Here is the next chapter, and the first chapter in the new arc. I wanted to have this chapter out several days ago, but real life conspired against me. Additionally, the chapter I am currently working on, which is several chapters ahead of this one, is giving me absolute fits. The words simply refuse to go into the right order, even when I lightly tortured them. Nevertheless, I did eventually manage to get to a place where I am, if not happy with it, then at least not murderously inclined towards it.

On a more positive note, thank you to all those who have reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. Your response has been tremendous, and I appreciate it very much.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Wars. Do I really need to keep saying this?

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Chapter 8

"Ok, seriously Naruto, where are we going?" Ahsoka whispered.

"You'll see," he responded. "I found something cool. Just follow me."

Ahsoka rolled her eyes at the non-answer, but she followed her friend, nonetheless. In the four months she had known him, Naruto had never lied to her. If he said he had something cool to show her, then she was willing to bet it would be worth sneaking out of the crèche in the early hours of the morning.

The rule breaking didn't bother her as much as the unexpected wake up had. Naruto had pulled any number of pranks since he had arrived, and she had been an eager participant in many of them. They offered a welcome respite from the somewhat stuffy atmosphere that normally pervaded the Temple, not to mention how oddly instructive she had found them. Naruto had a talent for mischief that boggled the mind.

Indeed, it was only those fond memories that had saved Naruto from a pillow in the face when he had pulled her out of bed at 0400. That was just too early for normal people to be up and moving, let alone wandering in some deep section of the Temple she had never even been to before. Still, she smiled a bit as she recalled how he had practically vibrated with excitement when he told her to get ready. Whatever this was, it must have been really cool.

"Okay, we're here," Naruto's voice broke her from her reverie. Peering past him, she saw an ancient-looking door, rusted halfway open. Beyond it lay an unlit corridor, with its dust covered walls and floor rapidly vanishing into the gloom. It didn't look like anyone had been down there in centuries. It also did not look like something worth waking early for.

Turning back towards Naruto, she gave him a look that would have kept meat fresh for a month.

"Did you seriously bring me all the way down here to look at some old door?" she hissed. Her voice promised imminent suffering if he didn't provide an adequate explanation.

"Ummm, no?" he said, before continuing rapidly. "It's not just any old door. That's an entrance to the old tunnels that run beneath the Temple. I read in the Archives that there are tons of old tunnels from thousands of-"

"Wait wait," Ahsoka interrupted. "You read something? You?"

"Hey!" Naruto said indignantly. "I read. I read all the time. You just don't see me do it, that's all."

"So you had one of your clones do it for you then?" Ahsoka said, giving him a knowing look.

"…Maybe. But that doesn't matter."

"Uh huh, sure," she said. "So what's so cool about these tunnels, then?"

"They're completely unexplored," Naruto said, jumping with excitement. "We get to be the first people to go in there in over 1000 years. Think of all the stuff we could find. We can even map them out and use that for our history project."

Ahsoka blinked at that information. Exploring creepy ancient tunnels, with the outside chance of cool loot and the possibility of an easy time on a class paper. That was more like it.

"Why didn't you just say so at the start?" Ahsoka asked. "Come on, let's hurry. We've only got a little over an hour before we have to head back, or Master Leem will catch us. Bet you can't catch me."

With that, she pulled out her flashlight and raced off into the tunnel, laughing. Naruto swore and chased after her. No way was he going to let a challenge like that just pass him by.

The tunnel echoed with the sounds of their laughter as Naruto chased after his friend. Despite her head start though, he soon caught up with her. His speed was still well above the standard for mere initiates after all. As he drew level with the orange-skinned girl, he tapped her on the shoulder to let her know she had lost. They both slowed to a walk, kicking up little plumes of dust off the floor.

"Aw man," Ahsoka complained as she panted lightly. "I forgot how fast you are. And you're not even out of breath. How do you do that?"

