nine-headed beast, "Ya hear me?!" he yelled, getting its attention. It fired off more lasers his way. He was prepared to block and evade them, but didn't need to as the Conductoid came up in front of them, absorbing the beams through his bolted fingertips. "Ben?" he uttered out of surprise.

"Glad to see you back," he remarked in response, "Now let's get him!" he insisted.

"Right!" Naruto replied as he soared down towards the beast. The Conductoid blasted off two of its heads with a massive beam of blue electricity he launched from his fingers, while the jinchuriki crushed a third before leaping up mightily into the air. An arm of chakra formed over his right hand, forming a Rasengan that changed color from blue to purple. Meanwhile, Feedback ran underneath the beast's underbelly, plugging his antenna and tail into it in order to absorb its power as it channeled into his arms.

Simultaneously, he punched the beast with his electrically-coated fists, just as Naruto slammed his Rasengan into its back. The attacks caused the monstrosity to suddenly petrify into rock. And with Dokku completing the Saezuri and activating it, the Ama no Hoko ceased its beam into the sky. Slowly but surely, the dark clouds faded away from the now dawning sky. The day had been won. Rook looked over and smiled. For a first experience in another universe, it had been quite a memorable one.

X

"Big Brother Naruto!" Leo called out as he and the others kids joined Miina in affectionately tackling him down to the ground, giggling all the while as they were on the barren wasteland beyond the Hole. Everyone looked on and smiled at the sight. Rook sighed with relief.

"It all worked out," Kakashi remarked, getting his attention.

"Indeed it did," he agreed with a nod. Just then, he took notice of Feedback arriving onto the barren land from the large chasm, which had mostly fallen apart. A few beeps from the Omnitrix symbol and a flash of green light later, he transformed back into Ben. He smiled upon seeing Naruto getting all the attention from the kids. After everything he'd been through in the past 24 hours, he deserved this.

"Welcome back," Hinata remarked, getting his attention as he looked to see her approach with his hoodie in her hands. He blinked in surprise before cracking a grin.

"You held onto it," he noted. A small smile tugged at her lips.

"You asked me to..." she retorted, nervously glancing off to the side as she recalled the kiss they shared before the whole conflict started. An uncommon smirk came across Ben's face as he glanced over to the jinchuriki.

"Hey, Naruto!" he called out, getting his attention as he looked over at him, "You know that old saying, 'save the day, get the girl'?" he asked of him.

"Uh... sure, why?" he questioned back in response. With a chuckle, the Omnitrix bearer wrapped his arm around Hinata and pulled her close, much to her surprise as she yelped.

"Well, I got mine," he replied, causing the Byakugan user to instantly blush a bright red. Looking on from afar, Rook chuckled, while a few others smiled. Neji was the only one who didn't appear to be content with the revelation, glaring out at Ben. Meanwhile, Naruto just blinked twice out of confusion.

"Um..." Hinata uttered out, getting the Omnitrix bearer's attention, "Does this mean that...?" she started to guess. He gave her a soft, reassuring smile.

"Yeah," he answered with a nod. He then leaned down and closed his eyes, planting a sweet kiss onto her lips. Rather than do nothing like the last time she was caught off guard by his lips, Hinata melted into the kiss as her own eyes shut. The day was over, but so many things had just begun.

My, what a nice little ending. But our story doesn't end there. You see, Rook didn't just leave after that whole ordeal. He got to bond with a few of the shinobi back in the Leaf, including one in particular…

LEAF VILLAGE

"Honestly, what was he thinking?" Neji grumbled in question as he set aside his cup of tea, "That lowlife…" he muttered. Beside him, Rook chuckled.

"That is a strong word to describe Ben…" he pointed out, sipping his own cup of tea before sighing contently. The two of them were seated on the porch of a large estate that was still in the middle of construction.

"I always knew he was fond of Hinata since we had first met all those years ago…" the Byakugan user recalled, "Even so, I didn't think it would blossom into something like this…" he admitted.

"You never know what may happen in a multiverse," Rook noted, finishing his cup of tea as he set it down onto the tray, "Sometimes, you might discover that a person is not as childish as they appear to be," he mentioned. Neji blinked in surprise.

"You're referring to Ben?" he presumed, earning a nod in reply.

"Between his impulses and brash nature, I never knew how… kindhearted he was to the people he met across the multiverse," the Revonnahgander explained as he stood up, looking toward the sky above, "Now that I do know…" he continued, letting off a smile, "I am very fortunate to call him my partner," he affirmed. The Byakugan user gave a little grin.

"Did he mention the upcoming war to you?" he inquired of the Plumber.

"He did, but I will not be participating," he replied, "I have been through my fair share of battles, and our universe will still need someone to defend it in Ben's absence," he pointed out, "But do not worry," he assured to his colleague, "I have no doubt that you will end up victorious," he affirmed with confidence.

"Take care then," Neji remarked as he raised his left hand in farewell, watching as Rook walked off, waving back. This experience was one he would never forget. Because now… he finally let like he was part of the bigger multiverse ahead.

Between the events that conspired afterwards, Rook had a whole new outlook on the multiverse. And in time, he would become the biggest proponent to expand the Omni Force's roster. While this story does seem to center more around Ben, I assure you that it's Rook's tale in the end. Perhaps you'd like to see how this arc unfolded in full?

Well, that's a story for another time. And you might be wondering, how was it that Ben and Hinata became so close? Well… that story's coming up next. Stay tuned, everyone!

ENDING

Insert "Kitakaze" by SIX LOUNGE

Opens with a young Rook running along the fields of Revonnah, passing by his parents and siblings. We watch as he trains in Revonnah Kai under Kundo, followed by him farming Amber Ogia alongside his family. As he brings in the crop, he looks to the stars above and has a sparkle in his eyes.

We flash forward to him becoming a Plumber cadet, where he's granted the Proto-Tool by Max. He trains constantly with the weapon, though sometimes struggles to use it properly. But over time, he masters it. Afterwards, he finally meets Ben, introducing himself as his partner.

Various scenes of the pair working together are shown, between stopping Psyphon in Undertown to fighting the Vreedle Brothers to battling against Khyber. Though begrudgingly, the pair starts to like each other after a while, and Hinata also joins the group.

As the future unfolds, we watch as Rook gets to witness many different people from across the multiverse, learning about their cultures and skills. He gets a chance to spar with Rock Lee, pets Pikachu, learns about beyblades from Madoka, and studies EVOs under Caesar. Along with them, he also gets to see the likes of Fairy Tail's guild, Air Temple Island, and Canterlot High School.

We see him running alongside Ben, Hinata, Ash, Naruto, Gingka, and Rex, as they do battle against the Incurseans during their invasion. We also see him protecting Sunset Shimmer from Kundo with his Proto-Tool, followed by battling him again as a cyborg in Plumber HQ. As he gets promoted to Magister, he looks out toward the sky again and smiles.

Suddenly, he feels a weight on his right leg, looking down to see his adopted son, Kyoto, who smiles at him. We see that Rook is an adult now, with Ben and Sunset approaching from behind, standing beside him as they look towards the vast horizon together, waiting to see what kind of future will unfold…

END ENDING

Phew… This was a good chapter, but it took longer to do than I would've really wanted. And it's the first of many that's been affected by the new schedule. I love doing these stories, but they do take a while to get going.

But anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter for Rook Blonko! We'll be getting to Hinata Hyuga next week! Stay tuned!