"I've always had good stamina," Naruto bragged. "And Jiraiya-sensei makes sure I stay in top shape. He says that just because we're in the Order now doesn't mean we should let our standards drop."

"You two are crazy." Ahsoka said, shaking her head. She had joined in on one of Jiraiya and Naruto's workouts. Just one. She had actually lasted for more than half of it, but she'd felt like dying for the next two days. It had inspired her to increase her physical training, but she knew she was still a long way from matching the two former shinobi. Despite being one of the youngest members of the Clawmouse clan, she had always been the top scorer on physical tests. It had been a little disheartening to be shown just how far she had yet to go.

Naruto seemed to pick up on her thoughts and bumped her lightly with his shoulder.

"Hey," he said, "You'll get there soon enough. You're already a lot faster and stronger than when we met. I believe in you Ahsoka. You're pretty awesome, after all."

Ahsoka smiled at that. It was nearly impossible to be sad or down on yourself near Naruto. He had a way of sensing it, and then saying just the right thing to bring you out of your funk.

"Thanks, Naruto," she said. "You're pretty awesome yourself."

"I know," he said, crossing his arms behind his head. Ahsoka rolled her eyes. Just when he started sounding all cool and wise, he would go and say something like that. Ahsoka would bet money that under his mask, he had a smug grin from ear to ear.

"Spacebrain," she said, smiling.

"Slowpoke," he shot back.

"Motormouth."

"Shrimp."

Together they walked down the tunnel, bickering and trading insults good-naturedly. Neither was not worried about getting lost. Ahsoka used a basic Jedi cantrip to commit every turn to memory, and Naruto trusted her implicitly to lead them back out. She had saved his butt from getting lost in the Temple several times before.

As they wandered deeper, the walls began to change. Numerous carvings adorned them, showing what appeared to be Jedi in various poses. Some were meditating, others flying ships, and still others were battling various foes.

"This area must once have been used for training," Ahsoka said, her voice awed. "Those look like Jedi fighting Mandalorians on the wall. That would make those carvings over 4000 years old."

"Yeah, I think we're under the Processional Way," Naruto said. "The Archives said that most of that block used to be an active part of the Temple."

It wasn't well known outside of the Order, but the vast tower block the famous Temple sat upon was also technically part of the Temple. Most of the space was now taken up either by the Sacred Spire or by various machines that provided utilities and services to the Senate district, but large parts of old Jedi structures still survived.

"Look at you, being all scholarly again," Ahsoka teased. "Master Nu would be so proud."

Naruto opened his mouth to retort, but a sudden noise from ahead of them silenced his comeback. It sounded like something with claws scrabbling across the floor.

"Did you hear that?" he whispered, his old training taking over. As he glided noiselessly across the dust, a faint animal whine came from the shadows.

"It sounds like an animal," Ahsoka said. "Let's check it out."

"Okay, but be careful," Naruto said. "It could be dangerous."

The sounds got louder as they moved forward. They both crept up slowly, not wanting to startle an unknown creature. When he judged they were right around the corner from it, Naruto signaled. Together, they jumped around the corner, ready to face whatever was making the noise. There in front of them, with a wide mouth full of teeth and beady black eyes, was-

"It's a Loth-cat," Ahsoka said. "Oh, it's so cute."

"Uh, Ahsoka, care to fill me in here?" Naruto asked. He gathered that the thing, whatever it was, wasn't dangerous. His education had not, thus far, covered what a Loth-cat was, though.

"It's a harmless animal from Lothal. This one must be an escaped pet," she said. "And look, it's injured."

It was indeed injured, Naruto saw. It's back left leg was bleeding, and it held it at an angle off the ground. Kneeling down, Naruto slowly approached to get a better look.

"It looks like it got bit by something," he said. "It must have run in here to get away. Let's help it out."

Naruto reached into the pouch he kept tied around his leg. Slowly he withdrew his medkit and opened it up. The black-haired Loth-cat hissed at his movement, and tensed, ready to flee. Naruto stopped before carefully reaching for the frightened animal.

"Woah, easy there," he said as he scratched the lost pet behind the ears. "I'm not gonna hurt you."

The Loth-cat purred with satisfaction for a few seconds before making a spirited attempt to strip the flesh from his hand.

"Aagh, shit!" Naruto swore and jerked his arm back. The Loth-cat yowled and ran off down the tunnel.

"I thought you said those things were harmless," he yelled at Ahsoka.

"It's just scared," she said defensively. "Now come on, we have to catch it."

"You want to go after that thing," Naruto said incredulously.

"It'll die if we don't help it," Ahsoka yelled out, already chasing off after the black furred animal. "Now come on!"

Naruto sighed and swore under his breath, but he gave chase after her. Ahsoka loved animals. If he didn't help her with this, she would give him grief about it for weeks. As it was, they were already going to be late for the morning roll call with Master Leem. She was going to give them the Look when they got back.

Naruto shivered as he ran. He hated and dreaded the Look. Every member of the Clawmouse clan did. It was one of Master Leem's most powerful means of keeping order. It wasn't that it was especially angry or fearsome. It was not at all threatening. It was actually quite calm and cool. You just didn't want to see it again.

Naruto shook off his trepidation and refocused on the Loth-cat as he caught up to Ahsoka. Together, they managed to herd it into a dead end. Once again, moving slowly, they walked towards the hissing feline.

This time, Ahsoka held the frightened animal while Naruto cleaned and bandaged the wound. Within five minutes, he was done, and Ahsoka picked the now calm animal up into her arms. Smiling, she held him out to Naruto.

"See," she said, "He's harmless. He was just frightened, that's all."

No sooner had she said those words than the creature took a swipe at Naruto's masked face with its paws, yowling madly.

"Uh-huh," he said flatly. "I'll let you carry him out of here. Now come on, we're super late for-"

Creak

The sudden sound had both Initiates immediately on the alert, but it was too late. With a groaning crash, the floor beneath their feet gave way, sending them hurtling down into the darkness.

Together, boy, girl, and madly screeching Loth-cat, they plummeted through what looked like an old garbage chute. It looked that way because that's exactly what it was, not that any of the three could appreciate that at the moment. The chute slowly changed directions until they were sliding at a steep angle down one of the sides rather than free falling. Given the accumulated muck and filth that had built up on the chute wall over the centuries, it was a tossup if this was an improvement or not.

Any hopes they had of sliding to a gentle, or at least survivable stop, vanished when the chute suddenly dumped them out into the open air. They were once again falling, this time between two enormous cliffs of metal and duracrete. They were between the sides of two buildings, Ahsoka idly thought, in the small part of her brain that was not panicking.

Fortunately, this was not the first time Naruto had found himself an unwilling recipient of gravity's tender care. Angling his body, he maneuvered over towards Ahsoka, who was remarkably calm, given her present circumstances. He hooked one arm around her waist and pulled her towards him.

"Hang on to me!" he shouted over the powerful winds.

"No shit!" came Ahsoka's rather strained response. Nevertheless, she moved herself onto his back. With her arms full of Loth-cat, she wrapped her legs around Naruto's torso and clung on for dear life.

That done, Naruto moved on to step two of his hasty plan. He bit his thumb to draw blood, before flashing through hand signs. Channeling the Force as chakra, he thrust his hand into the air below them.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu."

POOF.

A massive cloud of smoke appeared, and the trio felt their fall rapidly slow to a stop. When the smoke cleared, it revealed a massive blue-green toad beneath them, all four limbs spread out to dig into the two walls on either side of them. Judging by the furrows carved in the duracrete, it had taken some force to halt their momentum.

"{Jiraiya, is that you?}" came a polite voice from beneath them, speaking in Nihongo.

"{No, it's Naruto Uzumaki,}" Naruto said in the same language. "{I'm sorry, I don't think we've met. What's your name?}"

"{I am Gamahiro. It is nice to meet you Naruto-san, though perhaps your choice of venue could use some work.}"

At that point, Ahsoka's mind finally caught up with the fact that she wasn't falling anymore. The reason for that was something that she was still trying to process, but she figured it was Naruto's fault. This seemed like a reasonable assumption, as most of the weirdness in her life was his fault, she thought as she got off Naruto's back and stood up. After all, he was currently chatting amiably in Nihongo with whatever it was that had saved them.

"Okay, hold up," she said as calmly as she could, which wasn't very. "Naruto, you want to fill me in here? What is this thing, and how did it just appear out of nowhere?"

"Oh, right, you don't know about the toads yet," Naruto said. "This is Gamahiro, a member of the toad clan. I have a contract with them, so I was able to summon him with a jutsu."

Ahsoka nodded her head numbly at that. She hadn't understood some (most) of what her friend had said, but she gathered that the giant toad was friendly and somehow knew Naruto. Given it was also the only thing standing between them and certain death, she was not inclined to question it further.

"{Um, thank you, Gamahiro-san,}" she said in her very limited Nihongo. Naruto had started teaching it to the clan, but progress had been slow.

"{You are welcome, young lady. Naruto, forgive me, but I cannot get you back up higher. The walls are too far apart up there. The best I can do is get you two to the ground safely.}"

"{That's alright Gamahiro, we'll figure it out,}" Naruto said.

"{Very well then. Hold on tight.}"

Naruto grabbed Ahsoka, who was still carrying the demented cat, he noted, and pinned her to the toad's head. He then used chakra to stick himself over her, like a seatbelt of sorts. Once he had done so, Gamahiro pushed off of one wall and slid down the other with all four limbs. He then bounced from one wall to the next, maintaining a safe speed as he descended into the gloom below.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

At the same time as this was happening, Jiraiya was walking to one of the Temple's gyms for an early morning workout. He had been an early riser for decades now, and he often took advantage of this to get to the gym before anyone else. Today, however, someone had beaten even him there.

It was a woman, quite an attractive one, if Jiraiya was any judge, being perhaps a year or two younger than he was. She was a Mirialan, with vibrant blue eyes, dark lips, and a series of small diamonds tattooed on her chin. She was currently dressed in comfortable black workout clothes, and was stretching on the edge of one of the mats. The habit of nearly four decades wanted Jiraiya to shamelessly ogle her body, but he dismissed it. He was not going to do that anymore.

"Oh, hello," Jiraiya said. "I don't usually see other people here this early."

"Yes, well, I've been on a mission for the last few months," the woman said. "I normally come here at this time. I'm Luminara Unduli, by the way. Who might you be?"

"I'm Jiraiya," he said.

"Ahh, one of the mysterious Force users from the past. I must admit, I didn't quite believe it when I heard someone of your age had been admitted for training," Luminara said, a hint of challenge in her voice. Jiraiya smirked internally at that. She was testing him, he realized, seeing how he would react to being called out. She was hardly the first Jedi to do so. While everyone was willing to abide by the Council's decision, that didn't mean they weren't going to see for themselves what the newcomer was like.

"Well, the Council voted on it," he said, keeping his face perfectly blank. "All I know is that some of the Masters had visions that told them we had to become Jedi."

"Indeed," she said. Her mouth twitched slightly, nearly forming a tiny smile. It seemed he had passed her test.

"I've heard that you are quite the formidable warrior," she continued. "Would you care for a quick spar, just hand to hand? I would enjoy seeing how your style fares against my own."

Jiraiya's internal smirk widened at that. Luminara practically radiated confidence and self-assurance. He could see it in her body language, and even feel it with his nascent Force senses. If he had to guess, he would say that she had probably heard some of the stories about his skills from others, and assumed they were exaggerating. This would be interesting, he thought.

"I'm up for it," he said, smiling lightly. "Just let me warm up first."

After a few minutes of stretching and some light calisthenics, they both took the mat. They began circling one another, analyzing stances and searching for weakness. Before long, though, Luminara shot forward.

She opened with a flurry of attacks, aiming for his head and chest. Jiraiya was mildly impressed by her speed, but he was still easily able to dodge the opening volley. He weaved around each punch and kick until the last jab. That one he caught, before responding with a swift round kick to her stomach. As she doubled over, wheezing, he used his grip on her arm to throw her across the mat.

"Impressive," she gasped as she returned to her feet, catching her breath. "I would hate to face you in a real fight."

"My godson said something similar, once," Jiraiya said, settling back into a ready stance as Luminara did the same.

"Yes. Naruto, I believe his name is. I had heard that you two were… close. That you were even still training him while he is here," she said. This time, the disapproval in her voice was plain to hear.

"I take it you don't approve," Jiraiya said flatly, as he ducked beneath a sudden spin kick.

"No, I don't," Luminara said, flipping over Jiraiya's head to attack from behind. "You two have a dangerous attachment. A Jedi should be free of such things. They lead to the Dark side."

Jiraiya actually laughed at this. He spun around her punch, still laughing, and delivered a quick jab to her ribs. She winced, before jumping backwards to gain space and plan her next move.

"You know, you're the seventeenth Jedi who's said that about Naruto and me. I'll tell you the same thing I told all of them."

"And what would that be?" Luminara asked, before jumping to deliver an axe kick from above.

"That the Jedi stance on attachments is wrong," Jiraiya said, blocking her kick and throwing her back. "It is just plain wrong. I can see where you all are coming from, and you aren't too far off, but you still missed the mark."

"Interesting," Luminara remarked. "Are you going to stop holding back on me?"

Jiraiya blinked a bit at that, nearly missing his next block. This woman was intriguing, he decided.

"Well, if you think you can handle it," he said, smiling.

"Oh, I insist," Luminara replied, drawing on the Force to speed her reactions and sharpen her senses.

With that, Jiraiya blurred into motion. Luminara had to strain her Force senses to their limit just to dodge his blistering attacks. It was when she tried to block one that she made her first mistake. She grunted in pain as she felt the bones in her arm protest, nearly breaking with the force of his kick.

She didn't get a chance to recover. Jiraiya took advantage of her moment of distraction and darted past her guard. A brutal knee to the stomach, followed by an equally brutal kick to the head, had Luminara flying across the room. She landed on the edge of the mat in a dazed heap, a bruise already spreading across her face.

Fortunately, Jedi Masters were hardier than most beings. By the time Jiraiya crossed over to where she lay, Luminara was already using the Force to clear her head. She couldn't move just yet, but her awareness was returning.

As that awareness expanded to include how much pain she was in, she decided that might not be a good thing. Still, she managed to focus on Jiraiya's somewhat concerned face hovering over her.

"Are you alright?" Jiraiya asked. "That was quite a hit you just took."

"I'll be fine," Luminara answered, wincing slightly as she sat up. "It seems I rather severely underestimated you. You have my apologies for that. It was arrogant of me."

Jiraiya just brushed it aside.

"Better find that out now than in the real world," he said. "Besides, you did pretty well. Not many people can dodge even one of my attacks at that speed."

Luminara nodded her head, acknowledging the compliment.

"Well, since it seems my morning workout has ended a bit earlier than expected, would you care to join me for some tea?" she asked. "I would be interested to hear how you think the Jedi Order's rules on attachments are flawed."

Jiraiya found himself blinking in shock once again. This woman was proving to be very intriguing.

"You're the first Jedi who's actually wanted to talk more on that subject after hearing me say they're wrong," he said. "Most either dismiss me as not seeing the truth yet, or else just avoid the topic altogether."

"Well, you seemed to have given the matter a great deal of thought," Luminara said. "I could sense that you weren't being arrogant or contrarian when you said it. You genuinely believe that the Jedi are wrong. I'm interested in knowing why."

Jiraiya smiled widely and helped her to her feet. 15 minutes saw them showered, changed, and sitting in a small meditation room nearby. A pot of tea sat steaming between them as they talked.

"So, what exactly is your issue with the Jedi's rules on attachments?" Luminara asked.

"I think it's counterproductive to the Jedi's core mission of achieving and maintaining peace throughout the Republic," Jiraiya answered calmly.

"The Jedi believe that attachments cloud one's judgment. A clear mind is necessary to ensure peace. The decisions we make are too important for us to be blinded by emotions, especially those caused by attachments," Luminara stated firmly.

"Let me ask you this; would you say the only way for people to be truly at peace is for them to understand one another?" Jiraiya asked. Luminara frowned thoughtfully for a few moments, mulling it over. Eventually, she reached a conclusion.

"I would agree with that."

"So then, as keepers of the peace, the Jedi should strive to understand as many of those around us as we can, yes?"

"Yes."

"But isn't the best way to understand others to build bonds with them? Bonds of mutual trust and friendship."

"Perhaps," she admitted. "But those bonds should not progress to an emotional attachment to others. Such things cloud your judgment."

Jiraiya sighed and resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"You're missing the point of having such attachments," he said.

"What is it I'm missing, then?"

"That it's not about how those bonds affect you. It's about how you can affect those around you with those bonds. A Jedi's whole purpose is to have a positive impact on the galaxy, not to avoid letting the galaxy have a negative impact on them. By focusing on how we can help those we understand, those we are attached to, I think you'll find that your judgment remains remarkably clear."

"That is an… interesting…point of view," Luminara said slowly. "I will have to think on it further. However, it does not change the danger of attachments. They can lead to fear, jealousy, and grief. All paths to the Dark side."

"You say that as though those emotions inevitably lead to falling," Jiraiya said. "Plenty of Jedi experience all of those emotions and more without falling. Plenty more could probably do so safely if the Order actually taught younglings how to properly handle and process emotion, rather than simply teaching them to suppress and dismiss their feelings. Besides, you're missing the core of the issue again."

"Which is?" Luminara asked curiously. It had been a very long time since someone had challenged her beliefs in this way, if ever. She found the experience rather refreshing.

"That not having any attachments can be every bit as bad as having them," Jiraiya said seriously. "Back home, I had a teammate named Orochimaru. When we were young, he was a very kind, caring boy; a good person. After the Second Great War, though, he began to isolate himself, cutting himself off from his friends and colleagues. From his attachments. Eventually, he began to devalue the lives of those around him so much, he began experimenting on people. He murdered dozens, abandoned the village, and later tried to destroy it."

"Jedi do not devalue sentient lives," Luminara said sharply in response.

"No, they don't," Jiraiya conceded. "But they do devalue sentient life. The emotions, the attachments, the love and happiness and grief; all the things that make us living instead of merely alive. You distance yourself from them, and by doing so you distance yourself from the very people we are sworn to protect and guide."

Luminara was silent at that. She looked thoughtful for a long moment while she sipped her tea. She then poured herself another cup before refocusing on the conversation.

"I… do not have an immediate comeback for that," she admitted, rather reluctantly. "I think you are underestimating the risk the Dark side poses, both to the Jedi and the galaxy as a whole. But I am eager to hear more of your thoughts on the matter. You have an… unusual perspective."

Jiraiya smiled, pouring himself another cup of tea. For the next few hours, he and Luminara sat and discussed more about the Jedi code. He could practically hear the questions bubbling around in her mind. She was thinking about what he had said, which was good. Jiraiya truly didn't like the way most of the Jedi interpreted their code. It was heartening to have one of them actually listen to his words on the matter.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Naruto wasn't sure how long Gamahiro was hopping between buildings on their way down to the ground, but it was a long time. Long enough for him to actually start getting bored with the sensation of plummeting into the unknown. Every time it seemed as if they had reached the ground, it turned out to be just another abandoned city level or building roof that they would then crash straight through. Only Gamahiro's extremely durable skin allowed him to escape unscathed.

Eventually, though, after what felt like days to Naruto, they reached the ground. Or at least, a surface solid enough to take their weight, which Naruto figured was close enough. They weren't falling anymore, at least. That was a plus, he figured.

"Umm, Naruto?" a muffled voice said from beneath him. "I think you can get off now. You're squishing me."

"Oh, uhh right."

Naruto picked himself up off of Ahsoka, who was looking somewhat ill. Her budding montrals were paler than normal, and her skin was more beige than orange. The evil Loth-cat, he noted glumly, was still in her arms, alive and frozen in terror. Ahsoka groaned and stood up, swaying slightly on her feet.

"I think I'm gonna puke," she said. Naruto paled at that. He didn't even want to think about what the toads would do if he let someone puke on one of them.

"Not up here, you're not!" he shouted, rushing over to her. Ahsoka groaned as he picked her up and slid down Gamahiro's back. As soon as they reached the floor, she pushed herself out of his arms, handed him the Loth-cat (which promptly tried its level best to claw his face off) and gave her stomach contents a walk in the fresh air.

Once Naruto had managed to pry the demented feline off his face and pinned it in his arms, he turned to face Gamahiro. The enormous toad was clearly exhausted. He was panting heavily, and dozens of scratches littered his arms and legs. Jumping down from wall to wall for so long had obviously taken its toll.

"{Thanks Gamahiro. I'm sorry for summoning you like that. I promise I'll make it up to you as soon as I can.}"

"{I was happy to assist you, Naruto. However, I must return to Mt. Myoboku now. I need rest. I hope you are able to find your way back to the surface safely. Farewell.}"

With that, Gamahiro vanished in a poof of white smoke. Naruto was suddenly very keenly aware of just how alone he, Ahsoka, and the evil cat were down here.

"Where did he go?" Ahsoka asked, having regained control over her stomach. Naruto promptly passed the Loth-cat back to her, whereupon it transformed into a calmly purring fluff ball.

"He had to go back to his home," Naruto said. "He was too tired to stay here. Wherever here is."

"We're really far down, Naruto. I don't think people are supposed to go down this far," Ahsoka said, looking around. There was hardly any light, and what little there was illuminated nothing but piles of trash and debris. There were no signs of recent habitation.

"How far down do you think we are?" Naruto asked, his voice barely a whisper

"I don't know," Ahsoka said, her voice matching his. "It should say on one of the buildings over there. Let's go look."

Together they wandered over to the vast cliff of crumbling duracrete and metal that made up the sides of some ancient skyscraper. As they got closer, they could see a number, painted in yellow, almost illegible beneath the filth of centuries. When they got close enough to read what it was, their jaws dropped.

"Well, we're fucked, aren't we?" Naruto asked numbly.

"Yeah. Yeah, we are," Ahsoka replied.

Both of them knew that the Temple started on level 5000. The lowest inhabited level was officially level 125. The lowest level it was considered possible to inhabit was level 90, although very few sane people would ever choose to try. Hardly anyone ever returned after venturing below level 50, and the Republic didn't even bother mounting rescue missions for those poor fools that found themselves down that far. The number in front of them, however, said 1. They were on level 1. The very bottom.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

So, Naruto and Ahsoka are now stuck on the lowest, or second lowest if you're being technical, level of Coruscant. Those of you familiar with Legends will know exactly how many different types of screwed they probably are right now. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, the lower levels of Coruscant were abandoned millennia ago, and are now infested with all manner of dangerous creatures, most of them mutated by the pollution and lack of light.

Hopefully I will be able to get the next chapter out in the next week. Until then, enjoy.